Alright — we’re back for another weekly check-in from the shop. As always, it’s been fairly busy around here and we’ve had some really cool things roll in this week. 

We had a great start to the week by getting restocked from our good friends at Caroline Guitar Company. We’d been waiting a little while for some pedals, and Ben from Caroline literally hopped in the car and drove a few miles down the road to drop off a big batch of pedals. We always joke that we get “free shipping” because they just drive them over. This round included a Hawaiian Pizza, Wave Cannon, Météore, Shigaharu, Kilobyte 2000, and some Parabolas. Caroline has been staying busy and a little backed up, so it was great to see that delivery hit the floor. And while we can’t share too much yet, we know they’ve got several exciting new releases coming this year. We’ve heard a little inside info, but we’ll let them make the official announcements. If you know Caroline, you already know — they make some of the best pedals out there, and it’s so cool having them right down the road. 

Over in Drumland, we just received a DW Performance Series 4-piece shell pack in Bermuda Sparkle. This finish is absolutely incredible. It’s a 22x18 kick, 10x8 and 12x9 rack toms, and a 16x16 floor tom. We had this finish about a year and a half ago, and it’s one of those kits that just lights up when stage lights hit it. It’s now set up in the drum department, so definitely come take a look — it’s a head-turner. If you aren’t familiar with the Performance Series from DW, they are awesome. The Performance Series is USA made, in the same factory as the Collector’s Series, but just without the ability for customization and as many options in sizes and colors. Instead of handpicking shells to confirm that pitch descends in size, they used their HVX Shell Technology, which guarantees the pitch change. (If you want the full run down on the DW Series, come by or hit me up!). While on the topic of DW Drums, we just did a social post highlighting the new DW Exotic snare drums. These actually launched back in January, and we’ve had them in the shop — we just hadn’t had the chance to properly promote them yet. We brought in four exotic wood models: Elm Burl, Smoked Figured Eucalyptus, Vivona, and Vertical Curly Birch. All are 14x6.5 Collector’s Series builds with the MAG throw-off and 5-position butt plate. Three are gloss finished, and the Curly Birch has a hard satin finish. I got a sneak peek of these back in October at DW but couldn’t share anything at the time. Now that they’re public, we’re pumped to finally show them off. They’re absolutely stunning. 

Looking at our cymbal wall recently, we noticed some empty hooks on the Sabian wall, so we quickly got an order going with them! We brought in some great pieces from all across their line — from budget-friendly B8X and SBR models to HHX and AAX. We also got a 17” Brilliant Holy China, which is a classic Sabian cymbal that both looks and sounds killer. The wall is full again… but we’ve already ordered more, so more Sabian is on the way in the next few days! Also, with the Sabian models, if you haven’t come by to check out the newer Stratus line, please do! I got to help with the R&D of this series and it is some of the best stuff out there, especially for the money! 

Over in the Acoustic world, we had some awesome Martin Guitars arrive. We’re continuing to build out our Road Series lineup, especially with the newer Retro and Modern updates. This week we received a D-10E Retro Sapele and  a standard D-10E Retro and in the Standard Series, an HD-28 and even a 12-string HD-28. Our goal is to keep every standard and Road Series model represented in the Martin room, and we’re getting closer and closer to that. Definitely come by and spend some time in the somewhat new Martin room. And don’t forget…the D42 is now on display! Also in the acoustic room, the Gibson LG-00 is finally back in stock! We’ve been waiting on 2 different versions of this guitar to arrive for a couple of months now and one is finally in the building. This is a shop favorite and one that does not tend to last long. Hurry in to check it out while you can!

Over in the electric guitar department…

We just got in the PRS Herman Li signature model, and this thing is wild. I let Jon pick the color, and he chose the Mantis Burst — a green-to-yellow fade that looks incredible in person. It’s loaded with Fishman pickups and a Floyd Rose tremolo. It’s one of those guitars that stops you in your tracks. You’ll find it hanging proudly on the PRS wall. We were a little late to the party on this model but our PRS rep, Chris, was in the shop recently and pointed out that we had forgotten to order it. But that problem was quickly solved! 

We also had some fresh arrivals from a couple of other brands, including an Epiphone Flying V in Maui Blue that definitely stands out on the Player’s Choice wall and an Ibanez GB10EM George Benson Signature in an Antique Amber Finish that is stunning. As for other electric guitar brands, we met with the rep for a new guitar brand — new to Sims Music, at least. It’s been a long time since we’ve brought in a brand-new guitar line, but this one is coming soon. We’re working on our opening order right now. Let’s just say all you rock-and-roll shredders are going to be very

excited. It’ll probably be a few weeks before inventory starts trickling in, but trust me — it’s going to be cool.

On the amp side, we’re officially back in the amplifier repair world, and we recently had a vintage Ampeg VT-22 come through. It’s a 100-watt beast. The customer wanted it restored and up and running before selling it, so we did a full service — new tubes, full check-over — and it sounds incredible. It’s now on display via consignment. You can see pictures on our site, but honestly, you just need to come in and crank it up. It’ll blow your socks off. And of course, all of the new Orange amps we mentioned last week are now fully stocked and displayed. The Crush series, bass amps, and tube models are all in, and people have already been digging into them. It’s been about ten years since we’ve carried Orange, so it’s exciting to have them back. 

In the repair shop, Jon has been staying extremely busy — including working on several refrets. Those are long, detailed projects, and watching him work through that process is fascinating. He just finished up an older Les Paul and it turned out incredible. You can check our Instagram for a close look (and funny video) of the finished project. Whether you need a setup on your guitar, some wiring, or some more intense work like a refret, Jon is here to help. Don’t hesitate to give us a call or come by with your guitar so we can help get it playing better than ever!

In the shop, we also had Sway complete two full pedalboard builds this week. One customer loaded up on Boss pedals, grabbed a Pedaltrain board and power supply, and let Sway handle the rest. He got everything routed cleanly with proper signal flow and a super tidy setup. If you ever need help building or refining your board — even just some guidance — come talk to Sway. He’ll get you right. 

On a personal note, we’ve got some exciting news in the Sims family. My sister welcomed her third son, baby Ezra, out in Los Angeles. Jerry and Debbie were out there all week helping with the boys. That makes Jerry a four-time granddad now. So there’s a new member of the Sims crew — about 3,000 miles away — but I’m sure we’ll get him playing drums or guitar before long. Big congratulations to Courtney and the whole crew out there. 

Overall, renovations have mellowed out for now, and things are settling into a good rhythm. That said, with a new guitar brand coming soon, we may have to shuffle some things around and dress up another section of the store. We’ll keep you posted.

Keep an eye out — we’ll be announcing the next ukulele jam in a few days. And don’t forget about the Coolest Acoustic Guitar event on April 14th. The official announcement went out this week, and it’s going to be an incredible event.  Taylor, Martin, and Gibson will all be attending, bringing guitars and prizes and we will be sure to have food & cold beer — the whole deal. 

As always, if you need anything — shoot us an email, give us a call, come by the store, or message me on the website. We’re here for you. 

Thank you so much for the continued support. 

Stay safe and rock on.

-Justin Sims