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"Tell them I sent you" - a touring musician's guide:

This is an expanding list of cool music stores, instrument repair specialists and other kind folks who've helped me out over the years. I'll try to update this as often as possible or when I stumble upon a new store. Some of these places I visit very regularly and some less so. But I mention them all through some kind of personal contact and recommend them from past experience - either a purchase or (often) a repair. You'll only find web URLS as I figure that these days, they are more constant than phone numbers and even addresses. Definitely tell them I sent you - it might prompt them to find room on their crowded benches for your emergency repair work, and it might also help me, next time my gear goes down... it can't hurt!

Calton Cases - Calgary, Alberta

Here in Canada, it is a sad truth that all guitars have to travel underneath the plane with the other baggage... because of this, all my guitars travel in Calton Cases. As far as I know, Calton make the best instrument cases in the world. They're not cheap, but then again, neither is a major repair after Air Canada has done what they do all to often. It'll happen to you eventually, like death and taxes, your prized guitar or bouzouki will, at some point, get the living shite kicked out of it by a baggage handler or some other troglodyte . If your baby is in a Calton Case, you can at least be assured that it'll stand a waaay better chance of making it home in one piece. Go to their web site and check out the testimonials, or simply keep an eye open at the next major festival you attend... how many Calton Cases can you count?

Capsule Music - Toronto, Ontario

Capsule is Toronto's coolest place for vintage acoustic and electric guitars, amps etc. at very decent prices. They also do excellent repair work on both guitars and amps AND they sometimes have exceedingly cool cowboy shirts for sale. Staffed almost entirely (I think ) by working musicians this is another great store to kill a couple of hours in tuning their inventory. The first time I darkened Capsule's door, I had to step over a sleeping mutt, which was sprawled in front of the cash register. That's my kind of guitar store. Cowboy shirts and dogs. Definitely worth a visit.

CleverJoes Music Industry Resources - On the web

I stumbled across this site, whilst looking up web URLS for some of the places listed above. I include it in this list as a possible source for retail/repair that I have not (yet) visited in Canada. From just looking at the Guelph listings, it doesn't appear to be all that comprehensive, but it may provide some help if you're stuck.

Eddy Music - Nelson, British Columbia

Way back in the mists of time, I lived in Nelson as a full time student (at The now defunct David Thompson University Ctr.) and as a gigging musician on the weekends. Eddy Music was our local music store with a surprisingly good selection of new instruments and gear rental. Eddy also does instrument repair, although I've never had any work done. My happiest memory of Eddy Music happened several years ago. I was in Nelson visiting my sister, walked into the shop to look around (I'm always ready to look in music shops) and see if they had any vintage - cheap 'n cheeries. As it happens, they do have a wall of "not for sale" guitars, amps and pedals... without too much effort, I managed to talk them into selling me a very lovely Harmony Rebel (see the photo in my guitar section) which became my first "official" electric guitar. Alas, I had to part with The Rebel to finance my Black-face Deluxe Reverb, but I am eternally grateful to Don at Eddy Music for pulling that guitar down off the shelf.

Folkway Music - Guelph, Ontario

Folkways is my local music store here in Guelph. A great collection of new instruments and classic vintage instruments and amplifiers, an excellent repair shop, an ongoing concert series specialising in international touring artists, and a burgeoning teaching dept. Folkway does it all. Guelphites are very lucky to have such a fine store in our little town and I recommend a visit if you're passing through in person, or on the web. Prices are a little on the steep side, but quality is excellent. Oh, and Folkway stocks Newtone Strings!

Long & McQuade - Right across Canada

L&M Is the biiiiig chain music store. All the major brands etc. Mostly I mention them because of a very cool rental service they have. Rent an amp in Vancouver at the start of a tour - travel across the country playing shows - drop the amp off in Toronto at the end of the tour and only pay a small service charge for the privilege. That's a very handy service and something that Blackie & The Rodeo Kings have used many times.

Not Just Another Music Shop - Vancouver, British Columbia

NJAMS is one of those music shops that guitarists love to spend hours walking through with their tongues hanging out. It's almost a museum in that it has a huge inventory of classic vintage instruments, pedals and amps. The weird and the sublime, the classic and the clunker. You can even rent some of these beauties for your next recording session. When I lived in Vancouver, I was a regular at NJAMS and still own one instrument (the Morgan Resophonic) that Rob Friedman gave me a great deal on (but that's another story). Paul Iverson, the repair maestro has helped me out on several occasions and does a great job. NJAMS is definitely worth checking out if you're in Lotus Land if only to visit their "Pick Museum", to which I donated a great Bob Dylan pick. The pick says "BD it ain't me babe" on one side, and "It is baby isn't it?" on the other!

Rufus Guitar Shop - Vancouver, British Columbia

Rufus is a great neighbourhood guitar shop in Vancouver. They have a good selection of new and used acoustics and also do a decent repair business. I haven't been in for years, but they have helped me out with repairs in the past.

Sled Dog Music - Winnipeg, Manitoba

Many years ago, as a young musician, I toured through Canada in a dilapidated Datsun 510 wagon, armed with a couple of boxes of vinyl, a black leather vest and my trusty Guild D35. The Guild which was a serious workhorse, was kitted out with a Takamine pickup and pre-amp, plugged into a Boss chorus pedal... very high tech!

Anyway, the car made it across the country and back, but the pickup system went down early and I struggled for most of the tour to make it work. My (almost daily) routine was to wake up in whatever town I was in, grab a coffee and head to the local repair shop to see if I could get the dammed thing fixed. Any touring musician knows this story... you show up with your most endearing smile in place and ask/beg Bob or Dave or Doc or Linda(!) if they'd be kind enough to "have a look" at your sick friend. I must admit that most repair people are respectful and willing to put aside whatever is on their bench to help a touring player get back on the road, but a lot of that initial experience (both good and bad) has stayed with me and indeed is part of the impetus to create this section of the site.

Soooo, to cut a longish story short, after many days of repeatedly seeing my sweet old Guild up on the bench with it's guts hanging out, and after hearing every theory in the book (it's humidity... it's a cold solder... it's Takamine's built in obsolescence...), not to mention searing critiques of the last repair-persons work (who the fuck did that? Ohhhh that's your problem right there!). Finally I stumbled into Steve's in Toronto, hours before my first big show in the city (I think I played that first time at The Freetimes Cafe) was directed to the repair section and started into my, by now, well-rehearsed appeal for aid and succour. Behind the bench was John Sharples aka "The Guitar Doc". In no time at all, the guitar was fixed and John and I became fast friends. Over the years, John has put together and installed several pickup and pre-amp systems for me. Many's the night, we've sat up into the wee hours trying to make a new system perform properly. John now lives in Winnipeg and is the cheery proprietor of Sled Dog Music - a local Mecca for some of Th' Peg's top players. Sled Dog sells new and used instruments and is a great place to go for repairs and a good yak. I trust Th' Doc with all my guitars. Tell him I sent you!

Songbird Music - Toronto/ Ottawa, Ontario

Songbird Music has branches in both Ottawa and Toronto and is another fabulous resource for used gear, vintage gear and repairs. I've had several amp repairs done at the Toronto shop and have been satisfied with all their work. Songbird is always very busy so the inventory moves quickly. Prices are reasonable.

Steve's Music - Montreal/Ottawa/Toronto

Steve's is a large chain music store, second only to the huge Long & McQuade empire. Steve's is the place for pretty much everything from soup to nuts. Also great for rental gear and for introducing me to my best mate - John Sharples.

The Acoustic Guitar Store - Calgary, Alberta

The Acoustic Guitar store is a boutique of fine acoustic instruments. It's a little overwhelming when you first walk in and realise that you are looking at instruments you've only heard of in the past. Last time I was there, I played guitars made by Michael Heiden, Judy Threet, Peter Sawchyn and Ted Thompson, four great Canadian builders whose instruments deserve to be much better known. The store boasts "the best selection of handmade guitars west of Toronto" and that's not just hype. They've also done repair work for me and have a long list of other repair resources, should they be unable to help you. Highly recommended.

The Twelfth Fret - Toronto, Ontario

One of the most well known music shop in Toronto amongst both professional and amateur players alike. Funnily enough, I've never been in this store, but wanted to mention it for two reasons.

1. 12th Fret is definitely worth checking out for its inventory of high-end acoustic and electric instruments, both new and vintage, but also for it's reputation as a great repair shop and a place to get custom-built instruments.

2. The 12th Fret is the Canadian distributor of Newtone Strings (sustained applause!) . Newtone are hand made strings from Derbyshire - England. For those of you who don't know these beauties, see if your local store can order them in for you. They cost roughly the same as your average Pearse or D'Addarios, but blow them all out of the water. I could go on about them at length, but instead direct you to their website for more info. I use them on all my acoustics and electrics.

Woodshed Music - Guelph, Ontario

Woodshed is my other local music store(!). It's where I go to buy or sometimes rent new gear locally. They occasionally have the odd vintage piece, but their main gig is quality new instruments, amps, effects etc. Another great resource in the Guelph community.