Preston Wollaston (left) and Roy Hamasaki (right), pictured with long-time customer Steve Adams, have served the North Central Phoenix music community at Central Music for decades by offering in-person, hands-on support that customers can count on (photo by Sherry Gage).
Steve Adams has shopped at Central Music since he was seven years old. Now that he is 71, he still shops there. In fact, he and “Dan” went into the iconic shop last month for a tune-up.
“Dan” is Steve’s guitar, named after the late musician Dan Fogelberg’s blond Guild guitar, which Adams first saw Fogelberg play in concert in 1977. Preston Wollaston and Roy Hamasaki at Central Music know Steve and “Dan” well.
“It’s pretty cool to see the same customers over the years,” said Wollaston. “We really like to connect customers with a particular piece of music that we know will inspire them and make music even more fun. We can do that because we know our customers – what they like, what challenges them and what makes them smile.”
The little shop on the northwest corner of Central and Camelback has been the go-to for even the most reluctant students of music since 1952, when it was known as Sedberry Music. At that time, Central and Camelback were on the northern edge of Phoenix. Today, the city surrounds the busy intersection.
“I call Central Music ‘Command and Control’ for Phoenix musicians,” Adams said. “They have managed to provide what we need with a local touch, as well as adding the convenience of internet-based services. I tell people I could drive the Impala blindfolded from my house to Central Music, then I could walk, still blindfolded, to whatever I needed in that shop. It’s that much a part of my life and has been since I was seven.”
He credits Wollaston, Hamasaki and others working at the shop for thriving in a business that has changed tremendously over the past few years.
“They have stayed on top of the digitalization of the industry, yet they have kept their deep roots in knowing and serving their customers,” Adams said. “It’s impossible to stump those guys. They like the challenge of finding something obscure. For example, I can get a certain piece in a certain key, printed out on the spot. They have brought a Luddite like me into the digital age, and for that I am grateful.”
Wollaston says that many elementary students have rented their first instrument from the store, “It is a lot of fun to see them go from shy, unsure students to confident members of their school band. What’s even more fun is to see them return as adults, sometimes recently retired, and picking up their music where they left off, many years ago.”
Students like Adams have never left.
“So many of us kids growing up in North Central had our first musical experience at Central and that is as true today as it was during the 1950s and 60s when I came through for the first time,” he said. “The instructors and staff were so patient with us little kids, and, as we grew into obnoxious teenagers with garage bands, they stuck by us, ready to help us become the teen idols we already thought we were.”
What is the store’s specialty? Customers say it is the knowledgeable, helpful customer service. Wollaston acknowledges that with a modest, “Yes, we know our customers and welcome beginners as well as pros here. We’ve tried to keep the shop close to what it should be. We serve the music teachers, the church musicians and the music students of all levels. Their needs are always changing, and staying ahead of trends and changes to the industry keeps us on our toes.”
The shop sells, rents and repairs instruments and a guitar tune-up is a common request. Emergency strings?
“Yep, they have rescued many a musician with a string that’s buzzing right before a gig, including me,” said Adams.
With the arrival of online marketplaces, local stores like Central Music are impacted, but there are some things that only a physical store can offer.
“The big online sellers have certainly changed the business,” Wollaston acknowledged. “We sell on Amazon, but we also are committed to keeping a brick-and-mortar store here in our neighborhood. We have customers from all over the Valley and beyond who depend on us for personal service. Professional musicians and reluctant fourth-graders all need a place and people they can depend on.
“There’s something to be said for in-person, hands-on support. Our customers tell us that, and we certainly see that it is true.”
Central Music and Gifts carries music and gifts that span many genres and subgenres including rock, opera, jazz, folk, sacred, country, blues, world and more. The shop is located at 5038 N. Central Ave. and is open from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday through Saturday. For more information, call 602-274-6532 or visit www.centralmusicdirect.com.
