Lark Street Music

  • Website: http://www.larkstreetmusic.com/
  • Contact:
  • Location:
    • 479 Cedar Lane
      Teaneck  NJ, 07666
      USA
    • From the South via the N.J. Turnpike: Take the N.J. Turnpike, Rt. 95 NORTH . There is a toll barrier at EXIT 18 where everyone pays. After paying the toll, Continue up 95 by BEARING RIGHT, following signs to the George Washington Bridge & local lanes Look for Exit 70 A &B, then take Exit 70-B to TEANECK Go to the second light and make a right onto Teaneck Road. Go about a mile (just after Holy Name Hospital) you'll come to the large intersection with Cedar Lane Make a LEFT onto Cedar Lane. We 1 mile up on the right, 479 Cedar Ln just after the 3rd traffic light. If you see the Movie Theatre you went a little too far! From the South via The Garden State Parkway Take the Garden State Parkway North. Get off at exit 161. Merge onto Route 4 EAST toward NYC Take Route 4 East for about 3 miles, go past the Hackesack exits and take the RIVER RD -TEANECK Exit At the end of the ramp, take a Right onto River Rd. Go 1/2 mile to the next light and take a LEFT onto CEDAR Lane Go up about 3 lights and we're on the Left, about 7 stores past the MOVIE THEATER at 479 Cedar Lane. From Albany and points North Take NYS Thruway Rt. 87 South and pay the Toll at Harriman Toll Barrier Continue about 15 miles and get off at EXIT 15, Route 17 South for NJ Continue for about 15 miles and get onto Route 4 East (There is only one Rt 4 Entrance for both E & W. Take it and the ramp splits- bear left for Route 4 East- NYC) Take Route 4 East for about 3 miles, go past the Hackesack exits, and take the next exit RIVER RD -TEANECK Exit At the end of the ramp, make a Right onto River Rd. Go 1/2 mile to the next light and take a LEFT onto CEDAR Lane Go up about 3 lights and we're on the Left, about 7 stores past the MOVIE THEATER at 479 Cedar Lane. OR: If you miss RIVER Rd exit, take the next exit at BELLE AVE. Take Belle Ave. exit and go to the first Stop Sign, take a RIGHT Go a block to the next Stop Sign, take a LEFT onto Garrison. Go a few blocks up to the Light and take a RIGHT onto Cedar Ln. We are 4 doors up on the right. 479 Cedar Lane. If you want to get a parking space for sure, as you approach the light at Cedar Lane, to the left there is a free surface Public Parking lot. Park here. From the West, take Route 80 East Route 80 East - Stay on Local Lanes until Exit 67 Ridgefield Park Bogota. Get off at Exit 67. At the end of the ramp, turn left. This road becomes Palisade Ave. A few traffic lights up is Cedar Lane (bank on left, small parking lot on right). Make a left onto Cedar Lane. Lark Street music is just after the next traffic light on your right at 479 Cedar Lane. From N.Y. via George Washington Bridge As you exit the bridge look for signs and get onto Route 4 West (4 only goes West). About 3 miles up go past Teaneck Road exit. Take the next exit, QUEEN ANNE RD. Ramp splits, go LEFT toward Ridgefield Park. Go up to the second traffic light and... Turn right onto Cedar Lane. Lark Street music is 4/10 mile ahead on your right at 479 Cedar Lane. From N.Y. via Lincoln Tunnel After exiting the tunnel, get onto the N.J. Turnpike going north. Follow the N.J. Turnpike North directions above.
  • Bio: From about 2002, HERE'S the Vintage Guitar Magazine Dealer Profile: >>Tell me a little about yourself.<< I was born in 1948 in Worcester, Mass, and grew up with the Bomb. Most vivid early guitar memory is watching my 3rd grade classmate bring in an old archtop for show and tell, AND play it. This must have been 1957 and Wayne was a greaser. Blew me away, though as a 3rd grader it was more like a deep impression. I loved music. My parents played Gilbert & Sullivan a lot, and every day after school I'd listen to Chuck Berry, Buddy Holly, Jerry Lee Lewis, Fats Domino, Everly Brothers, Little Richard and Danny and the Juniors on the radio. At a weekend camp in 7th grade an older kid had a 00-17 and said "Yeah, THIS is a Martin". My first guitar was a Harmony Sovereign that my brother and I chipped in for $69 at Union Music in Worcester. ----- I was taking cello lessons from Bedrich Vaska in 5th grade. Mr Vaska was a very old 80 year old Hungarian hunchedback cello master living in Worcester. His apartment was time machine 19th century Europe. His teacher was Dvorak. Dropped the Cello in 8th grade in favor of 5-string Banjo, inspired by the Kingston Trio and the Beverly Hillbillies. A year later, '61, started guitar, got a Harmony Sovereign dreadnought and learned by ear. Had a band, the "Freewheelers" in 8th grade. I loved John Fahey, New Lost City Ramblers, Pink Anderson, Gary Davis, Mississippi John Hurt, Koerner Ray & Glover, Spoelstra, the Kweskin and Van Ronk jugbands, and Flatt & Scruggs . A friend, Walter Crockett, taught me how to Travis pick - that was really hard to do- that alternating thumb thing. -------------------------- EVERY SUMMER HITCHED DOWN to the Newport Folk festivals from '63-'66, they were awesome. Seeing Howling Wolf up close and Dylan go electric w/ Bloomfield & Butterfield were highlights. I have 3 younger brothers and a sister. My youngest brother is Duke Levine who is at least one of the best guitar players in the world. He plays with Larry Campbell, Peter Wolf, Mary Chapin Carpenter, Lucy Kaplansky and many others. >>>>>>>>>>>How did you get started working with guitars?<<<<<< In 1968 while at U-Mass Amherst I was in the "Petroleum Jelly Jug Band". A Fiddler named Jerry Weene ( he has a violin shop in the Boston area- The Royal Exchange) joined us. He was repairing violins and guitars outside of Amherst at the Leverett Craft Center, a rambling old mill that had space rented out to a sculptor, a blacksmith and Jerry. After dropping out of Umass with a Judo injury, Jerry asked me if I wanted to help him out. Wow, are you kidding?? I managed to hitch out there everyday on crutches. Jerry taught me guitar repair. >>>>>How did you come to get in business as Lark Street Music? (Approximate dates are helpful)<<< A bunch of us were living communally on 200 acres of land outside of Albany NY in 1979 as a sister community of The Farm in Summertown, Tennessee, where I'd lived from '76-'77 Had a great time on the Farm, but we all did much better after we broke up. Through all this I always carried my guitar tools with me and took on repairs from whatever stores i happened to be near. After our Farm fell apart I realized the only skill I had that put me ahead of the pack was guitar repair. I teamed up with a guitar builder in Albany, but after 6 months opened my own store on Lark Street in Albany NY- Lark Street Music -in 1981. >>>When did you begin advertising in Vintage Guitar magazine? How does it work for you?<<<<<< I began right at the beginning with a display ad, and then switched to the current full page ad which has been a real good way to connect with all guitar freaks. >>>>>What are some thngs that you would like our readers to know about you? What makes you different from other guys or shops doing the vintage thing?<<<< I may be different from most dealers because I've been setting-up & repairing guitars for 33 years. It's helped me immensely in being able to figure out what's really going on in a guitar. I don't put great weight on cosmetic condition. It's a major consideration on one level, investment, and a relatively minor consideration otherwise. I buy stuff that I like, and I try to sniff out fatal flaws to avoid them. I've seen a lot of guitars where People are funny. I once had a '59 burst with no serial number on the peghead. Guys were afraid to buy it was thinking that it could have been refinished. How can this be they said. Well it was perfectly original and once you've seen enough Gibson necks you can just tell. It's how violin appraisers can tell you everything about a fiddle that has no label or mark. I tend to put high value on instruments that are good players. After all, they can make a billion re-issues but it' s hard to "make" a good guitar . I like Gene Baker's work a lot and Dominic Ramos' of Catskill NY. >>>Do you offer any on-site repair, refinishing, warranty work, set-ups, appraisal, or consignments?<<< We've been doing Martin Warrantee repair work for CF Martin since 1986. We do all aspects of stringed instrument repair and restoration and set-up. Neck sets, refinishing, custom building, even manufacturing some impossible parts. We do take consignments, and will write appraisals for a small fee. Verbal appraisals are free. >>>What is your philosophy of guitar shows? How many do you do each year? <<< Generally I don't get to many of them since I can't attend on Friday night or Saturday because of Sabbath observance. I go to 2 or 3 a year. I love em and hate em. I get emotionally weird at guitar shows; there's just too much going on . I go for dealer load in and try to buy a few things, meet with old friends and make new acquaintances. After 6 hours I'm ready for the trip home. >>>>I note you have a website. What has your experience been in doing business on the Internet? Is it better, worse, or the same?<<<< I've been doing mail order since 1981 and have had a wesite since 1996. The website generates about the same response as my print ads. My website has a "Just In" page which allows you to visit every day and check on just the NEW ARRIVALS so you can get in and out quickly. >>> I see you moved your business in the past couple of years. Has that been successful for you?<<< Being from Massachusetts, this was enemy territory, Yankees, Knicks and all that. New Jersy's image was like- 'last place I'd ever want to be, let alone live" but we needed to leave Albany for schools for our 4 kids. Teaneck is a small town with lots of trees and feels really good. You'd never know that we're 4 miles from the George Washington bridge. Many customers have been really supportive during the transition, and it's great to get into the City so quickly and easily. Lots more people with access to the store down here >>>>Where is the future of the vintage market headed? For you? In general? <<<< I hate the term "market", even though I'm in it. To me it connotes too much attention paid to investment in a tradable commodity. But for sure that's a good thing and I am into value. I get enough customers poking at the guitars that sometimes it feels like a market. But you don't go into the local Stop & Shop and trade old food in and get to hassle about price. I don't make predictions. I do believe in the essential and intrinsic value of musical instruments though, and feel that these are far safer investments than most others. For starters, they are beautiful and useful. What a concept. If the market crashes today, you 'll have something that'sj ust as nice as it was yesterday. For me I'm really happy that Aaron my 14 year old is into working in the store. He's been helping out for years but this year he "got" the vintage fever so who knows where that'll lead. . Other comments, notes, or things people should know about you? --- LARKSTREET@aol.com wrote: > Hi Eric, > You bet, that'd be real nice. > Thanks, Buzz > > << Hey Buzz, > > Nice to see you at the little show up in Auburn MA. > One of the things I do for Vintage Guitar magazine > is > to write dealer profiles. I took a look and you > were > one of our first profile subjects nearly ten years > ago. We all agreed that it is time for a new > profile. > Interested? > > Let me know and I'll get things started. > > All best, > > Eric Shoaf >> >
  • Brands: New lines include Martin, National, Santa Cruz, Larrivee, Santa Cruz. We also carry new Amplifiers- Bogner, Blockhead, Carr, Headstrong,Tone King, THD, Tungsten, Orange, We carry new effects by Diamond, T-Rex, Fulltone, Z.Vex, Maxon, Electro Harmonix, Lehle, Carl Martin, Moog. We specialize in used and Vintage Martins, Gibsons, Nationals, and Bacon & Day Acoustic guitars, Gibson Mandolins, oldtime and tenor Banjos, Archtop Jazz Guitars, as well as Fender , Gibson, Gretsch, electrics. We have old tube amps, Electric Basses, and oddball stuff like Sitars, Lapsteels, Cellos etc
  • Comments: We specialize in the restoration of older Martins, as well as ather acoustics. We also can *make* parts such as bridges, pickguards, pickups etc. from scratch.
  • Policies:
    • Payment: Cash, Money order, Bank check,Bank wire. Credit Card arrangements Personal Checks must clear, unless we know you. Bank Wires -- Call for instructions
    • Shipping: We ship UPS and Fedex for ground service and air. DB Schenker is very good for foreign shipments, as they are less expensive. They will also let you pick up your instrument at the airport if you want to save some money. We've been packing guitars for 30 years, and find that most damage is due to poor packing. We know how to pack. We fully insure all shipments and we will take care of any claim that might arise. We guarantee that you won't have to fight with a shipping company if any damage occurs. We do that. Even though you have the guitar in your possession, and have paid for it, we assume all responsibility
    • Returns: You may inspect the instrument for 24 hours and return it if you don't want to keep it without explanation. If you need another day or two, simply call us and request more time, and we will work with you. We make agreements you, and we keep them! Satisfaction Guaranteed NO RETURNE ON NEW AMPLIFIERS OR SPECIAL ORDERS
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