House of Guitars
Encyclopedia
House of Guitars, Inc. is a store selling guitar
s, percussion
and other music-related items in Irondequoit, a suburb
of Rochester, New York
. Billed as the "Largest Guitar Store in the World," it has a prodigious collection of new, used and vintage guitars, amplifiers and other musical instruments, a large collection of music recordings on vinyl records, cassette tapes and compact discs
, music videos, T-shirts and other rock memorabilia. The store’s slogan
is “For the Rising Young Stars from Earth.” An alternate slogan they have is "The Store That Ate My Brain." In numerous ads on late-night local television in the 1970s, the House of Guitars insisted, "The House Of Guitars Is Cooler Than Hollywood."
This had led to what some consider a bizarre 'maze' like layout, where separate store rooms containing music related equipment are connected via long hallways, sharp turns, un-level floors, et cetera.
The store is said to have obtained the first Vox
amps that came over to the United States. Schaubroeck had put in an order to Vox in England when The Beatles
came to America, having known that George Harrison
used Vox amps.
The House of Guitars continues to be owned and operated by the Schaubroeck brothers at the present time.
The store is divided into two distinct sections: the front part, facing Titus Avenue, houses all varieties of electric guitar
s, acoustic guitar
s and bass guitar
s as well as drums
, keyboards
and amplifiers. The rear section, accessible from a back door near Grange Pl. or from the front through a short maze of corridors, houses the music collection.
At first sight, the music store appears as more of a rummage sale, with nearly everything arranged in a state of disarray, however, simply asking an employee for help is an option. In addition to music on CD, cassette and vinyl records, the store also sells videos, T-shirts, magazines, posters, music books and thousands of other rock memorabilia items. The angled ceilings are covered with signed photographs, posters, and drum pads, while the walls are covered in sharpie signatures from musicians who have visited in the past.
, which features a page-long article on Armand Schaubroeck and The House of Guitars. In this article, Schaubroeck is quoted as saying, "If you want a hard-to-find guitar, we can hand it to you in six or seven different colors."
The Wall Street Journal also published an article about the store on June 12, 1997. HoG also appeared in Details magazine
as 'Top Guitar shop' in February, 2002. In 2008, it was named in the Top 200 Largest Music Product Retailers.
Several popular musical acts/bands have at one time or another shopped at the House of Guitars, including Metallica
, Ozzy Ozbourne, Mathew Sweet, Aerosmith
, Jon Bon Jovi
, The Ramones
and Mötley Crüe
The House of Guitars has employed a non-traditional approach to commercial sales. One example of this is their bizarre surrealist
early television commercial ads of the spanning the 1960s-1980s, shot on 16mm film which can still be viewed on local area television from time to time.
Guitar
The guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
s, percussion
Percussion instrument
A percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
and other music-related items in Irondequoit, a suburb
Suburb
The word suburb mostly refers to a residential area, either existing as part of a city or as a separate residential community within commuting distance of a city . Some suburbs have a degree of administrative autonomy, and most have lower population density than inner city neighborhoods...
of Rochester, New York
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
. Billed as the "Largest Guitar Store in the World," it has a prodigious collection of new, used and vintage guitars, amplifiers and other musical instruments, a large collection of music recordings on vinyl records, cassette tapes and compact discs
CDS
-Computing and electronics:* Cadence Design Systems, American Electronic Design Automation software company* Chromatography data system, software to control chromatography instruments* Cockpit display system* Compact Discs...
, music videos, T-shirts and other rock memorabilia. The store’s slogan
Slogan
A slogan is a memorable motto or phrase used in a political, commercial, religious and other context as a repetitive expression of an idea or purpose. The word slogan is derived from slogorn which was an Anglicisation of the Scottish Gaelic sluagh-ghairm . Slogans vary from the written and the...
is “For the Rising Young Stars from Earth.” An alternate slogan they have is "The Store That Ate My Brain." In numerous ads on late-night local television in the 1970s, the House of Guitars insisted, "The House Of Guitars Is Cooler Than Hollywood."
History
The House of Guitars was initially founded in 1964 by brothers Armand, Bruce, and Blaine Schaubroeck in the basement of their mother's house in Irondequoit, New York. In 1972 the Schaubroeck brothers relocated the House of Guitars to its present-day location in the former Irondequoit Grange Hall building at 645 Titus Avenue. Since the initial relocation in 1972, the House of Guitars has purchased three additional adjacent buildings, interconnecting these buildings for means of expansionThis had led to what some consider a bizarre 'maze' like layout, where separate store rooms containing music related equipment are connected via long hallways, sharp turns, un-level floors, et cetera.
"...'30 years of Cool' have taken a toll on the three-story stone building that once was the Irondequoit Grange Hall. The floors creak loudly under trampled carpeting, and so many bands have signed the walls that the messages are nearly illegible."
The store is said to have obtained the first Vox
Vox (musical equipment)
Vox is a musical equipment manufacturer which is most famous for making the Vox AC30 guitar amplifier, the Vox Continental electric organ, and a series of innovative but commercially unsuccessful electric guitars and bass guitars...
amps that came over to the United States. Schaubroeck had put in an order to Vox in England when The Beatles
The Beatles
The Beatles were an English rock band, active throughout the 1960s and one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music. Formed in Liverpool, by 1962 the group consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr...
came to America, having known that George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
used Vox amps.
The House of Guitars continues to be owned and operated by the Schaubroeck brothers at the present time.
Unique Store Layout
Electric guitar
An electric guitar is a guitar that uses the principle of direct electromagnetic induction to convert vibrations of its metal strings into electric audio signals. The signal generated by an electric guitar is too weak to drive a loudspeaker, so it is amplified before sending it to a loudspeaker...
s, acoustic guitar
Acoustic guitar
An acoustic guitar is a guitar that uses only an acoustic sound board. The air in this cavity resonates with the vibrational modes of the string and at low frequencies, which depend on the size of the box, the chamber acts like a Helmholtz resonator, increasing or decreasing the volume of the sound...
s and bass guitar
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
s as well as drums
Drum kit
A drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, keyboards
Keyboard instrument
A keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
and amplifiers. The rear section, accessible from a back door near Grange Pl. or from the front through a short maze of corridors, houses the music collection.
At first sight, the music store appears as more of a rummage sale, with nearly everything arranged in a state of disarray, however, simply asking an employee for help is an option. In addition to music on CD, cassette and vinyl records, the store also sells videos, T-shirts, magazines, posters, music books and thousands of other rock memorabilia items. The angled ceilings are covered with signed photographs, posters, and drum pads, while the walls are covered in sharpie signatures from musicians who have visited in the past.
Cultural Impact
House of Guitars (sometimes referred to its abbreviation, the 'HOG') has appeared in several magazines. This includes an August 1997 issue of People magazinePeople (magazine)
In 1998, the magazine introduced a version targeted at teens called Teen People. However, on July 27, 2006, the company announced it would shut down publication of Teen People immediately. The last issue to be released was scheduled for September 2006. Subscribers to this magazine received...
, which features a page-long article on Armand Schaubroeck and The House of Guitars. In this article, Schaubroeck is quoted as saying, "If you want a hard-to-find guitar, we can hand it to you in six or seven different colors."
The Wall Street Journal also published an article about the store on June 12, 1997. HoG also appeared in Details magazine
Details (magazine)
Details is an American monthly men's magazine published by Condé Nast Publications, founded in 1982. Though primarily a magazine devoted to fashion and lifestyle, Details also features reports on relevant social and political issues.-History:...
as 'Top Guitar shop' in February, 2002. In 2008, it was named in the Top 200 Largest Music Product Retailers.
Several popular musical acts/bands have at one time or another shopped at the House of Guitars, including Metallica
Metallica
Metallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California. Formed in 1981 when James Hetfield responded to an advertisement that drummer Lars Ulrich had posted in a local newspaper. The current line-up features long-time lead guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo ...
, Ozzy Ozbourne, Mathew Sweet, Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
, Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi
Jon Bon Jovi is an American musician, singer, songwriter, and actor, best known as the founder, occasional rhythm guitarist, and lead singer of rock band Bon Jovi, which was named after him...
, The Ramones
Ramones
The Ramones were an American rock band that formed in the New York City neighborhood of Forest Hills, Queens, in 1974. They are often cited as the first punk rock group...
and Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe
Mötley Crüe is an American heavy metal band formed in Los Angeles, California in 1981. The group was founded by bass guitarist Nikki Sixx and drummer Tommy Lee, who were later joined by lead guitarist Mick Mars and lead singer Vince Neil...
The House of Guitars has employed a non-traditional approach to commercial sales. One example of this is their bizarre surrealist
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
early television commercial ads of the spanning the 1960s-1980s, shot on 16mm film which can still be viewed on local area television from time to time.