On February 19, Raritan Bay Guitar Repair (the largest guitar repair shop on the east coast) hosted a Presidents’ Day Weekend guitar show with over a dozen vendors. Held from 10am-4pm at the gymnasium of Calvary Lighthouse Church in Lakewood, NJ, admission was only $10 for adults (or $8 if you brought a guitar) and $5 for children (free for 7 & under!).
Those that did bring guitars were typically seeking to sell or trade with vendors, while others simply preferred to use their own gear to test effect pedals and amps. There was a great variety of musical equipment for sale such as guitars, basses, ukuleles, strings, amps, speakers, cables, and even instructional DVDs.
Some of the other vendors at the show included: My Generation Guitars, Cool Cat Music, Baumber Musical Innovations, and Clinton Guitars. If you’re looking for a guitar case? They’ve got it. A replacement pedal board? No problem! And with both modern & vintage guitars for sale, go ahead and feast your eyes on some amazing Fender, Gibson, PRS, and all your other favorite guitars… even customs, partscasters, and cigar box guitars:
In terms of effect pedals, while you could find all your favorite pedal brands like Boss, MXR, Electro-Harmonix, and the like, custom & boutique pedals were also at the show. Footloose Effects brought along their hand-painted effects, ranging from overdrives to modulation pedals:
Another major vendor at the show was New York City’s Rivington Guitars, who displayed a little bit of what their shop is all about: a few necks for sale, a pedal or two, and a vintage Carvin bass & 1984 Gibson Invader electric guitar. They were also appraising gear and offering cash for guitars.
The Guitar Show was really homey and felt like a tight-knit community by the Jersey Shore. Even though it’s a smaller show, if it’s not too far from you, it’s worth checking out especially if you’re in the market for some solid gear. Lots of deals were being made and you’ll be supporting some great local businesses in the process. Be sure to check the Raritan Bay Guitar Repair site and Facebook page for announcements on their next show!
LesDudis 