A short history of Studio E Music or "Donuts, Pies and Guitar Strings" When I resigned my teaching position in 1979, I had no plans to start a music store. Planning to tune pianos as well as teach piano and guitar, I found myself in Glouster with students who needed guitar strings, music, and other supplies. After stocking a few strings and a couple guitars for my students at our house, I found myself with a problem: people started coming to our door to buy them ...at all hours of the day and night! Since my wife's parents owned a bakery storefront downtown, we decided to move our stock to that location. Grubbs' Bakery, in business for some 29 years provided us with a location almost as attractive as a shopping mall! With bakery customers stopping from all corners of southeast Ohio, we decided that we could afford to offer a modest discount on our merchandise and so became the first store in the region to offer a discounted price that we marked on the price tag. News of the great prices at Grubb's Bakery traveled fast, and before I knew it, Grandma was selling guitars and donuts, guitar strings and apple pies, guitar picks and birthday cakes. In 1990, at the urging of customers, manufacturers, family, and Harold, we relocated the store to the Athens Mall. Then, in December of 2003 we relocated to our present location in The Plains after being informed that the Athens Mall location would be demolished and rebuilt as a strip mall. On September 16, 2010 a tornado struck the store in The PLains, forcing our move back into Athens at The Market on State Street (in between Elder Beerman's and Tractor Supply). Sales went up by approx. 35% and profits improved at the new location. After struggling through the bad economy at The PLains location this was a welcome change. 2011 started off strong and it looked as if we had "turned the corner". Later into 2011 our bank decided to "pull" our credit line. We continued to operate profitably as we evaluated our situation, but it became apparent that with the restrictive credit markets in the current economy continued operations past June or July would become increasingly difficult. Therefore, the decision was made to sell or liquidate the store to pay off creditors. When negotiations for the sale of the store bogged down, we proceeded with our liquidation sale which was completed on May 21st, 2011. It's been a long run and we thank you for your many years of friendship and business. Tim Edwards |
