Reviews From Around the Web:
best guitar shop in NJ If you like vintage guitars, this is the place to be.
From the forums:
January 14th, 2010, 07:04 PM | #1 (permalink) |
Tele-Meister
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: on the bridge pickup
Posts: 355
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Lark Street Music, NJ – Tele Content
I travel East for business often and I always have the intention to visit some of the shops in NJ and NY. Well, today I finally had a little time and I stopped in Lark Street Music in Teaneck, NJ. What a great little shop with both new and vintage guitars (solidbodies, hollowbodies, archtops, acoustics, etc). A really cool selection plus some really vintage & boutique amps.
I had a chance to check out three teles; a LSL Pine Bodied Tele, (2) Ron Kirns and a wicked 1953 Telecaster that had me contemplating how I could justify the purchase. I did not plug them in just played acoustically.
Also, had a chance to pick up one of Duke Levine’s CDs (blackguard player) who also is store owner Buzzy Levine’s brother. All-in-all it was a great visit and everyone at the shop was great. Definitely worth the time if you are in the Northern NJ area. |
January 14th, 2010, 07:31 PM | #2 (permalink) |
Tele-Meister
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: philadelphia
Age: 36
Posts: 331
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Lark street is great. I bought a bogner shiva there (they are only one of three bogner dealers in NJ), nice guys. Great gear–lots of old strats, boutique amps, Old strombergs and killer Rics, etc… Small place but awesome! They also have a real 1959 flamed les paul, its beautiful, looks like its brand new. I never saw one of those before in the flesh (er, wood) before. That whole day was a good experience for me, although the drive sucked.
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January 15th, 2010, 11:35 AM | #3 (permalink) | |
Tele-Meister
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: on the bridge pickup
Posts: 355
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Quote:
The shop definitely has real character that is missing from a lot of shops! |
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January 15th, 2010, 12:01 PM | #5 (permalink) |
Tele-Meister
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Maryland, USA
Age: 24
Posts: 381
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cool I gott check this place out. south or north jersey?
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January 15th, 2010, 12:14 PM | #7 (permalink) |
Tele-Meister
Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Maryland, USA
Age: 24
Posts: 381
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ah ok, might check it out next time i head to the big city. thanks!
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January 15th, 2010, 12:20 PM | #8 (permalink) |
Tele-Afflicted
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 1,816
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Lark street’s great. It’s only a few miles from New York City.
Great selection of acoustics, too. |
January 15th, 2010, 04:34 PM | #9 (permalink) |
Friend of Leo’s
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I used to visit Lark St. Music when it was on Lark St. – right here in Albany, NY. That was back in the mid ’90s, and I remember Buzzy had a ’58 Flying V hanging behind the counter from a piece of twine.
We have a great Mom & Pop in the area, but Lark St. is missed by most of the local old timers. Buzzy had a great reputation around here, but I think he must be doing a lot better where he is now. Albany’s a small town when it comes right down to it. __________________
“I think I’ll go for the life of sin, followed by the last-minute, presto-change-o, deathbed repentance.” – B. Simpson “…Because we all expect the truth, we must be the best of fools.” |
January 15th, 2010, 09:58 PM | #10 (permalink) |
Tele-Afflicted
Join Date: Mar 2008
Location: East Northport, NY
Age: 55
Posts: 1,066
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I used to live in Albany (SUNY graduate, 1977) and used to love going to Lark Street. I was a broke college student and couldn’t afford any of the guitars, though–too bad!
Drome Sound on Central Ave. used to have some good stuff also (I remember a rack of used Teles for $150 and under–those were the days), but not as good as Lark Street! |
January 16th, 2010, 06:21 AM | #11 (permalink) |
Friend of Leo’s
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Yeah, I used to go to Lark St. whenever I was in Albany. Later I moved to Albany but they’d already moved out by then.
They had great stuff but I could never afford it. |
January 16th, 2010, 08:56 AM | #12 (permalink) |
Tele-Holic
Join Date: Jan 2010
Location: St. Petersburg, FL
Age: 49
Posts: 602
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It’s good to know that there are still shops like that around. I went by Legends Guitars in Tampa yesterday and they had one of those LsL guitars. It was very nice and Kent and his guys all said it was a superb guitar.
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January 16th, 2010, 09:02 AM | #13 (permalink) |
Tele-Meister
Join Date: Nov 2005
Location: Televille
Posts: 457
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That is a great store. I was there last year when he a cool 1951 tele which I too seriously debated (and made an offer on later). He had a nice 1959 burst hanging behind the counter when I was there.
__________________
“So long, New York. Howdy, East Orange.”
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January 16th, 2010, 10:55 AM | #14 (permalink) | |
Tele-Meister
Join Date: Nov 2007
Location: on the bridge pickup
Posts: 355
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Quote:
Yep….still thinking about that ’53 Tele I played and contemplating how close I might be if I sold everything else I own as a down-payment…..argh! |
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January 16th, 2010, 03:45 PM | #15 (permalink) |
Tele-Holic
Join Date: Jan 2009
Location: Maplewood, NJ
Age: 57
Posts: 756
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Buzz wanted to do a barter if I do some artwork for his web site. Hmmm…..maybe when the work load slows down…
__________________
Guitars: ’57 Strat, ’68 ES 335, ’72 Martin D28, ’74 Jazz Bass, ESP Custom Strat, ’04 LP DC Plus, ’07 LP R0, Partocaster Amps: Fargen Blackbird 30, Peavey Classic 30, ’65 Tremolux, Marshall AVT50 My 3D Artwork:http://www.andylackow.com |
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Jun 18, 2008 7:38 p.m. Daddy-O:
Just returned from a fab trip to NYC and New Jersey.Took two days just to do the shops on 48th St. I got to play everything from vintage Stromberge and D’angelico to the new Gretschs. Sam Ash has a vast selection of new stuff I bought a new Roland AC-90 amp there, my friend a nice Epi Howard Roberts model at a great price ! Next was Rudys Music. Millions of dollars worh of vintage stuff you name it you can find it at Rudys. I got a chance to get a good look at vintage Harmonys ,Kays, Goyas that I have been looking at on Ebay. This fall Rudy will be bring his new book out and will have about Fifty Dangelico’s and Deaquistro’s along with Grant Green’s Epi with Mcarty pickup. I will be there for this gala event. Next stop 30th St. Music not only a HUGE amount of guitars but about a hundred vintage amps too vast to mention. Lark St. Music in Teaneck Nj. may be my favorite of all lots of killer vintage and about five or six brand of hand wired amps.The music scene was stellar six B-3 players took the stage at the jam at the musicians union local jam session. I can not await my return to The Big Apple
From our deceased MySpace Account:
WINTERCream
Apr 22 2008 4:11 PM
Hey Buzz-
Thanks for your friendship, that really cool gear, and your support of our music.
Marylou Ferrante
Aug 19 2007 11:50 PM
Hi Buzzy,
Thanks for the add! I found the guitar of my dreams right at your most awesome shop last year. Hope to get out there again some time soon.
Best,
Deena Goodman
May 2 2007 8:10 PM
Thank you for the add! A teaneck native who was fortunate enough to have your dear brother play on my first record! See you soon!
Jim Costello
Aug 31 2006 10:13 PM
when i was 15 my parents asked a family friend to help them pick out a guitar for me. he went down to lark street and sat and played for an hour until he decided on a basic yamaha with very low action. and thus it all began…
Reva L’Sheva
Aug 31 2006 9:57 PM
What’s up Buzzy. when you comin for a visit to the holyland. Bring Eliezer a couple guitars… he’s going through withdrawal.
Peace,
Chanan
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 I 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.
VG: How did you come to get in business as Lark Street Music?
Buzz: 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.
VG: When did you begin advertising in Vintage Guitar magazine? How does it work for you?
Buzz: 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.
VG: 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?
Buzz: 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.
Buzz: 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.
VG: I note you have a website. What has your experience been in doing business on the Internet? Is it better, worse, or the same?
Buzz: I’ve been doing mail order since 1981 and have had a website 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.
Buzz: Being from Massachusetts, this was enemy territory, Yankees, Knicks and all that. New Jersey’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.