A few weeks ago I decided I wanted some customizing done to my goldtop LP. I remembered a luthier that had done great work for me in the past. In the early 90s my Kramer Pacer needed fret work and I took it to Ronaldo Orlandoni. Ronaldo had done work for many years for little guys like me and big name clients like Peter Frampton, Dickie Betts, and Buck Dharma, to name just a few.

So back in time (and about 38 miles) I went to one of my favorite music stores frequented in my younger days - Pastore Music. Everyone looked the same as I remembered 25 years ago, except maybe grayer. I was happily surprised that both the owner, Jerry, and Ronaldo remembered my name. It was great to see the place crowded on an early Saturday afternoon. Going into Pastore's was like hopping into the Wayback Machine. Back to a time where my biggest worry was if a zit would be gone before a show or a date I had planned.

I took my son with me and he was captivated by the size of the place - 4 stories. Ronaldo's workshop was probably the most impressive. There were some seriously expensive vintage pieces in there getting some TLC.
Soon my work will be finished and I'll post pictures of what Ronaldo did and some pictures of his shop and pieces worked on. There really is nothing quite like a familiar mom and pop store from your youth. The few others I also frequented are surprisingly still around and doing OK. I can't emphasize enough to support your local mom and pop places. These people do more than just sell you a product. I recommend going home again if you can. It's beyond cathartic.