You have to understand life . . . respecting tradition and knowing and honoring your personal passions.

Joe Bonamassa pretty much summed it up, when he spoke about his wildly out of control "Guitar Safari" shopping missions, with words to the effect "the guitar is pretty much JUST a guitar. . . the wonder lies in the story behind the guitar. The most salient example is the guitar that Bonamassa bought that was a cheap, low-quality instrument that was years old, beat to heck and had those plastic chrome stick on letters with initials. "I know nothing about this guitar, but I had to have it . . knowing that someone REALLY loved it".

That's the way things are an the enduring small independent music store is no different than a guitar. It has little to do with the brick and mortar but is the collective passion, love and spirit of the people there.

Music stores . . .Stan Jay with Mandolin Brothers (the only place I have seen Joni Mitchell and George Harrison in the same store . . an old house) and places like Arthur's Music Store in Indianapolis (opened since 1952) are legendary. Among their number is Mass Street Music in Lawrence, KS.

I first learned of Mass Street, when my oldest son (the one in the family who was gifted with genuine talent - likely from hours of emulating Joe Pass) was a student at Kansas University and we'd wander in from time to time.

Back in those days, the folks were pros and we were warmly greeted. In 2023 the staff are pros and we are warmly greeted.

I wandered in a couple years ago and told them "I have a musical problem". They offered to help and asked what it was. I told them I had driven from NYC to Kansas to see my mother, had an empty Subaru Outback sitting our front and a credit card that I'd never used. They offered to help and made certain, with an incredible Fender Telecaster, that my return trip to NYC was not a dead head mission.

Driving by Mass Street without stopping would be like a Catholic going to Rome and not visiting the Vatican.

I stopped last week to say hello and visit with Brian, a self described pedal guru and font of musical knowledge. Before leaving we took a picture together in the store. It was a fun photo but only my guitar aficionado son replied with . . . yeah, yeah . . got picture . . tell me about the receipt in your hand.

Opps . . . I was leaving with a key element to my amp collection that I'd just never acquired a new Fender Deluxe Reverb, hopefully the Hand Wired Edition. Once again, getting back to the YELP review . . . the service, hospitality, product knowledge and chance to learn are what differentiates an independent, passion driven, music store from the online or box stores.

Thanks to the staff and if you are buying from their website of if you are in, or passing through Lawrence, you will be cast from the music faithful if you miss stopping at Mass Street Music.

NOTE: Because Yelp will think I am one of these guys Brother or indebted to the owner . . not so. I am a knolegable customer and player who knows excellence when I see it and am eager to share with similarly addicted musicans.

Best kept secret in the area . l. . not only are the staff pleasant but they are very helpful and the techs really bring a "A-Game".

I found out about Visonary kind of be accident when I had an iPad Pro go on the blink. They handled it quickly and the Tech was as good as I've seen.

Pleasure to work with and I look forward to becoming a regular for parts, pieces and machines.

The Rhinebeck staff has always been good . . . but GENERAL NOTE for folks considering UPS. I ship guitars a couple times a year. UPS has consistently fallen short and today was the height of it as the UPS driver dragged the parts of a formerly gorgeous Taylor guitar up the drive with seeming indifference.

I have gone to the store for some Amazon returns and the staff has always been courteous and helpful.

In terms of "UPS, the company . . not THIS store" I need to add a note . . . The UPS Claims Process . . . well . . . buyer beware . . . if you **THINK** you are buying insurance you are sadly mistaken. You are purchasing the right to play a "why didn't you pack it better" game with UPS.

I'm done.

Tough to beat . . . Rudy's seems to always be what we need, when we need it. We wandered in, the first time, to find a Sunday afternoon jam session with 5 or 6 guys playing acoustic guitar. As a guitar player I was fascinated and loved it.

We've been back a couple times for entertainment ranging from fabulous Allman Brothers cover work done by The Marshall Brothers to jazz, Reggae . . . you name it.

The help is fun, laid back and just makes the evening enjoyable.

What's not to like . . . Rudy's is a local institution.