[Diablo]

I grew up in that area - where was it? Somewhere on Dundas?
There was a used cameras & music place on Dundas, north side, down near Vesuvio's Pizza (near High Park). I think it might have been called 'Macks'(?).
I put down a $5 deposit on a $200 used strat there, but couldn't come up with the balance, so I lost it.

Later, around '62, I bought a used strat at Mundinger's Music on Yonge, not far from Whaley & Royce. It was a '59 strat, brown tolex case. I paid $320 for it.

I remember Pete Traynor working in the back of L&M - I had his business card - 'MARS' (Musical Amplifier Repair Service).

Hudsons was just north of dundas can't remember the name of the street on the north side of the bridge, and slightly east of Jane. Zdenos motorcycle shop was west of it.
i know Vesuvios in the junction , but don't remember Mack's. used to be a lot of used appliance shops there so I prob just never noticed. Although my first guitar and some lessons were from Hudsons, after that I only shopped at Steve's or L&m.

 

[J-75]

Hudsons was just north of dundas can't remember the name of the street on the north side of the bridge, and slightly east of Jane. Zdenos motorcycle shop was west of it.
i know Vesuvios in the junction , but don't remember Mack's. used to be a lot of used appliance shops there so I prob just never noticed. Although my first guitar and some lessons were from Hudsons, after that I only shopped at Steve's or L&m.

Got it. I remember Zdenos on the corner (Jane & St. Clair). I also remember Archery Craft on the east side - I guess Hudson's was near there. Motorcycles, guitars & weapons all in the same place - what more could a young guy wish for... oh yeah, I used to date girls around there - where did you live?

 

[jdguitarbuilder]

I spent alot of time in Hudsons when I was growing up. The owners name I believe was Paul Hudson, Every year or so in the late seventies they would have a going out of business sale buy one guitar get one free! Then they would reopen the next week, I think I saw at least three sales like that ........lol. Another store that was lots of fun back then was on Queen and Bathurst Powells Music and Luggage. They used to get alot of entery level stuff but on occasion you could find some cool Fender or Gibson stuff would come thru. I wish that I bought every old Colorsound pedal he had, there were always alot on hand. Richmonds Trading Post was another great store, guitars on one side cameras on the other but great gear came in there. I remember buying a really cool 68 Gibson 330 for only $600. My favorite was Kindness and Son on Church south of Dundas a little hole in the ground you would not notice to much, They were one of Toronto's first Fender dealers and had a basement full of replacement parts from the 50's and 60's bodies necks pickups even amp cabinets. I remeber some of the older guys with these mint vintage Fenders and then they told me that they would go in and buy all the parts and build new vintage Fenders! Buy the time I found it most of the cool stuff was all gone. I enjoy going to L&M and places like that but those old stores were a lot more fun.

Cheers
John

 

[J-75]

Yes, Kindness (Jim, Robert & George), on Church St., the only Fender dealer in town at one time. I used to hang there like a laptop in a Starbucks. I remember the 'dawn' of the Fender Reverb, Jazz Bass, Jaguar, black tolex, silver face... all in that store. Next door was Geo. Heinl - Gretsch, Rick & Burns. I bought a Gretsch there in '61- $210 - still have it.
There were others near Richmonds, on 'pawn shop row'. Boy, could those burn up a saturday afternoon.

 

[Diablo]

Got it. I remember Zdenos on the corner (Jane & St. Clair). I also remember Archery Craft on the east side - I guess Hudson's was near there. Motorcycles, guitars & weapons all in the same place - what more could a young guy wish for... oh yeah, I used to date girls around there - where did you live?

My parents were split so I spent my time between a house off Jane/Annette and one on Windermere.
st. Clair...that's the name of the street Hudson's was on. Duh...been too long since I've been back around there.

 

[Diablo]

In the mid- late 80's, IMO the quality of gear at richmonds wasn't great. Not a lot of gems, mostly they became resellers of entry level Asian stuff that didn't carry much cache back then...Aria, Samick, etc.

 

[J-75]

My parents were split so I spent my time between a house off Jane/Annette and one on Windermere.
st. Clair...that's the name of the street Hudson's was on. Duh...been too long since I've been back around there.

Yeah, Jane & Annette - I was there in the 60's - is that you?

Er, I see reference to 80's in your later post, so I guess not.

 

[Diablo]

Yeah, Jane & Annette - I was there in the 60's - is that you?

Er, I see reference to 80's in your later post, so I guess not.

Sorry, born in '70

 

[jdguitarbuilder]

Diablo is right about Richmonds in the mid 80's alot more entry level stuff. In the my teenage years mid 70's they had alot better stuff coming in. J-75 will and you may remember that untill maybe 1982 or so the vintage guitar market had not yet taken off, I purchased two late 59 Strats and a 64 around this time and did not pay more then a grand for each of them. Within the next 5 years the prices started to sore, evan in 85 or 86 you could still get deals. I purchased a brown Fender Super for $300!

I also lived on Windermere for many years so Hudson's was nice and close, also had a Sam The Rcord Man there at Jane and Bloor, used to skip school (Western) and sneak over to buy records.

John

 

[J-75]

Diablo is right about Richmonds in the mid 80's alot more entry level stuff. In the my teenage years mid 70's they had alot better stuff coming in. J-75 will and you may remember that untill maybe 1982 or so the vintage guitar market had not yet taken off, I purchased two late 59 Strats and a 64 around this time and did not pay more then a grand for each of them. Within the next 5 years the prices started to sore, evan in 85 or 86 you could still get deals. I purchased a brown Fender Super for $300!

I also lived on Windermere for many years so Hudson's was nice and close, also had a Sam The Rcord Man there at Jane and Bloor, used to skip school (Western) and sneak over to buy records.

John

Yeah, I recall the beginnings of the expression 'pre-CBS' (indicating elevated value) being tossed around in the early 70's. I took advantage, and dumped my '59 strat for a whopping $460 back then.
Sam the Record Man @ Jane & Bloor... forgot about that because to me, it was new there. I think that's why I can't remember Hudsons - after about 1970, I wasn't around there much.
Pawn shops in the 60's had Fenders, Gibbys, Guilds, (original)Epiphones, Harmonys, Dans, Kents, Supros, Hofners, Silvertones. The last five brands could be bought new for 75 bucks. There were always a lot of big archtops. Pawn shop Fenders were usually in well-used condition.
(Runnymede C.I.)

 

[Diablo]

I used to take my bicycle to that Sams, and buy .45's.I think it was next door to a Baskin Robbins.
Humberside CI. All 3 schools covered between us

 

[loudtubeamps]

hello all....just stumbled across this again... cool.
Worked there with Guy, Mr. B ,Steve Sherman , Dave Mackeller, Steve Chetwyn and "sexy Linda" in the early eighties for a couple of years at the Kingston/ Midland Ave. store and at R.M.S a bit.
Guy and his wife (the other Linda)moved up to my neck of the woods for a few years (Port Carling) but couldn't stay out of music stores, so went to work for Keith at Precision Music in Bracebridge.
I think Linda got tired of Muskoka and as mentioned and last I heard,moved back to the east end and went to work for Traynor.
If anyone runs into him please say "hello from Doug"
and a story from and old post
"Back in the day when Kalua Music in Toronto on Midland Ave. was importing Hiwatts, I was around there quite a bit and got to know Guy and his dad MR.B.(I ended up working for them later in life,fun times) but that's another story.
Guy sold me a Hiwatt 200 head he had been farting around with an a (get this!)4x15" Hiwatt cab. It took 3 of us to carry the damn thing around and I always had to lay the cab on it's back at a gig or risk hurting someone. I only had a chance to use it properly at a high school gig in a big gym. You could feel the concussion from a chord at the back of the room!
OVERKILL, but it sure looked cool and all for the low, low price in the mid 70's of $650.00 if memory serves me right.
I sure wish I had it now,for a room partition maybe or just for a conversation piece if nothing else.Built like a TANK"

 

[Robb Ellis]

I guess I'm reviving an old post but anyways....

I bought my first guitar at Kalua Music at Pharmacy and Sheppard in 1989. A powder blue BC Rich Strat....Lol. It was sold to me by a very young Kevin Simpson who is now the manager of Long and McQuade in Oshawa. I lived at Warden and Sheppard and went to school at Sir John A. MacDonald so I walked past it every day. Back then... The only other music store in my area was Cosmo Music at Midland and Sheppard on Glen Watford Drive. I put that BC Rich on layaway. It took me 6 months to get it and I visited it 5 or 6 times a week before I finally brought it home!

 

[highwayjones]

Guy Beresford

I believe Guy is now working for Yorkville Sound at their main office and plant out in Pickering.

Wow, blast from the past. Ed2000 nailed it with Mr B (Beresford) owing the store, and his son taking over the store later on. Guy Beresford was a decent gent who offered pretty reasonable customer service when others would turn their backs after a sale... good for him. Kalua did move from the Kingston Rd location over to Shephard and Pharmacy... that was the last I recall of the business. Wherever you are Guy, here's hoping you and your family are doing well!

Cheers... Woody (a former employee)

 

[Al W]

Guy and I went to the same school for grade 7&8. i moved to Kingston Rd, in the 70's and remet Guy at kalua. I think he was an employee then and later bought the business. I purchased my Yamaha acoustic from him and still play it. I dealt with an employee named Howie. Great guy great service. Guy I hope you are well.

 

[ed2000]

Thanks for keeping this thread and the memory of Kalua alive. Kalua was my 'go-to' store in my formative years.

 

[cosmicrepairdude]

Hi, since this thread has veered out of Scarborough a few times, and people here have good memories, does anyone remember a store on Bloor near Avenue Rd ( I think), maybe near where Remenyi is now? Seems to me it was the north side of Bloor.
I bought a guitar there in the early 70's but I can't remember the name of the place. I think it might have had a double barreled name like L&M or Whaley Royce, but it wasn't L&M, and WR was on Yonge. Anyone?

 

[Andrew Hudson]

I spent alot of time in Hudsons when I was growing up. The owners name I believe was Paul Hudson, Every year or so in the late seventies they would have a going out of business sale buy one guitar get one free! Then they would reopen the next week, I think I saw at least three sales like that ........lol. Another store that was lots of fun back then was on Queen and Bathurst Powells Music and Luggage. They used to get alot of entery level stuff but on occasion you could find some cool Fender or Gibson stuff would come thru. I wish that I bought every old Colorsound pedal he had, there were always alot on hand. Richmonds Trading Post was another great store, guitars on one side cameras on the other but great gear came in there. I remember buying a really cool 68 Gibson 330 for only $600. My favorite was Kindness and Son on Church south of Dundas a little hole in the ground you would not notice to much, They were one of Toronto's first Fender dealers and had a basement full of replacement parts from the 50's and 60's bodies necks pickups even amp cabinets. I remeber some of the older guys with these mint vintage Fenders and then they told me that they would go in and buy all the parts and build new vintage Fenders! Buy the time I found it most of the cool stuff was all gone. I enjoy going to L&M and places like that but those old stores were a lot more fun.

Cheers
John

Just searching around for anything Hudson Music related, by request of my brother.

Paul Hudson was my uncle. As a musician, I loved opportunities to visit the shop. Not often enough, unfortunately, due to us living on the other side of the city.
He died about 15 years ago.
The business died due to a messy divorce.

 

[inspectorgadget_13]

Just searching around for anything Hudson Music related, by request of my brother.

Paul Hudson was my uncle. As a musician, I loved opportunities to visit the shop. Not often enough, unfortunately, due to us living on the other side of the city.
He died about 15 years ago.
The business died due to a messy divorce.

Still remember the "Boss is away" 2 for 1 sales. Awesome!!!

 

[inspectorgadget_13]

Great thread! Toronto was fab for music stores. I just about lived at Sparling-Maurice. One employee became my brother in law, Bill (Sparling) played at my sister's wedding. Great memories. I had a 20 watt Marshall head that I bought there. Sigh...Long gone. (hits forehead repeatedly).

Bill sold me my first Les Paul in 78. Took 6 months of installments to pay it off and I still have it today.