Player's Gear began with the love of music.  I enjoyed music a lot.  I loved getting together with others and playing music.  It was always fun.  I loved to go to Studio B, the local music store and hang out with an equal number of brilliant musicians, newbies, living room rockstars, and total hacks.  People with nicknames like "screechman", "sticks", "freak", and "the custodian" (he was big into sweep picking).  I have plenty of fond memories of Doug and John, the guys who actually made money from being there, making everyone feel welcome.  I didn't spend money every time I went there; sometimes I just went there to soak up the atmosphere and maybe learn a lick or two.  It was a great place and it's where I bought all of my guitars, picks, strings, and accessories.  I took lessons there for a long time.  One day, the B had to close its doors due to the extremely competitive market  in music retail.  

The most important thing I learned from Studio B and the incredible people that worked there is this:

Music should be fun

Without this, music is the same as any other drudgery in our lives.  It will have no soul, regardless of your level of skill.  We've all seen it before:  bands that are technically brilliant, but unable to connect with the audience.  They are not plugging into the song, choosing instead to go through the motions..  

We have also seen the opposite: people with very little skill, but who have the ability to pull you into their music and feel something.  That's the magic of good music.

Player's Gear is  built upon the idea that enjoying making music is the single greatest catalyst to making good music.  We offer guitars that play well right out of the box.  We pride ourselves on selling guitars with a good setup and good tone--two things that make a major contribution to you enjoying making music.

We are not finicky when it comes to dings, dents, and cosmetic imperfections.  In fact, some people (myself included)  prefer a guitar with a couple of chips missing from the paint and some obvious signs of wear.  

Along with our used instrument inventory, we carry refurbished guitars..   We source our refurbished guitars through MIRC.  They carry thousands of guitars in their inventory and enable us to stock some nice, unusual pieces and compete with the big shops on price.  The setup on these guitars, like the rest of the guitars we sell, is excellent.

I also, when time allows build relic guitars built to look like well-loved instruments that have lived robust, happy lives going from gig to gig for many years.  I set them up to play comfortably and equip them to sound good, too.

At Player's Gear, we are finicky about playability and tone.  We do not feel like you should have to fight your instrument to get good tone.  It should be at your disposal on demand.  

Player's Gear is a small shop located in downtown Marion, Indiana.  I appreciate every bit of business I get and every customer that walks in the door..  Here, it's not about convincing you to spend as much as I can possibly get you to on the guitar, amp, or pedal flavor of the day, it's about selling you what you want and helping you define what you want better.

Here at the shop, there is emphasis on honesty, integrity, and good manners. Stop by the shop at Boston Hill Center or give me a call (or text)  The number is 765-997-8199.  

--Rick