Wikipedia:Today's featured article/May 21, 2008



Elderly Instruments is a musical instrument retailer in Lansing, Michigan, with a national reputation as a seller, repair shop, and locus for folk music. It specializes in fretted instruments, including acoustic and electric guitars, bass guitars, banjos, mandolins, and ukuleles, and maintains a selection of odd or rare instruments of many types. Elderly is best known as a premier repair shop for fretted instruments, as one of the larger vintage instrument dealers in the United States, and as a large dealer of Martin guitars in particular. Industry publications, particularly music retail trade and bluegrass music journals, frequently feature articles about the Elderly repair staff. The company also provides consignment services for rare and vintage instruments. Elderly has undergone two major expansions: into mail order in 1975 and then into Internet sales in the 1990s. Today it is recognized internationally for its services and products; its mail order and Internet business account for 65–70 percent of its total revenue. Elderly grossed $12 million in 1999. In addition to retail and repair services, Elderly Instruments is frequently noted as a center of local music culture, particularly for bluegrass and "twang" music. Elderly Instruments operates a wholesale record distribution business, Sidestreet Distributing, in the lower level of its complex, servicing more than 300 small retail businesses. (more...)

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