Lawrence / Kansas / United States
About Mass Street Music Mass Street Music has been selling fine instruments down the street and worldwide for over 25 years. Founded in 1978 by Jim Baggett, we have specialized in quality instruments, repairs and exceptional service from the very beginning. We still give you a free set up from our expert repair shop on any new guitar that goes out our door. Read on for more about our history and where we are today. Click on any image to see a larger version. Michigan Street Music Mass Street Music actually started as Michigan Street Music in 1978. This image shows our founder Jim Baggett ( left ) with Rick Dishinger. Together with Greg Smith, they founded Michigan Street Music as a local shop dedicated to the crafting and repairing of acoustic instruments. Jim had studied lutherie and repair in Kansas City from 1971 to 1978, and the other members of the Michigan Street team brought similar skills to the business. As the saying goes, one thing leads to another. Building and repairing instruments naturally led Michigan Street Music to begin carrying accessories and parts. Soon, the store was equally dedicated to both sides of the equation retail and repair. The growing demands of the business led Jim to purchase the stores current property at 1347 Massachusetts Street. After selling the Michigan Street property and doing some heavy-duty cleaning in the new building, Mass Street Music officially opened its doors in 1983. Mass Street Music started as a small-staffed affair, but it didnt stay that way for long. Part-time employees were hired until 1986 when husband and wife duo Leo Posch and Susan Willits joined the Mass Street force. Leo was the first full-time repairman at Mass Street Music besides Jim, and he repaired thousands of instruments before embarking on his own adventure, Wildflower Custom Instruments, in 2000. Susan has done everything that can be done at our store, and she is still serving as our bookkeeper ( read: she still does everything ). In 1987, John Flynn joined the staff. John has sold guitars, designed PA systems, and managed the store for over 20 years. He is now part-owner, and though his title might lead you to believe that he sits in a secluded office all day, his passion is still for selling gear. He lives his passion, too, and can tell you about the gear that was too good to sell the gear that ended up in his personal collection. Around the turn of the millennium, a 3, 000 square foot addition was made to the existing store, effectively doubling its size. In keeping with our personal philosophy, the addition was the first building in Lawrence to utilize ICF ( Insulated Concrete Forms ) an efficient, environmentally-friendly construction technique. The building addition provided the space for two things to happen: 1 ) the repair shop was enlarged so that it could house up to three full-time repair people, and 2 ) the retail space was expanded to include a separate, specialized acoustic room. If youve ever been upstairs in our store, youll understand how precious this area is to us and to many of our customers!
