Meet the Owner of a Local Music Store

Joe Durrence opened the doors to the Music Shak three years ago. Located at 189 W. Athens St. in Suite 21 in the Holly Hills shopping center, Durrence offers his customers the complete package, including instrument sales, restoration, repairs and lessons.

Patch: How did you get into your line of work?

Joe Durrence: My sons got into music really big and so we pursued it. We got fed up with dealing with the big box stores. With having to go to five different places, once you bought the guitar, you had to go to another store to get set up because it wasn't tuned, then when you wanted to change pickups you had to go to another place to buy those. So we decided to go to school and combine it all into one. So you now you can buy it, customize it, paint it and do everything here.

Patch: What is the best aspect of your job?

JD: The kids learning to play. I see them come in here and they'll buy a guitar and they just hit the strings and it just makes a bunch of noise. Then they sit here and they start playing and the next thing you know they're playing songs. They're playing the guys that they see on the videos and next thing you know they're rocking out.

Patch: What is the worst aspect of your job?

JD: It's just never ending. Trying to keep everything afloat, especially with this economy the way it is. Just trying to keep stuff going. Also, we buy a lot of used instruments, and seeing people coming in and selling stuff because they just need to. They come here because we specialize a lot of guitars and we give them more for [their instruments] than anybody else. We give them a fair price but when you see the guys having to give up their guitars to pay a light bill it's tough. We always try to keep them in the back so if they want them they can come on back.

Patch: What are some of your hobbies outside of work?

JD: Drag racing. We have a top fuel funny car and a pair of jet cars. We race all over the country. We have had to park them the past three years though due to the economy.

Patch: What is your personal business philosophy?

JD: Treat everybody good. I've been a mechanic for 25 years and I'm still a mechanic now and I have always hated ripping customers off. You treat people like you want to be treated. There are plenty of repairs out there to do and you don't need to go and rip them off. The old saying on that is you can shear a sheep twice a year but you can only get them once.

The Music Shak is open from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Saturday. Joe and his staff are on call for emergencies. Check them out on Facebook by searching for Music Shak.