M I SPY
Where to Spend Some Green in the Green Mountain State “Believe it or not, I’m walking on air.” If you’re over 40 years old (or if you’re a big “Seinfeld” fan and remember George Constanza’s answering machine parody version), you might recognize those lyrics from the theme song to early-‘80s TV hit “The Greatest American Hero.” Well, believe it or not, your MI Spy is not walking on air, despite my return to the field after months of lockdown. (No, it’s not that I’m feeling down. It’s just that my hover boots are still in the shop for repairs over at Spy HQ.) And believe it or not, I do have a reason for invoking those somewhat obscure TV theme song lyrics. Because believe it or not, your MI Spy does have interests beyond musical instruments and everything related to musical instrument stores. In addition to old TV shows and, of course, James Bond movies (side note: come on already and release the new one!), I’m also fascinated by architecture and nature. So for this mission, I decided to visit Vermont, to not only check out some musical instrument stores, but also some awe-inspiring architecture and a heckuva lot of nature, in all its breathtaking glory. Vermont’s cities, like Montpelier and Burlington, are great places to visit for the admirers of architecture among us. Outside the cities, the Green Mountain State boasts some of the most astonishing scenes of green you’ll find anywhere in the USA. And, as a big fan of President Calvin Coolidge and his wife Grace, I was fan-crushing at the various tributes to them that are sprinkled throughout Vermont, especially Montpelier, the state capital. Believe it or not, “Silent Cal” Coolidge was an avid harmonica player. With a name like that, he could have been a blues legend — although I guess president isn’t a bad gig if you can get it. I hadn’t been to Vermont in many years. The last time was back when I was a fool for skiing and came to hit the slopes, with their mashed-potato snow. This time around, I encountered a lot of rain. A whole day of rain, in fact. But I also found four musical instrument stores on my day-long trip that are all worth looking into. 38
Guitar Sam 71 Main St. Montepelier, VT 05602 802.229.0295
Propped up in a display at Guitar Sam is a giant harmonica. A Marine Band harmonica, might I add. I don’t think that President Coolidge played this particular mouth harp, but it is one of the many intriguing things you’ll find while shopping at Guitar Sam. (And how much more New England can you get with an address on Main Street?) I didn’t know in advance that I could have parked the MI Spy Mobile in the back, so I popped a few coins into a parking meter and left my car at the curb. I was the sole customer for most of the time I was inside Guitar Sam, although that was most likely due to the rain growing heavy at that point. For those in search of a wide, tantalizing variety of stringed instruments, this store is a fantastic option. It stocks acoustic and electric guitars and basses, banjos, ukuleles, mandolins and much more. The depth of the accessories is way better than the typical store; you can find nearly anything you need to fix, upgrade or Frankenstein your guitar. There is a good selection of new and used effects pedals, including a purple Danelectro wah wah. I spoke with the worker on duty, and he told me “This is a great little pedal, and it’s a very good price. I’ve even spoken with people who use it with their acoustic guitars.” I asked him if he knew of banjo players who liked to use particular pedals, and he mentioned that “Some do, especially younger or more adventurous types,” although not typically wah wah pedals. We also chatted about the fretless three-string box guitar (a used model) that hung from the wall. “It’s a novelty now, but those used to be pretty popular a long time ago,” he told me. “It has a mellow sound. There are a few musicians who specialize in this, and they’ve made instructional videos and performance videos featuring it.” Guitar Sam had some keyboards for sale, but the more prominent instruments. aside from all the stringed things, were the many hand JULY 2021
