The Freeman Waukesha newspaper, 3/27/08

Guitar Shop Hitting the Right Notes
Cream City Music has flourished since moving to Brookfield

By Daniel Kurt
Freeman Staff

Brookfield - It's perhaps fitting that the county where Les Paul grew up is also home of one of the state's top destinations for buying high-end guitars. At 12505 W. Bluemound Road is Cream City Music, a place where visitors can see roughly 500 instruments on display at any given time - most of them vintage guitars or professional quality, newer models.
 

The store had its beginnings in Bay View, where owner Joe Gallenberger opened its doors in 1999. Since moving to Brookfield in late 2006, however, walk-in sales have taken off, nearly doubling their previous mark.  When phone and Internet orders are included, the store now does about $3.5 million in annual sales, Gallenberger said. Part of the reason for this growth is that musicians who are choosy about their instrument can often find models here that are hard to locate elsewhere. Gallenberger, who runs the shop with his wife, Jessi, said it's not unusual for people to drive from as far away as Madison or Appleton to find vintage models, which comprise about 30 percent of its stock. Last month, he said one customer flew in all the way from Toronto to trade in a '56 Gretsch electric model and in turn buy a classic Fender Jaguar.

 

Employees of Cream City Music in Brookfield, from left, Joe Gallenberger, Brian Douglas, John Majdalani, Jessi Gallenberger, and Ben Derickson pose along a guitar display wall on Wednesday, March 26, 2008, at the store. According to store officials, walk-in sales have doubled since the store relocated from Bay View in late 2006. Bryon S. Houlgrave ©/The Waukesha Freeman

 

While international customers might not walk in every day, the store regularly sells instruments all over the world through its internet division, Warpdrive Music. The operation has shipped to Japan, the United Kingdom and Africa, to name a few locations. Even with is selection of new models, the store stands out. While it carries such well known makes as Fender and Gibson, the business also carries a large stock of smaller, high-end manufacturers. It's also one of the country's largest dealers of acoustic guitar maker Taylor, and the nation's biggest seller of Gretsch, a company that has supplied musicians such as George Harrison and Brian Setzer with some of their favorite guitars. The majority of the selection is high-end, to be sure, but there are also choices here for the beginner, with acoustic models starting at just $99.

 

	Electric guitars line the display wall at Cream City Music in Brookfield. Bryon S. Houlgrave ©/The Waukesha Freeman
	Old West-themed acoustic guitars are showcased at Cream City Music in Brookfield. Owner Joe Gallenberger said the shop carries instruments ranging from $99-$35,000. The store also offers guitar lessons. Bryon S. Houlgrave ©/The Waukesha Freeman

A virtual marketplace

The advent of the Internet created both a challenge and opportunity for brick-and-mortar businesses that sell used instruments, Gallenberger said.  Some were slow to incorporate online sales into their business model, if they did so at all. "I think they had a hard time keeping up," he said. The Gallenbergers, however, were relatively early adopters of the new sales channel, having used eBay for about 10 years now. The Internet seems to be as important as ever for retailers like
Cream City, as the weak U.S. dollar gives residents in many countries increased buying power. Guitar enthusiasts all over the world continue to have a passion for vintage instruments, Gallenberger said. While nostalgia helps fuel the market, he said there's another important reason why some prefer used guitars over newer ones. "There's something to be said of the quality of older models," Gallenberger said.

(Daniel Kurt can be reached at dkurt@conleynet.com)