Bob Mahoney, owner of Rockin Bob’s Guitars in Davis Square, can recall a time when you couldn’t find a guitar in his store if you wanted to. Back in 1981, when Mahoney took over the store, he was still selling mostly TVs, stereo equipment and even record players. “The store was called Used Sound and there were a few in the Boston area,” Mahoney says. “When they opened the outlet in Davis Square the owner kind of gave up on it and said I should take it over.”

Mahoney had been, up to that point, working out of the Newbury Street location, which is now gone. In 1981, Mahoney bought the Davis Square store, which until 2004 was the only Used Sound remaining in the Boston area. After taking over the store, Mahoney continued with his former boss’s plans of selling and repairing TVs and stereo systems. “Being a guitar player, I started looking at used guitars and started stocking them in the store in the mid to late 1980s,” Mahoney says. From there, the tide slowly turned until most of the items in the store were guitar related.

To this day, Mahoney still sells some electronic equipment and does repairs, but he says that the focus is now on the guitars. In 2003, Rockin Bob’s Guitars made their debut as Mahoney made the switch from an electronics store to a place where local musicians could find great prices on used guitars.

Making repairs and restoring guitars, Mahoney says, has been one of the best parts of owning the shop. “I still love doing work on guitars and equipment,” he says. “One of my favorite things to do is to find an old guitar and do restoration work.”

After all, Mahoney has over 25 years of experience fixing everything from amps and guitars, to speakers and pedals.

Currently, according to his website, usedsound.com, Mahoney has a list of used gear that any guitar-head would die to own, including a 1960 Gretsch Clipper, 1996 Japanese Fender Jaguar, and a 2011 Gibson Explorer.

That’s not to say everything in the shop is expensive and rare. Many of the guitars Mahoney stocks are entry level and very reasonably priced. “I think one of my favorite parts about running a guitar shop is that moment when you can give a kid his or her first guitar,” he says. “That’s something they’ll always remember.”

In the 30 years Mahoney has been working in Davis Square, things have changed for the better. “When I was moving into the shop, the Davis Square T Station was still being built,” he says. “Around that time the malls were new and had taken a lot of the customers away from the area. There were a few rowdy bars in the area and it used to be a bit crazy here.”

In the last two decades, Mahoney says that new businesses, restaurants and nightclubs have transformed the area into a new destination for Bostonians.

So, will Rockin Bob’s be around in the next 30 years? Mahoney said although he’s unsure what the future will bring, he’s looking to stay right here for as long as possible. “I’ve got two kids so, who knows,” he says. “I’ll be here as long as it works.”

CONTACT:

31 Holland Street

Somerville, MA 02144

(617) 625-7707

www.usedsound.com

bob@usedsound.com

BONUS MINI DIRECTORY:

OTHER BOSTON AREA GUITAR SHOPS

Mr. Music

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Allston, MA 02134

(617) 783-1609

www.coolguitars.com

Mr. Music deals in new and used electric and acoustic guitars, basses, vintage and collectible instruments and amps. They have one of the largest selections of guitars in New England.

Performance Music

405 Main Street

Woburn, MA 01801

(781) 938-6411

www.performancemusiccenter.com

Performance Music Center is a locally owned and operated music store with over 30 years of experience.  It has received many outstanding achievement awards for its excellence in customer service, and is easy to get to off I-95.

Bay State Vintage Guitars

295 Huntington Avenue

Boston, MA 02115

(617) 267-6077

Located right in the heart of the city, Bay State Vintage caters to those seeking a unique guitar buying experience. As their name implies, the store specializes in vintage guitars, as well as tube amp repair.