For many musicians, equipment is one of the most important parts of crafting a musical identity.
Guitarists have famously made certain axes their own, from Jimi Hendrix's inverted Fender Stratocaster, to the Gibson SG Pete Townshend smashed onstage, to the battered, road-worn Strats played by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Rory Gallagher.
However, finding that one special piece of equipment is a matter of trial and error, and making comparisons among the vast array of choices in musical equipment is no small task. Music stores give musicians a chance to test out new equipment before making that career-altering decision, and now two local shops have combined much of that searching into one place.
Earlier this year, Rainbow Music merged with nearby competitor Alley Cat Music. Rainbow Music's new location, 140 N. Atherton St., just south of the bus station, puts it just a stone's throw from both of the previous stores' properties. The store's first day of business in the new building was Feb. 8.
Mark Ross, who owned Alley Cat Music, formerly 122 N. Atherton St., said the merger was in the works for some time. He is now an employee of Rainbow Music, which is owned by Bill Beard.
"It's something we've always wanted to do," Ross said.
The new store is significantly bigger than either the former Alley Cat or the old Rainbow location. A multi-leveled affair, the shop features multiple rooms stocked with different kinds of musical equipment. Ross estimated that, following the merger, the store had between 800 and 900 guitars in stock, along with 100 to 200 amplifiers and more than 10 drum sets.
The main showroom has a large window facing Atherton Street, filled with a diverse selection of electric guitars and basses, new and used. On a back wall hangs a selection of hundreds of instrument strings, guitar picks and other musical accessories. There is a rack of sheet music and another counter with harmonicas on display.
The room directly to the left of the front door is paneled with wood and filled with acoustic instruments -- banjos, violins, acoustic guitars and more. Straight up the stairs from the front door is a room with a display case featuring an array of effects pedals. Deeper still into the store are the amplifiers, covering the walls from floor to ceiling.
"The selection is pretty incredible," Tony Antonaccio (sophomore-information sciences and technology) said. "I don't think I've seen more guitars in one room anywhere except maybe the Sam Ash store in New York City."
Local musician Nick Stumpo agreed.
"They do have a really big selection compared to most local music stores you will find in a small town," said Stumpo (junior-marketing), a vocalist and guitarist for the Other Brothers Band.
Anthony Stauffer is the guitarist for the local band Holy Smoke Blues and as a 1999 graduate of Penn State and current State College resident, he has seen many different incarnations of the area's music stores. To him, one of the great selling points of the old Alley Cat Music store was the opportunity it offered to talk with other musicians.
"Back in my college days, I used to hang out at Alley Cat, when it was still down on Calder Way," Stauffer said. "I have great memories of hanging out there, talking to the older musicians, listening to their stories, getting advice on pedals I was building or trying out the latest used amp someone was selling."
Ross said Rainbow Music will still give musicians a chance to interact. The store's employees are all experienced musicians, many having spent an extensive amount of time touring and playing shows.
All the experience, he said, results in a more knowledgeable staff that can make all kinds of musicians feel at home in the store.
"The heavy metal cat comes in here and Gary can take care of him," Ross said. "The blues cat comes in and I can take care of him."
Ross said the recent changes would only help the store foster a local music community.
"We have everybody from college kids to grad students to faculty instructors to doctors to lawyers to taxi cab drivers," Ross said. "We even have a coffee bar."
