Rocking Through Time: The Evolution of Gear Music in Oakville, Ontario, Canada
Gear Music is both a brick and mortar store located in the heart of Oakville, Ontario, Canada (part of the Greater Toronto Area) as well as an online music store that ships to basically anywhere in Canada.
Early Days of Music Gear
The story of music gear in Canada begins with a tapestry of local craftsmanship and renowned brands. Let’s dive into how it all started and the impact it had on the music industry.
Establishment and Innovation
Gear Music was established in 1996 to serve musicians with a knowledgeable and professional selection of products and services after owner Dave Goodyear saw the community’s need for a better music experience. After starting a career in music retail in 1989 at the Hi-Note, Dave decided to also start Gear Music on Kerr Street because of its roots in the artistic community. With the addition of Manager Scott Apted, they have grown a loyal clientele over the decades who appreciate the level of expertise as well as their determination in following through on resolving problems. When Andrew Aldridge came on board he brought a wealth of information about esoteric effects, pedals, guitars and amps. He continues to tour and record and has been enlisted by Roland to create some of the presets for their products.
Lessons
Lessons have been a fundamental part of the store since it opened. Gear Music has had and continues to have many great instructors who provide their students with a strong understanding of, and hopefully a deeper level of connection to music. Gear always offers instructors who are adults with degrees or diplomas, or are recognized professionals in the industry. Gear also feels strongly that private one-on-one lessons are the best way to develop your fundamental skills in music.
Gear Music – decades of experience
Another integral part of looking after the musical community is that musical instruments and other equipment need to be serviced and repaired and with decades of experience Gear Music has built up a network of reliable technicians to get your equipment back in your hands and on stage in a timely and cost-effective manner. Gear has some of the best turnaround times in the country and most regular repairs are directly taken care of in-house.
Gear Music StaffDoes Gear have famous clients? Yes, absolutely! But Gear treats everyone to the same professional approach regardless of your level of experience or fame. Gear strives to provide all of their customers with an experience that will inspire them no matter who you are. You never know who the next icon will be! Maybe one day down the road they will be the next famous client!
The Gear Music Commitment
Gear is very proud to have been selected as the exclusive dealer in Oakville for many prestigious brands, including Marshall, Pearl, Arturia, Fender, Gibson, Gretsch, Martin, and more.
Over the past two decades Gear has won numerous awards as the Top Music Store in Oakville, for Best Lessons and has been nominated for business excellence awards, but more importantly Gear has reached out to help the community. Through donations to local charities and individuals Gear Music tries to help grow the experience of music for everyone, has longstanding relationships with local schools and have even taken on dozens of co-op students to help them find a path in the music industry.
Gear Music is committed to giving you the best level of service possible whether you are a rock star, a student, or just someone with some interest in music and with your help we hope to continue in this tradition for many decades to come! Shop with Gear Music in person or online and we will help you find what you need at a price that’s in your budget every time. You can’t get this level of personal service that you can trust with any of the big box or chain stores.
Today, Gear Music operates as a hybrid, maintaining its brick-and-mortar store in Oakville while running an extensive online store that serves musicians across Canada, always emphasizing personal service over the “big box” store experience.
Visit Gear Music today!
