Harry's Guitar Shop relocates after 30 years on Glenwood South
RALEIGH (WTVD) -- For three decades, one man has repaired, sold, and given lessons on guitars inside his Glenwood South shop. But now, that music is going silent.
Harry's Guitar Shop on Glenwood South is closing and moving to a new location. It's another aspect of change we're seeing in downtown Raleigh, new things not harmonizing with the old.
"I was one of the very first people to take over a building that was empty on Glenwood South," said owner Harry Tueting.
Harry had 12 guitars when he first opened his shop 30 years ago. More than 300 hang on the walls now.
"It's about people who like to play music," Harry said. "We've been about supplying and teaching and encouraging that the whole time, and it's about local people playing music for their mental health and soul."
They teach about 400 lessons at Harry's Guitar Shop every week.
"It's pretty common now for somebody's who's a full-blown adult to come and tell me about when they took lessons here when they were in grade school," Harry reminisced.
But Glenwood South has changed a lot since then.
"It helped business a lot. As the neighborhood became busier it became safer and became a place people knew and wanted to go to."
Now customers have trouble just finding a place to park, and Harry can't even see downtown from his back door anymore.
"I think when the three-story building on the lot line started going up, that's when I really started thinking of a change."
It's getting crowded, and Harry has outgrown Glenwood South.
"Oh yea, I was pretty upset about it," Harry admits. "But what can you do? You have to make peace with that kind of thing."
Harry is closing up shop this weekend. There's already a "For Lease" sign out front. He's opening a bigger place where customers and delivery trucks can get in and out, just a few miles away.
Harry's Guitar Shop will reopen Tuesday at 556 Pylon Drive, just past the JC Raulston Arboretum.
