Pittsburgh, Pa. Audio Scene 1970's

Discussion in 'Audio Hardware' started by Bill Hart, Jan 7, 2013.

Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.
  1. geoffr

    geoffr Lifeguard in a carwash

    Location:
    Pittsburgh, PA
    I'll kick 'em in the ass for you.
     
    jh901 likes this.
  2. schwarcw

    schwarcw Forum Resident

    Location:
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Pittsburghese is alive and well! Too bad we can't say the same about the audio stores!!

    Carl
     
    Sneaky Pete likes this.
  3. Rickchick

    Rickchick Forum Resident

    Location:
    PA
    My brother Jeff is laying brick at that site. We somehow must know each other.
     
  4. jh901

    jh901 Forum Resident

    Location:
    PARRISH FL USA
    Are all of you ever downtown? We should grab lunch at Grit&Grace (nearby on Liberty). The downtown construction, which is great I know, is all the more frustrating for me since I live off of the Parkway West, which is mostly shut down. Plus, I take the bus to work and it's route is detoured outbound due to Carson Street project. Ugh!!!!!!!
     
  5. Rupe33

    Rupe33 Senior Member

    Location:
    Maryland
    "And remember: the shortest distance between 2 points in Pittsburgh...
    is probably under construction."

    --WQEX sign-off
     
    Pinknik, DarkAudit and jh901 like this.
  6. rjp

    rjp Senior Member

    Location:
    Ohio
    do not drive in pittsburgh without a GPS or someone who lives there sitting next to you (and that isn't necessarily a guarantee either).

    every single street is a one-way street, i'm serious.

    been lost more times than not in that city, for sure.
     
    Pinknik likes this.
  7. jh901

    jh901 Forum Resident

    Location:
    PARRISH FL USA
    The pot hole situation is improving as well as any number of decaying bridges. Some main routes have improved too such as Rt 28 which is finished after 40 years of off and on major projects. Also, the route from the Airport to downtown will be pretty good after this construction season. Each of the 3 main tunnels will be fully renovated before long too.

    With all of that said, take a cab, bus, or the trolley if possible. Leave the driving to us locals.
     
    Scherzo Andante and rjp like this.
  8. audiomagnate

    audiomagnate New Member

    Location:
    Atlanta
    Hey guys, found this thread wondering what Tasso was up to. I'm pretty sure Marc Finer, AKA "Funky" Finer, went on to work for Sony (Marc was the world's most passionate Sony enthusiast so that was a match made in heaven), and then the EIA. The Harley biker dude was "DJ" (Dirty John) Helsel. Now THAT GUY was a trip, but a good tech. His dream was to get out of the back room so he quit Opus One and sold retail with me, Kevin Sweeney, and John Halloran at the South Hills Audio Warehouse.

    I started at Audio Warehouse after Marc left and Mike, Billy and Garry went corporate and opened up the fancy Oakland store, probably around 74-76. I think I remember you guys, but I definitely remember Gary "Stud" Templin, and Billy. I used to hang out at the house with the monster IMFs, Ampzilla etc. We sold truckloads of Advents and HK receivers out of that store, but also some IMF, Phase Linear, Quintessence etc. Irving "Bud" Fried was a regular visitor.

    Back to Tasso/Opus One. I used to take the trolley in from Upper St. Clair to hang out on Saturdays. I me John Dahlquist and Saul Marantz there. Tasso was (is!) a trip. loaded with boundless energy. If nly we could go back in time and snag all the tube McIntosh/HK etc from the used shelf.

    Were you the Bill Hart that was friends with Kieth Bolog (sp)? I went to USC from 71-73, then went to Pitt. Did you have a cockatoo and a great dane?

    Hi Bill, I'm pretty sure you left soon after I got there.

    FWIW, I worked at Mits in the eighties and early 90's, ended up as National Warranty Manager, then ran service at Nak until they tanked.

    Me neither. I moved out of "the Burgh" shortly after graduating from Pitt in and moved to Telluride and then LA to work for Mitsubishi and then Nakamichi.
     
  9. jh901

    jh901 Forum Resident

    Location:
    PARRISH FL USA
    You wouldn't believe it is Pittsburgh. The transformation from merely five years ago is pretty amazing. Never would have thought Pittsburgh would become a restaurant destination much less leaving steel behind (for tech, etc) and escaping the fate of Detroit/Cleveland. Nevertheless, the hi-end of audio or A/V has yet to show signs of life.
     
  10. Bill Hart

    Bill Hart Forum Resident Thread Starter

    Location:
    Austin
    Yep. I tried talking to Tasso a couple years ago by phone, he had recently had a stroke- it was difficult for us to communicate at that time. I hope he was able to hang in there. Marc has been a consultant for years- he was in NY on a panel last year for the AES, and I had hoped to visit with him, but events overtook me. We have talked by phone over the years. I think Marc is doing fine. Don't know what happened to DJ, who was the repair tech at the Warehouse; the tech at Opus was also a biker type dude. Remember Kevin, quirky, dry sense of humor. Halloran- loved the guy, don't know what happened to him. I remember Gary and the rest of the crew from Audio Warehouse, but haven't been in touch with them forever.
    You got me, grew up in Upper St. Clair, my folks had all kinds of animals (including me). I went back to school after my stint as a gear-slinger in '73- which was fun at the time, and moved to NY once done with school. You are welcome to get in touch via the profile page here, which has my website, and an email address.
     
  11. audiomagnate

    audiomagnate New Member

    Location:
    Atlanta
    The webmaster has informed my quirky self that I have to make at least one more post before I can view profile info. Let see if it worked...
     
  12. Old Audiophool

    Old Audiophool Forum Resident

    Location:
    Melbourne, Fl.
    Problem is that there is no way to hear all this "Golden age great HI-end products". Bring back the good old days.
     
  13. geoffr

    geoffr Lifeguard in a carwash

    Location:
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Turn left where the Winkies used to be.
     
  14. audiomagnate

    audiomagnate New Member

    Location:
    Atlanta
    You could come to my house. I'm not a hoarder, I'm a Domestic Vintage Hifi Museum Curator.
     
    Sneaky Pete likes this.
  15. audiomagnate

    audiomagnate New Member

    Location:
    Atlanta
    :uhhuh:

    I picked up a Stan Kenton LP today in honor of Tasso. I hope he is doing well. Great sounding album - no surprise there, Tasso had great ears - although the music's a little cornier than I remember.
     
  16. Ingenieur

    Ingenieur Just a dog looking for a home...

    Location:
    Back in PA
    Oh man the memories!
    PITT 73-77
    Was there recently for Homecoming

    First rig
    PAT 4
    ST70
    Philips 212(?)
    FMI 80's from a small shop near Mellon Institute

    Nov 5 Annual PITT jazz seminar concert
    Went to my first in 74 iirc
     
  17. Maranatha5585

    Maranatha5585 BELLA + RIP In Memoriam

    Location:
    Down South
    Great thread, as I moved to Pgh, from LA when I was about 13 y.o.
    I worked at Heads Together Records in Squirrel Hill for a few years mid 70's. Wild times, especially those all-night sales.
    Later, I worked at National Record Mart at the Monroeville Mall for a couple years late 70's. Many moons ago.
    I remember a Brother Georges Record shop in Squirrel Hill too way back early 70's.
    This is before Jerry's in Oakland and Squirrel Hill. What memories!
    There was the Record Rama and Peaches at one time too.

    Re: audio equipment I can't recall the names but it was the high-end, best place I think it was somewhere downtown.
    I purchased equipment there at first. Then I used to frequent another good store in Shadyside.
    Then in a strip shopping center, near a closed National Record Mart in Monroeville.
    Sorry been many tears and I left PA so long ago... I know there are others I can't remember.
    Wish I had pics to share.
     
  18. DPM

    DPM Senior Member

    Location:
    Nevada, USA
    I lived in the Pittsburgh area from 1997 to early 2005. There was an audio store at the end of Walnut Street called Let's Make Music. It was run by a guy named Michael Stein. During my time in the burgh I bought several items (Hales loudspeakers, Proceed preamp and power amp, Billy Bags rack) from him. Is that store still around?
     
    Jvalvano likes this.
  19. geoffr

    geoffr Lifeguard in a carwash

    Location:
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Nope.
     
  20. vinylbuff

    vinylbuff Forum Resident

    Location:
    North Port Florida
    There was an audio store in Allegheny Center mall back in the 70's. It wasn't a chain store, and I bought from them but I'll be damned if I can remember the name.
    Any Idea ???
     
  21. geoffr

    geoffr Lifeguard in a carwash

    Location:
    Pittsburgh, PA
    I vaguely remember wandering into that place, but can't remember the name. Perhaps it will bubble up from the primal swamp of my mind.
     
  22. geoffr

    geoffr Lifeguard in a carwash

    Location:
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Remember Wander Sales? Bought an SAE amp and some other stuff there around '75.
     
  23. Was that Ralph's ?
     
  24. Jvalvano

    Jvalvano Senior Member

    Location:
    NH
    I lived in Pittsburgh from 92-96. I remember Mike and was there when he opened his store. Nice guy. I'd sit in his main room and listen to all kinds of stuff with him. His wife and mine were in the same profession so we would also commiserate about that.
     
    DPM likes this.
  25. vinylbuff

    vinylbuff Forum Resident

    Location:
    North Port Florida
    No, I honestly cannot remember the name of it. They were in Allegheny Center Mall and then they opened a small satellite store in Rochester, Pa. I think I bought a Garrard Zero 100 turntable from them, a Dual 1229Q, a speaker brand called Aztec, traded them for a pair of BIC formula 6's, and other assorted accessories.
    The funny thing is nobody seems to remember the Pittsburgh store. There was a store in Lawrenceville, that sold some higher end stuff, and there was a store on Walnut Street in Shadyside where I heard my first electrostatics... Dayton-Wright XG8 Mk III's.
    There was a small audio store on Murray Ave in Squirrel Hill too. (I have to stop reminiscing :love:)
     
Thread Status:
Not open for further replies.

Share This Page

molar-endocrine