Local business owner donates guitar to charity event
Posted on Wednesday, August 29, 2007
URL: http://www.nwanews.com/bvwv/Business/4873/
Because all the money raised by Bikes, Blues & BBQ stays in northwest Arkansas, the owner of Janet Davis Music Company is proud to help by donating a guitar worth thousands of dollars.
Janet Davis of Bella Vista — whose name is on the company — donated a Gibson Blues King, a handmade acoustic guitar with a retail price of $ 2, 818, to be raffled.
The eighth annual Bikes, Blues & BBQ ó Oct. 3-6 in Fayetteville ó is promoted as the largest family-centered motorcycle gathering in the country.
The $ 5 raffle tickets are being sold at Jose’s Southwest Grille in Springdale and at all ANB Financial locations in Washington and Benton counties.
When she told the people at Gibson about donating the guitar, they decided to send the Gibson bus to the festival.
More than 30 years ago, Davis started a catalog business in Texas because she discovered people couldn’t find high-quality instruments and accessories they needed.
“ My business just started growing and growing, ” she said. It wasn’t anything she planned. She just kept supplying people with the instruments they couldn’t find other places.
In 1993, she moved the business to Bella Vista because it was in the heart of the bluegrass country music scene, the company’s specialty. Also, from the central location, the
A couple of years later, Davis started her Internet business, www. janetdavismusic. com. She was one of the first people in her business to sell from a Web site, she said.
But, the company is not just a catalog and Internet store. It has a retail store located off U. S. 71, just south of Walgreens and next door to Hook, Line and Sinker.
The company carries almost every type of stringed instrument. Prices range from $ 150 to thousands of dollars, Davis said.
While explaining her business, she sat down with a Deering Golden Era banjo — retail price $ 4, 400 — and began playing bluegrass. Her fingers moved easily along the neck as she nimbly plucked the strings. The Deering was built as an Earl Scruggs-style retro banjo, based on designs from the 1930 s.
JDMC has everything a musician could want, from learning CDs to CDs, DVDs and videos with festivals and concert music. The store also has books so people can teach themselves to play instruments.
When the staff sells an instrument, they go over it from top to bottom, making sure it’s set up correctly and that it sounds right.
The company sells recording equipment, banjos, Dobros, fiddles, mandolins and guitars. It also offers auto harps.
For guitar players who want to play a banjo, Davis has a guitar banjo. “ Guitar players just love it, ” she said.
She even has a special, skinnier guitar for backpakers and campers.
“ We’ve spent a lot of time learning which instrument is the best in its price range, ” Davis said.
For those who don’t want to wait until Bikes, Blues & BBQ to try to win a guitar, they can order instruments, equipment and accessories from the company’s Web site or catalog. Customers can also drop in at the store to try an instrument before buying one. Hours are 9 a. m. to 5: 30 p. m. Monday through Friday.