Durdel's Music

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Our staff of instructors have always excelled in teaching how to play the instruments we sell. The fifties brought out the first solid body Fender electrics, and Durdel's was there to lead the way as the first Northwestern Ohio and Southeast Michigan dealer for Fender electric guitars. Many developments were taking shape during these years, and the companies were eager to hear what the dealers had to suggest. During a Gibson clinic, Cliff and his Gibson rep, Andy Nelson, set down on paper some ideas for what they thought may improve the Gibson sound. At that time, the Gretsch Country Gentleman was popular. The idea was to give a thinline the sound of an acoustic. Although there was no direct credit given to Cliff or Andy, the ES355 was born soon after that. Also in the fifties, their second daughter, Pat, was born. Other great guitar instructors, like Elmer Saunders, Don Heminger, & Bob Sass, gravitated to Durdel's. The new decade brought the addition of the Central Ave store. For the first year, the building was shared with a bakery ( in the long section of the store ), and a hairdresser, Marcella Chor, in the rear of the store, ( facing Haughton ). In 1963, the store on Jackson was moved to Huron Street. Students were taken in groups to competitions once a year to compete against other studios, sponsored by the IMA ( Internat'l Music Assoc. ). The sixties saw an unbelievable growth in guitars, both acoustic and electric. Durdel's was one of the top ten Martin dealers in the country. Companies were trying new things to get their piece of the guitar action. In 1966, a company called Ovation showed a radical new design at the summer trade show. The top looked like a guitar, but the back was like a shiny black bowling ball! To show it's durability, they slammed the backside over a chair! ( Unfortunately, it failed the demo witnessed by the Durdel's! ) Undaunted, Durdel's became the first Ovation dealer in Toledo. Local folk guitarist, David Browning, recalls the fall of 1967. He walked into the store and Cliff said, with his patented grin, "C'mer, I've got something to show you...". David bought that first Ovation. "Cliff could always 'grin' me into a guitar!", says Browning. Also, about that time, a red-haired kid named Fred Shuman got his first Fender, ( a blue Mustang ), from Durdel's.