Barr's Fiddle Shop — Local services in Galax

Writing this breaks my heart. The downfall of this shop is one of those family things that are easy to judge but too deep to know what to do about. Crazy how it can be ruined despite Stevie trying hard to save it.

I used to love coming to visit my grandparents in Galax and spending hours chatting in the fiddle shop as a young college kid. Stevie was around more then. I had worked a year before going to college so I had money in my pocket and it was easy to get excited about my heritage and music so I bought four nice instruments from him. I really only fell in love with one of them so I asked if he would sell the other three for me, seemed like that was a normal thing since the ones I bought he was selling for other people, and he took them. I do believe he intended to sell them, I don’t think he’s a bad person, he was my friend. But every couple years I would try to call him and ask if he could get me my money and every time he had an excuse. Holding hope that he hasn’t functionally stolen my instruments hurts my heart and I can’t do it any more so I’m writing this and letting it go.

Tommy Barr was a good shopkeeper and he seemed to like it and Barr was synonymous with Galax and the values of music and community, Stevie I don’t think has ever really wanted to be in the shop just wanted to make his dad happy, he’s more of a musician. But he hasn’t really come to terms with that it seems and is always trying to be somewhere else which has unfortunately tarnished the shop. Trying to live his own dream, keep the shop afloat for his dad, and keep a sense of community alive is too much. You blink an eye and now Barr means thief and I wish like hell that it didn’t, I really tried to give it as much time as I could. I’m sure the experience for people just passing through is relatively normal and not much changed, they don’t have the context of someone...

Being a widowed cancer patient, I had several string instruments to liquidate. I contacted Stevie and he personally came to my house. I donated a violin, in case, and a child’s guitar to be sold as used instruments in his shop. I had an old Gibson guitar that he was interested in for his personal collection. We agreed on a price and he gave me half down.It has been over a year and a half and he has still not paid me for the other half. I have sent numerous voicemails and text messages to which he responds with “yes, I will send the check, it is in the mail”. I am wondering if this is how he treats any other of his customers? I am wondering if he is an honest man and a man of his word? Do not handover an instrument that he has not paid you entirely for. I am very...

Went down to the shop during business hours and the place is closed, no signage showing new hours. In fact the hours posted were the same as on google. This is the 2nd straw with this place, first was when my wife enquired about me getting lessons as a suprise present for me. She didn't tell me till years later that they mever bothered to contact her back. Now not being there during posted business hours, id take my business elsewhere if I were you. I guess it will be musicians friend or American musical...