Pfabe's Music had its beginnings when Edsel Pfabe opened a store in Chardon in 1946. Edsel was the band director for Chardon High School at the time and was foundational in the creation of the Great Geauga Fair Band. From that first store at 210 Washington Street in Chardon (phone number 365!), Edsel expanded into a second store at 69 Liberty St. in Painesville. Soon, the Painesville store grew and the Chardon store was closed. Throughout the 50’s and 60’s the store made its home at 65 N. St. Clair St. in Painesville. A lover of classic cars as well as a great promoter, Edsel had a fleet of vehicles emblazoned with the Pfabe’s name tooling about the area. He even converted a milk truck style van into a traveling showroom with pianos and organs inside! Many seniors in our area still remember taking music lessons at the old store on St. Clair St.
In 1972, Edsel Pfabe retired and sold the store to Chris Wolf. The store was relocated to its present location on Mentor Ave. and remained a fixture in the musical scene in the area. Over these years, Pfabe’s Music sold hundreds of home organs, band and orchestra instruments as well as guitars and amplifiers. Local schools came to rely on Pfabe’s support of their school programs through instrument sales, rentals and repairs. Many musical emergencies were resolved on time for Friday night marching band performances.
With much enthusiasm of the staff, the store continues to thrive under the direction of the current owner, John Eicher. Programs, such as “Music FunTime” for children ages 3 –7, “Rock and Roll School” for teens and regular Student Showcase events have helped develop the performance abilities of many student musicians. In 2018, a small performance stage was created in the store. As always, instrument repair and lessons are a big part of Pfabe’s service to local musicians. Currently, well over 100 students take weekly lessons at the store.
In 2021, Pfabe's Music celebrated our 75th Anniversary, a rare feat in today's business climate!
With much interest and support from the community, Pfabe’s Music is poised to prove “Everything in Music” for many more years to come.
