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52 °F Forecast | Road Cams Thursday, April 7, 2005 Today's News | Classifieds | Autos | Homes | Jobs | Tempo | Health | Community | Home Delivery SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion Tempo AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map SPECIAL SECTIONS Since We Asked Outdoor Journal Menu Guide How To Guide Health Readers' Choice Real Estate Showcase Real Estate Guide Joy Magazine Homelife Magazine Wedding Guide Passport to the Rogue Valley SHOP OUR VALLEY AutoFinder HomeFinder JobFinder Classified Place an ad TOP JOBS EXTRA Ashland News NIE Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People Volunteer Moving here? eSouthernOregon CUSTOMER SERVICE FAQ's Advertise with us Home Delivery Employment Contact Us Media Kit Oregon Road Conditions & Cams Email Story to a Friend March 11, 2005 Guitar Center salesman Jeremy Kester sets up a floor display for the re-opening of the Medford music store on Crater Lake Highway. Mail Tribune / Bob Pennell Guitar Center reopens Music store had suffered fire damage By GREG STILES Mail Tribune Guitar Center reopens at 11 a.m. today after a 38-day closure following a smoky fire that damaged about half of the store’s inventory. "It’s like opening a new store," says Thom Driscoll, general manager of the popular instrument and sound equipment shop. "We had to bring in a bunch of 60-foot trailers and put all the gear into there. We don’t even have a damage figure yet." As a result, between 40 percent and 60 percent of the inventory has been restocked. Driscoll says that his 14-person staff kept busy during the down time, going over damaged inventory, cleaning up and restoring order to the chaotic scene at 2570 Crater Lake Highway. While customers have been waiting to get back into the store, they haven’t been able to get in touch with the Guitar Center staff. Advertisement "Basically, we couldn’t answer the phones for three or four weeks," Driscoll says. "The fire totally took out the phone lines." Even now, there are just three outside lines compared to the normal 15, plus an intercom. Driscoll took advantage of the opportunity to rearrange parts of the store layout as well. The drum and keyboard areas have been flip-flopped and the disc jockey section was moved out of smaller rooms in the back closer to the front. "We’ve been down so long that we appreciate people coming back," Driscoll says. "It’s by no means a grand-opening type thing. We’re going to promote all kinds of things and reduce prices on many items." Heating and cooling ducts, insulation and ceiling panels have been replaced. Fresh paint has given the interior a new flair. "The colors are going to look different," says Driscoll, who took the job in Medford six months ago. While the goods were insured, heat and smoke did plenty of damage to previously high-priced equipment. Some packages 60 to 70 feet from the fire in the restroom melted. "Once smoke gets into open pores, it’s done," Driscoll says. "It’s all over but the hurting. Gold and silver tarnishes and when heat changes gold and silver, you’re done." Reach reporter Greg Stiles at 776-4463 or e-mail [email protected] . Mail Tribune Home | Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life | Opinion AP News | Archives | Site Map | Community | Classified Copyright © 1997-2005 Mail Tribune, Inc. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions | Website Feedback Student Loan Consolidation Conference Calls - $50/Month Home Security Systems Trunks, Footlocker, Trunk, Footlockers home equity loans helzberg Distance Education Diamonds Slippers Student Loans afsa teleconferencing Memory Foam Mattress w2 forms Tatoo Fasa Advertisement s