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Who We Are...
** Jim Fisch had a love for
everything jazz guitar. He was an expert on it's history, produced world
renown concerts featuring it, wrote Grammy nominated liner notes for the
players of it, designed instruments for Eastman Guitars to play it, and
co-authored the definitive reference book on Epiphone Guitars, "Epiphone,
the House of Stathopoulo", to chronicle the history of one of the worlds
most celebrated manufacturers of the tools of the trade. |
Top Shelf Music was established in
1979 to provide Buffalo and Western New York with the area's first and
only guitar specialty store. Since that time, our mission to provide
honest, knowledgeable, and reliable service to our customers has
remained unchanged, except now we do business on an international scale.
We are still Buffalo's only true guitar specialty shop, with the largest
selection of used and vintage guitars, the region's only complete on
premises repair and restoration service, and the most experienced,
knowledgeable staff.
Owner and luthier Scott Freilich has been with the business since
its inception and involved with the music industry since 1968. When it
comes to guitars, Scott has an extensive level of knowledge and
expertise. He currently authors the monthly "Oddballs" column for 20th
Century Guitar magazine and is a past member of the price guide staff
for "Vintage Guitar "magazine. He has contributed to such books Epiphone,
The House of Stathopoulo, Washburn, 100 Years of Fine Stringed
Instruments , 'Burst 1958-'60 Sunburst Les Paul , and The Guitars of the
Fred Gretsch Company . His repair and restoration services are relied on
by countless professional musicians and music stores around the world.
Scott is also a member of The Buffalo Musician's Hall Of Fame and an
active bassist currently performing with the jazzabilly group 
Jim passed from this world at way too early of an age,
leaving both a grieving family and hoards of saddened friends. I was
honored when his family enlisted my assistance in marketing his
extensive collection of jazz guitars. Twenty eight of these were pre
1957 Epiphones. Thanks to the efforts of Gibson president and former
Buffaloian Dave Berryman, with assistants Don Crowford and Mike Voltz,
this portion of the collection, along with Jim's research materials for
the Epiphone book, now reside with the Gibson Guitar Company in
commemoration of the fiftieth anniversary of their purchase of the
Epiphone company. 
