House of Guitars

Illustration of the House of Guitars storefront, with the name and address surrounding in black with a white background.

The House of Guitars, HOG, is a huge music store in Irondequoit, a suburb Rochester, New York. It has 4 floors of musical instruments and an elaborate maze of adjoining buildings that sell records, t-shirts, buttons, and other music related items. The look of the store has been compared to a rummage sale, with piles of t-shirts on the floor, guitars packed in to tight spaces, etc. HOG got it start in 1964 with three brothers working out of their mother's basement. A wise move early on to meet the demand created by Beatle-mania gave the business a solid start, and eventually their own storefront which they've occupied since (the building is featured in the company's logo which printed on our button).

HOG is also known for its advertising during the 1960-70s. In the 1960s HOG started making commercials which ran on late-night television. "We just turned on a 16-mm camera and had rock ‘n’ roll music playing in the background." They were shocking to most adults, but had the opposite affect on the younger generation. As did their billboard campaigns. In response to a conservative group's billboard "Beautify America. Get a haircut," one of the Schaurbroeck brothers responded with his own, featuring his image and the HOG logo stating: “Help Keep America Free. Let Your Hair Grow.”