NEW BERN, N.C. — The pandemic has driven many people to pick up new hobbies, and one of the most popular may be learning a new instrument. In turn, these instrument sales have helped some music stores survive the pandemic. 

What You Need To Know

  • Fuller's Music was founded in 1905 and is the oldest music store in North Carolina.

  • The music industry has picked up during COVID-19 because more people buy small items like instruments when they are making less large purchases.

  • Fuller's Music has survived by keeping up with digital platforms for online streaming.


David Rhodes has always had a passion for music. He started playing guitar when he was 12 years old, a passion that eventually led him from playing guitar to making his own. He designs his guitars in a workshop at the back of Fuller's Music. However, they rarely make it to the displays since most of them are bought before they're even finished.

Rhodes to start working at Fuller's Music 27 years ag and now, he owns the place.

Fuller's Music was founded in 1905, and it's the oldest music store in North Carolina. Although COVID-19 brought along a lot of challenges, Rhodes says those challenges will never stop music.

“We've been through a lot, you know, through the Great Depression and numerous recessions including the one we're experiencing now," he says.

Rhodes says the music industry has actually picked up nationwide, something that has repeated itself during past recessions.

Fuller's Music has largely survived by revamping their digital platforms and evolving to meet modern technology. Throughout the pandemic, certain markets like church worship groups came to them to get the equipment they needed for online streaming.

“We're excited about it. And we're excited to get things back to normal, but we're also realists, and we know that it's going to take some time,” Rhodes says.

Many music stores don't keep their employees long enough for them to be trained in instrument repair, but Fuller's Music is different. Rhodes and his employees believe in both the emotional and the physical benefits of playing music and want to share those gifts with others.

“Musical instruments are very different than the highly addictive digital media instruments of today...it's not going to reward you with you know shiny little treats like social media likes. You know, but what it will do for you is reward you with the ability to create something really wonderful within and share that with other people,” he says.

Fuller's Music is located in Craven County, but it has become a regional destination after being around for over 115 years.