In July, two family-owned music stores with over two hundred years of service and experience will join together to expand their abilities to serve musicians in the Quad Cities.

Griggs Music has been conducting business since its opening in 1903 by Arthur P. Griggs, right here in Davenport. Griggs Music has survived for over a century, through the Roaring 20s, Great Depression, two world wars, an unbelievable change in technology and musical taste, and the outright challenge of being a small business.

The business has announced that it will be merging with West Music, which has a Quad Cities location in Moline.

CEO of Griggs Music, Steve Judge, has had a 47-year career with the company, after walking into the store to buy a guitar strap at 17 years old, and the rest is history.

Griggs Music
Griggs Music
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“After an incredible 47-year career with Griggs Music, it’s time to move on to a new chapter of my life. It has been my honor and privilege to have spent my entire career with one company and to have been CEO for the last 24 years”, says Steve Judge, CEO of Griggs Music.

Judge continued, “West Music has a similar rich tradition and culture and my respect for their organization has only grown over the years. I have interacted with 3 generations of owners of both Griggs Music and West Music and feel our merger will result in an even stronger organization committed to its staff and our music families. I look forward to working with West Music to ensure we continue the tradition of being the best locally-owned instrumental music store.”

West Music
West Music
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Robin Walenta, the CEO of West Music, shares the same feelings of excitement.

“I have known Steve Judge my entire professional career. We grew up in the music business together," she said. "I have a great deal of respect for him and the entire Griggs Music team and am very excited to work closely with them to expand our reach in creating more life-long music makers in the area. What a great business we are in, enriching peoples’ lives through the joy of making music.”

(Left to Right) Robin Walenta, Steve Judge, Ryan West (Griggs Music)
(Left to Right) Robin Walenta, Steve Judge, Ryan West (Griggs Music)
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West Music has been operating in Western Illinois and Eastern Iowa since 1941, providing sales, lessons, service and repair, and music therapy. The company also holds customers on the national and international scale, through their online store.

West Music will continue to operate normally, as will Griggs Music- now just under one umbrella.

Griggs Music is located at 3849 N Brady St in Davenport, where they're open every day but Sunday.

West Music Locations:

  • West Music Quad Cities/Moline - 4305 44th Avenue, Moline, Illinois 61265
  • West Music Coralville - 1212 5th Street, Coralville, Iowa 52241
  • West Music Cedar Falls - 6322 University Avenue, Cedar Falls, Iowa 50613
  • West Music Cedar Rapids/Marion - 1398 Twixt Town Road, Marion, Iowa 52302
  • Dubuque Service Center - 3330 Asbury Road, Dubuque, Iowa 52002
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