I am an American living in Naples (my wife plays clarinet in the US Navy Band here), and Italy is wonderful, and full of wonderful people. Glad you enjoyed it Rick!
I wonder if, as a musician, she was attracted by your surname, LOL! Kidding aside, I have a cousin who played clarinet for the Air Force. Her father (my Uncle) was also drafted into the Army during WWII as a Clarinetist - that military training is some of the best. My Dad too was drafted during the Korean war served in the Army band and often cites their great training for preparing him as a working musician.
@@FlowtnWitWalden Ha! I doubt it! Although in the Navy it leads to some interesting circumstances because you wear both your name AND your job on most uniforms. When I served in the Navy (as a trombonist), we had a Presto, a married couple with the surname Cornette, a Forte, and us two Horns. :P The joke is on her, though, she's had that surname for 19 years now! Thanks for sharing, I think that the legacy of military music in general dates back to the influence of those WWII big bands and how influential they were for what that effort was like. Militaryu bands are a weird little sub-group that not a lot of people know much about.
Rick! You found the store that any musician from Italy drools about. I spent many salaries there, great selection, great staff, awesome memories of my garage days. Cheers!
Welcome to Italy Rick! I can't believe seeing you at Merula's. Every Italian musician has a connection with that store. I was there again a couple of months ago to buy my used Kawai VPC1. Enjoy your staying!
@The Tired Horizon Fair enough... :) Though it was supposed to be funny, it was also meant to point out the consumption society and 'bigger is better' attitude many people still hold true in that part of the world.
I caught that too because I am BIG into Brasilian music, played in a samba band (street percussion ensemble) for a while and of course learned the Portuguese names of all the various Bateria (caixa, surdo, repinique, tamborim, chocalho, ganza, agogo, apito, cuica) - man that cuica is a wild instrument! A great example can be heard in João Bosco's song "O Ronco da Cuíca," roughly translating to "the honk of the cuica" - likening the sound of the cuica to the honk of a goose. Oops, sorry to ramble on...
Hi Rick, I was scanning through your you tube section, and actually saw the MERULA logo which made me stop. We have a business partner in Alba, and they took me to MERULA one morning, and it was over whelming when you walk inside. I bought a used ALHAMBRA STEEL STRING acoustic guitar ( and I have never seen another steel string Alhambra here in North America), and I bought a gig bag for like 39 bucks-with the MERULA logo- unbelievable gig bag. When you opened you section about "looking" for a music store, and I knew MERULA was coming, i had to watch to the end. What an absolutely amazing store- and very good people.
Rick, what an absolute joy to tag along in the music store. I love seeing and trying things that I've never seen or played. This is how I like to spend a Saturday morning, roaming around in heaven. I would be all over the very cool guitars and small amps I have not tried before. Cheers, and Thank you for sharing.
dear Rick, this video made me really smile, and i went nostalgic....i'm a huge fan of your videos and i learned a lot- hopefully- from your tuition. Merula is a big part of our genration of musicians....when we were young it was a kind of a ritual to pick up a car, and move, the whole band, to purchase the DEFINITIVE stuff for our dreams of glory....we are talking about eighties and Merula was unique at the time. After seeing this i feel proud of being italian, apart from the art, food, landscapes, sea, architecture etc.
As an Italian subscriber, I definitely wish I was there.. I watch your videos quiet every day, some are great learning tools, some others are about those things that can’t be taught or learned, something like “a musician’s life end experience”. Needless to say the latter are the ones I’m crazy about
Italy: Lady closes her business and walks Beato to the store.... Where I live: Employee rolls eyes and glances in the direction of what I need to find....
Well, not all the people are like this in Italy of course but, generally speaking, we tend to be as helpful as possible, in particular with foreigners. Also, piemontesi are quite reserved people but absolutely kind and helpful (my wife is from Piemonte). Hope to see you back in Italy soon Rick.
Molly Hannah Hehe. Yes. And Americans believe that they invented good customer service just because employees in stores are preprogrammed to say “have a nice day” (whilst often clearly not meaning it!). 😛
I live in Italy (Milan, to be more precise) and I’m so happy you enjoyed your experience that much! Unfortunately, not everyone is really that kind with foreign-language’s strangers (due to the lack of communication) Maybe you can come to Milan every once in a while and teach us something! :D
Great vid! Enjoyed it. Yes, Italy and its people are beautiful! Been to Rome, Naples and Pompeii. Great trip. EVERYTHING I'd ever heard about Italian food is true. Unbelievable! And that store is UNREAL! I'd be in there for days. Thanks for sharing this part of your trip with us.
@@danielemontico7820 i know, here in México we call it "Batería" and that also means "Batteries" so we sometimes say "Pilas" instead of "Baterías" to avoid confusion
Thanks Rick, I enjoyed tagging along with you on that adventure. I am glad you took the opportunity to go there and see what it was like in Italy. Beautiful place to live.
Man, I love this guerrilla-style video from the earlier days of your channel! As I look back into your videos on your channel I'm always finding gems! Thanx, Rick!
And they probably would've said "What does an American know about pizza?" Fun Fact: Europeans identify with the country of their citizenship. They do not understand Americans' association/fascination with the country from which their ancestors emigrated. When an American goes to Europe and says "I'm Italian," or "I'm Irish," or "I'm German," they don't understand and think "No, this person is an American." It's indicative of America's idea of being a "melting pot" of immigrants that we still associate with our "home" country and this is something you don't see in the rest of the world. Outside of the US, people identify with the country in which they were born. It's sad that anti-immigration thoughts have returned to the US because we truly have benefited from our melting pot society. It wasn't long ago that Italian and Irish immigrants weren't trusted and were looked down upon by bigots, but now they are some of America's most celebrated immigrants. Those who voted for the trumpster-fire because of his bigoted views about immigrants are making the same mistake as bigots made about the Italians and Irish 175 years ago.
@@esquiremoderator32 'Fun Fact'? #1 This site is about music, not politics. #2 If you're going to try to compare people who came here LEGALLY and people who DON'T (it's called ILLEGAL immigration for a reason'), then refer back to #1.
@@esquiremoderator32 I'm italian and even tought when you say "european identify with the country they are born" is true, they way ypu said it is...well, makes it a bad thing even tough it isnt. What makes me italian isnt where I'm born (even tough most elderly persons think like that), what makes me italian is: 1. I can speak italian 2. I know italy's customs Makes no sense that someone who has never even visited Italy, neither speaks the language can call himself Italian just because his grandfather was one. P.s. Italy as pretty much all the country in europe at the moment are against immigration, so Trump isnt the only one doing bad to the human race in general. Salvini, italy's biggest political party's leader is pretty much Trump(but less rich) with a pizza in a hand and an espresso coffee in the other letting people die in the sea just because some racist idiot doesnt want immigrants in "their country" P.s. what most americans eat as Pizza is not even close for what we call pizza. Thats why the Pizza owner could have probably tought that
@@nicosantini4724 I agree with you! I'm sorry if it came off as negative. While I do think that Americans are correct to value immigrants, I also agree that they take it too far sometimes by claiming to "be" Italian or German or whatever, when they have never been there or know anything except what they see in the Godfather movies. I have visited Italy a few times (Rome, Florence, Venice and some smaller cities) and you are right about pizza and I think real Italian pizza is much better. You would be happy to know that there are a growing number of places in America where you can get true Italian pizza these days and it isn't all perfectly round with pepperoni and sausage and delivered in a car. That's why I said an Italian shop owner would have been (rightfully) offended if Rick walked in and pretended he owned the place.
@@matthewmuller5794 This is youtube and the comment section is a free for all. Apparently you know this because you have no problem posting ignorant comments about politics. I live on the Mexican border (San Diego) and I'm a lawyer and what you say about "illegal" is 100% wrong. You should maybe try to learn the law before commenting on it and you will learn that the illegitimate president is lying to you. Anyone seeking asylum can legally walk into the US and claim asylum and that is what these families are doing before trump puts the children in cages. Until the law changes, they aren't Illegal. Get your facts straight. And, if you want to question why I called the president "illegitimate," read the Mueller Report. I can tell by your comment that you haven't. If you gave a damn about this country and were half a patriot, you would read the report instead of swallowing up a criminal's lies just because he appeals to your hateful side.
DUDE! I'm a big fan of yours and I live like 15 mins from Merula... I shop there all the time! This video was so crazy to watch 😂 So bummed I missed an opportunity to shake your hand! Hope you had a great time 😉
Also could have titled it "Rick in the Candy Store"!!! Rick you immediately became a kid when you walked in that place! THANK YOU for taking us along with you! Excellent video.
Hi Rick! I work less than 10 meters away from the place you rent the car! I wish I could have met you and have a little talk. I have a daughter and we used your Nuryl App during pregnancy (I admit, not with the proper constancy). Now she's one and a half years old and when she sings a part of a song she always does it in the original key (I verified it several times). If I play the first chord (or first two) of a song that she likes/know, she tells me immediately the title or the chorus lyrics. In general it's incredible how well she has been processing any auditory information even before walking or talking well. Thanks man, I owe you at least a Pizza at Beato's (or some Alba white truffle) next time ;)
Thats the store of mr Merula! Amazing place, great service and prices and nice people. My Merula story: was in 2008. The guy had a huge sale of strings ( ernie ball slinkys ) at the time. Like 50 euros for a 12 set box. So we go from Milan there to buy also other stuff and we get our strings. Turns out the promotion had expired lile 2 weeks before we got there. Mr Merula himself applied it anyway for us cause "the expiry date wasnt clear in the flyer". What a guy! this is a professional who really cares!
3:09 I heard that the owner went to Atlanta to give a class about cooking pizza. He must be wondering "Why is everyone calling me Rick?". 15:27 I'm dying right now XD
So, a couple of things. 1. Cities in Europe tend to be a lot older than the US. Alba for instance is over 2000yrs old iirc. That means that it was never meant to have big stores and a lot of traffic. Usually that means that big stores, like this, are waaaay outside of the city center. Same for bigger supermarkets. 2. The music scene in Italy is great, great luthiers there too. Local stores can be a lot of fun to visit. 3. In the afternoon, shops tend to be closed for a couple of hours. Especially spring-summer. Differs from region to region, but holds true regardless. A lot of southern European countries do this. Just take a nap, a long lunch with some local wine just like the locals (it's great). 4. Italy is one of the nicest countries I know. The stranges thing to me is how a lot of Italians seem to take their beautiful country for granted. Great folks, great food, great wine, beauty is all around, what's not to like?
"Battery"; oh dear... He was trying to say "drums", that in Italian is "batteria". Luckily many young people here know English much better than that! Have a nice stay in Italy, and if you ever need a local guide in Rome or in the Emilia Romagna region I'm here, it would be a honor!
Luca Pasini Megluo un italiano che cerca di parlare inglese con un cliente piuttosto che un americano che si professa anche italiano ma non sa una parola!
"I'm going to kill him!" The hotel clerk wasn't happy at all. :D I went to Italy 2 months after you did and just fell in love with the country and its people. And it is almost impossible to get bad coffee there. :) Thank you for sharing your enthusiastic visit to the music store!
I live no more than an hour away from Merula! If only I could know in advance you were coming, I could've shown you the whole area. Well, looks like you found your way anyway, so good enough!
Ah ah! You discovered Merula, I'm proud to say this is my favorite supplier since my first strat in 1980! I live in Turin, 45 min by car and I'm in heaven! This place is like New York, it takes a lot of time to say "I know it"! When I go there, I enter at the opening and usually they have to kick me out when they close :-)) And the most amazing part is that it is very convenient, and you can rent WHATEVER instrument or gear you want, for 1 day, week, month, year, you say it, at incredible low rate, and then you can decide to buy it, so a big part of what you pay for rent goes in the purchase. I love that place, I think a lot of people can afford good stuff because of them, I'm so glad you did this video. Oh, to state it clearly, I barely met the owner, so my comment is purely personal, I'm not endorsed (sadly...) nor I have any interest. Next time you come in the area let me know, I'll take you in some good restaurant!
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This will teach you never to be skeptic about music stores in Italy! Lol. Nice vid man!
Like a kid in a candy store! Love it!! I was expecting you to utilize some of that youtube star recognition clout to negotiate a steal deal on a new axe? I would expect there to be some excellent acoustic classical guitars for sale in an Italian music store, no? I like how you honored this long term agreement to teach a class in Italy, probably made casually to your friend in passing at a social engagement. Integrity is a large part of what makes you an awesome person Mr. Beato.
To me it seems the market for musical instruments has been overall concentrated. I'm from Germany and in my youth you could rely on that any town with more than 20thousand citizens had a small store for music instruments and of course some bigger ones in the bigger cities. Today the market here is dominated by a few of these mega music shops but this had caused that almost all of the smaller shops are gone. Of course the big shops are great if you want to buy a higher valued instrument. You can find the best possible assortment and you can test and compare all instruments before buying. In that case it doesn't matter if you have to drive a few hundred miles. But if you just need some smaller parts like strings, picks, cables or sheet music, these shops are often to far away and you have to order on the internet. Don't get me wrong, sometimes I like this kind of shops. It is a great shopping experience but then there are moments where I miss the small shop in the neighbourhood. However, thats just the way it is. Thank you Rick for the great video. I think I'll visit the Merula store if I come to Italy next time.
Well, not only the store itself: EsseMusic has something RARE that is the real and deep expertise of some assistants: I know Mr. Federico (guru of computer-based systems and devices) and Mr. Luciano (the "professor" and the "prophet" of audio "science" and analog world). EsseMusic is big, of course, but there is something that you can't buy even in the biggest store: a smart advice!
After 3 Years TH-cam brought me back to this video for an unknown reason. This is the first Beato video i‘ve ever seen and I‘m still curious what Rick will bring us next. Thank you Rick!
Fantastic voyage!! Thanks Rick!! The company I work for have purchased a great many things from Italy...and I have made friends with some great Frenchmen. Sidel is a company we have worked with for decades! I would love to visit Italy for the culture and the dining....thanks for the great video sir!!
Wow..What a huge music store in Alba, Italy..👌Thanks so much RickBeato for taking us thru' all the way and so thrilling it was..👏🎶 Merula Music Store* Good job..👏Warm cheers 😊👍 God bless..🙏🎸🎶🎊
Used to be a manufacturer called Alba, think they were british, made radios record players and stuff. That store reminds me of Thomann which is probably the German version, that's family owned too. Great video Rick !!
OMG..Merula!!! I used to live a few miles from there. It's incredibile you've been there. Let me tell you soemthing...that Place has growed a lot since the last time I was there, 15 years ago. My ex-wife used to work there and my best friend too....Amazing coincidence!
I am an American living in Naples (my wife plays clarinet in the US Navy Band here), and Italy is wonderful, and full of wonderful people. Glad you enjoyed it Rick!
I wonder if, as a musician, she was attracted by your surname, LOL! Kidding aside, I have a cousin who played clarinet for the Air Force. Her father (my Uncle) was also drafted into the Army during WWII as a Clarinetist - that military training is some of the best. My Dad too was drafted during the Korean war served in the Army band and often cites their great training for preparing him as a working musician.
@@FlowtnWitWalden Ha! I doubt it! Although in the Navy it leads to some interesting circumstances because you wear both your name AND your job on most uniforms. When I served in the Navy (as a trombonist), we had a Presto, a married couple with the surname Cornette, a Forte, and us two Horns. :P The joke is on her, though, she's had that surname for 19 years now!
Thanks for sharing, I think that the legacy of military music in general dates back to the influence of those WWII big bands and how influential they were for what that effort was like. Militaryu bands are a weird little sub-group that not a lot of people know much about.
Rick! You found the store that any musician from Italy drools about. I spent many salaries there, great selection, great staff, awesome memories of my garage days. Cheers!
I went broke just looking at that store. Incredible!
Welcome to Italy Rick! I can't believe seeing you at Merula's. Every Italian musician has a connection with that store. I was there again a couple of months ago to buy my used Kawai VPC1. Enjoy your staying!
What a pleasure to know that you're just a couple of hundreds kilometres away from me, instead of the usual thousands! Enjoy Italy :)
"Italians are so nice"
(My hometown) Genoa: "Hold my pesto"
Genoa is the best place on earth
Belin i foresti non li vogliamo manco a Sanna ahah
Anche io da Genova, se volete passatemi a trovare su youtube!
@@Marco-qj1fg me ne battu u belin.. chissà su vegne chi
Wtf is up with you pizza people?
That must be the first time an American came to Europe and said "Man, that's gigantic! :)
@The Tired Horizon Fair enough... :) Though it was supposed to be funny, it was also meant to point out the consumption society and 'bigger is better' attitude many people still hold true in that part of the world.
Except for Rocco
@@gastaxxx MVP Comment!!
@The Tired Horizon I was totally up to write such an thing👍🤗😁
In Italy, 200 miles is _a long way._
In America, 200 years is _a long time._
As Italian, the hotel doorman when he said "A lot of guitars and battery in the shop" instead of drums, make me laugh a lot 😂
A lot of batteries for all that pedals!!!
Battarie (spelling could be off) means drums in both French an Italian.
@@auddoc99 Funny about this is that in Italian and French "a" and "e" are swapped. So for French battAriE we have Italian battEriA :)
In France we call it "Batterie" ;)
I caught that too because I am BIG into Brasilian music, played in a samba band (street percussion ensemble) for a while and of course learned the Portuguese names of all the various Bateria (caixa, surdo, repinique, tamborim, chocalho, ganza, agogo, apito, cuica) - man that cuica is a wild instrument! A great example can be heard in João Bosco's song "O Ronco da Cuíca," roughly translating to "the honk of the cuica" - likening the sound of the cuica to the honk of a goose. Oops, sorry to ramble on...
Alba is great and Merula Music Store is definitely impressive! You picked the right store Rick!
I have been in Alba many years ago .Lovely place.
There's a similar store (or at least it was ) in Milano.Ground floor is keyboard and piano section.Huge,.
That music store was amazing!
Hi Where abouts is this town Alba?
Hi Rick, I was scanning through your you tube section, and actually saw the MERULA logo which made me stop. We have a business partner in Alba, and they took me to MERULA one morning, and it was over whelming when you walk inside. I bought a used ALHAMBRA STEEL STRING acoustic guitar ( and I have never seen another steel string Alhambra here in North America), and I bought a gig bag for like 39 bucks-with the MERULA logo- unbelievable gig bag.
When you opened you section about "looking" for a music store, and I knew MERULA was coming, i had to watch to the end. What an absolutely amazing store- and very good people.
Rick, what an absolute joy to tag along in the music store. I love seeing and trying things that I've never seen or played. This is how I like to spend a Saturday morning, roaming around in heaven. I would be all over the very cool guitars and small amps I have not tried before. Cheers, and Thank you for sharing.
At least half the fun is hearing the excitement in your voice. Love it Rick, thank you. Gotta add that place is music making heaven.
That was a great vid Rick, always great to see a seasoned pro who still gets excited when he sees a store full of gear.
Man you’re really great . Your enthusiasm and passion are so strong . Makes me want to get back to drumming . Great channel .
For us locals, Merula is definitely quite addictive. You go there once and you ALWAYS wanna go back 😂
Ormai è diventata una prassi, tappa fissa almeno una volta a settimana ahahahah
You HAVE to go more than once because the first time you just get excited and disoriented. :D
dear Rick,
this video made me really smile, and i went nostalgic....i'm a huge fan of your videos and i learned a lot- hopefully- from your tuition. Merula is a big part of our genration of musicians....when we were young it was a kind of a ritual to pick up a car, and move, the whole band, to purchase the DEFINITIVE stuff for our dreams of glory....we are talking about eighties and Merula was unique at the time. After seeing this i feel proud of being italian, apart from the art, food, landscapes, sea, architecture etc.
As an Italian subscriber, I definitely wish I was there.. I watch your videos quiet every day, some are great learning tools, some others are about those things that can’t be taught or learned, something like “a musician’s life end experience”. Needless to say the latter are the ones I’m crazy about
Italy is beautiful. Thanks for this Rick.
The mafia will have you decapitated for not selling their cocaine just because you were invited aboard their yacht...
wikichris well yes, but not all Italians are in the mafia...
Bojack DeepMayo ha funny ok maybe not some people in the north...
wikichris Was Maradona involved with Mafia?
wikichris honestly i think that only 2% of italy have seen mafia in their life
Rick! Those are clarinets, not oboes! Come on, man!
14:15
Rick man! Awesome... I live 30 km from there. You picked the best place for your guitar needs.
How cool is that rick! You go all the way to Italy and the guy at the greatest music store in Italy has seen your videos. Too cool!
Store Owner: Sooo what are you in the mood for today?
Rick: Yes
Merula is a great shop indeed! Cheers from Turin, Italy🤘🏻
Ma come ci è finito Merula in sto video
Sono di Asti e si... È molto strano hahaha
@@WarAndrea46 e io sono di Torino e sono rimasto a bocca aperta. Seguo Beato quotidianamente! Sono rimasto secco!
Italy: Lady closes her business and walks Beato to the store....
Where I live: Employee rolls eyes and glances in the direction of what I need to find....
Haha! I know, that was unbelievable!!
It kinda depends where you are. In Milan they don’t even roll their eyes 😂
Well, not all the people are like this in Italy of course but, generally speaking, we tend to be as helpful as possible, in particular with foreigners. Also, piemontesi are quite reserved people but absolutely kind and helpful (my wife is from Piemonte). Hope to see you back in Italy soon Rick.
Ti vogliamo bene, Rick!
(Translate: We Love You, Rick!)
Molly Hannah Hehe. Yes. And Americans believe that they invented good customer service just because employees in stores are preprogrammed to say “have a nice day” (whilst often clearly not meaning it!). 😛
I live in Italy (Milan, to be more precise) and I’m so happy you enjoyed your experience that much! Unfortunately, not everyone is really that kind with foreign-language’s strangers (due to the lack of communication)
Maybe you can come to Milan every once in a while and teach us something! :D
Quietest music store ever. The adventure totally reminded me of my own adventures in Italy. Grazie!
Rick I love your editing skills! this is so fun to watch you in Italy, makes me want to go!
Yeah, Merula is quite famous here in Italy. You made an excellent choice! Good! And welcome in my old, outskirtish country!
It's always fulfilling to see someone enjoys his journey so much. World peace!
Great vid! Enjoyed it. Yes, Italy and its people are beautiful! Been to Rome, Naples and Pompeii. Great trip. EVERYTHING I'd ever heard about Italian food is true. Unbelievable!
And that store is UNREAL! I'd be in there for days. Thanks for sharing this part of your trip with us.
Rick, If the hardest part of your day was finding a guitar shop while vacationing in Italy, then life is going well! Great video!
Hey Rick!! Great to have you here in Italy and shopping in my all time favourite music store. Welcome!!
Got your Beato Book. What a great resource. Thanks again for all of your contributions to music.
That was a lot of fun visiting the Merula Music Store online with you, Rick! Thanks for posting it. That store is like no other!
Ok, so, you *didn’t* buy a guitar...?? I mean, that was fun, but... guitar?!
I was going to say the same thing @JMilesTV . Did he buy a guitar ?
fuckin looky lous!
Yes, He didn’t even look/pick up a guitar.
Sensory overload.
SUPER ANTICLAMATIC!!!!!!! So what did he get??!!
2:13 guitars, batteries, clams,
say no more..I'm there!!
Htheorphanarian with batteries he meant drums i think
Here in Italy, for “drums” or “drum kit” we say “batteria” that is really close to “battery” (of course it’s wrong)
@@danielemontico7820 i know, here in México we call it "Batería" and that also means "Batteries" so we sometimes say "Pilas" instead of "Baterías" to avoid confusion
@@danielemontico7820 i tought you said it to me but i'm not sure lol
Ha ha! Sea food and guitars boom!
Yeah, I've also been to Alba. It's a beautiful city.
Thanks Rick, I enjoyed tagging along with you on that adventure. I am glad you took the opportunity to go there and see what it was like in Italy. Beautiful place to live.
Traveling with Hypes! What's better than that! Love this! "The Hypes Travel Vlog Goes to Italy"!!!
Man, I love this guerrilla-style video from the earlier days of your channel! As I look back into your videos on your channel I'm always finding gems! Thanx, Rick!
Absolutely beautiful scenery/landscape/architecture....and probably amazing food everywhere too!
Great music store, and an awesome country. Thanks for sharing a little bit o' Italy with us, Rick.
This place is 10min far from my home, I usually go there once a week only to take a look and try something ;D
Glad you enjoyed!
Did you ever go back the pizzeria ?
You could've said "I am Mr. Beato from America and I am checking on my Italian franchise."
And they probably would've said "What does an American know about pizza?"
Fun Fact: Europeans identify with the country of their citizenship. They do not understand Americans' association/fascination with the country from which their ancestors emigrated. When an American goes to Europe and says "I'm Italian," or "I'm Irish," or "I'm German," they don't understand and think "No, this person is an American." It's indicative of America's idea of being a "melting pot" of immigrants that we still associate with our "home" country and this is something you don't see in the rest of the world. Outside of the US, people identify with the country in which they were born. It's sad that anti-immigration thoughts have returned to the US because we truly have benefited from our melting pot society. It wasn't long ago that Italian and Irish immigrants weren't trusted and were looked down upon by bigots, but now they are some of America's most celebrated immigrants. Those who voted for the trumpster-fire because of his bigoted views about immigrants are making the same mistake as bigots made about the Italians and Irish 175 years ago.
@@esquiremoderator32 'Fun Fact'? #1 This site is about music, not politics. #2 If you're going to try to compare people who came here LEGALLY and people who DON'T (it's called ILLEGAL immigration for a reason'), then refer back to #1.
@@esquiremoderator32 I'm italian and even tought when you say "european identify with the country they are born" is true, they way ypu said it is...well, makes it a bad thing even tough it isnt.
What makes me italian isnt where I'm born (even tough most elderly persons think like that), what makes me italian is:
1. I can speak italian
2. I know italy's customs
Makes no sense that someone who has never even visited Italy, neither speaks the language can call himself Italian just because his grandfather was one.
P.s. Italy as pretty much all the country in europe at the moment are against immigration, so Trump isnt the only one doing bad to the human race in general.
Salvini, italy's biggest political party's leader is pretty much Trump(but less rich) with a pizza in a hand and an espresso coffee in the other letting people die in the sea just because some racist idiot doesnt want immigrants in "their country"
P.s. what most americans eat as Pizza is not even close for what we call pizza.
Thats why the Pizza owner could have probably tought that
@@nicosantini4724 I agree with you! I'm sorry if it came off as negative. While I do think that Americans are correct to value immigrants, I also agree that they take it too far sometimes by claiming to "be" Italian or German or whatever, when they have never been there or know anything except what they see in the Godfather movies. I have visited Italy a few times (Rome, Florence, Venice and some smaller cities) and you are right about pizza and I think real Italian pizza is much better. You would be happy to know that there are a growing number of places in America where you can get true Italian pizza these days and it isn't all perfectly round with pepperoni and sausage and delivered in a car. That's why I said an Italian shop owner would have been (rightfully) offended if Rick walked in and pretended he owned the place.
@@matthewmuller5794 This is youtube and the comment section is a free for all. Apparently you know this because you have no problem posting ignorant comments about politics. I live on the Mexican border (San Diego) and I'm a lawyer and what you say about "illegal" is 100% wrong. You should maybe try to learn the law before commenting on it and you will learn that the illegitimate president is lying to you. Anyone seeking asylum can legally walk into the US and claim asylum and that is what these families are doing before trump puts the children in cages. Until the law changes, they aren't Illegal. Get your facts straight.
And, if you want to question why I called the president "illegitimate," read the Mueller Report. I can tell by your comment that you haven't. If you gave a damn about this country and were half a patriot, you would read the report instead of swallowing up a criminal's lies just because he appeals to your hateful side.
DUDE! I'm a big fan of yours and I live like 15 mins from Merula... I shop there all the time! This video was so crazy to watch 😂
So bummed I missed an opportunity to shake your hand!
Hope you had a great time 😉
You should have known that Mr Merula (the owner) is the man who was sitting on a desk in the guitar department. He owns other stores in NY and L.A.
Another 17k subs since I last looked and I watch all your video's. So glad to see that talent has led to success.
Great to see you enjoing your time in Italy! :D
I bought my LP Standard in Merula 24 years ago... great place!
Cool video Rick ,i like the mix of all sorts of content
It’s Piemont - they are good and smart people - they even speak decent english - a very nice region
Man, that was FUN! Thanks for the trip, Rick.
Great video, Rick! Man, that store looked massive! How cool that the guy behind the counter recognized you from your youtube videos.
Thanks for sharing your experience. I would be in that store for days!
Also could have titled it "Rick in the Candy Store"!!! Rick you immediately became a kid when you walked in that place! THANK YOU for taking us along with you! Excellent video.
Beautiful country, amazing places. Thanks Rick.
Hi Rick! I work less than 10 meters away from the place you rent the car! I wish I could have met you and have a little talk. I have a daughter and we used your Nuryl App during pregnancy (I admit, not with the proper constancy). Now she's one and a half years old and when she sings a part of a song she always does it in the original key (I verified it several times). If I play the first chord (or first two) of a song that she likes/know, she tells me immediately the title or the chorus lyrics. In general it's incredible how well she has been processing any auditory information even before walking or talking well. Thanks man, I owe you at least a Pizza at Beato's (or some Alba white truffle) next time ;)
Italy is sooo beautiful! And that store...nice!
Thats the store of mr Merula! Amazing place, great service and prices and nice people. My Merula story: was in 2008. The guy had a huge sale of strings ( ernie ball slinkys ) at the time. Like 50 euros for a 12 set box. So we go from Milan there to buy also other stuff and we get our strings. Turns out the promotion had expired lile 2 weeks before we got there. Mr Merula himself applied it anyway for us cause "the expiry date wasnt clear in the flyer". What a guy! this is a professional who really cares!
3:09 I heard that the owner went to Atlanta to give a class about cooking pizza.
He must be wondering "Why is everyone calling me Rick?".
15:27 I'm dying right now XD
So, a couple of things.
1. Cities in Europe tend to be a lot older than the US. Alba for instance is over 2000yrs old iirc. That means that it was never meant to have big stores and a lot of traffic. Usually that means that big stores, like this, are waaaay outside of the city center. Same for bigger supermarkets.
2. The music scene in Italy is great, great luthiers there too. Local stores can be a lot of fun to visit.
3. In the afternoon, shops tend to be closed for a couple of hours. Especially spring-summer. Differs from region to region, but holds true regardless. A lot of southern European countries do this. Just take a nap, a long lunch with some local wine just like the locals (it's great).
4. Italy is one of the nicest countries I know. The stranges thing to me is how a lot of Italians seem to take their beautiful country for granted. Great folks, great food, great wine, beauty is all around, what's not to like?
Alba looks beautiful
I went to Europe a few years ago and didn't visit Italy, been regretting it. Some of the other places I went were a waste of time
So nice to see you walking around my favourite music shop! I use to call it the Musician's Mecca: feels like you should go there at least once a year!
"Battery"; oh dear... He was trying to say "drums", that in Italian is "batteria". Luckily many young people here know English much better than that! Have a nice stay in Italy, and if you ever need a local guide in Rome or in the Emilia Romagna region I'm here, it would be a honor!
dai magari lo sapeva ma nella fretta ha sbagliato
Luca Pasini Megluo un italiano che cerca di parlare inglese con un cliente piuttosto che un americano che si professa anche italiano ma non sa una parola!
With decent headphones and different context this basically becomes an ASMR of you and Rick shopping together
Its like Ikea, but stuff you actually want!
Hey! I never ever had seen another store like this all over the entire world!
"I'm going to kill him!" The hotel clerk wasn't happy at all. :D
I went to Italy 2 months after you did and just fell in love with the country and its people. And it is almost impossible to get bad coffee there. :) Thank you for sharing your enthusiastic visit to the music store!
I live no more than an hour away from Merula! If only I could know in advance you were coming, I could've shown you the whole area. Well, looks like you found your way anyway, so good enough!
I love your shows! Can't wait to see you do another show with Syn.
Nice Rick! I bought my first serious guitar from Merula, glad to see that it's still a great place.
Whaaaat! You've been here in Italy? You've been to Merula?
This is nuts.
Ah ah! You discovered Merula, I'm proud to say this is my favorite supplier since my first strat in 1980! I live in Turin, 45 min by car and I'm in heaven! This place is like New York, it takes a lot of time to say "I know it"! When I go there, I enter at the opening and usually they have to kick me out when they close :-)) And the most amazing part is that it is very convenient, and you can rent WHATEVER instrument or gear you want, for 1 day, week, month, year, you say it, at incredible low rate, and then you can decide to buy it, so a big part of what you pay for rent goes in the purchase. I love that place, I think a lot of people can afford good stuff because of them, I'm so glad you did this video. Oh, to state it clearly, I barely met the owner, so my comment is purely personal, I'm not endorsed (sadly...) nor I have any interest. Next time you come in the area let me know, I'll take you in some good restaurant!
This will teach you never to be skeptic about music stores in Italy! Lol. Nice vid man!
Like a kid in a candy store! Love it!! I was expecting you to utilize some of that youtube star recognition clout to negotiate a steal deal on a new axe? I would expect there to be some excellent acoustic classical guitars for sale in an Italian music store, no? I like how you honored this long term agreement to teach a class in Italy, probably made casually to your friend in passing at a social engagement. Integrity is a large part of what makes you an awesome person Mr. Beato.
I’ m 53 now and started to buy drums in this store at 22!
Ehi Rick what about food and wine in Alba?
Cheers
Dave
Exactly, white truffle and the best red wines in the fucking planet
Thanks for the virtual tour!!! Wow!!!!
17:36 Agree, cool logo, but all I see is Soundgarden Badmotorfinger.
To me it seems the market for musical instruments has been overall concentrated. I'm from Germany and in my youth you could rely on that any town with more than 20thousand citizens had a small store for music instruments and of course some bigger ones in the bigger cities.
Today the market here is dominated by a few of these mega music shops but this had caused that almost all of the smaller shops are gone. Of course the big shops are great if you want to buy a higher valued instrument. You can find the best possible assortment and you can test and compare all instruments before buying. In that case it doesn't matter if you have to drive a few hundred miles. But if you just need some smaller parts like strings, picks, cables or sheet music, these shops are often to far away and you have to order on the internet.
Don't get me wrong, sometimes I like this kind of shops. It is a great shopping experience but then there are moments where I miss the small shop in the neighbourhood.
However, thats just the way it is. Thank you Rick for the great video. I think I'll visit the Merula store if I come to Italy next time.
Ah ! It's amazing to see you in Italy
Nice store indeed! Hope to see you soon in Italy as soon as we will be able to travel again!
Go to ESSEMUSIC in Montebelluna. I think one of the best music store in the world!
absolutely!!! and it's an amazing store
but it is in the opposite side of north of italy, very far from Alba.....
Concordo pienamente!!! :P
Well, not only the store itself: EsseMusic has something RARE that is the real and deep expertise of some assistants: I know Mr. Federico (guru of computer-based systems and devices) and Mr. Luciano (the "professor" and the "prophet" of audio "science" and analog world). EsseMusic is big, of course, but there is something that you can't buy even in the biggest store: a smart advice!
come si chiama sto store?
After 3 Years TH-cam brought me back to this video for an unknown reason. This is the first Beato video i‘ve ever seen and I‘m still curious what Rick will bring us next. Thank you Rick!
I gotta book a flight! Please give Italia my best!
Fantastic voyage!! Thanks Rick!! The company I work for have purchased a great many things from Italy...and I have made friends with some great Frenchmen. Sidel is a company we have worked with for decades! I would love to visit Italy for the culture and the dining....thanks for the great video sir!!
I think you'd spend a week in that store and never get bored Rick 😁
Hey rick great video, nice to see you wandering around in italy! From an italian fan
Damn, Rick! You hit the Mother Load of all music stores. 👍
Love the Cavalera signature ESP behind dude in the ASKME shirt.
I thought you were going to check out some guitars?? That's what I was waiting for, man...
Wow..What a huge music store in Alba, Italy..👌Thanks so much RickBeato for taking us thru' all the way and so thrilling it was..👏🎶 Merula Music Store* Good job..👏Warm cheers 😊👍 God bless..🙏🎸🎶🎊
Ricardo Beato doesn't speak the language of the old country? Dear oh dear ;) But wow, never ever seen a music store this size
An Italian American lost in Italy - because of the language!!! Hilarious...
Stuey apStuey We do not totally consider Italian Americans as Italians. They are not.
@@stueyapstuey4235 I think Rick must be 3rd or 4th generation American - Italian
Yes we're lucky to have a shop like that in Italy. Even "Guitars" in Tortona is a great shop.
Did they have the sign " No Stairway To Heaven" in Italian?
at least 1 store out of 3 has it, some has the "No Nothing Else Matters" sign tho
"No Smoke on the water" also!
Non Eseguire 'Scale per il Paradiso.'
Used to be a manufacturer called Alba, think they were british, made radios record players and stuff. That store reminds me of Thomann which is probably the German version, that's family owned too. Great video Rick !!
Rick: I don't want to be condescending...
Italy: hold my beer
OMG..Merula!!! I used to live a few miles from there. It's incredibile you've been there. Let me tell you soemthing...that Place has growed a lot since the last time I was there, 15 years ago. My ex-wife used to work there and my best friend too....Amazing coincidence!
Hello from Bologna! Do you know that "Beato" means "Blessed", "Content" or "Beatified"? That's what that pizzeria (claims to) make you :)
I typed it in, 'Pizzaria of the Blessed'.
See related words: beatific, beatitude.
This is so great. Was in Florence back in April. What a gorgeous place.
Hey - What did you buy, Rick!?
Bellísima!!!!! What an amazing surprise for you Rick...and us. It just shows what can happen when you explore