Skulls hang down the storefront window, where various amps and assorted decorations are on display at Mike’s Monster Guitar shop in Cambridge. Once inside the narrow store, the mint green walls are filled top to bottom with various guitars, amps, chords, and accessories.

The owner and operator, Mike Feudale, of the mainstay music store at 896A Mass Ave., has decided to close it on July 1 as he moves on to the next chapter in his life.

“It’s been challenge after challenge after challenge, which I tried to work through,” said Feudale, 63. But, he realized he no longer “needs this headache anymore” and decided to retire.

On the business’s Facebook page, customers commented to thank Feudale for taking care of their instruments over the years.

One said, “You are awesome, Mike. Best of luck.” Others wished him the best on the next leg of the journey. Another said, “Gonna be a Monster shaped hole in Cambridge now. Thanks for keeping it real for so long, and here’s to more punk blues!”

Feudale joined the music scene when he was 18, sparking a lifelong passion. As he grew up, he began working various jobs to support himself.

He thought, “If you’re going to work a job 40 hours a week for the rest of your life, do something you’re passionate about.”

So, he decided to become a guitar repairman, an extension of his guitar skills.

“As we all know, you can’t make a living as a musician,” said Feudale. “As much as we try, it’s almost impossible.”

Before he knew it, he had been a guitar repairman, technician, and eventually business owner for 30 years.

For the first 19 years, he worked at Sandy’s Music in the exact location of his current shop, which he opened over a decade ago. The former owner became ill and closed down the business, leaving Feudale, his employee, with nowhere to go.

“I grabbed my guitar collection, threw them on the wall, and said open for business,” Feudale said.

Feudale said the store was decorated and stocked for musicians. He provided everything from instruments, including antiques, banjos, ukuleles, and basses, to accessories like strings and chords. His core brand was Monster Guitars, thus the name.

His “bread and butter” was repairs, where he had a loyal base of repeat customers.

“You gotta really trust your repairman because they’re handling your baby, you know?” said Feudale.

A lot has changed since he opened his doors 11-and-a-half years ago in Central Square.

In recent years, Feudale reports that his clientele base has declined, walking traffic has decreased, and new bike lanes on both sides of the street in front of his shop have removed the only nearby parking. Now, many of his customers can no longer drive to the store.

As housing rents rose, he said many of his customers who once visited his shop left Cambridge.

“Your average musician, artists, are getting forced out of here,” Feudale said.

Plus, the store has never fully recovered from the pandemic.

Feudale said retail sales of guitars and other instruments are down. He’s spoken with other retailers nationwide who are all saying the same thing.

“It’s a different landscape,” he said. “We are dealing with online sales. Amazon isn’t helping anything. You have two big retailers, like your guitar centers.”

Plus, some big online retailers are hard to compete with regarding prices and offer free shipping.

Feudale said enough is enough, and he decided to close the doors forever.

What’s next: 

Feudale plans to spend extra time touring and playing with his band, Hambone Skinny. The band consists of his wife, who plays the drums, and him, who plays the guitar, playing punk blues.

“Skinny” is a nickname he garnered in school during the ’90s simply because he was skinny, with “Hambone” being his blues alter ego.

As one customer said, “VIVA LE SKINNY MIKE!”

He will also return to his passion of building cigar box guitars, which he will sell alongside the rest of his unsold inventory online.

There are no plans for anyone to take over the store.

When asked whether the store would leave a hole in the music industry, he said, “Totally,” as he is the only one in the area.

“What I’ve done and accomplished speaks for itself,” Feudale said. “I’ve been playing on this music scene for almost 40 years, and people know me. They know Skinny Mike. And so, I think I left a mark on not only the music scene but the retail guitar scene as well.”