MUSIC OUT OF TUNE Clay & Co. is closing its District Manager Anthony PIANO DEALER Sherman tai in the city for 113 years. Oakland store at 2135 Broadway Thomas has been with the Sherman Clay closing store At a glance I Clearance sale this week to mark end of era in Oakland By Alec Rosenberg BUSINESS WRITER After 113 years of selling pianos, Sherman Clay & Co. is about to play its last note in Oakland. The storied piano house is closing its Oakland store at 2135 Broadway and staging an appointment-only sale Friday and Saturday to cle its inventory of some 350 pianos. Sherman Clay, which still has nine stores, Including ones in San Francisco, Santa Clara and Walnut Creek, decided to shut down its Oakland outlet because of declining sales, Dis- trict Manager Anthony Thomas said. OTHER Sherman Clay locations in the The other stores are in Washington, Or- Bay Area: egon and Texas. "It's been a slow progression over 647 Mission St. the last 10 years," Thomas said. "We San Francisco certainly felt the positive bump in 1999 (415) 543-1888 and 2000, but ever since then it's really fallen off." 2030 Duane Ave. The store catered to everyone from Santa Clara novices to concert pianists. Oakland (408) 492-9970 native Edwin Hawkins, who wrote the gospel classic "Oh Happy Day," bought 1380-1388 Locust St. his first piano - a Steinway - at the Walnut Creek Oakland outlet in 1972, Thomas said. (925) 932-0100 Also, the store hosted receptions and rehearsals for its neighbor and cus- Company Web site: www.shermantomer, the Oakland East Bay Sym- clay.com See PIANOS, Business 5 after doing business business for 23 years.