Anyone else from the SF Bay Area?

[Flipped Mustang]

Don Wehr's is where I bought my first real guitar! I took my high school graduation money to the big city to look for a left handed guitar. One of their ads in BAM had a used lefty red strat for sale. When I got there, the strat was sold. They had two choices, a used '76 SG Standard and a new Strat. The SG was in nice shape and was $345.00 so I went for it (it's still my main guitar). They wanted $600.00 for the brand new strat ( I remember it was some kind of a reissue and this was '81), which was a bit too high for my budget. Also bought all our bands first amp line up (Peavey Musician heads and cabs) at Don's.

[JMH65]

My Sister lives in Mill Valley. Love the Bay Area.....get out there as much as possible.

[Paul in Colorado]

Don Weir's Music City was one of my stops when ever I went to the city. Tower Records was right down the street, too. I traded a Peavey Artist amp for a Peavey XR-800 powered mixer and they gave me what I paid for the amp. When does that happen? I remember being there once when they were putting a '50's black guard Tele up on the wall. Don Weir also took a certain herb in trade towards an Acoustic bass amp a friend was buying.

Leo's in Oakland had a lot of great vintage gear. I met Howard Dumble in there once. He was demoing an amp he built. I could have gotten it for less then $1,000. It didn't have reverb, so I passed. The first time I went in there they had racks of vintage Strats and Teles. They were just old guitars in 1967.

Spitzer's Music in Hayward was my local shop. I bought my Martin there. Music Unlimited in San Leandro was where I got my Jazzmaster and Les Paul and Twin Reverb. It's still there, but not the store it was in the late '60's (but what is?).

[alvis]

I was out there visiting in 1980 ,I was 17,and happend into Spitzers.They had a '58 Flying v hangin on the wall.I think the price tag was 2k
Imagine that

[BarryE]

I've lived here in Berkeley for the last six years

[jhundt]

I used to love to visit Don Wehr's, but they couldn't match the price si bought my first big stack at the first Guitar Center when they opened on VanNess. The saleman convinced me to buy a big huge and useless Acoustic 270 that I didn't want or need, and never enjoyed. I guess they started out that way.

But the best was always Leo's, first down on Clay St where I used to go and just stare at the amps; later on College Av and then on Telegraph. He was one of the first to understand the importance of vintage guitars, and had Gibson build some reissues specially for his shop.

Spitzer had some nice stuff, but his prices were ridiculous!