London guitar shops on Denmark St?

[winny pooh]

Chandlers near kew gardens

[pluckbuddy]

Yep, pricewise Denmark St is best for window shopping only, especially if you're visiting from the US where I'm told guitars are so much cheaper. There are better shops scattered around London's leafy suburbs, as stated above, but bare in mind they'll take a little while to get to from the West End.

I live a few miles from Stevenage these days and after seeing the outrageously good stock at Coda Music a few times, London guitar shops have lost a little of the magic for me.

[fuzzbender]

Originally Posted by notdave

Does one rock star per week dropping several grand on a guitar keep Denmark Street together?

I'm not trolling here, I'm after opinions (and facts, if anyone has any). The place has had a rep for rip-off prices for decades, how does it keep rolling along?

Just remembering a phone call to Music Ground a couple of years ago, in chatting to the member of staff, he mentions 'Jimmy Page was in here the other day', i said 'what did he buy?', he says 'Nothing'. Haha, Led Wallet. And seems he still has to be driven around, in an old battered car by the way.

To take your point, another time after that, saw in Munjos a Scandinavian bloke paying 3 grand for a Strat, knocked down and celebrity owned mind you, didn't catch who.

London is generally expensive, if you need something at least they're there. My dread is one day all the shops will be gone and you can only get coffee.

[renhoek]

I was in Denmark street recently and confirm that the prices are even more ridiculous than elsewhere in England, and most of the guitars didn't seem to be very well looked after, either. Just didn't compare at all to the quality of the guitar shops I've been to in the states, which is why I'm quite happy to take the risk and buy my guitars sight unseen off eBay USA and hope they turn up in one peice!
Also, most of the customers, especially in Vintage & Rare, seemed to be wearing pricey-looking business suits, which may partially explain why the shops are still in business.

[Le Jab]

...its an eye-opener for sure. It will make our American breathren run back into the arms of Guitar Center and weep for forgiveness.

[jhundt]

anybody remember the Fender Sound House on Tottneham Court Road? I bought my Yamaha FG-110 acoustic there in 1974. I think Seymour Duncan worked ther for a while too.

I remember many an afternoon walking up and down Denmark Street and Charing Cross Road, looking at gear. There was a fabulous Framus Star Bass at Macari's for 25 pounds; that was a week's wage for me. I tried to talk the shop guy into holding it for me, but he wouldn't...

Usually I ended up at Foyle's Books - the greatest book store I have ever known. I wonder if it is still there?

[slotrod65]

I was at Music Ground last April on a visit to London. Music Ground at the end of Denmark St was a highlight. Upstairs is an insane collection of oddball Japanese and eastern European guitars. Almost all were privced at 699 pounds, but it was just great to see these crazy things.

[J-man]

Lets put it this way..

Britain is more expensive in general than the US

London is more expensive in general than Britain

Denmark St is more expensive in general than London.

[bookworm]

London is more expensive in general than Britain

Amen to that!!!

[mcgroup53]

Any advice on how to get there via The Tube? I'm staying out in the Kensington area by the big Westfield shopping mall complex.

[rotheryrules]

You need to get off At Tottenham court road, is about a two minute walk.

Is a good place to look but I've been a lot and rarely see anything u want to buy, and as some of the posters have said the staff arnt to friendly. Which I would think comes from years if tourists going in to ask where Hendrix played!

Is worth a trip for the experience but if ur looking to buy there are much better shops in london

[stax]

That's nice and easy, Shepherds Bush to Tottenham Court Road on the central line.

[jjkrause84]

Originally Posted by notdave

Does one rock star per week dropping several grand on a guitar keep Denmark Street together?

I'm not trolling here, I'm after opinions (and facts, if anyone has any). The place has had a rep for rip-off prices for decades, how does it keep rolling along?

My honest guess? Certain Londoners shop there. The type of Londoners who don't have a drop of British blood in their heritage. Rich foreign oligarchs is where all the money is in the city anymore, as far as I can tell (and that's not a political statement in the least, just by experience).

[Carzee]

Originally Posted by spook69

Have a look down the street .....

http://g.co/maps/dbvhk

Wow, thx, worth a look around. Big red buses, Starbucks and a host of others franchise shops, roadworks causing traffic jams as usual, and some small frontage guitar shops. Some have big signage "Best Prices In London".

I went for a virtual walk around the Denmark block. Tottenham Crt-left turn-back to Charing Cross main drag then turned right at Foyles books and then down thru The Pillars of Hercules then left turn and up Greek St around past that Jersey Boys theatre and restaurants back down Charing Cross to Borders on Denmark again.

ps, where do people park their cars? It looks like its too tight for cars: claustrophobic even. Unless you're on a scooter, its a lifestyle relying on the tube, buses, cabs or just get dropped off. Charming in its oldness.. maybe I'll visit one day.

[jjkrause84]

Oh, on the subject: cheese.

Le Beaujolais off Charing Cross Road has the best cheese in London, and it's not terribly far from where you'll be. Just a thought....

[MrTwang]

Originally Posted by jhundt

Usually I ended up at Foyle's Books - the greatest book store I have ever known. I wonder if it is still there?

Foyles is still there and not quite a chaotic as it used to be but still pretty hopeless in my opinion. Last time I went in was to check out a book that was in their window display.

After 3 trips to the information desk and being sent to 3 different sections of the store and still not finding the book, I checked it out on Amazon.

This was a book featured in their fecking window!!!

This is not an un-typical Foyles experience.

[slotrod65]

Originally Posted by jjkrause84

Oh, on the subject: cheese.

Le Beaujolais off Charing Cross Road has the best cheese in London, and it's not terribly far from where you'll be. Just a thought....

I am partial to Paxton and Whitfield, but any real cheesemonger in London is better than the waxy blocks of congealed milk fat we get here in the US.

[jhundt]

Foyles is still there and not quite a chaotic as it used to be but still pretty hopeless in my opinion.

I think the chaos was part of the charm But I rarely (if ever) purchased anything there, I just wandered around looking at books.

[BoogerRooger]

Originally Posted by Carzee

ps, where do people park their cars? It looks like its too tight for cars: claustrophobic even. Unless you're on a scooter, its a lifestyle relying on the tube, buses, cabs or just get dropped off. Charming in its oldness.. maybe I'll visit one day.

Park your car in London! Hahahaha!

Even if can find a place to park you'd probably need to take out a bank load to afford it. And that's after you've paid the congestion charge.

[Pigeon Crowe]

I've only ever been round Denmark St. once and I wasn't impressed. The guy's who work there are snobs (especially if you're a teenager like me (and a scottish teenager at that!)) Some of the guys are pretty clueless as well, I asked a guy if they had any wrap-around tailpieces and he picked up a Les Paul Jr and asked if I wanted it restrung before I bought it. Also the prices are terrible. I was looking for a new bass at the time (had enough for a Fender P bass but I wanted something quirky and vintage) and the stock guitars were more expensive than at home (I live in Edinburgh) also I walked into one shop and saw a sunburst P bass being advertised as a "60's vintage" when it obviously wasn't and they were asking for quadrupal figures when the back of the body was covered in bumper stickers. In my opinion window shop, try as much as you can but dont buy and don't believe you're looking at Sid Vicious' bass.