Guitar store tour, any suggestions?

jjw43 · October 21st, 2005, 04:17 PM

Tomorrow I drop off my family at LAX. They get a week in New York with the in laws, I get Saturday in LA to wander the city in search of guitar stuff. I plan on visiting True Tone Santa Monica, The Vintage Store (guit center Hollywood) and end the day at MaCabes. I'll then take in the John Hammond show at MaCabes in the evening. Any other shops in that general triangle you can suggest?

Thanks.

WickedGTR · October 21st, 2005, 06:59 PM

From Guitar center, walk one block west on Sunset, and there's a few vintage shops all on the block (on the same side of the street)...Voltage usually has a nice selection of vintage to ogle (and play) and there's some lower end oddities at the other shops too. There's Manny's (or Sam Ash?) across the street from GC, which has some G & L's and an assortment of new stuff. The Mesa Boogie shop on the corner has a nice selection of expensive boutique pedals if you like that kind of thing....

That neighborhood has always been the Guitar Ghetto of Hollywood....at least since the early 70's....

I never have made it out to True tone- talked to them on the phone a couple of times-They are a Burns dealer and I'm a slight Burns-o-phile.

Should be a nice day- don't forget the checkbook!

jjw43 · October 21st, 2005, 07:09 PM

Anything "vintage" is outa my range but I still like to look. Kinda like when I was a kid and mom would take me past the FAO Shwartz windows. Hot breath on the glass and dreams.......

CancerLeoCam · October 21st, 2005, 07:35 PM

well on the corner opposite GC is prolly TTone but I'm not sure. Whatever the name of the store is CHECK-IT-OUT! They have some cool Fender amps up close towards the window and some really cool instruments, keys and such that you just don't see much anymore. Voltage is a cool place to go to also. The Vintage room @GC is by far where I would go to actually pick up a git and play it. Warning, the amp (a DR last night I visited) sucks and has a short in it in somewhere-cuts and squeals. Ick! Anyhow the gits on the wall are cool to look at but beware-they are anything but set-up well. THEY ARE ANTIQUES. Great to get away from the noise in GC proper by hiding in there but it would help if someone actually took the time to fix the bad pots and switches on the gits and amps to make them really worth trying and maybe buying.....at 2K and up!? Eeesh!

slack · October 21st, 2005, 09:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CancerLeoCam

The Vintage room @GC is by far where I would go to actually pick up a git and play it. Warning, the amp (a DR last night I visited) sucks and has a short in it in somewhere-cuts and squeals. Ick!

The Vintage Room is full of vintage Fender amps to choose from.

CancerLeoCam · October 22nd, 2005, 09:38 AM

what I meant was the amp against the wall. Yeah, seems they have every amp Fender ever made but I don't know if they are all plugged in. I didn't remember any real 'space' where they were to try them out. I suppose you could just haul one out of the herd.

slack · October 22nd, 2005, 11:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by CancerLeoCam

I suppose you could just haul one out of the herd.

Yep. Just tell them which one you want to try.

October 21st, 2005, 04:17 PM	#1 (permalink)
jjw43 Tele-Meister Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Ventura Posts: 148	Guitar store tour, any suggestions? Tomorrow I drop off my family at LAX. They get a week in New York with the in laws, I get Saturday in LA to wander the city in search of guitar stuff. I plan on visiting True Tone Santa Monica, The Vintage Store (guit center Hollywood) and end the day at MaCabes. I'll then take in the John Hammond show at MaCabes in the evening. Any other shops in that general triangle you can suggest? Thanks. __________________ employee discount?

October 21st, 2005, 06:59 PM	#2 (permalink)
WickedGTR Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Hillbilly Hollywood Posts: 2,124 4 Photos	From Guitar center, walk one block west on Sunset, and there's a few vintage shops all on the block (on the same side of the street)...Voltage usually has a nice selection of vintage to ogle (and play) and there's some lower end oddities at the other shops too. There's Manny's (or Sam Ash?) across the street from GC, which has some G & L's and an assortment of new stuff. The Mesa Boogie shop on the corner has a nice selection of expensive boutique pedals if you like that kind of thing.... That neighborhood has always been the Guitar Ghetto of Hollywood....at least since the early 70's.... I never have made it out to True tone- talked to them on the phone a couple of times-They are a Burns dealer and I'm a slight Burns-o-phile. Should be a nice day- don't forget the checkbook! __________________ http://www.myspace.com/jameswilsey

October 21st, 2005, 07:09 PM	#3 (permalink)
jjw43 Tele-Meister Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Ventura Posts: 148	Perfect, thanks. Anything "vintage" is outa my range but I still like to look. Kinda like when I was a kid and mom would take me past the FAO Shwartz windows. Hot breath on the glass and dreams....... __________________ employee discount?

October 21st, 2005, 07:35 PM	#4 (permalink)
CancerLeoCam Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mule Deer-Mt. Lion Safari, CA Posts: 1,651 5 Photos	ok, well on the corner opposite GC is prolly TTone but I'm not sure. Whatever the name of the store is CHECK-IT-OUT! They have some cool Fender amps up close towards the window and some really cool instruments, keys and such that you just don't see much anymore. Voltage is a cool place to go to also. The Vintage room @GC is by far where I would go to actually pick up a git and play it. Warning, the amp (a DR last night I visited) sucks and has a short in it in somewhere-cuts and squeals. Ick! Anyhow the gits on the wall are cool to look at but beware-they are anything but set-up well. THEY ARE ANTIQUES. Great to get away from the noise in GC proper by hiding in there but it would help if someone actually took the time to fix the bad pots and switches on the gits and amps to make them really worth trying and maybe buying.....at 2K and up!? Eeesh! __________________ Everyone's your buddy when they want you or something from you. If you're not willing to work for free why should somebody else?

October 22nd, 2005, 09:38 AM	#6 (permalink)
CancerLeoCam Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Mule Deer-Mt. Lion Safari, CA Posts: 1,651 5 Photos	well, what I meant was the amp against the wall. Yeah, seems they have every amp Fender ever made but I don't know if they are all plugged in. I didn't remember any real 'space' where they were to try them out. I suppose you could just haul one out of the herd. __________________ Everyone's your buddy when they want you or something from you. If you're not willing to work for free why should somebody else?