UTS-D Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 Hey guys, I'm in the Bay Area for the week. Does anyone know of any bass stores or manufactures out here? I'd like to go check them out. Thanks Don UNDER THE STONE Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted April 4, 2007 Share Posted April 4, 2007 The best store to go to is Gelb Music in Redwood City, about 20 minutes south of SF. You could take a commuter train if you don't have a car. There are lots of stores and manufacturers here, depending on how big your definition of the Bay Area is. We've got AccuGroove, Dean Markley and Zon to the south, Alembic and Boogie to the north, Bartolini to the east (but there's nothing to see there). The list goes on and on. Stores, other than Guitar Center (and the GC stores are better here than in other places...they have to be because of the competition and the large customer base of pro musicians)....in San Francisco you could go to Real Guitars, Noe Valley Music, Haight St. Music Center, just to name a few. In Berkeley, Subway guitars is always worth a visit just for the experience. El Cerrito has Music Works. Petaluma has Tall Toad Music. Cotati has Zone Music. and on and on. Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcadmus Posted April 5, 2007 Share Posted April 5, 2007 Real Guitars is a trip in its own right. I wonder if they still have Earl Slick's custom "Gumby" and "Pokey" guitars on the wall. I gotta check out Subway Guitars next time I'm out there. Don't bother with McGuitar Center, unless you like them -- the GCs are the same in SF as everywhere else. "Tours widely in the southwestern tip of Kentucky" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wally Malone Posted April 5, 2007 Share Posted April 5, 2007 If you get down to San Jose it is worth going into Guitar Showcase. They have two rooms full of vintage guitars and basses, most not being for sale. They do have Alembic basses and Accugroove cabinets. Wally I have basses to play, places to be and good music to make! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted April 5, 2007 Share Posted April 5, 2007 Real Guitars is a trip in its own right. I wonder if they still have Earl Slick's custom "Gumby" and "Pokey" guitars on the wall. I love those guitars. Actually Gumby is a guitar and Pokey is a bass. I haven't been in the store in many, many years. Could they still be there? I'll have to stop in just to see! Maybe make them a rock-bottom offer for instruments which have been hanging on the wall for over ten years. I beg to differ on GC....some of the employees have been there for many years....and know the customers. I've got some real straight talk from them. A guy named Elvis in the drum dept. of the El Cerrito store was there when the store was in Berkeley and before that when the store was in Oakland. He definitely knows what he is doing. Of course most of the gear in the stores is straight consumer stuff, but sometimes that's what we want too. Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UTS-D Posted April 5, 2007 Author Share Posted April 5, 2007 Thanks for the input. Yeah, I'm not too interested in going to Guitar Center. Back in San Diego, my circle of friends and I have nick named Guitar Center "The Slut". Anyway, I was looking for something cooler and you guys have given me a pretty good list to start with. Thank you much.Don UNDER THE STONE Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeremy c Posted April 5, 2007 Share Posted April 5, 2007 Of course you don't have to go to the dreaded GC. Start with Gelb Music. Free download of my cd!. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
_Sweet Willie_ Posted April 5, 2007 Share Posted April 5, 2007 First I thought you meant the Hudson Bay. Boy, was I wrong! Jeremy, Wally, and Whappo took me to visit Gelb Music the day that I met them in person. Great spot. There may be some photos from that visit around the forum somewhere. Peace. --SW spreadluv Fanboy? Why, yes! Nordstrand Pickups and Guitars. Messiaen knew how to parlay the funk. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jonathan Herrera Posted April 5, 2007 Share Posted April 5, 2007 Hi Don...all of the above suggestions are good. If you want to see a couple of basses you don't encounter very often (a Citron AE5-Swallow and a Rob Allen Mouse fretless) come by my gig at Cafe Claude on Saturday night, start about 8. On Claude Lane in San Francisco...you have google, you know the drill. How's that for shameless, self-indulgent plugging? Jonathan Herrera Senior Editor BASS PLAYER Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jcadmus Posted April 6, 2007 Share Posted April 6, 2007 Hi Don...all of the above suggestions are good. If you want to see a couple of basses you don't encounter very often (a Citron AE5-Swallow and a Rob Allen Mouse fretless) come by my gig at Cafe Claude on Saturday night, start about 8. On Claude Lane in San Francisco...you have google, you know the drill. How's that for shameless, self-indulgent plugging? Jonathan Herrera Senior Editor BASS PLAYER Nothing shameless about it if you deliver the goods and show off a couple juicy basses like those. Self-indulgent, sure, but not shameless. "Tours widely in the southwestern tip of Kentucky" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
UTS-D Posted April 6, 2007 Author Share Posted April 6, 2007 I ended up heading to Gelb Music. Nice place there with some really nice basses. AND a nice variety of strings to pick from. In San Diego I don't get many choices in strings so I usually order them online. Well, I would check out your gig but I'm driving back to San Diego this afternoon. I have a gig tomorrow night as well. Thanks for all the suggestions. Don UNDER THE STONE Me Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.