Shopping in California

[red_rhino]

Gelb does still have a fairly large selection of basses - they have a Lakland (Skyline HB-30) I've played and want.

They do have a fair number of basses on hand, but compared to what they were a couple of years ago, it's mostly meat and potatoes now. One Sadowsky Metro, and a couple of Zons. No MTD, no Suhr, no Roscoe (maybe one), don't recall if I saw any Elricks. Lot's of Fenders, Ibanez, and stuff you can find anywhere. This place used to be high-end heaven for bass. The staff, however, is still very helpful, friendly, and knowledgeable.

 

[Derry Murbles]

...GC Hollywood just completed a major remodel and has always had an excellent Vintage room, so it would be worth a visit.

This. My first time walking into this GC was during the remodel and I actually walked into the vintage room first by accident, not realizing it was their vintage room. I’m not well versed in vintage Fender history, but I just about had to pick my jaw up off the floor.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Yes. Modest bass selection.

Last time I was there they had maybe 5 basses and zero bass amps

The last time I was in Westwood Music was in 1987, when I bought my first 5 string bass. Rick Turner was working there at the time.

The last time I was in any music stores in California (2015), one had a very limited selection of (used) basses (Gryphon Stringed Instruments - Palo Alto), the other had none, whatsoever (Schoenberg Guitars - Tiburon).

The last time was in any "music stores" in So Cal, it was at the 2010 NAMM Show. There were a few decent basses there. I even bought one of them.

 

[Nickweissmusic]

Bass San Diego is a fantastic boutique, and San Diego is a lot nicer place to visit than Corona or Fullerton, but for the Cali built basses would be a minority of their stock. Norman’s is worth a visit, big selection, but it’s just a big room in a strip mall once you’re done in there. Guitar Center Hollywood is worth a visit for the spectacle that is Hollywood, but it’s just a guitar center. If you want to make a pilgrimage trip out of it I’d contact the factories and see if they do tours, trying to find the “Cali experience” from retailers is not going to be that interesting of a trip IMO, but I could be jaded living here in San Diego and coming from Chicago where there are also excellent boutiques and the amazing Midwest Buy and Sell.

 

[Slaphound]

Wow! Thanks folks. This is exactly the information I was hoping for. Good guidance.

 

[mb94952]

Is Loud and Clear related to Zone Music?
Is Zone still around?

YES !! Frank sold Zone Music years ago when then online vs brick and mortar wars were starting. His employees bought the building and took a leap of faith that they could do a purely on consignment shop. They have been there for years now They sell some new stuff but most of the inventory is on consignment and there have been some NICE pieces. Zone staff has always been known for their knowledge and relationships with the community so that good quality remains. Neville and Sean are at the helm.

 

[mb94952]

Not to throw shade on this, but the selection in California stores isn’t really any more than other areas. It isn’t like there's a Fender or Music Man showroom to peruse. Sorry thing that. That said, there are many fine shops — some of the best are small, with limited, focused selections catering to pros and industry. And plenty of manufacturers to tour, if that’s your thing.

Overall, I agree with you that we probably don't have any more stores than New York or Chicago or something like that. I've read posts by TB'er in the midwest that don't have ANY music stores within a four hour driving radius, but the same could be said for Northern California in pot country, I assume. There's LOTS of pot, but I don't know about instruments, lol.
But it is cool that the San Francisco Bay Area in particular has a rich musical history. To repeat myself and others as the positive sights to see are Alembic, Mesa Boogie, EMG, Vox / Modulus in Novato under Rich Lasner who designed the Modulus Flea and the Peavey Cirrus and proudly a friend of mine, Guitar Center Hollywood / San Francisco, Gelb Music (Roscoe dealer, etc), Loud n Clear, Tall Toad in Petaluma, Craigslist, and so on. Alembic is my favorite because I'm always grinning when I'm there and hopefully Mica has swag for sale that day. When I was a teen she gave me a Stanley Clarke and Mark King poster, along with a bunch of decals.

 

[Stevorebob]

Overall, I agree with you that we probably don't have any more stores than New York or Chicago or something like that. I've read posts by TB'er in the midwest that don't have ANY music stores within a four hour driving radius, but the same could be said for Northern California in pot country, I assume. There's LOTS of pot, but I don't know about instruments, lol.
But it is cool that the San Francisco Bay Area in particular has a rich musical history. To repeat myself and others as the positive sights to see are Alembic, Mesa Boogie, EMG, Vox / Modulus in Novato under Rich Lasner who designed the Modulus Flea and the Peavey Cirrus and proudly a friend of mine, Guitar Center Hollywood / San Francisco, Gelb Music (Roscoe dealer, etc), Loud n Clear, Tall Toad in Petaluma, Craigslist, and so on. Alembic is my favorite because I'm always grinning when I'm there and hopefully Mica has swag for sale that day. When I was a teen she gave me a Stanley Clarke and Mark King poster, along with a bunch of decals.

My point wasn’t that there are few stores, it was that they are not abundantly stocked with California-made instruments as the OP suggests.

 

[nixdad]

YES !! Frank sold Zone Music years ago when then online vs brick and mortar wars were starting. His employees bought the building and took a leap of faith that they could do a purely on consignment shop. They have been there for years now They sell some new stuff but most of the inventory is on consignment and there have been some NICE pieces. Zone staff has always been known for their knowledge and relationships with the community so that good quality remains. Neville and Sean are at the helm.

Cool, good to know. I found out about Zone from one of our customers, and later had the opportunity to visit the store several times. Frank and his staff were good people.

 

[nixdad]

The last time I was in Westwood Music was in 1987, when I bought my first 5 string bass. Rick Turner was working there at the time.

Hey Jeff -
‘87 was a year after we opened The Bass Centre in L.A. (we were located in a small industrial park in Calabasas at the time) out in the valley. We’re you aware we had opened, and did you have the opportunity to come by?

 

[dlb1001]

Zon is in Redwood City (northern CA). Gelb music nearby usually had a good number of high-end basses, including Zon. But they've changed ownership and last time I was there it was shell of its former self bass-wise.

Alembic is in Santa Rose, 2 hours north of SF. Don't know what they have on hand, but if you're thinking of heading up that way you might want to contact them. They're very accommodating.

Didn't know about the ownership change at Gelb but I did notice that the bass selection on their website had changed. In the past, they had a big selection of boutique basses (Mike Lull, MTD, Elrick, Sadowsky, etc.) but no more. I went in to the store, over Christmas, to buy strings for my 5 string Sadowsky. I asked the counter person and they didn't even recognize the brand.

 

[Michedelic]

Truetone in SM rocks, but don't overlook the 'vintage' stores like Timewarp in Mar Vista/Venice, Marina Music, which is around the corner and to the south a bit, the two Imperial Vintage stores in Burbank and Studio City, Ventura Music in Studio City as well, then Caveman, east of downtown. The immediate area of the intersection of Sunset and Gardner, where the flagship Guitar Center is(the one with the overwhelming vintage room), also features a substantial Sam Ash, as well as the Mesa Boogie store. The GC's in Sherman Oaks and Pasadena ain't half bad, most of the time. When in Hollywood, don't pass up going to Amoeba Music, no instruments, but every format of recorded music, video and then some. If you're lucky, you might be able to catch a live performance in the store, just like this one...

 

[Jeff Scott]

Hey Jeff -
‘87 was a year after we opened The Bass Centre in L.A. (we were located in a small industrial park in Calabasas at the time) out in the valley. We’re you aware we had opened, and did you have the opportunity to come by?

Not that I recall. Usually, I frequented Westwood, McCabes, or West L.A. Music. I remember there was some music shop further south, in Manhattan Beach or someplace that I'd gone to a couple times. During my time in L.A. I wasn't doing much music, mostly photography, hiking, camping, stuff like that. I remember a great music festival at Greystone Mansion we went to once.

Edit: missing letters (not the post office kind! )

 

[Killed_by_Death]

Don't forget to have a look around while you're on that bit of Sunset where GC & SA are. There's also a Mesa store right there & the Sunset Grill.
best omelettes in town

Don't miss the Rock Walk out front of GC.

 

[funkinbottom]

YES !! Frank sold Zone Music years ago when then online vs brick and mortar wars were starting. His employees bought the building and took a leap of faith that they could do a purely on consignment shop. They have been there for years now They sell some new stuff but most of the inventory is on consignment and there have been some NICE pieces. Zone staff has always been known for their knowledge and relationships with the community so that good quality remains. Neville and Sean are at the helm.

Yeah, Loud and Clear is a great store. I always try to buy something, strings, a strap, cords, to support local. Of course I always check there first when looking for used gear.

Wow! Thanks folks. This is exactly the information I was hoping for. Good guidance.

EMG is also here in Santa Rosa.

 

[nixdad]

Not that I recall. Usually, I frequented Westwood, McCabes, or West L.A. Music. I remember there was some music shop further south, in Manhattan Beach or someplace that I'd gone to a couple times. During my time in L.A. I was doing much music, mostly photography, hiking, camping, stuff like that. I remember a great music festival at Greystone Mansion we went to once.

Gotcha -
I thought I’d double check to see if our paths had crossed decades ago. Things took off like wildfire shortly afterward, which provided the opportunity to meet lots of great people. I was hoping you may have been one of them.

 

[mb94952]

Yes, the Sunset Strip is SO much fun to walk as a tourist. I don't live there, so I was "starstruck" by the famous sites. I was there back in 2008 when we played the Whisky-AGo-Go, a bucket list event. GC Hollywood is right down the street, along with all the other places mentioned above. Also, the Viper Room, etc. Just like Nixad said, there's the remodeled GC, Sam Ash, and a Mesa store. Probably other stuff, too.

Oh, in San Francisco in the Tenderloin (the bad area of town) there are a ton of Pawn Shops. They are SO MUCH fun to visit and I usually find some cool stuff. Back in 1988 I bought two Trace Elliot AH 150 heads with consecutive serial numbers ! I bought them two years apart, too !! I got them for $150 bucks. Sadly, I have sold them long ago. Sadly, with the internet and the Pawn Stars show, the great deals are long gone unless you get lucky. I did see an Alembic and he was asking like $6,000. UMMM, it's a PAWN SHOP dude !!! Get real. STILL FUN THOUGH !!!

 

[Jeff Scott]

...lots of great people. I was hoping you may have been one of them.

Moi?

 

[fhm555]

Norman’s Rare Guitars in Tarzana. Lots of vintage Fenders and other cool stuff

My brother recently made a trip to LA to visit his son and they made a trip to Norman’s. He was blown away by the sheer volume of quality pieces both four and six string.

 

[Nickweissmusic]

Truetone in SM rocks, but don't overlook the 'vintage' stores like Timewarp in Mar Vista/Venice, Marina Music, which is around the corner and to the south a bit, the two Imperial Vintage stores in Burbank and Studio City, Ventura Music in Studio City as well, then Caveman, east of downtown. The immediate area of the intersection of Sunset and Gardner, where the flagship Guitar Center is(the one with the overwhelming vintage room), also features a substantial Sam Ash, as well as the Mesa Boogie store. The GC's in Sherman Oaks and Pasadena ain't half bad, most of the time. When in Hollywood, don't pass up going to Amoeba Music, no instruments, but every format of recorded music, video and then some. If you're lucky, you might be able to catch a live performance in the store, just like this one...

Now THAT’S some solid LA area info, haven’t even heard of half those boutiques.