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I'm Flying Out To California Today. Looking For Guitar Shops In The LA Area.

Tman5293

By Tman5293
in The Gibson Lounge

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kaleb

kaleb

Posted
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Wildwood Guitars, Rumble Seat Music (is that in LA?), Norman's Rare Guitars, etc.

 

I would also reccommend going to Tone Merchants if you wanna check out some killer high-end amps from the likes of Dave Friedman, Metropolous, Bogner, Suhr/Custom Audio Amplifiers, etc. Friedman makes a couple of amps called the "Dirty Shirley" and BE-100 "Brown Eye", which you might like. The former is like a JTM-45 meets JCM 800 on steriods. The "Brown" in "Brown Eye" should give you an idea. It's a modded Plexi type amp that does Van Halen tones very well. They also make the "Marsha" and "Naked" amps, which are high-gain hot-rodded Marshalls with Friedman's touch, attention to detail, and killer features, including one of the best effects loops available. You can also find nice pedals, rack gear, and (of course) guitars there. They build rigs for local session musicians as well as pros, some of them we all know and love (everybody from Matchbox 20 to Van Halen to Joe Perry to Billy Duffy!). Dave is a wizard in that category. He not only builds those killer amps, he builds rack systems, pedalboards, and the entire rig, including wiring. Of course, I prefer to do this myself, but if I was a touring guitarist with money in my pocket, he would be getting my business!

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Dennis G

Dennis G

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I'm going to be in the LA area for two weeks. What are some places I should visit while I'm out there? Guitar shops or otherwise. I'm already planing to go to the Fender Factory in Corona.

Took the factory tour last September when the Visitor Center first opened. Very interesting tour.

 

Never been there, but you might want to look into McCabes Guitar Shop in (I believe) Santa Monica.

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Dub-T-123

Dub-T-123

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+1 to all of the suggestions above.

 

My suggestion is to head down to the Sunset Strip in Hollywood. There are tons of music shops there to check out. Start out at the Guitar Center there which is always really fun and a great place to park your car which is very difficult in LA. They have an AWESOME selection of Gibsons there. Then make your way to some of the smaller shops (all in a close walking distance) to seek out the oddball stuff.

 

Also if you're on the Strip you have to go to Amoeba Records. Hands down the most awesome record store I've ever seen.

 

If you've got any more energy/money go to a show. There are a bunch of awesome venues there.

 

That's pretty much what my friends and I do when we go to LA.

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A add9

A add9

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+1 to all of the suggestions above.

 

My suggestion is to head down to the Sunset Strip in Hollywood. There are tons of music shops there to check out. Start out at the Guitar Center there which is always really fun and a great place to park your car which is very difficult in LA. They have an AWESOME selection of Gibsons there. Then make your way to some of the smaller shops (all in a close walking distance) to seek out the oddball stuff.

 

Also if you're on the Strip you have to go to Amoeba Records. Hands down the most awesome record store I've ever seen.

 

If you've got any more energy/money go to a show. There are a bunch of awesome venues there.

 

That's pretty much what my friends and I do when we go to LA.

 

The Strip is great....once you get past the freaks, fairies, beggars, thugs, and bad drugs. There are also Guitar Center's in Northridge, and Sherman Oaks, as well as a Sam Ash in Canoga Park.

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FirstMeasure

FirstMeasure

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The Strip is great....once you get past the freaks, fairies, beggars, thugs, and bad drugs. There are also Guitar Center's in Northridge, and Sherman Oaks, as well as a Sam Ash in Canoga Park.

That's what people from out of state call "Tourist Attractions".

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Dub-T-123

Dub-T-123

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I've never really noticed any of those things so I guess I'm pretty well acquainted [lol]

 

Hope you have a great time in California, Tman. If you're in/around Anaheim and have some free time you're welcome to come by my band's rehearsal space for a jam. We've got lots of guitars, amps, and pedals [biggrin]

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ModalMood

ModalMood

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The Strip is great

 

+1 to all of the above suggestions especially Truetone. Don't forget about the Mesa Store on the Strip. They have Nash guitars among about a million Mesas. And the Sam Ash Hollywood is actually a really cool store. All on the same block as one of the wildest GCs in existence. (Check out their "Vintage Room".) There's also a Carvin store there. And the smaller stores already mentioned. A regular 48th Street!

 

But here is one you might not know about...

 

I love this place. So laid back.

 

http://www.californiavintageguitarandamp.com/index.html

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Dub-T-123

Dub-T-123

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Yep the GC, SamAsh, Mesa store, and Carvin store are all within about 150 yards of each other. There's a couple cool smaller shops right in the same spot too, I can't remember the names though.

 

The SamAsh is pretty awesome if you're into drums.

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Kaiser Bill

Kaiser Bill

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Good luck getting into the Fender Plant. I worked for a subcontract company that built all their amps back in the 80s and I needed a security clearance to deliver their own cabinets to them. Unless my name was on the security guard's list and my paperwork was in perfect order... I didn't get in. The museum is a total different animal. They love turistas.

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RaysEpiphone

RaysEpiphone

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Make sure to take in some movie lot tours while your there, lots of cool stuff on a film/sound stage. Manley is in LA, so is DBX and many other great name's in the industry. Once you get past the LA attitude you can find lots of good folks that really do care and willing to show a non-local around a bit. Stay away from the down town area's at night and if you are out at night keep alert as just like any big city crime is every where.

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Dub-T-123

Dub-T-123

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Good luck getting into the Fender Plant. I worked for a subcontract company that built all their amps back in the 80s and I needed a security clearance to deliver their own cabinets to them. Unless my name was on the security guard's list and my paperwork was in perfect order... I didn't get in. The museum is a total different animal. They love turistas.

Are you talking about the museum in Fullerton? I was a little disappointed by that place. Half of it was a purse collection.. I park my car on that street when I go to school though so its not very exciting to me haha

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Dennis G

Dennis G

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Good luck getting into the Fender Plant. I worked for a subcontract company that built all their amps back in the 80s and I needed a security clearance to deliver their own cabinets to them. Unless my name was on the security guard's list and my paperwork was in perfect order... I didn't get in. The museum is a total different animal. They love turistas.

They've been doing guided tours of the factory since the Visitor Center opened last September. I think they do two a day or something like that. This is NOT the museum in Fullerton, or the little Fender Center in downtown Corona, but the actual factory a couple exits down from Main St.

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