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  • LesbianWithAGunLesbianWithAGun Frets: 785
    edited January 2018
    TBH, I'm not even sure if GigSounds of Tooting/Streatham are even in business anymore. I haven't been there in 10 years...
    These were the people who I used to source all my guitar pickups from (Seymour Duncan/Rio Grande) before I got lazy and asked the luthiers who would rebuild/install the pickups to source the pickups.
    I remember Gig Sounds had Gibson Les Pauls and in particular, they had those Limited Edition Swamp Gibson Les Pauls which were made from Swamp Ash or something and proceeds where given to some Hurricane Katrina relief fund down in Louisiana.
    'These'

    GigSounds had a whole line of these.
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  • paulnb57 said:
    paulnb57 said:
    Isle of Wight = Utter shite

    Unless desperate for a pack of strings!
    What about that shop in cowes?
    What shop in Cowes?
    Edit, Goggled, New in 2017 Willys Guitar Shop....apparently a boutique......
    Nice little shop. Popped in there when on hols last year!
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  • Maracari's... (Also for Soho / Denmark Street)

    I haven't actually bought a guitar from them yet, but I have came close.
    They have two locations near each other, one has used fancy gear (and a cute girl who I like who works there)...
    and their Denmark Street location is a Gibson Dealer/has a wall of brand new Gibson Les Paul VOS's with prices starting from £6, 000.00 to like £7, 500.00 and will happily let you play on them.
    Also, these are the people who (if you have the money) can order you in a brand new Gibson with your exact colour and neck and headstock wants (if Gibson make it) - (Gibson dealer).
    http://www.macaris.co.uk/
    Blimey!! V. Comprehensive @LesbianWithAGun and a cute girl thrown into the mix  ;)
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  • LesbianWithAGunLesbianWithAGun Frets: 785
    edited January 2018

    Maracari's... (Also for Soho / Denmark Street)

    I haven't actually bought a guitar from them yet, but I have came close.
    They have two locations near each other, one has used fancy gear (and a cute girl who I like who works there)...
    and their Denmark Street location is a Gibson Dealer/has a wall of brand new Gibson Les Paul VOS's with prices starting from £6, 000.00 to like £7, 500.00 and will happily let you play on them.
    Also, these are the people who (if you have the money) can order you in a brand new Gibson with your exact colour and neck and headstock wants (if Gibson make it) - (Gibson dealer).
    http://www.macaris.co.uk/
    Blimey!! V. Comprehensive @LesbianWithAGun and a cute girl thrown into the mix 
    One day I hope to ask her out..
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  • CHRISB50CHRISB50 Frets: 4290
    edited January 2018

    I guess my local shop is Musicland East in Molesey but they don't really sell a huge amount. Seems to be more about lessons, but it screams old school music shop, which is quite nice for a bit of nostalgia.


    Charlie Chandlers is a 10 minute drive. I tend to go there for set ups and repairs.


    Guitar Guitar Epsom / Andertons get honourable mentions as they are about 20-30 minutes away and I've used both before.


    I'd still rather drive the couple of hours to Coda though, if I was dropping serious cash.

    I can't help about the shape I'm in, I can't sing I ain't pretty and my legs are thin

    But don't ask me what I think of you, I might not give the answer that you want me to

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  • Maracari's... (Also for Soho / Denmark Street)

    I haven't actually bought a guitar from them yet, but I have came close.
    They have two locations near each other, one has used fancy gear (and a cute girl who I like who works there)...
    and their Denmark Street location is a Gibson Dealer/has a wall of brand new Gibson Les Paul VOS's with prices starting from £6, 000.00 to like £7, 500.00 and will happily let you play on them.
    Also, these are the people who (if you have the money) can order you in a brand new Gibson with your exact colour and neck and headstock wants (if Gibson make it) - (Gibson dealer).
    http://www.macaris.co.uk/
    Blimey!! V. Comprehensive @LesbianWithAGun and a cute girl thrown into the mix 
    One day I hope to ask her out..
    Ooh keep us posted  <3
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  • There's this 1 shop I go to in Amsterdam and... There's like 2 guitars shops in the whole city.
    Where I go, I go for guitar picks.... Once bought a guitar strap there.
    They have very ornate expensive European acoustics that look fancy and the guy never lets me play on them.
    http://www.berkelmuziek.nl/
    The only guitar shop I use in that country.
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  • LesbianWithAGunLesbianWithAGun Frets: 785
    edited January 2018

    Maracari's... (Also for Soho / Denmark Street)

    I haven't actually bought a guitar from them yet, but I have came close.
    They have two locations near each other, one has used fancy gear (and a cute girl who I like who works there)...
    and their Denmark Street location is a Gibson Dealer/has a wall of brand new Gibson Les Paul VOS's with prices starting from £6, 000.00 to like £7, 500.00 and will happily let you play on them.
    Also, these are the people who (if you have the money) can order you in a brand new Gibson with your exact colour and neck and headstock wants (if Gibson make it) - (Gibson dealer).
    http://www.macaris.co.uk/
    Blimey!! V. Comprehensive @LesbianWithAGun and a cute girl thrown into the mix 
    One day I hope to ask her out..
    Ooh keep us posted  3
    Also, this Charring Cross location once had a Travis Bean that belonged to the guy from The Clash.
    Sold for £8, 000.00 in the end/when I asked. (When I asked, that's when they told me it was the guy from The Clash's).
    Macari's.
    I played on a chambered R9 here that was going for £3, 225.00 the day I got my R7 from NoTomGuitars.
    That day, this shop had like 2 Gibsons I wanted in budget (with the neck profile and headstock that I sought), and like 10 that were over budget, like £5, 000.00/£6, 000.00+ - It was here where I set myself a budget in my head of £4, 000.00 that day (shortly before walking out and finding/buying my R7 that day/like 20 minutes later)...
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  • NeillNeill Frets: 941
    Peter Cooks Guitar World was my local for a few years til it shut down, only 3-4 members of staff and a very small shop. I bought one guitar from there and an effects pedal but that was about it.

    I like the close-knit family type vibe a guitar shop has, so its a more personal experience. Sadly more and more local shops are closing and there's nothing left anymore.
    Yep - a great shop and I still miss it. 
    That's a shame - I remember Peter Cook's from the pre internet days.  I bought a few things mail order, they were nice people to deal with.   
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  • LesbianWithAGunLesbianWithAGun Frets: 785
    edited January 2018
    Have you (or anyone) ever heard of Roman Guitars of, Las Vegas, NV?
    I have... but that's in Las Vegas, I'm in Croydon.
    Thankfully though, I regard Feline Guitars as a blessing since, because of them, I get to have my gear customised here.
    It's playing with fate and God (lol) when you get something that convenient in your home town when the only other one you've heard of (at the time) was in Las Vegas in Nevada.

    Feline Guitars have seen guitars I've bought from Cash Converters, eBay, the guitar shops I've mentioned buying guitars from in this thread and even my sister's old guitars (that came from RockBottom anyway back in the day).

    True, they sell guitars and as of yet, haven't sold me one - for the uninitiated, Feline Guitars sell and make boutique custom builds - but a part from booking my gear in here, they have sold me a strap or two, and it's the quality of straps they sell which make their straps a cut above the else... Everyone else is doing nylon straps in Croydon, Feline Guitars, have leather straps... I still use straps I bought here when I was 16, (My first thing I ever bought from the first pay check was £40.00 for a strap and strap lock system in 2003); That strap's now on my Fender or my Epiphone and I'm 31, that guitar strap/their quality of stock is actually really good if you stop to think about it, rather than take it for granted in London/Croydon...
    I rarely leave the region, but in this region/Within the M25 I am home...
    I remember liking Ace Tones in Tally Ho/North Finchley 10 or so years ago.
    They had (if they're no more) cool electrics, like Indie electrics with like interesting finishes and a lot of amps.
    I bought one of my favourite 10 watt amps I rocked for like 5 years too from here.
    I remember it was so far on public transport it was like 2 hours back to Croydon.
    - My first / then girlfriend was a North London girl who showed me the area one day for brunch...
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  • Mine are Live Music Shop and Scayles here in Edinburgh. 
    They're linked- Scayles does new stuff (they also have a great range of folk instruments) & Live Music do the second hand & interesting stuff. 
    Their service is excellent & did a wonderful job of setting up my Faith Acoustic. 
    They attempt to price match too, which is nice. 
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  • RamJam in Aberdeen. Tiny second hand store but maybe 50-75 interesting guitars in stock, really friendly guys, happy to chat all day!
    RamJam looks quality Tommy! Just a shame there are no prices on their website (and that they are not 600 mile closer!) ..
    Indeed, i've said that to the owner loads of times but he wants a personal connection with customers, he wants them to come in and browse and drink coffee and eat biscuits and chat.
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  • rico said:
    rico said:
    Guitar Classics in Clapham is pretty ace. Lots of nice Gibsons & Fenders, prices seem keen too. They don't stock many strings though!
    Yes I was there yesterday! It's my lunchtime local shop - I work in Putney.

    Graham is a great guy and he does get a good range of stuff in.
    Small world, I live in Putney and when I work from home I often take a trip there.
    Small world - I used to live on Roehampton High Street. I can't remember any guitar shops in the area back then ...but I miss getting a Chinese takeaway from Ginger & Garlic...  :/
    Not much of the gear, even less idea.
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  • menamestommenamestom Frets: 4641


    Sounds Great.  I like it, been going years.  I like that you can just try things without feeling like you are putting anybody out (Dawsons Manchester, I'm looking at you)

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  • LesbianWithAGunLesbianWithAGun Frets: 785
    edited January 2018
    I remember a small shop in West Wickham called Ian Lewington I used to go off to see when I was like 12 or 13...
    I remember this place sold me a green crushed velvet guitar strap (which sort of matched my Tanglewood FST 32K/Strat' copy and also, was where I first bought guitar strings...
    I went for Rotosounds back then.
    I remember I restrung my Framus Hollywood with these strings years before I found out it was a Framus Hollywood.
    Back then, in like 2000, Rotosound had a lion on the pack of guitar strings, I remember thinking 'lion strings'.
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  • FozzFozz Frets: 62
    Music Bros. in Shrewsbury is a great little shop. Lots of nice guitars and amps, kept really nicely, crammed into a smallish space and really friendly helpful staff. 

    It's in a fairly central location too so I see lots of parents taking their kids in for their first guitar etc. 
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  • 57Deluxe57Deluxe Frets: 7329
    Whitecat said:
    Anderton's is closest to me but Guitar Village is just a little further away and far nicer to visit/spend some time in.
    Been to Andertons many times but nver GV.  Will have to pay a visit.  Farnham is a nice little town too right?


    <Vintage BOSS Upgrades>
    __________________________________
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  • zepp76zepp76 Frets: 2534
    munckee said:
    Guitar Sounds in Chichester is a really nice friendly guitar shop and the Guitar Store in Southampton is fine too.  I agree with @sporky that andertons is way friendlier than Guitar Village. GV has a library atmosphere to it I find.

    Sadly the 3 of the 4 independent shops close to me have closed down in the last 2 years and the 4th has been bought by PMT!
    The Guitar Store in Southampton is my local shop, it has a great selection of guitars and amps. I also have all my guitars set up there and a very good job has been done on each of them. It's well worth a visit for any one passing through, you can't miss the place as the shop front is a gert big amp!
    Tomorrow will be a good day.
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  • Riff Raff Guitars in Sunderland is my local guitar shop. He doesn't actually sell any new guitars, his business is more guitar technician for most of the gigging guitarists and bassists in the local area, and buying and selling all sorts of weird and wonderful 2nd hand things. 

    If anyone's ever in the promised land of Sunderland and you're in need of a set up or repair work, or new strings/picks etc, Shaun is your man.

    https://b-m.facebook.com/Riff-Raff-Guitars-Sunderland-995023967190730/

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  • None within an hour and a half drive for me, but I would recommend:

    Mid Wales Music, Newtown, Powys

    Back Alley Music, Chester

    Music Bros, Shrewsbury

    A Strings, Pontypridd

    James Music, Carmarthern

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