London Shops

[chrisgUK]

Hey guys. I just moved to London to start a new and very unexciting job. Does anyone know any good guitar shops, especially ones that sell everyones favourite brand :p
I know its a boring question but cheers for the help if someone can!
Chris

[levantin]

Try Denmark Street, off Charing Cross Road. You can get there by tube - it's close to Tottenham Court Rd. Also, there is the Soho Soundhouse and some other shops on Charing Cross Rd.

The Soho Soundhouse stocks Jackson. The last time I was there they didn't have much of a selection though.

[neilli]

Shops in Central London more or less suck ass, unless you just want to go looking. Denmark St particularly tends to be overpriced and staffed by complete assholes - their attitude seems to be "unless you're going to buy a £3000 PRS, we don't care", but if you are going to buy a £3000 PRS you get "what? You think you're special? We sell those all the time".....

Having said that Andy's can be OK, but their prices have gone up big time now....

[hawkerbc2]

The moral of the story is go the US......£2000 for a new SL1 or 2 - you must be joking, on ebay us a second sl1 is gonna be around $1000.

Only place worth checking out apart from Denmark street (only if you pretend to or have a big wallet!) is Charlie Chandlers in Kew which has some interesting stuff although the prices are again pretty hyped up.

I'd stick to trying out that PRS Limited Brazilian Rosewood Artist Pack with AAAAA Spalted Maple quilt, then buy a pack of strings and a few picks!

Other cool place is down in the Exeter - Mansons - they build Matt Bellamy of Muse's guitars and have some more exciting stuff than your average guitar shop.

[jjw]

agree with the comments on the denmark street music shop staff!I am sure i bought an amp from chandlers in richmond many years ago,and had some realy good guitars there too

[levantin]

Shops in Central London more or less suck ass, unless you just want to go looking. Denmark St particularly tends to be overpriced and staffed by complete assholes - their attitude seems to be "unless you're going to buy a £3000 PRS, we don't care", but if you are going to buy a £3000 PRS you get "what? You think you're special? We sell those all the time".....

Having said that Andy's can be OK, but their prices have gone up big time now....

Wow, didn't know that. I never had any problems with the staff but I haven't been a frequent visitor for the last 5-6 years. Anyhow, when I do go up to town I usually go to Denmark Street just to see what those shops have got.

[pagemalicious]

Denmark street all the way. I'm actually going there today. Just to ogle at the Bc Rich custom gunslinger that was built for Tony Macalpine. My god it looks gorgeous and it's only about £1000.

[Speiro]

Denmark street all the way. I'm actually going there today. Just to ogle at the Bc Rich custom gunslinger that was built for Tony Macalpine. My god it looks gorgeous and it's only about £1000.

Only £1000, you earn too much Steve

BTW, you have a PM.

[24seven]

Come up to Stoke (Staffordshire) there's quite a few guitar shops here.

[pagemalicious]

Only £1000, you earn too much Steve

BTW, you have a PM.

i'm not responsible with my money

[Rsmacker]

Back in the day, before Jackson guitars were distributed by John Hornby Skewes, ie. when they were like rocking horse shit, I could walk into any guitar shop in Denmark St, plonk my snakeskin strat on the counter and say "I'm thinking of trading this in...." and be guaranteed cups of tea, and access to ANY guitar in the shop. There'd be a little crowd of over-awed people reverently gazing at my baby behind the counter and asking if it was real. <sigh> them wuz the days! Back when Jacksons were really special.

And yes, it was a lie about wanting to trade it in, I just wanted to be treated with a little respect!

The best guitar shop I have visited used to be Musical Exchanges in Birmingham, back when it was all on 1 floor, 3 guitars stacked per stand, loads of hidden gems. It was like an Aladdin's Cave, rather than the sterile music supermarket it turned into. Better for business, I guess, PC stock records and different sections for each make etc, but nowhere near as attractive to bargain hunters or the kind of dudes that used to hang around guitar shops all day drinking tea and showing off!

[demeyes]

I went to London in January and I was seriously disappointed by the guitar shops there. I wanted to try out some USA Jacksons and most places only carried really cheap imports if they had anything at all. I went to Denmark street and I found a few more shops around and most were kinda crap. I would recommend you pretend you'll be buying something expensive so that they give you the chance to try some good gear out. I went to the soundhouse and they kept handing me guitars to try out.

[Bandersnatch]

Yea i'd check out Soho Soundhouse

[pagemalicious]

I went to London in January and I was seriously disappointed by the guitar shops there. I wanted to try out some USA Jacksons and most places only carried really cheap imports if they had anything at all. I went to Denmark street and I found a few more shops around and most were kinda crap. I would recommend you pretend you'll be buying something expensive so that they give you the chance to try some good gear out. I went to the soundhouse and they kept handing me guitars to try out.

there's a shop in denmark street now that carries a few USA's. Soloists and Rhoads. There's a very nice Blue ghost flames SL1 for sale. Though costs £1599 unfortunatly. I could get a custom guitar built for that money.

[chrisgUK]

Cheers for the help. Might check out denmark street sometime soon! sounds like im gonna have to stick to ebay for all the real deals