Professional Guitar Centre in London (not on Denmark St)?

Venusflytrap

Combed Denmark St and looking elsewhere for an acclaimed guitar centre where anyone else but clowns work. Usually these places are known by word of mouth.

I find the folks on Denmark St quite arrogant (still don't know why - disgruntled musicians maybe?) and nonplussed when dealing with clients; you would think they were doing you a favour!

My husband recently found a renowned bass centre in Camden well stocked up with professional gear plus the guys are professional and pleasant! Needless to say that he's kissed D. St goodbye, and I would like to too.

Thx

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Depends where in Greater London and what you are actually looking for.

Can point you to a couple of places South of the river, dependent upon what you need.

gastronomix

Have you looked at Chappells? http://www.chappellofbondstreet.co.uk/C~58~Guitars+++Basses

Venusflytrap

Jojo_the_Tightfisted wrote: »

Depends where in Greater London and what you are actually looking for.

I currently play an electro acoustic guitar - Fender Sonoran, and would like to find better grades of EA guitars under the £1k mark. Also would like a professional shop where I can get my gear set up; also looking to buy (in the medium term) a guitar amp +better (leather) straps, strings...

Can point you to a couple of places South of the river, dependent upon what you need.

Pls do!

Venusflytrap

P.S: My fender sonoran has an slim neck (like an electric) which makes playing easier for my slender hands. So i'm inclining towards EA guitars with this sort of design.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

I think you might guess roughly where I live from this


Professional setup - Feline Guitars in Croydon. I know tons of people that travel across London (and from Kent/Sussex) to take their gear there. He's a luthier who does some rather wonderful electric customs, as well as repairs, set ups and upgrades.

Plus there's Martin Phelps music just around the corner - got a luthier attached to the shop (who is lovely), they are more of a general shop (they do a lot of electric pianos as the boss is a pianist himself), but they generally have Faith, Guild, Takamine, Seagull, Cort and Ibanez in there are any one time, plus quite a few ABGs. The website doesn't show everything they have, so it's always worth a call if you're too far away to pop in on spec. They'll put themselves out for you and are always glad to see you - unlike the miserable old &£(£$(! in Denmark Street, who seem to take it as a personal insult if you actually want to look at something with a view to buying it.

Then almost opposite, tucked around the back is Scream Studios. They've got a workshop down the back past the Screamlounge Bar and Showcase rooms - they're nice guys in there, too http://www.screamstudios.net/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=105&Itemid=72


There's Jonathan Myall Music/Just Flutes (who don't just do flutes) a few doors down as well, but I've only seen a few guitars in there - but seeing as my heart belongs to the Dark Side, like your OH , I don't often go in there unless I feel the need for some form of percussion doobrey for DD (she's into things that you bang and shake)

All of these are within about 5 minutes walk of each other on South End, which follows from Croydon High Street going towards Purley, and have easy transport links (driving, bus, train or tram)

I think Rockbottom Music is getting back up and running after it got massacred in the summer riots. It looks empty, as it's all still boarded upon the windows, but they're in there, and they have always had a loyal following. They're on the other side of Croydon, near West Croydon Station, so about a mile and a bit as the crow flies.

There's also Ian Lewington in West Wickham High Street, but I instantly disliked him as he was really rude when I dared to touch a trumpet (with a view to buying it) and then couldn't be bothered to help when I asked about wall brackets for my guitars. He told me to go to Argos if I wanted anything and gave me the distinct impression that he thought I was about to try and steal half the shop. His loss, I've spent a hell of a lot on music over the past 2 years and he hasn't seen a penny of it. Wondered why his shop was always empty. Until he spoke at me.

Lane's Pianos is further down along the Brighton Road, but they do exactly what it says on the tin - pianos. As do Fredrick Ives in Thornton Heath, as far as I can tell, anyway, but they always appear more like a house clearance shop to me.

There's a guy running Frasers Fiddles and Guitars in Shirley - not sure what exactly is provided there, you'd have to google and then call him..

Then there's London Drum Centre in Croydon at the junction of Cherry Orchard Road with Morland Road. I am assuming they just do drums, but they might have amps or contacts/recommendations of their own. There might be a place slightly further up towards the station called Crosstown, but not sure if that isn't just a vague half memory.

Gigsounds in Streatham gets good reports.

There's the Secret Guitar Shop in Antenna Studios, Crystal Palace - tucked in behind the supermarket and the garden centre. Not sure if this includes The Doghouse repairs or Dickinson Guitar Repairs, but there's someone there who can do set ups and the like.



I was never that keen on Chappell's in Wardour Street. They're nice in there, and the guys in the sheet music department do try to help everyone, but I still have the slight suspicion that they're going to take one look at me and unleash the hounds. But that could be because I was there at the time of day that had the private school kids picking their instruments as their Dads handed over the equivalent of my house's value. Or because it was a pig of a walk from Denmark Street on a busy Saturday afternoon.


Guitar Classics in Putney has been recommended to me as well. They've got things like an Ovation thunderbolt for your top price and loads of other stuff if you phone them.


*****

Can't think of any others off the top of my head, but hopefully they give you a few starting points.


Oh, and your OH might like to nose around The Bass Centre in Southwark sometimes. Where is he going in Camden?


Hope this helps.

Oh, and Croydon is fairly easy to escape from as well

Venusflytrap

Joyously dizzy from all this info! - THANKS! If only I could click on 'thanks' more than once...will spend time combing these places out.:beer:

My husband goes to The Gallery Bass Merchant: http://www.thebassgallery.com/. The website may be unassuming but apparently it is a dream.

Jojo_the_Tightfisted

Venusflytrap wrote: »

Joyously dizzy from all this info! - THANKS! If only I could click on 'thanks' more than once...will spend time combing these places out.:beer:

My husband goes to The Gallery Bass Merchant: http://www.thebassgallery.com/. The website may be unassuming but apparently it is a dream.

No probs...us musos have to stick together