Where do you go to buy your guitars and amps?
 

..when buying new stuff. Just curious where you go to test it out and, if you like it, buy it? Do you have local guitar shop that you like to visit often?

We have a ma and pa store named Quinns music / guitar store here in Big Rapids. They are really good and friendly. Whenever I go there they are always very accommodating and helpful... even if I need a box to ship a guitar that I might have sold online, they are always really cool to help. So I like giving them my business whenever I can.

Do you have guitar shop that you fancy? If so, who are they?

I hardly ever buy anything new any more.

I get all my repair work done by my old friend (and briefly a former bandmate) Tom Holtz at Lipham Music here in Gainesville. Their amp guy, Pete, does all my amps too. It's a mom-and-pop (Mr. Lipham still runs the place), established 1954, but a large one. Tom Petty used to work there back in the day, and they have one of Bo Diddley's square guitars (Bo used to live near Archer, Florida, in our county) up on the wall.

http://www.liphammusic.com/sites/def...andinside2.jpg

Also, I like a funky little mom-and-pop called Tim and Terry's. It's a weird combination of things. Upstairs, there's a small music store. Downstairs, in the front there's a small package store/bar, which has a front porch you can sit and play and drink on. In the back room downstairs is a small show space where bands play in the evening.

Here's the front of the place (did I mention it was purple?):

http://i42.photobucket.com/albums/e3...43425432_l.jpg

Here's a pic of one the bands I'm in playing the back room:

http://c4.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/i...902179b68b.jpg

I'm lucky -- in my area there are a plethora of choices. However, the place I frequent the most is this:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2324/...acf3a0dc25.jpg

because: 1) it's less than a mile from my place, and 2) it has the largest selection of used instruments.

However, there is also a Guitar Center close by that I've taken to occasionally perusing (mostly to check on what's new) and across town a rather nice place called Guitar Showcase. If I want something a little more prosaic, I work a couple of miles from Gryphon Stringed Instruments in Palo Alto. These, along with a decent market on the local Craigslist mean that I feel well-served.

Bsman-- do you also use that moniker on Harmony-Central? The person who does has (or had) an avatar of a very young football (soccer) supporter (fan) flipping off a team or referee from the crowd, when I see that name I always think of that pic.

Why yes, Mr. Krash - that's me. I had actually recently changed my avatar on HCEG to a pic of Gumby (w/guitar) and poky. I guess each image represents a different aspect of my (occasionally schizoid) consciousness...

In my non-musical life I'm pretty heavily involved in association football as a player, referee, referee instructor, administrator and in my copious spare time I work for the local MLS and WPS teams as referee liaison. I have good reason to believe that if I ever get divorced football will be significant contributing factor...

Ah, I thought that might be you. I was a footballer back in the day, playing in youth leagues and at the middle school, high school, and college (intramurals and club team) levels (played for an intramurals team at UF, the UF Internationals club team briefly, and a season with Florida Junior College at Jacksonville).

Blew out my left knee in an adult league around '84 or '85. Still like to watch football but don't follow as closely as I should.

Sorry about the knee injury. I've been incredibly fortunate - I'm still playing on an >35 team in my 50s (although I think this winter will be my last season). I used to be able to make the excuse that I was doing it "for the kids" but since none of them still live at home, that's getting a bit thin!

Maybe I'll take up golf...

Yeah Starving Musician is pretty cool. I go to the Santa Clara store all the time. Otherwise, I buy everything online. I take lessons at Gryphon Strings. Small world, eh?

I'm 1.5 hours from a GC, but I have a couple small shops around. I like one small mom & pop in particular and have bought from them in the past. The "mom" is super nice and gives great deals but the "pop" is a bit pushy. Their selction is limited though and they don't carry used stuff.

I rarely buy new stuff, but when I want to try something new out I'll usually either go to the GC that's about 25 minutes from my house, or if it's something more boutique, I'll go to a place called G Guitars down in New Haven. They have a nice selection of higher end stuff. My local Mom and Pop is great, but they don't carry much new equipment that interests me.