London shopping

[lena]

I hope it is okay to jump in here with a question. I will be in London this weekend and I need a gig bag and a good (neoprene) strap. Can you recommend a store that has a good selection of accessories?

Also: are there stores that sell used amplifiers?

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

I'd pop up to Camden & see Al at the Gallery. Give him a ring first to see what s/h amps are there, but he should have plenty of neoprene straps & gigbags.

[Happy Jack]

+1 to The Bass Gallery, but it's not very central and you'll need a map to find it.

If you're in the West End, go to the obvious place ... Denmark Street. Nearest tubes are Tottenham Court Road and Leicester Square.

You'll get varying opinions on the shops around there. My personal favourites are Chris Bryant Guitars and Wunjo's, but don't forget Macari's (about 200 yards down Charing Cross Road).

For stuff like gig-bags and straps there's not much room for rip-off pricing, but shop around anyway and DO haggle!

Enjoy yourself. Bear in mind that you're there partly for the experience of being in Denmark Street. If what you really want is the widest choice and the lowest prices, then frankly you're better off on eBay.

[lena]

Thank you both! I will check out the Gallery. An amp is not a must, I just had no idea if there usually are used amps in stores or if everybody sells those online nowadays.

[lonestar]

Get yourself one of these > They're really good: [url="http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Strings,_Straps,_Stands_at_Bass_Direct.html"]http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_sp...ass_Direct.html[/url]

[waynepunkdude]

Does anybody ever go into the Bass Celler in Denmark Street?

I hate that place great basses,great amp but the worst staff in the history of man.

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='236274' date='Jul 10 2008, 07:33 AM']Does anybody ever go into the Bass Celler in Denmark Street?

I hate that place great basses,great amp but the worst staff in the history of man.[/quote]

You [i]have[/i] to visit The Bass Cellar and be treated like dirt. It's the law.

If you could spend one night at Fawlty Towers, you'd do it, wouldn't you?

[Mike]

Yes, absolutely appalling, and you'll probably find 99% of BCers are in agreement with us! Stay away!

[waynepunkdude]

It suprises me they still get business.

I do like Rokas though, the staff are friendly and I always get serious GAS when I'm in there.

[lowhand_mike]

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='236287' date='Jul 10 2008, 08:43 AM']You [i]have[/i] to visit The Bass Cellar and be treated like dirt. It's the law.

If you could spend one night at Fawlty Towers, you'd do it, wouldn't you?

[/quote]
thems the rules.

when i do go in there i try and treat them how they treat me so i gage it on how they react to start with. its worth going in just to have a look at the stuff.
plenty of choice to get what you are after though down the whole street.

[ahpook]

if you do go to denmark street...deffo haggle...and go from one shop to the other playing them off...

i did, and got £20 off my boss tuner pedal.


best not to go on a saturday tho if you can avoid it

[BigRedX]

It's only worth going into The Bass Cellar so long as there are no other customers in there and you aren't actually interested in buying anything...

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

[quote name='ahpook' post='236415' date='Jul 10 2008, 12:19 PM']if you do go to denmark street...deffo haggle...and go from one shop to the other playing them off...[/quote]
Several of the shops are owned by music ground though, so that may not always work

[Hamster]

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='236287' date='Jul 10 2008, 08:43 AM']You [i]have[/i] to visit The Bass Cellar and be treated like dirt. It's the law.[/quote]

I've been in there a few times and was always treated nicely, but then again people are rarely nasty to me.

Hamster

[xilddx]

I was in the BC recently and the young boy was ok, but reacted sharply when I told him I could get the same Warwick Corvette $$ for about £250 cheaper online (£699 from Absolute music solutions). He spent ages checking it out on the blower and on the www. He reckoned it was bullshit. Anyway, I got a mint one in black high polish for £486 on ebay so I was well chuffed. Got my Hohner jack from the BC and had a string problem, went in and they knew naff all about strings. I don't dig D Street at all. Do all my buying on ebay and take the odd risk.