Denmark Street

[Happy Jack]

From memory (and I have a very good memory) this is a reasonable transcription of a conversation at lunchtime today with the owner of a reputable guitar shop in Denmark Street:

[color="#0000FF"]HJ: That’s quite nice, it’s a ’67 Jazz, right?

Him: Yes – nice isn’t it?

HJ: Interesting wear pattern on the bottom of the body, it’s gone through to the wood but it’s really shiny there. Is this a re-fin?

Him: No, no, no, that’s what they call the[i] [I think he said “base varnish layer” or something, could be wrong] [/i]and that always buffs up nicely.

HJ: Hmmm. This patch here looks a bit strange too. Are you sure this hasn’t had a re-fin?

Him: Well, we had to do some work.

HJ: Oh? Why was that then?

Him: The previous owner painted it black in 1971 and we had to get it back to the original finish.

HJ: You’ve done a great job, then. How on earth did you manage to get all the black off without ruining the paint underneath?

Him: It was really difficult, and in the end we had to strip it and then re-build the original finish working from contemporary photographs.

HJ: [i][Desperately trying to keep a straight face][/i] So what’s the story with the fingerboard then?

Him: [i][Clearly getting rattled][/i] What do you mean? What story?

HJ: Well it’s in such great condition – it could almost be new.

Him: No, no, no, we removed the frets and then … erm … sanded the board level. And then we replaced the original frets.[/color]

He didn’t actually say “[i]Honest[/i]” at the end of the last sentence, but he might as well have done.

[Cat Burrito]

I'll have you know that's an original copy, stand on me!

[Stylon Pilson]

Nice story. Was that really the end?

[color="#0000FF"]HJ: Also, I hope you don't think I'm being picky, but what about the pickguard?

Him: You got a problem with the pickguard?

HJ: Well, a bit. I'm just a little surprised that Fender did mirror pickguards in 67.

Him: Well, they didn't. But what we did is we took the original pickguard, melted it down, mixed in some silver, and then reformed it so that it would have a mirrored effect.

HJ: I see. Is the built-in navigational compass original too?

Him: Of course. Depending upon what you mean by "original".[/color]

S.P.

[99ster]

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='565011' date='Aug 10 2009, 02:20 PM']From memory (and I have a very good memory) this is a reasonable transcription of a conversation at lunchtime today with the owner of a reputable guitar shop in Denmark Street:

[color="#0000FF"]HJ: That’s quite nice, it’s a ’67 Jazz, right?

Him: Yes – nice isn’t it?

HJ: Interesting wear pattern on the bottom of the body, it’s gone through to the wood but it’s really shiny there. Is this a re-fin?

Him: No, no, no, that’s what they call the[i] [I think he said “base varnish layer” or something, could be wrong] [/i]and that always buffs up nicely.

HJ: Hmmm. This patch here looks a bit strange too. Are you sure this hasn’t had a re-fin?

Him: Well, we had to do some work.

HJ: Oh? Why was that then?

Him: The previous owner painted it black in 1971 and we had to get it back to the original finish.

HJ: You’ve done a great job, then. How on earth did you manage to get all the black off without ruining the paint underneath?

Him: It was really difficult, and in the end we had to strip it and then re-build the original finish working from contemporary photographs.

HJ: [i][Desperately trying to keep a straight face][/i] So what’s the story with the fingerboard then?

Him: [i][Clearly getting rattled][/i] What do you mean? What story?

HJ: Well it’s in such great condition – it could almost be new.

Him: No, no, no, we removed the frets and then … erm … sanded the board level. And then we replaced the original frets.[/color]

He didn’t actually say “[i]Honest[/i]” at the end of the last sentence, but he might as well have done.[/quote]



The Robbing Bas***ds.

[Clarky]

Is this the one? [url="http://www.vintageandrareguitars.com/web/our-catalogue/Fender/Electric-Basses/item/5973"]http://www.vintageandrareguitars.com/web/o...asses/item/5973[/url]

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='Clarky' post='565088' date='Aug 10 2009, 03:40 PM']Is this the one? [url="http://www.vintageandrareguitars.com/web/our-catalogue/Fender/Electric-Basses/item/5973"]http://www.vintageandrareguitars.com/web/o...asses/item/5973[/url][/quote]

Ah ... now I did wonder about whether or not to say this.

If you search back over my many postings over the last few years, you will find the odd disparaging comment about both Vintage & Rare Guitars and The Bass Cellar.

In fairness to those two shops, and for the avoidance of doubt, the conversation at lunchtime was NOT in either of those shops, and no Clarky, that wasn't the bass.

[pete.young]

A reputable guitar shop in Denmark St? Claiming that they replaced the original frets??

Jack, next time you go on a shopping expedition please drop me a PM so I can come along for some free entertainment!

[Noisyjon]

Name and shame HJ, You could prevent a nightmare for one of us less suspecting BC'ers

Cheers,
JTB

[bassaussie]

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='565011' date='Aug 10 2009, 01:20 PM']From memory (and I have a very good memory) this is a reasonable transcription of a conversation at lunchtime today with the owner of a reputable guitar shop in Denmark Street:

[color="#0000FF"]HJ: That’s quite nice, it’s a ’67 Jazz, right?

Him: Yes – nice isn’t it?

HJ: Interesting wear pattern on the bottom of the body, it’s gone through to the wood but it’s really shiny there. Is this a re-fin?

Him: No, no, no, that’s what they call the[i] [I think he said “base varnish layer” or something, could be wrong] [/i]and that always buffs up nicely.

HJ: Hmmm. This patch here looks a bit strange too. Are you sure this hasn’t had a re-fin?

Him: Well, we had to do some work.

HJ: Oh? Why was that then?

Him: The previous owner painted it black in 1971 and we had to get it back to the original finish.

HJ: You’ve done a great job, then. How on earth did you manage to get all the black off without ruining the paint underneath?

Him: It was really difficult, and in the end we had to strip it and then re-build the original finish working from contemporary photographs.

HJ: [i][Desperately trying to keep a straight face][/i] So what’s the story with the fingerboard then?

Him: [i][Clearly getting rattled][/i] What do you mean? What story?

HJ: Well it’s in such great condition – it could almost be new.

Him: No, no, no, we removed the frets and then … erm … sanded the board level. And then we replaced the original frets.[/color]

He didn’t actually say “[i]Honest[/i]” at the end of the last sentence, but he might as well have done.[/quote]

Brilliant!

So, did the conversation end with you both agreeing that it was definitely 100% all original other than the modifications they'd made?

[jezzaboy]

[quote name='BurritoBass' post='565017' date='Aug 10 2009, 02:26 PM']I'll have you know that's an original copy, stand on me!

[/quote]


Classic man!!!

[bassaussie]

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='565101' date='Aug 10 2009, 02:49 PM']Ah ... now I did wonder about whether or not to say this.

If you search back over my many postings over the last few years, you will find the odd disparaging comment about both Vintage & Rare Guitars and The Bass Cellar.

In fairness to those two shops, and for the avoidance of doubt, the conversation at lunchtime was NOT in either of those shops, and no Clarky, that wasn't the bass.[/quote]

You've left 3 options - Andys, Musicground or Wunjos.

I'll go with Musicground. I couldn't see Andys putting that much effort into an instrument.

[Happy Jack]

We're not playing 20 Questions, are we?

There's more to Denmark Street than meets the eye, y'know.

And you've forgotten Rose Morris anyway.

[bassaussie]

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='565563' date='Aug 10 2009, 11:46 PM']We're not playing 20 Questions, are we?

There's more to Denmark Street than meets the eye, y'know.

And you've forgotten Rose Morris anyway. [/quote]

Nah, you're right ...... I'm just throwing a few names. I think it's fair to say that this could've happened anywhere around there.

Actually, I forgot there's another store there, upstairs from Musicground, and a few more just around the corner.

Rose Morris ...... !!

Cool story, all the same.

[MacDaddy]

[quote name='bassaussie' post='565560' date='Aug 10 2009, 11:42 PM']You've left 3 options - Andys, Musicground or Wunjos.

I'll go with Musicground. I couldn't see Andys putting that much effort into an instrument.[/quote]

It's not called Andy's anymore. Andrew John Preston went bankrupt owing lots of people money - including me for an amp he sold and never gave me the money for. He managed to keep his vintage Rolls Royce though

Edited August 11, 2009 by Hamster

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='MacDaddy' post='565596' date='Aug 11 2009, 12:43 AM']It's not called Andy's anymore. Andrew John Preston went bankrupt owing lots of people money - including me for an amp he sold and never gave me the money for. He managed to keep his vintage Rolls Royce though [/quote]

Andy is now frequently to be seen "helping out" in the branch of Music Ground formerly known as ... erm ... Andy's.

[bassaussie]

[quote name='MacDaddy' post='565596' date='Aug 10 2009, 11:43 PM']It's not called Andy's anymore. Andrew John Preston went bankrupt owing lots of people money - including me for an amp he sold and never gave me the money for. He managed to keep his vintage Rolls Royce though [/quote]

Geez! Sorry to hear about that. I've never done any business with them, partly because I always found that his prices made the rest of Denmark St look reasonable, and also because I'd heard some pretty bad stories about them.

[skankdelvar]

[quote name='MacDaddy' post='565596' date='Aug 11 2009, 12:43 AM']It's not called Andy's anymore. Andrew John Preston went bankrupt owing lots of people money - including me for an amp he sold and never gave me the money for. He managed to keep his vintage Rolls Royce though [/quote]

Pulled a similar flanker on a mate of mine with a Guild. Months of "Oh, it's not sold yet".

So one day, my mate phones them from round the corner. Same answer as usual. So he walks straight in and asks for it back. No guitar, it was clearly sold months before. Big stink.

He never actually ripped me off, but I found him to be a patronising little weasel. Now we know where he is, let's hire a minibus, go round and beat his arse like a gong.

[The Bass Doc]

[quote name='skankdelvar' post='565880' date='Aug 11 2009, 01:37 PM']So one day, my mate phones them from round the corner. Same answer as usual. So he walks straight in and asks for it back. No guitar, it was clearly sold months before.[/quote]

Nah, I reckon just as he was coming round the corner a guy dashed in and bought it and then went round the other corner just as your mate arrived at the shop. A. P. - honest as the day is long (only lasts 24 hours, doesn't it?)

[robocorpse]

An aquaintance of mine tried selling a totally original 60s Telecaster "on commission" in Andys a few years ago.
They phoned him up about 2 months down the line saying "Great news, we've sold the neck"...
Obviously some practical joke, but he went up there and sure enough, they had actually removed the neck without his permission and sold it to someone, they offered him 200 quid for it, then had the cheek to ask to hold on to the rest of the guitar as it "might be worth parting it out now" That was a 2 grand guitar even then.
Words fail me...

Edited August 11, 2009 by robocorpse

[SS73]

[quote name='robocorpse' post='565978' date='Aug 11 2009, 03:28 PM']An aquaintance of mine tried selling a totally original 60s Telecaster "on commission" in Andys a few years ago.
They phoned him up about 2 months down the line saying "Great news, we've sold the neck"...
Obviously some practical joke, but he went up there and sure enough, they had actually removed the neck without his permission and sold it to someone, they offered him 200 quid for it, then had the cheek to ask to hold on to the rest of the guitar as it "might be worth parting it out now" That was a 2 grand guitar even then.
Words fail me...[/quote]
Jeeeezzz , buy a cheap tele neck and stick it where it hurts, then hang him up in the window on a hot sunny day.

[robocorpse]

I have been goin to Denmark Street on and off for over 25 years, and have many horror stories from all the shops, but the most annoying thing that happened to me personally was the '67 Ricky 4001 they had in the window for 5k "no offers". DREAM BASS = MUST BUY. I saw it in the window over the weekend while they were shut, so I went in 10am Monday morning and offered them 4000 cold hard cash, they refused, but within a week it went onto ebay for 4k or best offer, I phoned again and was told "its on ebay mate" and they allegedly sold it a matter of days later for 3500 to someone else. I phoned them up, asked it it was still there, reminded them I had offered a firm 4 grand, they said "tough its sold" and put the phone down on me.

Or the time "B......" had a '61 Gretsch 6120 in the window for £2k (this was a looong time ago). I asked about it, played it a little and said I'd think about it. I went back the weekend afterwards with money on the hip and tried to buy it, and was then told the price was now 3 grand.

Or the time I phoned M.... G.... after another 6120, and was told they had 3 of them, one with bad laquer cracks, one with changed pickups, one with something else wrong, and they offered to swap the parts around to make a good one out of the three if I paid extra. I'm presuming at least one of them was on commission...

The funniest thing was having the "USA Charvel" argument with one of the paid troglodytes in Wunjo, who spent nearly half an hour telling my how the XL series (toothpaste logo) Charvel he had up for 995 was a "real, handcrafted instrument by John Charvel himself" I nearly wet myself laughing!
W*nkers the lot of them.

[geilerbass]

I've simply experienced bad customer service in Denmark St - some of the accounts on this thread hint at actual criminal behaviour. If I didn't have enough reasons to avoid 'Tin Pan Alley' like the plague, I certainly do now. Terrifying...

[robocorpse]

I realised early on there are 2 standard types of people working in Denmark street shops.
A ) Very very knowledgeable people who will lie, cheat, scam and do anything possible to make maximum profit from minimum effort, including forgery, misrepresentation, bankruptcy scams, burning shops down, "ringing" guitars between pet dealers in the red book to up the prices, selling guitars on commission then waiting 6 months to pay the owner etc etc etc.
B ) Talentless students with practically zero knowledge of guitars who will work for peanuts so they can brag they work in a London music shop.
And nobody in between. This way, Joe Public walks in, gets fed up with the ape serving them, knowledgeable guy gets called over, then they take Joe to the cleaners. Seen it time and time again. Honest people are very few and far between and usually have the morals to LEAVE the job after a while before they turn evil. Life is too short.
Can you tell how much I hate the culture down there?

Edited August 11, 2009 by robocorpse

[bythesea]

[quote name='The Bass Doc' post='565893' date='Aug 11 2009, 01:50 PM']Nah, I reckon just as he was coming round the corner a guy dashed in and bought it and then went round the other corner just as your mate arrived at the shop. A. P. - honest as the day is long (only lasts 24 hours, doesn't it?)[/quote]
This wouldn't be connected to "London Pro Audio Centre" would it? Website suggests you contact the store owner for info - andy@Lo...

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Denmark street isn't worth visiting for me these days.

A bloke in Wunjo (when they were around the corner) once told me that I wrong and the Precision in the window was DEFINITELY a '79 as it has an S9 serial no. Of course any self respecting fender geek will know it it could be as late as an '81 and to be sure you'd have to take the neck off to check the date stamped on the body end.

Later they wanted £1300 for a 70s mustang bass in trashed condition. It didn't look reliced in a cool way, but like it had been found in a dumpster. It was filthy and had nail varnish over paint chips. It was totally unplayable chunks out of frets & rusty strings. What a joke!

Apart from that I find Wunjo the friendliest and best of the street though.

Music Ground offered me £200 for a '80s MIJ tokai korina flying vee & flightcase a few years ago. It would have probably sold for at least £600 retail and they weren't interested in a commission sale. I sold it privately the next week for £550.

I bought my 1990 MIJ '62 reissue Precision in Andys. I think I probably paid over the odds for the time, but it was exactly what I was looking then (about eight years ago). I later definitely got ripped off with a shoddy & overpriced setup & soldering job on another bass by the miserable cnut that used to have a workshop in Andys - which prompted me to learn how to to that stuff properly for myself.