Denmark Street

[skankdelvar]

[quote name='bythesea' post='566050' date='Aug 11 2009, 05:03 PM']This wouldn't be connected to "London Pro Audio Centre" would it? Website suggests you contact the store owner for info - andy@Lo...[/quote]

Nah - t'was 'Andy's Guitars'. Dunno about this other lot...

As regards Denmark St in general, it's fun for a browse, but Caveat Emptor on the 'Vintage' stuff. The only vaguely honest trader I encountered was one of the blokes at Angel, who was usually prepared to highlight any issues with an instrument.

But, of course, YMMV.

Edited August 11, 2009 by skankdelvar

[Stag]

Gotta say, when ive been down there, Wunjo's and V&R were perfectly fine to me. Let me try anything etc... sounds like they are happy to pull the wool over people's eyes at a few other places down there though!

[LukeFRC]

so many threads about it, so why does everyone seem to keep goingback?

[Stag]

[quote name='LukeFRC' post='566258' date='Aug 11 2009, 09:30 PM']so many threads about it, so why does everyone seem to keep goingback?[/quote]

is a very good point

i think its prob cos that vintage stuff doesnt turn up very often, and people want to believe they can acquire such lovely things. Even if the paint job / neck / body / electrics / machineheads / pickguard / other random part has been changed

[robocorpse]

I go back occasionally because I can still catch them out sometimes, and I am very happy that I have made several thousand quid on resale of stuff I bought from Andys and Wunjo, simply because they didn't know what they had, or priced it wrong, and I made them cash offers they couldn't refuse. Also, I looked for, and subsequently found the bailiffs/liquidators auction of Andys remaining stock when they cleared the shop, and got in on the action early enough to get a couple of cracking vintage instruments for less than the price of a Squier. Lose some, win some.

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='LukeFRC' post='566258' date='Aug 11 2009, 09:30 PM']so many threads about it, so why does everyone seem to keep goingback?[/quote]

1. Everyone knows where it is.
2. Most people assume that it's a vintage-instrument Mecca.
3. Even in the largest city in Europe, we're not exactly spoiled for choice.
4. You don't actually have to buy anything ... you can widdle about & annoy the assistants.
5. Assuming you've bothered to do some research, you're always in a position to haggle.
6. It's an amazing fund of good stories to bring to Basschat.

Yes, but [b][i]apart [/i][/b]from all that, what has Denmark Street ever done for us?

[XB26354]

Aside from some vintage gear do many musicians actually go back? I've been visiting Denmark Street for about 20 years and I have bought

1) A bottle of Lemon oil (7 years ago for a fiver and still got it), and
2) Reading Contemporary Electric Bass Rhythms by Rich Appleman in Rose Morris (Chappells didn't have it).

I have never bought a bass, amp or effects from any shop because the price is way too high and the attitude doesn't just suck, it totally stinks! I'd agree Wunjo is better in this respect but most of the shops look like they're going out of business anyway. The Gallery has been my place to visit for over 15 years, plus the range of basses available p*sses over anything in Denmark Street (and most of the rest of the UK, for that matter!)

Edited August 11, 2009 by XB26354

[sdgrsr400]

The two sheet music shops are good, agreed.

[robocorpse]

Things go round in circles, I play bass and guitar in equal amounts, always have, always will.
I bought my first ever electric in Denmark street in the early 80s (black Washburn A20) for 100 quid, loved it until someone knocked it over and broke the head off.
I sold it to a mate who reckoned he could repair it, he did a crap job then sprayed it metallic blue.

20 years later, I found myself back on Denmark street buying a damaged bass with a blue refin that I am gonna restore. Very odd, but very underpriced. I win

[Stacker]

[quote name='robocorpse' post='566297' date='Aug 11 2009, 10:00 PM']. Also, I looked for, and subsequently found the bailiffs/liquidators auction of Andys remaining stock when they cleared the shop, and got in on the action early enough to get a couple of cracking vintage instruments for less than the price of a Squier. Lose some, win some.[/quote]

Good man! Did you phone them and noise them up about that?

[Stacker]

I awlays pay a visit to DS whenever I'm in London, just to see what's one the go. Some of the prices, esp in V&R, are a bit steep, in my books. Was in there last month whilst visiting a mate in London and spotted a lovely 66(?) Jazz in CAR. Some Spanish guy was playing it and it sounded hot! Him and his missus were going on about it (they looked like they had coin). On the way out I asked how much; '£7k' came the reply. Woooo.........

And then on to Andys, where I saw a lovely Danelectro baritone guitar, large bodied, vintage finish. For the first time in my life I felt a purchase at DS coming to fruition but at £800? No thanks.

MG are bad enough but their pals up north are the most condescending lot ever! Didn't they somehow get ahold of Chris Squire's old 21-fret 4001 a few years back?

Edited August 23, 2009 by Stacker

[waynepunkdude]

I know a guy who took his Telecaster in to the repair guy above Rockers and asked for a curve to be made in the back to make it more comfortable, he went back SIX months later and the guy had painted it black and asked for £150 when the guy said he didn't ask for it to be painted he started shouting c**t at him and charging at him frm across the room, he still hasn't got his guitar back but he was offered the body back with no hardware on in a bag.

[geilerbass]

[quote name='Happy Jack' post='566375' date='Aug 11 2009, 10:59 PM']1. Everyone knows where it is.
2. Most people assume that it's a vintage-instrument Mecca.
3. Even in the largest city in Europe, we're not exactly spoiled for choice.
4. You don't actually have to buy anything ... you can widdle about & annoy the assistants.
5. Assuming you've bothered to do some research, you're always in a position to haggle.
6. It's an amazing fund of good stories to bring to Basschat.

Yes, but [b][i]apart [/i][/b]from all that, what has Denmark Street ever done for us? [/quote]

And aside from all that, most people (me included) love a good moan.

[Stacker]

[quote name='waynepunkdude' post='578082' date='Aug 23 2009, 10:26 AM']I know a guy who took his Telecaster in to the repair guy above Rockers and asked for a curve to be made in the back to make it more comfortable, he went back SIX months later and the guy had painted it black and asked for £150 when the guy said he didn't ask for it to be painted he started shouting c**t at him and charging at him frm across the room, he still hasn't got his guitar back but he was offered the body back with no hardware on in a bag.[/quote]


Man, that is scary! Did he not get the cops involved?

This is becoming an interesting thread. ANy more scary stories?

Edited August 23, 2009 by Stacker

[ZMech]

I bought my first bass (rockbass) from the Bass Cellar. about 6 months later one of the pickup screws was no longer holding down the pickup. Since it was under warranty, I took it to them to get it fixed. Well the their first attempt, they did whatever, told me to wait 24 hours before putting the screw back in and it'd be fine. 24 hours later, the collet popped back out again. So another trip down to denmark street and they did a more thorough job the second time, although I'm not sure what they did each time, since two years ago I didn't care as much about my basses. Unfortunately I didn't check the bass in detail before walking out the shop, as when I got home I noticed that they'd completely stripped the screw head, so now I can't change the pickup height. Not a big deal, but it easily could have been. hence why I now am just happy to pay a bit more to go to the gallery instead.

[Stacker]

[quote name='Zach' post='578116' date='Aug 23 2009, 11:28 AM']Unfortunately I didn't check the bass in detail before walking out the shop, as when I got home I noticed that they'd completely stripped the screw head, so now I can't change the pickup height. Not a big deal, but it easily could have been. hence why I now am just happy to pay a bit more to go to the gallery instead.[/quote]

Perhaps it's time to tech-up, yourself. here is what you need:-

[url="http://www.jmldirect.com/product.asp?pf_id=S5616&changecurrency=GBP"]Screw Remover[/url]

Edited August 23, 2009 by Stacker

[chris_b]

About 10 years ago I brought my Boogie cab from the Bass Cellar, when they were Boogie main dealers, and a Fender 2x15 cab from another shop about 10 years before that. I didn't have any trouble either time, but I have stood in many of the shops and listened to the sales patter, lies and BS from the sales guys.

Why any of them are still in business beats me. I guess there is an endless supply of gullible musicians!!

[TGEvans]

only ever been to denmark street a couple of times.i found the old guy in the bass cellar to be ok.but.... after about twenty minutes of talking to him some girl walked in and he went bezerk. he hit the roof with her.called her all sorts.looked like there was an argument between him and some other shop and she was seeing one of the guys in the other shop.she went out in tears,he turned round and carried on as normal.but was nice to me.i heard he passed away notlong after,in the shop too i think?anyone know anything about this?t

[99ster]

The way that many of these shops do their 'business' in a similar way may well have a lot to do with the fact that many of them are owned by the same two characters - the Harrison brothers - with the 'Music Ground' empire now comprising of the following shops:

Music Ground Denmark Street
Music Ground Manchester
Music Ground Leeds
Regent Sound Denmark Street
Rockers Denmark Street
Rhodes Music Denmark Street
The Bass Cellar Denmark Street
TPA Denmark Street
Hanks Denmark Street
...and good old Andys Denmark Street

And they also own both Hiwatt (yes - the Hiwatt) and JMI amps and have their fingers in many other pies as well.

[E sharp]

[quote name='Stacker' post='578067' date='Aug 23 2009, 10:01 AM']I awlays pay a visit to DS whenever I'm in London, just to see what's one the go. Some of the prices, esp in V&R, are a bit steep, in my books. Was in there last month whilst visiting a mate in London and spotted a lovely 66(?) Jazz in CAR. Some Spanish guy was playing it and it sounded hot! Him and his missus were going on about it (they looked like they had coin). On the way out I asked how much; '£7k' came the reply. Woooo.........

And then on to Andys, where I saw a lovely Danelectro baritone guitar, large bodied, vintage finish. For the first time in my life I felt a purchase at DS coming to fruition but at £800? No thanks.

MG are bad enough but their pals up north are the most condescending lot ever! Didn't they somehow get ahold of Chris Squire's old 21-fret 4001 a few years back?[/quote]
MG , yeah , didn't they screw up with that golden Hofner that was supposed to be Macca's old bass , but turned out to have been owned by some other bloke . I remember the articals where they said that they'd bought it for a knock down price (probably told the guy that it was a worthless lefty , or something of the like) and that they'd been offered some ridiculus amount , but - "we think it's worth alot more " . How these idiots have remained in business is totally beyond me , it really is .

[Stacker]

[quote name='99ster' post='578328' date='Aug 23 2009, 05:01 PM']The way that many of these shops do their 'business' in a similar way may well have a lot to do with the fact that many of them are owned by the same two characters - the Harrison brothers - with the 'Music Ground' empire now comprising of the following shops:

Music Ground Denmark Street
Music Ground Manchester
Music Ground Leeds
Regent Sound Denmark Street
Rockers Denmark Street
Rhodes Music Denmark Street
The Bass Cellar Denmark Street
TPA Denmark Street
Hanks Denmark Street
...and good old Andys Denmark Street

And they also own both Hiwatt (yes - the Hiwatt) and JMI amps and have their fingers in many other pies as well.[/quote]

Wow, interesting. I've been wary of their spam ever since I encountered their sales guys in the Leeds shop back in the early '90s. That aside, I wonder how much they actually pay for the goodies they seem to acquire; they can't all be commissions.

[bh2]

Blimey... some horrors here and no mistake... Last time I went down there to buy some gear I came away with a Fender moulded hard case... it's unplayable now.

[Davo-London]

Lots of negative vibes and plenty of horror stories. I've actually gained from buying and selling vintage gear and I'm always on the lookout for 60's Jazzes. I find Brian in Wunjo's a decent chap. Get chatting to him and develop a rapport. That's my advice otherwise, some of the guys there are idiots that's for sure. Try and avoid them.

Davo

Edited August 27, 2009 by Davo-London

[chris_b]

As far as I know Wunjo isn't as bad as the rest. I don't think they are part of the musicground mob, which has to be a good thing.

[Sibob]

Yeah I think Wunjo are indie's afaik!
Brian has always been real decent to me, friend of mine bought a 1962 Gibson acoustic from him for a great price!

Si