Pro Audio/Music stores in San Fran & LA?

[A.David.MacKinnon]

I'm planning to escape the dark (but this year not so cold) Canadian winter with a trip to California in Febuary. My wife and I will be spending a few days in SF and then driving down the coast to LA.
Can anyone suggest good places to find used gear in either city? I'm more into cheap, weird and cool than high end. EV mics, no name broadcast gear, Kay guitars, etc, etc.
Tips on other fun things to do would be greatly appreciated too. I'm already planning a trip to the Tonga Room.

Thanks in advance!

[sonicmook56]

Man, There was this awesome place in LA that closed a year or so ago.. I have not been to a music store since.

This place is pretty cool to go into, just old recording equipment... They are closing too this year so hurry up.

http://www.coastrecording.com/

[Colin F.]

There was just a thread on this a few weeks ago, but I'd go straight to Audio Images on Bryant St (by the main police station) for what you are looking for.

[Milkmansound]

Real Guitars - its on a side street somewhere in between Mission and Howard in SOMA.

Black Market Music - 4th and Townsend (I think)

Also, sometimes things can be found at the Allemany flea market - just gotta be thorough.

Sf in Feb... hardly a break from cold and dark, but you might get lucky!

[mwingerski]

Real Guitars is on Lafayette (a little alleyway between 11th st and 12th st) is a one way alleyway off of mission st

[A.David.MacKinnon]

Sf in Feb... hardly a break from cold and dark, but you might get lucky!

Have you been to Canada in February? Will SF have snow up to my knee!?!

[Colin F.]

Today was actually sunny and not too cold here!

[Alex Netick]

I was just buying some computer crap in the east bay. And I paid something like 9 percent sales tax. Not to mention the high overhead from rental prices, wages, etc, that's reflected in the higher price. Personally, if I didn't live here, I'd never buy anything in the Bay Area. You can always find stuff cheaper elsewhere. By the way, it's even worse in San francisco than it is over here.

[Alex Netick]

Maybe things have changed, but back in the 80's, I used to find alot of stuff in L.A. was much cheaper for whatever reason, particularly guitar stuff. S.F. is definitely not the place to find bargains.

I was just buying some computer crap in the east bay. And I paid something like 9 percent sales tax. Not to mention the high overhead from rental prices, wages, etc, that's reflected in the higher price. Personally, if I didn't live here, I'd never buy anything in the Bay Area. You can always find stuff cheaper elsewhere. By the way, it's even worse in San francisco than it is over here.

[A.David.MacKinnon]

Maybe things have changed, but back in the 80's, I used to find alot of stuff in L.A. was much cheaper for whatever reason, particularly guitar stuff. S.F. is definitely not the place to find bargains.

I was just buying some computer crap in the east bay. And I paid something like 9 percent sales tax. Not to mention the high overhead from rental prices, wages, etc, that's reflected in the higher price. Personally, if I didn't live here, I'd never buy anything in the Bay Area. You can always find stuff cheaper elsewhere. By the way, it's even worse in San francisco than it is over here.

Interesting. It makes sense I guess. Prices are always higher in expensive cities.
What about anything on the drive between SF & LA?

[mwingerski]

bargains are a rare thing here...
unless you troll craigslist a bunch

[swelle]

The Black Market Music on 4th is no more... too bad, they had tons of exactly what you're looking for: EV mics, weird Teac decks, old spring reverbs, etc.

If you're actually coming to San Francisco as a tourist, and wanna do tourist things, you might go to Coit Tower - so right at Grant & Green, there's a pair of strange music stores kiddy-korner from one another that are packed to the gills with weird recording stuff, as well as instruments and records - though the names escape me (they are somehow related)... anybody know the place I'm talking about, in N. Beach?

[sonicmook56]

Black market music in LA was the place I was talking about that closed.

That place was cool, and full of bargains.

I got a decent Fender Tone master 2x12 cab for $194

[mwingerski]

Oh I forgot all about that place in north beach!
That place is awesome. Rather overpriced, but it has so much weird stuff... definitely go there... and then go get a sandwich at Molinari's on Columbus...

[swelle]

I found it online, the place is called 101 Music and there are sister shops, one on Grant and the other on Green. I found a brand new, shrink-wrapped copy of the first Stooges album - on an Elektra cassette!!

Around the corner from 101 Music on Grant, the entrance to what they call 101 #2 is marked by a sign that says "Records" and a cheap 80's synthesizer nailed above the doorway. After meandering through stacks of old turntables, guitars, saxophones, clarinets, and even a plastic keyboard that makes sound by blowing through a tube, you will find the stairway to a record collector's heaven. Stacks upon stacks of crates, shelves, and boxes of vinyl pack this basement room. Tom, the friendly owner of 101 Music, says, "It's basically happy hunting."

- Excerpt from SF Station article by Amanda Scotese.[/i]