bitchin' music shops in SF Bay area?

[HuskerDude]

I figure it's one of the music capitals of the world, there's gotta be some cool shops to find neat guitars/drums/etc... in SF. But I have no idea what or where they are, can ya help me out?

[ctmsound]

There used to be an amazing music store, but it closed around 98 or so. My friend went in and asked for a marshall plexi head and they gave him roughly 40+ to choose from.

You could check out haight ashbury music, but it's nothing too special.

[Greenshoe]

Surprisingly, there's few music shops left here. Off the top of my head:

Haight-Ashbury music: As ctmsound said, it's nothing special.

Cutting Edge Audio: in SoMa. a distributor of high-end recording gear. Not really a store, more of an office / warehouse.

Audio Images: in SoMa. another high-end recording gear distributor.

Guitar Center: ahem. well, it's probably not the worst of the GCs. I've had mixed experiences there.

The best music 'shop' in SF has got to be Craigslist. There's a lot of buying/selling/trading of gear that goes on locally here.

[Rick Hunter]

Hieght street music sucks. Its the biggest rip off. Way to pricey. I like rocker guitars and audio images. and uhhh guitar center sometimes. But only sometimes.

[SpockPicasso]

I used to see some cool/oddball things once in a while at Panhandle Guitars (I think that's the name... Fell Street btw Divisadero and Baker) but I haven't been over that way in a while. Tiny shop, not much inventory, but the people there were always really nice.

[ctmsound]

Oh shit, I forgot these two:

Leo's Pro Audio in Oakland (the best!):

http://www.leosaudio.com/

robot speak on haight street:

http://www.robotspeak.com/

[kcrusher]

Don't forget Real Guitars. It's just off Mission St. (can't remember the address, but I'm sure you can look it up..).

[concubine]

And don't forget Sam Adato's in SF for drums (283 9th St). He's also got better hair than anyone else in a Bay Area music shop. Someone mentioned Panhandle Guitars, which is small but usually has come cool stuff (very pricey, though).

But yeah, the Bay Area has relatively few cool music shops. Most of the cool second hand places have closed down. There are a few smaller shops in Berkeley, like Blue Note (on Telegraph, by Fondue Fred's). The people there can be assholes, but sometimes you can find some cool stuff there.

There's also Subway Guitars on San Pablo (by Cedar). Most of their guitars are re-built (and of alarmingly inconsistent quality), but now and then you can find a complete, stock original there for a decent price. Can be a good place for amps sometimes. Don't *ever* let them repair your equipment, though. Fat Dog, the guy who runs the place is generally nice and helpful, but he's not very careful or meticulous when it comes to handling other peoples' equipment.

Jeff

[DJEmbarrassment]

and... for your LP and CD needs... you absolutely MUST go to Amoeba Records (there's one on Haight Street and another in Berkeley) and Rasputin (in Berkeley).

I was in SF last week. I spent more than an hour - three days in a row at Amoeba. Half of the CD's are used and really cheap! The place is enormous.

Eric S.

[Rick Hunter]

Amen to that man. I am spoiled, big time. I go to Ameoba almost weekly and I always find something new and cool. My favorite game to play there is, "Try and get the ultra cool city people to notice the regular who spends half his pay check there."

[sthslvrcnfsn]

I'm on vacation here until friday ... anywhere i have to go? I went to amoeba already, twice, dropped around 100$, so I can't go back.

thanks

[SpaceCad]

Must eat at Tomaso's in North Beach. Best Italian food on the west coast.
or, Taquiria Cancun if you are in the Mission (on Mission where Valencia intersects) or, Henry's Hunan on 2nd St. a couple of blocks past Mission.

Look in Bay Guardian weekly for live music. Bottom of the Hill, Cafe Du Nord, Slim's and Great American are pretty solid.

Landmarks: Chrissy Field, Palace of Fine Art, GG Park, Embarcadero, North Beach for porn, lap dance.

Roam around, there is something of value around any corner.

Score some weed on Haight

[eeldip]

do you want record stores/music shops or just general things to do?

another record shop to check out is aquarius. its on valencia at 22nd or so. very small, very detailed collection. cool place. not at all like amoeba. check out their website. http://www.aquariusrecords.org/

what restaurants have you been to? what kind of food do you like? i can give you a couple... great chinese, pakastani, mexican.

the new asian art museum is cool. i think it might be the biggest of its type in the country.

you want to go to macworld? i am getting a badge tonite (its a friend of mines..) you can have it. very SF thing to do.

anything else?

[eeldip]

more italian food:

mario's cigar store (yes that is the right name) for meatball sandwiches. the best! on columbus.

molinari's deli for italian deli sandwiches, dried salted cod, and all your italian goods needs. on columbus and in the ferry building.

if you have $$$ i would try Lupa on 24th and castro for a sit down italian meal that is pretty damn close to food in Rome. no grappa though (wine permitted only). $10-$18 entrees. not too bad, but not cheap.

speaking of the ferry building, if you are hungry for a snack you can go there eat free samples of lots of stuff (if you go during peak hours). you can lop up all the $25 for 250ml olive oil on bread samples you can before the people start yelling at you.

[concubine]

if you're into vinyl, there's a cool place in northbeach called "records," which has this musty basement jam packed with lps that aren't in any kind of order. last time i was there, they had milk crates full of lps stacked on top of and in front of the actual record bins. most of it's crap, but i've found a number of gems in there over the years. need a good couple of hours to sort through it all. upstairs (where you enter the place) there's a ton of random stereo and music equipment, and more records. it's on green, up from colombus, across from cafe sport.

jeff