Pilgrimage worthy music stores.

MFB said:

They're about 10 mins from my apartment, I'm terrified to even go in and knock something while I buy strings, since the majority of their inventory is as much - if not more - than my rent.

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That's fair man. One of their electrics alone is worth a mortgage on a house easy. I saw a Gibson they had in there not too long ago and it was deep into the 5 figure range.

I grew up near Wilson's Farms over by there. For a long time I thought guitar playing was something only millionaires did because their inventory was my only reference point for how expensive guitars were

xwmucradiox said:

This is surprisingly common in the e-commerce era and with people wanting untouched new instruments. There is an EBMM dealer in Connecticut that has a ton of stuff online and seems like it would be a really cool shop. I stopped in on a road trip and it was primarily a band instrument lessons business with a few $100 guitars on the wall. I asked about an EBMM I saw on their site and the clerk said he had to call the owner first before he could show me anything.

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I believe one of the guys that was always there was the owner, he was absolutely not one of those snob guys. I'm sure there are times he says no to people that just want to screw around on a USA Schecter...

DarkstarII said:

I nominate Elderly Music in Lansing, MI. Any Vintage King location (LA, Nashville) is also excellent. Perhaps add locations to your list above too?

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Coincidentally had a trip to Lansing just after reading this so I stopped in. Nice shop but no djent machines for me LOL.

can I hijack this thread to ask about Tokyo? I'll be there in a couple of weeks and would love to check out some serious music shops (Scotland is not blessed in that regard )

If you are in the Las Vegas area, definitely check out Roman Guitars which is a 5 minute drive away from the block where Palms, Bellagio (the one with the fountains), ARIA and Cosmo hotel/casinos are clustered together. One side of it is a museum/showcase area (some Dimebag pieces there for example) and the other is a store, and beyond that is their custom/repair shop. The guys and the overall vibe there are chill. It's a place I could easily see myself spending all day in. They have some amazing guitars there (saw a load of non-Explorer Hamers, an Ibanez Voyager and original Steinberger GTs on my recent stop by.) Just one hot electric after another in quite a spacious showroom. Their custom guitars are also out in the open to experience IRL which is a real treat if you only seen them on the internet since the early 00s, to finally be able to play one.

There is also Heartbreaker Guitars where you will find your heaven for PRS, Lowden, Rick Turner, Reverend, Eastman, Paoletti etc. Of all the places in Vegas to buy a really nice high-end acoustic (or electric?) they must be number one (they have so many brands of acoustic, some I have never heard of.) They carry Matchless, Soldano, PRS and Bogner Amps too. They have a beautiful showcase room/location however they are appointment only, it's north of the strip by the airport.

Sucks that Cowtown Guitars, who was ran by the guy that evaluated guitars on Pawn Stars, is no longer in business (or J&E because they had a great store and showroom too.) Have fun on your journey & safe travelin'.

thebeesknees22 said:

I've wanted to make a trek down to pitbull audio down in San Diego. I've snooped their site for years, and they always seem to have cool stuff. I'm not sure how much of their stuff is online stock vs in store stock though.

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When I was there in September 2020, if what you are interested in isn't displayed, they will go in the back where the warehouse is and take anything out, and then repackage it when you're done. I spent like 2 hours there just trying like 3 guitars not on display because how long it takes to unpack/repack, but they were 100% cool about it. By packing I mean they are 100% ready to ship.

jco5055 said:

When I was there in September 2020, if what you are interested in isn't displayed, they will go in the back where the warehouse is and take anything out, and then repackage it when you're done. I spent like 2 hours there just trying like 3 guitars not on display because how long it takes to unpack/repack, but they were 100% cool about it. By packing I mean they are 100% ready to ship.

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oh that's awesome that they'll go get it. the wait time no so much lol, but cool they're willing to go grab whatever you want to try out that's not on the floor

nothing really in Washington state....

xwmucradiox said:

This is surprisingly common in the e-commerce era and with people wanting untouched new instruments. There is an EBMM dealer in Connecticut that has a ton of stuff online and seems like it would be a really cool shop. I stopped in on a road trip and it was primarily a band instrument lessons business with a few $100 guitars on the wall. I asked about an EBMM I saw on their site and the clerk said he had to call the owner first before he could show me anything.

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Not sure if you’ve been to DCGL, but the store is tiny. They just don’t have room to display that much stuff.

Blahblahblahblah said:

Not sure if you’ve been to DCGL, but the store is tiny. They just don’t have room to display that much stuff.

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Yep, and every inch of wall is covered in guitars, except the drum room, which is, well, you know.

FWIW, the "warehouse" is basically the upstairs, so if you ask about something, they can probably go get it for you. Jason is a great guy to deal with and their tech, Ross, will usually check the guitar before you touch it.

budda said:

My dumb ass forgetting about cme.

Also missing wildwood, willcutt, thunder road gets cool stuff but never been, eddie’s guitars

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I can walk to Wildwood from work, but I can't go in without an appt. They just recently started allowing people back in, by appt only, since Covid. They seem to be trying to be online only.

If you are in Denver and into pedals, Flipside Music might be worth stopping in.