Re: Offset Forum Approved Music Stores

quandar · Post by **quandar** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 12:50 pm

Here in the Twin Cities (Minnesota), we have a couple very offset friendly places, the first of which often has vintage offsets:
Willie's American Guitars
Twin Town

RumorsOFsurF · Post by **RumorsOFsurF** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 2:02 pm

Weather's Music - Salem, OR
Apex Pro Audio and Lighting - Salem, OR (Great amp tech and friendly staff. Deal mostly in Schecter and used Fender Guitars)

Don't go:

Uptown Music - Keizer, OR (If they didn't sell it to you, it must be shit...

)

Mr M · Post by **Mr M** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 2:25 pm

Surfoverb wrote: Alpha Music Virginia Beach, VA...They sell Jags, Jazz's, and Jagstangs.
Im not sure how 'friendly' they are, last time I tried playing thier Jazz it wasnt set up at all, I couldnt even play it.
But hey, at least you can look at them.

i bought my 66 Jazzmaster from there and also my old CIJ Jaguar(long gone), they are all really good guys, although like you said in another post they can be pushy, but once you get to know them they do stop, and let you know about things you're interested in.

I get a call when ever they get a new Jazzmaster or Jaguar or (since i'm a pedal nut) awesome pedal in the store.

yeah my 66' was set up god aweful with a buzzstop and it was just bad all together. I really like their tech tho, he is a nice guy and knows his stuff, but when it comes to Jazzy and Jags, you've got to do it your self

Surfoverb · Post by **Surfoverb** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 5:45 pm

Mr M wrote:
I get a call when ever they get a new Jazzmaster or Jaguar or (since i'm a pedal nut) awesome pedal in the store.
I really like their tech tho, he is a nice guy and knows his stuff, but when it comes to Jazzy and Jags, you've got to do it your self

To thier credit they had just got the jazz in when I played it so they hadnt set it up yet.
Yeah, those guys are cool...My only complaint was when I bought my twin reverb and we opened the box to check it out it was upside down in the box! Checked out ok though, the dude was like, "Thats fender for ya"

Post by **Jay** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 5:53 pm

I got my first electric guitar from Alpha Music... gosh, it must have been back in 1988-89? Small world.

flatfiver · Post by **flatfiver** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 8:03 pm

Surfoverb wrote: My only complaint was when I bought my twin reverb and we opened the box to check it out it was upside down in the box! Checked out ok though, the dude was like, "Thats fender for ya"

A little OT, but Fender ships all their amps like that (or at least the tube amps). I thought it was so the tubes wouldn't fall out during shipping, but like I said I think they do even the transistor amps like that.

Infliktor · Post by **Infliktor** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 8:47 pm

Yes , they do that on purpose

Ya think UPS or Fed Ex cares which side up tho?

LOL

Post by **mezcalhead** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 9:14 pm

flatfiver wrote: I thought it was so the tubes wouldn't fall out during shipping, but like I said I think they do even the transistor amps like that.

The amp is more stable with the heavy bit at the bottom.

But yeah, the guys shipping it probably don't pay too much attention to "^THIS WAY UP^" signs.

DeadPenny · Post by **DeadPenny** » Mon Apr 23, 2007 10:04 pm

hey. i work at alpha. it's had to set up every guitar in the store when you've been in business since February of 1980 and have been offering FREE LIFETIME SETUPS ever since you've opened. i've only been working there since x-mas of 05 but i've been there long enough to know that our guitars are WAY better cared for than anything at GC. look at our gear.... our shit doesn't have buckle rash like they do down at GC. so we're careful with our gear... so what? do you want you're "brand new guitar" to be all fucked up because someone else didn't' give half a shit about it while it was on the wall???

dc · Post by dc » Mon Apr 23, 2007 10:05 pm

RumorsOFsurF wrote:
Don't go:

Uptown Music - Keizer, OR (If they didn't sell it to you, it must be shit... )

ha! i lived in Salem about 16 years ago when that store was getting started. it was lame then too -

Mad-Mike · Post by **Mad-Mike** » Tue Apr 24, 2007 10:21 pm

I have a couple I've dealt with.....

The Auburn Guitar Shoppe - http://www.auburnguitar.com
I used to go there for YEARS, even before I knew how to actually play. I bought my first electric, as well as my first Offset (Jag-Stang) there. I've had practically no problems with them, and they even get Japanese Mustangs in stock once in awhile when they come to the states. So far their tech people are rather knowledgeable, and they're pretty friendly, and have the occasional bluegrass jam on the weekends and stuff. I dunno much about em' now since it's been about 2-3 years since I went in there, but I'm guessing it's probably same ol' same ol' given what I know from being a patron for a little over 10 years. They always had the better prices too. While the one shop was pushing a MIJ Jazzmaster for $540 with Gig Bag, they had one for $450 with upgraded S.D. pickups and hardshell case included. They always had neat guitars too, Bullets, Firebirds, bizarre vintage stuff like Supro and Valco guitars.

I've got to check out the Emerald City guitars since that's where I live now (well, sorta, I'm kinda north of it). My main shop was Hot Lix for the better part of a year before they went out of business and I was forced to use other places. I usually use Guitar Center in Lynnwood for my preferred strings as one of the other stores carry em', and The Guitar Shop in north Everett for Earnie Balls for everything else, as well as scoping out neato vintage gear (they had a 64' Strat they actually let me play, and having been in there twice, I felt VERY strange). I also had a chance to check out a vintage Jaguar while I was in there too, in silver sparkle, with hang tags none-the-less.....I bowed out of that one because I was scared of possibly harming it as it was practically collector quality.