Hey,

I'm visiting San Francisco in another week or so, just wondering if anyone here is a local and knows of any really good guitar shops in the city that are worth checking out?

It's my first visit to the US of A, I've been told before that guitar shops over there are a lot bigger and more awesome than the ones we typically have in the UK, so I'm looking forward to taking a look.

-Adam

Hi Adam. I actually live there. Your gonna absolutely love San Francisco. It is the most Euopean looking city in the US. San Francisco; or "The City" what we all call it has some really cool guitar shops. "Guitar Solo" is my favorite shop. I've been going there for decades. It is quite possibly the best classical guitar shop in the whole world. You can get everything from hard to find sheet music, to very high end concert guitars. They have a huge assortment of used classical guitars as well. They're located right by the Giants ballpark at 230 Townsend St phone# (415)896-1922. Guitar Center is a big guitar chain in the US, but if you've never been to one; you'll defiantly wanna check them out. They literally have everything you can imagine from guitars, pedals, amps. Their prices are usually really good to. They're located at 1645 Van Ness Ave phone#(415)409-0350. Here's the addresses of a few other good guitar shops in the area.

Rocker Guitars
Mostly electric guitars
1350 Howard St


Gryphon Stringed Instruments
Top place for Acoustic guitars and Ukelele's
211 Lambert Ave
Palo Alto
Hope you enjoy your stay in the US.

Cool, cheers, I'll be sure to check them out!

The exchange rate makes the prices quite good, so I'll be fighting temptation I'm sure!

-Adam

The exchange rate is defiantly to your advantage, but the US compared to Europe is quite cheap. I've been to Europe a few times, and I was shocked how expensive everything was. I don't know how you Europeans survive. San Francisco is considered one of the most expensive parts of the US, and it's still really cheap compared to Europe. You honestly might want to bring an extra suitcase; because you can bring a lot of stuff home and sell it. Depending on the amount of time your staying here; there are some really great places to see.
-San Francisco- The main city is only 7 square miles. Very easy to see in a relatively short time. The San Francisco Metropolitan Area is actually quite large with 9 counties, and 90 cities and towns. If you want to get around the metro area use the BART. Super easy to do, and very cheap. Getting around the City use MUNI. Still super easy to use. If your only staying in the City don't bother with a car. If your traveling around the region get a car.
-Sausalito-Beautiful picturesque town in the Marin Headlands North of the city. You can take a ferry to it, or come by car. There are some amazing views, and a great art and food scene. The song "Sitting By The Dock of The Bay" was written here.
-Berkeley-A very eclectic college town in the East Bay. You can take the BART here. If you visit on a Saturday, take the BART to the Ashby station. They have a great flee market where they sell African head masks, incense, antiques, anything you can think of. If you visit around Shattuck; it has a very cool young vibe with lots of places to hang out. Walk over to Telegraph Ave, and it's another really cool spot to shop and eat. There is defiantly an Eastern feel here.(Think Ramdass) Both these spots are right next to the college campus. Keep in mind they love Marijuana here; so its not uncommon for people to be smoking it out in the open. You can possess up to an ounce single packaged without getting in trouble.
-Muir Woods-A beautiful and very popular park up in Marin. It is absolutely gorgeous. Take a car, or get on a tour bus.
-Napa Valley-The premier wine region in California, and one of the best in the world. My favorite part is the Carneros off highway 12. Spend at least a day here. The region in breathtaking, and the wine is amazing. Keep in mind this is the heart of the Locavore/Organic movement; so everything you eat is gonna be amazing. My favorite wineries here are Domaine Carneros, Artesa, and Coppla. Your better off seeing this region by car, but don't get in trouble driving drunk. The laws here are very strict about that.
-Silicon Valley-This is the Tech hub for the world, and where I live. You'll find Google, Facebook, Apple, Ebay, Hewlett Packard, approximately 50,000 tech companies. It's not really a huge tourist spot, but it is a great drive through the region.
Man I could go on and on. There honestly is so much to see and do out here. If you need any information about the area just pm me. Hope you enjoy your stay.

This post has been edited by Palacios: Mar 7 2014, 07:13 PM

Cheers for the info, gonna look up some of those places later today and make plans. I pm'd you but not sure if it sent as its not in my sent folder.

Anyhow, I'm around for a week, attending GDC out at the moscone center. A fair amount of my time is taken up with business but I should have a couple days to check stuff out. I'm booked on an Alcatraz tour but so far that's my only plan, definitely got to see the guitar shops and generally find some cool places in the city to eat and shop. I'll avoid using a car, what with your crazy driving on the wrong side

I might buy up a bunch of Effects pedals while I'm out there, they're so cheap! Also theyll fit nicely in luggage. Only issue is replacing the power supplies when I get home if they're not standard 9v batteries. Our mains voltage is different here.

If you are going to buy a guitar in US...beware importation to Europe can be expensive...however,it can also be good even with customs duty paid...so just be careful...or just walk it through customs nothing to declare!!

and there has to be a gay pride parade going on that weekend, couldn't resist

In the UK you only have to pay import duty if it goes through import customs (i.e. I'm importing it for commercial purposes via the post system), if you just carry it on a plane back with you, then you don't need to pay import.

At least I think that's it.

-Adam

Moscone Center is a few blocks from Guitar Solo Publications. The Best Classical Guitar store in the world. I know all about that driving on the wrong side of the road bit. When I was in Malta I kept getting in the left side of the car. It was very awkward. I'm sure it's probably the same for you. When I was in Europe I was able to use a lot of my American power supplies since they were dual voltage. I was looking at the ones for my pedal, and they aren't; so maybe check the power supply. If the UK is similar to Spain/France it probably won't fit anyway. Your gonna enjoy yourself. California is like a completely different country from the rest of the US. I have to apologize in advance for the horrible treatment your gonna receive from customs. After that; welcome to America.

You are wrong actually.Commercial or personal are treated equally in my experience.I have paid duty on a Guitar from the states.(unfortunately!)

The facts:
There are two ways to walk through arrivals in the UK off a plane with a new guitar bought outside the EU...One is something to declare...and the other is nothing to declare...The choice is yours. Duty is payable on a New Guitar bought from the United States..If you don't declare...you'll probably be OK if you can keep your cool. If you do get caught you can get heavily fined in addition to paying any duties and VAT. Like I said be careful. If It was me...I'd be looking for a good second hand guitar with a beaten up case...even then, you probably have to declare...Legally...Bring in a new one through nothing to declare? Nope.
Crooks smuggle stuff through Customs every day....they also get banged up in prison.

Not trying to be a scare monger....Just look up the rates of duty and you may find its still cheaper to bring in a guitar and declare it otherwise what you would be doing is a criminal offence.,....Its like anything going through customs...he who dares wins....or ends up in Jail....The risk is the gamble! B)


EDIT:
I found this link and it shows that I was not completely correct....depending on the value of the guitar in question, some goods can be hand carried up to a value of GBP 340 free of duty. . http://www.dutycalculator.com/help_center/...the-difference/. More than that you probably have to pay vat and duty: http://www.dutycalculator.com/help_center/...guitar-and-amp/

Good luck!

This post has been edited by Headbanger: Mar 8 2014, 07:16 PM

Your taxes in Europe are really high. I though they were bad in the US, but holy cow. When I was in France I looked at my restaurant tab and over 40% was tax. Someone was telling me that in Denmark it's really obscene as well. Don't get me wrong I love going to Europe, but I don't see how people can afford anything there.

No jstcrsn it's not that weekend. We honestly don't care if people are gay here. I know it seems shocking, but gay people here are treated with dignity and respect.

neither do I
sorry ,I envaded this thread and I hold any reply (negatively) towards you in the future and maybe you should do the same

truce

This post has been edited by jstcrsn: Mar 9 2014, 12:32 PM

OK Cool. Though if I was to buy, I guess I'd buy pedals anyhow (unless I fell in love with a particular guitar) if the power supply thing isn't an issue. I think if it uses a separate supply I can just replace that with an EU version when I get home, so it's fine. It's only if it uses mains voltage (like some tube pedals do) that I will have trouble I think. Amps would be a no as I'd need to switch out the power transformer for an EU voltage one. I wonder what US touring acts do when they come to Europe, whether they buy EU amps or get power adapters or what?

I'm not too worried about customs to be honest, I think mostly the rules are there to stop people from buying up loads of items in other countries where it's cheap and bringing them back to sell rather than stopping people buying the odd individual item. Or to stop illegal/controlled stuff like drugs, guns and regulated stuff like medicines. I very much doubt I'll goto prison for buying a guitar. I can see that now, being sat in a cold, dark prison cell, with a giant tattooed guy there talking; "I killed three cops, and sold crack to children. So what you in for?" and I'll go "Buying an Ibanez RG and not informing customs. It had pink pickups."

You can always play Jailhouse Rock or Folsom Prison Blues

I think as long as it's a 9V negative tip, you can get the adapter in the UK. The small DC barrel connection should be the same; just the source voltage changes. Honestly Guitar Center has a lot of pedals, and they're very cheap. They usually have a huge selection of used pedals that are even cheaper. We have like 5 or 6 Guitar Centers in the area; so if you find something you love; you can defiantly get it cheap. My customs warning was for the very long line your gonna wait through, and the horrible process of dealing with customs officers. Some friend of mine from France were telling me it was horrible, and I believe them when I'm walking past the non US citizen line.

Ah sorry yea I meant customs coming back into the UK, stopping me for importing stuff without paying duty. The government here are generally quite laid back except for when they think you owe them money, then they're a relentless hell machine from which there is no escape.