Is Denmark Street and around still good for guitars?

No expert but walked through it last week and it was full of guitar shops, so imagine it is pretty good for them.

if you know what you want, why not just buy online, or local?

Ah Denmark St. Should have gone the way of the dinosaur years ago. Shop after shop of overpriced guitars with moody pricks working in them the equivalent of the comic book store owner in The Simpsons.

Buy the guitar on eBay instead.

I walked through it yesterday and bear in mind I know squat about guitars other than I lile listening to them being played.

Only from first impressions I thought the same as what the two guys above said about the prices and the staff. But I could be totally wrong

Could not agree more re Leroy's comment. The worst thing about being a musician is when you pop in to a guitar shop and have to deal with the 'superior' young cretins who work there who are all obsessed with gear and posing rather than music.

Unfortunately I'm also a great believer in trying instruments out myself.. sometimes something you wouldn't have thought of will just 'feel' right.

Last time I did that, I went to guitarguitar in Brum, and the owner set up an amp in a soundproof room, picked about twenty guitars, and let me get on with it for an hour. Couldn't recommend more, won't get that in Denmark Street.

I realise this recommendation is probably of little use!

Must admit Hanks used to be an exception, not been in for bloody ages, tho.

I traded in (on behalf of my son) an Epiphone Les Paul custom for £200 against a Fender Telecaster.
The list price on the Fender was around £1200, whilst I know nobody pays full wack I got the guitar for £1000 less the £200 on the Les Paul. Also I got a hard case and a hand full of picks.
My son bought the Les Paul from the same shop 18 months previous ex-display £270. I have also bought a Tanglewood semi-acoustic from the same shop and got a deal on that too.
3 guitars from Rockers, Demark St. no reasons for complaint. These shops know they have to compete with others and the net, you just have be a little bold and you will get a reasonable deal.

I have also bought an Ibenez bass from GAK at Brighton via internet and over the phone, no problems there and very competitive with price but its nice to handle what your buying. I have been to their shop, it carries great stock.

If you're buying hand made mega expensive instruments I would think its fair to ask for time and place to give it a workout but the price range I'm into they are all produced by the bucketful to a consistent standard.

Denmark Street I found good for accessories...GAK in Brighton is by far the best i've experienced in terms of items available and customer service.

Leroy Ambrose said:

NathanPrior said:

Baldybonce said:

Tuneinn in Lee is a good local shop, they have a large selection of new and secondhand electro acoustics.

It aint, they ripped me off, £139 for a used bass that's completely shit.

What were you expecting for 139 quid?

One of Fleas newly new, one careful owner.

Is Nathan real or have missed a joke somewhere? Not just on this thread.

Going to see the Anabolic Steroids in Denmark Street...6th Dec.....plenty of guitar shops down there.

Leroy Ambrose said:

Absolute worst of the lot is Rose Morris. Never seen so many arseholes in one place at the same time outside of Selhurst. They used to be the de facto shop for metal guitarists because they had a sweet deal with Jackson and ESP (pretty much metal standards) that meant they got a lot of custom cast-offs in there. Nothing like having to play with some arsewipe who spends eight hours a day watching Al Di Meola videos and practising fusion solos sneeringly critiquing your technique.

A bloke I played in a band with once got so sick of one of the wankstains in there that he went in to try out a guitar with 800 quid in cash in his pocket - waited for said wankstain to give it the attitude then peeled out his wad of notes, riffled through them and told him he was going next door to buy the same guitar.

Now this is odd. I was looking for a direct-drive bass-drum pedal in Rose Morris a couple of years ago, and they couldn't be more helpful. Allowed me to try out about four or five different pedals on a kit for as long as I liked. Didn't hassle me and basically gave me the room and the time to make up my mind. Maybe they're friendlier in the drum department downstairs.