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Found a new vintage guitar/bass/amp shop in London, and it's excellent.

xilddx

By xilddx,
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xilddx Veteran

xilddx

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[url="http://www.vintageguitarboutique.com"]http://www.vintageguitarboutique.com[/url]

I spent some time there yesterday as I had a gig at RichMix next door. The staff were very knowledgable, friendly and trusting, I asked if I could try some vintage Gibson Les Paul Deluxes (that's a guitar :)) and was told to help myself. They don't have many vintage basses yet but there were some reasonably priced '70s Fenders, a Gibson Ripper, a couple of Rickys. There is more there than is on their website I think.

The main new gear shop is at ground level and the vintage boutique is in a huge room in the basement. I was very pleasantly surprised at how well stocked it was, how the guitars were well set up and in tune, and at how reasonably priced they were.

Edited by xilddx
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chriswareham Rising Star

chriswareham

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[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1421657430' post='2663552']
Bloody hell!

[b]Beffnull Gween?[/b]

That area really is turning into Hipster Central ...
[/quote]

Blimey, it must be. Used to rehearse over there at a place in a converted basement garage between 1998 and 2000. Great rehearsal studio owned by a friend of one of the guitarists in the band, although last time I went back a few years ago they had stopped making food :-( No more sausage sandwiches halfway through a marathon session!

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Musky Proficient

Musky

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It's been there several months now, but always shut (I go Sunday mornings to pick up some beigals from Brick Lane :) ). I always wondered why it was called vintage guitars because they only had new ones on display but I hadn't realised they had basement. I'll have to go along later in the day as they clearly open Sundays as there are no shutters on the windows. Either that or they're very trusting.

Nice to know there's another decent shop about. :)

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hairychris Contributor

hairychris

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Ahh, BG! Used to rehearse at Alienistic Studios (up by BG underground station) around 2002 - 2005, and lived around there for a while around that time. It was all a bit scummy but fun.

I avoid the whole area like the plague now. The whole Shoreditch thing is horrific. :angry:

EDIT: To clarify, I'm a 40-something metalhead and this whole hipster thing annoys me!

Edited by hairychris
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Mr Arkadin Apprentice

Mr Arkadin

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Yeah beardy hipsters and cereal shops selling single bowls of cereals for £3.20. Hate that sh*t. I was in a place called Shoreditch House yesterday. Obviously no sign on the door (that would be too mundane) and members only. I was meeting someone otherwise you wouldn't catch me at such a gaff.

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xilddx Veteran

xilddx

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[quote name='KK Jale' timestamp='1421684170' post='2663925']
VGB is a good place. Downstairs they keep a mid-'60s B-15 to try stuff through. This is correct behaviour.

* Full disclosure: I possess both a beard and a single-speed bike. But I'm old so I don't count.
[/quote]

Yeah I saw that B-15.

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xilddx Veteran

xilddx

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[quote name='Chiliwailer' timestamp='1421689825' post='2664004']
Ex Denmark Street guys, and all very nice chaps too, especially Martin. You'd be in very good hands
[/quote]

Really :o !!

From where?

Is Martin the older geezer with the beard? Or the younger one with the beard?

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xilddx Veteran

xilddx

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[quote name='KK Jale' timestamp='1421691049' post='2664028']
Martin is the more mature beardy gent with the swept-back hair.

Various ex-Denmark St connections among the staff AFAIK, including most significantly V&R... but there is no Chris Tr*gg connection. At all.
[/quote]

Thanks. Yep, I met Martin, he is the guy who told me to help myself. The other younger fella was very cool too, knew his stuff it seemed.

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andytoad Experienced

andytoad

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good ol' BG, i spent a great couple of years there, had a top time, lived on old bethnal green road by the park around 2005.

cant leave anything around thats not bolted down tho, i remember waking up in the night thinking, that sounds like my car revving up the road, it was! then there wss the buglar i chased off in my pant, broad daylight, got some funny looks, was also stupid enoght to forgety phone leaving it on the car passenger seat.

that said, i still emjoyed my stay, shoreditch is not as i remember ten years later.

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Chiliwailer Mentor

Chiliwailer

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[quote name='xilddx' timestamp='1421689968' post='2664007']


Really :o !!

From where?

Is Martin the older geezer with the beard? Or the younger one with the beard?
[/quote]

Yeah, as said before, Martin is older and ex V&R, but he certainly ain't no Chris Trigg. Martin is a wonderful man, honest, well natured and a great musician. Steve would be the younger one with the beard I pressume. I haven't seen him in years, he was at Hanks, though he left a long time ago and was in bands after that, Justin was with Chris Bryant for years, until Chris did a runner overnight. That is if it's the Justin I think it is.

Really glad good to know that these guys are in a cool new shop.

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xilddx Veteran

xilddx

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[quote name='Chiliwailer' timestamp='1421694303' post='2664074']
Yeah, as said before, Martin is older and ex V&R, but he certainly ain't no Chris Trigg. Martin is a wonderful man, honest, well natured and a great musician. Steve would be the younger one with the beard I pressume. I haven't seen him in years, he was at Hanks, though he left a long time ago and was in bands after that, Justin was with Chris Bryant for years, until Chris did a runner overnight. That is if it's the Justin I think it is.

Really glad good to know that these guys are in a cool new shop.
[/quote]

Thanks for this info. Yep, can confirm the shop is very cool!

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molan Veteran

molan

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I never venture in darkest Shoreditch for fear of being 'converted to hipster' chic but this looks well worth a visit.

Their logo says established in 2011 so must have been around in one form or another for a while?

Have to be pretty big to retain 'main dealer' status for new Fenders and Gibsons, especially with the latest stock holding demands for 2015.

Will definitely try to head over there.

Must be better than Denmark Street as well. In fact I hadn't been back for a while but was there on Friday afternoon, tried the old trick of trying to get served but it was as tough as ever. Tried walking around, taking an instrument off the wall, playing acoustically for a bit, going to a counter and looking vaguely like a customer but couldn't draw the assistant's attention away from the blues licks he was practicing on a Telecaster without saying "excuse me" quite loudly.

When I asked about some info on a bass he said the 'bass bloke' had "nipped out for a bit". No offer to help or even to venture when the 'bass bloke' might nip back again. . .

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Johnm93 Enthusiast

Johnm93

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[quote name='molan' timestamp='1421707070' post='2664246']
I never venture in darkest Shoreditch for fear of being 'converted to hipster' chic but this looks well worth a visit.

Their logo says established in 2011 so must have been around in one form or another for a while?

Have to be pretty big to retain 'main dealer' status for new Fenders and Gibsons, especially with the latest stock holding demands for 2015.

Will definitely try to head over there.

Must be better than Denmark Street as well. In fact I hadn't been back for a while but was there on Friday afternoon, tried the old trick of trying to get served but it was as tough as ever. Tried walking around, taking an instrument off the wall, playing acoustically for a bit, going to a counter and looking vaguely like a customer but couldn't draw the assistant's attention away from the blues licks he was practicing on a Telecaster without saying "excuse me" quite loudly.

When I asked about some info on a bass he said the 'bass bloke' had "nipped out for a bit". No offer to help or even to venture when the 'bass bloke' might nip back again. . .
[/quote]

Well, maybe demolishing the whole street will improve service, if not appearance...

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