Bygone music/bass shops you were fond of?

[kiat]

I just answered here the 3 bass question (first, most practical, most "you") thread and it got me thinking about where I saw and bought my first bass.

 

It was Macaris on Charing Cross Road in London in about 1980. I lived in a flat but was starving, no job, no money and had to sell my beautiful tenor sax* I'd previously spent half a year saving for, effectively making it difficult to fulfil my dreams of becoming a full-time musician.

 

The owner of Macaris apologised that he could only offer me £300 for it, as he could see I was upset, so he said he'd let me have a bass, amp and lead for £100, at cost he said. A Westone Thunder 1A black and a Traynor Bloc80b (which miraculously has followed me over 20 home moves later).

 

 

Although an unhappy time, it did start me on the road to being a bass player, which I think, by sheer luck, suits my character better.

 

I went back later (in the early 80s still) to get my first and only pedal, a new Boss Chorus. 

 

On a recent trip to London I looked out for Macaris and was sad to see the shop gone, replaced with a horrendous building devoid of character. Denmark Street has held out, but the old rehearsal rooms seem to have gone. But a quick browse online today and it turns out Macaris improbably moved to Haywards Heath, which means I'll give them a visit one if these days.

 

* Conn Connqueror 30M "Naked Lady"

 

What shop do you have fond memories of?

[Terry M.]

GAK and PMT 🥲

[neepheid]

Bruce Millers in Aberdeen - where I bought my first bass.  Closed 2011.

 

[SuperSeagull]

3 hours ago, kiat said:

I just answered here the 3 bass question (first, most practical, most "you") thread and it got me thinking about where I saw and bought my first bass.

 

It was Macaris on Charing Cross Road in London in about 1980. I lived in a flat but was starving, no job, no money and had to sell my beautiful tenor sax* I'd previously spent half a year saving for, effectively making it difficult to fulfil my dreams of becoming a full-time musician.

 

The owner of Macaris apologised that he could only offer me £300 for it, as he could see I was upset, so he said he'd let me have a bass, amp and lead for £100, at cost he said. A Westone Thunder 1A black and a Traynor Bloc80b (which miraculously has followed me over 20 home moves later).

 

 

Although an unhappy time, it did start me on the road to being a bass player, which I think, by sheer luck, suits my character better.

 

I went back later (in the early 80s still) to get my first and only pedal, a new Boss Chorus. 

 

On a recent trip to London I looked out for Macaris and was sad to see the shop gone, replaced with a horrendous building devoid of character. Denmark Street has held out, but the old rehearsal rooms seem to have gone. But a quick browse online today and it turns out Macaris improbably moved to Haywards Heath, which means I'll give them a visit one if these days.

 

* Conn Connqueror 30M "Naked Lady"

 

What shop do you have fond memories of?

The HH shop is a very poor substitute for the Macaris you and I recall. I brought one of their own brand Craftsman J bass copies in the mid 70s and later took my youngest son there for a Lag acoustic guitar in the late 90s. And my old boss worked there in the 60s selling coloursound pedals. A wonderful place.