Name: Back Alley Music
Place: Chester/Mold/Warrington
Country: NW England
Review: Fairly good selection of basses (guitars and drums also) they stock Cort, a few Fender, Squier, Yamaha, Rickenbacker, Epiphone, Ibanez. Prices are quite expensive compared to other stores. Lack of amps - they only stock a few Laney and Carlsboro combos. Poor selection of strings to choose from. The staff are cool, they let you play on the instruments with no hassle.

Rating: 6/10

[QUOTE=shadow316]It would really be worth the trip. I live an hour and a half away on the train. But it was still worth it.

I was down there last saturday and i played a Warwick 5 string Thumb bass and a Rickenbacker 4003 through the Ampeg 8x10 they've got on display.

I'm now just about to buy a Rickenbacker.

It was fun and well worth the trip.[/QUOTE]

I think ill be planning a trip soon... My mate told me it was really crowded in there when he picked up his guitar, did that put you off or does the sheer sight of so many guitars cloud all other judgement? :lol:

[QUOTE=fancy_a_tipple]I think ill be planning a trip soon... My mate told me it was really crowded in there when he picked up his guitar, did that put you off or does the sheer sight of so many guitars cloud all other judgement? :lol:[/QUOTE]

There weren't that many people when i went down but try and get down in a week day if you can.

I have to say that their display was impressive. The first thing i saw was two Rickenbackers and a Gibson Thunderbird IV and i'd say there was about 50-75 basses in there.

Jamie, hurry up and review that shop we went to! It's heaven!

Guitar Guitar:

Range: All kinds of Brands, or guitars and basses. Cort, LTD, ESP, Musicman, Ibanez, fender, Gibson, etc plenty to choose from.

Its a very big shop, and is very nicely set out. Theres a good atmosphere in there.

Staff: well, on terms of knowledge, I knew more about the stuff they were selling than they did...but they did let me play an Ibanez Jem7VWH (£1500) and an ESP Truckster (£1700) without being arrogant "Only if you wave cash in my face" sales people, and not letting me. The staf were friendly and talkative.

they also have a back room filled with custom and relic guitars.


Best Music shop in Newastle, beyond a doubt.


EDIT: This post was made by Esp Griffyn

Guitar Villa
Nazerath, PA
Review: hence the name not too bass oriented but there is still a big selection... theres a drum room with about four drumsets(acoustic), an acoustic room with one acoustic bass in it, and the main floor with about over a hundred guitars and maby 40 basses... ok selection0OLP, musicmans, fender jazzes, spechter, shadosky, aria, and nice amps to go, nemisis, ampeg, ashdown, etc..
overall ratiing: 6.8/10 cause i take awsoem lessons there and bought all my equipment there... pretty knowelageable manager, too... and victor wooten visited(they have a picture of him there) and a few other awsoem ppl.
:smash:
-pat

Name:Gerry's Music
Place:Southampton
Country/state:USA/MA
Review: At first glance, they have a nice section of guitars and basses, but wait, there is no amps to be found. After a slight look you will notice, they only carry crate GUITAR amps. Also, all guitars and basses are some no name brand or "slamer" by "hamer". However, they have an excellent selection of brass and woodwind instruments, and know what they are doing when it comes to repairs. I would never buy anything here, due to the amazing overpricing (strings cost upwars of 50$ a set), however they do excellent repairs.

they get a 4/10 because of crappy selection, but excellent repiars

name: sound of music
place: kendal
county: cumbria
rating: rubbish

[QUOTE=lemoley]name: sound of music
rating: rubbish[/QUOTE]


Hmm... Just like the movie. :lol:


I really did not like that movie...

yeah i was kinda bummed too when i saw it

yer lemoley is right, soundofmusic shop is appallingly rubbish
on the other hand:
Name: RnT
Place: Barrowinfurness
Country: NW England
this shop is great, its full of loadsa instruments and its good jus to hav a play around in. and theyve loads of 5 stringers and yes they do sell six stringers. the shop owner(i think he is) is incredible on his six stringer and he is one of the reasons i started bass. its a friendly shop with a drum section upstairs. money is knocked off if your a regular and most of the prices are very reasonable anyway.
rating:8.5/10

where do you live man?

Name: Music workshop.
Place: Sydney.
Country/state: NSW, Australia.
Review: Great place, been a regular customer for nearly 5 years. Anything I want they'll order in if they don't have it, I get great discounts, and yeah, it's good.

Rating: 10/10

i wish i lived close to a good guitar shop...the closest GC is like....50 miles away...thank you parents for chosing to live in the middle of nowhere

[QUOTE=BassIsTheSoul]Guitar Villa
Nazerath, PA
Review: hence the name not too bass oriented but there is still a big selection... theres a drum room with about four drumsets(acoustic), an acoustic room with one acoustic bass in it, and the main floor with about over a hundred guitars and maby 40 basses... ok selection0OLP, musicmans, fender jazzes, spechter, shadosky, aria, and nice amps to go, nemisis, ampeg, ashdown, etc..
overall ratiing: 6.8/10 cause i take awsoem lessons there and bought all my equipment there... pretty knowelageable manager, too... and victor wooten visited(they have a picture of him there) and a few other awsoem ppl.
:smash:
-pat[/QUOTE]



How far is this from Philly?

Name: Instrumental Music
City: Santa Barbara
Country: USA

Review: I'm kinda on the fence with these guys. I hate the dudes who work there, but they have a better bass selection than the other store in town, Jensens, who I am friends with almost everybody there. Intrumental always hires retards who don't know how to set up basses right, and they b*tch at you when you reach for higher end guitars. However, if you are good, they'll leave you alone, most of the time. I've gotten b*tched at before when an Ibanez with sh*tty electronics started shreiking ("Hey! What did I tell you about letting us set up stuff for you?!"), but I started talking sh*t and he layed off. Anyway the bass selection is like this: Mostly Fender and Ibanez, a few Spectors, a few Warwick Rockbasses, and sometimes Musicman, one of those Line 6 modeling basses, and some Peaveys. Amp Selection: Fender, SWR, Eden (only one combo), Peavey, Ashdown.

Rating: 5/10 for moderate selection with douchey employees.

Shop: Sam Ash Music
City: Margate, FL
Review: Awesome place. Not perfect in terms of quantity and selection, but decent nonetheless. The employees are awesome people. Always helping, chatting, giving you suggestions and tips in terms of technique and gear. Anything you can see, you can test. It really helps. Always my first choice for gear. Really cool place. And they get regular shipments of Warwicks.

Rating: 8/10 for the imperfections on their selection. (Fener/Ibanez whores)

Name:Skip's Music
Place:Citrus Heights, CA
Country:US
Review:
I love this place. It doesn't have the widest selection. Only about 25-30 basses at a time, but they change it up all the time and they have the basic stuff. Their prices are REALLY low. I use this place basically for my "Oh I need an extra one/set" store. Also, the people are really cool there. Most of the guys are about 20-30 years old, all musicians, so they know what they are talkind about. And they never try to sell you the most expensive, or the most popular, they show you what they think you'll like, then the expensive and popular. Very nice place.

Rating: 8/10

[QUOTE=trumpeter617]Name:Gerry's Music
Place:Southampton
Country/state:USA/MA
Review: At first glance, they have a nice section of guitars and basses, but wait, there is no amps to be found. After a slight look you will notice, they only carry crate GUITAR amps. Also, all guitars and basses are some no name brand or "slamer" by "hamer". However, they have an excellent selection of brass and woodwind instruments, and know what they are doing when it comes to repairs. I would never buy anything here, due to the amazing overpricing (strings cost upwars of 50$ a set), however they do excellent repairs.

they get a 4/10 because of crappy selection, but excellent repiars[/QUOTE]
I thought I was the only one here that knew about that place.

Name: Doesn' have one
Place: Burns Lake BC
Country: Canada

Review: Doesn't exist, I don't have one.

Rating: 0/10

Does anyone live near Rondo? I'd like to know what kind of selection they have. I'm sure they have more than just Brice, SX, and Douglas basses...

Plus, I'd like to go there...

Name:Crippa Music
Place:Grand Rappids
Country/state: Minnesota
Review: they only stock squire and washburn basses and crate amps. they have a good selction of tab books. most things are over priced. they do offer lifetime warentys on the thing you buy from them, the people that work there are very good and nice.

Rating:7 /10

Name: Music Machine.
Place: Napier.
Country: New Zealand.

Review: This shop is situated in town so its about a ten minute car drive from my house. It has a range of instrument's: Guitars, basses (electric and acoutic) drums, electricdrums, PA systems, amps etc.

The thing that stands out about it is the service. I am always getting free extras added on to my purchases, service with a smile basically. Also I know the guy who works there and he is a really great guy.

Oh and the recently got in a few more basses which are boost the score from an 8/10 to a 9/10.

Rating: A solid 9/10.

name :aerohead
place :mentor ohio
country :usa

review:not a very good place to go if you want to buy an instrument they really dont know much they can tell the differance between a bass and a guitar but thats about it .there all lazy besides for there guitar tech who is pretty nice and knowledgeable about everything .other then that there prices are too high and the customer service is bad.

3/10 only good for strings and picks other then that i dont go there.

Name: Instrumental Music
Place: Ventura
Country/state: California
Review: The wall they keep all their guitars and basses on is huge, so you can't always get the one you want down by your self. Very helfup and friendly, cheapest and best guitar/bass tech guy in town as well.

BRANDS = Fender, Peavey, Warwick, Ibanez, Schetcher, Spector, (some others I cant remember)



Rating: 7/10

Name: Duck son and Pinker
Place: Swindon
Country/state: England/Wiltshire
Review: Pretty good shop were i buy loads of stuff some basses and guitars kinda over priced but still good pretty good range of amps, pa systems and guitars/basses not such a good range of drums very helpful assistants

Rating: 7/10

Name: John Holmes
Place: Swindon
Country/state: England/Wiltshire
Review: This shop is pretty good quite a small shop hardly any range of amps pretty good range of guitars, basses and drums for the size of the shop dependign on whos it the shop assistants can be helpful or unhelpful i dont think they sell pa systems and if they do ive never seen them.

Rating: 4/10

i have quite a few local ones.

1.
name: spectre sound
place:bingley, west yorkshire, uk
review - quite good, realy good on the guitar side, plenty of amps. bass brands include fender, wawrick, musicman, rickenbacker, peavy, epifone, squire, vintage and loads of crapy obscure brands. the staff are ok, they can cartainley talk the talk but from what iv been told they cant walk the walk.
2.
sound control
leeds, yorkshire, uk
good shop, good amps (hartkie, trace eliot, wawrick, messa and so on), bass brands include aria, cort, musicman, fender, epifone, wawrick and a few others, they have plenty of pedles, you can allways try prety much anything you want, they get lots of **** bassist in (from the goth gathering ground pretymuch next to it) so there usualy glad to see a half decent bassist. the staff are prety sound to me (ocasionaly try and purswade you to buy stuff but thats there job) iv been told by a few guitarists that they can be a bit gay tho (suposedley they get lots more guitarists in than bassists).

3.music ground
leeds (next to soundcontrol), yorkshire england.
decent shop, more colectors basses and guitars tho. they have sid viciouses bass (or did last time i was in any way). its more of a museum of good instruments than owt else tho (it even looks like a museum)

4.belmont bridge guitar shop
skipton, yorkshire
there bass suplys mainley fender and squire, the shops very small, there freindly staff but i dont think they know much about bass.

5.keighley musicians centre
yorkshire
used to suck but is improveing, there working with local musicians to find out what everyone wants. they have started stocking yamaha and ibanez now along with orange amps, there geting a load of pedles soon, they sell instructional books, do lessons on keys, bass, guitar, piano, vocals, drums and much more. they have a practice space. very sound staff, they will try for ages to get you what you want even though there only just realy starting out as a proper guitar shop.

Motorcity guitar: Waterford Michigan. Midwest musician mecca. Awesome vintage-new gear. Huge percussion/drums section, top-notch teachers and they beat ANY going price on new equipment by 5%. [url]www.motorcityguitar.com[/url]

Herb David guitars: Ann Arbor Michigan. World famous luthier Herb David's shop. He can order anything for a good price, his guitar work is world class and great service!

Name: Billy Hydes

Place: Blackburn, Melbourne

Country/state: Victoria, Australia.

Review: I love Billy Hydes. It has got a GREAT selection of basses and amps. ALso got a great selection of drums, Guitars, everything you need really. The people that work tehre are all REALLY friendly and will be happy to help you out. I go there all the time too they're probably getting sick of me, :lol:. They have great prices and can order in anything you need really.

[QUOTE=warwickcorvette]Name: Marks Music
Place: Cambridge, Cambridgshire
Country/state: UK
Review: A fairly small music shop located in the centre of cambridge, for its size it stocks a great variety of basses at great prices ( Got my stingray for £1050) . The customer service is great, everyone in there is very friendly and happy to help with problems. If you're ever in cambridge check it out

Rating: 9/10[/QUOTE]
Although you are right about the atmosphere and willingness to help, this store is no bigger than my bedroom. I often go in for a chat with employees, however many of the basses are significantly overpriced, and I would not agree with this high rating

More around a 4 or 5/10