San francisco

[Cary Fagan]

I'll be in San Francisco from July 6 to 11. By my research it looks like I'll miss any regular bluegrass jams. But I was wondering if there's a good store worth visiting.

Forgive me if this should be in another section.

[EdSherry]

The best mandolin stores in the Bay Area are not in SF itself. Check out Gryphon Stringed Instruments in Palo Alto (down the Peninsula about 30 miles) and the Fifth String in Berkeley (across the Bay Bridge).

The best listings for jams, etc. in the SF Bay Area are on the Northern California Bluegrass Society website:

http://www.scbs.org/

Also, Larry Carlin sends out a monthly e-mail with bluegrass listings around the Bay Area. You can find the latest one here:

http://www.carltone.com/carltonescorner.I.html

Have fun!

[mandroid]

note there is a collected world instruments store in Fisherman's Wharf,
Ghiardelli Square area, but the shops mentioned ,
via public transportation , are via Cal Train, commuter route up the penninsula, OR BART, near the Ashby Station on the berkeley >concord-richmond route, just across, the east the bay.
[no, they are not all interconnected,except BART station at fisherman's wharf]
but you don't have to do battle on the freeways with a rental car to get there.

[otterly2k]

The one mandroid is referring to is called Lark in the Morning. They have a stunning array of instruments from all over the world, and (to me) it's fascinating and fun to go there. Do not expect to find many high quality instruments, however. Their specialty is in having a little of everything... not in having a full range of anything. If you are doing tourist things around Fisherman's Wharf, it's worth a drop in.

Re: mandos, I'd expect to find a few different low-end imports... and maybe a few nicer ones... they say they stock Fylde instruments, which are pretty nice although not bluegrass instruments.

[mandroid]

Quirky little shops: Peacock, in SF, and Silbert in Berkely. as I recall .
it has been a number of years since I've been around there.

you can take your bicycle on either transit-route , off peak ,
or anytime if its a folding bike.

[berkeleymando]

It isn't mandolin, but if you are in Berkeley and are interested in guitars


FATDOG'S
WORLD FAMOUS

SUBWAY GUITARS
1800 Cedar Street
Berkeley
Planet Earth

[berkeleymando]

Forgot to include the URL:

http://www.fatdawg.com/

[EdSherry]

Re mandroid's suggestions: #Marc Silber (not "Silbert") has a small shop in Berkeley, open odd hours:

http://www.marcsilbermusic.com/

He usually has a nice selection of older mandos (as well as guitars, banjos, etc.)

I'm not familiar with Peacock Music in SF. #

I agree with Otterly that Lark in the Morning (also known locally as "Shark in the Morning") is a neat place to visit to see a wide variety of world-music instruments. #But I personally would never buy a stringed instrument there. #(I do buy other stuff, such as bones and bodhran tippers, there.) #And it's definitely not a bluegrass-oriented place.

Amazing Grace Music in San Anselmo (in Marin county, north of SF) is another good shop:

http://www.amazinggracemusicmarin.com/

And Eric Schoenberg's shop in Tiburon (also in Marin) has great high-end instruments, including a good inventory of mandos:

http://www.om28.com/