New store in San Diego!

[Nick Triesch]

Just want to tell you folks that there is a nice new guitar/mandolin store in San Diego in the North Park area. It's called Acoustic expressions. It is a nice large store with a whole wall of Weber mandolins and also a large group of MK mandolins. Out of the Webers I played a Bitteroot oval hole. It was finished in a clear walnut. Really great sound and perfect workmandhip. I also got to try a new traditional beartooth and a fantastic bridger and also a gallitin. All these mandos had a very large consistant sound. I was blown away and it's not just because I like Webers. The Gallitin was made just as nice as the custom bitterroot. Now I know I've sort of made fun of MK mandolins in the past but that is no more. I played their top F style and the sound and workmanship was very much improved. The one I played was only $1100. What a deal! It played and sounded very nice. As nice as many expensive mandolins I've played over the years. Ok I'm done. If you are in the San Diego area it's worth a stop. After you are done, check out the zoo! Nick

[Dru Lee Parsec]

Is this the former "House of Strings"? I heard that they were selling to a new owner and the new owner had a nicer/larger shop. Where are you located?

[toddjoles]

Yes, George retired, sold the building and sold HOS. The new store just opened last monday. I believe George used the name HOS for the instrument sales and New Expressions for lessons etc... I heard the new name was changed to better reflect their focus and market.

[Professor PT]

Is the new store located in the same building or no? I will definitely check out the new store. I need some new strings, and it's always fun to check out new mandos.

[Nick Triesch]

The new store is located on the corner of 30th and Utah in Northpark. Just down the stree from the other store. Nick

[ebert5150]

Thanks for the info. I was getting ready to drive up to Carlsbad for a Buffalo Brothers run, but ill check this place out instead.

[Nick Triesch]

I was wrong on the location....It's on the corner of utah and university in Northpark. 2852 university. Worth the drive. Nick

[Dru Lee Parsec]

OK, I finaly found it.

I drove up there at lunch time yesterday and couldn't find it. So I went back after work and still couldn't find it. I finally asked at the woodwind and brass store down the street if they knew where it was and they showed me.

It's on the south west corner of Utah and 30th. The only sign is a paper sign in the window. But if you're in town you need to make this trip. They are really trying to build "acoustic music central" for San Diego. The people are nice and they're building up a nice collection of good quality instruments. In particular they have a nice collection of Micheal Kelly and Weber mandolins as well as Breedlove guitars, Deering banjos and McFadden dulcimers. We also talked about having them carry some of the dulcimers I build as well. That would be cool http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/blues.gif

The store is about halfway done. THe front room is finished and the teaching studios are complete. But they have a ton of room in the back that they're thinking of turning into a coffee house with a stage. This would be really cool if they could have a place to promote live acoustic music and then link that venue to their shop.

So now that I know it's there I'll be hanging out as a regular. If you're in San Diego then you really should go check it out.

[ebert5150]

Spent some time in the new shop this afternoon and all I have to say is Wow! I really love the new place and the huge selection of Webers they have. I talked to the owner and she said that they would be getting some Breedloves in also. She even gave my son a free Kazoo. Great place.

[Dru Lee Parsec]

OK, I did it!

I finally got so darn sick of my Ovation acoustic guitar that I bought a new guitar from the new Acoustic Expressions store on Friday. (As guitars go, my Ovation is a good snow shovel).

So I now have a nice Breedlove acoustic guitar to match my Breedlove mandolin. #It's a beauty:

http://www.brouelette.com/guitar/images/breedlove1.jpg

The bass on this guitar just booms. #This thing is so loud it's a freakin bluegrass cannon! #The neck feels wonderful and the details, fit and finish are just perfect. #Check out the green abalone perfling. #And the silk in that spruce top isn't too bad either ;) #:

http://www.brouelette.com/guitar/images/breedlove2.jpg

[Dru Lee Parsec]

[have to split this into 2 messages because I can't post 4 pictures in one message]

Don't these two just look like mother and child?

http://www.brouelette.com/guitar/images/breedlove4.jpg

So now I have a matching set of Breedloves:

http://www.brouelette.com/guitar/images/breedlove5.jpg

BTW, I'm not affiliated with Breedlove in any way. It just happened that the 2 instruments that really spoke to me were by the same company. So I'm not the "Breedlove Unofficial Spokesman", I'm just a very happy customer. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Nick Triesch]

Man! What a great guitar! What a great spruce top. What a great guitar! Nick

[HorseWoman]

Oooh! #Purty guitar!

I'll throw in another vote for visiting Acoustic Expressions (at University and Utah). #I've been a customer of HOS forever, and Acoustic Expressions is carrying on their tradition of great service, friendly people, a good selection of instruments (and books!), and an environment that encourages people to participate in learning and playing.

I was at their "grand opening", and found a Michael Kelly guitar (actually, it just reached out and grabbed me) that I just had to have. #Awesome acoustic/electric guitar for the price (<$450) - and pretty, too. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif

p.s. #I heard they are thinking of calling the coffeehouse "Acoustic Espresso". http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/laugh.gif

[Dru Lee Parsec]

I was there this weekend just to hang out and jam. (We had a spontainious bluegrass jam with Mark, one of the owners, and another customer).

One of the things that impressed me was that they got a shipment of guitars in. Before they put them on the wall they checked (and fixed) the action at the nut and the bridge. On the lower and medium priced guitars this usually meant that they had to re-file the string slots in the nut, adjust the truss rod, and set up the action and intonation at the bridge. And they did this to every single instrument.

So not only do they make sure that every instrument is in tune every day, but they made sure that every instrument is set up properly no matter what level of insturment it is. To be fair, the higher end Martins and Breedlove guitars and pretty much all of their mandolins (MK, Breedlove, Weber) come from the factory properly set up. But I think this is a nice touch and it shows a respect for the customer.

[Professor PT]

Hey, is that Breedlove made in Korea or US? I was in there and played some that were Korean, but I don't think they had any US made. How much was your guitar? Most seemed very reasonably priced. I played a few MK acoustics that surprised me as well.

[Dru Lee Parsec]

Mine is one of the Korean ones, The list price was $849. It's an amazing guitar that has tons of low end boom while still having even response across all the strings.

The other Breedlove they have there is essentially the same guitar as mine but with Mahogany back and sides and without the abalone inlay around the body. It's about $599 I think. That's probably the one you played. The sound is almost exactly the same as mine. In fact, the first day I tried them both I thought that the mahogany one sounded even better. So yeah, you probably played my guitar's brother http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif And I know from playing that one a lot that it's a very nice instrument as well.

In fact, I went to Guitar Center in El Cajon yesterday and played a Taylor and a few Martins. The only instrument that came close to the voice of either of the Breedloves was the Martin Eric Clapton model. And the price for that Martin guitar is about 3 times what I paid for mine. So yes, I'm very happy with my new guitar http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[WireBoy]

I have a trip to San Diego coming up July fourth weekend. #hopefully, i can slip away from 'the fort' for a little while for a visit. #i'm looking forward to playing a few Webers. #having heard all the accolades, i just can't seem to find a spot to test drive them in the LA area. #any suggestions for an LA 'weber' test drive without going to San Diego (or buffalo brothers). #I've tried McCabes in santa monica, but they only seem to have the aspen flat tops. #i want to try bitterroots, gallatins, yellowstones, absorakas, beartooth.

i had a great time at the Breedlove booth at the winter NAMM this year. #they had about ten mandos displayed and it was great fun giving each a tickle. #i think if i get a second mando, its going to be a breedlove. #i like the KF but... quartz? cascade?? Rogue?http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/rock.gif

[Dru Lee Parsec]

Acoustic Expressions has a Gallatin. I think it's the best mando in the shop. They "had" a Breedlove KF for about one day before it sold. I don't know the names of the other Weber models but they have about 5 or 6 Webers, about 5 or 6 Michael Kelly's, and a Web Octave mandolin that sounds amazing.

I don't get up to LA enough to know where there may be mando stores there. I would have guessed McCabe's as well.


i think if i get a second mando, its going to be a breedlove. i like the KF but... quartz? cascade?? Rogue

Mine is a Quartz KO but every Breedlove I've played has been pretty amazing. The only mandos I've played that sounded and felt as nice were the Weber Gallatin and a Gibson F-9. (I've never had the chance to play a Gibson F-5).

[Nick Triesch]

Give world of strings in Long Beach a call. I think they are a Weber dealor. Nick

[jiffyfeet]

I went and checked this place out this weekend. Pretty cool little shop. I noticed that all of their instruments were in tune, which is nice. It also seemed that the bridge was actually properly positioned on each of the mandos I play, which never seems to be the case with other shops.

I wasn't really looking for a new instrument, but they had a realy pretty fiddle I just couldn't live without. Hopefully I can learn to play it.

[ericwall]

Ok, I don't live there but having been once to Buffalo Brothers, I can't imagine going anywhere else. I suspect there are only a handful of stores of BB's calibre, pricing and quality. Again, I don't get to that area very often but I'd be there in a heartbeat every time I needed a good fix of MAS or GAS.
Best, Eric

[jiffyfeet]

I prefer Buffalo Brothers to any other music store I have ever been in. Still, their selection is limited just as every other store's is, and I saw that this place had a couple of Weber F styles that I wanted to play with. They also had a few hammered dulcimers on display, something that I wouldn't mind picking up one of these days. I go to Buffalo Bros about twice a month, so I already know what they have right now. (I've been sort of looking for a good Weber F. BB has a Yellowstone in, but the binding on the scroll is terrible. I can't believe people will pay $2,500 for something like that.)

It only makes sense to buy your instruments from BB since they give you back 100% of the purchase price when you are ready to trade up. They don't sell fiddles, though. I was happy to buy something from this new store and support them as they get settled in, but I will continue to give BB my business when it comes to mandos/guitars, since I like to trade them up when I get more money together.

[WireBoy]

well, i made my SD trip and stopped in to Acoustic Expressions. #A fine shop with a very nice selection of guitars and Mandos. #I got my wish and played a lot of Weber product: #gallatin, beartooth, 2 absorokas bridger and bitterrot and the octave mando. #my favorite was the bridger with the D hole. #very sweet and delicate tone, perfect for celtic. #my next favorite was the d hole absoroka with weber armrest/tailpiece. #very nice tones and the arm rest was very comfortable. #the octave was very good too. now i know what all the weber fuss is about.

i didn't have time on the trip to swing be buffalo brothers but maybe next time.