mandolin stores

[reeljigs]

Does anyone know of any music stores in California (either central coast or southern cal) with a wide selection of mandolins??

[WireBoy]

Buffalo Bros in Carlsbad
Acoustic xpressions in san diego
McCabes in santa monica

[Frank Russell]

reeljigs - I can second the Buffalo Bros. recommendation with confidence. I have traded with Bob and his crew many, many times and always came away happy. They have a large selection of new and used, from Kentuckys to Webers, Flatirons and above. Always something interesting there, and the staff will usually leave you alone to pick whatever you wish, within reason. I cannot give the same thumbs-up to McCabes - interesting place, but usually mostly Mid-Mo's and a few other specimens, and I never was treated like anything there but a number. Mandolin sales didn't seem like a high priority. Maybe just caught them on a few bad days, nothing personal, it's one of my favorite venues to see a band perform. Frank

[reeljigs]

Thanks for the recommendations. I can't believe there aren't more music stores with a decent mandolin selection in this area. I thought that perhaps LA would have something because it is such a huge city.

Maybe I need to travel out of state to play and hear some variety, but who has time for that??
Where do you all buy your mandolins, or are you lucky enough to have more choices where you live??

[jasona]

I disagree with that evaluation of McCabes. When I've been there, there have been a large number of midlevel instruments (Rigel, Breedlove, Moon, Fender) on the wall, and in the case the last time I was there I sampled a Summit, a Collings MF-5, a Gibson F5-G, and...another one I think. I've heard there are several Collings there now. Never seen a MidMo there, although that's all Broadway Music in Culvert City has.

Highly recommended.

[WireBoy]

I too despair of the lack of Mandolins stocked in LA area music stores.

to elaborate a bit, mcCabe's keeps a bit closer tabs on whose playing, but they let you pick away with no problem. #they have about 20 mandos, they also try to cover the range. the gibsons and collings are behind glass and the rigel breedloves kentucky and fenders (but only a weber y2k)are on the wall. (but if you want to get a Ukelele, they have great selection!)

I had to go San Diego for acousitc xpressions to get a good taste of weber. AE has only about a dozen on the wall with just MK and weber well represented. #but they also were very nice aobut letting you pick with very little bother.

Buffalo Bros has several dozen mandos on the wall and everything is represented there, new, used, collings, breedlove, rigel, MK, weber, kentucky, old gibson, rose, and other imports and independent builders.
#and they do let you pick to your hearts content.

never been to Broadway in Culver city (never played MidMo either!)

Blue Ridge Pickin Parlor in Granada Hills has a couple of Gibsons and Kentuckys. #but they only have few of each.

[wdrysd]

It is Boulevard Music on Sepulveda in Culver City. They had an Eastman A this week, with a very striking maple back.

Blue Ridge Picking Parlor had a couple of Sumis recently - an A and an F. The A sounded pretty good for new and had excellent workmanship.