Good Music Stores In San Francisco?

[mandough]

Hello,
Going up to San Francisco this weekend. I was wondering if anyone knew of a good music store that has a good selection of instruments. Looking for more acoustic instruments like mandolins, mandolas, citterns, etc.
If you have any ideas, let me know. thanks

[brewmaster]

look at http://gryphonstrings.com/indexinv.html in Palo Alto (30 minutes south of SF).

They have a great selection of guitars and mandolins and more. Their inventory is listed on the website.

Other than that........I'm afraid there's nothing worth talking about around here.

If you find something else though please let me know.

[fatt-dad]

I saw a few (didn't have enough time to play) when I visited Height-Asbury. There was a fairly big music store and they may have had a few Gibsons (i.e., A-9, F-9) and some used stuff. Interesting store, none the less.

f-d

[fmspinc]

5th String in Berkeley - has several good mandolins to play.

[keithd]

mandough,

If you're in SF with a car there are a few places worth the visit. As mentioned above, Gryphon Stringed Instruments in Palo Alto is probably the premier guitar/mandolin shop around, and they actually will have more on the wall than is listed on their website. Another favorite place of mine is Schoenberg Guitars in Tiburon, Marin County. I bought a teens Gibson A-2 there; they mainly have amazing guitars, new and vintage, all of which you're welcome to play, and a small selection of vintage mandolins. Eric Schoenberg is a really nice guy, and their repairs and instrument set ups are done by the amazing SF luthier, Alan Perlman. It is reachable by ferry from SF. If you Google Schoenberg Guitars you'll find their website (I thnk the URL is om18.com). Another place, that I haven't been to yet, is Amazing Grace, in San Anselmo (this is Marin County, near San Raphael). The 5th String in Berkeley has a fairly good inventory of guitars and mandolins, including some high end new Gibsons you can pull off the wall; however, the mandolins tend to be poorly set up and not kept tuned. Also, the 5th String is right across Adeline Street from the Ashby BART station in Berkeley. Happy hunting; wish there was more to tell...

Keith

[odeman]

Lark in the Morning has their HQ in Seattle, but they have retail stores at Pike Place ( Seattle ) and one in San Francisco - they have the widest selection of stringed instruments I've ever seen.

[mandough]

I actually did stop by the Lark in the Morning shop in San Francisco. A few mandos, quite a few citterns and mandolas. Alot of other "world" stringed instruments. Nice accordians.
Stopped by the Height Ashbury music store. Nice guitars, not so many mandolins.
Wish I could have stopped by Gryphon but was sidetracked and took the wrong freeway. Oh well, gotta go next time.
Thanks for all of the suggestions!!!