Best mandolin store on the west coast?

[surfcow]

Hi there,

I live in Hawaii (and love it). There's precious few mandos on island. I've got a bunch of frequent flyer miles saved up, thought I might go on a mandolin hunt to the mainland, west coast. Where to go?

(Sure, there's lots of things on the internet, but I've handled so few mandolins that I don't even know what I want.)

I'd like my move up from my humble beginner mando (Michael Kelly A-Solid) to a better mando. Was thinking about a Quartz OO or a Mid-Mo / Big Muddy, but I'm open. Used / blems are fine. $600 - $700 or so. Mostly play solo celtic / jazz / dawg / newgrass, some bluegrass & classical.

So, where to go on the left coast? I want to lay my hands on a wide selection of modest mandos in my range. Large inventory, good staff, etc. Might stay the night too.

Ideas?

Thank you kindly.

=brian

[John Kasley]

If you're in the SF Bay area, swing by Gryphon in Palo Alto
http://www.gryphonstrings.com
I've been a customer since they were working out of their homes 30+ years ago, and although I now live on the right coast, I still visit every time I'm out there. Bought my F5 MM from them a couple of years ago. They carry wide selection at different price points. See the inventory section on their web site.

[gnelson651]

If you are in the San Diego area, Buffalo Brothers (http://www.buffalobrosguitars.com/) has a good selection of mandolins. I went there during this last August while attending Summergrass and they were really nice. I went upstairs to the mandolin room,my daughter and I sat down and just started playing different mandolins. My favorite was the Collins MT. Too bad the wife was there, I might have bought it. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/biggrin.gif

[Dan Eaton]

Gryphon is my favorite music store, period. #In all fairness, though, you should consider "The Fifth String" in Berkeley. #They have more instruments in your price range.

http://www.5thstringberkeley.com/

It's a block form the Ashby BART station, which is convenient to both SFO and Oakland. #SFO has a BART station at the airport, and Oakland has frequent shuttle service to the Oakland Coliseum BART station. #

http://www.bart.gov/index.asp

Cheers,

Dan

[testore]

You have to check out Carmel Music too.

[eadg145]

Carmel music? Do they carry the lower end now? I always think of Carmel Music as the place to get a Gilchrist. It has been a while since I've been there, though. I guess I'd call first. It is a great shop, in any case.

I will reinforce the Gryphon recommendation, though. Several price points, and usually several Mid Mos there.

cheers,

David

[ned armando]

carmel is only an online store. they closed their storefront 11 years ago.

[eadg145]

Wow. Then I guess it's been a LONG while since I've been there! http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/tounge.gif

Looking at the web site, it looks like their storefront was open for 11 years ago. I couldn't tell when they closed, though.

cheers,

David

[mandroid]

If not stopping directly at the RentA Car desk at the airport,

San Francisco bay area, public transit-wise,
'Cal Train' will get you to Palo Alto, it runs down the peninsula.
(a bus to Santa Cruz too somewhere along the route)

BART runs up and down the east bay.

MUNI, SF bus, will connect the 2.

[: inter-modal connections, who US? ]

[testore]

I actually didn't read the original posters' budget. Carmel Music won't have anything in his range BUT it's a nice place to see other mandos that may be in your MAS future. Take the west coast mando tour. There's also the 5th string in Berkeley and they have a lot of lower end items.

[Jim MacDaniel]

If you end up in the Bay Area and are visiting 5th String in Berkeley as recommended above, you might want to swing over to nearby Alameda and visit Larry at Thin Man Music (http://thinmanmusic.com/old_mandolins.htm). He frequently has some interesting used mandolins, such as the Flatiron M2 he currently has listed in inventory. (His new inventory (http://thinmanmusic.com/mandolins_Mandolas_octave_mandolins_irish_bouzouki .htm) is on the modest side, featuring Eastman, Paris Swing, Trinity College, Rover, and some neat multi-chambered mandolins and mandolas from Viet Nam with extra little soundholes around the sides.)

[Markse]

It might not be worth a trip on it's own, but if you're doing the wine country while you're here, Tall Toad Music in Petaluma is worth a look. They have a small but interesting collection of vintage mandos (they keep 'em upstairs, you have to ask them to unlock the case).

[mandopete]

Sounds like everyone has assumed you are heading to California.

If you decide to go North of that I would highly reccomend Dusty Strings in Seattle, #They usually have a good selection of mandolins on hand.

[jasona]

Buffalo Bros gets another vote for me. Then take the 5 north to Santa Monica and step into Macabe's. Between San Diego and Santa Monica, you'll have a nice vacation too (IMHO).

[Doug Hoople]

Seconding all the recommendations for the Bay Area, but in particular:

Gryphon Strings in Palo Alto
5th String in Berkeley

These are the two primary recommendations. A couple of years ago, their new mandolin stock overlapped quite substantially. But then Gibson re-jiggered its franchising arrangement, and 5th String was carrying all the Gibsons and Gryphon started focusing on its Collings offerings and stopped offering factory Gibsons. Gryphon has a more complete selection of mid-level instruments (Lebeda, Summit, Dart, Weber, Breedlove, etc.). They both have a number of sub-$1k offerings (5th String's are funkier and more interesting), and they both carry a limited number of Eastmans.

Gryphon has the storied Frank Ford heading a fine restoration and repair staff. They're too busy to take on significant new work, but they always have time to talk to you about setup problems and small repairs that you're puzzling over.

And the 5th String has Jim Hyatt, who owns the store, also operating his own luthier's shop in-house. Jim's instruments are definitely worth a visit (he finished a mandocello recently)... they're gutsy, fine-sounding axes with old woods that have interesting stories to tell. He never has any more than one or two in-house at any given time, but if one is in a playable state, it should be worth picking up and trying. He still carries the Gibsons, but these days the inventory doesn't strike me as quite as comprehensive as before (just my impression).

Also of interest:

Tall Toad in Petaluma (cool old-time music store)
Thin Man in Alameda (interesting vintage stuff)
Lark in the Morning in San Francisco (world music odds and ends, bouzoukis, bowlbacks, ouds, etc.)

[Reid Morsi]

If you manage to make it as far North as Portland Oregon, then you should check out both Apple Music Row (http://www.applemusicrow.com/) and also
Pioneer Music Co. (http://www.pioneermusicco.com/) Which are both located in downtown Portland, only like 10 or so blocks from each other.
While both of these stores feature mainly guitars and higher end instruments, Apple Music always has a few Breedlove's and Pioneer Music frequently has some Eastman's in stock. So if you wanted to get a feel for these companies and their instruments (which both seem to be right in your price range) then these are two of the best stores in the Pacific NW for doing so.
Plus there is no sales tax in Oregon, so you can save like 7% or something like that, which could be $70 on a $1000 mando and might equal you getting a nicer case to protect your baby.

[Jeff Hildreth]

In Oregon

Cripple Creek in Ashland

MacKenzie River in Eugene

Carmel music was open long before Dexter.. he bought it from my friend "Bud"
Dexter always has fine mandos and a no BS business approach.. bought and sold lots from him
Gryphon is also a favorite
5th String is a landmark store
Also Fifth String ( nothing to do with the other) in Sacramento

[Mando Medic]

Let me blow my own horn... Cartwright's Music and Repair Shop, 13 miles east of Salem Oregon... I build, do repairs and setups of mandolins and currently have 19 mandolins in stock and it's a lot friendlier than fighting Portland traffic and less than an hour away.... Kenc

[Pete Braccio]

Another Northern California suggestion: Sylvan Music in Santa Cruz (http://www.sylvanmusic.com/). They have instruments in your price range and higher. They are about an hour south of San Francisco and about 30 minutes away from Gryphon's by car (provided no one plays bumper cars on Route 17 in the Santa Cruz Mountains).

Pete

[EdSherry]

I strongly second the recommendations of Gryphon in Palo Alto (I've known Frank and Richard since 1970), the Fifth String in Berkeley, and Tall Toad in Petaluma. #

Marc Silber has a shop in Berkeley that is not open on a regular basis, but he's a real nice guy (and a fantastic musician), and I've always been able to arrange in advance to have him let me look at what he's got:

http://www.marcsilbermusic.com/

[Ken Sager]

Let me blow my own horn... Cartwright's Music and Repair Shop, 13 miles east of Salem Oregon... I build, do repairs and setups of mandolins and currently have 19 mandolins in stock and it's a lot friendlier than fighting Portland traffic and less than an hour away.... Kenc
I'll second this statement. Great shop, great little town, great guy running the shop. Worth the drive.

Best,
Ken

[Eddie Sheehy]

The Folk Music Center in Claremont (So. Cal) - off the 10 and 57 near Pomona. folkmusiccenter.com - "We Pluck Dulcimers not Chickens". Lottsa mandos, zouks, guitars, wierdy stringed implements of torture etc. I could spend days there.....

[Folkmusician.com]

I would venture a guess that I have one of the larger inventories of mandolins in this price range in California. Typically 50-100 in stock that I can show by appointment. The downside being, I am pretty far north (Redding, CA), and there is not a lot in the area, so it would be an out of the way trip. http://www.mandolincafe.net/iB_html/non-cgi/emoticons/smile.gif