The Steel Guitar Forum

Hi
I am in San Francisco from the 28 september to the
10 of oktober.I want to know if there is a Steelguitar and banjo store.Who know 's a Steelplayer in this town
who gives Steellesson!
Thanks
Wolfgang

No steel guitar store in San Francisco, sorry!

Dont know about anything in San Francisco but across the bay you'll find Tom Bradshaw and his steel guitar and Webb amp enteprize in Concord. In El Cerrito you can go to the Music Works and get a steel lesson from Duane Wong.

I think there's a banjo store across the bay in Berkeley called the 5th String.

While there are more steel players around the Bay than I thought there would be, I believe the closest steel store is a mere 6 hours down the highway, Blackie Taylors in Riverside, or 7 hrs to Steel Guitars of North County (San Diego County).

Sad but true.

Gryphon in Palo Alto (half hour south) will have a bunch of banjos, mandolins, fiddles, and acoustic guitars.

May as well fly on down to Nashville.

Hi Wolfgang,

You should come into Amoeba Music on Haight St. It's a CD/DVD/LP store, and I'm a partner. We have a pretty cool "hot picker" selection. However, it's not an instrument music store. Say hi if you do.

Joe

Actually I bought my first steel at the 5th string in Berkeley, a D8 Stringmaster. They stock resos and the ocasional lap steel.

hey joe...isn't haight street where all the hippies are smokin pot and takin acid? peace, brother!

Joe Goldmark wrote:Hi Wolfgang,

You should come into Amoeba Music on Haight St. It's a CD/DVD/LP store, and I'm a partner. We have a pretty cool "hot picker" selection. However, it's not an instrument music store. Say hi if you do.

Joe

Joe's definitely not kidding. Amoebe music is incredible!......Warning: Leave your wallet out in the car because you will easily find a couple of hundred dollars worth of vinyl or cd's you won't be able to live without.

One more vote for Amoeba. Great place.

I lived two blocks kitty corner from Haight and Ashbury in 1985 (Clayton and Waller). Even at that time, the "Hippies" couldn't afford to live in the Haight: it's become a pretty toney address. There did, however, seem to be a steady supply of folks with orange hair and large safety pins through their cheeks, bussing in daily from the 'burbs to hang out on "The Street".

Another vote for Amoeba; I've "accidentally" left a fair amount of money there myself over the years!

Joe, I don't suppose it's a coincidence that you're a partner AND that there's lots of great steel oriented stuff there??


Surely there must be more than one steel player in the Bay Area that gives lessons?

Wolfgang,
the best store for accoustic instruments (including banjos) in the SF Bay Area is Gryphon, 211 Lambert Ave in Palo Alto, CA, about 40 minutes south of SF, http://www.gryphonstrings.com

One of the 2 Owners, Frank Ford is a world famous mandolin expert and luthier. also, they carry a wide selection of strings, picks, bars and other steel guitar accessories as well as instruction books and music for any imaginable instrument.
BTW, I am just one of their customers so this is not an ad
Enjoy your stay!
Ed

Joe Goldmark wrote:Hi Wolfgang,

You should come into Amoeba Music on Haight St. It's a CD/DVD/LP store, and I'm a partner. We have a pretty cool "hot picker" selection. However, it's not an instrument music store. Say hi if you do.

Joe

yep i second that, the first time i went san fran i ended up stumbling on that place - what a great music store

Another vote for Amoeba! I was there in May, and left with a dozen DVD's... If it wasn't 102 degrees there would have been a LOT of vinyl going in the car too.

I really like the introduction of the Amoeba label, too.

As if one Amoeba weren't enough in the Bay Area, there's another one across the Bay Bridge in Berkeley!

Mark Eaton wrote:As if one Amoeba weren't enough in the Bay Area, there's another one across the Bay Bridge in Berkeley!

Pretty typical for an Amoeba to divide and reproduce itself (cytokinesis).

How about Fat Dog's Subway Guitars.
Is he still around? It was a cool place to find oddball guitars. I found a couple lap steels there for very little $$.
Joe

chris ivey wrote:hey joe...isn't haight street where all the hippies are smokin pot and takin acid? peace, brother!

not any more,,now they go to the gap!


Every time I go to that Amoeba I come out 200$ poorer. Great store.

The 5th String is at Ashby and Shattuck in Berkeley, right by the Ashby BART station. Berkeley Musical Instruments is just 100 yards away on Shattuck.

You should also check out Lark in the Morning by Fisherman's Wharf on Leavenworth St.

Joe S. Fat Dog is still at it. He's not on Cedar St anymore He moved over to San Pablo Ave where he's got a bigger and even messier store.

I was just at Subway a few weeks ago - truly a mess, but he had a "Frankenstein" hybrid Danelectro baritone guitar I wanted badly, but alas, it's not in the budget right now.

There used to be a music store in Santa Clara that was owned by a steel player and had a few steels on the floor. You turned off of 101 on Mathilda and it was in a little shopping center after you crossed the overpass. It's been twenty years and it may not be there.

That was Steel Guitar World (actually in Sunnyvale) owned by Mark Fried (I believe that was his name). That store was bought out by Haight Ashbury Music many, many years ago. No steel guitar there. I believe Mark told me he was moving to Nashville to be a songwriter.

Absolute luxury !! My nearest steel guitar store is a mere 17,500 miles away

I know the feeling Paddy!