No Gibsons

GSPBASSES

Well very few and most of them were second-hand. Spent the day in London yesterday, first call Denmark Street and surrounding area, went in all the normal guitar shops, the one thing that struck me more than anything else, apart from the high price’s No new Gibsons in most of the shops. Loads of Fenders and Gretsch a few PRS and Musicman, plus a few other well known makes and some lesser well known makes (lesser for want of a better word).

 

Anyone who is a 59 burst worshipper should visit Hanks in Denmark Street they have a real one on show (I don't think it was Terry Morgan) Price on application and no I did not ask.

While I was in Hanks, I noticed that from the last time I was there the stock of good quality vintage guitars has diminished greatly, I don't think I will be too unkind to say it was more like a second-hand junk shop. They still had a few very interesting vintage guitars, but nowhere near how it used to be. I was very, very disappointed.

To make up for my disappointment  I had afternoon tea at the Ritz.

jimmyguitar

I've felt the same the last few times I've been to Denmark street, very few tasty vintage guitars there anymore. And that burst in Hanks... it's not legit

Ossyrocks

jimmyguitar said:

...........And that burst in Hanks... it's not legit

Do tell !

Sassafras

GSPBASSES said:

 

Anyone who is a 59 burst worshipper should visit Hanks in Denmark Street they have real one on show (I don't think it was Terry Morgan) Price on application and no I did not ask.

Can anyone be sure of that?

Philtre

As an official agent of the apostrophe police I arrest this thread. You have 24 hours to amend the mistake.

jonnygreentrees

Grocer's apostrophe in full force 

Ravenous

Well I just looked at Hank's on the website and there's a '58 for over 169K... I think it's been mentioned here on the forum before, come to mention it....

https://www.denmarkstreetonline.co.uk/product-details/1958-Gibson-Les-Paul-Standard-Burst

Blimey most of their stuff is "POA" according to the website, even the cheaper stuff that I'd like to search for 

Winny_Pooh

Macari's is the only one nearby Denmark St with a variety of Gibsons. I did recently look at the prices. 4k for a Les Paul! You could buy a Heritage for half that or something special like a Colling or Huber.
The Les Paul performance (robo tuners aside) looked good.

adamm82

GSPBASSES said:

Well very few and most of them were second-hand. Spent the day in London yesterday, first call Denmark Street and surrounding area, went in all the normal guitar shops, the one thing that struck me more than anything else, apart from the high price’s No new Gibson's in most of the shops. Loads of Fenders and Gretsch a few PRS and Musicman, plus a few other well known makes and some lesser well known makes (lesser for want of a better word).

 

Anyone who is a 59 burst worshipper should visit Hanks in Denmark Street they have real one on show (I don't think it was Terry Morgan) Price on application and no I did not ask.

While I was in Hanks, I noticed that from the last time I was there the stock of good quality vintage guitars has diminished greatly, I don't think I will be too unkind to say it was more like a second-hand junk shop. They still had a few very interesting vintage guitars, but nowhere near how it used to be. I was very, very disappointed.

To make up for my disappointment  I had afternoon tea at the Ritz.

I went to Guitarguitar in Camden the other week and they didn't have a huge number of Gibsons. Strangely they had probably more left handed Les pauls than right handed.

I like this kind of shop as the prices are the same as online but there is no negotiating or old stock or rarer items you find in old fashioned stores. though to be fair in Denmark street you can negotiate a bit but it will still cost more than it does online. 

Freebird

The wealth class have been sinking their cash into material objects for some time now. Artwork, property, antiques, jewellery, boats, classic cars, probably vintage guitars too. They must know something that we don't!

GSPBASSES

I did look at the website before I went, and believe me, not many of the guitars on the site are actually hanging on the wall in Hanks.

ourmaninthenorth

Don't worry Lads, Denmark Street are having Gibson's knocked up as we speak. 

WezV

I was there yesterday lunch, popped for a browse and a flat iron burger before a meeting at 2.

Macari's down the road was the place to see some nice Gibsons.

This one in the window looked really nice:

http://www.macaris.co.uk/1954-made-to-measure-pelham-blue-aged/p/p130

But it was the Loic Le Pape Firebird that really took my fancy.  I don't think these pics do it justice

http://www.macaris.co.uk/firesteelbird-candy-red/p/p535

Philtre

Philtre said:

As an official agent of the apostrophe police I arrest this thread. You have 24 hours to amend the mistake.

OP has been amended. You are free to go.

GSPBASSES

WezV said:

I was there yesterday lunch, popped for a browse and a flat iron burger before a meeting at 2.

Macari's down the road was the place to see some nice Gibsons.

This one in the window looked really nice:

http://www.macaris.co.uk/1954-made-to-measure-pelham-blue-aged/p/p130

But it was the Loic Le Pape Firebird that really took my fancy.  I don't think these pics do it justice

http://www.macaris.co.uk/firesteelbird-candy-red/p/p535

I was in Denmark st about 1. 30 and then went on to Macaris about 2.30. I did not see you there or at the Ritz.

Winny_Pooh

Best stock Macaris have is this:


Combine with bumblebee caps in your LP into a variac'd Marshall and you'll get closer to that mythical brown note.

Ravenous

Why do I get the feeling nobody takes music seriously any more?

What ever happened to all the fun in the world?

WezV

GSPBASSES said:

WezV said:

I was there yesterday lunch, popped for a browse and a flat iron burger before a meeting at 2.

Macari's down the road was the place to see some nice Gibsons.

This one in the window looked really nice:

http://www.macaris.co.uk/1954-made-to-measure-pelham-blue-aged/p/p130

But it was the Loic Le Pape Firebird that really took my fancy.  I don't think these pics do it justice

http://www.macaris.co.uk/firesteelbird-candy-red/p/p535

I was in Denmark st about 1. 30 and then went on to Macaris about 2.30. I did not see you there or at the Ritz.

Sounds like I was about an hour ahead of you

Rocker

GSPBASSES said:

Well very few and most of them were second-hand. Spent the day in London yesterday, first call Denmark Street and surrounding area, went in all the normal guitar shops, the one thing that struck me more than anything else, apart from the high price’s No new Gibsons in most of the shops. Loads of Fenders and Gretsch a few PRS and Musicman, plus a few other well known makes and some lesser well known makes (lesser for want of a better word).

 

Anyone who is a 59 burst worshipper should visit Hanks in Denmark Street they have a real one on show (I don't think it was Terry Morgan) Price on application and no I did not ask.

While I was in Hanks, I noticed that from the last time I was there the stock of good quality vintage guitars has diminished greatly, I don't think I will be too unkind to say it was more like a second-hand junk shop. They still had a few very interesting vintage guitars, but nowhere near how it used to be. I was very, very disappointed.

To make up for my disappointment  I had afternoon tea at the Ritz.

Good man. Tea at the Ritz. Makes travelling from Heathrow worth the effort. Not so sure about Denmark Street...

GSPBASSES

Rocker said:

GSPBASSES said:

Well very few and most of them were second-hand. Spent the day in London yesterday, first call Denmark Street and surrounding area, went in all the normal guitar shops, the one thing that struck me more than anything else, apart from the high price’s No new Gibsons in most of the shops. Loads of Fenders and Gretsch a few PRS and Musicman, plus a few other well known makes and some lesser well known makes (lesser for want of a better word).

 

Anyone who is a 59 burst worshipper should visit Hanks in Denmark Street they have a real one on show (I don't think it was Terry Morgan) Price on application and no I did not ask.

While I was in Hanks, I noticed that from the last time I was there the stock of good quality vintage guitars has diminished greatly, I don't think I will be too unkind to say it was more like a second-hand junk shop. They still had a few very interesting vintage guitars, but nowhere near how it used to be. I was very, very disappointed.

To make up for my disappointment  I had afternoon tea at the Ritz.

Good man. Tea at the Ritz. Makes travelling from Heathrow worth the effort. Not so sure about Denmark Street...

To be honest with you I don't think I'll bother to go to Denmark Street again it was a real let down. To be honest with you I go there more just a look round at the general area, as back in 1962 I got my first job about two minute walk from Denmark Street,
they were still building Centrepoint when I first started to work there. The guitar shops back then were absolutely fabulous. There were a few guitar shops in Denmark Street, but most of the big ones were just round the corner in Charing Cross Road.

 If I remember correctly, the biggest shop Selma and Sound City were in old Compton Street. I bought my first American P Bass from them, the guitarist in the band got his Burns Marvin from them, just across the road from Selma was Drum City. 

What I do remember is the shops were absolutely full with customers all day long, and come lunchtime you can get in them. I wouldn't mind having a bet that shops like Sound City sold more guitars in a week back then than they do in a year now.

I'll post a photo of me at the Ritz as soon as I work out how to get photos off my phone.  got it

AlexC

So does this mean that Gibsons are so popular they're flying off the shelf, or they're not popular and shops aren't stocking them? Genuine question.