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A question for Texicans about stores


bunghole

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okay, I need to try out some amps cause I really want a new one. My first tube amp. I want a combo. I dont know if I want a good clean amp that I can brutalize with pedals, or a high gain amp with a good clean channel.

I ask this in the effects forums cause I know some of you live in central texas (Wilbo).

I'm in Waco so I'm lookin at Dallas down to Austin.

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There used to be some good shops in the Dallas area. Check out Musician's Headquarters in Balch Springs. I used to go there a lot. They may have something you're interested in. They're good guys there.

 

http://www.musiciansheadquarters.com/ds.html

 

There's a big pawn shop on that same road that used to have a cool selection of gear. You might try there, too.

 

There's two Zoo Musics on Garland Ave. in Garland. They have tons of old amps and things to check out. I bought my Classic 20 from one of them years ago.

 

Speir music used to be on that road, too (excellent store), but they moved to a new location and I think they've got a new name now.

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in Dallas...shockingly enough...the Guitar Center off 75 and Southwestern usually has a lot of great used gear. Charlies is a popular shop, but I found the staff there to be ignoring and useless, and they didn't have anything that great. I was amazing to see a Blues Jr. selling for $400 {censored}ing bucks there...but apparently thats the norm now.

In Austin...if you want an amp...Heart of Texas Music is where you need to go. They have a room FULL of amps. LOTS of great {censored} there. I remember thinking they had very reasonable prices because they were only charging 200 for a Crate VC30. They had an unreal selection last time I was there. Silverface, Blackface fenders, Silvertone and Gibson oldies, mesas, etc etc etc. Just amazing stuff.

South Austin Music is close to them, they're the best if you need service and have amazing guitars, but they don't have that many amps usually. Austin Vintage Guitars is also in the same center as Heart of Texas...they have a great pedal selection usually...and lots of cool old guitars...amp selection is average though.

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In Austin...if you want an amp...Heart of Texas Music is where you need to go. They have a room FULL of amps. LOTS of great {censored} there. I remember thinking they had very reasonable prices because they were only charging 200 for a Crate VC30. They had an unreal selection last time I was there. Silverface, Blackface fenders, Silvertone and Gibson oldies, mesas, etc etc etc. Just amazing stuff.


South Austin Music is close to them, they're the best if you need service and have amazing guitars, but they don't have that many amps usually. Austin Vintage Guitars is also in the same center as Heart of Texas...they have a great pedal selection usually...and lots of cool old guitars...amp selection is average though.

 

 

Yeah me and a friend were down there last week but all the stores were closing. So I saw the amp rooms at HoT and AustinVintage but didn't really get a chance to take a good look. So then we went to GuitarCenter and I played a Rectoverb for like 10 minutes and they told us they were closing

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in Dallas...shockingly enough...the Guitar Center off 75 and Southwestern usually has a lot of great used gear. Charlies is a popular shop, but I found the staff there to be ignoring and useless, and they didn't have anything that great. I was amazing to see a Blues Jr. selling for $400 {censored}ing bucks there...but apparently thats the norm now.

 

 

 

I think Speir Music turned into Charlies. It used to be a good shop. Had lots of nice amps and pedals and such. Plus there was a "Boutique/Custom Shop" room where you could try stuff privately.

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Austin Vintage Guitars is also in the same center as Heart of Texas...they have a great pedal selection usually...and lots of cool old guitars...amp selection is average though.



Really? You think so? I have to stop myself from spooging all over the place when I go in the amp room at Austin Vintage Guitar. Lots of Marshalls,Fenders,Voxes, etc. Not very many High-gain amps though. But lots of vintage clean to OD amps.

But Wilbo...,
next time you're there, there is an old Marshall 100w Super Lead head on top of a Marshall cab and has another head on top of it. It has a white master volume knob on the back so you can play it a good quiet volume. It sounds sooo good :love: . Play next time you run by there. But don't touch the Mustang with stickers on it!!!!!:mad:

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Nah Speir just went belly up. It had a great boutique pedal collection (the whole Way Huge line back in the day).

Larry Morgan is in the spot where the Garland Speir used to be. Morgan use to up the road and a long, long time ago they occupied their current spot. It is an okay store, pretty friendly but flaky service and no deals to be had. I have special ordered stuff from them and a month later they have no record of it - just kinda vanished into the ether. :mad:

Charley's has always been there, though it has been run by different people over the years. The new owner Clay is a mixed bag. Basically a nice guy and guitarist himself. But it is easy to get ignored there and they have a small but nice selection. It really caters to the older TGP crowd. I heard some 50+ dudes in there sitting at the table struggling to play a simple song and mangling pentatonics, I'm sure they get good service. :eek:

GC at 75 ain't bad. The salespeople are fairly friendly but somewhat vulturish. They will deal and price match, though. What pisses me off about them is they haven't had a door girl in years. There's always a little troll guy, how hard is it to hire a little eye candy!

Musician's Headquarters is a little ghetto and they have really slow turnover. Worth a look once a year, that's about it. It's a good place to buy an accordian. :cry: The pawnshop next door is not hawt anymore.

Zoo is basically Dave's junk collection. :bor: Prices are high and quality is low. But it would be a good place to buy a Peavey Windsor if you didn't want to get one from online.

In Austin, Guitar Resurrection had some nice amps. Their website is pretty representative of what they have.:thu:

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Really? You think so? I have to stop myself from spooging all over the place when I go in the amp room at Austin Vintage Guitar. Lots of Marshalls,Fenders,Voxes, etc. Not very many High-gain amps though. But lots of vintage clean to OD amps.


But Wilbo...,

next time you're there, there is an old Marshall 100w Super Lead head on top of a Marshall cab and has another head on top of it. It has a white master volume knob on the back so you can play it a good quiet volume. It sounds sooo good
:love:
. Play next time you run by there. But don't touch the Mustang with stickers on it!!!!!
:mad:

They all have great amps...but HOT always seems to have {censored}LOADS of great stuff. Maybe I just tend to go in there on good days.

 

I don't need to play with a Marshall SL...incredible amps...but WAAAY overkill and I just don't like teasing myself with them. Oh wow though...they {censored}ing smoke. :love:

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Musician's Headquarters is a little ghetto and they have really slow turnover. Worth a look once a year, that's about it. It's a good place to buy an accordian.
:cry:
The pawnshop next door is not hawt anymore.

 

 

That was a huge problem with Musician's Headquarters.. they rarely got new stuff in. I used to love that pawn shop. Bought my first pedal there, actually. I remember them having a nice selection of guitars and amps. I haven't been there in years, though. I'll be in Arlington later this year so maybe I can find some time to hit a few places. Where exactly is Charlies at?

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...Where exactly is Charlies at?



On Royal between Forest and Harry Hines Blvd.

I liked the vibe at Charley's but I guess it depends on how you like to be served as a shopper. No one called me "dude" there ... you know they are a Dr Z amp dealer now? There was a nice selection of used guitars behind the counter...timing is everything you never know what might be in front of the counter...

www.charleysguitar.com

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On Royal between Forest and Harry Hines Blvd.


I liked the vibe at Charley's but I guess it depends on how you like to be served as a shopper. No one called me "dude" there ... you know they are a Dr Z amp dealer now? There was a nice selection of used guitars behind the counter...timing is everything you never know what might be in front of the counter...


www.charleysguitar.com

I went in there one time, and literally stood right at the counter and looked at the pedals they had and watched all the employees ignore me. For like 20 minutes. They're nice enough guys...but I really didn't like the vibe there...and they had a {censored}ty selection. Probably a great place to take your guitar/amp for servicing though.

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