My shop specializes in both high quality new and used doublebasses and in
high quality new and used acoustic guitars and related instruments. Since starting
out my career as a guitar repairman in Sacramento in 1975, I have managed acoustic
instrument stores, worked for an import musical intrument wholesaler, built
Santa Cruz Guitar Company instruments 1988-90 as their 4th employee, worked
as a dealer service agent for a couple of instrument manufacturers, played
both doublebass and guitar semi-professionally, and have owned and operated
my own retail store since 1990. My guiding philosophy is to stock instruments
that I would have at home to play and to treat each customer with gentle respect.
Doublebasses
I stock a wide variety of doublebasses that will address the needs of players
just starting to play all the way to professional level handmade instruments.
All new bases are set up by one of my team of doublebasses luthiers, including
Sacramento's Jeff Sahs and Matt Bohn of Felton. All used doublebasses get a thorough
going over by my luthiers to address any setup or repair issues before they hit
the showroom floor. I also stock a good selection of bows and doublebass covers.
I have the largest stock of doublebasses for sale on the west coast between Seattle
and Long Beach. Please stop by for an audition in my large and comfortable retail
room.
- New Chinese Basses: I have weeded through
the many brands coming from China and have settled on only three lines that
meet my strict requirements, Shen, Xuechang Sun, and Eastman. Each of these
brands has its own web page.
- Vintage American Plywood Basses: I usually
have some examples of the much loved American plywood basses from Kay, Epiphone,
American Standard, and King Moretone. These popular instruments have served
musicians well as performance and festival instruments.
- New Eastern European Basses: Mostly coming from Romania, these
robust intermediate level instruments from Calin Wultur and Mathias Thoma work
very well for the student or semi-professional player.
- New German Basses: These fine instruments
from the Hofner factory in Hagenau are distributed under the brand names
of Hofner and Paesold. These are the instruments that I play myself. The
7/8 size doublebasses have been especially popular.
- Vintage European Basses: These instruments
are usually Czech or German made and offer a fine value for the semi-professional
player or as a second instrument for the professional.
- Handmade Basses: These instruments come
from master luthiers working alone or with only one or two assistants. These
instruments represent a truly professional performance doublebass.
Guitars
My unique experiences as a guitar repariman, manager of the San Francisco Fifth
String music shop, dealer sales for Saga and Santa Cruz Guitar Company, retail
sales for Gryphon, and building experience with Santa Cruz Guitar Company give
me a unique perspective in owning a retail acoustic guitar shop. Repair and restoration
work are professionally done by Alan Perlman, Chris Berkov, Darren Webb, and
Addam Stark.
- New Guitar lines that I sell are by Rockbridge and Preston Thompson .
- Vintage Guitars by Martin, Gibson, Larson Brothers, etc. are sometimes augmented
with vintage banjos, mandolins, archtop guitars, and solidbody electrics.
- Used Guitars from the modern era are usually represented by Merrill, McAlister,
Collings, Bourgeois, Schoenberg, Martin, etc.
- I welcome consignments, particularly healthy vintage Martin, Larson Brothers,
and Gibson instruments as well as clean examples of modern era instruments.
