Best place to buy a guitar in California

[CivilWar]

Hi,

i'm gonna be doing the west coast in mid August and would like take a new guitar home with me 

I'm specifically looking for a Gibson Les Paul Traditional, but I will make my final decision only after I tried out a few of the candidates...

Can anyone from that area recommend any good guitar shops (aside from obvious Guitar Center-stores  ), with fair prices?

Rock on!

[RKD]

well i got a guitar from Sam Ash Guitars, over the road from Guitar Center on Sunset in LA. the staff were friendly. including one in particular who'd just got in from a night of partying and hadn't been to bed yet. i remember 2 of them picked up guitars and started playing and singing songs. the prices are good and its a great store.

[bucketsixx]

including one in particular who'd just got in from a night of partying and hadn't been to bed yet. i remember 2 of them picked up guitars and started playing and singing songs.

lol....dream job!!

[Sean]

well i got a guitar from Sam Ash Guitars, over the road from Guitar Center on Sunset in LA. the staff were friendly. including one in particular who'd just got in from a night of partying and hadn't been to bed yet. i remember 2 of them picked up guitars and started playing and singing songs. the prices are good and its a great store.

and Guitar center usually has better deals than SamAsh...     and ordering online from them is even better, you avoid paying taxes. but yea its a guitar, but musicianfriend/guitar center have a good return policy.  I once ordered a black gibson les paul standard and I kept sending them back (they paid for it) and getting another one.  I did this about 4 times and in the end I never bought the guitar 

[RKD]

and Guitar center usually has better deals than SamAsh...     and ordering online from them is even better, you avoid paying taxes. but yea its a guitar, but musicianfriend/guitar center have a good return policy.  I once ordered a black gibson les paul standard and I kept sending them back (they paid for it) and getting another one.  I did this about 4 times and in the end I never bought the guitar 

true, but when i went into Guitar Center, it seemed so blank. everyone ignored me, just carried on doing what they pleased. as soon as i walked into sam ash, i was approached and asked if i needed any assistance. and it wasn't in a nagging way that annoys you. it was a friendly way. he approached with a can of coke and was like "Hey you need any help at all man?" and continued telling me about his night out at the Whisky and how he hadn't been to bed yet. and this continued till i bought the guitar. I'd rather pay a bit more and get a friendlier service then just be blanked until it appears i'm gonna spend some money. its amazing how they're across the street from one another but have vastly different sales techniques. SamAsh on sunset definitely was the better for me.

[Sean]

I'd rather pay a bit more and get a friendlier service then just be blanked until it appears i'm gonna spend some money. its amazing how they're across the street from one another but have vastly different sales techniques.

each to their own ... but think that is just silly... 

its called they have a better sales team for that day.  When you go shopping for potatoes you know you are getting potatoes, and don't really need much help.

anyway I would have walked across the street with samash quote... and got my goods. 

[mitophin22]

I go to sam ash