Metropoulos Forum

Went up to Hollywood GC and Sam Ash as part of the GMS Drums goodwill tour while my buddy was here.

Prices for vintage gear are still f'n outrageous. Saw (3) ES 335's, late 50's to early 60's. Price range $28K to 33K, 1969 black Les Paul Custom - $25K, the usual assortment of old Strat$$s and Paul$$$s and Tele$$'s. A '66 JTM45 - 8K, early 70's metal panels $3-4K....

They're not seriously looking to sell the stuff. Just to brag that they have a lot of cool stuff there. GC also uses their Hollywood location to price vintage gear at outlying stores across the country, creating an artificial price floor.

Sorry, that stuff will sit there until some movie star or a dumbass "Johnny Come Lately" rock star walks in with his record company bonus to overspend on his gear.

Don't get me started on the Burst Brothers.

- WOT

Agreed, Ross.

worldoftone wrote:Don't get me started on the Burst Brothers.

I sent 'em an email recently saying "Dear Burst Brothers... This is the '70's calling... we would like our hairstyles back. Thank you".


I knew Dave Belzer back in the day when he co-owned a store on L.I.
He was a dork back then. Now working for G.C. as a "Burst Brother"?? Hmmm... some things change, some dont.

Don't get me started on them..
This is exactly what is wrong with the music business, ie; vintage guitars at the moment. The whole GC takeover of music stores, has brought more music to the masses maybe, but at the expense of passing down any real knowledge to these kids coming up.
When I was trying to sell my Martin 00-28G the local guy called them and they turned down the guitar over the phone, stating it was in players condition, without even looking at pictures of it..
They are a joke and this whole rock star/investment banker/plastic surgeon investing in a vintage guitar for it's purposed increase in value is ridiculous.
I can say that my own bucket list will soon come true as Tom Witterock of Third Eye Music, in St. Louis has personally invited me by to play his famous 1959 Burst 'Gladys' and some of his other 15 1959 LP Sunbursts, this will be awesome, like the Holy Grail!! I had the experience of playing the 1958 Goldtop and carting it around the vintage Philly show for a few days, the one eventually bought by EJ for a lot less and he recorded with it then flipped it in Texas.
I had a overall somewhat miserable experience reliving the vintage guitar scene again after being involved slightly, mostly in British amps, in the late eighties early nineties, things are not what they used to be.
Have great memories though!!
yngwie308

I know vintage prices on fleabay have come down. It seems the economy is catching up to the vintage market in other regions of the US just not in Hollywood!

Tom Whitrocks store is in Springfield Mo, not St Louis.

I agree it aint what it used to be, but thats just the breaks.

Overall i think we have more quality gear thats easily accessible then ever!

jcs wrote:Tom Whitrocks store is in Springfield Mo, not St Louis.

I agree it aint what it used to be, but thats just the breaks.

Overall i think we have more quality gear thats easily accessible then ever!

My Bad, yes Springfield you are right....
Still I look forward to my visit, Tom and I have similar tastes in music, Fleetwood Mac, Peter Green, yes and Gary Moore, he is very knowledgable about Les Pauls obviously..
yngwie308