Denmark Street

Rob1742 · October 2023

Interested to find out about what goes on here.

Purchased from the excellent Sixty Six Sounds, great people and a great store. Really incredible experience.

But outside of this I’m getting some vibes going and wondering how related certain stores are to others and what the situation is.

I’m saying this as I’ve been involved in the following conversations recently:

1. when looking at buying an expensive guitar from an individual outside of Denmark Street, I then pulled out, the seller asked if someone connected there had suggested I pull out the deal. It was an incredibly random comment from him, him naming a random individual as to the cause of me pulling out.

2. I was then looking at another guitar elsewhere and they said the seller maybe connected to the guitar mafia in Denmark Street. Never heard this before so again I took a step back.

3. Then I was looking at a guitar in one store down there, it’s clearly double the price of what it really should be.
I did do homework here and realised the individual is a chancer and didn’t come back to me when I questioned the price versus others available of a similar age and spec.

Now I have done some homework on this last one and found a bit of noise here, but wondered if there is any connection between stores etc.

Its all a bit weird, I am extremely happy with my experience of Sixty Six Sounds, they are terrific and a great place and I would buy from them again at the drop of a hat. But I’ve stalled elsewhere as I am just unsure due to comments and wondering who is connected to who and who isn’t if that makes sense.

Might be a can of worms here, but feel a bit gutted that I am having to be a bit more careful than I originally thought I was going to have to be.

rlw · October 2023

I am confused.

flyingv · October 2023

Agree on Sixty sixty sounds, great people to deal with, although prices are on the higher side, even for Denmark street….

gusman2x · October 2023

Had a great experience with Sixty Sixty Sounds. I got a guitar they were selling on concession, so I actually ended up with a great deal, that the seller was happy with too.

Depends I guess what you’re looking for. Std second hand stuff I quite like Wunjo.

There’s the place that sells new fenders (can’t mind name), and a vintage shops (used to be vintage and rare).

It’s not really the same place or was 15/20 years ago, and I’m sure not what it was 30 years ago.

I think most people who are looking at dropping a serious amount do t normally look to Denmark street.

ScreamingDave · October 2023

I’ve always found the stores in Denmark Street to be a over-priced.

When I was young it was a Mecca for us, because you could see just about everything you could ever want, need or dream about in one street, as opposed to local store where you would only find a limited range of brands and models. But, that was before the internet and online stores. It’s easy now to do your research online, find stores that stock what you’re interested in, compare prices and travel to where you need to. What I’m getting at is that Denmark Street has lost that kudos of being the place to go, in that respect.

Plus I suspect a lot of the shops are owned by the same people and just give an illusion of competition, hence the high prices

Snags · October 2023

I think if you want specific info you may have to be a little more explicit, as the OP is not a desperately clear read - it's hard to tell whether the "individual" is the same throughout, or sometimes the same, or just different individuals all of whom may or may not have links to unnamed shops on Denmark St.

However, it ought to be relatively easy to look up the shops on Companies House to see owners/directors. Or, if the shop name is a trading name, the shop website should make the actual company name/number available and go from there. Then you can join some dots. Or not.

GoFish · October 2023

I did see a distinctive Guild acoustic in one store that I later saw advertised on the Harrison's Ebay page (London guitars or something?) - I dunno, I could be mistaken.

guitarjack66 · October 2023

My guess is that a return flight to Copenhagen to buy the guitar would work out cheaper than buying from there.

theatreanchor · October 2023

I’m not clear on what the question is, but I’ve not found much down Denmark Street. Some nice people, but the gear is lacking and anything half decent is unreasonably expensive. I don’t shop there any more, but do cruise occasionally to see if there’s anything worth trying out. Some bedroom sellers work with 66 - that I do know.

Whitecat · October 2023

I like Wunjo a lot, even for new stuff. Have bought guitars and pedals from them. Regent Sounds has also come through a few times for me. Other than then also window shopping at No Tom, there’s not much else for me on Denmark Street except for a Flat Iron which is still an exceptional value in a city where restaurant prices have (also) gone literally insane over the past year or so.

rze99 · October 2023

Whitecat said:

I like Wunjo a lot, even for new stuff. Have bought guitars and pedals from them. Regent Sounds has also come through a few times for me. Other than then also window shopping at No Tom, there’s not much else for me on Denmark Street except for a Flat Iron which is still an exceptional value in a city where restaurant prices have (also) gone literally insane over the past year or so.

I visit about once a year mainly when nearby and as a reality check on stuff I've read about - pick up a guitar I've seen raved about and feel it in my hands and decide abut 10 seconds whether it's bs or not. Also like to see in 66 - Sam's always friendly - and NOTOM vintage for a gander but I hear bad things about them.

designerseye88 · October 2023

The general rule i live buy is to not buy anything vintage Fender related from Denmark street. And always proceed with caution - do your research. sixty sixty are good guys but they just don't know a huge amount on vintage guitars.

Philly_Q · October 2023

I've regressed to my teenage years, in the sense of feeling too intimidated to go into the Denmark Street shops.

Everything in the windows of any interest is now four or five grand plus, no matter what old tat it might be, and if I went in there I'd be asking to look at something I ultimately have no intention of buying. Which gives me impostor syndrome, or whatever you call it. So I steer clear.

mrkb · October 2023

Did you buy a Hendrix Monterey strat from Sixty Six Sounds ??

lustycourtier · October 2023

mrkb said:

Did you buy a Hendrix Monterey strat from Sixty Six Sounds ??

Came here to bring that up. Trying to flog that knowing that every other shop and appraiser knew it was fake and wouldnt touch it. Very brand damaging, to a brand that appeared from nowhere anyway in 2021....

Nerine · October 2023

What?

regardless, whenever I’ve been down Denmark Street, I’ve always thought the shops were largely stocked with either cheap shite or grossly overpriced, fairly average stuff.

I’d not buy anything from there, personally.

Th4fonz · October 2023

I think Denmark street is great. I always enjoy popping there when I’m down. Prices are reasonable imo when you factor in the price you will actually pay vs the ticket price. But if your pockets are empty look elsewhere.

MikeC · October 2023

Lots had been said on this forum. I've been going to Denmark Street for over 45 years. Yes, the prices are high but so is rent rates, etc. Yes, may of them know each other well and some people on this forum used to work there etc.

People associated with the Music Ground group of companies (about 3 shops there?) have an interesting and well documented history - the Harrisons etc.

Vintage and Rare left a while back (and Chris Twigg is no longer associated with the store in Bath of similar name) and NoToms are there on that site. I've dealt with them a few times and in the end can only conclude that they treated me fairly but prices are high. Agree re Wunjos and 66 above, expensive but helpful, I think Regents does mainly new.

Personally I still miss Angel Music - best of the bunch and Andy Hackett was a great guy.

One of the stores there was slagging off another store to me the other day and said about them - 'pay tomorrow's prices today' which I think sums it all up.

soma1975 · October 2023

Was inspirational to me as a teenager. Today not so much.

elstoof · October 2023

It’s amazing how busy it is down there despite being a shadow of itself, packed full of shite. I popped down a week ago and it’s so seedy and depressing, don’t think I’ll bother again

springhead · October 2023

lustycourtier said:

mrkb said:

Did you buy a Hendrix Monterey strat from Sixty Six Sounds ??

Came here to bring that up. Trying to flog that knowing that every other shop and appraiser knew it was fake and wouldnt touch it. Very brand damaging, to a brand that appeared from nowhere anyway in 2021....

Were they trying to sell it? I thought they were just using the shop space as a venue to look at it.

I wouldn’t say they came from nowhere. Jan who started Sixty Sixty was running the Maccaris Gibson dealership a few doors down and then setup on his own.

guitarjack66 · October 2023

Are there no 'box shifter' type shops in that area or is it a market based largely on high priced (alleged) vintage stuff?

Whitecat · October 2023

guitarjack66 said:

Are there no 'box shifter' type shops in that area or is it a market based largely on high priced (alleged) vintage stuff?

A few stops north on the Northern Line is a smallish branch of Guitarguitar, but that’s about it. Most of the other bigger players went bankrupt and moved out of the west end ages ago.

idiotwindow · October 2023

guitarjack66 said:

Are there no 'box shifter' type shops in that area or is it a market based largely on high priced (alleged) vintage stuff?

I don't think the box shifting business model makes sense with a shop in a central London location.

lustycourtier · October 2023

springhead said:

lustycourtier said:

mrkb said:

Did you buy a Hendrix Monterey strat from Sixty Six Sounds ??

Came here to bring that up. Trying to flog that knowing that every other shop and appraiser knew it was fake and wouldnt touch it. Very brand damaging, to a brand that appeared from nowhere anyway in 2021....

Were they trying to sell it? I thought they were just using the shop space as a venue to look at it.

I wouldn’t say they came from nowhere. Jan who started Sixty Sixty was running the Maccaris Gibson dealership a few doors down and then setup on his own.

No I just mean it was a store that appeared on Instagram almost overnight.

Bigsby · October 2023

Regent Sounds in Denmark st were really helpful to me recently, despite the fact that they stood to gain no £££ from me in the process. I've since popped in there to buy a small item, happy to pay slightly more but not have to pay postage or wait till I was ordering something higher value online. I do think there's still a value in having local stores you can visit.

Incidentally, they had a good stock of Gordon Smith on display at what seemed like regular prices, (I didn't look at anything else in there).

roberty · October 2023

I regret not buying a '56 Les Paul Junior from Regent Sounds for £4.5k back in the day. I had the money. I was saving for a house deposit I suppose. I was stood there staring at it and they asked if I wanted to play it, I said "no", and they said, "I think you do, I'll get it for you". It was glorious lol

GuyR · October 2023

At least two of the shops are associated with justin Harrison, the convicted fence of stolen guitars and former proprietor of the disgraced music ground group of companies, famous for their faked vintage guitars. See “rogue traders” the tv programme.

I wouldn’t bother with any outlet on Denmark St in case any of the slime has wiped off from one of his shops.

theatreanchor · October 2023

Bigsby said:

Regent Sounds in Denmark st were really helpful to me recently, despite the fact that they stood to gain no £££ from me in the process. I've since popped in there to buy a small item, happy to pay slightly more but not have to pay postage or wait till I was ordering something higher value online. I do think there's still a value in having local stores you can visit.

Incidentally, they had a good stock of Gordon Smith on display at what seemed like regular prices, (I didn't look at anything else in there).

The folk at Regent are nice.

springhead · October 2023

GuyR said:

At least two of the shops are associated with justin Harrison, the convicted fence of stolen guitars and former proprietor of the disgraced music ground group of companies, famous for their faked vintage guitars. See “rogue traders” the tv programme.
I wouldn’t bother with any outlet on Denmark St in case any of the slime has wiped off from one of his shops.

One of the Music Ground outlets is whatever Hanks is called now. What’s the other?

Regent and Sixty Sixty are decent/slime free.

lustycourtier · October 2023

GuyR said:

At least two of the shops are associated with justin Harrison, the convicted fence of stolen guitars and former proprietor of the disgraced music ground group of companies, famous for their faked vintage guitars. See “rogue traders” the tv programme.
I wouldn’t bother with any outlet on Denmark St in case any of the slime has wiped off from one of his shops.

Yet, Justins son is one of the biggest pop stars on the planet now...

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