Guitar Safari

MoSkaFish Show + Rompecabezas

Free show at Sacred Grounds! September 4, 2008

The fourth installment in the Guitar Safari Presents… will feature MoSkaFish! These kids will ska your socks off! Not sure if there is enough room in the coffee house and Dave probably wouldn’t appreciate the mess, so you’ll probably just have to mosh and skank in your head. Toe tapping, head bobbing and fist pumping is okay, though. Come on down! Show starts at 6:30 and did we mention it’s FREE?

New Guitars, eBay Auctions

We’ve been lucky lately to have gotten some lovely consignment guitars (including a 1980 Les Paul Custom in *MINT* condition with a tobacco sunburst finish, $2250), as well as some great new and vintage stuff. If you haven’t stopped by lately, there will be plenty of gear to check out. The beautiful green AXL Medway tube amp found a new home this month, as did some AXL SRO’s, a couple of Republic Resonators and a lovely nylon string Jasmine. If you missed your chance to own one, give us a call or stop in — if we don’t have it in stock, we can order whatever your heart desires.

We’ve got some fun items for sale online right now too. Check out our eBay auctions!

We have also been chosen as the exclusive worldwide seller of some guitars from the private collection of world-famous former Jethro Tull bass player Glenn Cornick.

These include a Fender Blue Flower Precision Bass, a Gretsch Synchromatic Archtop cat’s eye jazz guitar with floating pickup, and others to be announced soon!

Rockabilly Revenge IV!

Don’t miss this hootenany of a party next Saturday, August 16 at Blue Cafe in Long Beach. A certain guitar shop owner will be playing a certain kind of drums with some kind of local band, along with the great Ray Campi and lots of other bands. Car show, record swap, clothing, and live music all day and all night! Get yer ass down to Guitar Safari: a very limited number of discounted tickets are available– only $12! And get ready to impress those Betties at the car show, boys, with a smooth fade from Harbor Town Barber Shop. Any Guitar Safari purchase of $50 or more and you get $5 off your haircut at Harbor Town Barber Shop!

Speaking of that certain band, be sure to pick up this week’s issue of Random Lengths. There’s a great feature article about Seatbelt McLean and the Pecking Order, who just played the Taste In San Pedro last week. Relive the spectacle of the live show by picking up your copy of their CD at Guitar Safari!

AXL Guitar Sale

The prices keep dropping! All AXL guitars are now only $139! We carry a variety of colors and styles, and these guitars sound great! We’ve got to make room for new guitars, so come in and try one! And for a limited time, get a deluxe gig bag for $12.99 (regular price $39).

August News

A big thanks to everyone who braved the heat on Thursday for the big First Thursday show. Flowers and McLean were a class act! No pyrotechnics were involved, just smooth harmonies about lost loves and drinkin’! Thanks Scott and Deb!

Thanks also to Dave for hosting Guitar Safari’s First Thursday gigs, and to Owen for all your help with the setup and sound. Be sure to check out Owen’s Open Mic at Sacred Grounds every Thursday night.

The August giveaway will be a stunning Guitar Safari t-shirt and a free string change! Be one of the first to sport a Guitar Safari shirt and flaunt your cred around town. Sign up in the shop or on the website.

Happy Birthday Scott! What a lucky guy, the proud new owner of a shiny Republic Tricone Resonator purchased by his lovely wife and friends right here at Guitar Safari!

August First Thursday! 8/7/08!!

Join us Thursday, August 7 for a night of sweet harmonies, featuring the queen of San Pedro country cool, Debbie Flowers, and her guitar-playing/songwriting campadre Scott McLean. Come on down and get your Gram on!! Music starts at 6:30 at Sacred Grounds, up the street from the shop (you know by now…) Hopefully it won’t be as hot as last time! FREE! …Another Fine S.L.U.T. Production (Support Local Unsigned Talent), brought to you by your friends at Guitar Safari!

EXTRA EXTRA!! Of all people to win last month’s giveaway Hohner Piedmont harmonica set… who else could it be but the one and only Hercules of the Harmonica, San Pedro Slim! Congratulations and stop by anytime to claim your prize! Use it for good and not for evil! (If you find yourself with too many harmonicas, we’re sure there are plenty of starving children in your namesake hometown living to ride your coattails!)

And people! Jump on this tip: Slim’s new record, Barhoppin’, produced by the great Rick Holmstrom, is available everywhere fine and even more fine music is being stolen off the shelves every day!

July 3, 2008

Thanks to The Satellite Heart, The Dagos (aka American Boys) and The B-Sides for making this hot sweaty night a fun time. Happy Birthday, Giovanni! Thanks for the cupcakes!!!

First Thursday, July 3

Be sure to start your holiday weekend early on Thursday evening with The Satellite Heart and American Boys …two great up-and-coming local bands. 100% FREE! 6:30-8:30 pm at Sacred Grounds Coffee House.

…Another Fine S.L.U.T. Production (Support Local Unsigned Talent), brought to you by your friends at Guitar Safari!

Also be sure to say hello to Guitar Safari on MySpace!

Don’t forget to sign up for the excellent harmonica set drawing this month! Even if you don’t win, this set is a steal at only $29.99. They’ve been flying out the door this month, but we still have plenty in stock. Perfectly portable, for those beach party jam sessions or campfire songs!

June Giveaway!

Cross Yer Harp & Hope to Die!

This month’s giveaway will be a Hohner Piedmont Blues 7-piece harmonica set with a snazzy carrying case. This includes harps in keys G, A, Bb, C, D, E and F and playing instructions, key chart and song. Good luck and be sure to sign up before July 3!

June 8, 2008

Congratulations to our May giveaway winner, Gilbert Major!

He is the proud owner of a brand new Smokey amp! Gilbert chose the plastic model (color TBD) and will receive his prize next time he’s in town from points unknown.

Thanks to everyone for coming down for the fun last Thursday. The music was great and it was a real honor to have Joe and the Mind Blasters play at Sacred Grounds. Guitar Safari will be presenting bands there every First Thursday, and we’ve got some real surprises planned. Sign up for our mailing list to get all the info.

June 2, 2008

All AXL guitars, only $159! Lots of colors and finishes available… Includes gig bag!

Update about First Thursday, June 5…

Due to new noise constraints from the Chamber of Commerce, the musical performances have been moved up the street to Sacred Grounds. Now everyone will have room to stretch out and enjoy the music (and your double-tall skinny latte) without bumping into guitars or guitar freaks. This great show is FREE! Joe Nolte of The Last will play at 6pm and The Mind Blasters start at 7pm. Don’t miss this opportunity to see some excellent bands. After the show, be sure to wander back to Guitar Safari for some drinks and fun. Don’t forget — the winner of the May drawing for a cool Smokey amp will be announced!

May 22, 2008

Local indie rock duo The Mind Blasters will play musical tag-team with Joe Nolte of The Last for First Thursday festivities on June 5.

May 16, 2008

We’ll be at the Long Beach Antique Flea Market on Sunday, May 18. Stop by and say hello, try out some guitars, and find that croquet set you’ve been looking for. Look for us at the Stella Neptune booth. Don’t forget your straw hat!

May 15, 2008

This Just In!

On Thursday, June 5 (for First Thursday) Joe Nolte of the seminal 1980’s punk/pop band The Last is going to be playing a live show at Guitar Safari for any and all who come by to revel in the nostalgic atmosphere…more to follow as things develop. Stay Tuned!

We will also be announcing the winner of the Smokey Amp May giveaway.

May 5, 2008: Giveaway Update

We’re still collecting names and email addresses for our mailing list through the month of May for our SMOKEY AMP giveaway. The winner will be contacted after everyone’s names are put into a hat and the lucky winner is announced. We’ll add a couple of Booby Prize winners too. Stop by the shop, or sign up on the Contact Us page of this website.
Every month we’ll announce another set of prizes for those who join our exclusive mailing list. Thanks again to all the good folks who continue to come by to check us out.

Watt pays a visit

Internationally-known bassist Mike Watt takes time out of his busy touring schedule to say hi to his old pals at Guitar Safari and show off his Eastwood Airline Map bass. Check out Mike on the cover of Bass Player Magazine, with a great photo of him holding his trusty Gibson purchased in the 1990s at the original Guitar Safari.

Sidekick supermodel Arielle Vandenberg stopped by to splash her inimitable charm around the room as well.

Grand Opening Party!  May 1, 2008

Thanks to everyone who came out for the grand opening party on Thursday, May 1. It was great to see clients from the original Guitar Safari heyday in the 90’s. And it was wonderful to meet all the new folks who’ve been waiting with great anticipation for the doors to (re)open.

Special thanks to Junior for many miles travelled and all his sweaty expertise in helping bring everything together in time for the opening. And many thanks to Jen as well for all her support and list-making skills!

Huge interest in the AXL Badwater series and Jasmine acoustic/electric resulted in selling two guitars the first day! Strangely enough, both guitars were blue…. More blue guitars are now on the way!

Stay tuned for more fun, First Thursday parties and live music events which are in the works…