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Hello! Some friends and I are currently driving across the US on a road trip. Right now we are in Louisville Kentucky, and we plan to head towards Chicago, Seattle and finally, San Francisco. Is there anything luthiery related along that route that would be a shame to miss? I guess it doesn't have to be luthiery related either.. We have already decided to swing by Yellowstone, the badlands and redwood national park

Thanks!
Sondre

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I'm not familiar with that territory but I'm sure you can find lots of interesting things. I'd do some googling. If you visit some good local guitar shops they will know what there is in the area. Good Luck!!!

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If your in chicago go to willis tower and go to the top ( cost money) and stand in the glass boxes 1100 ft off the ground . u can look down between your feet at the street below. Will make your gut roll

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Luthiers Mercantile is about an hour and twenty minutes north of San Fran, located in Windsor, CA. They don't have a store front but you could call them and ask for a tour.

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If you are going to the badlands, then you don't want to miss the National Music Museum in Vermillion SD.
They have a fantastic guitar collection including an entire guitar shop of John D'Angelico.
The shop was donated after his death.
Seeing his spray booth and bending set-up is worth the trip.

That's a lot of territory! Many natural wonders await you and I'm sure you'll discover luthiery-related surprises along the way. Perhaps you could time your visit to the San Francisco Bay area for early August and take in the Healdsburg Guitar Festival.

http://guitarfestival.lmii.com/

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George :-)

Absolutely hit the Museum of Music in Vermillion South Dakota. You will be driving past it on your way to the badlands anyway. Plan to allow a day there. ( Please forgive America for the 400,000 billboards for Wall Drug.)

Dave beat me to it! Absolutely do not miss this. Its on my list.

http://orgs.usd.edu/nmm/

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When in Seattle? All guitar makers/players?

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Pat

If in the black hills, of course check out Rushmore, but take the drive around the black hills, and take the needles highway .. very cool stuff to see. In Chicago, great guitar shops, I stopped at Chicago Music Exchange, great selection of vintage gear to look at and try out, and ask nicely about what they may have hiding upstairs .... I got to check out and play two 58 Explorers, and a 59 Les Paul Std, all belonging to Rick Neilson (they were all for sale) .. unreal.

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Tony Karol
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"let my passion .. fulfill yours"

If you are in Louisville you are not far from Nashville. I know it is in the other direction from Chicago, but there is so much music stuff to see there. The Country Music Hall of Fame is amazingly well done (even if you are not into country music). From the Luthier angle, the Gibson Shop at the Mall by the Grand Ole Opry has a section where they build banjos, resonators and mandolins. It’s really cool to see. Then there is Gruhn Guitars. It is a really good spot to find a cross-section of vintage and luthier made guitars.

Then, just a bit farther West is Memphis. There they have the Gibson factory where they make the ES335s. I love factory tours. And of course Graceland. Lots of good music in Memphis.

I haven't been there in like 20 years but Dave's guitar shop in Lacrosse Wisconsin should be right on your way from Chicago toward Wall Drug..... I mean the Badlands. It is one of the coolest guitar shops I've been to. I hear he has opened the second floor to show off his private collection.

When you get to the Badlands definitely drive the needles highway. And after seeing all the Wall Drug signs, you might as well stop in for a Sarsaparilla and a bumper sticker.

Yep, Nashville is the place to be for anything music related. If you make it there check out Gruhn Guitars, and Carter Vintage guitars. High quality vintage instruments. Check out the Honky Tonk bars on Broadway and 2nd Ave.

No kidding about the Wall Drug signs...I still have nightmares about them from my trip to the Badlands in '97! lol!

If you can make it up to Northwest Montana, check out Glacier National Park. Most beautiful place I have ever been.

Thanks guys! We started our trip in Nashville, so we have seen Gruhn guitars, the honky-tonks, the country music hall of fame ++ Very cool city!

The museum of music sounds good! We'll make sure to check that out.

Pat, we will probably be in Seattle around the 20th-21th of July. I'm the only guitar guy really..

We are going to Rushmore, but we hadn't thought about which road to take. Now, we will definitely take the Needles highway

Right now, we are Indianapolis. We head to Chicago tomorrow

Thanks,
Sondre

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some advice, take it or leave it: if you can, try to avoid the interstate highways as much as possible- you will see very little of interest if that is your mode of travel.

try camping in national forests, far away from organized camp sites. just drive up a logging road and set up camp. you will be all alone, and it will be fantastic....

Devils tower and Mt. Rushmore are fun to see Ive seen them about 50 times Bear country's fun to. Have a safe trip

Sondre,

If any in your group is interested in architecture, a must do is to go to Navy Pier and take the architectural boat tour of Chicago.

Steve

In Seattle visit Michael Gurian's barge. You can find the phone number on his web site.

http://www.gurianinstruments.com/homepage/

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National Music Museum is diffidently worth a visit. You will want to spend a day there, so much to see and learn.
Badlands and the Black Hills are beautiful, my favorite part of South Dakota. Don't forget the Crazy Horse Memorial, history being sculpted.

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R.W. '' Rollo'' Scheurenbrand
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Nothing to do with luthiery, but if you're going through Oregon, Crater Lake is totally cool. Also, you might as well drive another hour past San Francisco and go to Santa Cruz. Lots of luthiers there, plus you could go to the beach and boardwalk and get the cliched California beach experience.

I loved visiting blues bars on Beale Street!

If you pass through Bozeman on the 90 You can see the Gibson plant. You can also come see me.

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