Austin, TX Vintage Guitar Shop 1970s

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 6 Mar 2023 1:29 pm

Anyone remember a vintage guitar shop in Austin? I remember going there in the mid-1970s and drooling over the guitars they had in there.

My brain refuses to recall the name of the place.

~Lee

Darvin Willhoite · Post by **Darvin Willhoite** » 6 Mar 2023 8:54 pm

I moved to the Austin area in 1994, and I went into that shop one time. I can't remember the name of it either, it wasn't far from Henning's, Heart of Texas Music.

Jim Pollard · Post by **Jim Pollard** » 7 Mar 2023 5:31 am

South Austin Music? They sell new stuff too of course but those guys have a HORRIBLE habit of putting incredible sounding and feeling used/vintage guitars in my hands every time I walk in the door.

Darvin Willhoite · Post by **Darvin Willhoite** » 7 Mar 2023 6:57 am

A good friend of mine worked at South Austin Music for several years before he opened his own music store in Bastrop. There was another store though that specialized in vintage guitars, and I still can't think of the name.

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 7 Mar 2023 7:10 am

I was still in college at the time. Probably 1974 or so. Someone had broken in to our band's practice location and stole some items, including our powered p.a. mixer.

A buddy of ours, in Austin, found a nice used powered mixer at Ray Hennig's and he worked out a good deal for us.

A band mate and I took off from McAllen and drove up to Austin to pick up the mixer, from Ray, and look at whatever else he had in stock.

I was looking at a couple of used guitars, including a really old Martin, and Ray told us about the vintage guitar shop. I'm pretty sure it was nearby.

~Lee

Darvin Willhoite · Post by **Darvin Willhoite** » 7 Mar 2023 7:34 am

Guitar Resurrection, this is the one I was thinking of. I had to message my friend that worked at South Austin Music.

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 7 Mar 2023 8:51 am

Yes!!

Guitar Resurrection!

That's the place!!

Whew.

~Lee

Bobby Snell · Post by **Bobby Snell** » 7 Mar 2023 9:37 am

Austin Vintage Guitars formerly occupied a store near Hennings H.O.T. Music in the old shopping center on S. Lamar, and now have a beautiful store on Red River in Central Austin.

https://www.austinvintageguitars.com/

Jim Pollard · Post by **Jim Pollard** » 8 Mar 2023 9:42 am

Oh! Guiter Rez! They're still around. I was just there last week perusing bass rigs.

Tucker Jackson · Post by **Tucker Jackson** » 8 Mar 2023 9:47 am

And while we're taking a trip down memory lane, Austin in the 70's, does anyone remember Willy's Guitar Player? They had stores in Austin and San Marcos.

Lee Baucum · Post by **Lee Baucum** » 8 Mar 2023 12:37 pm

That day, in the mid-1970s, while drooling over the vintage guitars, the door opened and a giant walked in.

I recognized him immediately. It was Ray Benson, followed by the diminutive Chris O'Connell. I was (and still am) a huge fan of Asleep At The Wheel.

While Chris was talking to the proprietor about a guitar she was interested in, I walked over and said hello to Ray.

I stuck out my hand and said "Hello, Mr. Benson." He grinned and said, "I'm Ray!"

~Lee

Slim Heilpern · Post by **Slim Heilpern** » 9 Mar 2023 6:35 am

Before Guitar Resurrection moved to Austin in the mid-70s (originally right next to pedal steel player Mark Erlewine's shop on Guadalupe) they were in Berkeley, CA, where back in 1973 I had them put a couple of P90s on my Epiphone Century -- they did a wonderful job, still have that guitar.

Craig Stock · Post by **Craig Stock** » 9 Mar 2023 11:21 am

Great Story Lee,

I'm a big fan of AATW and my former neighbor's cousin is Dave Sanger, the drummer for the last 30 some years. Got to me Ray a few times and here is a pic of us in front of BB King's in New York. We are both doing the Texas Tech guns up sign.

Myself, my older daughter whom is moving to Austin to start her career and now my younger daughter who will be attending TTU this fall have roots in Texas. We will all be Tech Alumni.