Events
Events
Earth Day Event : String Recycling Event - Past Event
Recycle your old strings & get a new set for FREE! Did you know that musical instrument strings are not recycled through municipal recycling programs? It is estimated that more than 1.5 million lbs. of instrument string metal could be put into landfill every year. D’Addario has teamed up with the global recycling organization TerraCycle to create Playback, a safe and independent way to recycle and upcycle instrument strings. Your contribution of used guitar, bass, or ukulele strings qualifies you for a FREE set of D’Addario NYXL electric guitar or Nickel Bronze Acoustic guitar strings. Limited quantities available, so first come - first served! Restring service available at San Rafael store only - $30 and up. Consult with our in-house repair tech on your instrument needs and questions No purchase necessary!Click here for more information about the D'Addario Playback Program San Rafael : Monday, April 22, 2019 from 2:00pm - 6:00pm Bananas at Large1654 2nd StreetSan Rafael, CA 94901 Santa Rosa : Monday, April 22, 2019 from 2:00pm - 5:00pm Bananas at Large531 College Ave.Santa Rosa, CA 95404 Facebook Event! San Rafael Facebook Event! Santa Rosa
Guitar Chords Clinic - Past Event
Ever wanted to learn how to play more guitar chords and improve the versatility and flexibility of your playing? Join us for a Guitar Chords class that will take you step-by-step through different chords and how to interchange them on the neck of the guitar to increase your versatility and flexibility in playing. Tim will take you through the most common chord shapes and teach you how to easily change from one shape to another. For children 12yo+ and adults, beginners to intermediate players. Don't wait: space is limited and will fill up fast! Sign up today to reserve your seat. Pre-registration is required. Saturday, October 20th from 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM $35 per personBananas At Large1504 4th StSan Rafael, CA 94901 Facebook Event! Sign up Here to Reserve your seat! Tim Cleary is a guitar teacher at Bananas at Large San Rafael. See his bio here.
Boutique Guitar Showcase - Past Event
A curated collection of unique, World Class guitars is coming to Bananas on Wednesday, October 17th. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to see some of the most interesting guitars from the most elite builders, and Bananas at Large is the only place in Northern California to have them. See some of the most creative and most beautiful instruments on display and available for purchase. One day only, this experience will be one to remember. Wednesday, October 17th at 3:00pm Bananas at Large1504 4th StreetSan Rafael, CA 94901 See Guitars made by: Adamovic Basses Ava Guitars Balwinski Guitars Di Donato Guitars Boswell Guitars Diego Vila Guitars Dingwall Guitars McGreevy Guitars Ivanov Guitars Donovan Leah Guitars Ergon Guitars Galloup Guitars GNG - Giulio Negrini Guitars Harden Engineering Hilko Guitars JJ Guitars Kauer Guitar Kauffman Guitars Klein Guitars Lamehorse Instruments MarconiLAB Maxwell Custom Guitars O3 Custom Guitars Parsons Guitars Sankey Guitars Shabat Guitars Skytop Guitars Soultool Customized Guitars Spalt Instruments Tausch Guitars Teuffel Guitars Tim Bram Handmade Guitars Robbins Guitars Verdinero Guitars Wild Customs Wide Sky Guitars RSVP below and share this event on Facebook! McSwain Guitars McSwain, "Red White & Bullets" Spalt Instruments, "Pierrot's Nightmare" Wild Custom Guitars, "Baroness Steampunk II"
Yamaha Creative Guitar Clinic - Past Event
Want to learn how to use your guitar for more than just melodies? Want to expand your musical language? Join Yamaha's artist Carl Tosten as he shows you how to take standard songs and create textures and rhythms by using various techniques such as percussion, alternate tuning and the use of multiple capos. You will learn how to enhance your solo guitar compositions and become dynamic in gaining the ability to speak the language of music. This class is perfect for beginners through intermediate and anyone else that wants to expand their guitar playing world. This is the Swiss army knife of guitar classes, so join us! For children 12yo+ and adults - Beginner to Intermediate Level. Don't wait: space is limited and will fill up fast! Sign up today to reserve your seat. Pre-registration is required. Yamaha is giving away a FREE F325D Acoustic Guitar to one lucky participant! Must be present to win! Wednesday 10/10/18 4:00 PM - 5:00 PM FREEBananas At Large1504 4th StSan Rafael, CA 94901 Facebook Event! Carl Tosten is a musician whose style defies easy classification. With his strong and soulful voice and an eclectic and expressive guitar technique that includes percussion, tapping, multiple open tunings and capos, Tosten has been called an "Acoustic One-Man Band". His introspective and thoughtful lyrics speak to us individually as well as collectively with his observations on society, the complexities of living and love. Classical and jazzy overtones eleveate his original compositions to a level more sophisticated than simply "folk", and his live performances are filled with intense energy, stories, and songs that captivate and inspire his audience. As an artist representative & traveling clinician for several major manufacturers — including Yamaha and Elixir Strings — Tosten has had the opportunity to perform and conduct workshops and product demonstrations throughout the US, Europe and New Zealand.
Intro to Lead Guitar Clinic - Past Event
Ready to learn how to play Lead Guitar?Want to expand your lead playing vocabulary? Join Josh Zee for a Lead Guitar class that will take you through the basics of playing lead guitar! If you were playing a song with someone and they told you to take a solo, would you know what to do?…learn to confidently know right where to go, and more, in this clinic! We will cover the relationship between scales, chords and keys and show you how to start improvising right away! This is an intermediate level clinic…you must know your basic chords and be comfortable playing rhythm guitar. Feel free to bring your electric guitar with you but no amps or acoustic guitars, please. For children 12yo+ and adults - Intermediate level, basic knowledge of chords and rhythm guitar needed. Don't wait: space is limited and will fill up fast! Sign up today to reserve your seat. Pre-registration is required. Saturday, Sept. 22nd from 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM $35 per personBananas At Large1504 4th StSan Rafael, CA 94901 Facebook Event! Sign up Here to Reserve your seat! Josh Zee, a teacher here at Bananas, has been playing for over thirty years, is a major label recording artist, session player, touring musician and has been teaching for over 15 years. "You may recognize Josh from such bands as Protein, the Mother Truckers, the South Austin Moonlighters, or his current blues band, Mojo Rising. If you do, you know him to be the countrified blues rock god who combines Van Halen swagger with B.B. King soul. His greatest gift seems to be playing fresh licks over seemingly run-of-the-mill changes." Check out this great article from Guitar Player featuring a breakdown of Josh's signature playing. Josh has recorded 2 major label records on the SONY/Work label as the singer/guitarist and songwriter for the Rock group "Protein". They toured extensively throughout the U.S. on "The Warped Tour" and also toured Europe and Japan as part of MTV Asia Summer Fest. Josh’s next original band, "the Mother Truckers", has released 4 albums, toured all over the country and Europe, and have played along side such acts as Willie Nelson, Hank Williams 3, The Old 97’s, The Avett Brothers, the Supersuckers and many more. He also currently plays with The Whiskey Sisters and Mojo Rising, just to name a few. Josh has been written up in many national publications including frequent features in Guitar Player Magazine. Josh has many production and arrangement credits on the albums of other artists as well.
Garage Sale 4/13-4/14/19 - Past Event
We're having a massive Garage Sale! We're pulling out all the old gear. Crazy deals on stuff you haven't seen before. No offer too low, it's time for it to go! Shop early to get first dibs. Here are just a few examples of some of the items that we'll have on hand: Cases Cables Footswitches Strings Keyboard Stands Speakers Gently used rental gear Plus shop additional discounts on guitars, amps, pedals, keyboards and more in stores and at bananas.com/sale San Rafael : Saturday, April 13 & Sunday, April 14 from 11:00am - 5:00pm Bananas at Large1654 2nd StreetSan Rafael, CA 94901415-457-7600 Facebook Event! San Rafael Santa Rosa : Saturday, April 13 & Sunday, April 14 from 11:00am - 5:00pm Bananas at Large531 College Ave.Santa Rosa, CA 95404707-542-5588 Facebook Event! Santa Rosa
Bass Licks & Grooves: Best Basslines of Funk & Motown - Past Event
Ever wanted to learn how to play your favorite Funk & Motown Licks? Want to get some step by step instruction? THIS CLASS IS NOW FULL & NOT ACCEPTING ANY MORE STUDENTS. If you are interested in future clinics or private lessons with Angeline, please email lessons@bananas.com and we can notify you of future events or help schedule lessons. Thank you! With more than 180 #1 hit songs worldwide, the music of Motown has shaped the history and sound of popular music. Marvin Gaye, The Temptations, Stevie Wonder, Diana Ross and the Supremes, Martha Reeves and the Vandellas are just a few of the artists who made these songs that we know and love so well. In this 90 minutes clinic, Angeline Saris will take you through some of the best bass lines from Motown, with special attention to James Jamerson. If you would like to get a head start, watch the movie Standing in the Shadows of Motown. Although not required for this clinic, there is also a book with many of Jamerson’s bass transcriptions that is bass player gold! Bass players of all levels are welcome! As with any of Angeline’s clinics, the #1 goal is to have fun! For children 12yo+ and adults. Don't wait: space is limited and will fill up fast! Sign up today to reserve your seat. Pre-registration is required. Saturday, September 15th from 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM $35 per personBananas At Large1504 4th StSan Rafael, CA 94901 Facebook Event! Sign up Here to Reserve your seat! ** This class is now full & not accepting any more students. Thank you! Angeline now works as a full-time freelance bassist touring for a number of bands, doing session work and releasing music for her solo projects. Playing in groups whose stylistic range include rock, jazz, funk, R&B, Cuban, metal, flamenco, hip-hop and rockabilly has made her one of the busiest bassists in the SF Bay. She currently plays mostly with Narada Michael Walden, Ernest Ranglin, Zepparella and has even had the opportunity to share the stage with Carlos Santana, Steve Morse and Richie Sambora. She tours regularly and can be seen playing out live almost every weekend in venues across the US and the world. Angeline is proudly endorsed by Fender, GHS Strings, MONO cases, West Coast Pedal Boards, Warwick, Marleaux Basses and Harman pedals. To learn more, please visit her website at: www.angelinesaris.com. **photo by Matt Granz
West Coast Songwriters Conference - Past Event
Bananas is proud to Sponsor the 2018 WCS Conference!Get 3D Digital Imaging Impressions, a $150 value, FREE at the WCS Conference 9/8/18. Enter to win a pair of UE900 In-Ear Monitors & a Home Recording Package! Schedule Your Scan Today! Come visit us at our table & enter to win your very own pair of UE900 In-Ear Monitors as well as a Home Recording Package!Let us help design your best in-ear monitor system and answer all your questions.Please Pre-Register to schedule your free scan at the conference. Limited time slots available. Have questions? Reach out to shaana.k@bananas.com Check out our UE monitors Bananas at Large is an authorized Ultimate Ears dealer. Schedule an appointment or stop by our table at the conference and we'll guide you through the complete process and give you the best possible experience. Get fitted by us for FREE! Ultimate Ears Pro embarked on its digital production journey blending its artisan-crafted techniques with digital processes, such as digitally detailing physical ear impressions and using 3D printing to build the shell of the custom in-ear monitor, ultimately resulting in a streamlined, quicker and more satisfying customer experience. Digital Journey Get your free scan and customize your in-ear monitor. Bananas at Large uses digital ear scanners – the UE 3D Ear Scanner – to take digital ear impressions, instead of the silicon ear impressions that are traditionally taken by an audiologist. With digital ear scanners in hand, retailers and partners across the world can take accurate impressions of people’s inner-ears in less than five minutes, dramatically increasing the accessibility of custom in-ear monitors. After the scan is complete, the digital file is sent to UE Pro in Irvine, California to begin production. Five to seven business days later, a new pair of UE Pro custom in-ear monitors can be shipped to the customer, anywhere in the world. 3D Ear Scanners The 3D Ear Scanners is the only scanner on the market that can scan the inside and the outside of an ear with the level of precision required to make a custom In-ear monitor. It was originally developed for military and aerospace purposes, and the technology was carried over to the hearing aid industry. From there, UE adopted it to help musicians, audiophiles and many other people get easier access to custom fitted in-ear devices.
Relish Guitars Workshop - Past Event
JOIN US FOR AN EXCITING RELISH GUITARS WORKSHOP Please join us for a close up and personal workshop featuring Relish Guitars at our San Rafael location on July 7th, 2018 at 2pm. Jason Kertson will be here showcasing these amazing instruments and their versatility. With over 100 original songs to his credit at age 21, singer/songwriter Jason Kertson is a natural to lead the upcoming Relish Guitars Workshop featuring tips on how to create an original song or rearrange a popular cover. Relish Guitars feature a Graph Tech GHOST Piezo system and Jason will demonstrate how to switch from electric to true, acoustic sound, and blending the two for infinite possibilities. Join us at our San Rafael location on July 7 at 2:00 for this casual, interactive workshop. We would love for you to see these amazing instruments yourself & experience the unique sound, innovation, environmental sustainability and Swiss Made premium quality! Shop all Relish Guitars here. Saturday, July 7th from 2:00 PM - 3:00 PM Bananas At Large 1504 4th StreetSan Rafael, CA 94901 Facebook Event
Improvisation for Guitarists - Past Event
Join us for an improvisation class that will focus on the major scale interval studies and modes, a musical perspective and how to go about bringing them into your music. This class will be taught by Neal Harris and will be supported by excerpts from Neal' book, “Foundations for Improvisation - a Guitarist’s Guide to Improvisation”. (The book is written for the guitarist who is looking for an organized guide to the study of the materials and tools needed for the art of improvisation). For children 12yo+ and adults, intermediate to advanced players. Prerequisite knowledge of and ability to play major scales is helpful, the purpose of this class is to take it further! Don't wait: space is limited and will fill up fast! Sign up today to reserve your seat. Pre-registration is required. Saturday, July 14th from 4:00 PM - 5:30 PM $35 per personBananas At Large1504 4th StSan Rafael, CA 94901 Facebook Event! Sign up Here to Reserve your seat! Neal Harris is a guitar teacher at our San Rafael store. See his bio here.
Bob Weir "Real Deal" Acoustic Pedal Launch with Pigtronix - 6/27/18
JOIN US TO CELEBRATE THE LAUNCH OF BOB WEIR'S "REAL DEAL" ACOUSTIC PEDAL WITH PIGTRONIX Please join us for an exclusive event with Bob Weir as we unveil his new pedal with Pigtronix at Bananas at Large in San Rafael. This acoustic preamp provides crystal-clear, super-loud acoustic guitar tone while faithfully maintaining the organic wooden sound of the instrument like no other pedal has ever done. Bob Weir and long-time Grateful Dead tech guru and Weir’s personal Front of House engineer, Mike McGinn, developed the principle behind the Real Deal in an effort to crank Bob’s acoustic guitar loud enough in the live mix while retaining the natural, unplugged sound of the instrument. The technology they developed to achieve this goal involves using a pair of complimentary filters to split the acoustic guitar signal into low and high frequency bands, with independent preamp gain applied to each signal path. A mastering stage then combines the various inputs into a single mono output, resulting in a powerful world-class acoustic guitar tone. Bob Weir challenged Pigtronix to design a pedal to perform this unique type of processing using a low-noise, all-analog circuit, to deliver the ultimate live acoustic guitar sound. The engineering challenge involved with developing this pedal to create a realistic and amplified acoustic guitar sound in this way is no joke! First, the cutoff points of the two filters would need to be precisely matched and calibrated to avoid undesirable dips or bumps in the frequency response at the pedal’s output. Second, in order to optimize the acoustic sound from venue to venue and for each different guitar, the cutoff point where the two filters overlap also would need to be variable across a huge frequency range. As a solution, Pigtronix created a totally unique tracking filter. It allows the musician to adjust the cutoff point of both filters with a single knob, sweeping over a full decade of frequency range from 300 Hz to 3 kHz. This analog filter array—at the heart of the Bob Weir’s Real Deal acoustic preamp—uses Pigtronix custom-made optical components and 18VDC power to achieve the ultra-low noise and high headroom required when processing acoustic guitar. Bob Weir’s Real Deal acoustic preamp is universally compatible with any type of acoustic guitar pickup—from a simple, passive piezo element to complex active systems that use internal microphones, contact elements and/or magnetic pickups. A source switch determines whether the high and low bands are fed by independent sound elements (such as a mic and piezo installed in one guitar) or a single pickup that is then split and sent through both filters. Single-source mode has the additional benefit of allowing the Real Deal to be used to process the sound of an electric guitar or any other instrument. An additional TRS balanced input, equipped with switchable 48V phantom power, allows external microphones of all types to be incorporated as well. Pre-order your pedal now With great giveaways including a signed “Real Deal” pedal and Dead & Company tickets, you won't want to miss this event! Wednesday, June 27th from 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM Bananas At Large 1504 4th StreetSan Rafael, CA 94901 Facebook Event Let us know you're coming and we'll save you a seat! A portion of the day’s proceeds will go toward the Bananas at Large community action plan which benefits programs such as Little Kids Rock, Young Performers International and more!
Pro Performance Clinic with Ultimate Ears - 4/29/18
Have you been wondering what the differences are among different in-ear monitors, and which are best for you? Bananas at Large and Ultimate Ears are teaming up for an in-store clinic to show how using in-ear monitors can dramatically help boost your live performance. Our Ultimate Ears representative, Joel Grubbs, will explain what the venue's engineer will expect of you, and how you can be ready the moment you get to the gig. Rock artist, Teresa Topaz, will be explain how to use and get familiar with in-ear monitors and why they are so important for a gigging musician. We will be covering topics like how easy it is to set up your in-ear monitors, how to set your mix, the benefits of using in-ear monitors, and much more. Join us on April 29th from 3-4pm to see how easy the process is and to get scanned for your Ultimate Ears in-ear monitors. Sign up below for this clinic and for a chance to win the UE SOUND TAP / UE 900s Personal Monitoring System! Buy a UE 5 PRO or UE 6 PRO (New) and get a free UE BOOM ($199 value), or buy a UE 7 PRO, UE 11 PRO, UE 18+ PRO, UE REFERENCE REMASTERED or UE LIVE (New) and get a free UE MEGABOOM ($299 value). We look forward to having you with us! Register Here - Limited Space Bananas At Large1504 4th StSan Rafael, CA 94901 Share our Facebook Event with your friends! Sunday, April 29th from 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM
