Frank Gross is bringing a West Seattle icon back to his roots with the opening of the newest iteration of Thunder Road Guitars at 2611 California Avenue SW. This move to the Admiral District represents the fourth version of the store in West Seattle and is envisioned by Gross as the shop's "forever home".

The location is deeply personal for Gross, who grew up in the Admiral neighborhood and lived in West Seattle for nearly his entire life.

From "Bent Cactus" to Guitar Icon

Gross’s journey with the instrument began at age 11 when his father, a former bass player, showed him his first chords. While he initially dreamed of being a sports star like Michael Jordan, his trajectory shifted permanently in the early 90s after hearing Nirvana’s Nevermind and Green Day’s Dookie.

By age 13, he had formed a band called Bent Cactus, and before he turned 18, he was already booking tours, printing merch, and recording music.

His professional start in the industry came during high school when he "weasled" his way into a job at a local guitar shop to avoid bagging groceries at the Admiral Thriftaway. Although he originally intended to be a professional musician and did tour Europe with his band, he found he loved being around the instruments.

Today, after 15 years in business, Gross finds his greatest professional joy in connecting players with instruments they will actually use to create art.

A 15-Year West Seattle Journey

Thunder Road Guitars launched in 2012 as an e-commerce startup before moving into its first brick-and-mortar space later that year. The business has since moved through several locations, including a high-profile stint in the West Seattle Junction from 2015 to 2019 where they partnered with The Bass Shop.

The business faced its toughest trials in 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic and the West Seattle Bridge closure occurred simultaneously. While foot traffic evaporated overnight and staff were briefly laid off, the store's strong online presence allowed it to survive as people sought solo hobbies like guitar playing during the lockdown. This period of rapid growth eventually led to the store carrying major new brands like Fender, Gibson, Martin, and Gretsch alongside their vintage inventory.

The New Admiral Experience

The new 2611 California Avenue SW location was designed by the firm Design Well Spent to create a "wow factor" and solve long-standing customer needs.

Key features of the new space include:

• Acoustic and Vintage Rooms: Dedicated isolated spaces allow customers to test acoustic instruments or browse rare vintage pieces without noise interference.
• Massive Display: The store features approximately 400 guitars, the vast majority of which are displayed on walls to avoid the clutter of floor stands.
• Iconic Signage: A large, custom neon sign was recently installed to make a statement in the neighborhood.

Grand Opening and Giveaways

To celebrate the new location, Thunder Road is hosting a Grand Opening event on June 6 and 7. The weekend features massive in-store giveaways; participants must show up in person to enter.

• Saturday, June 6: A bundle giveaway including a Fender Stratocaster, a Two-Rock amplifier, and a selection of pedals.
• Sunday, June 7: A Gretsch guitar autographed by Brian Setzer and a Magnatone amplifier signed by Billy Gibbons.

Gross views this new store as a "love letter" to the guitar shops he grew up in and worked for, aiming to maintain a friendly, non-pretentious atmosphere despite the world-class inventory.

The shop continues to serve everyone from local West Seattle beginners to local "rock stars" and famous collectors like Slash of Guns N' Roses and Velvet Revolver.