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Post by slasher on Oct 16, 2014 13:28:59 GMT
The Music Room, Cleckheaton, W. Yorks has friendly staff a good stock of acoustic guitars and many other folk instruments. When I last called the first thing mentioned by them was --- a brew! Promenade Music Morecambe. Again a good stock, friendly knowledgeable staff, and the clincher for me--- I can walk there!
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Post by pjld86 on Oct 16, 2014 16:23:09 GMT
Guitar Village in Farnham is great. That's my local for the things I pick up in stores, they have a good selection of things which you are able to freely play, and some which you have to ask about playing, but there's never a problem getting them down. Plus it is a cool old building with lots of little rooms and staircases which makes it more fun and interesting to browse and shop there.
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Post by jonnymosco on Oct 16, 2014 16:49:44 GMT
Nice to see this thread revived - sadly I've not come across any decent guitar shops locally since living in Oxford. PMT on the Cowley Rd is sadly a McDonald's experience and the Music Box, also on Cowley Road, is run by old rockers who seem to want to just hang out.
Blackwells Music sells sheet music and strings, so that's my first stop for strings and where I tell my pupils to shop.
As for the Sawday's Guide though - TNAG and TAMCO would make it in - visited both since being back.
Jonny
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mandovark
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Post by mandovark on Oct 16, 2014 22:33:44 GMT
Promenade Music is my local and one of my favourites. Last time I went in there I came out with a new Brook, so staying away for a while for the sake of my wallet.
I'd also recommend Symphony Music in Wigan. Their range of guitars isn't really my thing - mostly Martin and Taylor, with I think the odd Breedlove - but they give the best customer service I've ever encountered in a music shop or in pretty much any other kind of shop. I still haven't quite got over the time I went in for a clip-on tuner: they got two different ones out of the boxes, loaded them up with batteries, got me a guitar and sat me down to have a play around with them to see which display I liked best. All for a £15 tuner. Some bigger-name shops could learn a lot from them.
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Post by vikingblues on Oct 17, 2014 7:42:23 GMT
For mid to low budget acoustics in Edinburgh (and mandolins, ukes, etc) I'd recommend Scayles. Quite small in size and stock but much bigger in customer attention and knowledge of acoustic instruments. Unfortunately for acoustic guitars above £1,000 the choice is pretty well limited to Martins. Though the other shops in Edinburgh don;t have much choice in the higher price range either.
I found Celtic Chords in Stonehaven a wonderful surprise - a very welcoming shop and a surprisingly high level of stocks for its size. Acoustic instruments fill the place and has a high proportion of handmade guitars. Great place to go bankrupt or have very difficult choices to make. Not a Martin or Taylor in sight, which was nice. So refreshingly different to 99% of all other guitar stores.
Mark
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Post by monolith on Oct 18, 2014 13:37:17 GMT
Bought a few guitars from Frailers in Runcorn, brilliant choice, Franks a nice fella as well.
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Post by vikingblues on Sept 5, 2017 19:13:08 GMT
An old thread I know, but I want to add something as a follow up to my praise of Scayles in Edinburgh in my post two up from here nearly 2 years ago. They now show their official policy on their "About Us" section of the website. This includes:- "When you buy from us you know that all the instruments are unpacked and checked as soon as they arrive; they are all tuned and set up, if the strings are old they are re strung and string height and intonation are adjusted as necessary, even on budget instruments. Most of the instruments are on sale in the shop and as such are not untouched by human hand, however we take great care of them, restringing and maintaining as necessary."Compare that to a much bigger shop, part of a national chain, where I was told in the Edinburgh branch that if a guitar is unplayable out of the box they'll adjust it, but otherwise it goes on the display "as is". One of the other bigger shops often has tacky feeling dead strings that make any guitar sound like crap. Not good. So much easier to compare and evaluate guitars when they're properly set up from the get-go. I can't commend Scayles highly enough for their policy and their attitude. I have never tried a guitar there where the action or the state of the strings have not allowed me to judge the instrument. As it's very focussed on acoustic instruments it's also rare to be battered by excessive noise from overdriven electric guitars. Mark
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Post by Cams on Sept 20, 2017 15:08:01 GMT
Ayr Guitar in Ayr is a great local shop and wins for having the corniest name. ayrguitar.com/Simon is the name of the guy that runs it along with his wife, whose name escapes me for the moment.
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