The Guitar Show 2019 - 23rd - 24th February, The New Bingley Hall, Birmingham

adampeter

Really enjoyed the show @jason, was the right mix of gear and demos for me

DrJazzTap

I wanted to go but my wallet wouldn't let me. 

CountryDave

Another great show, another year I’m happy I remembered my ear plugs. But at least the quiet times were generally respected.
Lots of ‘ooh, I like that’ moments - the Rift PR on @guitars4you stand. Atkin and Turnstone acoustics @miserneil Ivison juniors and Rexter’s gold telecaster amongst them.
Roll on next year.

ThorpyFX

I had a fantastic time, I really appreciated seeing everyone who came to chat and to those that I spent not enough time with- my apologies. To those that I bored- my apologies..... 

thanks for organising the show Jason, best yet !!!!

jeztone2

fandango said:

LordOxygen said:

Enjoyed the show, plenty to see. However it was just too load for any meaningful amp demos, I guess that was to be expected and probably naive on my part not to see it coming, but still a little disappointing as that is why I went along. 

Would the answer be to put ALL the amps upstairs, and have an acoustic-only main hall?  

Why can’t people wear fucking headphones? 

Bridgehouse

jeztone2 said:

fandango said:

LordOxygen said:

Enjoyed the show, plenty to see. However it was just too load for any meaningful amp demos, I guess that was to be expected and probably naive on my part not to see it coming, but still a little disappointing as that is why I went along. 

Would the answer be to put ALL the amps upstairs, and have an acoustic-only main hall?  

Why can’t people wear fucking headphones? 

Do they do headphones specifically for when you are fucking?

trolley

Excellent show but some people believe they have the right to widdle endlessly regardless of other stands/musos demonstrating. I listened to Paul demo'ing Mooer stuff and even though it was all wireless through headphones, all I could hear was Mark amps & a Matchless .
Highlight was playing a couple of Blackmachines (I want a B2 sooo badly), and @FelineGuitars for the B6 - which hopefully I will buy in the next 12-18 months. Nice to meet @Bucket. And to Ash @Oilcity for helping relieve my son of some of his money in the nicest possible way!
I couldn't believe how many 'custom' guitar makers there are! That's really interesting for the future

sweepy

Apparently Saturday was the noisy day !, it was bad enough on the Sunday . As mentioned earlier it was great to see so much homegrown talent in the Guitar, Pedal and Amp building sector, more power to their collective elbows 

trolley

sweepy said:

Just got back from the show..oh bugger, time to order a Rift Aynsley Lister amp, sounded immense . The other highlight for me was the Blackmachine headless for £9k

I could have sworn Doug told me £8k for the VI

Kalimna

A rather good day out indeed - saw a ton of gorgeous kit (here's looking at you, Stonewolf Guitars, Montys, Turnstone, Oil City amongst others).

Yes, it was loud at times, but Im not sure how you can improve on that. It *is* a guitar show after all. Perhaps a staggered quiet/noisy time so that the hall is split into 2 halves and only one half at a time gets a 'noisy' time, and total-hall quiet times in between....

However, my highlight was most certainly meeting up with Mr Ryder again at the Rift amps stand (and Chris @Riftamps, Sweepy and others who's names I didn't get) to collect my guitar from him. Glorious instrument and big-grin-open-A-chord through the new Aynsley Lister amp - speaking of which, got to hear Aynsley play my guitar through the amp too. Nothing short of outstanding. Thanks to all concerned, especially Ant Ryder for putting up with my pestering messages!

Also,  thanks to anyone who passed comment on the 2-neck ukulele I was carrying around

Looking forward to next year already!

Adam

vasselmeyer

I've been to all but one of the Birmingham shows and, for me, it's going from strength to strength. The standout theme for me was the number of UK-based builders of instruments, amps and pedals. There was some amazing kit around and a couple of instruments using the buckeye burl tops were incredible to look at. It was such a good mixture of stands as well with something there for everyone.

Highlights for me were to finally meet @ThorpyFX, @TheGuitarWeasel and @RiftAmps and talk about what they've created. I really enjoyed getting hands-on with the LP Juniors made by @miserneil and had a good chat with @digitalscream. In terms of kit, as well as Rift and Thorpy, the instruments that I really enjoyed seeing were the tiny travel guitars on the DV stand. There's no way I'm paying upwards of £500 for them, but they were quite a bit of fun. Finally, the curry was excellent; who can complain about £4 for a pile of chicken curry and rice? Great value that I doubt you'd see at a different venue.

Lowlights were the volume. I know it's a guitar show but some people, especially the DV Mark guys, were taking the piss with the levels. I hope the ACS guys made a lot of money, because if I didn't have mine with me, I'm not sure I'd have enjoyed the show as much.

Finally, massive props to @Jason for pulling together a show that actually had something for everyone. Putting on a show that works for every player from Clapton-eqsue baby boomers to hardcore metal players is no easy feat. Onwards to next year.

Also...forgot. @jason DID have a birthday cake for me and the Fretboard crew were good enough to let me leave it with them rather than carry it around the whole show, which would have meant more questions than I was willing to answer:

I saved it until I got home:

Strangefan

I def enjoyed this year's, my favourite was sbc those guitars so the most comfortable I have played..

4string

Thanks @Jason Oil City Pickups are a very satisfied first time exhibitor. I am sure we will give you more detailed feedback when everyone has had a couple of days off... Also thanks to everyone who stopped by the stand, it was great to put faces to the names of existing customers and create a few new customers as well. Cheers!  

mrkb

4string said:

Thanks @Jason Oil City Pickups are a very satisfied first time exhibitor. I am sure we will give you more detailed feedback when everyone has had a couple of days off... Also thanks to everyone who stopped by the stand, it was great to put faces to the names of existing customers and create a few new customers as well. Cheers!  

It was great to discuss options with Ash and be your first customer of the show. Did the payment process get slicker after a few purchases

guitars4you

Kalimna said:

Also,  thanks to anyone who passed comment on the 2-neck ukulele I was carrying around

Adam

I did see that and thought unusual to say the least - Liked the 'bag' it was in !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

EricTheWeary

https://youtu.be/dtx-vDjXyPU

Brief mention herein - I told you Mick was there. 

4string

mrkb said:

4string said:

Thanks @Jason Oil City Pickups are a very satisfied first time exhibitor. I am sure we will give you more detailed feedback when everyone has had a couple of days off... Also thanks to everyone who stopped by the stand, it was great to put faces to the names of existing customers and create a few new customers as well. Cheers!  

It was great to discuss options with Ash and be your first customer of the show. Did the payment process get slicker after a few purchases

It did get slicker, practice makes perfect. :-) It was good to meet you as well. 

darius

Agree with all the good feedback on here.
Well done organisors @Jason  , incredible effort.

Managed to try out all the guitars on my list entitled 'i hope i can try out at the show''.
 Bare Knuckle happened to have a Chapman ML1 thruneck (RS i think) so one off the list despite Chapman not exhibiting. Didn't like it as much as i thought so wallet saved. 
Also managed to successfully not find a bargain 335 which i absolutely do not want or need so wallet saved yet again. 
Amps and Pedals - impossible to try properly but not a surprise. 
It was great meeting Paul at Zilla to thank him for being awesome.

Great mix of live stuff, great marquee for it. Bumblefoot was excellent again. Tone of the day was that Greco 335 through 2 LazyJs. 

Just a great relaxed atmosphere, how nice is it that you were wandering round perusing stuff with Ainsley Lister, Simon McBride, Chris Buck, Mick Pedal Show, 

Win.

Jason

fandango said:

LordOxygen said:

Enjoyed the show, plenty to see. However it was just too load for any meaningful amp demos, I guess that was to be expected and probably naive on my part not to see it coming, but still a little disappointing as that is why I went along. 

Would the answer be to put ALL the amps upstairs, and have an acoustic-only main hall?  

Impossible as upstairs isn’t big enough I’m afraid. I do have a plan tho’ 

guitars4you

Jason said: I do have a plan tho’ 

Ukuleles only ???????????????