Cranes in Cardiff closed....

Parker

I've probably missed this on another forum thread somewhere. Swansea still open and apparently
pending a 'relocation'. That doesn't sound good. PMT opened around the corner a year or so ago. I guess the only reason I went to Cardiff has just shut

Parker

I have found the discussion now, so clearly this is not news. It's sad though - I used to go there in the mid nineties hoping to bump in to JDB or Kelly. 

Guitar_Slinger

I bought a bass from them at Music Live in November 1999.  Guess I don't need to keep the receipt anymore.

Whitecat

Another guitar shop with astronomical pricing and an unwillingness to do deals has shut? Surprise surprise. 

Inquired twice about guitars there, the first time was on something they'd had for a LONG time and they wouldn't move one penny on the price, and the second time on a different piece they wrote back saying the website price was wrong, sorry, it's actually £400 more.

Good riddance to their types... guys like Coda, Peach and Sound Affects make them look like amateurs. 

p90fool

I have to say they always looked after me in there, both in terms of service and price. 

thermionic

I've spent a bit there over the years - Vox AC15, Taylor acoustic, Telecaster, a handful of pedals. Took several guitars there to get set up and fret dressed. However, my first thought when I popped into PMT when it opened was "I'll give Cranes a year." Better attitude from the staff, better range of everything. 

I've seen at least one if not two of Cranes' former staff working in PMT, so good for them.

dilbert

thermionic said:

I've spent a bit there over the years - Vox AC15, Taylor acoustic, Telecaster, a handful of pedals. Took several guitars there to get set up and fret dressed. However, my first thought when I popped into PMT when it opened was "I'll give Cranes a year." Better attitude from the staff, better range of everything. 

I've seen at least one if not two of Cranes' former staff working in PMT, so good for them.

No coincidence that one of the guys that moved is Mike Podesta, who was the manager at Cranes since I started using it. 

HAL9000

Only visited once - roughly two years ago. Lots of overpriced tat with rusty strings, etc. Unhelpful staff the day I was there. If that was typical then, unfortunately, it deserves to close.

Nunogilberto

I always found them hit and miss. It was always nice to go in and gaze at the vintage stuff and the sheer amount of stock on the walls, and sometimes when I was looking to buy, you'd happen upon a helpful member of staff who couldn't do enough for you.

Most of the time though; the staff were bearded hipster types who would rather sit there and noodle among themselves with their expensive stock, and ignore the flow of potential customers coming in and out of the shop as time went on...

mort

Wonder what's happened to all the vintage stuff in the glass cabinets - all moved to Swansea? They have to lock the guitars to the wall in the Swansea branch as people have been known to grab & run.....

welshboyo

I think they tried hard to compete with PMT coming to town - the back room had been updated with leather sofas etc and despite the pricing they had some nice pieces in there and some bits were OK price wise I have to say.

It's a shame but the guys in PMT are just as good and are very welcoming.

I hate the Swansea shop..unless it has now filled up with the Cardiff stock it was always the poor relation with minimal stock and felt like a bargain basement type shop as it was so big yet poorly laid out and mainly bare..

I know we have A Strings up the valley a bit and few smaller guys trying really hard but South Wales is crying out for a real good independent - it will never happen with internet and the big box pushers but it's nice to dream

EvanEvanNorth

I have just returned to guitar playing after a long break from it and was rather surprised that cranes had shut.
One consolation is that the former cranes manager, Mike Podesta is now at PMT.
I have known Mike since about 1983 when he was working for Gwent music and he has always given me excellent customer service.
RE Cranes demise, at one time they seemed to be overstocked with PRS, Gibson and fender high end models that did not seem to move that quickly so I suppose that the arrival of PMT must have slowed things even further.
It is a shame to see that they have gone as they were my fave guitar shop in the nineties.
I can see Gamlins going the same way as their shop is virtually next door to PMT and poorly stocked in comparison.
As it happens I recently purchased a guitar, amp and effects unit from PMT and it looks like they have things sorted out with decent staff and a good range of products for all pockets (unless you are after vintage collectables).
Prices seem to be competitive but not exactly bargain priced and they always seem busy too.
Good luck to them I say.

Gassage

I have a had a very bad experience with Cranes re a dodgy vintage Fender. Bought it, found irrefutble proof of skullduggery, had a monster bust up, took 30 days to refund (a large some - over £5k).

Wasn't impressed.

IvisonGuitars

evan47 said:

I have just returned to guitar playing after a long break from it and was rather surprised that cranes had shut.
One consolation is that the former cranes manager, Mike Podesta is now at PMT.
I have known Mike since about 1983 when he was working for Gwent music and he has always given me excellent customer service.
RE Cranes demise, at one time they seemed to be overstocked with PRS, Gibson and fender high end models that did not seem to move that quickly so I suppose that the arrival of PMT must have slowed things even further.
It is a shame to see that they have gone as they were my fave guitar shop in the nineties.
I can see Gamlins going the same way as their shop is virtually next door to PMT and poorly stocked in comparison.
As it happens I recently purchased a guitar, amp and effects unit from PMT and it looks like they have things sorted out with decent staff and a good range of products for all pockets (unless you are after vintage collectables).
Prices seem to be competitive but not exactly bargain priced and they always seem busy too.
Good luck to them I say.

Think this was more to do with their ludicrous overpricing.... 

DLM

Anyone know what this will mean for Caparison?

Strat54

Gamlins have had a '61 Esquire on sale for over 10 years......not sure how dealers exist like this.

RMJ

Bought my first decent guitar in gamblins. Still have it. 

TimmyO

I bought my '96 R7 in Cranes in about 2002. Seemed like a really good place.

the_pman28

Spent a fair bit of money in there when i lived in Cardiff. Not sure why, dreadful, disinterested service...overpriced and not interested in doing deals.I went back in a couple of months ago and pretty much all of their vintage stock was exactly the same as when i first moved to the city in 1999! 

I remember trying to negotiate on a guitar at one point explaining that they were at least a third more expensive than anywhere online. I was told by the salesperson that I wouldn't get the same service if i bought online! I chuckled and left without purchasing...

LooseMoose

The one in Swansea is shit, never been to the Cardiff one.

underdog

LooseMoose said:

The one in Swansea is shit, never been to the Cardiff one.

Yeah it's poor, not much of interest in there, budget guitars at high prices and a lot of the shop is actually just empty space.