How far/close do you live from a decent guitar shop?

RocknRollDave

EricTheWeary said:

RocknRollDave said:

GuitarGuitar in Brim has expanded to two shops now - an acoustic one on the existing site and an electric one a few doors down. I'm not sure PMT is significantly  bigger these days, in terms of stock on display, (unless you're a keyboard player or drummer, that is, although GG do stock keyboards and some electronic drums)

Ahh, I think their re opening roughly coincided with my  becoming a job seeker so going inside became far too depressing a prospect. I did think about hanging around outside with a cardboard sign saying Sexual Favours Given for Daddarios but some of those dentists are right kinky bastards.

What gauge strings do you use.....?

ToneControl

MagicPigDetective said:

ToneControl said:

 But I will let you decide what is your definition of decent and which is your nearest. Btw I have had good friendly service and advice when trying out guitars at Dawsons, Chester. But I've also had good service at Back Alley Music in Chester and should have included it in my opening post.

where are you based then?

Near Porthmadog 

ahhh
was going to suggest Knighton, but even that is miles from you

ToneControl

richardhomer said:

ToneControl said:There is the flagship Dawsons in the centre - not a place I enjoy, but you can look at lots of new Gibsons and Fenders, 

1 mile from the centre is the biggest PMT in the country AFAIK, which surely is useful
in the suburbs is Sounds great, which is basically the North west of England's equivalent of Coda
Many people would wish there was a shop like that in their city

Back in the day, A1 on Oxford Rd  was the brilliant, old school shop, the size of a newsagent, with a doorway behind the counter leading to several floors underground, like some giant rabbit warren (some will not know about this), which was bought then closed by Academy of sound I think  
Johnny Roadhouse could effectively take it's place - the Hobgoblin franchise upstairs is good, but the main shop is still just selling very cheap low-quality used gear, same as 20-30 years ago. Surely the University of Manchester and Manchester Met with 72k students between them (both on Oxford Rd) could keep a decent guitar shop running?

Last time I was in Dawson's (just after Christmas) I was surprised how limited their selection was. No US Fenders beyond Professional Series - yet oddly no Gibsons below Custom Shop. Very limited range of amps too.

I should have mentioned Forsythes - they have an interesting selection of acoustics - particularly from British builders.

Call me a snob - but I just don't like PMT. Not a 'sharp' operation in terms of service, nor cheap - so the worst of all worlds for me.

I've never been to Coda - but I know people rate them highly - Sounds Great was probably once the Northern equivalent but is now a shadow of its former self. Poor staff, very little high end stock compared to its glory days. There is also a back story - which I won't state publicly - which means I will never give them a penny of my money again.

Johnny Roadhouse is a strange place - a real Manc institution - but I agree the stock is almost always low end. I was in there a few weeks ago and surprised how expensive their 'better' stock was - a 1980 Gold Top Les Paul Standard at £2500, a late '70s Tele at £2295....

Given the city's music scene, I'm genuinely surprised there isn't a 'proper' independent guitar shop in the city centre.

Yes Forsyths is interesting
I don't like PMT much either, but it's there when you need it
I've heard the back story to SG too, from someone well informed and impartial, and I think there is 2 sides to that story
Current stock in SG is down a little, but really very similar to Coda when I went there 3-4 years ago
There really are very few shops like that around

There must be room for an independent in the centre really

GuitarZero

World Guitars is about 10-15 mins from me.  I'm also 45mins from Bristol (PMT) and 60 mins from Birmingham (GG/PMT), there are also a couple of small shops in town (Gloucester) that sell mostly lower end gear. So plenty of options really.

EricTheWeary

RocknRollDave said:

EricTheWeary said:

RocknRollDave said:

GuitarGuitar in Brim has expanded to two shops now - an acoustic one on the existing site and an electric one a few doors down. I'm not sure PMT is significantly  bigger these days, in terms of stock on display, (unless you're a keyboard player or drummer, that is, although GG do stock keyboards and some electronic drums)

Ahh, I think their re opening roughly coincided with my  becoming a job seeker so going inside became far too depressing a prospect. I did think about hanging around outside with a cardboard sign saying Sexual Favours Given for Daddarios but some of those dentists are right kinky bastards.

What gauge strings do you use.....?

 

Strat_a_tat_tat

Sporky said:

I can walk to Andertons in about half an hour.

... but it takes an hour and a half to stagger back home with a Marshall 4x12 strapped to your back.

57Deluxe

I go into Guitar Village just cos I can... often just to admire the historic ambiance...

SidNewton

I can drive to World Guitars in just over 10 minutes and reach Intersound in Dursley in about 20 minutes. They're great for amp repairs.

andyp

sm55onl said:

Central Scotland: so i am within a 20 min car journey between two GuitarGuitar shops in Glasgow & Edinburgh as well as several attendant shops in either city.

Same here. It's ace how quickly I can get into either city but now I find Glasgow much easier to get in and out of, despite not knowing it very well compared to Edinburgh. I managed to get into GG Glasgow and back in less than an hour one Sunday... Despite the mixed reviews of GG, I think the Glasgow one is a great store.

Monkeybone

I've got Jaywalk Guitars five minutes walk from my house. 

Teetonetal

I'm really lucky, I work 10 mins walk from a really good one

MagicPigDetective

Thanks for all the Birmingham tips. Just looked a the video for Guitar Guitar's new acoustic shop. It's bloody ginormous. I'm not sure I'd be able to cope with so much choice. I'll give it a shot though.

MagicPigDetective

ToneControl said:

MagicPigDetective said:

ToneControl said:

 But I will let you decide what is your definition of decent and which is your nearest. Btw I have had good friendly service and advice when trying out guitars at Dawsons, Chester. But I've also had good service at Back Alley Music in Chester and should have included it in my opening post.

where are you based then?

Near Porthmadog 

ahhh
was going to suggest Knighton, but even that is miles from you

It is miles form me, but it's not far from my hometown of Newtown, will try to call in when I'm next in the area. Don't remember a guitar shop being there in the 90's. In fact the only thing I remember being from Knighton was my first girlfriend (a complete headcase)

bazxkr

I live 3 mins walk from a PMT & 5 mins walk from DV247...not sure that is a good thing. Never been in the PMT & once in the DV247 about 8 years ago

ToneControl

MagicPigDetective said:

ToneControl said:

Near Porthmadog 

ahhh
was going to suggest Knighton, but even that is miles from you

It is miles form me, but it's not far from my hometown of Newtown, will try to call in when I'm next in the area. Don't remember a guitar shop being there in the 90's. In fact the only thing I remember being from Knighton was my first girlfriend (a complete headcase)

I went to the shop in 2010 I think
https://www.knightonmusiccentre.com/products/electric-guitars/

it was peppered with lots of things you don't often see in small town shops, it may still be run the same way, I don't know

blueskunk

richardhomer said:

Given it's size, Manchester's remarkably badly served by decent music shops. 

For acoutics Frailers in Runcorn is well worth the half-hour's drive, as is Amp Guitars in Macclesfield for used stuff.

None of the others merit a mention, really. 

Soundsgreat

Loobs

Unfortunately in Berlin there isn't a really good guitar shop. I really wish there was something like Peach or GG here.

Teetonetal

Loobs said:

Unfortunately in Berlin there isn't a really good guitar shop. I really wish there was something like Peach or GG here.

Really? In a city of Berlin's size you'd expect something. Shame.

HarrySeven

Home:

5 minutes from my local luthier.
25 minutes from whatever passes for a music shop in Wolverhampton nowadays (never go there if I can help it).
30 minutes from Shrewsbury (the very dire SMC and the less dire and very friendly Music Bros).
45 minutes from Birmingham (Little Guitar Shop, PMT, guitar guitar, etc).
60 minutes from Trevor Davies Music in Leominster.
60+ minutes from Knighton Music (not that I want to make a return visit this side of the next millennium).
90 minutes from Stoke-on-Trent (the always interesting Rhythm House, etc)

Work:

3 minutes from TR Music (which has been my "local" music shop since 1978/9-ish).

EricTheWeary

@HarrySeven I was thinking about you on Tuesday and your post on here reminded me - had to drop my guitar into J Davey. I wanted to bring you up in the conversation but I presumed if I said do you know Harry Seven he might have thought I'd lost my marbles.