Stub Mandrel

I really think a solid top is pointless on a cheap acoustic. To get a solid top guitar down to near that price point corners will have to be cut elsewhere. There are many mighty fine laminate top guitars. Two cheap but excellent guitars for about £100 are a Fender and the Gretsch Jim Dandy parlour (small body) guitars. Neither is fancy but both are ideally proportioned for beginners and pretty well set up as new (unlike some brands e.g. Tanglewood IME). Both guitars will leave a smile on the face of more experienced guitarists, it's the same appeal as picking up a short scale bass - they are so much fun to play.

One of the bands I was in recorded a demo in "Rob's Caravan of Doom", which was about 6' x 16', with the biggest bit housing the drumkit and the 'control room' at the other end. We squeezed two guitarists, a vocalist and me into tint space in the middle. Sometimes I used to retreat into the drummer's bit.

Having that many acoustics is weird man! Sell them and buy basses!

It's a Trace Elliot - pulling it over is only an issue if you are Geoff Capes... The XLRs on my GP11 are screwed on.

I have at least one of those somewhere 🙂 The Wall was notorious for having a bad pressing, after the second return my local shop wouldn't swap it again 😞 You can actually see the huge excursion that causes a skip if you use a hand lens.

I never suggested you do! I'm just saying that there's no reason to go up to 45rpm to extend the bandwidth, as vinyl is happily capable of reproducing 45kHz + at 33 1/3 rpm.

Possibly the shipping is 'German VAT'

All that is true, but it is 'common knowledge' that standard 33rpm vinyl is easily capable of reproducing audio well beyond audio frequencies. Back in the 1980s I was listening to Pink Floyd on a mate's quadrophonic system that used a carrier frequency of up to 45KHz. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Compatible_Discrete_4

I imagine the shipping is a re-charge from the couriers to Thomann in Germany so isn't liable to UK tax.

Someone once told me off for listening to Swervedriver because "their name sounds like skrewdriver" 🙄

I knew that a 33 1/3 rpm vinyl was more than capable of a bandwidth way beyond 20kHz, but I wanted to find out just how far it goes. It took a surprising amount of digging: https://www.positive-feedback.com/Issue2/mastering.htm 122 kHz.

It's quite easy. CDs are a lot smaller, feel smooth and you can fit your pinkie into the hole in the middle.

Me too, as well, also! I enjoy finding an appropriate strap. Luckily, I am quite happy with bog-standard 50mm/2" nylon straps so this hasn't bankrupted me. I like woven mandolin/ukelele straps. Fender straps for Fenders and Squiers (I know!). Most lush is my Ernie Ball jacquard one. I have a very old rainbow one with hippy scarves and badges all over it dating back to the late 80s. My brother designed a custom Hawkwind one for me and got it made as a present, that's on my fretless. When I eventually bring all my collection back together, I will share photos 🙂

Actually visit: https://www.gibson.com/Find-A-Store I found two Epiphone dealers who aren't Gibson stockists. https://www.epiphone.com/Find-A-Store if you discounted PMT or Guitar Guitar most regions would have virtually no Gibson/Epiphone dealers. I found more Fender dealers across the UK, https://shop.fender.com/on/demandware.store/Sites-Fender-EMEA-Site/en_GB/Dealers-Results?locate=yes There are THREE Gibson dealers inside the M25, TEN Fender dealers. Four Fender in Glasgow, one Gibson. The map doesn't give a result if you search for Squier dealers. Clearly different policies in action, but if the 'minimum stock level' story I was told is true, then it seems Gibson effectively decided they didn't need local music shops.

Very few small shops stock Gibson. I went in a lot during 2019, noticed this and that's how I found out what was happening. One shop I've been visiting since at least 2017 used to have a whole wall of Epiphones and a few Gibsons, they didn't have a single new Gibson or Epiphone last few times I visited. I think it's only PMT that I have seen Gibson in for agood while.

Like I posted a few days ago, many people don't realise that many independents source their (non fender/gibson) stock from big online sellers. As I understand it this can include Squier guitars. It was getting really tough back in 2019, two shops told me Gibson were insisting shops held a five-figure value of Gibson guitars if they wanted to stock Epiphone - practices like that were far more damaging IMHO.

Indeed, it's a sort of 'better knob' 🙂

Lordy! I'm not the only person who uses a forcefield with a bass 🙂

Companies House returns can be up to a year out of date, even if updated. Lots of small 'businesses' aren't companies. You could try searching the register of Limited Liability Partnerships, for example.

Not the hardest of songs but I'm relearning loads of songs by Ten Years After like Think About the Times and Stoned Woman. I love playing this stuff again. Delighted to find that Leo Lyons is still going and hopefully gigging after covid.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/jan/07/customers-europe-hit-by-post-brexit-charges-buying-from-uk

ooerr....

Looks like it's a double-edged sword: https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2021/jan/07/customers-europe-hit-by-post-brexit-charges-buying-from-uk

I spoke to one shop owner, some of the bulk importers (I recall Normans & PMT but could be wrong) sell on at trade prices that allow them to match or compete with online prices (still small margins). I suspect its high end sales and accessories that are bread and butter for most music shops - selling mid-range and entry level instruments is really about gaining loyal customers

Abbey Road in Nottingham do lessons and were doing their Abbey Road Army gigs - I did the last one but I don't think it made any money despite being successful. I think they were hoping it would sell more gear (it worked on me, but ...)