What do you value about your local music shop?

[Maude]

Pre Internet I had to buy stuff from high street retailers and pay over the top for the very limited stock they offered, now I've got endless choice at a much lower, I don't really see much reason to go into a shop. The nearest is Plymouth (20 miles) so fuel, Tamar Bridge toll and parking, the few times I have been in whilst in the area they didn't have what I wanted but could order it for me. That means waiting until next weekend and then paying for the trip into town again, just to pay more than I can get it online for and sent to my house quicker. I'd rather work on my own instruments so can make any instrument bought online playable, trying in store isn't needed as long as you do your research. I realise none of this can be improved upon by the shops as they obviously can't keep stock to match online stores but I really see no reason to go in a shop. I'm happier that way as my time can be spent doing what I want rather than going to shops. 

[TheGreek]

8 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

I needed a set a month so doing the maths 12 x£15 = £168,

Really? Somebody hit the wrong key. 😆😆

[TheGreek]

Given a level playing field - same price, item you want is in stock and polite and helpful staff - I think most of us would like to support out local shops.

For many of us this hasn't been the case so we vote (shop) using the power of the wallet. If you want my money, have what I want when I want it - and don't talk to me like I'm an idiot. 

Edited August 6, 2018 by TheGreek

[mentalextra]

2 hours ago, TheGreek said:

Given a level playing field - same price, item you want is in stock and polite and helpful staff - I think most of us would like to support out local shops.

For many of us this hasn't been the case so we vote (shop) using the power of the wallet. If you want my money, have what I want when I want it - and don't talk to me like I'm an idiot. 

It's interesting how the local high street shop is always presumed to be the 'good guy', and online sellers are the bad guys? We are encouraged to 'support' local shops as though they have a right to our custom?

[Maude]

1 minute ago, mentalextra said:

It's interesting how the local high street shop is always presumed to be the 'good guy', and online sellers are the bad guys? We are encouraged to 'support' local shops as though they have a right to our custom?

True. 

Without wanting to sound bitter, because it really doesn't worry me, but more often than not the 'bricks and mortar' shops are by far the biggest let down. Hence why I really don't worry about the decline of them.

Things have a way of sorting themselves out. If online is better then we will continue to see 'real' shops close. But if, as folks seem to feel, 'real' shops are better then they will win in the end and online shopping will see a decline until some sort of equilibrium is reached. More worry over nothing I feel

[Dad3353]

In days of yore, there were way-stations, taverns and lodging houses all along every highway of this island. Travellers would be compelled to stop at one or other of these inns, as travel was on foot, on horseback, coach or bullock cart, and there was a limit as to how far one could go without feeding and watering both the rider and the steed. With the advent of alternatives, (rail, cars, motorways...), some vestiges of these services remain, albeit much evolved, but anyone trying to do things 'the old way' would have a hard tome of it, I suspect. Times change, and the services one needed, even in pre-war days, are now redundant, or so changed as to be no longer recognised. Farriers are now rare, in a not-so-distant future, local filling stations will be just a memory (already the case in some areas...). It's the same with local commerce, whether music shops, book shops, cobblers... There will be a place for niche outlets, but they will no longer be dependant on local trade, I suspect. There's no going back any time soon, so best to leave the sentimentality and nostalgia behind and make the best of what's 'now' and tomorrow. Is it a Good Thing..? Does that matter, as it changes nothing..?

[Bluewine]

2 minutes ago, Maude said:

True. 

Without wanting to sound bitter, because it really doesn't worry me, but more often than not the 'bricks and mortar' shops are by far the biggest let down. Hence why I really don't worry about the decline of them.

Things have a way of sorting themselves out. If online is better then we will continue to see 'real' shops close. But if, as folks seem to feel, 'real' shops are better then they will win in the end and online shopping will see a decline until some sort of equilibrium is reached. More worry over nothing I feel

I like seeing and talking to people I do business with. I've never and will never buy an amp or bass online.

Blue

[josie]

On principle I'll pay over the odds to buy from local independent shops to help them keep going. We're lucky enough to have a local bookshop, and I always buy from them even if the book is cheaper on A#####n. I want to be able to see, hold, physically try something before I commit to buying it. And I want to be able to walk in and have a friendly chat with someone who recognises me and can advise me based on knowing me personally. And know that I'm contributing to keeping my neighbours in employment. 

My most local (easiest to get to) music shop is Johnny Roadhouse in Manchester, which I walk past on my way to and from work. I've bought four guitars from them over the past four years (my first guitar, a Faith Venus; my son's electric, a 1996 MIM Fender Strat; the bass I keep at work, a cheap Encore P; and my Michael Kelly acoustic 5, which pretty much jumped out of the window and bit me in the leg 🙂 ) All second hand at prices ranging from reasonable to cheap. Also a couple of 2nd hand bass amps and a few guitar stands, cables, & string sets. Convenient, but I'm not impressed enough with the stock or the staff that I'd go far out of my way to get there. 

Promenade Music in Morecambe, on the other hand, is well worth the 2 1/2 hour train ride each way. I bought my first bass from there - had no idea what I was doing or looking for except that it had to be a 5 - spent two hours narrowing down their huge range with endlessly patient help and a couple of cups of coffee from Gary - who refused to let me buy my (still favourite) GMR until he was certain I'd be happy with it, and then gave me a lift back to the train station! So of course I went back for my Jazz+V and later my Michael Kelly fretless 5 - on which he changed the stock strings to flats free of charge. These days I'd be more confident walking into a place with indifferent staff, and I've bought three basses on BC, but for a complete beginner that level of support was priceless. Long may they thrive. 

Edited August 6, 2018 by josie
Very minor edit

[Dad3353]

Just now, Bluewine said:

I like seeing and talking to people I do business with. I've never and will never buy an amp or bass online.

Blue

Yeah, but you're old, innit..? 

...

Or, more kindly and to the point (I, too, am old..!), for now you have the choice. For an increasing number, here in the UK and Europe at least, that choice is fast dwindling, soon to vanish. Buy now, whilst you still can..! 

[sammybee]

1 minute ago, josie said:

On principle I'll pay over the odds to buy from local independent shops to help them keep going. We're lucky enough to have a local bookshop, and I always buy from them even if the book is cheaper on A#####n. I want to be able to see, hold, physically try something before I commit to buying it. And I want to be able to walk in and have a friendly chat with someone who recognises me and can advise me based on knowing me personally. And know that I'm contributing to keeping my neighbours in employment. 

My most local (easiest to get to) music shop is Johnny Roadhouse in Manchester, which I walk past on my way to and from work. I've bought four guitars from them over the past four years (my first guitar, a Faith Venus; my son's electric, a 1996 MIM Fender Strat; the bass I keep at work, a cheap Encore P; and my Michael Kelly acoustic 5, which pretty much jumped out of the window and bit me in the leg 🙂 ) All second hand at prices ranging from reasonable to cheap. Also a couple of 2nd hand bass amps and a few guitar stands, cables, & string sets. Convenient, but I'm not impressed enough with the stock or the staff that I'd go far out of my way to get there. 

Promenade Music in Morecambe, on the other hand, is well worth the 2 1/2 hour train ride each way. I bought my first bass from there - had no idea what I was doing or looking for except that it had to be a 5 - spent two hours narrowing down their huge range with endlessly patient help and a couple of cups of coffee from Gary - who refused to let me buy my (still favourite) GMR until he was certain I'd be happy with it, and then gave me a lift back to the train station! So of course I went back for my Jazz+V and later my Michael Kelly fretless 5 - on which he changed the stock strings to flats free of charge. These days I'd be more confident walking into a place with indifferent staff, and I've bought three on BC, but for a complete beginner that level of support was priceless. Long may they thrive. 

Likewise, I happily pay a little over the odds for much the same reason. I think it's important, not just for my own selfish needs - but for the younger kids and those who don't/can't want to order from an anonymous German box shifter that we keep our local music shops viable and open. They're a resource that the local scene needs.

[Maude]

3 minutes ago, Bluewine said:

I like seeing and talking to people I do business with. I've never and will never buy an amp or bass online.

Blue

Maybe things are different in the states Blue, maybe they're different in the cities here in the UK but my last purchase was a Hofner Club, which I've put LaBella flats on. Neither of these would be in stock in any music shop within a very large radius of where I live. Possibly the closest shop that might keep stock would be a three or four hour drive away. There just aren't any sizeable shops anywhere near me. With the distance selling regs I'm comfortable buying online and if it's not for me then I'll return it. At worst I'm out of pocket the return postage cost, but that's still less than a five hundred mile drive would cost. 

It's just the way it is where I live

[mentalextra]

2 minutes ago, sammybee said:

Likewise, I happily pay a little over the odds for much the same reason. I think it's important, not just for my own selfish needs - but for the younger kids and those who don't/can't want to order from an anonymous German box shifter that we keep our local music shops viable and open. They're a resource that the local scene needs.

Buying online is growing leaps and bounds, the high street is dying on its feet. Sad but true. It would be a very brave man to open a old fashioned high street shop in 2018?

[sammybee]

I've also got no excuse not to use the local shop (PMT Northampton), they price match anything on the web & if they don't have it in stock, they'll get it for me. For my last 2 (largish) ticket items, they price matched the first & gave me interest free credit, and for the second, they were a hundred quid cheaper than anyone on the internet.

[Woodinblack]

The only two basses I have seen in shops in the last 6 months that I was interested in buying was one in the Bass Gallery, one in Wunjo and one in Vintage and Rare. London is 120miles, Bath is 50.  There is little chance that something I was interested in would turn up in a shop near me.

[Maude]

2 minutes ago, sammybee said:

I've also got no excuse not to use the local shop (PMT Northampton), they price match anything on the web & if they don't have it in stock, they'll get it for me. For my last 2 (largish) ticket items, they price matched the first & gave me interest free credit, and for the second, they were a hundred quid cheaper than anyone on the internet.

If I had something like that nearby then I'd use it. 

My last experience at my closest shop was being told when asked if he had any flats in stock because I wanted to try them on my P bass was, "Don't bother, they'll sound like stinky poo". 

Not naming names but Craig's Music in Bodmin will know who I'm on about. With service like that the Internet is a godsend. 

[Reggaebass]

I’m lucky my local shop would be Andy Baxter’s or a pmt about 7 miles away   There’s not that many good music shops about now 

[peteb]

When I was a kid, me and my mates used to hang out in the biggish local music shop in the next suburb to drool over guitars / basses we couldn’t afford and try out gear that we might be able to save up for. All the staff played in local bands and the place was full of local musos who would take the mickey out of us, show us how to play little bits and pieces and generally give us tips and advice. Fast forward ten years and I am friends / playing in bands with all the staff there and it’s me showing kids how to play the bass line to The Boys Are Back In Town and advising them on gear, etc.

It was a really successful shop from the early 70s until well into the 90s. Of course, it closed its doors a long time ago…

[sammybee]

18 minutes ago, Maude said:

If I had something like that nearby then I'd use it. 

My last experience at my closest shop was being told when asked if he had any flats in stock because I wanted to try them on my P bass was, "Don't bother, they'll sound like stinky poo". 

Not naming names but Craig's Music in Bodmin will know who I'm on about. With service like that the Internet is a godsend. 

I think my local shop know what they are up against (internet sellers), hence they will go the extra mile to give excellent service and get the sale.

[LeftyP]

We have one very small music shop in the city and I can walk to it from home in about 10 minutes.  When I say small, I really mean it as you can see nearly all their stock from the front door.  When I was looking for a bass they had about 6 in stock - all Fender look-a-likes -  and their choice of strings was limited.  Being a small premises I got the feeling I was being closely watched as I inspected the guitars.  Another larger shop some 12 miles away had only 2 bass guitars in stock.  They closed down recently.

I bought my Tanglewood violin bass from the small shop about 12 years ago and had to take it back to have one of the volume knobs re-wired.  I bought my latest bass on-line and am not in the market for another.  As the internet offers a huge selection of strings, straps and other musical stuff that I can view at my leisure and buy at cheaper prices, I don't feel the need to have a local music shop.  I will echo the comments of a previous poster about Promenade Music in Morecambe.  It is just over an hour's drive from home and you can lose yourself in the bass guitar department for days!

[MiltyG565]

55 minutes ago, Bluewine said:

I like seeing and talking to people I do business with. I've never and will never buy an amp or bass online.

Blue

This is something that some people really value. Not all, but definitely far from none. And I wouldn't say it was just the older generation either. I think it's really fair, and frankly what drives a lot of my purchase decisions is how I feel about the people I'm dealing with. The cold, faceless void of Amazon really doesn't do much for me. Yes, it's great if I want something cheap, and it's handy (I've just ordered some pens), but it doesn't know me, and I don't know it. The relationship I have with the likes of Amazon is very transactional. The relationship I have with other companies can be quite a bit more in-depth.

In a similar way, there are people who would rather send an email or do a web chat with a company, which is fine, but I prefer to talk to somebody. That isn't because I have some kind of issue with typing or reading, it just feels cold to me. One of the reasons why my customer satisfaction was so high when I worked for BT was because I called the customer, whether it was good news or bad news, I gave my customers the respect to call them and discuss it with them. Some of my colleagues rarely spoke to customers, and only ever sent them text messages. Some people preferred the text message, but in general I think people appreciate dealing with a person.

This turned into more of a rant than I had anticipated 😂

[MiltyG565]

1 hour ago, Dad3353 said:

Yeah, but you're old, innit..? 

...

Or, more kindly and to the point (I, too, am old..!), for now you have the choice. For an increasing number, here in the UK and Europe at least, that choice is fast dwindling, soon to vanish. Buy now, whilst you still can..! 

I did a blog post recently about the local retail market, and where it's going.

https://martin-graham.com/2018/06/30/the-future-of-retail/

[Bluewine]

5 hours ago, Dad3353 said:

Yeah, but you're old, innit..? 

...

Or, more kindly and to the point (I, too, am old..!), for now you have the choice. For an increasing number, here in the UK and Europe at least, that choice is fast dwindling, soon to vanish. Buy now, whilst you still can..! 

I can't speak for all of my generation, but me, I'm not old and will never be old. I'm older but not old. Huge difference.

And yes, I get that brick and mortar is dieing fast.

Blue

[Bluewine]

Thing is, I've dropped a lot of cash at Cream City. Some of you have seen pics of my 1991 Gibson Thunderbird, German made Hofner Club bass with Cavern Club PU spacing, my Gold Top Les Paul bass and my Gibson ES-335 Bass in vintage faded cherry with vanilla binding. All purchased from Cream City

( they ship to the UK)

https://www.creamcitymusic.com/

When I walk into that store they treat me like a king and the owner always comes out to talk with me.

Blue

Edited August 7, 2018 by Bluewine

[Graham]

My local shop is now Bonners in Eastbourne, they seem nice enough and quite professional in there, put me in mind of a smaller Andertons.

I bought some pedalboard cables there a few weeks ago and the young lad behind the counter was very accomodating, so would happily shop there again, but they don't stock anything I'm interested in - entry level to mid-range basses and Rotosound and Ernie Ball strings.

I still go back to the shop in my hometown - Bullfrog Music in East Grinstead - as Danny there does great set-ups for me, and whilst he has to order in D'addarios, they normally come pretty quickly.

Like Bonners though, I doubt I'd buy a bass or amp from there unless it was a commission sale, as they have a similiar, but smaller selection.

[Angelus]

13 hours ago, dmccombe7 said:

My nearest worthwhile bass stockist is Guitar Guitar in Glasgow which is 40 miles from me. Friendly enough and a reasonably decent selection of basses although i feel they have more Fender or Sandberg at the moment but that's fine for me as i like both.

They are happy to let me try anything out when i visit and have only had pleasant experiences in their new downstairs bass dept.

Dave

 

Once Magnum Sound in Wishaw shut down, that’s all we were left with. I work in Edinburgh, but seem to prefer going into Glasgow ( was in there on Saturday to try out an something ). Merchant City across the road from Guitar Guitar have a decent selection too. 

It was unfortunate for Magnum Sound, people went in to get advice and help with all sort ( PA’s, instruments, amps etc. ) but bought online, to save money, once they knew exactly what they wanted. Some people complained about the owner closing the store, but when he pointed out the main issue was some people hadn’t spent anything in there for years, how can they complain?