Yamaha Shop Wardour St

[Tokalo]

I had to take my 10-year old out for several hours today, to allow my wife some study time.

He plays trombone (grade 2), and is curious about other brass instruments.

So I took him up to London to visit the Yamaha shop (it’s the only brass store open on a Sunday that we could get to).

Knowing we wouldn’t be purchasing, I was a bit sheepish about asking if he could play their Bb/F trombone. But they were SO helpful and welcoming. Not only did he play the £1400 trombone, they positively encouraged him to try a French Horn and a Tenor Horn.
This weekend, it seems they’ve been having an event, so they also offered him a free 30-minute music lesson. We went downstairs to the guitar section and he was taught a few chords and, erm, Smoke on the Water (he plays it on trombone in his band)

 

Meanwhile, I had time to try out a couple of basses, including a 5-string that has made me reconsider whether I should only have 4s. And an upright electric which has confirmed that I definitely shouldn’t go there.

 

All in all, a great experience!

[Paolo85]

I went a couple of times. Last time the staff seemed almost uninterested in concluding a sale ("...or you can buy online it may be easier", something like that). I suspect Yamaha sees that shop - which is quite magnificent compared to the Denmark street shops - more as a way to support the brand than a way of making money.

[Guest]

I think it would be impossible for that shop to make money, given the location, the size, and the fact that it's a musical instruments shop, so I'm certain you're right, it's part of their overall marketing strategy, a cost rather than an income stream.

 

I bought a bass from them online in 2020, a very pleasant experience. 

[Tokalo]

Yes, definitely not normal retail. 

 

A handy addition to my list of “Free Things to do in London”, though!

[SumOne]

Yeah it's a good shop, or I suppose more a 'flagship showroom' as others have said - it's seems too good (size, space, location, low/no pressure sales) to be a profitable shop.

 

I played a £4,400 BBNE2 (Nathan East signature BB)  and was completely left alone with it and a few other similar priced Basses to try out. I thought that was very trusting of them, not for theft but it'd be very easy to give it a scrape or dent without a strap. They didn't seem to give it a glance once I'd finished. 

 

Good selection of keyboards to try too. 

[Happy Jack]

I've been in there a lot over the years, going back to when it was Chappells.

 

Maybe because of the whole flagship thing, when they do a Sale they do it properly and you get som real bargains  ... assuming of course that you're interested in what's in the Sale. 🙄

 

More to the point, don't let the general swankiness of the showroom prevent you from making an offer; it's not awfully awfully English but don't ask = don't get.

[TimR]

On 10/10/2023 at 11:59, SumOne said:

Yeah it's a good shop, or I suppose more a 'flagship showroom' as others have said - it's seems too good (size, space, location, low/no pressure sales) to be a profitable shop.

 

I played a £4,400 BBNE2 (Nathan East signature BB)  and was completely left alone with it and a few other similar priced Basses to try out. I thought that was very trusting of them, not for theft but it'd be very easy to give it a scrape or dent without a strap. They didn't seem to give it a glance once I'd finished. 

 

Good selection of keyboards to try too. 

 

Maybe they would have been more concerned if you'd bashed one their £150k 'keyboards'! 😆

[SumOne]

35 minutes ago, TimR said:

 

Maybe they would have been more concerned if you'd bashed one their £150k 'keyboards'! 😆

 

I think I've been focussing on Basses too much as just had a look at their other stuff available, it makes a £4k Bass look cheap: 

• Grand Piano £150k
• Bassoon £25k
• Saxaphone £11k
• Vibraphone £10k

 

[Cairobill]

Yup, I've played that Nathan East BB. Amazing instrument!

[Tokalo]

2 hours ago, SumOne said:

 

I think I've been focussing on Basses too much as just had a look at their other stuff available, it makes a £4k Bass look cheap: 

• Grand Piano £150k
• Bassoon £25k
• Saxaphone £11k
• Vibraphone £10k

 

As we were leaving, one member of staff said “have you been upstairs and tried the concert grands?”

Now, I’m not a particularly scruffy guy, but I’m sure I don’t give off the air of someone who can afford £150k for a joanna. It was a bit surreal that they were so encouraging.

 

I also played the Nathan East, not realising what it was nor how much it cost. What a delicious experience! Up till then, the best bass I’ve played was my Sandberg Electra VS4. How do I get it out of my head now?!

[Beedster]

44 minutes ago, Tokalo said:

How do I get it out of my head now?!

Job done Yamaha showroom 👍

 

All joking aside, everything Yamaha do is 100% better than the competition 

[cthorpey]

I visited the store a few years ago after convincing myself I needed a 5 string. Really chilled staff who seemed genuinely happy to help.
On the back wall was a brand new old stock Attitude LTD II that apparently "no one ever looks at 'cos the attitude 3 is right next to it."

I'd have been happy to pay the price on the ticket but the lovely chap said if I bought it he'd knock a big chunk off the price. 

So I did.

They didn't have the case for it so they gave me a really good gig bag to take it home in.

I didn't even notice that it had been autographed until I got it home.

 

 

[Downunderwonder]

On 13/10/2023 at 07:01, cthorpey said:

 

I didn't even notice that it had been autographed until I got it home.

So long as it wasn't Gene Simmons you should be ok.

[MacDaddy]

7 minutes ago, Downunderwonder said:

So long as it wasn't Gene Simmons you should be ok.

 

Probably Carol Kaye... 😜

[meterman]

Did Yamaha used to have a concession shop upstairs in Harrods before the Chappells merger / buy out? 
 

They used to let you noodle about on their gear even then. I only ever bought strings from there but they had decent staff from what I remember.

[Richard R]

This place?

https://www.yamahamusiclondon.com/

 

Looks lime a great place to kill a couple of hours!