OK So what's it like to buy a guitar in England (or anywhere else)

[dannew02]

Every time there's an "anti GC" thread on here, someone from overseas pops up and says something like "I wish we had those here, I liked the GC I went to on vacation". So what is the usual guitar buying experience like "over there" then?
PS THis is so not a GC-bashing thread, I've bought 3 guitars at GC's, had great experiences and never had any sort of issue with the 2 GCs near me. Or the Best Buy with the guitar department either, for that matter)
I was in Edinburgh and London a few years ago, we went all over both cities but I never saw a music store anywhere we went (other than a DJ-looking place once) so I'm guessing there's fewer stores compared to what we USA types are used to)

Thanks, guys

[Power_13]

I've never been to America so I can't really compare the two countries, but in Leeds there is one large guitar store I'd liken to GC (Professional Music Technology), though this is a general music store rather than solely guitars - I bought my Saffire audio interface there, as well as my Roland keyboard.

There are a few smaller ones. The smaller ones are generally second-hand places, though there are exceptions (there's an acoustic-only shop that specialises in Martins). It's one of those things where you kind of have to know what you're looking for or what you want.

We used to have a Music Ground, but it shut down a few years ago. There was a basement with acoustics, ground floor with standard guitars then an upstairs with vintage guitars. I saw a '57 Esquire in there for about £6000 a decade or so ago.

By the way, if you make it to London again look for Denmark Street. Take the tube to Tottenham Court Road, head East down New Oxford Street, turn left onto St Giles High Street and just keep walking until you find it (it'd take a minute at the most). People's opinion of the shops there vary, but it's probably the most famous music store location in the UK.

[Seasicksailor]

"I was in Edinburgh and London a few years ago, we went all over both cities but I never saw a music store anywhere we went"

You half-answered your question there...

I am not sure about London per se, but overall in the UK and in the rest of Europe, music shops tend to be both rare and annoyingly small. What is annoying about Athens where I am now is that you are not encouraged to try out the instruments. Once, I was looking for an acoustic with a pickup. I went into a shop, tried the guitar acoustic and it sounded good. Then I said that I wanted to hear the pickup and the guy told me "That's too much of a hussle now. Take my word for it, it sounds great!". I walked out immediately!

For a while, I was in Germany... small shops but friendly staff that encouraged you to play. I had heard of a mega-store near Berlin just for guitars and amps, and I planned to go there with a friend as a daytrip, but we sadly never did it.

[Big John]

There are one or two 'big box shifters' in the UK and a huge one based in Germany but ....... prices are keen but you can't get your hands on the 'product' a lot of the time so it's as risky as eBay really.
Some great 'Mom and Pop's in my old home town (and everyone else's im sure) but like the US the internet is killing them off, yes that saddens me, yes, I was one of those doing it by buying 'online' but they just can't compete with the 'net prices on strings, parts and what not, it's a shame and I really did feel uneasy about doing it but when this is your living there comes a point ..... you know the rest.
One particular store in town even supplied our school with a teacher Thursday afternoons and thats how I started to learn the guitar so I certainly can't complain.
London stores for me as a youngster were always cheaper but as it was so hard to get there it never really threatened the local shops.
In later years when we got a Motorway link it was viable to say 'I could get that cheaper in London'.
There are still some great shops in London but the 'high Dollar' ones in places like Denmark St. and Tottenham Court Rd. (traditional places for music shops in 50's and 60's) seem to get a lot of press, mostly for trendy, hipster type shop assistants and snotty attittudes.

In short, it's really no different from anywhere else in the world, shops want to sell stuff, musicians want to buy it for as little as possible.

Since getting to the US I have been into a few GC's and don't quite get the whole 'evil empire' thing !
But ..... I still tend to get strings and stuff in bulk via the 'net so for me at least -- it's business as usual :)

[DonMI6]

Most music shops in Australia, at least the parts I inhabit are either independents or small chains with maybe two or three branches. Larger chains like Allens/Billy Hydes exist, but even they aren't that big. Gotta admit, GC sounds brilliant to me, I'd love to visit one!

[colchar]

Originally Posted by dannew02

Every time there's an "anti GC" thread on here, someone from overseas pops up and says something like "I wish we had those here, I liked the GC I went to on vacation". So what is the usual guitar buying experience like "over there" then?
PS THis is so not a GC-bashing thread, I've bought 3 guitars at GC's, had great experiences and never had any sort of issue with the 2 GCs near me. Or the Best Buy with the guitar department either, for that matter)
I was in Edinburgh and London a few years ago, we went all over both cities but I never saw a music store anywhere we went (other than a DJ-looking place once) so I'm guessing there's fewer stores compared to what we USA types are used to)

Thanks, guys

There are chain stores back home in Britain.


Guitar Guitar has five locations in the UK.

http://www.guitarguitar.co.uk/contact.asp


Dawsons has eleven stores:

http://www.dawsons.co.uk/stores

[Breen]

Here in our urban island, we have a big, old and established music store with 3 branches (a big warehouse/HQ out in the industrial suburbs, a big main store and a sprawling but less stocked suburban outlet). The rest are all individual players, some bigger then the others with maybe a couple of storefronts or based on stock available.

Anyone who has stuck around in musical purchases usually would rather NOT go back to the big old establish place (Swee Lee Music). Service is usually very indifferent, prices are high, stock just left around uncared for, strange attitudes (not allowed to get a new piece to try, not allowed to plug in a electric to test during a sale) etc. But they stock all your Fenders, Fender CS, Gibsons and Gibson CS, Ibanezs, Gretschs.

Then you got the big but smaller guys, who I reckon do most of the trade here collectively. These guys are usually in one storefront, and has your other big names like Warwick, Vox, Aguilar, Martin, Yamaha, Taylor, Marshall etc. They can be packed out on the weekends. Some of these stores are run by total goons but staffed by genuine folk, in the end its all business.

Yamaha are sold via their distributor here, which stocks only Yamaha, Zildjian, some assorted pedals like Danelectro and Crybabys. They run the Yamaha music schools, of course hock their pianos, brass, music books and have a few locations around the island. A layman would walk into Yamaha first, then Swee Lee.

Then you got the small players, individual e-businesses, mom & pops but are more gunky old pop then any mom, singular shops (the guys I frequent), upstarts etc. They can stock very simple gear to the absolute killer high-end stuff. From a room in a corner of a builder to via appointment only to a dude selling out of his house.

We do import stuff via your usual American sites, or straight from the producer. Then folks will feed the secondary market via a music forum or word of mouth or his blog/website.

Whats cool here is there are 3 guitar worlds in SG, where most of your shops are located, are all in the city centre, and the worlds are a 15min walk from each other. So for your everyday purchases or if your looking for a brand new Fender, your just an afternoon away from experiencing just about what this island has to offer. Makes a fun saturday afternoon.

Personally, I just walk in to get my Curt Mangans or GHS or Jazz IIIs, and leave, unless a Tokai or a ratty Tele of some sort calls out to me. If I get gear its second hand, and me fav shops are the upstarts who are more difficult to get to.

[Drubbing]

Originally Posted by DonMI6

Most music shops in Australia, at least the parts I inhabit are either independents or small chains with maybe two or three branches. Larger chains like Allens/Billy Hydes exist, but even they aren't that big. Gotta admit, GC sounds brilliant to me, I'd love to visit one!

We pay twice as much as US/Eur for guitars and amps.

We don't get to take back guitars we don't like after a trial period, and swap it.

I'm left handed. My local Fender dealer has 2 LH guitars. One of them costs $2000. If I want a different one, I order it and I buy it. If I don't like it, I forfeit my deposit.

Yes, I could buy a guitar online and have better choice and pricing, but to me that's like buying a suit (or wife) online. It might fit, or it might only be fit for selling on. What was the problem with GC again...?

[dannew02]

And for the 345664567th thing us Americans take for granted....

[Drubbing]

Originally Posted by dannew02

And for the 345664567th thing us Americans take for granted....

That would be Gas. You're still paying the lowest prices of most western nations.

Here in Oz, we're about the only nation left with a healthy economy and we still get fleeced for pretty much everything.

[Henry]

I imagine the experience is pretty much the same the world over. There's always someone shredding like mad and another hunkered down over an ear-splittingly awful Stairway...

[PrivateIron]

I find it fairly easy to try guitars, a trip to Glasgow or Edinburgh (and GuitarGuitar) is less than an hours trip for me. There are also quite a few (4 I think) 'mom and pop' guitar stores closer to me in Stirling, but they don't stock quite as much so you'll struggle if you are looking for something specific.

Guitar Guitar and one of the local shops also have sound proof rooms for trying gear out which I love. Means I can play as badly as I like without embarrassing myself. Of course you're lucky to get a go in the sound proof room if it's busy.

However, saying that, in my limited experience, I've never tried a new (as in brand new) electric I like. The thing round here seems to be setting them up with 9's which I always find I struggle with after using 11's for so long. They may sound nice but with skinny strings I never feel comfortable using them - as a result I've only ever bought second hand guitars which have been better set up my their previous owners... I know it's something I could easily change but somehow I can't get past it when trying guitars out.

[BoogerRooger]

One thing that seems to be changing is that the big internet suppliers are opening showrooms where you can try out the stuff but pay the same as on the net. They've got the biggest ranges of stock but are few and far between. Handy if you're nearby, not so good if you're 200 miles up the road.

[bettyseldest]

You guys praise a new product, and if it ever gets to us costs twice the price. But there are a few advantages, the rest of you pretty much missed out on 90's Patrick Eggles, how easy is it for you to buy a Gordon Smith, and why would we want to live anywhere else?

[Nick JD]

I've been to a few GCs. They're just like any guitar gear store. I think they get a bad rap due to their customer service, not their products or prices.

I was thinking about buying a fender banjo, but it was the same price as here.

Am about to buy an AC15 and have noticed that all the prices here have come right down.

[7171551]

RE: Edinburgh

As noted previously, GuitarGuitar is the big player. (To the west of the city, out past the Zoo)

My buying experiences there have always been positive... Remember to haggle lol!

I have found the staff to be pretty knowledgeable- and they have had the decency not to laugh out loud when i play!

[therooster]

What's it like to buy a guitar in the UK? More expensive for starters!

I live on the eastern edge of London and have 2 stores near me. One is very large but is a generalist so for guitars they always have one of everything in only (i.e. 1 Baja in a single colour option) and I have to 'buy to try' if they dont have it in store. Who wants to buy a guitar they have never played?

I rarely shop there anymore for that reason. The other store close by is too small to be useful but they are nice guys so I get my strings and pedals from there.

Otherwise I have to come into Denmark St, but more often I drive 40 minutes further out of London to a boutique place where they are mega friendly and stock a good range of axes. It's an hours drive but their attitude earns my business.

But really, I would just like to pay US prices.

[depepat]

I think there has been some downward movement of prices here in Aus. as stores come under pressure from both internet options and their customers' growing awareness that for years they have been gouged by their local retailers.

However, local prices are still nowhere close to parity with the US, especially bearing the exchange rate in mind.

And there remains the issue of very limited local range and availability. I recently bought a Brian May guitar, shipped from the UK - the only suppliers here in Aus. were an ebay seller who I suspect had done the same thing as me and was now reselling at double the odds, and a local store who offer to order one for over $2,000 when I paid about $750 for the same guitar from the UK, including shipping.

[Boyd]

Originally Posted by Big John

but like the US the internet is killing them off, yes that saddens me

Interestingly, the small shops seem to be doing OK around here. I live in a rural area, but there are several Guitar Centers not far away. In fact, another little shop just opened up in a small town a couple months ago, and there's a GC only 10 miles away.

Ironically, I think the internet may actually be helping these places because the shops also have websites/eBay stores where they list things. I'm sure it's still a challenge to make a living running one of these places though, just like it would be for any other small business.

Personally I've never bought a guitar on the internet and doubt that I ever will. I want to try it in person before purchasing.

[Tony474]

The Internet is taking its toll on UK guitar retailers, as I'm sure is the case in other countries too. I've just found out that Machinehead Music of Hitchin, Hertfordshire, has closed down due to falling sales in the face of online competition. Coda Music of Stevenage and Luton are still going and they're one of the biggest UK dealers in Fender Custom Shop guitars - but they have a significant on-line presence too. Many other small to medium guitar specialists are long gone, such as Guitar Slinger in Berkhamsted. The chains and generalist shops are still out there, but it's a relatively limited market and too many suppliers are chasing too few orders - same as in a lot of other areas of business.

The only way to pay US prices is to buy in the USA. There are several reasons why guitars and other instruments cost more in the UK. VAT at 20% for one thing, plus importer/distributor mark-ups and all the rest of it. Mind you, don't forget that in the USA local and State sales taxes are not included in the quoted price, while here VAT is generally included on the price-tag. As a rough rule of thumb, by and large you can expect to pay about the same here in GBP as the US price in dollars. Any less and you're not doing too badly.