Just for information ...

London shops ...

Chimes is no longer in Marylebone High Street - they shut quite a while ago However, they have recently (well two years ago or so I suppose) opened a small shop in the Royal Academy of Music on Marylebone Road, so only a stones throw away.

It is a small shop selling mainly sheet music. The staff are very helpful and knowlegeable and they order things in very fast.

MIR (Musical Instrument Repairs) in Birmingham has quoted me reasonable prices for good workmanship in the past.

Leo

Thanks for all the latest recommendations - I've updated the list in my first post


Welcome to the forums Leopold!



(Just copying the above from the previous page)

You could add Chamberlains to your list (in Haslemere, Surrey). It's on 2 floors and has a good selection of new and 2nd hand instruments, including new Yamaha pianos, does instrument rental and repairs, and has lots of sheet music, plus accessories and gifts.

The staff are very helpful and good at finding things when I can't, or will order anything they don't have in stock. There's a free car park less than 100m away but for those further afield they do an online ordering service from their website (though I've never used that).

It's best avoided on Saturdays at the beginning of the new school year, though I imagine that's true of many music shops.

I live in South Devon and there is nothing of any use in Plymouth. Strange when it is such a big city. There is a Musicroom in Exeter which is ok but a bit far for me to go to very often. Such a shame as I miss the browsing experience but it sends one off to mail order.
Fullers Music ( for strings) in Cinderford, Gloucester is great for mail order string music though, and they send you a catalogue of everything they have. Not a shop, but useful to know about anyway.

Do Fullers Music sell online? There's another thread for Online Music Shops if it would be better there

No they don't- not in the conventional way. They have a list of what they sell on line then you have to phone up for it.
It isn't only mail order- you can go and browse it is just too far from me!

Thanks, I've put them into both threads!

Turner Violins in Digbeth, Birmingham is a nice luthier. They have separate rooms where you can try out instruments, although the viola room is next to their workshop so they put my in the cello room when I wanted to try out a new bow. Not a wide selection of sheet music (viola music, didn't ask about anything else) but very helpful.

I also like Strings in Beaconsfield, Bucks which is in a similar vein although I haven't been in there for some time. I acquired a very nice viola there, and the sheet music selection was also more comprehensive.

I do not recommend Chamberlains, but I would recommend Music Notes in Liverpool if one is passing.

Where is Music Notes in Liverpool?

North John Street:

http://www.music-notes.net/

Thanks.

Cambridge Pianoforte Centre and Music Gallery
Kings Hedges Road
Cambridge

http://www.cambridgemusic.net/

I much prefer this one to Millers in the middle of Cambridge, although if I'm in Bury St Edmunds I would always use Balaams, contrary to earlier comments!

Biggars and McCormicks are for me...

on second thoughts, Balaams arent that bad ... i guess. But if you need to order a book, dont even bother. i have ordered multiple books, and waited well over a month for them to arrive only to discover they ordered to wrong one. apparently, it should always be in the following tuesday. i didnt realise tuesday in the following month.

I really like Beverley Music Centre in, well, Beverley. It's a small shop but the music is well organised and their string specialist was a dream when I went with an odd enquiry. And Beverley's worth a trip to look round the minster and sample a tea shop.

Oh no, but the sad news is that Biggars has gone into administration!!! Where are the AB going to hold exams? Where am I going to shop when in Glasgow? More importantly, where else offers a good cup of coffee in such pleasant surroundings??

I haven't been to Beverley for many years. I might have some incentive now!

i love 'all flutes plus'

they have a great range of instruments to try out, ( you can even take some home with you to try them out in your own home accousti cs). The staff are friendly and helpful, and it has a really nice atmosphere.

Ooh, thanks for that info - I'm on the lookout for a local(ish) string specialist, might have to take a trip to Beverley!

I know that they rebuilt a bow for a friend and made a very good job of it. In a similar direction Pocklington Music is a good shop (just off the market place), lots of instruments, spare parts, music etc., worth a visit if you are anywhere near.

GLASGOW: Biggars, Sauchiehall Street


WOOOOO biggers is open again
im sooo happy:D

My favourite music shops are the Hobgoblin stores, and their mail order service is excellent too.

Since no one's mentioned George Gladstone's in Darlington, I'd like to give them a plug. They sell woodwind and brass instruments, and George also services and repairs them in his shop. He services all of our saxophones and repaired one of them when it was damaged - I'd thoroughly recommend him. They also sell keyboards, sheet music and music accessories (ie. stands, metronomes, reeds etc).

Their website is http://www.georgegladstone.co.uk/

YOu'll have to let me know when you are all coming. I'll bake cakes and borrow a catering size tea pot
Beverley.

There is a place in muswell hill called: Les Alderich. It's fantastic!

It has all of the instruments and all of the levels and it holds about every single piece of music written.

Yes, I heard too, great news. I think it was bought by the same people who went into administration. I hope the coffee shop is just as good!

I love going to Booths in Bolton, and they are nearly my second family. I also have my violin lessons there.

I get on with all the main members of staff in the shop, and also both of the drum teachers. So far I have loved the experience of going in and ordering my first violin, to buying books to get through to my grade 5 theory (even though I'm not that far in advance as yet, as I've only just started). Also off other teachers and students I've been given advice on music theory exams, and I asked a student what piece of music they were playing in the shop. If they don't have the piece of music you want in store, they will order it for you, and it comes within a week. On the shop floor they are always changing the displays for different instruments, but they are always happy to help you, and to give you recommendations for instruments, which aren't in stock.

I know this because when I ordered my first violin I didn't want a cheap violin outfit, I wanted something that would see me through a good few years, and through them I managed to get what I wanted, even though I had to buy the bow seperate, but I knew that anyway, as I wanted a carbon fibre bow. They also managed to do it within my budget. So I was a very happy bunny

I know I've chatted on for a bit, but that is much I really enjoy going to Booths.

I've also been to the other two music stores in Bolton, which are HW Music Megastore on St Georges Rd, and Harker and Howarth's (the piano specialists) not too sure what the road is called through, and I wouldn't recommend them to anybody, as they have really slow customer service, it takes forever for a member of staff to help you, and if you wanted a price for a certain instrument that you liked the of, fancied buying DON'T go to HW Music Megastore, as they never ring back with a price.

JG Windows in Newcastle is fabulous

You must live in a parallel universe compared to me, or else we have opposite ideas of what 'fabulous' means.

Hah, I probably should have mentioned that I rarely buy anything from that...I just like to sit and try out the pianos on the ground floor!

I know Booths too, the staff are very friendly, found Hawker and Howarths a week or so ago by chance. Must admit H and H is a fantastic store for Pianos and keyboards but the staff were enjoying gossiping too much to engage.


I recently visited Alan Gregory in Failsworth. They seem to stock quite a variety of items and were most helpful when we were urgently searching for a book the other week.

It's a great place (but that area is Fallowfield isn't it?) - very efficient and knowledgeable, lots of sheet music to look at and very sound advice on buying/maintaining instruments.

Took a slight detour after my Croydon OU tutorial and came across Martin Phelps Music,

martinphelpsmusic.com


it seemed to specialize mainly in guitars, but also sold a selection of music for all instruments and the staff seemed very friendly and helpful


great thread skylark, a very useful (expensive !! ) thread and great as an alternative to the online giants musicroom and amazon etc

Shows how poor my knowledge os South Manchester is. I know where Failsworth is and you're right it is Fallowfield.

They were really helpful when I rang them in a panic a week or so ago.

Windblowers in nottingham

1. because i live in nottingham
2. always helpful when trying instruments out
3. stocks hard music compared to music room

Can't remember if Woodwind Exchange Bradford was on the list. If not then it certainly should be.

Er...there's a MUCH better music shop than that in Croydon...

I always ask for flatwound bass strings, standard scale and size, when I get a set then I'll post here.

Counterpoint Music, Lincoln (UK).

Tiny shop but owned by a woman who really knows her business. If you phone the shop, ask to speak to Eileen (owner) if the assistant you get does not appear to understand what you want.

Does mail order.

Phone 01522 560065

Address: 38 Grantham St, Lincoln

http://www.counterpointmusic.co.uk/

West Cornwall - Kershaw Music, on the old A30, near Hayle Retail Park, it's sort of inside O'Dell Signs (see website) - tiny sheet music shop but very helpful; they ordered me a book which came quickly ("Improve your piano playing" as recommended by Mad Tom) and they even said I didn't have to buy it if I didn't like the look of it when it arrived - but I did. They mainly do mail order, but were happy for me to browse. Not much competition in that area (don't know about Truro).

http://www.kershawmusic.co.uk/index.php

PatC

I would recommend Music Room in Bristol (They are listed in the South West but not in Bristol yet). Large amount of sheet music so my wife dreads it when I go in as I always browse and buy more than I expected to

Also, Mickleburgh Pianos (also in Bristol) is a great store too. Very helpful staff. Smaller selection of sheet music.

I bought my Schimmel piano from Vale pianos in Worcestershire a few years back and they were very helpful and have a lovely showroom out in the country. I would heartily recommend them.