Earliest recollections of guitar shops

[Mikey]

My first guitar purchase was a Big Timer jumbo acoustic from Bell's catalogue in '63 but first from a shop was a Futurama III from Minns of Bournemouth - on HP of course! A shop I do remember from back then was Don Strike's in Westbourne arcade which had lots of good s/h gear and was popular with local bands.

[neil2726]

It was Sherwin's in Hanley for me. A traditional music shop - pianos, organs and brass they suddenly started to stock a few of the new fangled electric guitars and amps! Bought a Futurama 11 deluxe and later a Selmer Zodiac twin 30 (well my Dad did!)
Later Chatfield's took over as the main guitar amp shop in the area, even selling fender and Gibsons! Up until then most bands purchased amps from Ernie Beard who sold Leak amps from his front room at Birches head!

[tolo]

Paynes Music - next door to Fishy Moores in Coventry City Centre...(just over the road from the old Coventry Theatre - where I first saw The Shadows) Sadly all long gone now...

1976. A long, hot summer.

I remember as a 12 year old walking the 2 miles into town to go and gaze at Paynes' window - they had a blonde Fender Telecaster in there for such a long time, hanging up on a hook by it's machine head! It was the only electric guitar there. I could not believe my eyes - never before seen such a mythical object... I do seem to remember that once they also had - on a stand - a huge brown electric guitar with lots of knobs and switches (Sherwood??).

The window was open backed - and I could go into the shop and pretend to look through the boxes of sheet music that was just behind it - that way I could get close to the Telecaster and see it from behind without the glass!!

I wonder who those guitars ended up with - it would be nice to know who finally shelled out for them...

And of course I now have a blonde Telecaster in her memory.....!!

[mojolomjl]

We used to visit Frank Hessy's in Stanley Street, Liverpool where you got to see a lot of the up and coming groups and gaze
at all the shiny new guitars. I always remember the owner Frank Hessy was always saying don't touch the stock boys. The other
shop was Rushworth and Drapers on Whitechapel, but they were a large retail chain and only had a small stock of guitars.
Out of interest Rushworth and Drapers was either next door or certainly very close to Nems record store which was run by
Brian Epstein, and just in case some of our younger members don't know, he was the Beatles manager.

[JimN]

My first guitar purchase was a Big Timer jumbo acoustic from Bell's catalogue in '63.

[Billyboygretsch]

Paul Day sent me this photo today and authorised me to post it. He states it is from around 1963. He also said it would be good under the guitar spotting thread. He noted specially the guitar which was being played. Probably had that annoying little plug.

[cockroach]

That looks like a mid '50's Les Paul goldtop in the right hand window, with a companion Gibson amp in the left window...

The light coloured (white?) Burns Artist might be Paul's own?

[noelford]

Paynes Music - next door to Fishy Moores in Coventry City Centre...(just over the road from the old Coventry Theatre - where I first saw The Shadows) Sadly all long gone now...

1976. A long, hot summer.

I remember as a 12 year old walking the 2 miles into town to go and gaze at Paynes' window - they had a blonde Fender Telecaster

I was gazing through that same window, 15 years earlier, at a Futurama. Mind you, I always preferred Cranes, in Far Gosford Street where, around 1963, I bought, first a Gibson ES335 and, later, an ES345 Stereo. They had to be ordered in, of course.

[Billyboygretsch]

Definitely looks like a white Artiste when you compare the colour to the Sonic on the left hand side. Lot of Hofner. Could that be Paul playing it ?

[dusty fretz]

I agree that the Burns Vibra Artist being adeptly demo'd with one finger looks to be wearing a white coat, which means it was a re-finish, this colour being a popular owner-initiated alternative to Burns' stock cherry. Unlike the fresh-faced 18-year old in the photo Bill has now so 'kindly' added, it isn't me or my guitar on the Watford premises, as I bought my s/h Vibra Artist in Exeter during 1963 and swapped it back to the same shop a couple of years later. It didn't travel far afterwards, cropping up for sale in Dorset 43 years later, via eBay. During my original ownership I had it refinished in white and made a few other mods, all of which helped me identify my actual oldie the second time around.

I just thought the photo showed a great example of a typical small-time music dealer of the day. The left window is littered with Selmer amps in croc or two-tone grey, plus the odd Watkins and Selmer echo, while a Gibson combo adds a touch of transatlantic luxury. Apart from a Burns Sonic and Jap cheapo, the guitar line-up also looks to be straight out of the Selmer catalgue, courtesy of Hofners, Futurama bass and a Fender Strat. Over on the other side a Burns Bison bass keeps close company with a Bigsby-loaded Les Paul goldtop, while the electric count is completed by a first generation Framus Hollywood. More Selmer and Futurama amps provide a suitable backdrop, with a Grampian Vibro-Major combo offering a less-obvious option. Solids slung from the ceiling include a couple of twin-cut Coloramas partnering a much earlier single-cutaway stablemate in two-tone Hammerite-style paint job, plus a Henry Weill-built Broadway bass to help keep the four-string fanciers happy.