Birmingham Guitar Shops

AntonHunter

Following on from the thread on Manchester shops, I'm going to be in Birmingham for a few days in March (going to the Punkt festival for anyone interested in Norwegian improvised music and electronics).

What shops should I be checking out? I'm staying centrally and on foot, but have some time to kill/learn how the buses work etc.

Dan

I would check out the little guitar shop. It’s about a 15 mins walk from the centre. Nice and quirky. 

Also guitar guitar on Hagley Road is worth a look for a bigger more mainstream store. 

Jason

The Little Guitar Shop

Fairdeal Music

PMT

GuitarGuitar

That is it in the city centre (and that is a loose description of the city centre) PMT and GG are very large stores, Fairdeal is decent sized and TLGS is as per the title, but for me has the most interesting/non mainstream stock and Martin will probably stick the kettle on for you

DB1

www.thelittleguitarshop.com - and there's a good cafe over the road.

AntonHunter

Nice, a pretty resounding vote for the Little Guitar Shop then! Thanks all. 

Strangefan

Problem none of them are really viable walking distances from eachother, you're best to go to tlgs and fair deal music, and in the middle visit hobgoblin music 

EricTheWeary

If you are going to learn how Birmingham busses work don't forget a big knife...

Yeh, the Little Guitar Shop - bus or Metro or local train from the city centre. It's in the Jewellery Quarter which is interesting, lot of coffee shops and that kind of thing. And jewellery. 

GuitarGuitar - many, many busses run down the Hagley Road  even if the shop is annoyingly not by a stop. Would be walkable from the city centre if you were feeling vigorous.

PMT moved recently, I have driven to it . Must be a bus there I guess. 

Fair Deal Music - only guitar shop in the city centre. Crap website, back of the Mailbox if you like posh shops. More of a general music shop but they have brands, eg Godin, that the two chain stores don't stock. 

YellowLedBetterMan

PMT have always been good to me

King85

PMT have let me down the last couple of times I've been but they have a good range. Much prefer guitarguitar tbh and if you go they have two shops one acoustic and one electric but next to each other so don't miss one of them.

Jason

King85 said:

PMT have let me down the last couple of times I've been but they have a good range. Much prefer guitarguitar tbh and if you go they have two shops one acoustic and one electric but next to each other so don't miss one of them.

The acoustic store has closed, just the one store now (with acoustics& electrics in it)

EricTheWeary

Strangefan said:

Problem none of them are really viable walking distances from eachother, you're best to go to tlgs and fair deal music, and in the middle visit hobgoblin music 

I keep forgetting Hobgoblin, I’ve never been since it moved which must have been five years ago. 

There is also the Classical Guitar Centre, which is a couple more stops on the number 9 bus past GuitarGuitar. The largest stock of classical guitars in Europe, apparently, even if it looks like someone’s house. 

Strangefan

EricTheWeary said:

Strangefan said:

Problem none of them are really viable walking distances from eachother, you're best to go to tlgs and fair deal music, and in the middle visit hobgoblin music 

I keep forgetting Hobgoblin, I’ve never been since it moved which must have been five years ago. 

There is also the Classical Guitar Centre, which is a couple more stops on the number 9 bus past GuitarGuitar. The largest stock of classical guitars in Europe, apparently, even if it looks like someone’s house. 

I didn't even know aboht the classical guitar shop! I'll def have to take a look, hobgoblin can have great stuff in  so def worth the occasional visit  

King85

Jason said:

King85 said:

PMT have let me down the last couple of times I've been but they have a good range. Much prefer guitarguitar tbh and if you go they have two shops one acoustic and one electric but next to each other so don't miss one of them.

The acoustic store has closed, just the one store now (with acoustics& electrics in it)

Oh I wasn't aware of this, there you go the trip to gg just got even easier then!

mudslide73

I did them all in one day about 12 months ago on my Tele quest. I'd just go to the Bham show this weekend as all their interesting stock will be under one roof.

LGS and GtrGtr are my favs. PMT is ok but suffers from having too many guitars - some of them are 20ft up! Also it reminds me of how magnificent Musical Exchanges was

AntonHunter

mudslide73 said:

I did them all in one day about 12 months ago on my Tele quest. I'd just go to the Bham show this weekend as all their interesting stock will be under one roof.

LGS and GtrGtr are my favs. PMT is ok but suffers from having too many guitars - some of them are 20ft up! Also it reminds me of how magnificent Musical Exchanges was

Yeah, if I was free this weekend I'd definitely be there. 

grappagreen

mudslide73 said:

I did them all in one day about 12 months ago on my Tele quest. I'd just go to the Bham show this weekend as all their interesting stock will be under one roof.

LGS and GtrGtr are my favs. PMT is ok but suffers from having too many guitars - some of them are 20ft up! Also it reminds me of how magnificent Musical Exchanges was

Good old Snow Hill... ME was an amazing place..

DB1

mudslide73 said:

I did them all in one day about 12 months ago on my Tele quest. I'd just go to the Bham show this weekend as all their interesting stock will be under one roof.

LGS and GtrGtr are my favs. PMT is ok but suffers from having too many guitars - some of them are 20ft up! Also it reminds me of how magnificent Musical Exchanges was

Ah yes, Musical Exchanges. The days I've spent in there being completely ignored by all the staff stood me in good stead for when I got married. 

Strat54

Used to regularly drive the 100 miles to Musical Exchanges. Bought loads of guitars there and they always had free copies of the Fender Frontlines magazine too.Happy days.