Author Topic: Musical Instrument Shops.  (Read 16300 times)

Miskin

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Re: Musical Instrument Shops.
« Reply #11 on: May 09, 2012, 08:46:48 PM »
Hi all,
            is there anyone out there that knows what happened to the SUPERYOB Guitar  (Slade)  that hung in the window of Musical Exchanges for a while?   Also and I'm not too sure here but I think I may have been told many moons ago that there was more than one made, anyone know?
Miskin.
 

seanf

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Re: Musical Instrument Shops.
« Reply #12 on: April 20, 2013, 09:58:20 PM »
   
They were on Smallbrook Ringway, Fred, near to the crossroads with Hurst Street; he closed the shop a few years ago and tried dealing from home.    That place was a bit classical-orientated, as was another music shop that was on Suffolk Street (more or less opposite Gough Street) which has also ceased trading.   :-\     Both shops sold instruments other than guitars.






Hi all, new to this site and just noticed this post. I think the other place you may be thinking of could be Reakes Music on Suffolk St. I worked there for two years in the late 70's and I loved it. It was my dream job at the time. I really wanted to work at Jones and Crossland round the corner but they didn't want me lol. I remember all the old shops; Musical exchanges, Woodroffes etc. Spent all my spare time in them. Bringing back some great memories

SaucyJack

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Re: Musical Instrument Shops.
« Reply #13 on: July 30, 2013, 10:21:09 AM »
Only just stumbled across this but I thought I would add to it!
My Dad, Pete Oliver, used to have Wasp in Hurst Sreet, before that he was at Ringway music. He went on after Wasp to Woodroffes which was in Dale End. He was manager there for quite a while then when it closed he opened Muzos in Hurst Street. Following Muzos he opened Guitar Connection in Rich Bitch Studios. I know he sold a lot of guitars and instruments over the years !!

planetmalc

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Re: Musical Instrument Shops.
« Reply #14 on: July 30, 2013, 04:31:42 PM »
Only just stumbled across this but I thought I would add to it!
My Dad, Pete Oliver, used to have Wasp in Hurst Sreet, before that he was at Ringway music. He went on after Wasp to Woodroffes which was in Dale End. He was manager there for quite a while then when it closed he opened Muzos in Hurst Street. Following Muzos he opened Guitar Connection in Rich Bitch Studios. I know he sold a lot of guitars and instruments over the years !!
 
What years (about) were Woodroffe's in Dale End?
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SaucyJack

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Re: Musical Instrument Shops.
« Reply #15 on: July 30, 2013, 04:45:21 PM »
It would have been mid 70's to early 80's at least (I was young then!) I have a picture on facebook somewhere that I will upload to here

planetmalc

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Re: Musical Instrument Shops.
« Reply #16 on: July 30, 2013, 04:50:00 PM »
It would have been mid 70's to early 80's at least (I was young then!) I have a picture on facebook somewhere that I will upload to here
 
Thanks for that. O0
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FireflyMuse

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Re: Musical Instrument Shops.
« Reply #17 on: March 15, 2014, 12:35:45 PM »
Hi there

Just found this thread (yes I know it's a bit of an old one) and forum while researching for something I'm starting to write up on old guitars and history I recall … and was sat struggling to prompt my memory for the names and locations of the old shops I used to make a Saturday afternoon pilgrimage to in Brum during the mid 80's after a ride along the Walsall-Birmingham railway line or 51/951 bus.

What I've read above has helped put a fair few names to some shops I remembered but I couldn't name from memory

I now have on my list :

Musical Exchanges (obviously !) both the mind blowing mecca at  89 Old Snow Hill and the little one on the right down Broad Street, I recall going in both shops, though Broad Street closed soon after.

Less far down Broad Street and on the left was one which, from what's been said, must have been George Clay, they had a lot of Tokai replica stuff in there.

I don't recall Woodroffe's apart from my friends going to a liquidation auction, which is probably why.

I recall James Pass in Smallbrook Queensway, and opposite it was another music shop, near the bridge over Dudley Street, for which I can't recall the name, though they had more varied musical stock as well as guitars.

At the far end of Smallbrook by the roundabout I recall two shops next door to each other; Jones & Crossland and City Music, if memory serves, with a vague recollection that it might originally just have been J&C and City might later have moved into one half. And yes, Reakes round the corner in Suffolk Street, which was a bit too 'classical' for me.

Further up Suffolk Street at the corner with Navigation street near the nightclub was another small shop. I can't be sure of the name of this one though I have a suspicion now it might have been City Music at one time. Tried out some Yamaha SG's in there.

Then over by Lewis's in Priory Street Queensway, I recall two shops. One was where Forbidden Planet is now and the shop stamp inside the cover of a book I bought there, along with the address is the store name "Music 80". They had a lot of second hand stuff. The other was a tiny place let into the corner of Lewis's building on the ground floor, blink and you'd miss it, tiny window and door, no idea what it was called now, but they had a lot of Hagstrom guitars on the wall. Later had a Fender Katana (!) hung in that small window.

Of course in my home town of Walsall we also had The Music Shop and TR Music in Stafford Street, a music shop in Weston Street near Broadway and a little shop in the old leather museum.

I miss these old shops, full of dusty old valve amps and lots of clunky old Japanese copies on the walls. I guess eBay pretty much did for many of the 'used' emporiums and most stores nowadays are very 21st century clean and shiny .. I remember when genuine hoof work was required to go poke round the backstreets of 80's concrete and industrial decay and find this stuff !

Now I'll go and explore the rest of this forum :)

Phil

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Re: Musical Instrument Shops.
« Reply #18 on: March 15, 2014, 01:07:06 PM »
Hi Firefly Muse

Would this be of any help, it's a list of the musical instrument sales shops in Birmingham in 1973-74. I could do you an earlier on if required.

MUSICAL DEALERS.
Accordion Depot (The), 1 Stafford st 4
Aisco-Techniques, 68 Hurst st'B5TD
Birmingham Band Instrument Co.219 Lichfield rd 6
Biimimgihaim Guitar Centae, 76 Bristol st s 5
Bliss Mrs. Nora, 38 Park rd 6
Burden H. R. 1547 PeTshore rd 30
Clay George Music Co. (Birmingham)Ltd. 285/286 Broad st 1
Cleartone Musical Instruments Ltd,28 Lower Severn st 1; & 27 Legge lane Bl 3LD
Dunn S. 14 Nineveh rd B21 0TU
Green, Geo. 280 'Stratford rd 11
Green Lane Music, 372 Green la B9 5DT
Hobday's, 4 Poplar rd B14 7IAD & 4 Oak Tree lane B29 6HX
Jones & Crossland Ltd, 6 Smallbrook Queensway B5 4BN
Ladbrooke Vincent (Music) Ltd. 32 Bristol st 5
Levy Arth. 589 Stratford rd 11
Music'Box, 250 High si B23 6SN
Pass James & Go Ltd, 216 'Corporation st B4 6QB
Ringway Music (Birmingham) Ltd. 12 & 16 Moor st 4
Sutliffe Roland G. 399 Lodge rd 18
Westworth Kay 17 Cannon St 2
Woodroffes ('Musical Instruments) Ltd, 119 John Bright st 1
Yardleys (Birmingham) Ltd. 89A, Snow hill 4.
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

FireflyMuse

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Re: Musical Instrument Shops.
« Reply #19 on: March 15, 2014, 01:48:16 PM »
Thanks Phil

That's a bit before the period I remember, but it helps pinpoint a few of the shops precisely, and also sheds some interesting light on what a few of them were in earlier times, interesting that Yardley's were once also based at Snow Hill.

My parents and grandparents used to talk about the Old Birmingham and the New Birmingham, especially with reference to the Bull Ring, but nowadays their New Birmingham that I used to travel the concreted streets and subways of has become the Old Birmingham while the Even Newer Birmingham of today is somewhere quite unrecognisable when I head up the country from where I live in Devon these days. Horrified to find the subway murals on Old Snow Hill near Musical Exchanges had been buried, but I'm sure that's another thread. Time rolls round !

cheers

Dave

Phil

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Re: Musical Instrument Shops.
« Reply #20 on: March 15, 2014, 02:35:11 PM »
This is 1962, how early do you want to go?


M U S I C A L  INS T R U M E T  D E A L E R S .
See also Pianoforte Dealers.
Accordion Depot (The)SHOWROOMS: 1 Stafford St.Studios & Workshops:
23 Newton St 4 Central3l70
Birmingham Band Instrument Co. 219 Lichfield rd 6 .
Clay George Accordion Schools(The),253/259 Broad st 1
CRANE & SONS LTD.9 Bennetts Hill 2. Tel. Midland 8913
Hobday Alfred Ltd. 4 Poplar rd 14
Jones & Crossland Ltd. 8. Hinckley st 5
Levy Arth. 589 Stratford rd 11
Mansells, 75 Station st 5
Matthews Arth. 219 Lichfield rd 6
Scott Hy. & Son (Scott's Music Ltd.),554A, Coventry rd 10
Smith T, 19 Easy row 1
Westworth Kay, Melody ho. 17 Cannon st 2
Woodroffe(Jack)Band Instrument Organisation,119 John Bright st 1TN
Midland 6545 & 9208
Yardleys (Birmingham) Ltd.89-91 Snow hill 4
Phil died in 2020. RIP.

planetmalc

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Re: Musical Instrument Shops.
« Reply #21 on: March 17, 2014, 05:08:42 PM »
....... interesting that Yardley's were once also based at Snow Hill.
 
Same premises as Musical Exchanges, I think.
 
Sometime around your era, Yardleys also had a small shop in Colmore Row, a few doors away from Livery Street.
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