Gatling Guitars: Independent music shop in Neepsend
Visiting a music shop should give you the opportunity to play and get a feel for the instruments, rather than find yourself on the receiving end of a sales pitch. You can't know if an instrument is right for you until it's in your hands. In short, music should be about rocking out, not selling out. That's the ethos behind Gatling Guitars, a new independent shop in Neepsend. We spoke to Stephen from the family firm to find out what they do differently.
Tell us a bit about Gatling Guitars.
Gatling Guitars is run and owned by myself and my two sons. We wanted to offer a friendly, no rush service that isn't just offering used guitars or the usual suspects.
We guarantee that the guitars we sell will be set up personally just for you and your playing style
We've picked our brands very carefully and endeavour to only stock good instruments regardless of the price. We have top-end instruments like Duesenberg and Cole Clark, as well as Godin and Baton Rouge, none of which have ever been in a music shop in Sheffield.
What inspired you to set up the shop?
Simply, I love guitars and everything about them. At my high point I personally owned 17 guitars. The north side of Sheffield has never had a major guitar shop. Sheffield has only ever had one big music shop selling the usual suspects and a few smaller shops mainly selling used instruments.
We wanted to have something in between, a good size shop where people could see some great guitars in a comfortable environment. People can come and have a play, and get advice and help with getting the best out of a guitar.
What do you offer that the big music shops don't?
We guarantee that the guitars we sell will be set up personally just for you and your playing style. Bring it back within six months and we'll do a free setup. This is more important that it first seems for experienced players and new guitarist alike, so our customer service is a more personal thing.
Our website shows what we have in stock. Many of the big stores advertise stock they don't actually have, making assumptions about delivery time that in truth cannot be guaranteed. The brands that we are authorised dealers for are happy to special order, but won't take a deposit until we have a delivery schedule that we can stick to.
Do you do repairs as well as sales?
Yes, a very important part of our service is our workshop, which is fully equipped to do just about any repair. We actually make guitars and I have done for a number of years, so there is not much we can't do. It's all completed on site and not shipped out to a secondary source.
What's your favourite guitar that you sell at the moment?
I am a big Duesenberg fan, as I don't think there's a better guitar on the planet, but it really depends on what day you ask me. I do actually like all the brands we sell for different reasons.
Sam Gregory
Visit Gatling Guitars' website, or find them on Facebook and Twitter.
