debbied Posted January 13, 2019 Share Posted January 13, 2019 Hello..... New member here. I have been a member of PSW forum for many years which is mainly USA based. It has been a wealth of information to me over the years and I have made many friends there. I am an ex-pat now living and working in the USA.I had asked a question there relating to the UK so one of the guys there suggested I check out the Blue Room which I had not come across before.Some interesting reading here and along similar lines to PSW. I have been here for over 25 years. With my husband, I visit the UK every year or so to visit family and friends and we will be making a trip over first week of february.My husband and I are musicians and also run sound locally here in North Carolina. We did the same thing when we lived in the UK till '93. During our upcoming visit, we will have more free time than we usually do (even though only there for a week) and would like to check out a music store or 2 if possible but it seems things are the same in the UK as they are here - most everything is done online now and I am finding it tough to research this end. We will fly into Heathrow and then drive down to Abbotskerswell (Newton Abbot) in Devon. Just wondering if there would be any decent stores to visit whilst there. Our interests are sound reinforcement, recording and Bass. My various systems are made up of JBL SRX800 series, PRX700 series, Yamaha DSR, Yamaha DXR, Allen & Heath QU Pac, QU 16 and SQ6.My husband plays bass and is always looking to add to his inventory - ** laughs out loud **. Anyway, I would welcome any suggestions you may have for me and thank you in advance. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy_s Posted January 13, 2019 Share Posted January 13, 2019 I would imagine there are places in Plymouth and Exeter, but none spring to mind.I was going to suggest Hobgoblin in Wadebridge, (about 90 minutes drive cross-country) which would be good for traditional instruments if that is of interest, but I see it is now closed, there is a Hobgoblin branch in Bristol HERE which is worth a visit if you're in that area, not too bad a drive as it is mostly motorway. Bristol also has a branch of PMT (the self-proclaimed biggest music retailer in the UK) HERE. lots of guitars and basses. Nostalgia fest warning:just out of interest, I looked up Barnstaple, and I'm intrigued to see that Soundpad seems to be still going. I bought my first guitar there in about 1990, and we used to get odd bits of PA gear from there for the small theatre company I worked for at the time. So with the proviso that it may have changed in the intervening 25 years since I lived there, it might be worth a visit. Nice drive over Exmoor to get there. (or maybe not so pretty in February) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbied Posted January 13, 2019 Author Share Posted January 13, 2019 Thanks for the response Andy. WOW - Soundpad???? I used to shop there in Leicester when I lived in Peterborough. We had a couple of mom and pop stores in our town but nothing worth looking at really. Weird considering Peterborough was quite the happening city even back then compared to some places. I never go there anymore as I have no family left there anymore..Anyway......Soundpad was the only store within 50 miles of us worth a visit back then. It then became The Carlsboro Center I recall. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy_s Posted January 13, 2019 Share Posted January 13, 2019 [Cor, I had no idea Soundpad was part of a chain (At that point in my life I'd never been to Leicester....), I thought it was a little local shop for people in North Devon. I still have the guitar, not currently playable, but an easy fix when I get round to it....Hope you have a great trip back to Blighty! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbied Posted January 13, 2019 Author Share Posted January 13, 2019 Thanks Andy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
andy_s Posted January 14, 2019 Share Posted January 14, 2019 So I've read a bit more, and now find that the Soundpad in Leicester is one and the same as the one in Barnstaple - and still run by the same family. They relocated from the midlands to the south west in 1988! what a small world it turns out to be... Soundpad history Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
PeterT Posted January 14, 2019 Share Posted January 14, 2019 Manson's guitar shop in Exeter is brilliant. I travelled an hour down there to get my new Bass amp a few years back and it was a fantastic experience. (the trying and buying the bass amp, not the travelling bit. That was shockingly bad as I recall...) Linky goodness here Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jon Wiles Posted January 14, 2019 Share Posted January 14, 2019 Depending what time you fly into LHR, and logistics with travel, on the way to Devon there is Absolute Music on the Bourmemouth/Poole border. They do everything. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbied Posted January 14, 2019 Author Share Posted January 14, 2019 So I've read a bit more, and now find that the Soundpad in Leicester is one and the same as the one in Barnstaple - and still run by the same family. They relocated from the midlands to the south west in 1988! what a small world it turns out to be... Soundpad history So I've read a bit more, and now find that the Soundpad in Leicester is one and the same as the one in Barnstaple - and still run by the same family. They relocated from the midlands to the south west in 1988! what a small world it turns out to be... Soundpad history Hah - so one of the same. Yes it is a small world... Manson's guitar shop in Exeter is brilliant. I travelled an hour down there to get my new Bass amp a few years back and it was a fantastic experience. (the trying and buying the bass amp, not the travelling bit. That was shockingly bad as I recall...) Linky goodness here Thanks Peter - Good to know. Depending what time you fly into LHR, and logistics with travel, on the way to Devon there is Absolute Music on the Bourmemouth/Poole border. They do everything. Ironically Jon , I have already contacted Richard there and will be visiting at some point during the week. Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
debbied Posted January 15, 2019 Author Share Posted January 15, 2019 Thank you everyone for your suggestions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Archived
This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.