Altho sadly closed down now, it was the go to shop in the 80/90s to get what u needed. The staff…read morewere always friendly an willing to give advice. I had my first decent set of pro drum cases from there. They were called Black Mambo, made of Hygrade plastic with strap buckles, which I quickly converted to quik release ones. Also had drum rack from there with added clamps. It was a Dixon copy. I modded 4 clamps to make 2 folding ones, to fit to the drum rack, so it would fold up, in one easy action. Both of these excellent products lasted until I sold the kit, they were for, 25 yrs later. Probably still going...

Guitar shops are a great place for comedy. There are walking cliches lurking in every corner.From…read more'I sound checked for (insert random semi-famous band) staff who are generally disdainful to us mere mortals intruding their valuable time. And then the 15 year old playing Blink Spring 52 badly in front of a gaggling of giggling girls and then finally from the sound room the screaming torturous sound of a man who is playing the fastest his ego will let him. As for the store itself it is that of a bottle of wine. In the Bottle neck part you have your more civilized instruments such as brass, pianos and other such things that won't get you the girls. At the back is where it's at. A huuuuge array of guitars decorate the walls. They cater well for both the poor starter to the rich pro. You also find your amps here, louder the better and all that if your buying one kids. Jokes aside, Cranes is probably the best instruments shop in Cardiff easily.

Predominantly a shop which sells guitars and harps. The lady who runs this store is incredibly…read moreknowledgeable on her stock (particularly when it comes to the harps). They do however, also have a good selection of music books and sheet paper, Including many scores from popular films, TV shows and Musicals. My younger sister particularly liked this store as she was delighted to discover that they had a Glee music book, which she has now been practicing continuously!

When it comes to musical instrument shops, there's a lot to be said for service. In the more…read morepopular, wider-known stores such as Cranes, there's an unfortunate tendency for snootiness to set in amongst the staff. That distasteful though that goes "we are the instrument masters, and you people want to come and get your grubby fingers all over them? Eugh! Peasants!" And Cranes has that particular element of snobbishness all over them. And in stores such as Gamlin's, there is so much choice, and so many people asking you questions about what you're looking for that there is a small element of intimidation. That's not their fault; it's a symptom of their dedication to their field. In Pencerdd Cyf though, you have the perfect balance. The reverence for the instruments and the knowledgability that comes with it is there, but there's no sense of "us insiders, you outsiders". Instead, there's an atmosphere of community in the store; an atmosphere that fosters musicianship. If I could combine the service here with the stock of Cranes, you might just have the perfect music store.

This was first stop on my hunt for the perfect guitar. I'll have to say first that I had no idea…read morewhat I wanted, but that I would know it when I saw it. So I was extremely grateful when the gentleman at Cardiff Guitars talked me through the various guitars models on display. You'd think he'd push me in the direction of the most expensive brands, but his first suggestion was I should purchase a second-hand guitar or even one a new one priced around the £100 mark. I think I appreciate honesty like that more than most people, and would have gone back to buy one guitar I was eyeing, but instead found one I liked better at Gamlin's in the city centre. It's worth mentioning that any guitar you buy from Cardiff Guitars includes a free case (although if that's somehow incorporated into the cost of the guitar remains to be seen). I would urge anyone in the market for any instrument to stop by Cardiff Guitars. If you're looking for a bit of instruction, they offer lessons as well. A good friend of mine who took a few guitar lessons said it was very helpful, but a bit too expensive for him to continue with long-term.

I had the cheek to say Cranes was probably the best place for your guitar needs recently. I feel I…read morewas been hasty when I said that. Hidden away in the depths of the bay, Cardiff guitars does actually have quite a wide range of companies displaying their gear in here. Anywhere that is stocking Schecter is a rarity and will get two thumbs up from me. For the big spenders, their is a huge range of PRS and is always worth a drool if you just want a look. Besides effects pedals, amps etc Cardiff guitar also repair your damaged axe if you've been rocking out a little too hard. Something I really need to do soon and will report back here about it's pricing. Once again I shall go out on a limb and say this friendly place might be the best place for your guitaring needs.

This family-run shop, located at the top end of St Mary Street (towards Mill Lane), is a very…read morewell-established local business owned by Horace Gamlin. The shop has been going since 1960 (originally at premises in City Road), but music has always been a big part of Horace's life even before that. His father was a piano tuner, and during the war he sometimes accompanied his father to the celebrity concerts held at the Empire Theatre, where his father was the duty tuner. Nowadays, Horace's son Philip is in charge of the overall management of the shop and the grandchildren are also involved. Divided into separate departments, the basement is the drum and percussion area; the front of the ground floor has the printed music, and brass and woodwind instruments; the rear of the ground floor is home to guitars and basses, amplifiers and PA equipment; and the first floor showcases keyboards, pianos and electric pianos, both new and second hand. It's a great shop offering instruments to hire as well as buy, which is ideal for those taking up something new to see how they get on.

According to their website, this is a family business which has enjoyed success on a major scale…read more Geddit? I hope you're shaking your head too. That aside, Gamlin's is an integral part to music tuition to all the young girls and boys throughout the Cardiff area. I took several music exams upstairs over the years, and the standard of tuition is high. Although it can seem a little threatening (that might have just been a young and nervous me though). They have a good range of instruments here, and the staff generally know what they're talking about. Once I did have to order in some standard violin strings, which seemed a tad silly to me. The sheet music section contains everything you need to take music exams, but not a great variety of other music. In short, Gamlin's is okay, but Cranes down the road is a lot nicer.

Try not to break anything as you walk in! Many a time I've taken an immediate left after entering…read moreGM only to knock a pricey guitar and, red faced, immediately apologise to whoever witness my clumsiness. GM has a great selection and decent prices too. They have more guitars than you'd expect from the outside and a whole bunch more stored upstairs too. My only buying experience came a couple of months ago, when I decided to splash out on a new amp. I checked Gamlins and Cranes first, and both quoted me about £50 quid more than GM. Considering I paid about £250, that's a good percentage cheaper. Friendly staff who I imagine wouldn't be intimidating to beginners and they were more than happy to answer my questions. When I said I only lived down the road, they even offered to help me carry it back, as it was a fair size. I said no, but appreciated the offer of course. I'd recommend GM alot. It's like a little Aladdin's cave of good deals, and they've got a whole host of cool effects pedals in a display counter to gawp at for a bit.

A real backstreet guitar/music shop crammed full of as many products as they can…read more It really is a tight squeeze if there is more than one person in here. The amps take up the middle with the cashier to one side with guitar effects etc and the other 3 walls decorated with guitars. What I really like about this place is that they stock Ibanez's. Not a lot of people do these days for some reason. All in all there is a great range of brands here from Fender, Yamaha, Ibanez, Jackson and some cheaper models etc. So you acoustics/semi acoustics,electric,basses etc etc which is fascinating they fit in here. The only slight gripe I have here is as far as I could (not see) there was no seven string guitars.

A guitar maker for Cardiff to be proud of. I had a guitar made here last year and was…read more amazed by their level of service. I got one and had a slight problem with it. I phoned them up to tell them and instantly was told they can pick it up for me and get it fixed. Not being too far away I took it in myself and instead of getting it fixed I was giving a new one there and then, no questions asked. They were really nice guys and couldn't do enough to leave me with a huge smile and a bloody decent guitar to rock out on. I salute Moondog.

During both primary and high school, hours every week were taken up by music lessons an ensemble…read morepractises with the CCVG Music service. And I never looked back! They provide music lessons, tuition and groups for under 18s throughout Cardiff County and the Vale of Glamorgan, which in reality covers a massive area. In my time I was in all three of their choirs, two of their orchestras, and had violin, clarinet, flute and singing lessons. They did me well. Year after year, there continue to be fantastic show put on with the ensembles, in venues such as County Hall and St David's Hall. The standard (particularly within the more advanced groups) is surprisingly high. Week after week the teachers are dedicated to providing a good and fun service. If you're thinking of tyring to get involved in something yourself, or looking for something fr your kids, then I couldn't recommend this scheme more highly. I met some of my closest friends while taking part in these activities, had some amazing times and had the chance to perform in superb venues. Top notch stuff.

Schoolchildren in Cardiff and the surrounding Vale of Glamorgan area will be familiar with CCVG…read moreMusic, which teaches music to pupils attending schools in the area. It currently teaches some 8,000 pupils in 166 different schools, and about 3,000 of those children are involved in Music Development Projects - plus over 1,200 pupils are involved in weekly Ensembles. CCVG can also arrange and provide group and one-to-one music lessons on a wide range of instruments such as the violin, cello, double bass, harp. flute, clarinet, trombone, drums, percussion, bass guitar and keyboard, as well as offering vocal training. Many of the music teachers are or have been professional musicians, performing with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales, the Orchestra of the Welsh National Opera, and other big musical groups. As a result they are generally accomplished and passionate about music, and children seem to enjoy the classes because the enthusiasm of the teachers is contagious.

John Hardy Music is a composition and production company that creates unique music for performance,…read morefilm and TV, and for recording artists. They collaborate with all sorts of artists to achieve whatever they're being commissioned to create - and there's quite an extraordinary variety to their output. There's the haunting music of 'Betrayal', the sweeping instrumentals on 'Out of the deep', many opera productions, and even country-ish recordings such as 'Take me home'. The company has won five BAFTA Cymru awards to date for Best Original Soundtrack Music, and has experience in over 140 productions. For people working in TV, hundreds of their existing tracks are available now to licence for synchronisation with film, TV and other media projects, and they offer an efficient one-stop music clearance service. You can get a pack of themed tracks, or talk to them directly about the type of music you're looking for. For other customers, they also have recordings of their music available to buy online on their own business website.