Blackheath is almost as grim as it sounds, but last year a small independent guitar dealer made the…read moreswitch from online retailing to having a physical store. Now Blackheath has had its fair share of music shops over the years, all of which are now closed. But the one thing RSG has over its predecessors is a relentless love for customer satisfaction. Upon store you even enter the store you excited by just the window display. Colourful and full of ever changing instruments. Some of the best in store and some of rarer models can be seen displayed here. The selection of instruments covered is heavily guitar, bass, and a section of smaller wind instruments (harmonicas ect) but the stock is ever changing and you never know what will be in stock the next time you visit. The owner Damon is also quite the guitar tech, offering servicing and string changes on guitars and bass for a small fee. The shop also offers after hour tuition in both guilted and bass with a great team of teachers. Seperate courses run for different age/skill groups. Some of the best gear here is possibly the valve amps on selection. Some of the brands on here include: Carvin, Vox, Korg, Frenendez, Washburn and Ernie Ball.

Tiny little guitar shop, tucked away on the outskirts of Blackheath town centre. I wandered in…read morehere and soon enough found myself in conversation with the fella behind the counter, and a lovely chap he was too. As a southpaw, guitar shops are always frustrating for me because you always see these great guitars and good offers, but they're always for right-handed people - not us creative minority (Hendrix, McCartney, Cobain, the bloke out the Super Furry Animals...) The shop is very small and as such doesn't have a whole lot of stock out front, save a handful of guitars and a few practice amps. The sounds of patient music tuition filtered through from the next room as I bid my goodbyes to the bloke behind the counter. What I dug about this guy was that he didn't try and get me to buy anything nor did he take the opportunity to show me how much better on guitar he was or how much more he knew about guitars. I did work experience in a guitar shop and it put me off them and the people who work in them for life, this little place restored a bit of my faith that they're not full of failed, pedantic show-off rockers.

What a little gem…read more Long story short, I liked the idea of playing the accordion and someone kindly gave me one in need of repair. Well, where else to go but the Accordion Centre, tucked in slightly scary backstreets it's a breath of fresh air as a lovely whitewashed and shuttered house. But we're here for accordions. And there are many. On one side, the workshop is bursting with accordions waiting for repair, and the advice I was given was very practical and cautionary- it's likely to cost more to repair than it's worth, but I'm expecting a series of quotes so I can choose just how much work is done and to what effect. Then there's the accordion for sale room. Lovely second hand accordions and squeeze boxes everywhere and I want them all. It's a bit magic. Again, lots of very good advice- these guys really know their stuff and are very friendly. Looks like they also do band recording or rehearsals there as there's a little stage setup with drums etc and a beer fridge. Unless music shops just generally sell beer these days... Anyway. It's a bit out of town, but so worth a peep, whether or not you have a battered accordion.

I drove down today to pick up my Hohner which had undergone re-tuning and a general overhaul. I was…read moregreeted in a friendly way and felt quite at home in this wonderful establishment. No airs and graces, no frills, just the company of people who love what they do. Firstly, a welcome mug of coffee then entry into the workshop where I spent an hour being shown what they do when they service accordions. A real eye-opener! Nothing was too much trouble and my questions were answered sympathetically; after all, this is new territory for me. My Hohner sounds great and has become of more value, especially when I consider how much work has gone into its servicing. My only regret is that I live so far away because visiting the Centre is a privilege. Thank you, Rob and your professional technician for your enthusiasm and knowledge. Donald Firth.

Blessed with incredibly helpful, knowledgeable staff, this friendly, family-run music store offers…read morea great selection of instruments and musical equipment. Nick, the shop assistant is very helpful and always willing to offer advice and recommendations based on customer needs and requirements. Colbecks pride themselves on offering high quality equipment and in my experience, their long-lasting products never seem to disappoint. The store is right next to a large PC World and very easy to park close to when collecting large instruments. Its showroom is a little cramped, yet remains inviting and well laid out, and the Colbecks team are friendly, welcoming and easy to talk to.

I've been relying on Colbecks to help me out with all things musical for a number of years. I…read morebought my latest piece of equipment from Colbecks, a keyboard, complete with instruction book on how to get started. The staff member was very helpful and took me through an extensive range on offer. I settled on the Yamaha 450. It's an excellent piece of equipment. It came with a guarantee and I was assured if I had any problems or found it wasn't to my liking I could return it for a full refund. I noticed the shop also offered other services such as repairs, restrings for guitars, tuning and even music lessons. If you're in the market for musical equipment give them a try I'm sure you'll be as pleased with the service as I have been time and time again. As for my piano playing, well it's just not as good as the store.

If you are looking for musical instruments or accessories in Birmingham this is probably the place…read moreI would send you. Huge range of guitars, amps, drums, pianos, keyboard and electronic musical instruments set over two floors. I have purchased a few guitars from here over the years they have always been really helpful and accommodating helping me get the exact set up for what I needed. The guys behind the counter always seem knowledgeable on the products they stock too.....so I would say this is a great stop for someone who is maybe not so musically minded looking to get a gift. I dont play as much as I should anymore but when I need strings/any other accessories I would definately look here first. The kind of shop I could get very lost in for an afternoon......hopefully without my debit card.

I bought my first guitar from here in 1996, and I reckon they've been going since the late…read moreeighties. Downstairs you'll find a range of acoustic instruments including guitars, woodwind, acoustic basses and a really well stocked accessories cabinet. Fair Deal are often are the first to get some gear in here before other guitar shops, which is proof that they are on the ball, probably attending trade shows and reading trade magazines to keep a good level of product knowledge. Upstairs is dedicated to all thing rawwwwk! with electric guitars and basses and a range of effects pedals from leading and new manufacturers. As the name suggests, the prices are fair! I picked up a Boss Portable Recording Studio that you can record, mix, and master songs with, then burn them to a CD-R to play in a CD player. It was £150 less here than the next best price elsewhere. Keep your eye out for end-of-the-line or discontinued equipment and you can bag a bargain like I did. The staff are friendly too. Expect a quip at the counter, and prepare one yourself, as it might endear you to the staff and pave the way for some haggling, or result in a guitar pick being thrown in to add value to whatever you are buying.

A really quite stunning collection of guitars! Friendly staff that'll pretty much let you play…read moreanything you want! Definitely worth going I you're thinking if getting a new guitar. The only disadvantage is that it is about a 20-25 minute work from New Street station. Unless you go by car and park at the limited car park at the store.

Don't be mislead by this shop's initials. They don't deal in remedies for a woman's 'time of the…read moremonth'. Instead Professional Music Technology deal in music equipment, specialising in keyboards, drums and both bass and six-string guitars. I came in here for a Fender Telecaster and I didn't really know the pros and cons of the different Squire, Mexican or US models. The assistant explained the differences in a clear way and left me to decide which one suited my budget. Another time I've been in here was to get a portable recording studio with a microphone and the necessary leads. I got a discounted deal on this, as well as being able to pay in instalments PMT is a little way out of town, so its not as easily accessible, (depending on where you live) as city centre music shops, but their collection of guitars makes them worth traveling to if you are considering a purchase of a new axe.

What no-one could understand in Moseley for so long was why in such a musical suburb where almost…read moreeveryone between 15 and 50 played guitar, did one have to get on the 50 bus into town to get to the nearest music shop when one broke a top E string? About 20 years too late came Shades Music. But thankful for it I am. Because on this particular day I am in need of not only an E string, but also a D string and a G string. Shades have a wide range of accessories by the counter. Guitar strings, capos, picks, its' all there. After buying some green Martin strings I have a browse. This isn't a high end music shop. What is does have is a good range of low to mid range electric guitars, the newly ubiquitous ukelele, and some acoustic guitars. So its a good shop to buy from for a beginner or an improver. And talking of improving, they have a good music school attached where you can learn a multitude of instruments.

I remember getting very excited when Shades music was opening a few years back. It's a great little…read moreshop for somebody who has just started learning to play the guitar or keyboard, and it has a great selection of song books on that stretch along the entire one side of the shop. All the product prices are brilliant for beginners, and the store doesn't really stock many expensive brands. So I'm not sure if Shades is ideal for well established musicians to buy their gear from. But overall, the staff are very sociable and approachable, and they will give you some great advice when choosing the right instrument to suit. You can also easily chat about music and bands with them too, which adds an extra customer relationship ethos. Shades provides a great stock of instruments for the South side of Birmingham, but I'm sure if you travel into town or other areas of the city, you can probably pick up a wider range of items.

Speaking with my gigging musician hat on and my poor shoes on - I frequently find my guitar…read moreamplifier suffering all kinds of knocks which would be preventable if I could afford the flight case for it. Guitar amps can be sensitive things, a few bumps and a wire comes loose or shorts and all kinds of technical stuff which I haven't the first clue about putting right. Thanks heavens then for Steve: A one-man operation who deals specifically in fixing amps. I've used him several times for various faults with my equipment and the work has always been done to a high spec. He's currently fixing a faulty transistor on my Fender amp so I'd better watch what I say! No, really the work is of a high-standard otherwise I wouldn't be going back (it's different amps he's fixed and serviced for me by the way, not the same one that keeps breaking). Generally, he is quite pricey but then there is no-one else providing this kind of service that I'm aware of AND in my experience he does a quick turnaround on any work. I believe his costs work out to around £40 for labour and then parts on top of that.

Stirchley High street is full of shops that cater for single-issue shoppers. Amongst them there's a…read moretobacconist, a vacuum cleaner repair shop and....a shop for drummers! Very niche indeed. As a musician I'm unable to walk past without sticking my head round the door. My son is becoming obsessed with drums (and making a noise and hitting things, generally) so he is absolutely fascinated by this place. The staff are very tolerant of my little boy and let him belt the odd thing with a watchful eye. Alongside a fairly decent selection of drums and percussion instruments, this place also provides drum tuition, so if you fancy yourself as the next Buddy Rich, or if you have a little one that is showing signs of being a drummer, you might want to pop in for a chat.

You probably won't be surpirsed to find out that Drums International doens't sell penguins, Persian…read morerugs, Peyote cactuses or other exotic goods that begin with the letter P. That's right, it sells drums! Mostly of the kind that have been a prequisite for rock and pop acts since the dawn of time. By a full kit, or buy drum bits and pieces, and obviously a wide selection of skins and sticks are available. Luckily the staff are friendly enough to talk to, so there's plenty of adivce on hand if you need advice n your purchases.And if all this drum talk has unleashed an urge within you to become the next Dave Grohl or Keith Moon they can point you in the way of tuition. A low key, well run specialist music shop aimed at the cheaper end of the market that knows what it's doing and does it well. Well worth a visit if you're in the makret for some drum bits and pieces.