A welcome addition to Harrogate's Montpellier Quarter!…read more Wall of Sound used to be located in Halifax and was a decent place to find collectable vinyl. Now proprietor Elliot has relocated to a small area half way up the stairs in Space's new multi-stall complex just off Parliament Street. The whole place is worth a look - fun stalls and a cool bar upstairs. But nestling between is a vinyl junkie's mini-paradise. The accent is on older music - 60s and 70s, country rock, psychedelia, blues, bluegrass, west coast... You'll find some punk and indie in here too, and it's worth spending some time browsing through the racks as well as the amazing slices of premium vinyl on the walls. CDs are available but vinyl dominates. You'll also find some cool collectors stuff - there was an AC/DC promo boiler suit last time I looked for instance, and some really excellent posters for various other bands and stuff behind the counter. Elliot is on hand to offer his well-informed opinion - and he knows an awful lot about the music he sells I should add - and remains a music enthusiast who is happy to share a story over a tune or two. If there's stuff you're after give him a list and see how he does. I did that and within a week he'd found me a couple of bits of vinyl I was looking for. Quality service. With a lack of music collector's shops in the area this place was greeted with utter delight my myself and my friends. The stuff inside is really good and with a friendly and knowledgeable chap in charge I just wonder how much of my money I'll end up spending in here as there is always something interesting to buy...

The best vinyl record buyers in Blackpool. I have sold to Chris on a number of occasions now,…read morealways impressed by his professional approach and vinyl record knowledge. Also the prices quotes are far more far than the other dealers that I've tried in the area. I will be back in touch when I'm ready to sell some more of my vinyl. Thanks a million.

Very impressed with the service. I spoke to Chris regarding my late fathers record collection. He…read morewas very knowledgeable and gave me a general idea of value, he travelled quite some distance and true to his word he gave me the price we discussed. Contact this company with confidence.

Darlington is a pretty small town and has had many music shops in the past (with 'Williams' being…read morethe longest standing and most prominent). I personally think the Darlington Music Centre is one of the best music stores we've had in Darlington, the staff are friendly and always very willing and helpful. The prices are pretty competitive and if appropriate they have been willing to negotiate in the past. For a music store in a small town they also have a decent selction of guitars including big name originals like Gibson, Fender and PRS. Also for those of you wanting to learn how to play an instrument you can enquire in store for guitar lessons or drum lessons, in fact you can take the drum lessons at the back of the store so you don't need a drum kit and don't need to annoy your neighbours (until you decide you're serious about it!;)

Was looking for some sheet music & books for base guitar. A fair selection available. Have been in…read morea few times & have found it has what I need.

In these days of big companies like HMV and Zavvi (or whatever it's called these days) dominating…read morethe music retail business, as well as the rise of downloading music (whether legal or illegal), it's easy to forget the charm of independent local music shops like Quicksilver Music. Hidden down Market Street, Quicksilver is a small but appealing shop that sells a modest but varied selection of CDs and vinyl, both of which are split quite helpfully and comprehensively into different genres and artists. You do still have to search through them a bit for a few hidden gems, but that's all part of the fun. As well as selling music, Quicksilver also sells a small selection of electric, acoustic and bass guitars as well as a few amps. None of them are particularly expensive models (most are at the cheaper end of the spectrum) but some models there have been discontinued so would be considered quite rare. The selection may be quite small but there is quite a variation and if you're looking for a more original choice for a basic guitar then there are some bargains on offer there. Quicksilver Music might not be for more commercial music fans but if small independent music stores with a bit of character appeal to you, then it's definitely a place to check out and support.

One of the last remaining secondhand record shops in Liverpool is Hairy Records. Situated at the…read moretop of Bold Street, it's a gloriously ramshackle shop that has literally dozens of racks of old vinyl. The window is a great indicator of what you'll find inside with well thumbed copies of early Dylan, Neil Young and Van Morrison records alongside old classics by The Cure, The Smiths and The Specials. It's not all rock and pop however, as inside there are literally hundreds of brilliant soul, funk, disco, motown, northern soul, girl groups, reggae and krautrock albums. If you can't find what you're looking for, ask the friendly owner and there's a chance he might have a copy somewhere. I only chatted to him for five minutes and it was clear his passion and enthusiasm for music was infectious. In the week, Hairy Records is quite quiet so you'll have time to look through everything without being disturbed. At weekends however, expect to be elbowed by local musicans like The Zutons and The Coral. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LJrGKqYYfdY

Liverpool's selection of independent record shops is so bad, considering the city's monumental…read moremusical heritage, it's almost laughable. Hairy is one of the few left and is probably the biggest and best known. Its collection of vinyl is tremendous with stacks and stacks from all genres and eras that you can happily spend days rooting through them all. But like all specialist shops - particularly record shops - there is always a catch. Remember High Fidelity? Remember the father innocently asking Jack Black if he had a copy of 'I Just Called To Say I Love You'? Yep, just be careful.

A Liverpool institution, Probe was immortalised in Kevin Sampson's Awaydays as the shop everyone…read morevisited in the late 70s to buy the latest punk and no wave singles. Three decades on, they still have a small selection of Joy Division and Magazine albums but their stock is much more eclectic. Alongside classic funk, soul, dub and electro, there are racks devoted to krautrock, psyche, garage, indie, freakbeat and classic rock. Endearingly, vinyl is the dominating medium rather than CDs with lots of lovingly sourced re-issues as well as new and original releases. The staff are friendly and knowledgable and more than happy to play records if you want to try before you buy. If only all record shops were like this! The magnificent Magazine: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nImOq_eWHEM&feature=related

Not much to add here on Probe Records, as everyone affirms it's a real-life genuine piece of…read moremusical heritage in a city where a lot relies on the idea of the ghost of the myth of the beat-era. Offering a broad selection of punk, post-punk, indie, funk, soul and reggae on CD and Vinyl, Probe is really the one-stop shop for music you might not find in HMV. It feels like a real record shop too; blasting a selection of funk and punk cult classics through the speakers, with wooden rack upon wooden rack of records, some with little well-thought out recommendation cards. The staff are friendly and surprisingly un-high fidelity-y in that a misstepped request won't be answered with a volley of insults in the direction of your musical knowledge. Regulars are treated well and newcomers are treated like regulars. A few years ago I asked for the new Iron and Wine album (the fantastic, laid-back "Our Endless Numbered Days") and although it wasn't out until Monday they let me have it anyway. Brilliant.

Some nice guitars but if you're not prepared to spend bags of cash, don't expect anything in the…read moreway of customer service. Makes you feel like he's doing you a favour selling you an over-priced set of strings.

Vinyl Records is a great old skool record/vinyl shop on Church Street in Preston. Not many of these…read moretypes of shops left about. They have lots of different styles of music and a mass amount of records. The prices can be a bit more costly than the norm but they are worth it. Much better experience than shopping online. If you can't find what you want the staff are always on hand to help you and if they don't have it in stock they will order it in for you. Great quick service and knowledgeable staff. Nice friendly atmosphere.

Not many places like this available anymore, and it really is enjoyable to spend a while looking…read morethrough the various vinyl they have on offer. The staff are really helpful and although slightly outside the town centre it is not too far away and located close to alternative venues The Warehouse and PR1. Whilst some of the stuff can be a little pricey there really is so much on offer that you're sure to find something affordable and to your taste. You really can spend quite some time in here looking through all the vinyl and there are often some hidden gems if you are lucky enough to find them!

Sadly Spectre has now closed, which is a shame.read more

This is one of the best music shops in the district and although small, offers some great bargains…read moreon all musical instruments. They seem to specialise in guitars but have good knowledge on all aspects of musical instruments. They have very friendly staff who are passionate about music. Many years ago I was a fan of a band called China Crisis who used to get all their gear from here when it was call JSG. It might have changed hands over the years but it is still a great store that offer some excellent product at great prices with a smile.

Best find on holiday ever!!…read more Set in a beautiful little village with a huge village green with loads of parking round and about (although im sure that on a mid summer sunny day parking may be somewhat difficult!). The pub has a bar area and a restaurant area - we only ever went into the bar as you could eat int here and it was really cosy (dogs are also allowed!). The staff were incredibly friendly and chatty (lets face it, Yorkshire, particularly North Yorkshire folk are possibly the most friendly on the planet - i challenge you to disprove this!). The food was INCREDIBLE. Nothing fancy pants, just really good food, VERY big portions (trust me on this, you dont need three courses - choose your weapon of starter or dessert to go alongside your main - we made the mistake one night and 1) couldnt eat it all and 2)pretty much rolled home). We spent an evening in the pub, had a meal and then sat playing card games - we felt incredibly welcome. So welcome that we ended up visiting three times in a week long holiday. You cant really get a better recommendation than that can you??