I'd hear of this place long before I ever stepped foot in there. Word had reached me that these…read moreguys were expert at guitar repair and restoration of dilapidated old beauties to their former glory (yes I'm still talking about guitars). Recently I found myself wandering by Winn Lane when I spied the fabled shop. Having some time to kill I strolled in to see what's up. The shop was empty apart from a staff member and one other who were locked in conversation. Alright with me, I thought, I'll go and have an unsupervised look around at the axes and other goodies on display. I walked up the raised level to inspect the expanse of guitar amps, effects pedals, basses and of course, electric guitars on offer. One wall was dominated by Fenders, with a couple of rows of strat's and tele's of various vintages, most for around the $1000 mark -- pretty affordable. There were also a few other rarer finds like Mosrites and a Hofner bass (the kind Sir Paul McCartney plays). "I don't get these people who keep knowledge to themselves. If I can teach someone something that will make my world better then I will share that knowledge..." I heard the conversation go. Good to know they are passing the flame on to other generations. Oh, and YES they will sell you single picks and guitar strings. They get my seal of approval!

Three months to get back a guitar after a refret I was advised would take six weeks. After two…read moremonths, I rang them to find out where my guitar was. Advised then it would be ready be the end of the week. Three weeks after that, I cracked the shit, where's my freaking guitar, got to pick it up that day. Work appears to be adequate, be prepared to ride them hard to fulfill their promises.

I remember being a fresh-faced university student prowling through Rocking Horse Records, looking…read morefor CDs, records, posters, strangers eyes, discussing with likeminded friends about how we knew, "the music would save us". After four years of university and life I don't know if I would rummage through Rocking Horse Records with the same optimism that I once did. Rocking Horse Records offers an extensive range of CDs, DVDs and EPs old and new. The establishment itself seems to permeate a sort of grungy vibe, however now days the service staff seem to dress more hipster, as opposed to diehard, melancholic Nirvana fans from the late 90s. It's nice to see a music store with such a vast range outside of those larger outlets that dominate that CBD. All the products are categorized accordingly; it's just up to you to know if you're "into" 'alternative folk dubstep' or 'new-age punk metal' (categories may not be as specific as the latter). It's no mystery that the electronic innovations in music have hit the music industry hard, especially in terms of unique stores like Rocking Horse Records. There are of course attempts to reestablish their necessity in the market, such as being a place to purchase tickets for concerts and festivals. In addition, has anyone noticed how vinyl has made a real comeback? Even I have developed a real romantic inclination towards listening to my favorite music on an EP. I don't know if it's real or just manufactured in my head, but it does seem to add a certain quality to the sound that seems to hit me harder; perhaps it's just because we're sick of our music existing solely in our phones and on our computers? I couldn't help but wish that Rocking Horse Records would have a more extensive range of EPs, however I can understand how it may prove to be unprofitable to stock a wide range of music on record, when only a handful of people would come looking for. This being said, shouldn't they be establishing themselves as a business that offers us something we can't get online? Maybe if they got on board with this "hipster" trend and sold more EPs and record players we'd leave the safety of our computers and flock there on mass. After all, they are called Rocking Horse 'Records'. At the end of the day Rocking Horse Records is a great venue to have a browse and remember what it was like before we all had IPods. The unfortunate truth is I tend to go there to browse and buy my music online instead. This being said, those of you who prefer to have hard copies of music or have developed an ethereal connection to the sound of vinyl, Rocking Horse Records is the place for you.

Still the original and the best music store in Brisbane. You only had to see the outcry and the way…read morethe community pulled together earlier this year to save Rocking Horse from folding to understand the special place this record store holds in Brisbane's heart and history. Impressive that after so long in the business Rocking Horse manages to stay at the forefront of what's happening in music, especially indie music, and provide its customers with the rarest, coolest, and hardest-to-find records, CDs, t-shirts, memorabilia, and DVDs. Rocking Horse also sells tickets so if you are after a ticket to a music festival, band, or solo show chances are you can grab them at Rocking Horse. Sometimes I just go in to their ticket desk to see what's coming up. This is also a great idea if you want to buy someone tickets to something, but aren't sure what's on or what they'd like. Rock on, Rocking Horse!

As you walk up a certain flight of stairs on Adelaide St,…read moreThe sounds of the grumbling city slowly fade off until all you can hear is the beginning riffs of jefferson airplane. You have entered the musty dusty and glorious Record Exchange. I have bought the majority of my records here, as well as finding other odds and ends to lust over (Engelbert Humperdinck discography. ONE DAY YOU WILL BE MINE.) They have everything here. Music Books, Magazines, Figurines , Clothes ,Doc Martins, Record players, VHS, CD's, Cassettes and memorabilia. This place is refreshingly free from music snobbery and feels more like your uncles haphazard attic. Record Exchange will provide hours of entertainment and with actual reasonably priced stock, prepare for a sizable dent in that wallet.

Ah, Record Exchange. My true high school love. How I used to run to you when double maths got too…read morereal and I saw no other option except to flee from school to the city. I'm happy to report that 10 years on, Record Exchange is still the same. The clutter, the chaos, the musky smell, the random oddities- they're all still there, fermenting into some nostalgic musical brine. They've got a second hand clothing collection that is akin to a flea market. You'll find genuine article 80's acid wash jeans, leather vests, doc martens and all of that other old school die hard muso business there. They've still got some VHS lying around along with turntables and arcade machines (all of which may or may not work). The music collection is off tap. The records are priced anywhere from $2 and upward. It depends on how rare, and what condition the vinyl is in. In the collector's section, I did find a $36.99 double record Face Off Soundtrack. Holy bejesus! As a side note, Record Exchange also buy whole collections from people. Looking to get rid of your outdated, dorky music collection? Give it to these guys! I have spent hours on end trawling through the goods at Record Exchange. If you haven't done it, I recommend you do, and even if you were there yesterday, do it again today. Different day, different treasure.

Butter Beats has it going on. If the buttery store sign isn't enough to entice you inside, then the…read morerows and rows of records and music will. Welcome to a music library where the records are plenty and hard-to-find music is actually not so hard to find. Thanks goodness! This place is a music lover's ultimate dream with a collection you can get lost in and pore over for hours upon end. It's obvious that this place lives and breathes an intense love for music, and you'll find anything you desire from 80s rock to modern pop and hip hop. No holds barred! They're hidden away on an upper level in Broadway on the Mall, so make the trip up and grace yourself with a new lover in the form of endless music choices.

I'm no DJ, in fact I don't even own a record player, but there's something so good about flicking…read moreyour fingers through a stack of old records. Butter Beats is a place where you can certainly do this. My most recent visit was for nothing in particular, but it was just nice to wander through the small store and reminisce about Dad's record collection and some of the weird stuff we used to listen to. The walls of the shop are stocked floor to ceiling with spray paint cans in every colour imaginable. I'm not sure what the connection is between music and spray paint. Anarchy? Art? I don't know, but it's effective nonetheless. If you're looking for a hard to find vinyl, in need of a new band T-shirt or just keen for chat about great music with one of the knowledgeable (yet very cool and intimidating looking) staff, then head into Butter Beats next time you're in the city.