RETAIL LOCATION REPORT
Winchester
CY MUSIC Having been around for five years since taking over from Probyns Music, CY Music gets its name from its jovial owner Chris Yarnton. Catering primarily for the entry level across all the sectors commonly found in a general music store, CY has managed to fit a lot into a small space, but not make it look cluttered. It’s nice to see an all-round store that
sees brass and woodwind as one of its main sources of income, rather than an after thought, which explains the very eye catching display of saxes, including some lovely Trevor James, Jupiter and Antigua models, towards the rear of the shop. Flutes and clarinets have also attracted customers in droves, leading Yarnton to state that interest is so high that it is often difficult to maintain a full display. A good range of Casio digital pianos are another highlight, as is the selection of acoustics, the most popular being the Freshmans and the Tanglewoods. CY Music also seems to pull in many
visitors from outside the city, including many preferring this store ahead of those
in neighbouring Southampton. This, combined with its brass and woodwind attraction, the fact it’s the only general MI retailer in the city and the personality and attitude of its owner, makes this a very pleasant store indeed.
HAYWARD GUITARS Considering how Brian Hayward of Hayward Guitars started off as an all- round guitar builder, repairer and luthier, it seems fitting that he would consider his back room workshop as having more than equal importance to its guitar retail offering, which is certainly extensive. With Hayward commenting that he had
cut his range down to the core stock to focus more on the repair work, the variety on display before this change was made must have been impressive. Currently, the entry level and mid range
is covered very well here, with Cort, Aria, Vintage and Ibanez the main brands in the electric sector. A separate acoustic room is also adorned with a number of Cort models, as well as a great selection of Lags, Faiths, right up to a few nice Martins.
The former capital of the Kingdom of England might be a historian’s dream, but it’s also got plenty of reasons for musicians to visit, as Adam Savage finds out…
Seeing a business that really has established a worthy balance between selling and repairing is very refreshing and it certainly seems to keep Hayward busy. He must be good at what he does as well, with guitarists travelling from as far away as Devon and London to get their axes in his trusty hands. Whatever their requirements, guitarists
are sure to find whatever they need here. With plans for a smaller workshop area within the main retail space and an increase in priority towards the spares market, this business can only get better.
GEOFF DENYER VIOLINS It’s always nice to get a pleasant surprise and that’s exactly what we got uncovering this little jewel in a quiet part of town. Expecting little more than a small,
primarily repairs-based business that serves the local area, Geoff Denyer turned out to be a dealer of vintage stringed instruments ranging from £200 right up to many tens of thousands, as well as a repairer for musicians all over the country and even further afield than that.
Turning up at one of Denyer’s busiest times of the year, his workload was evident, with violins, violas and cellos covering the room, which created a sense of awe at how much of a reputation he must have built over the years and how many have chosen his services. To be successful in the high end of this
market, you must develop a knack for finding and identifying classic violins and makers, which Denyer definitely has. He said that this is the hardest part of his job, especially as prices are going up, putting more pressure on discovering the right instruments. Major portions of his customers are
serious students, specialist schools and colleges, who often fork out between five and ten thousand pounds a time. Add to that the fact that there is certainly no-one else in Hampshire trading in the high end and that you’d have to go as far as Bristol and London to find similarly priced instruments, it’s no wonder that Geoff has a nice little business going here. A friendly demeanour with visitors is just another string to his bow, so to speak.
70 miPRO
OCTOBER 2010
WWW.MI-PRO.CO.UK
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84