RETAIL LOCATION REPORT


Sheffield WAVELENGTH MUSIC MILLINGTON MUSIC


THIS GUITAR specialist gets away with filling its limited space with about as much product as physically possible, with guitars of all kinds and price points hanging in every conceivable nook and cranny. After selling the adjacent premises in the 1990s and scaling down to just the one building, Wavelength might now have less room, but owner Glen Ibbotson has made very good use of what he now has. Covering more or less every notable


brand in this sector (with the exception of Gibson) Wavelength sells everything from entry-level options up to high-value Gretsch and Fender and a lot more. Upstairs, a selection of around 300 acoustics are housed in a pleasant area, with the Adam Blacks and Freshmans apparently doing well, alongside great displays, including a nice Faith section. Wavelength attracts customers from


far and wide for more than just purchases. It is common for teachers to recommend this store to students, which shows the reputation it has built within the South Yorkshire community in the 20 or so years it has been in business.


78 miPRO JANUARY 2011


Once a hive of British industrial activity, Sheffield has now forged a fine batch of MI retailers. Adam Savage steels himself to see what it had to offer…


SHEFFIELD MUSIC SHOP WIZARD GUITARS


VISITORS TO this store just outside the city centre are immediately greeted by an array of digital pianos (Millington’s main area of business) from the big names in this category: Yamaha, Roland and Casio. This trio of brands is fairly evenly represented here, although the number of new Yamaha products, such as the latest Clavinova and the Tyros 4, means it’s not difficult to see why this retailer is being considered for Yamaha Homeworld status. The most intriguing part of this visit


was the uncovering of owner John Millington’s remarkable honesty with customers. He frequently comes clean with end users, informing them they can buy cheaper online, but that the service he provides makes spending a little extra worthwhile. Some might call him crazy, but the fact he sells at the high-end on a regular basis must mean he is a very convincing salesman. Towards the rear, a variety of acoustic pianos of different values can be found, including a couple of Bentleys. These sell nowhere near as well as the digitals, this is still a significant source of income.


THIS CHARMING store does significant business in high-end orchestral strings and remains one of few retailers in the country offering such quality and vintage. The ground floor has a variety of


impulse-buy products and a good sheet music library. A range of ukeleles hangs next to the stairs and is a great way of enticing visitors to the next floor, which is the real highlight of this store. An enormous selection of Tanglewood acoustics (which is set to increase even further) is arranged neatly inside an inviting room that pulls guitarists in for a quick play. A cabinet filled with compact Vox amps adds to the neat, tidy and comfortable feel that this area creates. A separate room on the second storey is home to a rack of violins, just a taster of what is available in this sector from the shop. A chat with the owners, Emma King and Steve Basford revealed the close-knit relationship that this store has with some of the local musicians and it’s good to see dealers taking a keen interest in where their instruments are going, rather than solely getting them off the shelves.


NAMED AFTER its owner Richard Evans, who goes by the alias ‘The Welsh Wizard’, this shop is another all-out guitar store that deals in the higher-end of the scale, with a number of rare Gibsons and Epiphones displayed by the entrance. Cleanliness and presentation is


evidently a priority here, with every guitar gleaming without a hint of a fingerprint or speck of dust, which, of course, makes a wander through this store a very pleasant experience. One nice touch was the inclusion of


hand-written notes on some of the more expensive instruments, which is a great idea for informing browsing customers without having to repeat the same patter. A second acoustic area with seating at


the rear makes for a nice space to try out instruments, although customers are prompted throughout the store to ask before trying out a guitar, which is fair enough, considering the value of some of the models on show here. For guitar lovers, Wizard provides plenty of gear to gawp at, not to mention a selection that suits those on a budget.


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