London Guitar show 28/10/18

[leeophonic]

If you can make this you may come away with a smile on your face.

Good Venue, realistic entry price and plenty to interest you pluckers.

www.guitarshows.co.uk/


I am briefly in Marys video of last years show

[leeophonic]

It,s on tomorrow, and you can get there an hour earlier if you forget to fiddle with the clocks tonight!!!

Lee

[jono1uk]

Went to the show today ...it was excellent. met Ian from Diamond Bottleneck slides .. and Neil from Newtone strings..

[leeophonic]

I was there also, it was a good day and there were bargains to be had, I did my best to keep my hands in my pockets
but could not resist a pinegrove leather wallet in which you can keep a capo, strings & things whilst in your guitar case.

Ian from Diamond Bottlenecks was in top form and I lightened his load for the journey home.

James from Home of Tone deserves a mention as a genuine nice guy, he had some interesting stuff, guitars Pickups, pre wired pots etc for upgrades, he also had the mule single cone which I was keen to see, unfortunately the cacophony of noise at guitar shows means how it sounds I can not honestly say, but it felt good none the less.

Newtone strings had a good stall and I was interested to see Malcom has handed over the baton.

Kanji guitars had the best USP, with a Kimono dressed Japanese lady playing heavy lead lines, fantastic to see.

Honeyboy Amps had a good stall and interestingly the cabinets are finger jointed oak, Rift and Hamstead Amps were fantastic but a kidney or two away at the moment.


There is plenty more that I have forgotten but a good day none the less.


Lee

[Michael Messer]

Lee, I think you should become the official MM Forum guitar shows reporter! Did you take any photos?

Your comment about the cacophony of noise at guitar shows is the reason I don't exhibit MM Guitars. As an acoustic guitar company, unless you can make a lot of noise and compete with Yue Miyagi on the Kanjo stand, or spend enough money on a stand that dominates a whole section of the show like Fender, Vintage, Korg, Fret King etc, there is no point in exhibiting. (I know of Yue Miyagi because she used to be a demonstrator for Epiphone guitars).

Neil Silverman has been the owner of Newtone Strings for a couple of years. He is doing a fantastic job of continuing Malcolm Newtone's legacy and bringing the Newtone company into the 21st century.

I am pleased that Ian McWee was there and on top form. He is one of my favourite people in the musical instrument industry. I saw a lovely photo on Facebook from the show of Ian and Micky Moody, but I can't find it. I would like to add it to this post.

There are so many so called 'boutique' amp makers now that it has become a very competitive part of the industry. I don't know Honeyboy amps, but I am sure they are very good.

Thanks for the report, Lee :-)

Shine On
Michael

[Stevie]

Kempton Park is only about two miles from chateau Hippy, but the incessant cacophony last year at about twice the admission cost for other rallies that I attend there made me give it the swerve. After all- there's only so many S-types that anyone can look at. In the back of my mind was that lovely guit fiddle that Lee scoped out and bought last year so I was thinking "I'll bet he pulls that flippin' trick off again"! Also, whatever you've read, it's all true about Ian. Diamond in every sense of the word. Almost worth the inflated admission cost alone, but I "did my back in" yesterday and I'm still paying that price. Agreed, thanks for the tear down on the show Lee, delivered in your customary prose!

e&oe...

[homeoftonejames]

It was really great to meet you Lee, really enjoyed our chats over the course of the day. Thank you for your kind words here, and on the day too, honestly meant a lot.

I must say, usually Gail & Pete's organised shows are wonderfully quiet, with well respected noise guidelines which all of us exhibitors are informed of prior and on the day of the events. My favourite shows for that reason. We're told that amp time is limited to 5 minutes maximum, giving people a chance to plug in and try things out but without it being excessive. This is usually well respected, but this show was definitely a noisy one making it feel a tiring day (I struggle with my hearing anyway). In comparison to the main 'shell scheme' type guitar show in Birmingham that I do once a year, Gail & Pete's shows are usually wonderfully quiet giving you chance to talk without losing your voice, or losing your mind too with the volume all day long. But sadly, certainly where I was located anyway, there wasn't much respect for noise levels at all at this specific show. I was pretty surrounded by constant high levels of noise all day long and definitely not my usual experience of their shows sadly. A shame for those wanting to check out the available Mule.

Anyways, I've rambled. Main reason I logged on was to say thank you for coming to say hello during the course of the day Lee, really enjoyed meeting you.

[leeophonic]

No photos I am afraid, I am a bit disorganised when it comes to cameras etc, and for those who know me will know I am off the grid with no mobile phone!!! Luddite or maverick....

Lee

[jono1uk]

mmmmm one of the culprits of noise is a well known hi profile guitar trader who was working at the show for an amp maker.
i saw for myself Peter ( one of the organisers) ask him to stop as he had been twiddling away for quite a wile and the guitar trader said
that he was "trying out the guitar for someone"

Jon

[Pickers Ditch]

Should have pulled the plug out....

[jono1uk]

if anyone has seen a youtube video of someone who was the "custodian" of Peter Green's / Gary Moore's Les Paul before Kirk Hammett ..it a clue as to who i am referencing ..

Jon

[Pickers Ditch]

In that case, I know the guy and would have definitely pulled the plug....

[Michael Messer]

I am still none the wiser.

Shine On
Michael.

[jono1uk]

[bonzo]

Ooooh Jono, you are awful! Lol!

Best wishes to you all, John