Slide& Pickit

[starboards]

I had almost forgotten Slide & Picket, until the recent post
by Ian McWee.

I have all of their catalogues somewhere, but typically could only
find the Autumn 1993 one when I came to look.

I think S&P were probably the first NRP retailers in the UK, and their catalogues
were really good, more of a features magazine, than just a price list.
And talking of prices, in 1993 S&P who eventually became National in the UK,
were selling Duolians at £1295 inc. Style O at £1650 inc. and the
Style 1 Tricone at £2495.

I remember visiting the S&P stand at a trade show at Wembley,
can't remember the date, but the other reason I attended was
a performance by Roy Rogers (no not that one, the other one who
plays amazing slide) Anybody else see him there that year?
After his set, I saw him having a beer with the rest
of his band. I just had to go over and say how much I had enjoyed
his playing, and that I had seen his TV programme John Lee Hooker and friends.
Wonder if anyone remembers that show?
Playing with JLH were Bonny Rait, Ry Cooder, Robert Cray etc.

The finale to that show was a sort of jam with everyone, except Cooder who strangely
went missing, being given a solo, Roy's slide solo was blistering and I just had
to congratulate him on that.

But back to S&P, what ever happened to them, I seem to remember that they
asked subscribers to their catalogues, to send them money in advance so they
could produce the next edition. This I duly did and that was the last I ever heard
of them. The catalogue never subsequently appeared, and It wasn't a lot of money
I sent them, so I forgot about it till Ian's post.

Anyone know what really happened?

[Michael Messer]

Hi Starboards,

I remember all the events you have mentioned, including spending time with Roy & Gaynell Rogers at Wembley. Was that 93? Phew, it doesn't seem that long ago, I remember what we had for dinner!

I too have the Slide & Picket catalogues which do contain some very good editorials. It was a brave move to open a specialist National guitar shop in Worcester, just as it was to open one in Islington seven years later. Both had the potential to be very successful and both had similar demises. There one minute and gone the next!

I think my last sentence and your last paragraph have answered your question

Shine On
Michael.

[blueshome]

I ordered my NRP Style O from S&P in 1994, eventually taking delivery some 9 months later. It was from the last batch with the neck hand carved, no truss rod ( shaped by McGregor's wife I believe).

I made the trip to Worcester 2 or 3 times between ordering and delivery, meeting quite a few interesting folk - BJ Cole playing an Encore guitar set up with a special nut to change tunings; Perry Foster, who gave me advice about what not to buy (dodgy vintage Duolian and tricone), amongst others.

[Ian McWee]

The 'nail in the coffin' for S & P was the business location ~ Worcester, although being a pleasant backwater certainly wasn't the centre of the musical instrument retail trade in the U.K.....that's naturally Denmark Street and the outlying areas, and those were the days when internet selling here wasn't as abundant as it is today....i remember many days there when the only resonator players who entered the shop was us!

When S & P closed it's doors, the 'National Reso-Phonic' dealer contract (plus all of the wonderful slide-related stock Richard had brought into the shop) was taken over, very amicably, by our good friend Seámus Brady when he worked at the 'Acoustic Centre' in Wapping - the NRP guys naturally jumped at the chance for a London outlet selling their instruments ~ from there onwards i lose the thread ;D

Richard (shop-owner) went back to his original career of VTR editing for television & is name-checked on many B.B.C. Bristol programme's throughout the late 90's (mainly wildlife progs) - he's also the Official Historian for Morgan Cars in Malvern.

Hope this helps shed a little more light on the S & P story....although my facts straight after S & P's demise may probably require a little 'tweaking' from more knowledgeable London-based folks here.

Slide On!

Ian.