Musicstreet
Since the fateful day in the mid-80s when he fought through the cigarette smoke of the local guitar shop to pick up his first Strat copy, MI retail has been in Tony Rawson’s blood. From 1997, Rawson learned his trade at Machinehead Music under the much-missed Jeff Pumfrett, before establishing Musicstreet seven years ago in Huntingdon as a destination store for brands such as PRS and Duesenberg, and a beacon of friendly, knowledgeable service.
What’s the focus of Musicstreet?
“We cover most bases, but I guess it’s anything of quality. We do higher-end stuff and we’re big on brands like PRS and Duesenberg. We’ve started doing a lot with Patrick Eggle, Victory Amps, that kind of thing. And then, on the effects side, it’s Strymon and Origin. So they’re tools that people can use professionally. At the entry level, we try not to go anything below a Yamaha Pacifica, which is around 200 quid. And then, at the top end, there’s PRS Private Stock at about 10 grand, and there’s some Duesenberg limited stuff at that kind of money, too. So I guess the sky’s the limit.”
It seems like Musicstreet has both classic and leftfield stuff?
“Yeah, I like that. If you come in the front door, we’ve got a wall of PRS, probably about 80 models, from SEs up to Private Stock and everything in between. To the left of that is Gretsch, Music Man and then a few esoteric brands like Patrick Eggle and Hahn, which we bring over from New York. The builder is called Chihoe: he’s very well regarded in that circle, and has built guitars for Walter Becker and famous studio musicians. There is something about the Hahn guitars.”
What’s your best advice for anyone setting out to buy a guitar?
“The key thing is to try as many different guitars as possible. Find the one that sits nicely, feels nice to play and offers the sound you’re after. Feel is a big deal – you know, if the neck’s comfortable. Some players like a guitar you have to fight a bit, but on the whole, it should be a pleasurable experience playing the guitar, not too much of a battle. If you’re trying a guitar – with us or anyone – make sure the frets are in good shape and it’s not rattling where it shouldn’t be. A setup will generally sort that out, but make sure it’s been fret-dressed properly and the frets are nice and not sharp or anything.”
When should you walk away from a guitar?
“If it doesn’t call to you. If it doesn’t sound right, feel right, then look for something else. I mean, I’ve had a few nice Les Pauls over the years and I think they’re a coollooking guitar. But, for me, I just don’t get on with them. I’m used to that Strat-style scale length. That works for me.”
What are your bestsellers?
“PRS is a big focus, and we do sell a lot of them. We get people travelling from all over the country just because we’ve got so many. If you’re looking for a particular PRS model, it’s likely we’ve got it. The same with Duesenberg: we’ve probably got more than any other store in the country.”
What brands deserve more attention, in your view?
“If you look at some of the UK builders, Gordon Smith are building some great stuff now. Seth Baccus: he used to work for Mansons down in Exeter, and I think he still does stuff for Matt Bellamy. But he’s been building guitars for years, set up on his own probably 15 years ago, and he’s got a full order book. They’re at the higher end but superb instruments, and I think if you’re spending two or three grand on a guitar that’s going to last you 15 years, it’s not a lot in the grand scheme of things. I mean, guitars are still relatively cheap if you compare them with other instruments. You try and buy a decent violin, you’re talking 10 grand.”
What should a good retailer be doing for their customers?
“Every guitar needs to be set up properly. You want to make sure it’s going to play as well as it can. Then you just want good, honest advice. We always try to advise our customers if they’re after a specific sound, and we’ll guide them based on our experience. Ultimately, they want to walk away happy with a guitar they’re in love with. You shouldn’t make them buy a guitar just because you’ve got it on the shelf. We’re not one of those pushy shops where it’s all about getting the sale. We’ll get guys coming in just for a chat about gigs and gear, which is cool.”
“The key thing is to try as many different guitars as possible. Find one that sits nicely… Feel is a big deal”
What changing trends in guitar buying are you seeing?
“The popularity of models like the Strat and Tele is fairly stable. But, certainly, during the pandemic, we’re finding more people are doing home recording and they’re after a guitar that’s going to give them a specific sound.”
What’s your favourite guitar in the store and why?
“That’s a difficult one. There’s one that I spec’d up a couple of years ago. It’s a Collings 360 and every time I pick it up I just think, ‘This is so amazing.’”
Do you remember your first trip to a guitar shop?
“I do, yeah. It would have been in the mid-80s, and I went along to a little local shop with my uncle. I won’t say where it was, but I remember going in and there was cigarette smoke everywhere because the guy behind the counter was smoking. He probably had a can of Red Stripe under the counter as well. But I couldn’t care less at the time. All I wanted was to walk out of the shop with a guitar. What did I get that day? It was a Hohner Strat copy and it wasn’t fretted properly, so the action would have been really high. But it was my first electric guitar.”
Do you encourage people to test stuff out at Musicstreet?
“Yeah. I’d rather they came in, tried it and walked out happy. We do get a fair bit of online business, where repeat customers trust us that we’re going to set it up and send it out to them and it’ll play perfectly. But I’d still rather someone comes in the store and tries it out for themselves.”
Do you think it’s worth investing in a decent guitar, whatever your level?
“Yeah. If you buy some cheap rubbish, it’ll put you off playing forever. A lot of parents, especially, will ask, ‘What’s the cheapest guitar you’ve got?’ And they’ll tell me they’ve seen something online for next to nothing. And I’ll say, ‘Well, you could buy that for little Johnny, but he probably won’t stick at it.’ Starting any instrument is hard, but if a guitar is painful, has sharp frets and you can’t get a good sound out, you’re not going to want to pick it up. So many people buy stuff online and they’ll bring it in and it’s just dreadful. You just think, ‘Well, you don’t really stand a chance.’”
TONY RAWSON, FOUNDER
Finally, have you ever had any celebrities coming into the shop?
“We get quite a few pro players in, guys from the West End and touring bands. We’re good friends with Rob Harris from Jamiroquai, too, and we’ve done stuff with Albert Lee. He’s lovely. I mean, he’s nearly 80 years old now and he’s still out there playing 300-odd gigs a year… when there’s no pandemic!”
For more information see https://musicstreet.co.uk