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Jul 01 2020 
60 Seconds with… Nottingham Drum and Guitar Centre
*This article was first published in July 2020*
Born from a long held childhood dream, the iconic Nottingham Drum and Guitar Centre is a one stop shop for all your percussion and guitar needs!Founders David Fletcher and Andrew Cammiss first opened their specialist shop in 1999 and it has grown from strength to strength.
We talked to David to find out more ahead of their reopening on Friday 3rd July post lockdown.
How would you describe your shop in three words?
Great friendly store
How did the business get started?
My business partner Andy and I, are both working drummers and have been friends since our teens. Back in 1999, we had the idea to open a drum store in Nottingham and so we opened the Nottingham Drum Centre that December. We had a team of drum teachers in the building too and the business just grew and grew. A few years later we decided to add a guitar department and the store became the Nottingham Drum and Guitar Centre.
By around 2006, we realised we needed bigger showroom premises so the hunt was on. Luckily, we found an ideal building and, after a lot of hard work and many late nights, we moved into our present store on Cranbrook Street, just a stones throw away from the Motorpoint Arena.
What does your shop specialise in?
Drums and guitars, plus offshoots such as marching and concert percussion, and sound healing gongs.
What additional services do you offer?
We do a lot of drum repairs, re-heading, tuning, and also guitar restringing.
What’s your favourite item for sale in the shop right now?
That’s such a difficult one… probably the large Meinl Gong as I seem to be unable to walk past it without giving it a hit!
Name a favourite piece of music. (From any genre you like, absolutely no judgement!)
“Variations” by Andrew Lloyd Webber… Incredible music played by awesome musicians.
Do you get involved in your local community? If so, how?
We are very proactive in instrument tuition and have a great working relationship with many great drum and guitar tutors. We’ve also held many drum clinics over the years with people such as Gregg Bissonette, Jojo Mayer, Craig Blundell, Thomas Lang, to name just a few…
We are re-opening on Friday 3rd July and looking forward to getting back to the shop and seeing our customers and friends. This year had started off for us very positively, so we’re hoping to build on that success after the COVID Lockdown. Pop in and see us 🙂
Visit Nottingham Drum and Guitar Centre at:
Nottingham Drum and Guitar CentreCranbrook StreetNottinghamNG1 1ER0115 8414148
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Feb 05 2020 
60 Seconds with… Mickleburgh
Mickleburgh Musical Instruments – a mammoth musical maze in the heart of Bristol! The local music shop has a wonderful range instruments, offers free advice and additional services from tuning to restoration and servicing. Get to know more about Mickleburgh below.
How would you describe your shop in three words?
Mammoth Musical Maze!
How did the business get started?
When my great, great Grandfather started building pianos in Bristol! We’ve evolved with over 130 years of experience (since starting in 1870) and now our musical maze covers 10,000 sq/ft filled with acoustic and digital pianos, electronic keyboards, acoustic and electric guitars, stringed orchestral, brass and woodwind, drums and percussion, folk and educational it’s a musician’s dream of a never-ending musical experience.
What does your shop specialise in?
We do all things piano related but have a huge array of other instruments, accessories and sheet music!
What additional services do you offer?
Tuning Servicing Repairs Rentals
Hires Removals Rooms for Hire
What’s your favourite item for sale in the shop right now?
A lovely rebuilt Steinway Model K c1923
Name a favourite piece of music. (From any genre you like, absolutely no judgement!)
I always enjoy hearing Debussy’s ‘Clair De Lune‘ played on the the piano.
Do you get involved in your local community? If so, how?
Yes, we have taken part in Learn to Play Days, Summer Piano Festivals and have rooms for hire for local teachers and musicians.
Visit Mickleburgh Musical Instruments at:
Mickleburgh Ltd.1-9 Stokes CroftBristolBS1 3PL0117 9241151 -
Nov 21 2019 
60 Seconds with… Clement Pianos
Clement Pianos in Nottingham is a third generation family business run and owned by Mick and Andy Wilson. They’re both piano technicians, trained up by some of the world’s finest, and have spent many years carefully selecting what they consider to be the ultimate instruments. We caught up with Andy Wilson to find out more.
How would you describe your shop in three words?
Leading piano specialists.
How did the business get started?
The business was set up in 1919 to carry out repairs, servicing and reconditioning of pianos. Immediately after the first world war there was limited manufacturing and so the second hand market had grown considerably.
What does your shop specialise in?
Sales of new and quality second hand acoustic pianos and new digital pianos.
What additional services do you offer?
We offer tuning, repairs, valuations, stools and one hundred years on we still carry out reconditioning!
We also have several practice rooms that are suitable for individual practice or for teachers who wish to establish themselves in Nottingham.
What’s your favourite item for sale in the shop right now?
The Kawai Aures hybrid piano
Name a favourite piece of music. (From any genre you like, absolutely no judgement!)
Spiral by Red Bazar
Do you get involved in your local community? If so, how?
We have always been involved in promoting music and especially the piano. We ran the Nottingham International Jazz Piano Competition which had finalists from 14 countries. We have put pianos in to shopping centres and venues around the city. We have sponsored various local music organisations such as Nottingham Youth Jazz Orchestra, Nottingham Philharmonic and Nottingham Youth orchestra. We are involved with various events promoted by the City Council that encourage people to take up playing an instrument.
* Recently, Clement Pianos have also kindly donated an iPad to our First Full Access pilot in Nottingham allowing disabled primary school children to access and experience Whole Class Ensemble Tuition. You can find out more about this here: Inclusive Music-Making – Nottingham Pilot
Visit Clement Pianos at:
Clement Pianos
Clement House
221 Lenton Boulevard
Nottingham
NG7 2BYTell us what you think @Takeitawaymusic
