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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 -
Jan 06 2020 
60 Seconds with… Bridgewood & Neitzert
Bridgewood & Neitzert have been serving London, the UK and the world with their expert repair and restoration of string instruments for almost 40 years. Their busy shop in Stoke Newington is full of beautiful instruments and extraordinary skilled luthiers!
We spoke to founder Gary Bridgewood to find out more.
How would you describe your shop in three words?
Leading Violin Dealers
How did the business get started?
We opened our first workshop with two other colleagues, Robert Louis Baille who now runs a prestigious shop in Seville, Spain and Craig Ryder, a very fine bow-maker who settled in Paris. Both Robert and Craig left for Paris in a black taxi whilst Tom Neitzert and I stayed here and started our partnership in 1982.What does your shop specialise in?
Expert repairs and restoration, sales of violins, violas, cellos, double basses, bows, cases, strings and accessories, both modern and baroque set up. We have a large selection to suit every taste and budget! We’re also here for advice, expertise and consultation.
What additional services do you offer?
We have two floors of workshops at our Stoke Newington shop and have some of the finest luthiers in Europe. We pride ourselves on making any repair no matter how small or how extensive. We’ve repaired double basses back to health that have fallen off the back of an aeroplane or violins that have been driven over and look impossible to put back together. Sounds impossible but that’s what we do! We offer the same for bows and cases.
We also specialise in baroque and classical period instruments and are known worldwide for this, we have a large selection of baroque instruments for sale, and for conversion work – putting instruments back into period set-up. We offer specialist string sales and have the widest possible selection, these are sent all over the world.
We have a dedicated team handling our hire scheme where students can hire good sounding, easy to play instruments.
We are conservators for the National Trust, recently we visited Buckingham Palace to repair their Basse de violon. We manage the hire scheme for the Viola da Gamba society, for those looking to hire viols and a similar scheme for the lute society.
What’s your favourite item for sale in the shop right now?There are so many that I love! A wonderful baroque cello by Jacob Haynes made in London 1745, a fantastic violin by Johannes Cuypers, the Hague 1773 but my favourite is a violin by a rare maker called Marcell Pichler, Austria 1677 with a beautiful carved lions head.
Name a favourite piece of music. (From any genre you like, absolutely no judgement!)
Ginette Neveu Sibelius Violin Concerto in D minor recorded in 1945
Do you get involved in your local community? If so, how?
We have been involved since its inception with the Stoke Newington Early Music festival, such great players as Monica Hugget, Catherine Mackintosh and Emma Kirby have performed. We support music at Sutton House possibly London’s oldest house. We have also supported a local radio station and sponsor many musicians in their concert activities.
Visit Bridgewood & Neitzert at:
146 Stoke Newington Church StreetStoke NewingtonLondon
N16 0JU+44 (0)207 2499398Tell us what you think @Takeitawaymusic
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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
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Oct 14 2019 
60 Seconds with… Hobgoblin, Birmingham
Established by husband and wife Pete and Mannie McClelland, the Hobgoblin ethos is to give beginners a chance to take up a folk instrument, provide the best for those who already play and encourage more people to discover and enjoy traditional music from all over the UK! We spoke to Hobgoblin Birmingham Manager, Mark McCabe to find out about the Brum branch.
How would you describe your shop in three words?
Acoustic Instrument Specialists
How did the business get started?
Hobgoblin Music started in 1976 in a barn in Crawley by husband and wife Pete and Mannie McClelland who still own the company now. Both folk musicians themselves, they struggled to find instruments to buy for themselves back then so decided to open a shop!What does your shop specialise in?
Acoustic instruments from all over the world.What additional services do you offer?
Sales, repairs, lessons and a fun experience! We also have lessons in more unusual instruments here like Banjo, Mandolin, Autoharp, Cittern and others.
What’s your favourite item for sale in the shop right now?
A 1940’s Gibson Mandolin (see image —>)
Name a favourite piece of music. (From any genre you like, absolutely no judgement!)
The Cow That Ate The Blanket!! (Traditional Irish Jig)Do you get involved in your local community? If so, how?
We’re all gigging musicians so we’re involved in all sorts of genre’s of music between us! We sponsor local music community events so keep an eye on our pages for what’s coming up.Visit Hobgoblin Birmingham at:
8 Priory Queensway,Birmingham,West Midlands,B4 6BS0121 212 9010Tell us what you think @Takeitawaymusic
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