Thinking of opening a guitar business - suggestions?

[Adam.M]

There are some great ideas are, i had an idea for a coffee shop/photography gallery type of thing a while ago, which then turned into the coffee shop/guitar shop and then i just gave up.

'cause i know it'd be night on impossible to get the turnover so that Rosetti would deal with me.

I could have easily done it selling low-end budget stuff, vintage etc, but that wouldnt have really made me happy inside. Infact i'd have hated it.

I think an Amp Emporium would be a great idea and thats one that i'd looked into before giving up (im just too young to do it) have decent guitars and accessories too ofcourse, but have that as a second point of the shop.

Also stock decent effects units! i want somewhere where i can try out the decent stuff...

I was considering going back into IT and becoming and IT Manager or, well, what you're doing sounds interesting enough, now you've gone and put me off :P maybe i should go back to the never-paying ever-deafening music photography...

[38thBeatle]

I think finding a niche is the way-as competing head on with the GAKs of this worls and, as Jonathan said, E-bay has upset the second hand market.Maybe have a look at getting support and semi exclusive deals with custom makers-I know many will be selling direct but a custom builder can be only in one place-you could perhaps be an outpost in another part of the company. Same maybe with custom amp builders-as an additional outlet for people to try out their stuff who would otherwise just get to visit websites. As we know from the BKP forum, there is also a healthy market for some of the better Japanese makers.
I went to a store the other day that sells many vintage guitars too-but that is riskty as you'd have to depend upon finding guitars and almost invariably that means getting someone to find them-plus that brings us back to the 'bay-but I would by far prefer to vist a store and try out a guitar and buy from someone who knows what they are doing .

[Philly Q]

With my cynical hat on, I'd say if you want something different in a guitar shop employ staff who aren't arseholes  :| .  Goes without saying if you run it yourself of course, Dave  8) .

Concentrating on more specialised makes sounds a great idea.  Maybe you could even be the UK distributor for some of the lesser known Japanese brands?  Although (a) I have no idea what sort of quantities you'd have to agree to handle for such a deal to be feasible; and (b) there might be copyright issues over Fender/Gibson headstock shapes and the like if they're sold outside the Japanese market.

If you specialise in amps (or even just guitars), get some proper soundproof rooms!  If you're a donkey of a player like me, it's terribly inhibiting trying out gear in the main showroom - and you can't actually hear anything properly anyway.  Result - no sale, even if the money's burning a hole in your pocket.

The guitar shop/coffee shop idea could be brilliant, but I wonder if people would actually just come and hang out without buying coffee?  And would you get any "just coffee" customers who weren't interested in the guitars?  Maybe you could have two adjoining shops, which would function independently but complement each other.

(I'm assuming the world's biggest redundancy payment here!  :lol: )

[Twinfan]

I think the issue with stocking Edwards for example would be the headstock.  I'm pretty sure Gibson would clamp down as I think they have the copyright over here.  However, Tokai got away with it for a while until they got too big sales wise, so maybe Edwards would slip in easier?  Worth considering possibly?

The amp store idea is great, if I can find a decent location.  I'd need a building away from other people so noise isn't an issue.

A dis-used petrol station might be ideal as there seem to be a few of them round here, and they must be cheap...

[Deadstar]

If you're genuinely thinking about doing this the coffee/guitar - shop is a great idea there's a little place in Glasgow called Biggars that have a similar scheme but piano and coffee shop although it does have a very small section for guitars and drums and a couple other miscellaneous items and sells sheet music downstairs.

Would be cool if you also sold records as well so you can attract other people as well as musicians.

Definitely nice to have a little boutique section but you will need mainstream stuff to keep the business going.

Need a hell of a lot to get this off the ground and running though if you think about all the costs involved.

[HTH AMPS]

I would say it needs to be in the city centre so you get plenty of passing trade - going out of the city centre means people have to make a special journey to get there.  

In the city centre there would be people who'd go there regular on lunch times/before work/after work for a coffee & club sandwich.

 :twisted:

[Adam.M]

I would say it needs to be in the city centre so you get plenty of passing trade - going out of the city centre means people have to make a special journey to get there.  

In the city centre there would be people who'd go there regular on lunch times/before work/after work for a coffee & club sandwich.

 :twisted:

Agreed.

There are guitar shops on the edge of Leeds that i've never even seen! nor ever intend going to, as i'd expect them to be pretty poor quality, i know at least two of them definately are. Unless you like danelectro gear.

[TwilightOdyssey]

I think having liquids and guitars in the same place will lead to sticky guitars.

I also think that if you cater to the young'ins, adults will steer clear due to all the toneless racket.

Finally, ebay closed 2nd hand stores because guitar owners were getting shafted by the stores. Through ebay you can get what your guitar is actually worth without the middle man, who in many cases knows less about guitars than the buyer and seller.

...

Having read all this, I think that specialization is key. Keep it offbeat.

And, most importantly --

Book in store demos and clinics! That will a) get people into your store and b) engender good feelings with the local guitar community.

Also, it would be good to have a bulletin board where people can post ads looking for band mates.


Just my 2 cents.

[HTH AMPS]

I'd try to build/innitiate good relations with local bands - sell their CDs, help promote their gigs - this will bring them in the shop if nothing else.  

If the premises has a celler you could put on gigs on an evening (which means a live-music license of course).

 :twisted:

[CJ]

just my opinion, but i don't see the coffee shop/guitar shop working out to well. as a kid atleast, i'd never go into it. might be the kind of place for adults, but you have to meet everyones needs. personally, i'd say stock a wide range of guitar brands and amps. most places that i go to just have marshall/ fender/gibson/ibanez. also, make it a point that you buy used gear. that way you'll slowly gather a used section. not many people buy guitars on ebay, people want to try stuff out first. also, used amps is a big plus. i've never seen a store with a selection of used amps. and with amps, it doesn't really matter if its used, its just cheaper.

 it would also be a very good idea to hire a staff of musicians to give out lessons. the store i go to makes all there business giving 10-15 lessons an hour, and its a very small guitar shop. this way you have a steady income from lessons, and selling guitars is a bonus.

[WezV]

not many people buy guitars on ebay, people want to try stuff out first.

where you been the last few years!!!

[Will]

as good as this forum is and the demo's are..
how about a guitar and a wide range of pickups you can drop in?
if you were to get it going, get a custom build with a hole in the back to do quick swaps

[Ted]

I think all the ideas here have been really good. I really like the format that Vintage and Rare guitars have in London, but I'm always really intimidated when I go there.

A lounge, coffee shop sounds like a good idea, but property rental costs are rising and you have to be careful when you agree terms with Landlords, who often can and will screw small business owners over (I have a lot of experience here).  

What I think is EXTREMELY POOR in most guitar shops and generally in the UK industry and I cannot underestimate its importance is CUSTOMER SERVICE. If you get this right your business will flourish. Most people have very strong brand loyalty and will keep coming back for more as long as they are happy. You must have a repair and amp tech service, because this is essential really.

I like the 2nd hand idea if they're, but I reckon you need to sell more exciting models of amps and stock pedals people can try with lots of different amps.

Another easy method would be to think of everything you hate about normal guitar shops and see if you can change this.

I hate most of the Denmark St stores. SOME staff are patronising dickheads, their stock is poor and they are MASSIVELY overpriced, but they have to be owing to the high property costs and staff overheads.

I think you will also need to have an e-bay presence too, as people have more comfort dealing with shops on ebay (especailly high value items).

Running your own business can be a nightmare, but the greater the risk, the greater the reward. Good luck!

[plastercaster]

I'd try to build/innitiate good relations with local bands - sell their CDs, help promote their gigs - this will bring them in the shop if nothing else.  

If the premises has a celler you could put on gigs on an evening (which means a live-music license of course).

 :twisted:

I think getting a place with a cellar is smart - People enjoying coffee don't want to hear a load of kids noodling badly (and loudly). an underground room where you can crank is a fine idea.
also you could rent it out as band rehearsal/ recording space etc.
I think your best bet is to become a kind of hub for the local alternative community: while chavs may head to a particular park, alternative kids travel to twinfans cellar of rock for a drink, a chat and a GAS. get yourself a cult appeal and people will be drawn to it, and a good way of doing that is to support local bands (how about a small scale record label?)
perhaps build a second hand section where you take £30 for hanging up the guitars and getting people to see them, you may not make much profit, but it will bring people in, who will buy your strings and other small items.

[hunter]

In general I would clearly try to be distinctive from the competition, don't be evrything for everyone.

If you read yellow pages, there are businesses that have such a fluffy proposition, I mean just read all the ads in the section for cleaning companies, there will be very few that stand out.

I actually like the SG idea, even the AC/DC idea would be good, sell everything that AC/DC play or that makes an AC/DC sound. The right SGs, Gretsch, Marshalls, TubeScreamers, BoR, etc. Obviously you'd need the best collection of AC/DC T-Shirts, DVDs etc as well.

That would be really distinctive but at the same time attractive to a big enough audience. Who knows if you do it smart, maybe Angus will drop by one day  8)