The White Heat of Technology

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Post Christmas reductions part 2

We may as well be the Trotter brothers with these deals. Del boy and Jimmy Wiggins present
Deacon Deals-


Before anyone says anything, it comes in black and red as well. Wilkinson pickups, vintage style fender saddles, large matt maple neck. Compare this to a Squier..... We are giving them away at


£139.00!!!



Jim Deacon Honeyburst- bolt neck lp type guitar. Two hubuckers. Everyone admires it, so somone should just buy it. So to help you its now only...........................

£120.00




Classic Les Paul. Although our resident David Bailey has effed the photo up, these are excellent Les Paul copies, wilkinson pickups, the lot. Far superior to Epiphone. Do we want £350, do we want £299.... For a limited time yours for

£225.00

New Stock 29.12.11

Burns Legend Dream- Ultra posh ultra rare. UK made Burns only 12 made. This is number 4. Preowned but in excellent condition.

£1675.00 w/case.





Peerless Revolver- Brand new in. It's like a Casino with a centre block. 2 P90's. Worth checking out. The last one we had in didn't hang around long.


£599.00 w/case



www.theguitarspot.com


james@theguitarspot.com

Post Christmas reductions part 1

Well it had to happen, so to see in 2012 we've gone all Swiss Tony on your colletive backsides. Reductions galore- come in just to see the look on mine and Derek's faces as we virtually give guitars away, hear the Derek classic about living off beans on toast (and meaning it this time). See "young" Jimmy Wiggins groan in despair as you get the bargain of the year.


Save yourself some cash. For a limited period, reductions on in store Gordon Smith stock. SG2 P90 reduced from £734.00 to £699.00


Gordon Smith GS1 in red gloss, with adjustable bridge and chrome humbucker, reduced from £599.00 to £499.00 (really??? , er yes really, you could use the £100 you save to buy your partner something nice)



Gordon Smith GS2 gloss front maple neck reduced from £686.00 to £580.00


www.theguitarspot.com

james@theguitarspot.com

Extra Festive opening @The Guitar Spot

Just so you can make the guitarist in your life happy this festive season, we are opening on Thursday 22nd Dec, 10-5pm.

www.theguitarspot.com

Tradition Guitars at The Guitar Spot

"Another telecaster............ But Ive already got 3....."

A common phrase heard in The Guitar Spot.. However you haven't got one of these.

Tradition guitars are American designed and built in the factory that makes Korean PRS guitars. They are immensley high quality, come with custom wound pickups- one of the best tele bridge pickups I've ever heard...... But heres the different thing... The Trem King fixed bridge vibrato... Does what is says on the can- when not in use you are playing a fixed bridge tele.

All for £599...

Model shown is the Jerry Reid. Come and try it, we can try and explain who Jerry Reid is ( Not the one you were thinking but he is dead as well)


www.theguitarspot.com

Happy Festivus

A fictional tale of the dangers of retail in the Festive season.

The Scene- Beeston’s fine purveyor of guitars- The Guitar Shoppe. Customer enters shop to be greeted by grumpy owner Jimmy Miggins-

Jimmy Miggins (for it is he) - Morning Sir anything I can help with? If you wish to try anything please feel free.

(Miggins slumps down, wondering what time the pub opens)

Customer- Good day sir, I seek to buy my young son Tommy an Electric guitar and amplifier.

(Miggins springs into sales mode, as much as possible due to his demeanour and dodgy ankle...)

Jimmy Miggins- Well Sir we have a fine and varied selection, from excellently sourced above specification Chinese Strats to handmade Gordon Smith guitars from Manchester. How much do you love your son??

(Here Miggins is using a technique from the repertoire of Miggins senior, Derek)

Customer- Well maybe not enough to spend £500. (Laughter from both parties)

I am thinking of one of your bespoke starter packages, £199.00 you say?

Jimmy Miggins- Aha sir, good choice. Which colour would suit?

Customer- I think the red one, I know nothing about guitars but little Tommy loves red.

(Miggins reaches under counter and produces poorly paper wrapped, none refrigerated beef joint. The exposed sections of the meat almost look green)

Jimmy Miggins- Whilst you are here, may I interest you in a joint of beef, it’s really cheap I’ll throw it in for another £3. This would cost you a tenner at the butchers or supermarket.

(Customer recoils agog at this bizarre proposition)

Customer- You are a guitar shop, why are you trying to sell me a joint of beef? Do you know anything about meat? That joint of beef is green and smells funny. Why would I want this! You’re a guitar shop not a butcher!

Jimmy Miggins- Well it’s cheap...

Customer- It also looks f*cking inedible, if I want beef I’ll go to the butchers, you are a guitar shop you buffoon...

Miggins- Well I was just trying to make Christmas easier for you sir...

Customer- Kill me more like you f*cking idiot. Why don’t you stick to what you know?

(Miggins produces tatty old jumper, with holes in, also smells funny)

Miggins- Jumper sir? £1.99 it would be twice the price in the charity shops

Customer- Are you taking the piss? Just sell me the guitar

The above Scenario has been exaggerated and names have been altered, in fact nothing like that has ever happened.

However many other high street chains have recently started stocking cheap guitars for the Christmas market. You wouldn’t buy a joint of beef from me would you, or a jumper? Why would you then buy a cheap piece of junk from the likes of T*sco or Sue Ryder?

In the past few years supermarket chains and the aforementioned charity shop Sue Ryder have all started selling cheap electric guitars and acoustic ¾ guitars, at ridiculous prices. You get what you pay for. Unplayable junk, that will inspire no one to progress with it much after Boxing day.

Now whilst I don’t want to come across all Lynn Faulds Wood, a lot of cheap electric guitars are just plain badly made. Usually the metal used for tuners, saddles and tremolo springs and claws are no better than using lead. The strings are usually cheap and the tuning machines stiff.

Now let’s think about the advice offered, know how to tune it, where can you get lessons, what is a pickup, what’s the difference between a single coil and a humbucking pickup? Try asking these questions at Tesco…….. (Please try, video it on your phone and send it me)

Being a specialist shop, we offer high quality product, granted it may cost more than the junk sold by certain high street chains, but think of the advantages- far superior product that inspires someone to play, knowledgeable friendly staff, a rapport with your local music shop (As my good friend Dave Mann says – “At Dave Mann music your face is your discount card”).

Think what Hugh Fearnley Whittingstall would do, support your local independent guitar shop this Christmas… We guarantee no beef or jumpers, just what we know about, guitars.

Wildgut Guitar Straps

Another Guitar Spot exclusive..... I mean really exclusive, hand made in Nottingham. Excellent quality guitar straps, made out of alternative materials. At the moment we have a selection of denim and other materials.. More to follow... The ideal Christmas gift for the guitarist in your life (or maybe the one you can't get rid of). Prices from £30.. Have to be seen to be fully appreciated...


For more details contact james@theguitarspot.com

But I don't like Jazz.... Free guitar lesson

In our continuing journey into the cracks occupied between Jazz and Blues, I have included a free small guitar lesson (I have been asked to do this sort of thing for a while, honest!).

We are going to be looking at playing a blues in the key of A. As is common with alot of blues players I am going to be using ninth chords for my I and IV and V chords.

What is different is that we will substitute one bar of our V chord with the IIm7 (Bminor7). We are then going to add a turnaround that goes from A7, F#7, B7, E7 resolving to A7.

After the first substitution of the IIm7 we go to the V but then back to the I missing out the IV.

We finish with a guitar lick that you can work out for yourselves (go on it's fun).

Where is the relevence to the title you ask???. Listen to almost any Jazz Organ combo (Jimmy Smith, JackMcDuff, Jimmy McGriff etc) and this is how they often play a blues. Try this when jamming with friends to add a new level of sophistication to your playing (but what if it kills my feel man?, it won't).

This was played entirley fingerstyle, which I feel gives comping a more organ like feel due to damping and a fuller sound.

Included is a chord chart

Eko Ghost Demo

The Eko Ghost is a reissue of the Vox Phantom, this was made for Vox by Eko. Here is a short video by Jimmy Wiggins. Available at The Guitar Spot £369.00


Blues on an odd shaped guitar....

Video demo's return

The faceless marvel returns. Food and booze loving (excuse for figure) Bluesman Jimmy Wiggins demos the Eko Kadett 67

Stay tuned for more video demo' s and some suprises.............

And remeber you can buy this guitar from us for £299.00

More Christmas opening

Jimmy Smith is back.......................... To tell you we are opening late for an extra late night



Wednesday 30th November until 8pm


Maybe in tribute to Jimmy Smith we will have fried chicken and champagne



www.theguitarspot.com

But I don't like Jazz.... Part 2

"Yeah but Jimmy , you know those Jazz guys just don't have the feel of the Blues , they can't play it......."

Really got told that once. Cause they f*cking well can. Jimmy Ponder ventran of many Jazz organ dates (many with Jimmy Mcgriff), as well as pseudo fusion albums and straight ahead Jazz. Pittsburgh's best kept secret is going to show you how to play Blues war horse Stormy Monday.....

But I don't like Jazz....

I have come across alot of folks who for one reason or another react to Jazz a bit like Marmite. Some do really cry and vomit, others reckon that there couldn't possibly be a form of Jazz that they liked. They usually then go on to almost refer to it in a fashion that hints the only Jazz they had experienced was John Thompson's Jazz Club sketch on the Fast Show..

Well I'm now on a mission to convert people to my ideology. If you like Blues, Rock, Rockabilly, Funk, R and B even Country- There will be some Jazz you like!!.

First up Calvin Newborn. To achieve what this guy has done most people would have to be reincarnated 5 fucking times!. Just a brief overview- An early influence on Elvis's dancing style, Blues sideman to the likes of Walter Horton, whilst also playing with his JAZZ pianist brother Phineas Newborn, he has starred in plays and written books. He has also backed the likes of Jazz saxophonist Jimmy Forrest. He plays Jazz with a heavy mix of blues or is it the other way round ????.

No vomiting please

Christmas opening at The Guitar Spot

Check out my man Jimmy Smith..... Much as we would love to drop you round your Christmas presents in such a style, we can't.

But what we can do is offer late night Christmas opening !


Wednesday night late opening until 8pm

Wednesday 7th December

Wednesday 14th December

Wenesday 21st December


Wine and mince pies will be available

The Guitar Spot

106 Chilwell Road

Beeston

Nottingham

NG9 1ES

Tel 0115 9139141

www.theguitarspot.com

email : james@theguitarspot.com

Deacon Strats

A well respected guy in our trade once told me that he wouldn't pay more than £180.00 for a bolt neck strat style guitar. His reasoning was that you could get such good guitars for that amount that it wasn't worth shelling out on a Fender.

Whilst I don't totally agree with the idea, I am begining to be brought round to the argument.

Here at The Guitar Spot we have just taken delivery of these Deacon Strat style guitars. Not only are they great looking, they are aslo very well appointed-

Wilkinson Pickups

Vintage style thick maple neck

Vintage fender style bridge and trem


The headstock looks alot like the modern Tokai one (draw your own conclusions).

This would make a great starter guitar or a spare for a more experinced player or as one of our gigging customers calls them a rough pubs guitar.

All yours for £169.00

Guitarist Magazine reviews Gordon Smith GS2.60

Many of the three blog subscribers we have already know about our love of Gordon Smith Guitars. They were the first company we dealt with when we opened The Guitar Spot six years ago.

Some of you will be familiar with our usual Gordon Smith spiel- A handmade guitar for under £500, made in the UK just outside Manchester by John Smith and his wife Linda. You even get handmade pickups... And we all know what they cost.

What you may not be familiar with is that Gordon Smith do not advertise. So most of their business is based on their excellent word of mouth reputation. So imagine our surprise when we hear of them being reviewed by Fender and Gibson sycophants, Guitarist Magazine. Despite some of their slightly patronising assertions (a great spare guitar?, plenty of the ones we sell are gigged regularly) it's an overall great review that can't find fault with the guitars.

Click here to read review

And remember you can come and test drive one at The Guitar Spot

Hubert tells you how it is......

My all time Blues favoutite , Hubert Sumlin, discusses his work with Howling Wolf and plays some great guitar. Circa late 70's. You really should buy the DVD it is promoting......

Starter packages at The Guitar Spot

Thinking of a guitar as a Christmas Gift? Thinking of getting into electric guitar for the first time?

Want to have something different than the usual Strat style package?

Jim Deacon Tele Package

A Jim Deacon Telecaster (very similar to Chinese Tokai). Available in Black, Red, Butterscotch and Sunburst. Comes with bag, strap, lead and 10 watt practice amp.

£159.00

Jim Deacon Upgraded Package

A slightly more upgraded package. With a bolt neck twin humbucking Jim Deacon, or a red set neck SG. Comes with bag, strap, lead and 20 watt pro formance 2 channel amp with reverb.

£199.00

The Guitar Spot

106 Chilwell Road

Beeston

Nottingham

NG9 1ES

Tel 0115 9139141

www.theguitarspot.com

email : james@theguitarspot.com

Eko guitars at The Guitar Spot

Italian Retro cool at affordable prices. Prices from £229.00. Pay a us a visit and check them out.

The Guitar Spot

106 Chilwell Road

Beeston

Nottingham

NG9 1ES

Tel 0115 9139141

www.theguitarspot.com

email : james@theguitarspot.com

A suprise from The Guitar Spot

Why is Hound Dog Taylor (famous 6 fingered bluesman) looking so happy? Maybe it’s his love of whisky and House Rocking or maybe it’s because he just found out it’s The Guitar Spot’s sixth birthday on Saturday (Yes this Saturday). Join us for celebrations and more (bring your own booze, and your own cake).

The real reason my man Hound Dog looks so happy is that we are offering 10% off any new guitar (1 day only Sat 1.10.11). There are also some none published special offers…

So don’t have that late summer BBQ, get down to us and celebrate (Really…….. Small Happy Derek and Jimmy “Oscar the Grouch” Wiggins will be glad to accommodate

The Guitar Spot

106 Chilwell Road

Beeston

Nottingham

NG9 1ES

Tel 0115 9139141

www.theguitarspot.com

email : james@theguitarspot.com

Tilt Bar Dates Sept 2011

Live at Tilt in September

Thursday 1stMartin ‘Horse’ Draycot

Friday 2^ndMighty Lupo

Saturday 3^rdBlues Lobsters

Tuesday 6^thMartin ‘Horse’ &Raph Apache

Wednesday 7^thJohnny Slim

Thursday 8^thMighty Lupo

Friday 9^thTheUndercats

Saturday 10^th The Bowman & Hull Experience

Tuesday 13^thMartin Sanders

Wednesday 14^thDave Bristow

Thursday 15^th Martin ‘Horse’ Draycot

Friday 16^thMoules& Wiggins

Saturday 17^thBoobadust

Tuesday 20^thThe Doc

Wednesday 21^stLeo Whisky

Thursday 22^nd Colin Staples

Friday 23^rd Groove Merchants

Saturday 24^thOld Dog

Tuesday 27^thDave Bristow

Wednesday 28^thThe Bowman & Hull Experience

Thursday 29^thTim Disney

Friday 30^thMoules& Wiggins

0115 9501226 – info@tiltbar.co.uk - www.tiltbar.co.uk - Upstairs, 9 Pelham St. Nottingham, NG1 2EH

Music now available for Film, TV or online productions

Just a note to say that the acoustic and electric slide guitar work of Jimmy Wiggins, is now available to be licensed through Pump Audio (The music wing of Getty in New York). There is already a collection of music avaiable but more will be added over time. Click on the link for more details. You can hear a sample of my work below








License this music for commercial use through Pump Audio









This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 2.5 License

Guitar Lesson slots available

Just a note to say we have spaces available for guitar lessons at The Guitar Spot. 


How many guitar teachers can tell you that they got there name from an actual bluesman? (Jimmy Burns, Chicago Legend), played in front of Buddy Guy... etc. I am an actual gigging blues musician, and can offer you alot of advice and skills that help in everyday gigging situations. Here is a small sample of my playing https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3IuhlIYGngM

I specialise in teaching blues and slide guitar. I teach beginners to advanced, experienced enthusiasts and professionals, in many styles and tunings, both electric and acoustic. 

 I teach from age 10 upwards, in styles ranging from pop to metal and everything in-between. I teach all abilities from my shop – The Guitar Spot, Beeston, Nottingham – and have done so since 2005. My students keep coming back year after year so I'm taking that as a sign they are happy and progressing with their playing – I have plenty of testimonials should you wish to check out my credentials.

I can also re-string and re-tune/set up guitars.

Included are some samples of my work.

Rates start at £16.00 for 30 minutes and £32.00 for an hour

See the following websites if you would like more information:


www.theguitarspot.com

Contact details........ 0115 913 9141

 

Or email james@theguitarspot.com

Fender Stratocaster 1979 Hardtail

At The Guitar Spot, we pride ourselves in our selection of preowned guitars. Over the past 5 years we have sold many excellent vintage guitars, at sensible prices.

This 1979 hardtail strat is in good condition and has its original 3 way switch. Hardtail Strats (no trem fixed bridge) put you in the unique company of players such as Billy corgan of Smashing Pumpkins fame, and blues guitarist Walter Trout.

Check out our video............

For more details contact james@theguitarspot.com


The guitar is available online with free uk delivery - click here

Nottingham's only Gordon Smith Dealer

If you live in the East Midlands and are interested in Gordon Smith Guitars , we are your fellas. For the past 6 years we have sold more of these than I have had hot dinners (and looking at how fat I am , thats alot).

Whether it's bespoke ordering (you can have one custom made for just £150.00 deposit), or off the wall we have a range of models to suit.

Featured in this blog we have our latest stock- A GS 1.5 with a P90 and a contoured front, all this for £592 .

For more information or simply just to come and try them, get in contact-

The Guitar Spot

106 Chilwell Road

Beeston

Nottingham

NG9 1ES

Tel 0115 9139141

www.theguitarspot.com

email : james@theguitarspot.com

New in stock- Diamond Bottlenecks Pill Bottle Slide

We have just taken delivery of these wonderful new slides. Diamond Bottlenecks have made a great reproduction of the coricidin pill bottle slide. For those who don't know, this type of slide has been used by many electric players- Duane Allman, Rory Gallagher, Derek Trucks, Dickey Betts, Warren Haynes ..... erm struggling a bit now , Gary Rossington of Lynryd Skynrd.... You get the idea. Because of it's light weight its great for playing slide on electric guitars with lighter strings (10's or 11's).

Get yourself a cranked up marshall, a Les Paul tuned to open e and one of these slides and you are in serious Duane Allman territory.

Unlike all the other coricidin type bottles on the market, this one is actually made of soda glass, not pyrex. This gives it a richer warmer tone. There is also a small hole drilled in the top to stop your finger sweating, a common problem for coricidin users.

Here's what guitarist magazine had to say about them-

......."full and liquid sounding....a perfect gap-free finger fit, definitely the best of it's type we've encountered".......

July 2011

Available at The Guitar Spot for £9.95 for more details contact us

The Guitar Spot

106 Chilwell Road

Beeston

Nottingham

NG9 1ES

Tel 0115 9139141

www.theguitarspot.com

email : james@theguitarspot.com