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Author Topic: The Music Room - Closing down  (Read 13729 times)

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Hasse

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The Music Room - Closing down
« on: December 07, 2016, 07:18:03 PM »

Got a mail from The Music Room at Cleckheaton saying they are closing down.

Yet another musical instrument shop throwing in the towel...



Edit: added Cleckheaton to clarify
« Last Edit: December 08, 2016, 08:25:00 PM by Hasse »
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Winston Smith

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Re: The Music Room - Closing down
« Reply #1 on: December 07, 2016, 10:29:31 PM »

It's sad, but this is the real world. If retailing circumstances didn't change it would run contrary to everything that has gone before! This example of slow social change is the breeding ground for a great deal of our folk music, worldwide. Many of us wouldn't have a song to sing without it.
Is someone going to write a new song and a tune to commemorate this loss? 
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hogstonp

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Re: The Music Room - Closing down
« Reply #2 on: December 08, 2016, 04:15:13 PM »

But which Music Room? There are lots of places so called.
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george garside

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Re: The Music Room - Closing down
« Reply #3 on: December 08, 2016, 04:28:15 PM »

hope its not the music room at Cleckheaton  . This could do with clarifying as if it is not  the one at Cleckheaton that many of us have known and dealt with for years  the 'rumour' could damage their trade

george


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Lester

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Re: The Music Room - Closing down
« Reply #4 on: December 08, 2016, 04:39:49 PM »

It is the Cleckheaton Music Room

Andy Next Tune

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Re: The Music Room - Closing down
« Reply #5 on: December 08, 2016, 04:41:01 PM »

It is the Cleckheaton Music Room, purveyor of melodeons and other instruments.

See also the recent threads about new Oakwoods which are relevant.
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Jack Campin

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Re: The Music Room - Closing down
« Reply #6 on: December 08, 2016, 04:52:37 PM »

I had only a few interactions with them over the years, but all so hostile I'd never have considered doing business with them.

I'm not surprised they have accumulated so much ill will.
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Re: The Music Room - Closing down
« Reply #7 on: December 08, 2016, 05:27:34 PM »

Always had great service, friendly and helpful.  Very sorry they will no longer be a prescence  at festivals etc too, it was good to have a variety of instruments to explore.  I'll miss them.
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sticky fingers

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Re: The Music Room - Closing down
« Reply #8 on: December 08, 2016, 06:32:07 PM »

Guess that's everybody's warranty up the swany!, hope nobody has spent a big wedge with them!, it's still a shame, I first went to the shop when I lived in Manchester back in 1989 when Mally was running it, I quite liked their little in house box, sandpiper I think it was called!, gave one of the flatties (sorry, I meant flat keyboard models) a thrashing at Sidmouth and thought, I could definatly gig with this!, sf.

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Re: The Music Room - Closing down
« Reply #9 on: December 08, 2016, 07:12:08 PM »

I had only a few interactions with them over the years, but all so hostile I'd never have considered doing business with them.

I'm not surprised they have accumulated so much ill will.

That has never, ever, been my experience with the Music Room. Without exception they have always been helpful and friendly people, giving a great service.
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Re: The Music Room - Closing down
« Reply #10 on: December 08, 2016, 07:23:58 PM »

I had only a few interactions with them over the years, but all so hostile I'd never have considered doing business with them.

I'm not surprised they have accumulated so much ill will.

That has never, ever, been my experience with the Music Room. Without exception they have always been helpful and friendly people, giving a great service.
I have heard such remarks of a similarly named Music Room, but on further enquiry not the same one.
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Re: The Music Room - Closing down
« Reply #11 on: December 08, 2016, 08:02:09 PM »

There was a branch of the same Cleckheaton-based business in Oxford but that seems to be long gone.
themusicroom.com has shops everywhere but is unrelated.
And http://www.themusicroom.co.uk isn't even a music shop...
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Thrupenny Bit

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Re: The Music Room - Closing down
« Reply #12 on: December 08, 2016, 08:03:56 PM »

It is down to them, and a certain Mr Loomes of this parish that is the reason I'm here and gave a Tommy sat in the other room.
I have always found them friendly and helpful, and always ready to let me sit down and sample their boxes at festivals. In fact always encouraged me to sit and play.
There will be a huge hole in the music tent at Sidmouth this coming year......
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Hasse

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Re: The Music Room - Closing down
« Reply #13 on: December 08, 2016, 09:23:09 PM »

I have also only had good experiences with them.

Especially back in the days before ordering in webshops. I remember first time I called them it was after advice from people in Denmark, and what a friendly and helpful staff giving good advice to a eager teenager calling. I don't really think they made much money on me in those days, not enough that can repay the service they provided anyway. I remember once they even send me some plectrums and a pair of melodeon straps!, only because they couldn't sell me a nice second hand octave mandolin that wasn't traded in as agreed.

But i guess with web shops growing importance and the different kind of costumer contact, like mail and Facebook, it takes more time or rather a different kind of time to provide the same kind of service as before, and if profit isn’t high enough I guess it might just get even harder to recalibrate and make time for a smooth customer service. Well, I really don't know I just ...
« Last Edit: December 08, 2016, 09:29:56 PM by Hasse »
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rees

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Re: The Music Room - Closing down
« Reply #14 on: December 08, 2016, 11:42:24 PM »

They were (and still are) good friends of mine. They leave a large hole in the festival music traders scene and will be sorely missed.
« Last Edit: December 09, 2016, 04:13:17 PM by Rees »
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squeezy

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Re: The Music Room - Closing down
« Reply #15 on: December 09, 2016, 12:21:39 AM »

I was an employee of the company in question for about 5 years.  I ran the Oxford shop with Bill McKinnon.  I don't recognise the descrition of a comapny hostile to customers or unpleasant in any way.  We tried our absolute hardest to sell instruments to people who entered our shop or contacted us, of course we did, we were salesmen!  But we never looked down our nose towards anyone who came in our shop ... it was the perfect extension of the folk world in a shop form.

Even back in the early 2000's I was warned that owning a music shop was a precarious livelihood given the competition from online sales.  And we all knew that this technological advance would ultimately be a bad thing for people buying instruments ... imagine buying a box without ever having the chance to play it?  In our world a place where you can try instruments out side by side is invaluable, and that's what we always tried to do.  People might save a few pounds here and there, but that means nothing if you have to turn around and sell the instrument because it's not what you were hoping for.

I'm personally gutted that the company and HQ Cleckheaton shop is likely to cease trading.  We added a whole range of extra box brands to the scene that otherwise would have been competely dominated by Hobgoblin. Having 2 companies in friendly competition was great for you, the consumer, in true capitalist stylee.

Let's not forget that this turn of events leaves quite a lot of people without a job.

RIP The Music Room
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robotmay

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Re: The Music Room - Closing down
« Reply #16 on: December 09, 2016, 12:53:26 AM »

Though I don't know the particulars behind it, I do feel like their departure from Oxford was a mistake, although I'm sure the rent was awfully expensive (as my company have found out whilst looking for studio space). There isn't really an alternative between Birmingham and London (unless I'm forgetting anywhere), despite the area being heavy in folk and morris groups. The Cleckheaton shop was always a bit awkward to get to. I never bothered to travel up to it myself, and only ran into them at festivals, where they were always helpful.

From the instrument-side this is not a great turn of events; we're likely to lose Beltuna instruments in the UK (unless someone else takes up importing them), and I would assume that the Sandpiper models are gone, unless the rights to the name/production rest solely with Martyn Banks.

I do remember going into the Oxford branch a couple of times as a teenager, however, which very likely coincided with squeezy working there >:E
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smiley

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Re: The Music Room - Closing down
« Reply #17 on: December 09, 2016, 03:44:34 AM »


The Cleckheaton shop was always a bit awkward to get to.


This gormless foreigner will never forget losing his way in Bradford traffic while trying to reach Cleckheaton one afternoon!
At the shop Jon Loomes was very welcoming and ensured the visit was worthwhile. I bought a Sandpiper and they arranged for a fettler (Martin Whyte?) to quickly change it from 3rd to 4th button start before I flew out. I did have problems getting the VAT refunded but again Jon Loomes came to the rescue.
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Hasse

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Re: The Music Room - Closing down
« Reply #18 on: December 09, 2016, 06:40:36 AM »

I of course made this thread because I think its a shame they are closing down  :(

I've heard people complaining about service, but I think people expect too much from mail and facebook contacts.

Last time I was in Oxford was 99 and 2000, going to a conferens and of course going to the temple of folk instruments. I bought a nice Lachenal concertina  (:)

Last week I bought finally bought a octave mandolin from the music room after 26 years or so, kind of closing a circle, so yes I'm being nostalgic!
« Last Edit: December 09, 2016, 06:58:43 AM by Hasse »
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Thrupenny Bit

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Re: The Music Room - Closing down
« Reply #19 on: December 09, 2016, 08:02:06 AM »

Squeezy's comment hit's it on the head - being able to try things side by side is invaluable.
It worked for me!
I often have felt it a shame our friends from overseas on here are unable to have such a choice of instruments and appreciate the MR's  service provided in this respect.
I only ever bumped into them at festivals, and know from experience, their close of day cocktail parties are legendary!
I've made friends with them over the years and I wish them all well for the future.
hey ho......
Q
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Thrupenny Bit

I think I'm starting to get most of the notes in roughly the right order...... sometimes!
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