The last guitar shop on St. Michael’s Hill closed at the end of January. One day I walked past and all appeared normal. The next day I walked past and it was emptied of stock and there were signs in the window claiming it was relocating (further investigation revealed that it has relocated to the rent- and rates-free safety of being an internet-only operation). The day after that it had transmogrified into a flower shop, which really is not very rock’n’roll.
Once upon a time there were three guitar shops on St. Michael’s Hill (and another barely quarter of a mile away at the top of Horfield Road). It’s not really an obvious location for any kind of specialist shop. The only thing in its favour is that it’s close to the university, and thus hundreds of students walk past every day. My best guess is that at one time, there were enough earnest students wanting to be the Next Big Thing In Rock to keep all those guitar shops in business.
I wonder what’s changed. Do students not want to play guitar anymore? Do they prefer buying their guitars from the big, shiny music shops in the city centre? Or do they buy everything via the internet now?
As for me, I now have fewer options when it comes to picking up a new set of strings or a roll of gaffa tape on my way home from work.
