Here at Fret Music we are interested in finding out your experiences of buying instruments and equipment with us. We would like to hear what you have bought, how you have got along with it and any stories/tales from the times spent playing your instruments.

You can add your comments here, on our Facebook profile or via our Twitter page- details below. We look forward to hearing from you.

http://twitter.com/FretMusicStore

http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/profile.php?id=1255893117

Fret Music have joined the fun and crazy world of social networking. We now have a Twitter account and a Facebook page, as well as the website and the blog you are reading now.

Add us, befriend us and keep up to date with offers and information from the Fret Music Store.

http://twitter.com/FretMusicStore

http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/profile.php?id=1255893117

Fret Music have teamed up with the Arts Council’s Take-it-Away Scheme. The scheme is designed to encourage new musicians to take up learning an instrument. Under the scheme, players are encourage to apply for a loan of up to £2000- interest free- to cover the cost of purchasing a new instrument. The loan is then repaid over nine months through regular installments.

Unsure what instrument you would like to play? Well, Fret Music are more than happy to recommend the Blueridge BR40- Contemporary, an acoustic guitar suitable for beginners and more experience players alike.

The BR40 is one of the best selling models in the Blueridge range. The Contemporary range has a solid Sitka spruce top and mahogany back and sides. Guitar Buyer Magazine gave this guitar a healthy 4/5 and said “The BR-40D model plays great straight out of the case”. Total Guitar also awarded 4/5 and said “This is the kind of guitar beginners would go ape for, and more experienced players will enjoy its many charms too”.

So if you fancy trying your hand at the acoustic guitar, why not come and visit us in store or check out the website- www.fretmusic.co.uk

We look forward to seeing you.

Fret Music are now offering the Take it Away Scheme.

Take it Away is an Arts Council initiative designed to help more people get involved in learning and playing music. The scheme allows individuals to apply for a loan of up to £2,000 for the purchase of any kind of musical instrument, and pay it back in nine monthly installments, completely interest free.

If you would like to find out more about the Take it Away scheme, check out the following:

www.fretmusic.co.uk or call on 02380 774433

http://www.artscouncil.org.uk/takeitaway

Or, alternatively, come and see us in store.

This month here at Fret Music, we are showcasing four of our favorite products. Find out more below:

Blueridge Guitars

Blueridge have created a massive buzz in the guitar world with this superb range of acoustics. The range includes the BG Series with their classic looks and feel, the Pre-war Series, faithful copies of the best vintage designs, the Historic Series , the very best all solid woods and the Contemporary Series.

We carry large stocks at the shop so come in and try one or just go ahead and order online. We guarantee you will not be disappointed. Buy on the Take it Away scheme (0% finance)

PRS SE Electric Guitars

This range of guitars offers unbeatable value for money with superb specs. The Torero is PRS’s first guitar ever to feature a double locking Floyd Rose. Also includes active EMG pickups and an ebony fingerboard at a very low price of £799.

This is a great opportunity to own a guitar from the most prestigious guitar brand in the world. Buy on the Take it Away scheme (0%finance)

Crafter Acoustic Guitars

One of the most respected and best quality range of acoustic guitars. Fret Music is the UK’s largest independent retailer.

With a large range of products, there is a guitar for everyone. Prices from £150 to £1000; we carry large stocks. Buy on the Take it Away scheme (0%finance)

Stagg Hand Cast cymbals

So they are made in China. So are most other items these days. The main is, thought, they use exactly the same metal and manufacturing process as the major North American cymbal names.

They balance perfectly and sound as good as any other major brand, with a no nonsense attitude to after sales service . Stagg are the largest European wholesaler of musical equipment. They are so well priced you can actually afford a set and still have a weekend away.

I hope you will find our offers interesting and look forward to seeing you in the shop – we are open 6 days a week 10 – 5pm or call us on 0800 328 0887.

Even better why not visit our shop online – www.fretmusic.co.uk

Matthew Oliver, a student from King edwards VI school Southampton recently brought a guitar stool he had made into the shop. The design was as part of his A level coursework. Matthew has come up with a unique design and we were all very impressed.

“I made the stool as part of my A level coursework and tried to design it in the style of Fret music, in the way that the curves in the stool reflect the curves in the logo of fret music, whilst also trying to incoporate useful aspects such as the storage and stand to make it more useful for a guitarist. The stool can hold both electric and acoustic guitars and there are two compartments for storage of books or leads etc. One under the seat and the other at the back”

On Saturday 8th May Kieran Dunne made the journey from his home town of Winchester to Fret Music in Shirley Southampton.

Kieran was the lucky winner of the Lamb Of God competition winning an ESP Ltd WA200 signed by Will Adler He is 17 years old and plays in a band called the “Ancient Shamans”. He attends Peter Simmons College in Winchester and his eventual aim is to be a sound engineer

Fret Music and The Ranch have formed close ties with Fret Music sponsoring live backline and drum kits in the rehearsal areas. The Ranch is the relevant happening studio in the area especially for bands.

The Ranch Production House is a dual studio complex located in the picturesque village of Nursling, Hampshire within easy access of the M27.

Skilled producers Geoff Swan and Neil Kennedy regularly work with signed and unsigned artists of all genres and can take your project from pre-production right through to the final mix and master.

The Ranch 1

The Ranch 2

Neil will be on hand in the evening to talk about recording and all the services they can offer.

The Studio boasts two work spaces: Room A – ‘The Ranch’: Featuring a large day lit live room with great natural ambience and a comfortable, well equipped control room featuring vintage Neotek console, state of the art outboard and In the box processing.

Room B ‘The Saloon’: Features a much more intimate ‘dead’ room, perfect for dry drum sounds, overdubs and vocals. The Saloon control room features a powerful, versatile, software based production suite with a high class front end for crisp, punchy recordings.

The Ranch 3

The Ranch 4

They aim to make the recording process as comfortable and enjoyable as possible which is why the studio also boasts a number of  ‘distractions’ including a 32″ TV and Playstation 3, plus free Wi-Fi to keep clients entertained.

Recent clients of the Ranch Include: Thomas Tantrum, Don Broco, Burn the fleet, The Delays, Me vs. Hero, Not Advised, Plastic Toys, Wise Children, Haunted Stereo and Visible Noise Records.

The Ranch will be giving away £100 prize studio vouchers on the night.

Lou Stonehill

Lou and Fret go back a long way.  Steve Ellis  who used to work at Frets, sadly no longer with us  first introduced me to this great guitar player who was fresh from Leeds college (I’m sure that’s correct). He was and is a highly accomplished jazz player. I allways thought he could and should have made it as a solo jazz guitarist but I dont think that was his burning desire. I gave him a call to check out the studio he opened in October 2008 and do a trial recording to check out the quality of the vocal booth etc. Well the results were out of this world. If you really want quality check Lou out. The beauty of working with Lou that as a highly accomplished multi instrumentalist but especially a guitar player he can really help you produce material of quality. You may have seen him out and about as the Takamine demonstrator a couple of years ago. Above all else he is really enthusiastic and you know that untill it’s right he wont put his name to it. So do yourself a favour forget about some dodgy old 4 track book a session and be amazed with the results.

Check all the technical bits out on the website. Ive tried a few studios etc over the years but this is the mutt’s nuts for sound quality.

As Mum used to say there aint no substitute for quality. Check out the website studio 4