Turnkey - No More

Omnipresence

http://www.dolphinmusic.co.uk/page/shop/news_story/a/news_id/e/2112

jtsuited

no way!!!!
that's unbelievable.
the turnkey shop in london was the best shop i ever was in.

Run_to_da_hills

Awh!

mike65

Turnkey took an age to get my audio i/o to me last year.

Mike.

cornbb

They're getting a real slating in the comments on musicthing.co.uk - http://musicthing.blogspot.com/2008/04/turnkey-sound-control-goes-into.html

squibs

Kinda sad. I used to drool over the audioporn inserts Turnkey put in SOS magazine circa 2000 when they used to have great blowout deals on b-stock and end-of-line stuff. Bought off them on the phone a few times with no hassle.

Thomann are largely responsible for this methinks, with their internet sales. I've been guilty of test driving locally and then buying from Thomann. Time may come when there will be nowhere local to test drive!

PaulBrewer

squibs wrote: »

Thomann are largely responsible for this methinks, with their internet sales. I've been guilty of test driving locally and then buying from Thomann. Time may come when there will be nowhere local to test drive!

That's up to you guys!

jtsuited

PaulBrewer wrote: »

That's up to you guys!

no i think you'll find it's up to the local dealers putting themselves in a place to compete.

I know it's difficult to compete with big business but it's happened in many other markets, and there have been survivors.

PaulBrewer

jtsuited wrote: »

it's up to the local dealers putting themselves in a place to compete.

.

That's a given.

sei046

This is not a bad issue to discuss lads. I think its very relevant and i dont think it gets enough proper discussion from both sides. We always hear the same arguements but I would love to hear it from both sides.

I personally do see a change in the shops since the pre-thomann days. I personally welcome the thomann type of business as it opens up a lot but I on no way want to see the local stuff dying. I just find it hard to believe that there is no way they can adapt.

For me I think the whole situation should force every party to focus on customers 100% and still make a few pound.

PaulBrewer

sei046 wrote: »

This is not a bad issue to discuss lads. I think its very relevant and i dont think it gets enough proper discussion from both sides. We always hear the same arguements but I would love to hear it from both sides.

I personally do see a change in the shops since the pre-thomann days. I personally welcome the thomann type of business as it opens up a lot but I on no way want to see the local stuff dying. I just find it hard to believe that there is no way they can adapt.

For me I think the whole situation should force every party to focus on customers 100% and still make a few pound.

Those who have/can/always were adapted can do well - that is, make a decent living, no-one's getting rich selling gear in Ireland as far as I can see!

However equipment companies know that if they have anything more complex than a Biro to sell they need chaps on the ground to do that .... and if the chap in the shop can't make a living, he'll have to close. So it's in companies interests too that their wares are well represented.

It's only the ones who aren't up to speed who will/do suffer.

Similarly fora like this are good for sharing info from both 'sides' if it must be described as such.

I prefer to think of it as one 'side' - the 'side' that's interested in the best tools to make music with!

As a by the way there are very few posts here actually about 'Music Production' as such, I'm sure there are lots of lurkers about who could make interesting posts, but for what ever reason, don't.

squibs

My own take is that the local guy hasn't got the economies of scale and has to charge a bit of a premium. I'm quite happy to pay that. I prefer to see the money going locally, and I know my local music shop will give me good service.

What I can't condone is when the local store charges premiums approaching 100% for big sticker price items. It is less prevalent than it was, as most musicians are net savvy, but it still happens.

jtsuited

mmmm... apart from being able to test the equipment in the shop and the after sales support, there is nothing else to be gained for the consumer buying in local places.

If the consumer thinks that the extra money is worth it for these things they will buy in the local shops. Simpe rational choice theory.

A lot of the problem with local music shops (not 'pro-audio' shops) in Dublin was the fact that the people in them tended to be cnuts who really didn't know much. A generalisation i know but by and large very true. The amount of times i was in musicmaker and was told 'yeah, that mexican tele is fairly rare and is normally sold at 1100', even though it was 405 on thomann and pretty much everywhere else.

they're is a place up in blackrock (outside dundalk) called hughes' and is a bloody great drum shop. i bought a good bit of stuff over the years purely out of loyalty as they were good to us. They would always be sorting us out for spares, and lending us guitars, amps, basses, drums etc.

That kind of service is really appreciated in this day and age, and I gladly give an extra few quid to locals i know are decent guys.
What i don't think works is for local dealers to think that they have to be a helpful authority on equipment as while it might help the odd few n00bs, I'd rather deal with guys who don't resemble car salesmen in any way.

I particularly appreciate when local dealers will be 100% honest with you. As in 'oh that's pretty crap, here have a listen, product x is better but we don't sell it'. Shows a genuine no bull**** approach.

And also a 'here take it for the weekend, no pressure to buy at all' approach is invaluable too.
I'd rather go into a place full of people as dissimilar to sales/marketing types as you can possibly get.

squibs

mmmm... apart from being able to test the equipment in the shop and the after sales support, there is nothing else to be gained for the consumer buying in local places.

Try suggesting a trade in at Thomann

Seriously though, there are cowboys plying their trade out there. By the same token there are the helpful ones. The guys who will admit when they are out of their depth. The guys who will suggest to dad that Junior may not need the €2000 Les Paul, and that the €200 Squier might suffice until the E, A and B chords have been mastered.

I can get most of the Thomann catalog from the local guy on back order in a similar time and at similar prices, and he'll take it back right away if it is the wrong item. And he'll give me a reasonable price on a trade if it doesn't suit me.

sei046

conor hughes is the man. Best spot i have been to. Very down to earth

PaulBrewer

sei046 wrote: »

conor hughes is the man. Best spot i have been to. Very down to earth

Is Geno still there? He used to play drums for Ray Lynam when I did sound for him!!

sei046

I see him in their the odd time alright.

johnnylakes

One of my bandmates ordered some equipment from a local music shop here in the West. He was 3 1/2 months waiting, so cancelled his order. Ordered from Thomann..had it in 4 days....and it was cheaper!! Maybe it's just the way things work here in the Wild West...
Just one example

PaulBrewer

johnnylakes wrote: »

One of my bandmates ordered some equipment from a local music shop here in the West. He was 3 1/2 months waiting, so cancelled his order. Ordered from Thomann..had it in 4 days....and it was cheaper!! Maybe it's just the way things work here in the Wild West...
Just one example

That smacks of the store not ordering it at all. My slowest suppliers wouild be Digidesign and at worst they're 10 days.

Bad for the shop, bad for the supplier - and mostly bad for the customer.