Peach used to be at Blake House Craft centre at Blake End, between Dunmow and Rayne. Then moved to the massive warehouse on Severalls Industrial Park.
They were open to walk ins up until Covid. The Guitar theft was pre Covid, in 2018!
I'm really in two minds about the appointment system - On one hand, I've been to get strings or a pedal and come out with a Guitar 😬
On the other, I've been into a shop to try a guitar and not been able to get to hear it properly due to loads of customers being in store doing the same thing.
I've certainly gone in a number of times to look at a specific guitar, only to come out with something completely different, that I'd only tried as I could walk around and just have a go. That will never happen for me, if appointments are based on giving them a list of instruments you want to try.
I was in Coda trying a Custom Shop Strat a while back. Two kids, maybe 14-15 were both playing through amps, together, running through Reign In Blood as best they could. Now there was no way I could hear what I was playing, no way anyone else in the shop could either. But man, they had fun. It was great to see tbh. Brought back many memories of visiting shops with no way of being able to afford anything at the time. The lads walked out, bought some picks and went on their merry way. I've also been in there when a really young kid came in with his dad to try a guitar out - The guy on the floor plugged him into a Two Rock and let him at it. Those times will stick in their heads and keep them coming back, one day, hopefully, to buy a guitar and not just some picks etc.
I feel peach would be damned if they did and damned if they didnt. But I do miss just saying "f*** it, I'm off to Peach"
I'll drop them an email once Namm has finished and see if I can go and browse some acoustics. Would be good to see John again as it's been a while.