PMT

[Terry M.]

I was up in Cambridge from London a few months back and popped into their branch. Unfortunately it was a far from pleasant experience. Still feel it for all staff concerned nationwide however.

[Stub Mandrel]

37 minutes ago, nekomatic said:

I have contemplated nicking one of the Aldi ones and figuring out how to drive it to make a display for some sort of project, but am both too honest and too lazy. 

 

In a box somewhere I have a basic phone with an e-paper display .

[Richard R]

 .

Edited Friday at 21:51 by Richard R
Wrong thread!

[Mornats]

The PMT videos are back up on their YouTube channel. I've enjoyed them over the years so glad they're back. I don't think it means anything other than someone didn't want to lose the content so put them back up.

[paulmcnamara]

On 11/06/2025 at 21:14, Wombat said:

DV24 now in Germany

DV24 are still in Romford, just around the corner from PMT but DV24 are online only now. They seem to keep stock at Romford as well as Germany.

Although PMT has been my local music shop, I've tended towards Andertons or Thomann as they were generally more competitive.

Hobgoblin, the folk music chain have recently launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for their shops and are offering a 19% ownership share of the company through the raising of capital.

They are obviously feeling the pinch......

Edited Monday at 14:25 by paulmcnamara
.

[Terry M.]

53 minutes ago, paulmcnamara said:

DV24 are still in Romford, just around the corner from PMT but DV24 are online only now. They seem to keep stock at Romford as well as Germany.

Although PMT has been my local music shop, I've tended towards Andertons or Thomann as they were generally more competitive.

Hobgoblin, the folk music chain have recently launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for their shops and are offering a 19% ownership share of the company through the raising of capital.

They are obviously feeling the pinch......

A staff member in DV247 when they closed to the public (Martin) in Romford managed to nab a position in PMT around the corner and now look.

[Stub Mandrel]

55 minutes ago, paulmcnamara said:

DV24 are still in Romford, just around the corner from PMT but DV24 are online only now. They seem to keep stock at Romford as well as Germany.

Although PMT has been my local music shop, I've tended towards Andertons or Thomann as they were generally more competitive.

Hobgoblin, the folk music chain have recently launched a crowdfunding campaign to raise funds for their shops and are offering a 19% ownership share of the company through the raising of capital.

They are obviously feeling the pinch......

 

I visited Hobgoblin in Brighton.

 

I used to visit their other stores in the past, this one felt a bit unwelcomingn staff just chatting to each other. I was in the mood to make medium spend (probably a replacement for my Marine Band harmonica... but even a s/h bouzouki if they had one) but with no engagement I just wandered back out.

[Stub Mandrel]

But I should give a massive shoutbout to A Strings for being super-welcoming, no questions when I asked to try the AVII precision which was one of the more expensive basses in the shop. Offered tea and given loads of time. They even set it up for me while I was there. Yes I bought it... and it was on the wall at a better price than the online retailers.

[WalMan]

Similar accounts to GAK except they managed a small profit in £,000’s on turnover of £25M

PMT t/o £43M, cost of sales £32.4M, Admin and other costs £10.5M, Loss £135k

[bass_dinger]

On 16/06/2025 at 16:18, Stub Mandrel said:

I visited Hobgoblin in Brighton.

 

I used to visit their other stores in the past, this one felt a bit unwelcomingn staff just chatting to each other.

That's a shame  - a lost sale for them, and off-putting for you.

 

About 20 years ago, I visited Hobgoblin in Rathbone Place, with my 7 year old daughter.  They let her try every instrument in the shop (even a Low Whistle  - the holes were so big that her fingers went inside them!).

 

She eventually settled on the violins, and told me that her two favourites "played good and sounded nice". They happened to be the two most expensive in the shop, and the chap behind the counter was so impressed with her technique and her ear, that he offered to let her borrow his own personal violin while we were looking for a ¼-size instrument for her. 

 

Hobgoblin - YMMV.

[Stub Mandrel]

6 minutes ago, bass_dinger said:

That's a shame  - a lost sale for them, and off-putting for you.

 

About 20 years ago, I visited Hobgoblin in Rathbone Place, with my 7 year old daughter.  They let her try every instrument in the shop (even a Low Whistle  - the holes were so big that her fingers went inside them!).

 

She eventually settled on the violins, and told me that her two favourites "played good and sounded nice". They happened to be the two most expensive in the shop, and the chap behind the counter was so impressed with her technique and her ear, that he offered to let her borrow his own personal violin while we were looking for a ¼-size instrument for her. 

 

Hobgoblin - YMMV.

 

Indeed.. Hobgoblin Birmingham were very patient and helpful to me in the past.

[jonno1981]

3 hours ago, WalMan said:

Similar accounts to GAK except they managed a small profit in £,000’s on turnover of £25M

PMT t/o £43M, cost of sales £32.4M, Admin and other costs £10.5M, Loss £135k

GAK only had overheads of one retail store rather than many up and down the country. 

[prowla]

3 hours ago, bass_dinger said:

That's a shame  - a lost sale for them, and off-putting for you.

 

About 20 years ago, I visited Hobgoblin in Rathbone Place, with my 7 year old daughter.  They let her try every instrument in the shop (even a Low Whistle  - the holes were so big that her fingers went inside them!).

 

She eventually settled on the violins, and told me that her two favourites "played good and sounded nice". They happened to be the two most expensive in the shop, and the chap behind the counter was so impressed with her technique and her ear, that he offered to let her borrow his own personal violin while we were looking for a ¼-size instrument for her. 

 

Hobgoblin - YMMV.

I went to Canterbury a few years back and had a look in the Hobgoblin shop.

If I were to go there again I'd give the shop a miss.

[Mrbigstuff]

2 hours ago, jonno1981 said:

GAK only had overheads of one retail store rather than many up and down the country. 

Was going to say the same, It’s obvious where the costs add up.

 

I find it strange that stores tend to stock gear that’s more marketed at beginners. I’d classify myself as a beginner on guitar and hate the idea of having to try gear out in a store, showing everyone how inept I am. However I guess for more advanced players, you sort of know what you want and won’t have an issue buying unseen online as a result, resulting in no footfall for physical shops.

[Greg Edwards69]

40 minutes ago, prowla said:

I went to Canterbury a few years back and had a look in the Hobgoblin shop.

If I were to go there again I'd give the shop a miss.

I popped into Bristol branch last year whilst on a short trip. I left the shop with the same feeling. Nothing for me there.

Edited 9 hours ago by Greg Edwards69

[pete.young]

45 minutes ago, prowla said:

I went to Canterbury a few years back and had a look in the Hobgoblin shop.

 

I did the same a few weeks ago, and spotted a Maya Ricky copy in great condition at a bargain price. See Happy Jack's thread.

 

The other thing I like about Hobgoblin in Canterbury is that they keep all the value-subtraction instruments such as cajons, didgery-doos, bodhrans, shaky eggs and so forth together in one area of the shop, so I can avoid going into that corner altogether.

 

I've also had great service from the Rathbone Place shop a number of times, and sold a couple of instruments through them before they put their commission charges up to the current 40%.

[Terry M.]

39 minutes ago, Greg Edwards69 said:

I popped into Bristol branch last year whilst on a short trip. I left the shop with the same feeling. Nothing for me there.

Yep I was there briefly last November. Was in and out in less than 5 minutes.

[snorkie635]

In the Edinburgh branch this week - really bad if you play bass.

[Terry M.]

24 minutes ago, snorkie635 said:

In the Edinburgh branch this week - really bad if you play bass.

So not all branches are shut then?

[snorkie635]

2 hours ago, Terry M. said:

So not all branches are shut then?

No, I'm talking about Hobgoblin.

[choob.squeemer]

Was in PMT a day or two before they shut in Cardiff   - bought a snark tuner 

 

I found the service in there very pot luck - sometimes helpful - other times zilch

 

I started getting things a few mile out in A Strings a couple of years ago - now 

 

that place is excellent for service - I can get all the things that the other places wouldn't 

 

have in stock - like Neutrik plugs and lengths of speaker cable - or literally anything I asked them 

 

to get in - they have been growing slowly and its well deserved . 

[choob.squeemer]

In fact I just remembered - it was in PMT that a young fellow told me   "We don't deal with Neutrik" 

 

this was about a year and a half ago .