Richards Personal Favorites

The website, better or for worse, reflects a summary of my lifes passion, dedicated to the world of guitars and doing my best to share the passion I have for it, with you.

But, here is the more complete story (if it is of interest)

I have been selling guitars for 30 years and in the very first years the internet was only accessible by "dial up" via AOL (for those who were around then!).

I paid a website company to create a web page, but I told them I would rather update it myself and requested they teach me the basics!

This development ensured I could give my customers the latest news, enabling them to learn about product developments from home. At this time, very few people even owned an email and websites were not advertised anywhere, with very few accessible publicly.

However - I knew this would be useful for my customers, so I began collecting email addresses of shop visitors and giving out business cards with my website address on, and within weeks a customer had visited my website and noted that I was now selling Peavey amps! He called me and ordered one! I genuinely believe this was the first ever guitar related sale in my industry!! This was the beginning of a truly life-changing story for me - and my relationship with the internet and my understanding of its value in education and support for my customers. At that time, guitar retailers saw the internet as a threat and a move away from human connection - and chose to ignore it completely - but I saw how it could provide the opposite and how it could connect me to more people and build relationships in a way that would never otherwise be possible. This one life experience taught me how important it is to believe in my own "lens" on life - and not follow the crowd (hence why every guitar was setup to perfection pre sale - NOBODY was doing this when I began - and even now those few who do advertise anything similar have had to do so in an attempt to keep up with standards we set all those years ago.

My business would always follow its own path and I would have the capacity to express this as I would be in complete control of every page of content moving forward.

To this day, every word you see, is my own. I design every page, create my own graphics and have had to learn many skills to ensure I can retain total control over my message I want to express. I use Shopify retail platform which is industry leading software and common place - but I hope you will feel the difference in my website as I work tirelessly on it every day and have done for 30 years :)

My life is rooted in what I would call "rules on how I want to live" which remain constant whether in business or personal / family life - There is no divide - no "business persona" vs personal - and this doesnt always work in my favor as some people find the personal nature a little too much - or off-putting. They would rather a business be a little more detached and business like - without the strong personality involved. I TOTALLY understand that but the flip side is the customers who do value personal connection - the feeling they are valued and the money they spend is truly appreciated - these are my customers and each one is treasured, and I continue to try and be better every day - for them.

So thats a very ADHD way ( have ADHD and I believe this is a very important mechanism that enables me to see the World in the way I do - my superpower of which I consider blessed :) ) of expressing why this website hopefully does feel different to others you browse.

We provide our customers with a unique experience wch is completely focused on your needs and of course this includes the showroom experience which is based centrally in the UK in Stratford Upon Avon, Warwickshire. We are literally opposite the train station so it couldnt be simpler for you if you arrive by train!

I will give you bullet point answers with links to more details if you would like to know more :)

• 30 years research goes into every guitar recommendation
• I ONLY sell recommendations. Every single guitar I sell, I am a specialist in for good reason - I believe in them and can give you qualified, evidence based research that can back up every claim I make
• Because of the unique way we do business - our suppliers value our involvement and provide us the same unique support as we offer our customers - ensuring you receive a level of support long term no other dealer can match
• As originally from a guitar teaching background, it was always imperative to me that every guitar played perfectly when our customers picked them up - and that is why every guitar is setup to perfection - to the customers specific requirements which even if they do not know what they are - we will help and advise on this. Many guitar shops will consider a beginner, or someone less aware, as easy prey for a quick sale or to move a poorly playing instrument - we use it as an opportunity to educate and support you on your guitar journey.
• We keep things personal. My 30 years have taught be best is always "small enough to be personal" and for this reason I employ 2 wonderful support staff in Jon & Jake. They are specialists in all the products we sell and they both share my personal ethos in how to treat our customers. Every time you call or contact us we will know you - we will understand your needs - and we will support you, hopefully for years to come.
• I have used the same incredible guitar technician for over 2 decades. The best are hard to find. So if you had your guitar set up and you loved it? You can rest assured you will love the next one too :)
• Other shops advertise they provide setups on guitars but we are the ONLY shop in the UK that can actually show you evidence of this on a daily basis. You will see a queue of guitars waiting for the setup process whatever day of the week you visit. Perfection takes time and our tech will take over an hour on average on every guitar sold to get your guitar playing to its true potential
• Warranty periods? Forget those - Our support is based on honesty and integrity - doing the right thing - so every person is treated with the honesty and respect they deserve. We will always go over and beyond your statutory rights

Of course - CALL US! Its THAT simple.

Doing all this on your own IS daunting and the only true way of helping you is to listen to your needs and by knowing more about you, your budget, your interests, your hopes and desires - we will be able to hone in on the best solution for you.

There is no one "cookie cutter" answer. I provide page after page of help and advice, blogs, videos - I have sold guitars and given advice for 30 years. I have taught guitar and provide YouTube video tutorials.... but the honest answer is.... I could not provide you a single link that could give you as good advice or guarantee of the "right" solution that beats just picking up the phone and calling 01789 263333 or click on our live chat.

Hand on heart, you could not be dealing with people who are more friendly - non "salesy" - and just want to help

So! if you need help, you would be crazy not to give us a call :).

You really do not need to feel overwhelmed and in fact, the people who take our advice not only end up with the most incredible guitars but they save SO much money by avoiding the marketing, hype and industry BS that surrounds so many products in the market - as we guide you to the best of the best in the industry - that suits your personal requirements.

Customers all over the World have experienced our service. Feel free to browse thousands of customer testimionials from every corner of the map!

We provide a next day delivery service on many accessories and smaller items but guitars go through our meticulous quality control and personalized setup service and this process can take several days as it is a genuine workshop environment and a lengthy process (over an hour) on every guitar to ensure your guitar plays perfectly.

If speed of delivery is most important to you, this may sound crazy - but we really are not the best people to use. There are many "box shifters" as I call them - who will be more than happy to take your money and ship your "box" - but any player will tell you that a professional setup, personalized to your playing requirement is worth its weight in gold and makes all the difference to your long term pleasure playing the guitar. Giving you the best instrument, playing to its best - is our priority - and this is why the customers who do use our service - come back to us time and time again. Please read our testimonials for customer experiences

I will be 100% honest. We used to advertise price matching, but it wasted a lot of time so I introduced a very easy to use button that enabled customers to link to where they had seen the discounted price so we could match the price. We ran it for at least 18 month to 2 years and more often than not the customers would use it in a way that is not intended (like linkiung to one in blue - but they want a "red" one etc).. It just became another burdnen on time and made very few people "happy". The reality was clear. More 99% of our visitors, our prices are incredibly competitive - our service is literally second to none and anyone who values that aspect of our service will know our prices are more than honest - more than fair - and are incredibly good value considering what we actually do and how much we care. So these days I say to customers, " Could we match the price? Yes. Could the company whose price you want us to match the price provide you the service and value added that we do? (which is valued at £225) Absolutely not - so my best advice is, if you dont want or need our service, and you have no personal desire to support a business that puts you first - then use the alternative supplier. If you value old school dedication to your best interests - a specialist who will always be here to support you long term (and you have my word on that) - nobody would be more grateful for your support than me, my team, and family, all of whom rely on your belief in us. My philosophy in life is to give twice back to anyone who provides me any opportunity - and I follow that philosophy when dealing with every customer who has invested in our service. Your order is an opportunity to prove to you that you made the right choice - and I would never want to let you down. If that means more to you than a random listing you found on Ebay (because you will always find one if you look hard enough!) - then we will be here for you!