Latest news with #musicalinstruments
CTV News
02-07-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
N.S. wordworker's handcrafted guitar hits the stage with Nickelback
Arnold London from Mahone Bay, N.S., has spent more than five decades carving out a life in wood. 'I studied in the 70s, the New Brunswick College of Craft and Design had a department, and they offered a course in musical instrument design and construction, and I took that,' London said. Last week, one of his handcrafted guitars made it to the big stage with Canadian rock band Nickelback. The master luthier built a custom guitar for Ryan Peake, Nickelback's guitarist, who played it in front of thousands of fans during the band's recent show in Halifax. 'Yeah, I know it's a pretty large feather in my cap and 50 years of making,' said London. Guitar Arnold London's guitar hit the stage at Nickelback's concert in Halifax. (Source: Rob Wilk) London first fell in love with the craft in Grade 7 shop class. He went on to run sawmills and a retail lumber business for more than 40 years before turning his full attention to guitar building in retirement – a passion project since 1978. 'I love the way they look. I love the way they sound. And I love putting different woods together to get different sounds,' said London. Each guitar is a one-of-a-kind creation, taking about 200 hours to build by hand. London uses local woods sourced across the Maritimes – everything from red spruce and rock maple to black locust and tamarack. Some pieces even have stories of their own, like recent guitars built from wood pulled from Oak Island's famed Money Pit. 'The wood I use for those guitars comes up from underground, some of it over 100 feet,' said London. 'If you can build a guitar out of a piece of wood that has meaning for somebody, it's well worth keeping as an heirloom.'
The Sun
16-06-2025
- Business
- The Sun
UK's ‘biggest' music retailer shuts ALL its stores with immediate effect as it collapses into administration
ONE of the UK's biggest music retailers has closed all of its stores after it collapsed into administration earlier this week. PMT Play Music Today - a retailer of musical instruments - reportedly went into administration on June 11. 2 2 Customers became concerned after its website ceased operations, reopening this week under the retailer Gear4Music. A statement on Gear4Music's website stated that "S&T Audio Limited, trading as 'PMT Play Music Today' entered administration on 11 June 2025 and is no longer trading." They added: "We understand this might come as a surprise. While PMT is no longer operation, we want to ensure you still have a reliable place to turn to where you can find the products you were interested in, get support if you need it, and continue shopping with confidence and hence you've been redirected to Gear4Music. The company was the largest chain of musical instrument stores in the country, and the fourth largest in terms of revenue. However, all 11 of its shops have now closed, as well as its Liverpool-based warehouse. According to Insider Media, 96 people have been made redundant, as 48 people have been kept on to assist administrators. It added that while they had purchased some of PMT's assets, including some stock, branding and websites, the original company is still responsible for its liabilities and "may not have funds to meet them." Its stock is thought to be worth up to £2.4 million, while its websites, trademarks and commercial data could be worth up to £1.2 million. In addition, Gear4Music has no plans to us PMT's trading name after it entered insolvency. Despite being the fourth-largest multi-channel musical instrument retailer, boasting a reported annual turnover of £43 million for the year ending April 2024, it is one of several retailers to enter administration. Company adminstrator Interpath cited challenges like the competitive pricing of musical instruments reducing profit margins, and fragile consumer confidence, as some of the reasons for the closure. Popular bank with over 400 spots confirms it is shutting 18 branches in August – it follows 148 closures by rivals They also faced problems like upward pressure on fixed costs like rent, business rates, and people costs. While the directors considered reorganisation of the company, or refinancing and investment, they ultimately filed to appoint administrators. Rick Harrison, managing director at Interpath and joint administrator said: 'It's been a tough few years for specialist music equipment retailers who have battled headwinds including rising costs, dwindling margins and the rising cost of living affecting consumer behaviour. "Unfortunately, despite the best efforts of the board, in the case of PMT, these challenges proved too difficult to overcome. "While we are pleased to have concluded a sale of the stock and other assets to Gear4Music, our immediate priority is to provide support to those employees who have been made redundant." Stores in major cities like Birmingham, Cardiff, Manchester and Oxford will be impacted by the closure. What does going into administration mean? WHEN a company enters into administration, all control is passed to an appointed administrator. The administrator has to leverage the company's assets and business to repay creditors any outstanding debts. Once a company enters administration, a "moratorium" is put in place which means no legal action can be taken against it. Administrators write to your creditors and Companies House to say they've been appointed. They try to stop the company from being liquidated (closing down), and if it can't it pays as much of a company's debts from its remaining assets. The administrator has eight weeks to write a statement explaining what they plan to do to move the business forward. This must be sent to creditors, employees and Companies House and invite them to approve or amend the plans at a meeting. A Notice of Intention is used to inform concerning parties that a company intends to enter administration. It is a physical document which is submitted to court, usually by directors aiming to prevent a company from being liquidated. Like with a standard administration process, a Notice of Intention stops creditors from taking out any legal action over a company while they try and rectify the business. The update on Gear4Music's website also included guidance for PMT customers. Those whose outstanding orders were not fulfilled by June 11 will no longer receive their order, but could claim as an unsecured creditor by contacting Interpath's office. Customers hoping to return items for a refund, or use a gift card, may also be able to make a claim as part of the insolvency proceedings. In order to make a claim, you should contact the Insolvency pratitioners' team at Interpath. You will then be sent a form and guidance on how to submit your claim, although they have said customers should "please be aware that unsecured creditors often receive only partial repayment, if any." Warranties or guarantees on products purchased from PMT are "likely void". Customers who paid by credit/debit card, PayPal or Klarna should contact their credit provider to raise a dispute directly with them. It comes after Gear4Music's recent acquisition of GAK in April after the fellow UK-based retailer sold its stock and assets for an estimated £2.4 million. Staff at Gak's Brighton store were unaware of the company's financial troubles before they were made redundant on April 7. PMT has been approached for comment.
BBC News
12-06-2025
- Business
- BBC News
Closure of PMT in Oxford described as 'terrible' and 'a shock'
The closure of a popular musical instrument shop has been described as an "invaluable loss" to Music Technology (PMT) on Cowley Road is one of 11 stores to close down after the retailer entered administration on 11 shop has served the likes of Radiohead and Supergrass and was previously saved from closure after plans to build a restaurant were Nick Cope, who runs music sessions for children and their families in the county, said it had been "a community space for all the bands". "They were always so helpful and it's going to be sorely missed," he said. Gary Good has run musical instrument shop The Music Box on Cowley Road for 27 years and said the news was "a bit of a shock"."You can't do everything online, you can't repair a guitar online - you need a shop to get it to to get it repaired," he said. "We're all struggling with it."Customer Rajeev Bhattacharyya said the value of music instrument shops was "the expertise, the knowledge and the advice you get"."It just feels nice walking into a shop like this, it's part of the Oxford experience," he said, adding that PMT's closure was "terrible"."It's not just about commerce, it's about lifestyle, it's about encouraging children and people to take up music," he said. "It's an invaluable loss." Mr Cope said he would visit PMT with members of his former Oxford band The Candyskins."You would always bump into another member of an Oxford band there, it was a real hub," he said."It is really helpful having a place like that on the high street or on the Cowley Road to get some sort of ideas of equipment that's out there."Mr Cope said it was "fantastic" that The Music Box was still there and wished "best of luck" to PMT staff. You can follow BBC Oxfordshire on Facebook, X (Twitter), or Instagram.
CTV News
10-06-2025
- Entertainment
- CTV News
‘We lost completely everything': PEI Music teacher loses home and livelihood to fire
Marc DesRoches and his cat Tchai who has been missing since the house fire. (Source: Marc DesRoches) A Prince Edward Island couple is rebuilding their lives after losing nearly everything in a devastating house fire — including a lifetime's worth of musical instruments. Marc DesRoches is a private music teacher, second oboe with the PEI Symphony Orchestra, and the creator behind Brass Glow Co., a business that turns broken instruments into beautiful home décor. Last week his entire home and studio went up in flames. 'We lost the entire thing,' DesRoches said in an interview with CTV Atlantic's Katie Kelly. 'We lost completely everything. It's burned straight to the ground.' Marc DesRoches' living room Pictured is Marc DesRoches' living room after the house fire. (Source: Marc DesRoches) Among the losses were multiple oboes, an English horn and three pianos. His partner Glen Gamble an avid plant enthusiast, also lost more than 100 meticulously cared-for houseplants. Perhaps most painful is the uncertainty surrounding their cat Tchai, who has been missing since the fire. 'Probably the biggest potential loss is my cat,' DesRoches said. 'We're still continuing the search for her.' The day after the fire, the couple launched a GoFundMe campaign with a goal of $10,000. Within days, donations poured in — surpassing $28,000 as of this week. 'The response has been incredible,' DesRoches said. 'I can't even put into words how much it means to us.' The money will help DesRoches replace his instruments so he can return to teaching and hopefully rejoin the orchestra this summer. 'In the meantime, I'm not picky,' said DesRoches. 'If I can find an instrument to borrow, I'm happy as a clam.' He says while much remains uncertain, he's staying hopeful — and grateful. 'We're feeling very, very blessed.' Gamble echoed that sentiment, expressing deep appreciation for the outpouring of support from friends, strangers, and fellow Islanders. 'It's humbled me in so many ways that I didn't even think were possible,' said Gamble. 'I can't be any more thankful.'
Geek Girl Authority
26-05-2025
- General
- Geek Girl Authority
What Makes a Good Violin for Advanced Players? Quality and Performance Explored
There are lots of violins ranging from different models, sizes, and qualities. Even if you're an advanced player, it's still hard to choose the right one for you. One important thing to take note of is that there is no perfect instrument, but there is one out there suited to your style, preferences, and skills. So, if you're an advanced player, what makes a good violin? Let's explore the details here! The Importance of Tone and Sound Quality Regardless if you're a beginner or an advanced player, it's a must to have a violin that sounds good . Typically, the sound production quality depends on how it's built and the materials it has. For instance, a violin made of spruce and maple has better sound quality than one made from laminated wood. Since you're an advanced player, you need and you demand an instrument with a high-quality tone and sound since it'll reflect your skills when playing. Craftsmanship and Materials A. Fine Craftsmanship A good violin requires fine and meticulous craftsmanship, like one made by a professional luthier. There are mass-produced violins, but these don't have proper setups and fittings, which is a bad deal. What makes a good violin is one that is handcrafted and cared for by a luthier. B. Wood Selection A quality violin is made with premium or seasoned wood like maple and spruce, as we said earlier. These woods can project sound better than laminated woods. Only experienced luthiers can identify seasoned woods perfect for violins. They know if a wood will make great sound quality or not. Handmade vs. Factory-Made Aside from the wood, it's also important to take note of how the violins are made. Handmade violins are made with care, attention to detail, and exquisite techniques of a luthier. They also ensure proper setup and exact fittings, which are not present on factory-made violins. Since these instruments are mass-produced, there is no individual attention given, which can degrade the quality. Playability and Comfort As an advanced player, what I am after aside from quality is the playability and comfort. Although I believe that if the violin has quality materials, playability and comfort surely follow. It won't be hard to play, plus very comfortable even with long hours of practice sessions. Projection and Power Concert soloists require instruments that project clearly over orchestral accompaniment. Good violins for advanced players have this natural projection. The instrument should play nicely in the back of concert halls, with focused sound that maintains clarity across large venues. This projection comes from optimal resonance patterns within the violin's body and effective energy transfer from strings through the bridge to the soundboard. Durability and Longevity Professional instruments are a type of investment that should maintain their quality for years and even decades. There are superior construction methods promoting structural integrity despite frequent use and travel. Likewise, the varnish should protect the wood while enhancing acoustic properties. Cost and Value for Advanced Players When it comes to cost, a professional violin often ranges from $10,000 to hundreds of thousands. What makes a good violin worth this investment is its ability to grow with the player through years of artistic development. Conclusion What makes a good violin for advanced players is the great combination of craftsmanship, materials, playability, and acoustic properties. Remember, your instrument should motivate you to express yourself without limitations. If you're an advanced player, you should seek instruments that not only meet your needs right now but also offer room for continued growth. While finding such an instrument requires patience and careful evaluation, the right violin becomes an irreplaceable partner in musical expression. 5 Great Books About Libraries and Librarians RELATED: Five retellings of classic stories you need to read!
