spectre sound

Subject: spectre sound
From: GUEST,alex s
Date: 25 Jul 08 - 01:26 PM

Can anyone tell me if Spectre Sound in Bingley is still operating? - I've tried to phone to no avail and the website is not working.

Subject: RE: spectre sound
From: Ned Ludd
Date: 25 Jul 08 - 06:07 PM

I heard it had closed recently (from another shop.)Could be wrong though!

Subject: RE: spectre sound
From: GUEST,alex s
Date: 27 Jul 08 - 03:16 PM

Thanks Ned

Subject: RE: spectre sound
From: Ned Ludd
Date: 28 Jul 08 - 05:10 AM

Try asking around other local shops, They're the first to know.

Subject: RE: spectre sound
From: GUEST
Date: 28 Jul 08 - 12:11 PM

Spectre sound is closed =(
We spent a lot of time there over the years!

cheers

Ani

Subject: RE: spectre sound
From: GUEST,zack
Date: 21 Aug 08 - 06:53 AM

yeah, shut down a few weeks ago, it was awesome.

Subject: RE: spectre sound
From: GUEST,Guest - Noel
Date: 27 Aug 08 - 10:10 AM

Shame to hear about this - I've spent a lot of money with them over the years dating back to the JSG days. Mind you, the last time I was in there was last year with our bass player who had £1600 burning a hole in his pocket and eyes fixed on a very nice Ashdown rig. However, as the guy behind the counter just simply didn't give a shit, and seemed to treat us an irritating distraction from his guitar magazine, the money reluctantly went into Sound Control's till instead (- although it didn't do them much good either!).

Subject: RE: spectre sound
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 01 Sep 08 - 08:30 AM

This thread bring back memories, mostly nothing to do with music. I was at school with John Furniss, who later worked at JSG and then bought the business which became Spectre Sound.
It is many years since I last found myself there. Can anyone tell me if John was still running the place?
Quack!
GtD.

Subject: RE: spectre sound
From: GUEST,Tony Starling
Date: 10 Sep 08 - 05:11 AM

It is a real shame. Can anyone tell me where might be the nearest (and best) alternative shop in the area to Spectre Sound for guitars and amps now that it has closed down? I had been trying to get a Marshall combo from them since Xmas but they never seemed to get any new stock delivered.

I don't remember seeing a "closing down" sale, what happened to all the stock?

Thanks

Tony

Subject: RE: spectre sound
From: GUEST
Date: 13 Sep 08 - 07:06 AM

It has gone into liquidation but there is going to be a massive discount sale on 26 and 27 September on the premises

Subject: RE: spectre sound
From: GUEST,warren
Date: 19 Sep 08 - 05:34 PM

Aire Valley Guitars has been going for just over a year now. They are based in the Royal Arcade in Keighley (01535 600202) They have a good mix of guitars, amps etc and although not as big a shop as Spectre, the customer service is way beyond what we may have had to suffer over the years at Bingley!!!!
The shop is in the centre of town on East Parade. Parking either in Morrisons, or in the car park off Cavendish St (where Focus Do It All used to be)
Give em a go!

Subject: RE: spectre sound
From: GUEST,Kev
Date: 19 Sep 08 - 09:10 PM

Hey ,
Sorry I couldn't find time to treat you like Royalty whilst your Bass player was unwisely contamplating spending £1600.00 (don't make me laugh )on an Ashdown rig.I was probably worried about my Childrens future whilst you were Pissing about.

Subject: RE: spectre sound
From: GUEST,henry
Date: 23 Sep 08 - 02:48 PM

Spectre ruled it was the best guitar shop for miles and the guys were always cool with me in there you just have to show a bit of respect it was the best shop in bingley and if that shop turns into a hairdressers or estate agent theres going to be a brick going through the window

Subject: RE: spectre sound
From: alex s
Date: 23 Sep 08 - 07:18 PM

Now then, Henry..........

Subject: RE: spectre sound
From: GUEST
Date: 25 Sep 08 - 02:37 PM

Liquidation sale tomorrow Friday 26th Sept, starts 12:00

Subject: RE: spectre sound
From: GUEST,Tom Bliss
Date: 25 Sep 08 - 02:43 PM

I went to the JSG Liquidation auction. For a thrilling few minutes I thought was going to get a 48 track desk for £200, but then the serious bidders joined in. I came away with a capo, three picks and a packet of strings - as usual.

Sad to hear the news - it used to be a treat in student days to borrow a van and drive up for a day playing smokeway to heaven and drinking in the pub by the river

Tom

Subject: RE: spectre sound
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Sep 08 - 05:02 AM

Box of bass strings for a tenner would do me fine lol

Subject: RE: spectre sound
From: alex s
Date: 26 Sep 08 - 07:33 PM

Went to the sale today - very sad to see a great shop gone bust. We were early in the queue but there wasn't a lot of good stuff there - looked like the dealers had been in first. Good deals on strings and straps and the odd bargain. The guys we talked to in the queue were all mourning the loss of a great musical resource and one of the liquidators told me he'd bought his first Telecaster there...........
"Hard Times, come around no more".

Subject: RE: spectre sound
From: Geoff the Duck
Date: 26 Sep 08 - 07:36 PM

Does anyone know what has happened to John Furniss? It would be a shame not to be able to get back in touch with him at some future time.
Quack
Geoff.

Subject: RE: spectre sound
From: alex s
Date: 26 Sep 08 - 07:42 PM

No sign of him at the shop - only the admin boys doing their sad duty

Subject: RE: spectre sound
From: GUEST,Ben
Date: 10 Oct 08 - 01:39 PM

Hi there,

Does anyone know where the stock that wasn't sold in the auction has gone too,
I had my eye on a left handed epiphone joe pass...

Cheers

Subject: RE: spectre sound
From: GUEST,John Furniss
Date: 13 Oct 08 - 08:07 AM

is the rep at Jhs leeds I think.
And as for the staff at spectre!!!
What made Spectre different from other shops, it was run by gigging musicians with experience that did speak the truth.
If they thought a guitar was no good they would tell you.
to name some of the best
neile mc
jonny keighley
mick
kev
and many more.
thanks for your great service over the years guys. Very sorry to see the shop go its a sad loss.

Subject: RE: spectre sound
From: GUEST,bloodbath13
Date: 13 Oct 08 - 02:09 PM

is it really closed down??

Subject: RE: spectre sound
From: GUEST,bloodbath13
Date: 13 Oct 08 - 02:18 PM

Anyone know any other good guit and amp shops in the west yorkshire area. I was gonna go to spectre this weekend but it looks like my plans are cancelled. Never knew anyhting bout it being shut down. So any other shops people know about please say

Subject: RE: spectre sound
From: alex s
Date: 13 Oct 08 - 02:28 PM

There's maestro music in Halifax. The music room cleckheaton has expensive acoustics. There's one in Ilkley - name???

Subject: RE: spectre sound
From: GUEST
Date: 18 Nov 08 - 10:35 AM

Musicians Centre on picalladilly in Bradford is gfood as it their Keighley shop in the railway station. www.musicianscentre.com i think

Other than that its a trip to leeds.

Subject: RE: spectre sound
From: GUEST,Kev
Date: 18 Dec 08 - 04:45 AM

Aire Valley Guitars,best shop for miles.Great guys too.

Subject: RE: spectre sound
From: GUEST,GUEST, Paul
Date: 05 Feb 09 - 07:58 AM

Was JONNY KEIGHLEY still working there?
Mick too?
Whatever happened to Carl in the recording dept?
Budgie?
It's all coming back to me now.
God that brings back memories reading you guys talking about John Furniss etc...
He had been there since I worked there in the early '80s!
If you are reading this guys, get in touch!

Subject: RE: spectre sound
From: GUEST,Noel
Date: 15 Feb 09 - 10:58 AM

"Hey ,
Sorry I couldn't find time to treat you like Royalty whilst your Bass player was unwisely contamplating spending £1600.00 (don't make me laugh )on an Ashdown rig.I was probably worried about my Childrens future whilst you were Pissing about."

Sorry Kev, but your reply just backs up my point. I'm very sorry you and your colleagues have lost your jobs, especially if you've got families to feed, but you might want to think about how your own attitude has contributed to that outcome. No-one was expecting to be treated like royalty, and if you think maybe wanting to try an amp out before you buy it is "pissing about", well there you go. Mind you, we were also the only customers in the shop at the time so you were clearly under a lot of pressure.

At the end of the day, Sound Control's staff could not have been more helpful and were quite happy to do a bit of haggling meaning my mate got an 500W Evo head, a 4X10 and a 1X15 for £1100 - paid for in cash. The remaining £500 then got spent with them a week later on another bass when he collected his new rig. So they, unlike yourself, probably were laughing.

I would always prefer to support smaller independent music shops rather than feed the coffers of some anonymous group of business investors, even if it sometimes means paying a bit more to do so. But what I won't do is pay more and have a shit experience for the privilege.

I am not the only person I know who had a similar experience in Spectre in its last few years. So, if you think that if you had a just couple of people like my mate per week, that's well over a hundred grand a year of sales you were turning away simply because you'd decided we were time wasters or simply unworthy of your attention. Then you wonder why the place closes down.

Subject: RE: spectre sound
From: GUEST,guest, pik
Date: 09 Jun 09 - 06:10 AM

i loved spectres, but noel has a point. that slash guy was well rude.

Subject: RE: spectre sound
From: GUEST,Mykie
Date: 29 Jun 09 - 05:04 AM

'tis shame, it was the place to go for kit, I myself bought a lot of my kit from there. As others have said, it appeared that they didn't give a crap whether they sold anything or not. having bought a guitar from there, I went back a few months later to have it fully set up (which most place do when you buy a guitar from free). He didn't seem to care, and said he was too busy, and get someone else to do it.

The guy at Aire Valley Guitars in the Royal Arcade is superb, did a great job of setting my Les Paul up, and is really helpful. He doesn't have the largest amount of kit in the world, but then as he's not been about long, it costs a lot to get it all in but if you want anything, he can get it.

Subject: RE: spectre sound
From: GUEST,Richard
Date: 03 Jul 10 - 01:19 PM

Bought Loads of great gear from JSG/Spectre. The PA I bought in 1995 or thereabouts was so good, It't still working!
Sorry to see you go, thanks a lot guys.

Subject: RE: spectre sound
From: GUEST,Ex Bingley student & resident.
Date: 12 Jan 12 - 08:52 PM

I bought my first guitar there,(Washburn strat) then went back and traded it in for an Ibanez RG450 LTD. I was taking lessons from Kip at the time. (Anyone remember him?) I went to Bingley Grammar with him, he is an absolute genius when it comes to shredding. The main man in the guitar dept. was Neil (the anorexic guitar whizz who also built his own guitars). John Mayall's (ex Argent) son also worked there as well, his name escapes me, but he died of cancer, bless him. They had a charity box in his name. Loved saturday afternoons in there before and after my lessons with Kip. Good times.

Subject: RE: spectre sound
From: GUEST,Al
Date: 08 Feb 12 - 06:57 AM

Bought lots of gear from JSG. It was the time when Dave Vassals was there. Magic.

Subject: RE: spectre sound
From: GUEST,al
Date: 08 Feb 12 - 01:43 PM

Of course my machine misprints the name of Dave Cass. There's progress for ya - sorry Dave, you are a keyboard wiz!

Subject: RE: spectre sound
From: GUEST,Neil
Date: 21 Mar 12 - 04:19 PM

Just found out about Spectre.
I bought a Gibson Les Paul Standard, Heritage Cherry Sunburst from them in 2001. I spent a massive amount of time researching throughout the UK and eventually found the best price at Spectre.

Not only that they were extremely helpful on the phone so much so I bought the guitar by return call. I even bought a Marshall TSL 601 from them the same day. Both items were bought unseen as I live up in the North of Scotland. I've still got both.

I'm gutted they have closed as I was on the hunt for Gibson es335 Vintage Sunburst.

Subject: RE: spectre sound
From: alex s
Date: 21 Mar 12 - 04:58 PM

Try PMT (ex-Sound Cotrol) Salford
Very helpful gigging musicians - good advice and no pressure

Subject: RE: spectre sound
From: GUEST,Neil
Date: 21 Mar 12 - 06:44 PM

Cheers Alex, I'll give them a bell.

Subject: RE: spectre sound
From: GUEST,lauralou
Date: 05 Apr 12 - 09:32 AM

I used to work with Kev back in 2003 they did care but when people arent buying anymore and people know its going to close and there is nothing can be done why care anymore ! x Hi Kev

Subject: RE: spectre sound
From: GUEST,Ian H
Date: 19 Aug 16 - 01:30 PM

I found out about Spectre by total random chance. I was fresh out of school that year and had initially gone to work in an Asian consumer electrical shop called SS Audio Video that sold TVs, computer games, HiFi and other stuff. Being young and knowing absolutely nothing about the outside world, my mum told me I was entitled to Bank Holidays off and so I went back the following day and told them this 'fact' I had learnt. They immediately told me I was fired and not to come back.

So my next stop via the agency was Spectre Sound. I went via bus on a rainy afternoon and it seemed to take forever and I had no idea where Bingley even was. I think I was interviewed by John Furniss, and despite my lack of experience I think he liked my youthful honesty, enthusiasm and probably because I cost barely anything to employ. I only lasted about a month, because at that point in late 1988 they only sold guitar related gear and all my knowledge and experience was with keyboards. So again they quietly asked me to leave.

However Spectre were now on my radar and I later retured in September 1990 to buy my first ever pro bit of kit, a Kawai K1r rackmount synth which I still have, use and love. This led me to impressing other musicians, who then took me under their wing and I have never looked back since. I also took up the guitar in Novemeber 1991 and became very proficient at that, and later returned to Spectre to trade in my first Laney Linebacker PL100 I think, for a Marshall JCM2555 and JCM900 Lead 1960A 4x12 cabinet. Other things I bought from Spectre were a Yamaha SY55 keyboard (still have it); Roland SC33 GM synth module for sequencing and rehearsal backing duties. Also a nice Rolls MIDI Buddy floor pedal controller, to change patches on my Marshall JMP-1 + 8008 amp + Yamaha FX900 rack setup.

Spectre Sound was also the place I first heard of the legendary album by Dream Theater called Images And Words. My friend and I both rushed out to go and buy it, and from there my love of Progressive Metal began; I have what the band later became though.

On a negative note, I took my first guitar there for a complete setup and each time I got it back, they had not adjusted anything properly if at all. So I became angry and fed up, and decided to buy a book and learn to do it for myself. After a lot of careful, painstaking adjustment over a few days I managed to get the intonation, action, truss rod, nut and Floyd Rose set up to perfection. I once took it around to Niall McDonough's house and asked his opinion, and he thought I had done a very thorough and excellent job. I actually took over from him in the Keighley club covers band Premieré in late 1995, although I think he was just filling in for another guitarist at the time. I was not a good fit for that band being a total Metal head, and playing horrible shit like Wet Wet Wet was like slashing my own throat! If you excuse the bad pun, it was soul destroying...

Anyway I am sad to see it disappear from Bingley high sreet, and I expect there is some bloody takeaway in its place, or worse....a tattoo parlour! :-o