Mansons Guitar Show 2017
Exeter Corn Exchange, 11 November
There’s two lots of good news for Mansons Guitar Shop this year – the Exeter store isn’t just bringing its show back for 2017, it’s also celebrating its 25-year anniversary. With guitar shows in the south of England becoming more rare, this one is looking to be Mansons’ best yet. Alongside a host of gear exhibited by top names, the last show in 2015 hosted a performance by Steve Howe and the launch of a new Mansons Guitar Works’ Matt Bellamy model. We spoke to Manson Guitar Works and Mansons Guitar Shop MD Adrian Ashton about this year’s event.
It’s great to see the show returning – is there anything you want to do differently this year? “Thank you. We’re celebrating our 25th anniversary as Mansons Guitar Shop, so we definitely want to run the show as part of those celebrations. The format of exhibitor stands combined with an almost-constant run of live music has stood the test of time, so we don’t intend to change that from previous shows. We have some exhibitors on board that haven’t exhibited before plus a healthy return of many previous exhibitors.”
What can people expect from a day at the show? “Guitar heaven, basically! It’s strictly a guitar show and, with the exhibitors attending, one should be able to get a great fix of guitar gear from pedals to instruments to amps. There are big names and smaller boutique companies too. One will need to juggle that against the performances that take place in a separate room, which allows players to get up really close to the performance action – be it a trio or or solo performance.”
Are you able to reveal any guest artists who will be making an appearance yet? “Not just yet, but soon! Looking back historically, with band members from Led Zeppelin to The Levellers (and just about every style in between), we hope to have a great line-up again for 2017.”
The last show saw the announcement of the D-R1 Matthew Bellamy Numbers Edition model, could there be another launch or special model for this show? “It’s the million-dollar question that I can’t reveal at this stage. Surprises, however, are certainly guaranteed.”
You must have seen plenty of buying trends with guitar gear over the past 25 years. What current buying habits are you noticing with customers? “And haven’t we seen some! It does appear quite mixed at present. Having been around for many of the buying trends such as multi-fx 80s, and then the 90s electro-acoustic boom, followed by electric guitar mania spurred on by Brit Pop bands, such as Oasis and Blur, it has now settled into a real mix. The acoustic guitar market is still really vibrant. Small low-wattage amps have filled a gap in the slow-down in large 100-watt stacks that used to sell all day long, while lightweight bass gear has kept the bass market strong. What we tend to see now, especially in younger players, is a passion for ability in all stringed instruments whether electric, acoustic or bass. Which of course, coming full circle, is how Mansons started off, specialising in those areas.”