UP CLOSE: With the Macclesfield guitar shop turning ten in 2023
A Macclesfield guitar shop is continuing to thrive as they will celebrate their tenth anniversary early next year.
AMP Guitars, of 1A Chester Road, have a worldwide reputation in the guitar community.
Macclesfield business owner Chris Insley - who is also a musician with local band The John Street Revival - is the sole staff member behind the store.
"I'm from Northwich originally," he said.
"I moved here in 2012. I came here and it was in the back of my mind that I'd wanted to do something like this for years.
"We opened in spring 2013, and now in 2023 we will turn ten.
"I like to think our name stands for 'authentic musical passion', but you can pronounce it like a guitar amp.
"Our business is a mix of physical and online sales. Lockdown was an excellent time for sales, and as people couldn't come in the shop, I could go all in on quantity and then sell more.
"Our guitars are all quality and ones that I personally approve of. The cheapest is a £300, up to guitars in the thousands.
"We specialise in the vintage market, and ship around the globe.
"We exported an awful lot to Europe in our first few years before the Referendum.
"The cost of shipping hasn't changed, but the cost of receiving at the other end has gone up by about a third, so we don't do as much business on the continent as we'd like to anymore.
"For example, I sent a £1200 guitar to Greece a few weeks ago, £40 shipping, but they had to pay £340 to receive it at the other end. You're getting close to pricing out the instrument that has been bought.
"But despite this, UK sales have increased and we do a lot with the US as well as the dollar is strong.
"But when I used to buy loads from European dealers, I liked calling myself a small international business, now we are just a small national business."
The high end stock ranges from from Japanese fenders to Rickenbackers, Hofner guitars and Marshall amps.
Gibsons, Telecasters, Stratocasters and Les Pauls are top-sellers for Chris' business.
And while he will take vintage acoustics and basses in, it is mostly electric guitars that Chris specialises in, with the majority of their vintage guitars dating back to the 1960s.
"I love being part of the independent business community in Macclesfield," added Chris.
"We're right next to [the west side of] Chestergate and not many people would venture up here, but since I have been here we have seen so much investment into this side of town.
"We've seen that change in real time. There's so many great businesses like us round here that are full of character. My landlord said he'd love to see an archway across the traffic lights which say 'Welcome to Macclesfield'.
"We're almost in a little bohemian side around here, especially with the new hotel and flower shop that have opened down the road."
Details on how they will mark their anniversary will posted on their social media.
"I love working for myself, but I've noticed that you don't get holidays as much as you think you would," he joked.
"If I wasn't here, I'd be sat at home playing guitar on my sofa, and I can do that here and he surrounded by all these beautiful guitars."
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