High Wycombe isn't famous for very much and frankly having been there I'm not surprised. However, the never ending search for the rare instrument or bargain has to go on. So upon finding myself in probably one of the wildest places for... oh... yards around I decided to seek a haven from the riotous living that totally surrounds you in such a glorious town in the local music shop for a quick feel. And after a little searching I came across Paul Gee Music, a small shop with a very large number of guitars in the window. Well more than two.

Anyway, upon entering I was greeted by Mr Gee himself. In less reputable establishments the punter in such a state of dress might have been given the cold shoulder, but not here. The friendliness got me the moment I walked through the door, and 10 minutes later I was sat playing a Tokai Strat and asking questions that are renowned for driving even the most patient shop owners into a state of gibbering dementia. Not here; all my questions were suffered with the best of grace.

The shop has a small range of everything in stock and a very neat system for obtaining anything they don't have. All you have to do is tell them what you want and leave a 10% refundable deposit and then wait for the shop to phone you up. If they can't find what you want within a month, or longer if you're prepared to wait, then you get your deposit back. You shouldn't have to wait as long as that for your run of the mill instrument, but it's a very useful service if you want something rare and don't have the time to find it. The shop holds in stock most of the major names in the drums, bass, guitar and synth fields, though stock is limited due to the shop's small stature. They also repair anything you can think of and build guitars and basses to order.

All this information was asked for rather than volunteered but all questions were answered without the cloying sales pitch William S Punter so often has to battle against. After about half an hour of strumming around on various guitars and being told the good and bad points of all of them I spyed lurking in one corner an old Shaftsbury Rickenbacker copy. Unfortunately, it had no nut, no strings and a broken wang bar. No problem — if I wanted it they could have it fixed up in a couple of days or I could take it now and they would deduct the price of the repairs. I was almost tempted. In fact the shop is very good on the reduction side. If you order something and pay up-front then you get any reduction that is given to the shop by the manufacturer.

Could I pay by credit card? Yes of course I could. It's a pity I haven't got one really. Nevermind — I can, as of the end of the month, buy direct with a mail order service. All very handy. There's also a users guide which comes four times a year and has a description of all the gear you can get from them. One of the best things the shop offers is a 30 year guarantee on most of the guitars and basses they sell, which goes to show that a fair degree of research must go into the products they stock and that they know what they're talking about. When I left the shop I left my name and address with them in case they ran into anything that I wanted and felt generally confident enough to face all the wild living Wycombe could offer. When I phoned up the office moaning that I was completely lost for a beginning to this piece they said 'Say something funny about High Wycombe!' There's nothing to say.

Paul Gee Music (Contact Details)