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Resonance— Manchester
0161 405 6677
Resonance — Manchester's oldest independent music shop
Independent Musical Instrument Shop · Manchester · Est. 1968

Guitars. Pianos. Brass.
Played by people who play.

Fifty-seven years on the same street· Five instrument specialists· Workshop on-site
01 — The Shop

Manchester's oldest independent music shop, and the staff still play every instrument we sell.

Resonance opened on Oldham Street in 1968 and we've never moved. Five rooms over two floors — a guitar wall on the ground floor, pianos and keys in the back room, brass and woodwind upstairs, the drum cellar below, and the repair workshop tucked behind it all.

Every instrument we sell has been picked up, plugged in, and properly played by someone who knows what they're listening for. Our five specialists between them cover guitar, piano, brass, woodwind and drums — so whatever you walk in with a question about, there's someone on the floor who can give you a straight answer.

We don't push warranties, we don't pad the till with cables you don't need, and we'd rather sell you a £200 student guitar that suits you than a £2,000 one that doesn't. Fifty-seven years and counting — most of our customers are second generation by now.

03 — Five Departments

Five floors, five specialists.

Vintage acoustic guitar
01

Acoustic & Electric Guitars

Martin, Gibson, Fender, Taylor, PRS — alongside boutique British luthiers and a steady supply of pre-owned classics. Every guitar set up on our bench before it leaves the shop.

02

Pianos & Keyboards

Yamaha and Kawai uprights, Roland and Nord stage pianos, Kemper amps for the gigging crowd. Delivery and tuning organised in-house across the North West.

03

Brass & Woodwind

Trumpets, trombones, saxes, clarinets, flutes. Student instruments from Jupiter and Yamaha through to Yanagisawa pro horns. Hire-purchase available for school starters.

04

Drums & Percussion

Acoustic kits from Pearl, Ludwig and Gretsch, plus Roland and Alesis electronic kits for the spare room. Sticks, heads and hardware always in stock.

05

Repairs & Restorations

Five specialists between us — guitar setups, piano tuning and regulation, brass overhauls, woodwind repads, drum head replacement. Quotes are free, honest, and written up before any work starts.

04 — Try Before You Buy

Quiet booths, proper amps, and nobody hovering.

Every guitar on the wall can be taken down, plugged in, and played for as long as you like. We've got three sound-treated booths upstairs — pop the headphones on, set the amp how you like it, and take your time.

Same goes for the pianos. The Yamaha showroom at the back is set up for proper trials — bring sheet music, bring a teacher, bring the family. Brass and woodwind get tried in the soundproofed room on the second floor.

We don't believe in pressure-selling instruments. If it's not the right one for you, we'd rather you came back next month for a different one than took home something you'll regret.

What's included
  • Three trial booths
    Sound-treated, headphones supplied.
  • Pro amp selection
    Fender, Vox, Marshall, Orange — set up and ready.
  • Sheet music welcome
    Pianos in a quiet showroom out the back.
  • No appointment needed
    Walk in, ask at the counter, take your time.
Resonance workshop — instrument repairs
05 — The Workshop

Repairs and restorations, done properly in-house.

The workshop sits behind the shop floor and our five specialists run it between them. Guitar setups and re-frets, piano tuning and regulation, brass dent-removal and overhauls, woodwind repads, drum head replacement and hardware servicing.

Every quote is written up before any work starts — you'll know the cost and the timeline before we touch a screw. Most setups turn around in a week, full restorations take longer. We don't farm anything out, and we don't charge for things that didn't need doing.

Bring it in any opening day, or ring ahead and we'll book you a slot with the right specialist.

Piano keys close-up
Brass saxophone
From a long-standing customer
“I bought my first guitar from Resonance in 1992, and my son bought his first from the same shop last spring. The lad on the floor spent an hour with him before he chose. That's why we keep coming back.”
Mr D. Holroyd · Chorlton · Customer since 1992
06 — Visit

Come in and have a play.

No appointment needed in shop hours. For workshop bookings and home piano deliveries, ring ahead.

Address64 Oldham Street, Northern Quarter,
Manchester M4 1LE
Telephone0161 405 6677
Opening Hours
MondayClosed
Tuesday10:00 — 18:00
Wednesday10:00 — 18:00
Thursday10:00 — 19:00
Friday10:00 — 18:00
Saturday09:30 — 17:30
Sunday11:00 — 16:00
Late opening every Thursday until 7pm for the after-work crowd. Closed Christmas Day, Boxing Day, New Year's Day and Good Friday.