Beggs Music – Expertise And Music Products To Inspire Joy

I walk into Beggs Music shop on Hardy street. There’s a kick drum pedal hooked up to a hand sanatizer bottle. My hands are already clean, but with a grin on my face I happily indulge in this creative and innovative contraption.

Beggs Music has to be one of Nelson’s longest serving retail shops. There’s even a pic on the wall with the shop frontage with horses ties up outside. The retail sector is always in a state of flux, and I’m curious to learn about the journey.

“Nelson is a great place for retail. It’s vibrant, the streets are colourful and there’s a good range of shops. There are a lot of very talented musicians living in the region with plenty of learning and performance opportunities both in the schools and local music industry. We are often impressed by locals or travellers who come in and play our guitars and pianos. Music brings joy and we are lucky to be in this sector.” says owner Tim Babbage.

“It’s been a roller coaster journey of recent years with the Covid pandemic disrupting supply chains. We have plenty of demand however getting the product on the shelf is a difficult problem to navigate. During Covid we had many locals invest in a new instrument and continue to do so which was cool to see.”

“Some of our suppliers in Japan had a factory fire, and are still battling Covid restrictions – some in Asia are experiencing it for the second time. We do have a great range in store and use our networks to source specific items for our customers.

Their products range from guitars, drums, keyboards, guitar amps, speakers, recording tech, home entertainment systems, vinyl records, accessories like guitar strings and many more.

“Reflecting on the last decade there’s been a big change in the knowledge level of our customers. Previously, we were the only experts as we had access to all the latest info and gear. Now, thanks to the internet our customers have a pretty good idea about what they are after, although there is a lot of misinformation out there to wade through, we can guide and assist on the best product for their requirements”.

There’s a massive range of products now, like USB recording mics for recording podcasts, and home recording studios are hugely popular with world class gear available that won’t break the bank or take up a lot of room.

Many products are traditional and embrace the latest technology. Vinyl records for example. It’s a unique sound and when someone plays a record it’s like a ritual. The turntable spins and the music maintain that warm sound. It’s old technology involving a needle and tiny grooves in the records surface that picks up the sound. The speakers are smaller and crystal clear when previously it was size that mattered. You will find a USB input so you can stream from your device aswell.

“There’s something magic about selling instruments that produce sound… it evokes those spine tingling moments we all love to feel. We had a couple visit the shop while on holiday. The lady was deaf, however had previously played guitar prior to her hearing loss. After playing every single guitar in the shop, she picked up one and could feel the sound. She began to smile as her husband was in tears watching this happen. Even the staff member present had a tear in his eye and it shows that some guitars are special and resonate at just the right frequency for some people.”

The expertise and love for music that exists between the team is world class. The staff are well respected and involved in the local music scene here in Nelson.

“Working at Beggs is the best thing that’s happened to me,” says team member Robbie, who graduated from the contemporary music program at NMIT.

Home entertainment and home theatre systems are now featured in a sound treated display room. Inviting your friends over for a movie night experience is another way to share the joy of sound and visuals in your own home.

Beggs has recently undergone a logo rebrand and it’s looking fresh and sharp.

“The new logo reflects our evolution with technology. We love the combination of art and science and how it can produce a deep sense of joy. Weather it’s watching the granddaughters rock band perform at Rockquest, learning a new instrument or enjoying your favourite Pink Floyd Record in full stereo hi fi sound…That’s what we do, and we love it”

Visit their website for more info. Find them at 264 Hardy Street, Nelson.

www.beggsmusic.co.nz
www.facebook.com/beggsmusic
www.instagram.com/beggsmusic

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