The UK's Answer To NAMM? The Guitar Show 2026

Join me and the Andy Guitar team as we explore The Guitar Show Birmingham 2026 - my first time at this sold-out event. Guitar stores are closing everywhere, yet guitar shows have never been more popular. We talk to some incredible manufacturers and builders to find out why.

01:24 ATB Guitars - Vintage Gibson collection including a rare 1958 black beauty Les Paul (heavier than the moon), three-pickup Les Pauls, orange Gretsch, and a white SG similar to the one I played when interviewing jailer. Choosing between these is like choosing between sports cars.

04:00 NoisyClan Books - Edinburgh-based product designers creating physical music theory tools. Their chord compass uses innovative slide-rule design (sourced from food packaging manufacturers) to bring the CAGED system to life, filtering out the noise of traditional circle of fifths diagrams. Every guitar chord you'll ever need fits in your pocket.

10:52 Gordon Smith Bass and Guitars - Discussing the GTS 2000 with its humbucker/P-90 combination, flame maple neck, and why playability brings people back to British-made instruments. The show proves you're doing something right when you see genuine excitement for the product.

19:10 Faith Guitars - The Venus Blood Moon model in solid mango with moondust grey finish. No laminates, electric-guitar-style neck profile perfect for players switching between acoustic and electric. When people pick these up at shows, they say "this is easy" - that's when you know the neck matters.

27:33 Shergold Guitars - British brand heritage from Joy Division and Genesis, reimagined by Patrick Edgell. The masquerade model and true vintage scale single-cut for riff folks. Indie to post-punk versatility with locking tuners and coil splits.

29:08 Peavey Amps and MY FIRST AMP! - Classic series versatile amps and the decade collaboration with Josh Homme revealing Queens of the Stone Age's secret weapon. My first amp was a Peavey with the green covering - trying to remember if it was a Bandit or Rage.

34:47 Shergold BASSES - The Telstar in champagne gold with 1960s futurism vibes, plus the stunning 12-string electric landing in April. Short-scale 30-inch Telstar bass that plays like an electric, and five-string Libertine with humbuckers for heavier styles. Peter Hook played Shergold six-string bass - rich lead bass history.

39:14 Winyard Guitars - The new Interceptor offset with seashell-inspired ergonomic body shape, rail humbuckers with celluloid P-90 covers, and shimmer finishes so thin you see the wood through them. Six tones from invisible coil splits. Blackstone Cherry's Chris uses one as his recording guitar. Most challenging build aspect? Getting parts to actually fit when nothing measures exactly the same.

50:15 Guitar Breaks - 10th anniversary of guitar camps in Italy. Cory Consiglio and Jeff McClain coming this year, Joey Landreth in June, Philip Sayce doing Power Blues workshops in Shrewsbury. One-day jam camps now nearly monthly - two songs, charts sent two weeks ahead, then full band performance. New acoustic strand planned for Italy camp. Guitar Breaks Canada potentially launching with Steffi near Toronto.

57:45 Zona Guitars - Named after Russian sci-fi film Stalker. Inspired by obscure 70s European designs, these custom hand-built instruments feature unique pickups (single coils working as humbuckers with asymmetric magnet arrangement). Reclaimed English woods including sycamore, oak, walnut. The sage green model is Wayne's personal favourite. Sold three guitars last year purely from people sitting down and feeling the neck.

1:19:35 Fredric Effects - East German circuits and components create unique tones. The Demon Fuzz evolved from Big Muff improvements into its own thing - four distinct sounds from fuzz to distortion, with doom scoop using Super Fuzz circuit. Region 155 preamp for tone shaping, new tremolo version coming. Harmonic Percolator for Steve Albini wonky sounds. Philosophy: pick obscure circuits nobody else does.

1:09:24 Medusa Guitars - Pete Honoré's Prince of Darkness Ozzy tribute with semi-hollow ash body, quilted maple, cross-chain inlay, and vintage Armstrong pickups. New separate coil switch feature from Lou Fuge - single coil front, humbucker back, nothing else changes. Heritage series LP and S models with Medusa head logo and cohesive naming for custom builds. The nut and fret surface are the two most important tone elements.

What a show - proof that even as stores close, people crave the chance to try guitars, speak to builders who know their instruments inside out, and find the one that picks you. Plus Bonnie the foster dog makes an appearance!