Additional Information
Tuition
Guitar/Bass/Ukulele online lessons can take place on via Skype, Zoom, FaceTime, Whatsapp and FB Messenger. Both online and in-person lessons are available interchangeably at the same price, subject to availability.
Peak times are after-school (3:30 onwards on weekdays) and all-day Saturdays.
Tuition FAQ
Q: When exactly do lessons take place?
A: Guitar, bass and ukulele lessons can be booked for any time on weekdays, subject to availability. We save our 3:30 and onwards slots on weekdays as after-school slots, for those that can't come any other time due to school/sixth form. We also teach all day from 9:00-5:00pm on Saturdays. Lessons that fall on bank holidays will be called off/rearranged as the shop will be closed.
Q: What if I need to cancel my lesson?
A: As long as we receive notice of cancellation more than 48 hours before the lesson is due, we can carry the advanced payment to the following week's lesson. Failing to notify us of a cancellation with more than 48 hours notice will result in you losing your advanced payment, meaning that you will need to pay double upon arriving for your next lesson in order to get back on track. (This includes the occurrence of a Force Majeure Event). This gives us enough time to reschedule your lesson and potentially fill the space if someone else needs to reschedule. It also helps to discourage last-minute cancellations and no-shows, as we've still got to pay the staff for showing up!
Please be aware that we require a minimum of 7 days notice ahead of lessons booked for Saturdays that land on bank holiday weekends - this is because of the higher frequency of cancellations and the number of people who understandably use this time to go on holiday. If we find that there are a lot of people cancelling, the 7 days gives us enough time to call off all lessons for that day.
Q: What if my tutor needs to cancel?
A: Tutors will always strive to give you the same 48 hours notice that you are expected to give, unless in an absolutely unavoidable situation. In either case, you will not lose any money and, as your lesson is paid for, that payment will roll over to your next lesson.
Q: Do I need to pay for a multiple lessons in advance?
A: No - We require that all lessons are paid for in advance, but there is obligation to pay for more than just your next lesson. We ask that you pay double for your first lesson and are then in essence paying for your next lesson each week. We can arrange paying for multiple lessons in advance but cannot offer a bulk discount.
Q: Does my lesson have to be the same time each week?
A: Due to high demand, our after-school weekday slots and Saturday slots are to be booked strictly for the same time each week. For lessons that occur during the day on weekdays, we can arrange them as we go if necessary, but in our experience - keeping lessons regular is very beneficial to learning.
Q: Where do the lessons take place?
A: We have three fully kitted-out rooms upstairs in the shop; one for each of our tutors. Two guitar/bass/ukulele rooms and one larger room that accommodates two drum kits.
Q: What are the age limits for tuition?
A: Our minimum age limit is as follows:
Ukulele - Age 5-6
Guitar/Bass - Age 7-8
Drums - Age 9
This is due to the physical size of each of the instruments, but consider this a rough guide depending on the size of the individual.
We have no upper age limit and often say that it's "never too late" to begin learning an instrument - don't let age be an obstacle!
Q: Do I need to bring my own instrument/drum sticks?
A: We'd always recommend that you have your lesson on the instrument/with the sticks you'll be practising with at home, but we can provide these if you'll find it hard to bring your own or if you're a beginner and haven't got your own yet!
Q: What about if I'm left-handed?
A: Unfortunately, due to space limitations, we do not have a left-handed guitar, bass or ukulele to lend out, so you will be required to bring your own instrument. And due to time limitations, we cannot accommodate drummers who use a traditional left-handed set-up, as swapping the kit around would take up half of the lesson!
Q: Do you do lessons for longer times/larger groups?
A: Generally speaking, we only offer one-to-one and two-to-one lessons - but give us a ring and we'll be happy to try and work something out.
Q: Do you do "Grades" and Grade Exams
A: We do not currently have the jurisdiction to officially sit grade exams. However, our tutors have helped students attain their grades elsewhere by helping them with the required pieces and other work.
Q: Do you do gift cards for lessons?
A: Yes, we have gift cards available which can be purchased towards any amount of lessons or for any cash value. Please note that cash value gift cards can be used towards lessons, but we cannot transfer lesson gift cards to their monetary equivalent.
Set-Ups
We offer a range of individual set-up jobs, all of which are equally important in order to have your guitar playing at its absolute best.
If you've an old guitar with a lot of fret wear, or one pesky fret that's higher than the rest, you may want to consider a fret lowering/dressing. This involves levelling off the frets either in the affected area or across the entire neck in order to get all the strings playing how they should. We need to see the guitar in person in order to give an accurate quote, so just pop in!
If you find that your guitar sounds out of tune the further up the neck you play, then your intonation may need setting up. Make sure to do this before recording!
If you find that notes are choking out and are confident that you have no high frets, you may need the truss rod in your neck adjusting.
We can make any acoustic guitar in to an electro-acoustic by installing a piezo pickup under the bridge. So whether you have a favourite acoustic that you're dying to perform with, or you're tired of using a separate microphone for your guitar at gigs, this could be your answer!
Piezo Installation ................. £40.00 + Pickup
This includes balancing the pickup - an essential process that ensures that each string has an equal volume.
There's nowt worse than having an extra loud B string and a D string that might as well not even be there!
Cleaning
No-one likes a filthy guitar! Dirt can not only look nasty and seriously affect your swagger, it can also get inside your guitar and begin to affect the electrics as well.
Crackly pots and poor connections can really interfere with practice, gigs and recording so be sure to get them checked out.
Bring your guitar to us and we'll have it looking and sounding as good as new!
Restrings
Many people underestimate just how quickly strings can begin to get dirty and lose their tonal qualities, so it's really important to change your strings regularly.
Strings are available from £5.99 for most stringed instruments, however bass strings start from £14.99.
You will receive your instrument with strings fully stretched out and tuned. Restrings start at £5.00 depending on the guitar.
Note: Add £10.00 to all prices for 12-string guitars and guitars with a Floyd Rose tremolo system - they can take a while!
We also have a £10.00 surcharge for any urgent, same-day jobs as they'll need to skip the queue and keep others waiting!
Returns Policy
This website is owned and operated by Steel Town Music, a company registered in England at 71 Middle Street, Consett, Co. Durham, DH8 5QG.
What are my rights?
Under the Consumer Rights Act 2015, all products must be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described*.
You, the consumer, have a legal right to a full refund if you find your purchase does not meet the above criteria - providing that you make a claim within 30 days of receiving your purchase and (in the case of brand new products) that the packaging is still in perfect condition.
Upon return of damaged or defective goods, we will test them. If your claim that the goods are damaged is valid then we will repair or replace the goods or refund you for the defective goods. If we determine in our own discretion that the goods are not faulty then we shall be entitled to charge you for their return.
After the initial 30 days you cannot demand a full refund, but you still have the right to a repair or replacement.
We cannot offer returns on items that are found to be of satisfactory quality, fit for purpose and as described and ask that you are sure of a purchase before you make it. This means no buying a guitar, gigging it, deciding it's not for you and sending it back! We're under no obligation to refund or exchange goods that are fit for purpose but you've changed your mind about. However, we want all of our customers to be happy and, as goodwill, we will try to help you resolve any issue.
We test and check the condition of all products before sending them out and will have evidence of the exact condition they were in before sending, so don't go breaking things just so you can send them back!
How do I return a faulty item?
To arrange a return or for more information regarding our returns policy,
contact us directly at steeltownmusic@gmail.com.
Gift Cards
Our gift cards can be purchased at any monetary value, to be used towards physical product in the shop, or towards any amount of tuition (lessons) based on our current prices (see Tuition page).
Our gift cards are non-refundable, though lesson gift cards can be transferred into store credit. We are unable to exchange unwanted vouchers for cash. We are also unable to accept gift cards after their expiry date.
Please refer to our Condition Guide for more information regarding the terms and phrases we use when describing the condition of our products.
*
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Satisfactory quality
Goods shouldn't be faulty or damaged when you receive them. You should ask yourself what a reasonable person would consider satisfactory for the goods in question. For example, second-hand items won’t be held to as high standards as brand new goods.
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Fit for purpose
The goods should be able to be used for the purpose they are supplied for.
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As described
The goods supplied must match any description given to you, or any models or samples shown to you at the time of purchase.