The Guitar Amp & Keyboard Center

You read it right - we are turning 30 this year! To celebrate GAK's 30th anniversary and our fresh look, we're going to delve into our history and how we grew into one of the top music retailers in the UK. It's been a long journey from very humble beginnings to getting to where we are today. And it all started with one man and a market stall. 1992 HUMBLE BEGINNINGS It's been a long journey from very humble beginnings to getting to where we are today. And it all started with one man and a market stall. 1995 BRITPOP EXPLOSION Britpop bands like Oasis, Blur, Suede and Pulp were all electric guitar-based, markedly increasing the demand for the instrument. As the popularity of the guitar flourished, so did the business. 2000 FRESH EXPANSION The business would begin to flourish and grow at a seriously quick pace. Bigger and bigger premises were needed to keep up with the ever-growing amount of stock that needed shipping to customers. 2010 BRAVE NEW WORLD The Internet was a lot like the Wild West back in its early days. By having the foresight and the initiative to delve into this new frontier of sales, we were able to get ahead of the curve and grow alongside the Internet boom. 2016 TEA TO MD From GAK's early days, Max McKellar was helping drive the business forward as it entered unexplored territory. Today, he's leading the company as our Managing Director - a long way to come from cleaning guitars and making tea! 1994 SETTING THE TONE From the beginning, the store was a down-to-earth and unpretentious place to buy your music gear. Everyone was welcome and they were free to try out whatever they wanted. 1996 BEYOND THE STORE A flat above the store had its kitchen and bathroom converted to a mail-order room and office respectively. To spread the word about GAK's Mail Order service, print ads would be run in popular magazines such as Guitarist and Sound On Sound. 2002 THE INTERNET AGE We were one of the first music retailers in the country to go online and have an e-commerce store. Our customers could buy their dream piece of gear, have it brought straight to their house and receive the same friendly service you'd get into the store. 2014 DESTINATION HUB With help from the eye-catching print ads and the enormous success of the website, word spread about what an exciting place the GAK store is to visit. You can walk in and discover something new around each corner. 2022 30 YEARS AND BEYOND As we reach the major milestone that is our 30th birthday, we are beyond excited to unveil the brand new look and feel of the GAK brand. We're looking forward to what the next thirty years and beyond have in store for us.