Frailers Guitar & Banjo Shop

89 Church Street, Runcorn, Cheshire, WA7 1LG
Tel: 01928-573087

One of the best guitar shops for acoustic and semi-acoustic guitars and banjos in the North West of England. This historic shop was founded and run by Frank Murphy (Banjo Frank Murphy, 29 September 1942 – 11 April 2025), one of the friendliest blokes you could meet, always ready to chat about guitars and music, and one of the rare music shop owners who was knowledgeable about his subject and prepared to bend over backwards to ensure that you got what you wanted, when you wanted it, and at a good deal.

Frank was a banjoist who used to own a clothing shop, called BANJO, in Runcorn Shopping City (now known as Halton Lea). He then opened a guitar shop in Runcorn Old Town and later moved to the Church Street premises. The shop grew steadily as Frank found room for the guitars he stocked — from Taylors to Auditions, Dobros and Nationals, Gibsons to Fenders, Martins and Epiphones — many of them direct imports from the United States.

Other instruments stocked included banjos, mandolins, tenor guitars, ukuleles, mandolas and lap-steels. Makers represented over the years included Gibson, Martin, Mossman, Taylor, Santa Cruz, Dobro, National, Ovation, Epiphone, Yamaha, Washburn, Seagull, Fender, Larrivée, Guild, Takamine, Tanglewood, Tacoma, Crafter, Deering, Vega, Ozark, Gold Tone, Republic, Godin, Gretsch, Ibanez, Rickenbacker and Hohner, among many others.

Frailers was a shop worth visiting for anyone interested in acoustic instruments. Visitors were encouraged to play the guitars and to talk with Frank about instruments, music and what might suit them.

The Frailers archive

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