Predominantly a shop which sells guitars and harps. The lady who runs this store is incredibly…read moreknowledgeable on her stock (particularly when it comes to the harps). They do however, also have a good selection of music books and sheet paper, Including many scores from popular films, TV shows and Musicals. My younger sister particularly liked this store as she was delighted to discover that they had a Glee music book, which she has now been practicing continuously!

When it comes to musical instrument shops, there's a lot to be said for service. In the more…read morepopular, wider-known stores such as Cranes, there's an unfortunate tendency for snootiness to set in amongst the staff. That distasteful though that goes "we are the instrument masters, and you people want to come and get your grubby fingers all over them? Eugh! Peasants!" And Cranes has that particular element of snobbishness all over them. And in stores such as Gamlin's, there is so much choice, and so many people asking you questions about what you're looking for that there is a small element of intimidation. That's not their fault; it's a symptom of their dedication to their field. In Pencerdd Cyf though, you have the perfect balance. The reverence for the instruments and the knowledgability that comes with it is there, but there's no sense of "us insiders, you outsiders". Instead, there's an atmosphere of community in the store; an atmosphere that fosters musicianship. If I could combine the service here with the stock of Cranes, you might just have the perfect music store.

Tucked between two shops, behind a lane, up a wooden flight of stairs is the grungy, the lovely,…read morethe shabby chic - Cardiff Rehearsal Rooms. The equipment here is top class and includes a fantastic PA and full back line available at no extra cost. Steve, Cardiff Rehearsal Rooms proprietor, is on hand to make sure you're set up ok. There are two rooms available and subsidies for 'young talent'. Prices start at £20 per 3 hour session. Our band (Boris) usually pays £25 a session, which seems quite reasonable. I'm not entirely sure how the prices are worked out, but bands that practice here regularly and book regular sessions get the best prices. I 'spose every business has got to diversify these days and Cardiff Rehearsal Rooms sideline is party services: "suitable for birthdays, hen/stag celebrations." I highly recommended this studio for bands or Stags!

Also known as Room303, this is another quality space for bands in Cardiff to hire rooms where they…read morecan rehearse for gigs - with excellent equipment and probably the lowest prices around. For £20 you can hire a room for three hours, which is a bargain - and they always do their best to accommodate bands' needs, with full back line available at no extra cost. Another bonus is that if you're students or home-grown musicians from South Wales, Room303 offers special discounted rates - and being located in Roath, at the heart of studentville, these rooms are probably located in a pretty handy spot for most student bands.

I recorded an EP here not long ago and found the service here to be top notch. We recorded with the…read moreengineer here - Lyn Price and we got a decent price for the 3 days recording time we had. I've found that often, recording studios want to get as much money out of you as possible but we never felt that here and we crammed alot of work into the 3 days. There's good equipment there if you need a different sound for a particular song and the software used to record was amazing. I'd highly recommend Red Rock Studios because they made me sound good, and that's not easy!

If you're a new company, or even if you're just contemplating starting a company, get in touch with…read moreBusiness in Focus, one of Wales's leading providers of business services. Offering advice, support and a range of business rental properties throughout South Wales, Business in Focus is "dedicated to enabling small and medium-sized enterprises get off to a flying start or, once established, to grow and develop into sustainable and flourishing businesses." I've spent a lot of time doing freelance work out of this building, and you'd never realise how large it is just by simply passing the Bute Street-facing front. With a range of offices for companies both large and small, this Business in Focus property is located just a few minutes' walk from Mermaid Quay. Its labyrinth-like layout is split over three floors, and certain areas of the building have traditional exposed brick walls and stone floors. Entrance to the building is secured by manual code-entry doors. Parking is the only downside here - manoeuvring in this tiny car park can be hellish for anyone driving anything larger than a Smart car. In any case, if you're lucky enough to secure an office here, take it!

If you live in Cardiff then your radio should be tuned to 98.7FM…read more Radio Cardiff is run by proper Cardiffians. These characters have big personalities and represent the multicultural, musically diverse City that is Cardiff and especially the area in which the station is based - Butetown AKA the Docks. Cardiff Radio has got a real community vibe and anyone can potentially get involved, training and work experience is freely offered. Shows feature - Soul, R&B, Soca, Gospel, Bhangra, House, Drum & Bass, Garage, Dubstep, Funk, Disco, Rare Groove and more. If you love Cardiff, if you love music, then you should listen to this station. The shows are not always smooth, it's definitely not the BBC, but it's down to earth stuff and the music is sweet. Go on... TUNE IN CHILL OUT

Broadcasting out of Butetown on 98.7 FM, Radio Cardiff is a community radio station with a MOBO…read more(Music Of Black Origin) policy, playing some great reggae, soul, funk, and jazz records as well as soca, calypso, bhangra, hip-hop, R&B, house music, and drum & bass. Its also plays some stuff from both the UK and the American Charts, and provides regular news bulletins, as well as a daily magazine-type programme at lunchtime (on weekdays only) covering community news and topics. The station's mission statement is "to deliver a diverse range of music with shows that break the mould of traditional radio". Definitely the most interesting local radio station we have in Cardiff.

I like Manic Studios a lot. Having played in various bands for the last 9 years I've been to many a…read moregrubby rehearsal room, charging high rates because they know you don't have too much choice if you need a space to jam. Manic is fairly new and they've got some of the best equipment available to rent that I've seen in a rehearsal space. Normally rehearsal rooms provide the musical equivalent of the spare PE kit at school but Manic have decent equipment. The rooms are large, with big fans in to keep you cool if you're of a more energetic ilk. The guys who work here are decent and they will make the bands tea and coffee free of charge just for practising there. The prices vary between £7 and £10 per hour depending on what time of day and which day of the week you need. I've never recorded there but there are samples of the quality on their website if you're looking.

Nigel and the team are excellent. The studios are clean well kept with excellent equipment. It is…read morethe best rehearsal studio set up Special Brew have used and the cups of tea that regularly turn up during the sessions are very much appreciated. Highly recommended

Albany Appliances specialise in electronic retail of large electrical goods and their installation…read more They have a cooker repair service and provide a large range of cookers but most of there stock take time to order. The larger style items such as cookers, fridge freezers, washing machines and tumble dryers are their main trade. They offer a similar service to Comet, Currys, or PC World.

This was first stop on my hunt for the perfect guitar. I'll have to say first that I had no idea…read morewhat I wanted, but that I would know it when I saw it. So I was extremely grateful when the gentleman at Cardiff Guitars talked me through the various guitars models on display. You'd think he'd push me in the direction of the most expensive brands, but his first suggestion was I should purchase a second-hand guitar or even one a new one priced around the £100 mark. I think I appreciate honesty like that more than most people, and would have gone back to buy one guitar I was eyeing, but instead found one I liked better at Gamlin's in the city centre. It's worth mentioning that any guitar you buy from Cardiff Guitars includes a free case (although if that's somehow incorporated into the cost of the guitar remains to be seen). I would urge anyone in the market for any instrument to stop by Cardiff Guitars. If you're looking for a bit of instruction, they offer lessons as well. A good friend of mine who took a few guitar lessons said it was very helpful, but a bit too expensive for him to continue with long-term.

I had the cheek to say Cranes was probably the best place for your guitar needs recently. I feel I…read morewas been hasty when I said that. Hidden away in the depths of the bay, Cardiff guitars does actually have quite a wide range of companies displaying their gear in here. Anywhere that is stocking Schecter is a rarity and will get two thumbs up from me. For the big spenders, their is a huge range of PRS and is always worth a drool if you just want a look. Besides effects pedals, amps etc Cardiff guitar also repair your damaged axe if you've been rocking out a little too hard. Something I really need to do soon and will report back here about it's pricing. Once again I shall go out on a limb and say this friendly place might be the best place for your guitaring needs.