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Hanks Guitar Shop


Hanks Guitar Shop has been significant presence on London's Denmark street for over 25 years.
Still the only acoustic specialists on the street, our store has played host to some of the worlds most famous and discerning musicians.

Denmark Street


Although London’s Denmark Street had been known as the UK’s Tin Pan Alley since the 1920’s, it didn’t achieve true notoriety until the 1960s. It cemented its place in history as a result of the literally hundreds of now famous artists and musicians that built their careers on the foundation of Denmark Street’s many publishers, recording studios and music venues.
The first recording studios of Denmark Street moved in during the early 1960s and with it came a whole new perspective on Tin Pan Alley. More and more musicians made their way to the area in search of fame and the cheap recording studios provided a perfect opportunity to get their own record cut. These were no ordinary musicians though – those individuals were to become legends.
Regent Sound Studio was one of the first recording studios to open there in 1963 and shortly afterwards The Rolling Stones recorded their first album, called simply The Rolling Stones, in that very studio. They later moved across the road to Decca Records. Within a few years, The Rolling Stones were on the map and Denmark Street earned its place in history.
The Rolling Stones were not the only huge names to hang out and record in Denmark Street during the 1960s. Elton John started his music career off in 1965 working for Mills Music. At the time, he was only office gopher Reg Dwight. However, very few of the acts visiting to start with didn’t become known until later. Denmark Street made them. For example, The Kinks, The Troggs and Manfred Mann all recorded there, and individuals like Eric Clapton and Pete Townshend bought their guitars and equipment there before they made it.
In the 1970s, the Regent Sound Studio played host to the likes of Stevie Wonder, who recorded there in 1974. It was also the first studio in the area to get a 16-track machine and thus was one of the most sought after spaces in the street. However, it had its competition as addresses up and down the street played host to the likes of The Small Faces, David Bowie and The Sex Pistols.
The Sex Pistols actually made themselves at home in Denmark Street. They lived above the shop located at number 6 in 1975 and could frequently be found in Giaconda Café next door. As more musicians flocked to the area, this became their hang out. They’d sit and talk about music all day, holding impromptu as well as scheduled gigs every night in the hope that a producer would stop be. Inevitably producers did, which was how modern day greats like Paul Weller got noticed. If you wanted to work in the music industry, you went there.
Just to be in Tin Pan Alley was an honour in the 1970s, and David Bowie was a prime example of that. He couldn’t afford to live above one of the shops and so he famously lived in a camper van so that he could be close to the studios!
Over the years, the best in the music business have visited Denmark Street – Bob Marley, Jimi Hendrix and Bob Dylan to name a few. Business continued there well into the 1980s and 1990s and the legendary status that it achieved still holds today. People travel from all over the world to visit Tin Pan Alley because it is the heart of UK music. It remains so with its music shops, studios, cafes and bookstores. The buzz of the street is still there, with bars of music still floating around on the air. The atmosphere is still there and long may it continue!