Shopping With The Acoustic Centre

House Music Limited - incorporating The Acoustic Centre, The Bass Centre and Brian May Guitars - is committed to great customer service which, as musicians ourselves, is backed by a hands-on, working knowledge of all of our products.

In our 30 year history we've had some very distinguished clients (incl. Brian May, David Gilmour, Pete Townsend, Mark Knopfler, Steve Howe, Justin Sullivan, Richard Thompson, Johnny Marr, Radiohead, The Charlatans, Dave Stewart, Pete Doherty, Mark King, Marcus Miller, Guy Pratt, Pino Palladino and Norman Watt-Roy) but, regardless of what you buy or how much you spend, we are dedicated to providing the same superlative service to all of our customers.

Here you will find comprehensive information about our sales, pricing, order processing & support policies, as well as details about how we are committed to protecting your online security & personal privacy. 

If you have any further questions about our products and services, please CONTACT US by e-mail or telephone.

Secure Ordering

All Acoustic Centre sales transactions are processed by Barclaycard ePDQ Essential - a robust, world class system for online card transactions that provides you with a fast, efficient payment solution and the complete assurance of 128 bit end-to-end SSL encryption.

Once you have have finalised your purchase choice on the Acoustic Centre website and proceeded to the checkout, you will be transferred to a dedicated hosted page where your payment will be processed.

Payment is accepted by Visa, Visa Electron, Visa Debit, Mastercard and Maestro cards.

Once the checkout procedure is complete, you will be returned to the Acoustic Centre website for confirmation that your order has been received.

If, for whatever reason, authorisation has not been successful, please refer to your card provider for clarification as we will be unable to provide you with further details.

Please note that for maximum security, we do not retain your credit card details.

Pricing & Currency

As a United Kingdom based company, all Acoustic Centre sales transactions are processed in UK STERLING and all product prices are displayed in this currency by default.

UK/EU Price

By law, our standard prices are displayed inclusive of UK sales tax (20%) which applies to all orders dispatched to countries within the European Union.

Export Price - Save 20%

All orders shipped OUTSIDE of the EU are exempt from UK domestic sales tax.

Customers in the United States Of America, Australia and Worldwide should therefore refer to the EXPORT PRICE displayed on each product, which includes a 20% discount on all purchases.

Currency Display

For the benefit of our customers in Europe and the USA, prices can be displayed in EURO or US DOLLARS by clicking on the corresponding flag icons at the top of each page.

These values are updated daily to reflect the prevailing market exchange rate but customers are advised that these prices should be used as a guideline only as we cannot guarantee the exchange rate that your bank or credit card provider will apply when processing your payment.

Your bank or credit card provider will almost inevitably use a less preferential exchange rate and, in some cases, may levy an additional surcharge for purchases made in a foreign currency.

We advise that you contact your bank or credit card provider for clarification of their policy.

Alternative Ordering/Payment Methods

If you do not have access to a credit card for online purchase via our online store, payment can also be made by direct bank transfer. For full details, please telephone the Acoustic Centre sale team team directly or use our CONTACT FORM.

If you would like to visit the House Music showroom to view and purchase any of the exclusive instruments available from the Acoustic Centre, the Bass Centre or Brian May Guitars - please CONTACT US in advance to arrange a personal appointment.

Order Processing

If all of the contents of your order are in stock we endeavour to ship orders within 1-2 days. Orders placed over the weekend are usually processed the following Monday.

If your order contains any products that are not in stock you will be contacted by a member of our service team with a supply date as and when it becomes available.

When your order is despatched you will receive an email to notify you. You can then track each shipment by clicking on the tracking number on the orders page in the "My Account" area.

If there are any problems processing your order you will receive an email or telephone call from our customer service team advising you as soon as possible.

Order Cancellations

You can cancel your order at any time before despatch.

In addition, you may return any order of despatched goods - in their original packaging - within 7 days of receipt. 

Please note that our terms and conditions do not affect your statutory rights.

Shipping & Delivery

UK Shipping

Shipping is FREE OF CHARGE to all UK destinations.

Orders of instruments are normally despatched by UPS. Online tracking is available - please contact us for your order tracking number. Standard delivery time is 48 hours.

Smaller items under 5kg are usually despatched via Royal Mail. We always choose the most cost effective and safe service depending on the item. Please allow between 3-5 working days for delivery.

European Shipping

Shipping is FREE OF CHARGE to most destinations within mainland Europe and the European Union.

However, please note that all orders despatched to the following European destinations will be shipped at cost.

Aland Islands, Albania, Andorra, Belarus, Bosnia-Herzogovina, Faroe Islands, Gibraltar, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Macedonia, Moldova, Monaco, Montenegro, Norway, San Marino, Serbia, Switzerland, Ukraine.

European orders including instruments are shipped via UPS. We aim to process orders within 1-2 days so orders should be delivered within 4-5 days depending on where in Europe you are.

Online tracking is available - please contact us for your order tracking number. 

Orders of accessories are usually despatched via Royal Mail. We always choose the most cost effective and safe service depending on the item.

International Shipping

Shipping is charged at cost to all international destinations (outside of the UK and EU).

Orders including instruments are shipped via UPS - we aim to process orders within 1-2 days. Online tracking is available - please contact us for your order tracking number. 

Orders of accessories are usually despatched via Royal Mail. We always choose the most cost effective and safe service depending on the item. 

Please note that you will be responsible for the payment of any import duties and taxes relevant to your country. We suggest that you contact the customs agency applicable to your location for clarification of import duty tariffs.

For further information on shipping & delivery, please contact us.

Warranty Policy

All new items carry a 12 month warranty.

Some new items may have a longer warranty period and this will be noted in the product description.

All used items carry a 3 month warranty.

Goods will be replaced/repaired in this time if a manufacturing fault is found.

Goods returned will be inspected by our own, dedicated onsite engineer (21 years service) prior to repair or replacement.

On-site repair means a faster service for our customers.

Goods will be sent back to the manufacturer where appropriate.

Returns & Refunds

Should you wish to return anything bought from us, you may return unwanted items within 7 working days after the day of delivery with the following stipulations...

• Items should be returned with the original packaging as received complete 'AS SOLD' and in 'AS NEW' resalable condition with all components, manuals and accessories.

• If the packaging has been opened to examine the product/s we advise that it is done so without damaging the packaging or the product/s in any way and must be re-packaged as received.

• If the product returned is not in fully resalable condition or the packaging is damaged, we reserve the right to refuse a refund on the item, or deduct up to 20% of the original selling price from the refund amount. This does not affect your statutory rights.

• Goods must be returned within 7 days from authorisation.

• We are unable to accept returns of unwanted, non-faulty items after the 7 days

• All return costs are the customer's responsibility.

• Goods ordered specifically to meet a consumer's requirements (e.g. custom guitars) cannot be returned.

• Before returning a product, please let us know either by phone or by email.

Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy sets out how The Acoustic Centre and its associated company House Music Ltd. uses and protects any information that you give The Acoustic Centre when you use this website.

The Acoustic Centre is committed to ensuring that your privacy is protected. Should we ask you to provide certain information by which you can be identified when using this website, then you can be assured that it will only be used in accordance with this privacy statement.

By using The Acoustic Centre web site, you signify that you agree with the terms of our current Privacy Policy as posted here.

The Acoustic Centre may change this policy from time to time by updating this page. You should check this page from time to time to ensure that you are happy with any changes. This policy is effective from 1st January 2015.

If you do not agree with any term in this Statement, please do not provide any Personal Information on this site.

As used in this Privacy Statement, "Personal Information" means personally identifiable information such as your name, street address, telephone number, credit card information, screen name and email address. The site you entered may collect some or all of these types of Personal Information.

When you supply Personal Information at this web site, we will use it for the express purpose for which it was collected (e.g., for the purposes of shopping on the site). It may also be used by us to send you information and/or offers about our goods and/or services which we believe may be of interest to you, or to invite you to participate in market research. At any time, however, you may opt out of such future contact by unsubscribing from our newsletter which is achieved through editing your account details.

We will not pass your personal information on to any third party for any use whatsoever.

Please note that we will release your Personal Information if required to do so by law, or by search warrant, subpoena or court order.

Cookies, which are files or pieces of information that are stored by your browser on your computer's hard drive. The Acoustic Centre uses cookies to track your unique session during your visit to our web site, for purposes of maintaining the shopping basket and processing your order.

Most browsers are initially set to accept a cookie. If you'd prefer you can set yours to refuse cookies or to alert you when cookies are being sent. Refusal of cookies at the site you enter will result in an inability to use the site effectively.

Note: You must have cookies enabled in your web browser to use this website.

What we collect

We may collect the following information...

• Name and job title

• Contact information including email address

• Demographic information such as post code, preferences and interests

• Other information relevant to customer surveys and/or offers

What we do with the information we gather

We require this information to understand your needs and provide you with a better service, and in particular for the following reasons...

• Internal record keeping.
• We may use the information to improve our products and services.
• We may periodically send promotional email about new products, special offers or other information which we think you may find interesting using the email address which you have provided.
• We may use the information to customise the website according to your interests.

Security

We are committed to ensuring that your information is secure. In order to prevent unauthorised access or disclosure we have put in place suitable physical, electronic and managerial procedures to safeguard and secure the information we collect online.

How we use "cookies"

A "cookie" is a small file which asks permission to be placed on your computer's hard drive. Once you agree, the file is added and the cookie helps analyse web traffic or lets you know when you visit a particular site. Cookies allow web applications to respond to you as an individual. The web application can tailor its operations to your needs, likes and dislikes by gathering and remembering information about your preferences.

We use traffic log cookies to identify which pages are being used. This helps us analyse data about web page traffic and improve our website in order to tailor it to customer needs. We only use this information for statistical analysis purposes and then the data is removed from the system.

Overall, cookies help us provide you with a better website, by enabling us to monitor which pages you find useful and which you do not. A cookie in no way gives us access to your computer or any information about you, other than the data you choose to share with us.

You can choose to accept or decline cookies. Most web browsers automatically accept cookies, but you can usually modify your browser setting to decline cookies if you prefer. This may prevent you from taking full advantage of the website.

Links to other websites

Our website may contain links to enable you to visit other websites of interest easily. However, once you have used these links to leave our site, you should note that we do not have any control over that other website. Therefore, we cannot be responsible for the protection and privacy of any information which you provide whilst visiting such sites and such sites are not governed by this privacy statement. You should exercise caution and look at the privacy statement applicable to the website in question.

Controlling your Personal Information

You may choose to restrict the collection or use of your personal information in the following ways...

Whenever you are asked to fill in a form on the website, look for the box that you can click to indicate that you do not want the information to be used by anybody for direct marketing purposes

If you have previously agreed to us using your personal information for direct marketing purposes, you may change your mind at any time, either by clicking the "Unsubscribe" link on any Bass centre newsletter, or by contacting us by w-mail directly with your request.

We will not sell, distribute or lease your personal information to third parties unless we have your permission or are required by law. We may use your personal information to send you promotional information about third parties which we think you may find interesting if you tell us that you wish this to happen.

If you believe that any information we are holding on you is incorrect or incomplete, please write to or email us as soon as possible. We will promptly correct any information found to be incorrect.