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12 May, 2008 - High Wycombe based guitar specialist, BBZGuitars, has announced the winner of its April prize draw for a new JHS Vintage V6 Guitar. Laura Aldridge, from Bourne End in Buckinghamshire, was randomly selected from more than 500 guitarists who took part in a guitar survey commissioned by BBZGuitars.

Laura, whose guitar heroes include the late George Harrison, Neil Young and Robyn Hitchcock, has been playing the guitar for about four years and now gigs with her band, as often as she can, at local venues in and around High Wycombe.

“I was thrilled when I heard I’d won the V6,” said Laura. “I’ve already got a Vintage electro-acoustic and I’ve played some of the other guitars in the Vintage series so I know you get great build quality and tone for the money - but it’s even better when you get one for nothing.”

According to the results of BBZGuitars’ survey, Laura is one of just five percent of guitarists in the South East of England who are female.

Laura believes this is largely because women guitarists have fewer role models than men; she also finds that male attitudes can sometimes be negative and patronizing towards female players, particularly when buying guitars, which can be discouraging.

Chief executive of BBZGuitars, Steve Busby, hopes that his background in corporate sales helps him to provide a consistent service to his customers regardless of their gender.

“Music shop owners would do well to recognize that women who play the guitar just want to be treated like guitarists,” said Busby. “Comments like ‘it’s a nice colour isn’t it’ are more likely to lose a sale than make one; it’s much better to be on-hand with advice and answers to any technical questions but leave the comments to the customer.”