History

There are few businesses that can be said to have changed the face of the industry they serve.

Funky Junk is one.

So what are we? A consultancy? A shop? A workshop? A demonstration facility? A mail order house?

Well yes – we’re all of these things, but we’re more. Far more.

In short, we’re a one-stop home for everything pro-audio.

Whereas most other audio suppliers’ websites presents a grand vision outweighing the actuality, first time visitors to Funky Junk are invariably amazed by what they find. For our website can’t begin to describe the scope of what we offer –

• Vast stocks of new and fully overhauled used equipment,
• A purpose built acoustically accurate studio control room designed and built by Stephen Pickford of Thumbprint to provide clients with the best monitor and outboard demonstration facility in the world, bar none.

• A large console workshop and showroom, usually housing upwards of a dozen Neve, SSL and other refurbished consoles.
• A busy, well staffed, in house service department, Boffin Island, home to half a dozen of the most skilled audio techs in Europe.
• Shelf upon shelf and rack upon rack of rare spare parts and modules, many unobtainable elsewhere.
• An installation and studio build consultancy, supported by years of expertise stemming from the supply and installation of some of the best known studios in Europe (See our friends section.)
• An in house wiring and installation department, experienced in every level of studio design and install.
• Major partners and subsidiary companies in Paris and Milan.

Overall, Funky Junk provides the only all round professional audio consultancy and supply company in Europe. But don’t take our word for it…check out our friends section to see a small percentage of studios we’ve equipped and supplied. (link)

Funky Junk was born by accident when music industry consultant, Mark Thompson, decided to return to his musical roots and tried to piece together a modest home recording studio.

A former session musician (guitar, sax and flute) Mark had worked in recording studios since leaving college in the early 1970’s. A change of direction in 1980 led to a decade working in artist management, executive production and record company consultancy, initially forming and running a record company (Public Recordings) before moving to London to work with A+M Records. By the mid 1980’s, Mark had developed one of the UK’s leading producer management companies, working with producers David Lord (Peter Gabriel, Echo and the Bunnymen, The Korgis, Icehouse, Martha and The Muffins and many more) and Warne Livesay (Matt Johnson, Midnight Oil and others) and acting as consultant to record companies such as Jive (with Hugh Masekela) and JVC Victor or Japan (Yasuaki Shimizu).

Although a lover of music, the machinations and connivances of the music industry led to increasing disillusionment as the eighties wore on, and towards the end of the decade Mark decided to return to his musical roots and started to build a modest eight track recording studio in his flat (coincidentally next door to the former home of legendary 1960s producer, Joe Meek).

Efforts to source good quality used recording equipment resulted in growing frustration. Attempts to buy gear from used equipment dealers were ridden with risk and disappointment. More often than not, the advertised goods turned out to have been sold months before or quite simply, never to have existed in the first place. The few successful purchases were equally galling, invariably being faulty to a greater or lesser degree. Like so many musicians before and since, Mark resorted to wheedling out choice pieces of gear directly, by necessity bypassing the disorganised (and often dishonest) used dealer network. Of course, with a background in the industry, he knew most of the leading studios and producers in the UK, and a direct call seeking a specific piece of equipment invariably resulted in the offer of other bits or a request for an additional piece to fill a space in the racks.

And so, by default, Mark was called upon to supply used audio equipment for studios throughout the UK and to find a home for their surplus gear.
And so, by accident rather than design, Funky Junk was born.

By 1993, Funky Junk had premises in the basement of a studio in Liverpool Road, North London, and employed four full time staff including Helen Rider, singer and partner in Mark’s musical project ‘Shriek Theatre’, and two service engineers. From the outset, Mark determined to offer his clients a level of service support that he had always sought from suppliers but had never found. And all the while, the recording project developed, allowing Mark to discover for himself which equipment deserved its place in the rack and which was, to be blunt, pure audio hype. He found that it was possible to get excellent results from a basic rig ranging from a Soundcraft one inch eight track and Chiltern 12-4 console to a half-inch Fostex sixteen track E16.

As time went by, the gear improved, eventually comprising a rebuilt classic Neve console and a rack of Alesis Adats, all housed in a converted coach house in North London . But by now, the pressures of combining a fast growing business with developing Shriek Theatre demanded that hard decisions be made. So it was that in 1995, for better or worse, Mark committed all his time to Funky Junk Limited and put his creative ambitions on hold, or rather, spending what little free time he had putting pen to paper rather than plectrum to guita.

In the subsequent twelve years, Funky Junk has gone from strength to strength. Major branches have been opened in Paris and Milan, offering clients throughout Europe the same unique service enjoyed by UK clients. The in-house service department, Boffin Island, has expanded to meet the needs of an ever growing professional client base, and studios have been built and equipped for dozens of the most successful acts in the world. Indeed, in January 2009, four of the top five UK albums were recorded in studios built or largely equipped by Funky Junk.

Now one of Europe’s leading suppliers of new as well as used equipment, we are honoured to have been credited on a large number of successful albums, ranging from new acts such as Laura Groves and Marie Ingerslev (links) to established artists such as Kate Bush (link to credit). More than anything else, this illustrates our company ethos… whether a newcomer or an established star, every customer receives the same, unstinting attention, value for money and skilled, unbiased advice. And if our input helps you, our customer, create great music, then this is our greatest reward.

The Funky Staff

Claire Mckone
Along with Mark Thompson, a director of the company.
From a musical family and married to one of the UK’s leading session bass players, Claire is financial director, responsible for administration and bringing order to our daily chaos.

Marc Dolley
Website and marketing
A stalwart of more than ten years, Marc is responsible for developing and maintaining the Funky website and producing our distinctive ads. A successful DJ and musician in his own right, superstardom lies but the flicker on an eyelid away. Or not…

Adam Crowe
An accomplished guitarist,  Adam is a graduate of SAE in London. A skilled software engineer in a former life, Adam speaks fluent Israeli and Russian. Our digiblah expert, he’ll guide you through computer hell and lead you to recording heaven.

Maurizio Cianciaruso
A skilled metalworker and sculptor, Mo is warehouse manager and general factotum. If you need a console shipping, monitor stands making or cables fixing, Mo’s your man.

Steve Culnane
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Dave Way
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Mattia Sartori
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Carriage & Shipping

UK overnight delivery up to 10KG = £15 + VAT EEC delivery up to 10KG = £30 + VAT Rest of the world please phone or email for quote.

(*Please note that certain countries in the EU may vary in price, for example Greece and Turkey have had variations in the past. If you are from one of these countries or are uncertain whether this applies to you please contact us for a quote.)

Larger consignments and overseas shipping available on request.

Exports

We ship to over 40 countries and are expert at fast, tax free exports. We have been shipping large objects such as consoles and multi-tracks recorders all over the world for many years and pride ourself in shpping items quickly, secure and safely.