IF you describe the early years of York-based Gear4music.com as a simple ditty, then the business is now a full-blown cadenza.

In only four years, the musical instrument and equipment firm started by Andrew Wass with part-time help in a small corner of his other successful business, Red Submarine Ltd, off James Street, has boomed.

It now operates from its own, separate 12,000 sq ft premises at York Business Park, has 42,000 customers, 22 staff, and sales are expected to reach £4 million - 35 per cent up on last year.

It is hardly surprising that this venture, whose stock includes its own-brand range of guitars, drum kits, woodwind, brass and string instruments, is pitching for both the Large Business Of The Year and Growth Business Of The Year in The Press Business Awards 2007.

The products have won praise from professional musicians, and Andrew, who regularly visits China and the US looking for new products and suppliers, said: "Most people can't believe how good our instruments are, for so little money."

But he thinks that he has only scratched the surface of a UK market worth more than £1 billion, and plans to expand into Europe.