In 1970 George Gruhn established Gruhn Guitars, which is one of the largest dealers of vintage and…read moreused instruments in the world. The "guitar guru" also plays with some curious new equipment as well. This shop is basically George. The first floor is available to everyone. If you ever get a chance to follow someone who invites you to the upper levels, go do it no matter how not into guitars you might be. Up there you will see the collection only extremely serious buyers and collectors are interested in. This also includes George's personal collection. (and most likely George himself) Beyond that there is also the shop where people with immeasurable talent turn broken guitars into back to life masterpieces.

Gruhn's Guitars is one of my favorite guitar stores. I travel through Nashville yearly on vacation…read moreand have been spending an extra night in town just so I can visit Gruhn's. Their selection of new guitars is the best I've seen. Besides the normal Taylor and Martin standard models, they have some amazing "Gruhn Spec" Martin guitars. My personal favorite is the Custom 0 Kenneth Pattengale Special. A few years ago I was trying one out, and George Gruhn himself came up to me and we had a conversation about the guitar. They have a wide variety of instruments, from standard flat top acoustics, to resonators, electrics, classical guitars, and even ukuleles. The staff has always been excellent, encouraging me to try anything I wanted, and leaving me alone to do so. But being available when I had questions. They have a good selection of guitar accessories (strings, capos, etc.) and a wide selection of Gruhn Guitar swag. I've bought Gruhn t-shirts every time I've visited and now have a wide variety. Parking in Nashville can be an expensive nightmare, but Gruhn's has the luxury of a private parking lot!

Amazing service, great selection and a very knowledgeable staff. I live 45 minutes from Corner…read moreMusic and I drive past local shops to go to them for any repair need I have for my guitars. I trust them.

They always have a great selection and tons of accessories such as parts, cases, stands etc.... But…read morethey hire the rudest most dismissive people to work there. Work on getting the sales staff to be professional and courteous please.

The most controversial Luthier out there! That's for sure…read more Lots written about Swade Guitars as Fender sued him for headstock copywrites (copying their headstock design). True is happened , then again if this guy didn't make darn good guitars as he's a very very small operation, Fender wouldn't have bothered. Since then lots of people on lots of forums bash this guy's guitars. Lots of rumors about he takes cheap parts and puts them together to sell a $4000 plus guitar. Things about his politics being said (example here on a review.. Ugh) etc. Yes the man is gruff , sometimes may be grouchy, buy who cares? I'm buying a Guitar for how it plays, sounds and feels. ALL these things the KS Guitars do in spades and do very very well!! First time hearing about a Kelton Swade was from Steely Dan's Walter Becker (RIP) in an interview talking about guitars, if he was a fan very certainly wanted to check them out. After looking and doing some research found out Vince Gill , Dick Dale (father of Fender playing imo) and quite a bit of the Nashville scene were players and endorsing them. Well professional players who can afford and okay anything I'll take their opinions over some internet reviews of folks who've never even had one in their hands. All I can tell you, if you're a serious guitar player or collector, get hands on one of these things!! They are incredibly resonant, lightweight, play fantastic, and most of all feel like a very old Fender Tele or Strat. As Swade says himself, he does not make relics he makes replicas of the originals... And they're darn good. If you're at the point of wanting something special in a Guitar check them out, forget internet gossip (which must say even there those who have played one will admit they play great). Hope this helps. Updated 08/02/2022 Check out a few different forums, look carefully and notice the "People" who started the rant about KS all come from the same place (curious that is). Internet these days, start a negative and folks climb on board, true or not, without proof. Suddenly there are lotss of "Oh I know a guy who..." Anyone can be brought down via the net, just or not! KS made some fantastic guitars, Dick Dale, Vince Gill, Joe Perry and Walter Becker all are fans and own Swade's. That is a heck of an edorsement!! Fender sued the guy for headstock copyright. Proof right there KS was No Joke!! Fender isn't going to spend the cash and waste time suing a nobody. Best part of that, totally dismisses the claims (from the many "people" who live in the same place LOL) that Swade used Lic AllParts necks. If he did the Fender would NOT have been able to sue and certainly would not have won a judgement for half a million. The Last paragraph is written after browsing the web and reading absolute garbage about a very good Guitar Maker who I read past away earlier this year. No matter how one feels about the man himself he made very good guitars. Am certainly not a fan of his beliefs on religion, he could easily tick someone off and could be quite gruff with his opinions. Similar to many great artists. However these days apparently ones likeability seams to be more important than substance. Too bad! The Guitar industry lost a member, no more KS Guitars will be made which is a shame. Most important his family have lost a father, husband and so on. With respect, Kelton Swade RIP. May your art live in the hands of those who play and play well.

Avoid like the plague!…read more At best they are mediocre Fender clones for double what a real Fender Custom Shop goes for. At worst you'll just not get your guitar (like me). Call Bill Nash if you want one of "Kelton's" guitars. You'll get a far better instrument at 1/3rd the cost. I own a Swade and two Nash T-Style guitars. The Swade is a joke, the Nash's are not!

Carter Vintage was so easy to work with in consigning and selling my Gibson '57 Les Paul R7 Custom…read moreReissue for the exact price we put on it. It took about 8 months to sell, which is a little longer than I thought it would take, but I am thrilled with the result. During that time they assured me that my guitar would be insured and taken good care of while it was in their showroom, and it was! To me it was well worth their reasonable commission to have my guitar professionally photographed and catalogued among the other fine instruments under their sales management. Carter Vintage is only getting bigger and more reputable.

I first stopped by Carter Vintage Guitars when it was in the old location. I liked it a lot better…read moreduring that time. The staff was more welcoming. The selection had more vintage guitars. I think that another customer's review really hits the nail on the head -- this has now become a cousin of Gibson Garage. I regrettably have the same problem at Carter Vintage Guitars that I do at many guitar shops in Nashville -- no salesperson wishes to talk to me. I... apparently don't look like their target demographic. There's been quite a few recent visits where I can't seem to get a salesperson to approach me even though I am in the market for a new guitar. For now, I still have fond memories of the staff member at the old location welcoming me to Nashville. I still will keep the branded leather pick holder keychain. I just maybe will make my next expensive guitar purchase at Gruhn instead, where I haven't once had an issue of salesperson disinterest.

After a glowing recomendation from a friend, I dropped my classical guitar off with Manuel for a…read moresetup. The degree of care and skill in making this guitar the best it could be, was incredible... The professional service, and hospitality he showed me was so impressive! They are going to be my go-to place for setups and instrument purchases from now on... You guys are the best!!

I just purchased a wonderful Gypsy Jazz guitar from Delgado Guitars. Though known primarily as…read morefirst class luthiers, with a 93+ year reputation, I purchased a mint condition instrument through them, one I've been seeking for a short while. Manuel and his team treated me with first class customer service and quality care. I just received my guitar via UPS and I couldn't be happier. This is a first rate, incredible operation full of caring professional people. I can't recommend them more highly. Thank you!

They sold a guitar for me on consignment. Their help was outstanding, and the payment was right on…read moretime. I look forward to visiting them the next time I am in town.

My new favorite guitar store in Nashville. Super nice staff ( no snobbery here) and very welcoming…read moreenvironment. Excellent selection of top shelf vintage gear with other price levels worked in so there is something in everyone's price range.

Did an active EMG pickup conversion on an Epiphone for my son. Routing, wiring, fit were all…read moreexceptional. "Rusty" is now a top rack choice for the boy. Dude knows what he's doing. And I'm in Tennessee, not CA.

Lotta five stars here for a reason! Roger is the kinda guy you really want to do business with and…read moreI wish I'd been coming to him sooner. He has an infectious passion for his craft, the knowledge/experience to back it up, and the humility to do it all with grace. Total breath of fresh air! Not to mention, his shop is super cool, so welcoming, and the location is really convenient. Great hang! Thanks again, Roger, for pulling me out of a tight spot before I hit the road. Great work!

I'm not a guitar player but my husband is, but I do like looking at these beautiful instruments so…read moreI tagged along with him when he took his pilgrimage to the garage. What a cool space! If you're a guitar player you'll get WAY more out of the experience, drooling over all the amazing offerings and maybe even playing a few, too! Electric, acoustic, vintage, new bodies, etc. They're sectioned into different spaces based on type and a very cool conveyor belt moves them through the showroom along the perimeter of the ceiling, too. Very flashy! They're very serious about care here, too The acoustics are in a separate, humidity controlled room. That's where my husband spent most of his time as he's been considering buying a new one. The tech was awesome and let him play a variety of options to help him narrow it down. They also have a ton of accessories, amps, bits and bobs you need to keep your investment in top shape. And they also have some fun souvenirs like tees, mugs, books, etc. And there's a fun stage where they'll have in store performances every so often, too. After a while I kind of lost my steam since I'm not super familiar with the merchandise but they staff there is awesome and we had a great time chatting and they kept me wonderfully entertained while my husband made his rounds. Great folks, great space, amazing products!

Wish I could say better things. While people were apt to help us when we first walked in, we waited…read morearound waiting for the guy who originally went to grab us a leather case for about 10 minutes before someone else - who didn't make eye contact with my boyfriend when he had to ask him at the counter - where our guy went. This second guy then proceeded to not go and find the original guy. Before this, they tell us they didn't have a hard shell case Les Paul... like is this not the Gibson store??? We settled for a leather one and turns out it was right on the shelf next to the register anyways, so we waited for nothing. The guy still hadn't returned after we'd gone to the bathroom and checked out. Overall, the vibes were much more grim compared to Carters, which we'd just left at their recommendation! The security guard at the front was the nicest out of all we interacted with. Def just use their website unless you want an actual large purchase, it seems like that's what the salesmen are there for.