I purchased a Collings OM-2H from their website about a year ago based on the excellent demo they had posted. I have compared it to many others at a local California shop over the course of the year and it has turned out to be hands down the best sounding Collings I've played. I visited the store on the way through Nashville this summer and found several outstanding guitars on hand, acoustic and electric, new and used. They had a few Santa Cruz acoustics I would have been very tempted to buy if it hadn't been for my Collings. It didn't bother me that they were vigilant and attentive while I tried out guitars -- the pickguard cover and all that. Salesperson Austin was friendly and helpful; I didn't feel rushed or anything, and the sales pitch was soft enough not to drive me away. The main thing is that for some reason this place seems to have exceptionally nice guitars. They are a little pricier compared to some other shops that carry the same makes, but they're definitely worth checking out when searching for that special guitar (and you have around $5k to spend). They also carry Carr and Dr Z amps, Fender Custom Shop electrics, and National Resonators, all stuff I love. read more

Artisan Guitars - Wonderful custom Collings OM-2H (with no tongue brace) purchased in 2018 from Artisan Guitars, Franklin, TN - Guitar Stores Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

They treat you so well. I'd find a guitar I liked, they'd sit me down and bring it to me. Very attentive. I felt no.pressure at all. And my wife was with me. They offered to bring her coffee, and found her a comfortable chair to wait for me. White glove service. The instruments spoke for themselves. New.and used the prices were good. Overall a great experience. read more

Just bought a guitar site unseen from these folks, I live in SF and it just arrived. I couldn't be happier with this fine collings instrument because it was in much better condition than described, it looks brand new. The packing job was the best job I have ever received a guitar in and I have had many. This thing could have fallen out of airplane and landed in the ocean and still been ok! The real pleasure here was dealing with Bill and Ellie, just really nice folks, fair and very knowledgeable, and to say conscientious would be an understatement. So there it is in a nutshell, buy here and you will not be dissapointed! read more

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I wish I could give Artisan a full fledged review. I drove to the Factory in Franklin (around half an hour drive) with main purpose of checking out a '55 Hot Mod Custom Shop Les Paul that I had seen on their Reverb store. I saw the guitar hanging on a display rack in the window and was excited to come in check it out. I tried to open the door but it was locked, I was there early so I walked around and after a while came back well after they were open and tried to enter again. Again the door was locked. I realize they have appointment and public hours. I was there on a Saturday at 12:30, which according to them is public showroom hours. Now I understand wanting to keep the door locked in a high traffic retail area. But as I stood there I noticed all the staff standing at the front counter. I tried to enter again, hoping to get their attention. An Artisan staff member looked up, looked at me right in the face, then looked back at the rest of the staff and continued the conversation. Now, I really wanted to try this guitar and could have bought it right on the spot, but my friends I will never darken the door of Artisan again. To blatantly ignore me as I tried to come in is unacceptable. I recommend that you do your shopping elsewhere. read more

The worst music store I've been to. Condescending staff are completely disgusting. read more

I was really excited to visit the store, having enjoyed Gruhn and Carter's for years. However, they have 1/10 of the selection and 1/100 of the customer service. They had beautiful stuff, but it was all locked up and they gave you stink eye if you played anything. I played a guitar and literally before I could put it down, the owner swooped it, gave me stink eye, and say he needed to "wipe the guitar down" since I played it. Their competitors are happy and even eager to let folks play guitars that are 3x the price. Unless they start letting musicians actually try the instruments out, i'm afraid they will continue to struggle. read more

Artisan Guitars is one of the very best guitar shops in the U.S. and Jesse was an outstanding representative of the store. They have exceeded my expectations for what I believe to the best guitar shop you can visit. Outstanding customer care. Outstanding instrument set-ups. Awesome packing and shipping services. Best of all, they are a group of caring people that simply want you to have the best experience possible...and they don't disappoint with their instruments. Totally top notch gear. read more

As a player and photographer of guitars I travel the US for a magazine and I always check out the guitar shops. I hang around Nashville which is famous for music and I know all the famous ones and they are great. But a lesser known secret that is well loved among the local pros is Artisan Guitars in The Factory a few miles south in Franklin, TN. Best selection of higher end new and used acoustics and one of the only places you'll ever see such a complete array of carbon fiber and resonators. Serious acoustic amps too. Probably not the place for your careless teenage Guitar Center kid who wants the thrash the wares. But if you're serious about guitars you'll be in heaven. Yes they ask to put a plastic cover on the pick guard. But holy crap you're playing what will be someone else's true love. You'd want it kept nice too. But their care and attention to detail and gracious customer care ensure that you can be matched with a pristine axe that fits your hands and ears perfectly. Plus they have beautiful picks, bridge pins, and slides etc that you won't find anyplace else. Great place to take home something special even if you don't buy a new instrument. You will know more about sound when you leave. If the whole world worked as flawlessly as this little jewel in Franklin we would all be happier. Should you visit Nashville and don't make the drive to see Ellie and her cool place you'll have missed something very special. Did I mention that they are inside a killer concert venue and art market? Happened by one morning and sat though a Sam Bush Band sound check. Oh and a guy named Tommy Emmanuel comes by but not just cause they are the only Maton dealer around. That dude can pick a little if you don't know him... I am a Martin lover but Oh My God play yourself a Santa Cruse or one of the many small builders guitars they have. Did I mention that I love this place? Bravo!!!! read more

Beautiful guitars, but they are revered like museum pieces. The sales guy that helped me stayed inches away and I couldn't enjoy my experience. He wasn't helpful, he was intrusive. He asked me not to grab an $800 guitar and then just kept blathering on. I won't be back. There are much more enjoyable places to shop for a nice guitar. read more

So I stopped by here a few weeks ago and I went through and played a few guitars, the first being a used Stonebridge Furch that they happened to have in stock. This guitar has a cedar top with cocobolo back and sides, a combination that produces stunning tone, honestly, the instant they handed it to me and I began to play it I was in guitar heaven, it was the true realization of something I've dreamed of for years, it was seriously that momentous. I couldn't believe that I was finally playing a guitar that literally blew me away, you must understand that I have played a lot of guitars before and I was always slightly disappointed and wishing for more, until I found this one! As you may have guessed, I am now the proud owner of that guitar read more

The staff here was extremely patronizing and rude. I went in with a group of five musicians and all of us were profiled based on our age and ethnic backgrounds. The salespeople asked antagonizing questions, challenging our musicianship and implying that our needs and experiences were out if place in this establishment. They trailed us closely throughout the smallish store, wiping down each guitar we touched as soon as our fingers left the surfaces. Our business was clearly not valued as the staff presence felt like policing, not service. This is a tourist trap and a sham of a music store, do not go there unless you are an old white man who plans on dropping at least $10000 without testing the instrument. This store deserves zero stars read more

One of the most pretentious guitar stores in North America. If you have children who are aspiring guitarists, DON'T BRING THEM THERE. If you want to be treated like a decent human-being, DON'T SHOP THERE. The instruments speak for themselves, but the Customer Service is fake and/or inauthentic. You'll also be treated like second-class for coming in just to browse the inventory. If you have lots of money to spend on a guitar, you'd find a better experience at any of their other competitors in town. Honestly, stay FAR away if you don't want to have a bad time. This shop is the stereotype of a pretentious and uncomfortable guitar store. There are better places, even GC will give you less trouble than "ArTiSaN GuItArS". read more

Purchased my Collings from their website and was not only exceptionally pleased with the guitar but also the service i received from Jesse was best in class. I can not recommend a better guitar store! read more

Great store. Walked in to a warm welcome & a tour & history of each brand of instrument. Was encouraged to play anything i wanted for however long i wanted. Don't expect to be unprofessional or rude. Obey the rules & they'll be fine. read more

Artisan Guitars - Playing the Gibson F5-G. - Guitar Stores Near Me - Nashville, Tennessee

This place is awesome. The people, the guitars, the ability to hang out and just play. I went in just to check it out and play a bit and walked out with another guitar that fits niche I had in my collection. Thanks Steve, Bill and Ellie for being such great hosts to a former Tennessee boy. I will be back as one of those resonators is calling my name. read more

I ventured into this shop while traveling from California. I was first taken back by the prices, but when I asked what sets these apart... the pricing then made sense. The quality and craftsmanship of these works of art exceeds any guitar I have played. Everything they sell is the best you can find. You definitely get what you pay for. I threw out every question I could think of to size, shape, sound, wood selection, what styles for which playing style. The sales guy gave me at least a 20 min lesson on all the aspects I asked about. Their knowledge and understanding of each maker and their designs was incredible. I had no intention other than to admire some beautiful guitars, and was introduced to what I can say is my dream guitar. Yes, I bought myself a new guitar, and it is worth every penny. I read the other reviews. I must say they are wrong. If you want a guitar center environment where you can handle every standard production guitar, that still has fingerprints of the last 20 people that played it. This is not the place. If you want the best instrument from a shop that maintains every instrument as if it was their own, you found it. They take pride in the works of art that they sell. I never felt rushed or was denied any guitar I asked to play. I did like that each guitar was wiped down immediately after to preserve the finish. I am not a rich, old white male, nor any one of recognition. I am just a guy who saw and heard the quality of their guitars. That is what they offer here... The best quality and best sounding guitars. read more

The price of these guitars range from $4,000 to $27,000. And if you want to try them out god forbid you play them more than a minute. I was jamming Bon Jovi and right away the salesman made a smart ass remark about me playing for too long. If you think your s*** don't stink this is the right place for you!!! read more

I recently had the pleasure of buying online a guitar from Bill and Ellie at Artisan Guitars, and I just wanted to give them some acknowledgment for their excellent service. This is my first review on Yelp, but there will be much more to come, specifically about different music stores in the USA. Buying a guitar in person is easy, but buying online requires the seller is reputable, has a good Yelp review, has a fair return policy and most importantly that they deliver a guitar that fulfills your expectations. Artisan checks off all these boxes. Artisan went out of their way to deliver to me one of the nicest dreads I've ever laid my hands and ears on, and I couldn't be happier. They are true pros. I might also mention that their inventory is fantastic, so much so that I plan on visiting them in person one day when I travel coast to coast, checking out guitar stores along the way. I've told myself and my girlfriend that I am finished with my guitar buying, for now, haha, but when I do get the itch for another guitar, Artisan will be near the top of my list. read more

Super nice people - the owner, Ellie greeted me at the door and showed me the more than impressive inventory. Collings top dealer new and used acoustic & electric, Bedell, Santa Cruz ... Fender Custom Shop. She took me into the Fender room, where I saw one of the Clapton Strats I own was hung. A few guitars over was a very unique 57 two tone with a solid rosewood neck. She had one of her very knowledgable staff take it down and demo it for me.... heaven. Asked what we could on it and in 2 minutes we had a deal. In 5 minutes it was off the wall, paid for and ready to ship. Couldn't ask for a better experience. Go there if you want you first or another guitar. read more

Had such a great experience in this store. The sales person brought me 15 guitars over about a 4 hour period and was wonderfully patient. I ended buying something I really loved. Like others have said, this is not a regular guitar store. Your experience will be curated because of how expensive everying is (meaning someone is going to get down every guitar you look at), but it was one of coolest buying experiences I have ever had. I will definitely be coming back to Artisan some day. read more

Great store. Extremely nice instruments in this store. These are not your run of mill guitars, they are the highest of quality brands...Yes salesman are there to assist you every step the way which can be different from most music stores. Considering that any instrument you touch is $5000 this should be expected. This store is focused on selling instruments not allowing every "musician" in the area come and test out quality of their instruments. If you are in the market for tinkering on every guitar in a store, maybe this place is not for you. If you are looking for a quality instrument and interested in a luthier made instrument, stop in. read more

I have been to Artisan Guitars and have experienced the rude and elitist sales people. I won't go there, and I live in Franklin TN. I complained to the management about the intrusive behavior of their staff, he apologized but by reading these reviews nothing has changed. I own several high end guitars an banjos, I know how to handle them. read more

My wife and I visited Artisan Guitars because I wanted to try a guitar and had no intention of buying anything. In spite of that, we were given the most amazing tour and education about guitars and how they were made. I got to try out some fantastic guitars and learn about the makers. I am so glad that we visited the store. I feel much smarter now! read more