Brian's Guitars is a boutique guitar shop that opened in Hamden, Connecticut in September 2010. It was founded by guitarist Brian Giampietro. An avid guitar player since age 12, Giampietro eventually enrolled in the Jazz Studies program at Western Connecticut State University. After graduating with a degree in Jazz Guitar Performance, Giampietro began working at G Guitars: a guitar shop in New Haven that was owned by his uncle. Before long, Giampietro was practically running the store himself. Eventually he opened his own shop, Brian's Guitars, at a strip mall in Hamden. In 2017, after seven successful years, Giampietro relocated the shop to a larger space in his hometown of Cheshire. That same year, he and his wife Katie also opened West Main Music Academy: a multi-room music lessons studio across the street. Brian's Guitars carries a wide variety of electric and acoustic guitars, basses, amplifiers, effects pedals, and accessories. They are an authorized dealer Paul Reed Smith, Fender, Taylor Acoustics, Swart Amps, PRS Acoustics, Dr. Z, Victoria Amps, and more. In addition to the aforementioned brands, the shop also carries several used guitars and equipment from brands like Gibson, Gretsch, Suhr, Mesa Boogie, and more. It just so happens that I know Brian Giampietro pretty well because we were both music students at WCSU during the same time. We even performed in a few jazz ensembles together. In recent years, both of my young sons have shown an interest in music as well. My older son takes after me; he likes drums and percussion. However, my younger son has shown an interest in guitars. I told my wife, "I know just the place where we can show our son some serious guitars." Although I've known about the store since it opened, my recent visit was actually my first. My family and I were blown away by the selection. My son's eyes nearly popped out of his head when he saw all of the different colors and body types. My whole family and I were very impressed with the selection. Unfortunately Brian wasn't there when we stopped in, but his staff were helpful, knowledgeable and very friendly. If my son still shows interest in guitars when he is a little older, I know that we'll be coming back. read more

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I purchased a used Fender American Professional II Telecaster Limited Edition Butterscotch Blonde from Brian's Guitar online. This was the first time using Brian's and they were quick to respond via email. They provided a decent price for the model I was looking for. Item was delivered quickly and the guitar was packaged very well. The condition was very nice and I was pleasantly surprised to see the tuners were upgraded to the premium fender vintage tuners. I really like the look of these better and they also included the original tuners in the case as well. Nice bonus! I highly recommend Brian's Guitars!! read more

Brian's Guitars - Guitar Stores Near Me - Cheshire, Connecticut

Best guitar shop around ... Customer service is top notch ... Love the whole crew at Brian's they treat you like family. Been a loyal customer for years. By the way don't be a DIC like Brian D. and expect a free $500 case when buying a $2000 guitar. Then post a negative review about it. read more

Easily one of the top shops in the New England area for guitars. They've an awesome selection of Mayones guitars and basses and sometimes really killer used/consignment gear. Great knowledgeable staff & tons of options to scratch whatever itch you have. Yes, they've an absolute ton of PRS guitars, and that's their stick as being one of the top PRS dealer in the states. Personally it's not my thing, and it's cool if it's not yours either. Regardless they've lots of options for any player at all levels. read more

Great shop, fair prices, knowledgeable staff. Also, there's an extremely solid used selection. If you're interested in, and knowledgeable about, PRS, then you probably already know why you want to buy from Brian's. The shop is also very beginner friendly and certainly the best in the area as far as that's concerned. As for the guy ranting (incoherently) about not getting a hard case, did you buy a guitar with a hard case? If not, did you ask to buy one? I find it hard to believe Brian's crew wouldn't work with a reasonable customer on this type of thing based on my experience with them. read more

I can't say enough good things about Brian's Guitars, which is frankly one of the best (if not *the* best) guitar shops I've ever been to in the US. In contrast to the big stores, who keep the lights on by selling high quantities of jankily-setup low-to-midrange instruments, BG's staff know absurd amounts about seemingly every guitar under their roof, keep them in superb condition, and go *well* out of their way to make sure you're having a good time trying them out. Don't be intimidated by the "f*** you wall" (you'll know it when you see it) of monster guitars that greets you when you as you enter - just because they're the #1 PRS Private Stock dealer in the country doesn't mean they'll give you a hard sales pitch. If you're a weird guitar peasant like me and you somehow prefer the PRS DGT to the beautiful Maryland-made 10-top that costs at least $3k more, they will probably say "right on". It doesn't end at the in-store experience though. They put on events (Reb Beach is coming soon, PRS himself/Myles Kennedy/Mike Martin from All That Remains came last September). The staff are super responsive on social media, and as best as I can tell Brian is a great dude. In conclusion, if you need to buy a guitar and you're within a timezone of Cheshire CT, or if you're just passing through, you really ought to stop in. My only complaint is that Brian is obsessed with zombies and puts zombie graphics on everything... but look, with a shop this good, I think he can claim a pass. Support your local guitar shop! read more

I would give Brian's Guitars 10 stars out of 5 if I could.  I have been purchasing guitars and gear through Brian's Guitars since 2019 all the way from Kansas City.  They have top-of-the-line gear from just off the production line to vintage.  Finding quality guitars like what Brian's provides is hard to find in most local guitar stores.  I have had nothing but first class customer service and support during all of my inquiries and purchases.  Brian's crew is extremely respectful, responsive, and informative and always willing to help with questions or concerns about products. The Brian's Guitars community is family and is something I would recommend to anyone! read more

Brian's Guitars - PRS Wood Library Tremonti and MT-15 Amp from Brian's Guitars! - Guitar Stores Near Me - Cheshire, Connecticut

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Brian's is a great shop with a knowledgeable and friendly team. I've purchased more guitars than I can count from Brian's ranging from PRS SE models up to Wood Library and Private Stock, and they are always more than fair and reasonable. There is also an awesome community of customers that Brian's has fostered that really feels like family. Brian's will always be my first stop for anything guitar-related. read more

Bought a guitar from them on Reverb only to find out they want to give me a bag case instead of a hard case. Well Brian is a hard case and cancelled the deal since I said try to include a hard case . word to that effect , and he cancelled without even trying to call my cell number which I provided. what a jerk..... don't do business with these people because they don't care about you as a customer. that are in totally for the money and have no ethics or salesmanship. ( Just Dic Head arrogant jerks ) suck raw eggs Brian read more

I have bought amps, electric guitars, acoustic guitars, and lots of pedals over the years from Brian's. They started as G Guitars in New Haven, then Brian opened Brian's Guitars in Hamden. Now they are in a very accessible location in Cheshire. The store has grown substantially since the days in Hamden, and that is due to adding great brands and having great customer service. They are a high end store now, but still offer moderately priced guitars that they feel are worthy of a gigging musician. My comments to some of the negative posters is that anybody can have a bad day, anybody can make a mistake, and anybody can misread what somebody is referring to over the phone. It is like talking to family members. The important thing is to continue the conversation and work things out. We are lucky to have a great high end guitar shop in Cheshire, never look a gift horse in the mouth. read more

They have really nice gear here, and prices are competitive. They'll work with you. but I will say make sure you advocate for yourself when purchasing. Bought a gorgeous used Les Paul , seemed maybe the intonation was out a little when I played it, I questioned and was told no it's been set up. After a week or so I of playing, I couldn't take it. Brought it elsewhere and had a set up, new strings, action tweaked, and intonation brought back where it should be. Guitar played like a dream and it was clearly not well set up before sale. I wouldn't hesitate to buy from them again but I'd press them on the condition of the instrument or hold out a few bucks for adjustments if I thought they were going to be needed. read more

A huge thank you to Dan. I finally ordered that Martian D-41 I've always wanted. Dan and crew went out of their way to answer all of my (sometimes silly) questions. Shipping was a concern and as soon as I placed my order hurricane Milton was ready to hit Florida. Dan made sure the guitar was packed extra safe and shipped on a day that minimized delivery days. Sure enough it arrived the day after Milton in perfect playing condition. I couldn't be happier with the entire experience. Thanks again Dan! read more

BUYER BEWARE: If you're shopping used online, call ahead and ask them to send you updated pictures of the instrument before you buy. I just purchased a used guitar online, from Brian's Guitars. It sounds and looks great. HOWEVER: the pictures and listing posted online were not accurate. The listing said "near mint" condition. The pictures showed all the tags and plastic seals on the components still intact. When I received the guitar, all the seals were gone. There were scuffs on the pickguard, and there was a screw completely missing near the volume/tone knobs. After an email exchange, I learned that the pictures were posted from when the guitar was new. Still, why was a screw missing? I may have scored a guitar at a sweet deal, but now my confidence is shook. Even though everything sounds fine, I'm left wondering if a screw was removed to mess around with the internal components. I'll get that checked out, but given the inaccurate listing, I'm not sure if I would buy from Brian's Guitars again. read more

Bought a used tube amp from these guys online. They packed it extremely well, no complaints, would absolutely do business again with these guys. read more

No other guitar shop even comes close to Brian's. Knowledgeable, honest, super prompt communication. Brian and his whole staff are incredible. If you love guitars, you NEED to check out Brian's Guitars! read more

I absolutely love this place. It was my first time getting my guitar set up and I was so impressed with how kind and compassionate and attentive to detail this place is. The staff is so friendly, the guitars on site are gorgeous and their work is impeccable. Cannot recommend enough read more

Not only does Brians have an excellent assortment of guitars, but they have an equally excellent staff. They've been both available and very helpful every time I've been in the store, no matter how busy it is. Furthermore, their guitar maintenance was timely, convenient, and complimentary. Great customer experience all around! read more

High quality pro level merchandise and friendly staff. This store is definitely worth patronizing!

Bad customer service on the phone Would not recommend this place Went to Sam Ash in New Haven instead Very Knowledgable and they are able to communicate in full senteces read more

Friendly staff and a good selection of used gear at reasonable prices. Will visit again next time I'm in the area!

Great selection of new and used guitars, amps, and effects! Bought my Gibson Custom Shop 1959 Les Paul Reissue here and could not have enjoyed the experience more. read more

Awesome selection and a very knowledgeable and friendly staff! They carry a lot of high end gear! It's visual eye candy. However, there are a lot of great deals to be found on quality used items. I have never had a negative experience here and will continue to do business from time to time! read more

I ordered a very expensive ($4200) Build To Order Taylor Guitar through Brian's guitars. I did all the work directly with Taylor and all Brian had to do was to place the order. Never once did Brian make me feel like he wanted my business. Even to the point when I picked it up, he didn't even look up from his computer and thank me for my business. On the way out, one of his coworkers said, "nice guitar" - that's it. Buying a guitar like this should be a fun memorable experience but this was the most disappointing guitar buying experience ever. As a side note, I could have taken this order to anyone but I tried to go local to support my local retailer. In retrospect, I should have just placed the order some random online retailer. He seemed offended that I pushed back on his initial price offer and tried to work to find the right number. I was a little scattered myself, thinking maybe I would add a Baritone to the mix. But still, I'm the customer! Anyway, I'm sure that this is a wonderful store and that Brian has many satisfied customers but I am not one of them and I will never honor them with my business under any circumstances. read more

Love going here. They carry a good selection of guitars that the bigger stores do not. Hoping they continue to grow and stock bass guitar related items. Staff is friendly and passionate. read more

Brian's Guitars - Guitar Stores Near Me - Cheshire, Connecticut

Brought my Fender Custom Shop Guitar for Set Up, they cracked the back plate by screwing into it too hard, Brought my 1974 Rick 12 String in for work, they told me its isnt worth anything because the tension rod is maxed out this of course after they charged me $250 to fixit and said it was good to Go. They are arrogant and are so overpriced its unbelievable. Even Sam Ash and Guitar Center is better than these guys. read more

Great selection of affordable as well as high end gear. Great selection of used gear too! Brian and Graham are super helpful and knowledgeable about everything that comes through their shop. Great location, great people, great guitars. read more

I just moved here from California and I was looking for a place to get an amp and a distortion pedal. Someone I knew suggested this store so I went to check it out. I am starting professional school out here so money is a little tight of course. When I asked about amplifiers , one of the guys started showing me around and I realized quickly that I couldn't afford an amp from their selection. That was not a problem for them. They did have a selection of used and boutique pedals that were reasonable priced so I tried two out. When I left the practice room after playing a mediocre version of BTBAM's Selkies, they had it playing on the computer outside. These guys are the real deal. It was so nice to go to a small guitar store thats ran by young people who have a range of interests in music and not the 65 year old , former rock star, who jams Stairway and BB all day (although there is nothing wrong with that and those guys can often shred). I stayed around to joke about my poor cover of the song, talk about musci and spoke with them for awhile. They told me about a free workshop that they are putting on in a few weeks where a few of my favorite guitarists will be attending. They also pointed me to Sam Ash music for a cheap amp which really left an impression on me because they are the small shop being pushed on by the large corporations. In summary: This shop is young, and ran by professionals. They are passionate about their music and it shows in their stock. If you want some higher end, quality equipment, go here. They also have affordable pedals and lines. When I decide to get a classical acoustic, I will buy it here. read more

I purchased a high end Martin guitar from Brian and I couldn't ask for a better out of state (Indiana) purchasing experience. he meticulously inspected my guitar and sent me a few pictures of an imperfection that he thought I should be aware of. Brian offered a very competitive price, was courteous, and responded to all my questions in a very timely fashion. Brian definitely earned my trust and business; I highly recommend his store. a happy customer, Aaron read more

Went in to look for a part for my guitar and they basically told me to go online to get it or have their repair person look at it.

What an easy transaction this was as compared to some other store's I've dealt with (see other reviews). I spotted a guitar I liked, called up to inquire and was give all of the details I needed to assure me that my money would be well spent. They even offered me a 48 hour approval period. When spending a few thousand dollars on a guitar I've never played is a big investment and the 48 hour approval really made me feel at ease. Did I mention the great deal they gave me...the guitar wasn't cheap mind you but it was well below what others were asking for similar guitars. It showed up and it's every bit as beautiful as it was pictured on the website. All photos were accurate and not doctored up. Thanks guys! read more

5 stars! Graham @ Brian's was awesome in finding me the PRS guitar that I was looking for. He is very knowlegeable about all things guitar, He was great to deal with and I had the guitar of my dreams at a Great price in 2 days! I highly recommend Graham and Brian's guitars! read more

Confused about the other reviews on here. My experience at this shop and with Brian himself has always been great. I've been able to play all the guitars and equipment I want without the rolled eyes and attitude you get from a lot of sales people in music stores assuming you can't afford what you're playing. He has a lot of good stuff in the shop. Seems like they are mostly known for PRS electric guitars but he had a lot of cool pedals that aren't common, ( more pedals than guitar center actually! Guitar center orange is a joke) as well as every fender amp i was considering buying and wanted to play. He also had a bunch of other electrics new and used, and a good amount of really nice acoustic guitars with a nice acoustic room to play them in. He also gave me a fair price on a used Taylor guitar that I fell in love with where we were both able to walk away from the deal happy. Definitely recommend this place. Even though it's further away, I'll go here before I give guitar center my money every time. read more

I've refrained from giving this review for a long time now as I enjoy supporting local businesses, but I am beyond frustrated at this point. I have been a loyal customer of Brian's since he opened his doors in 2010, never once have I felt a warm fuzzy feeling leaving there. Conversation with the man himself never goes beyond "yep", "uh-huh", "nope", and have had so many unprofessional situations where repairs on my guitars were half assed or were still sitting in the shop to a point where I have had to repeatedly call because I needed them for gigs. Tonight was a case in point. I'm beyond frustrated at a shop that could be so much more and will go out of my way to have work done somewhere else. read more

Solid store with great customer service. Lots of inventory and with knowledgeable staff and owner. A must see if you're in the area.

Brian and Corey run an awesome guitar shop. Super nice guys and the best high end inventory of guitars in the state. I highly recommend this store. read more

Been to many guitar shops around the country. While visiting family in Ct., ran into this shop. Great selection of high end gear, great service, extremely knowledgeable, fun to work with. Best experience I ever had. No attitudes, just friendly professional people. Was a pleasure to do business. HIGH QUALITY!!! read more

Awesome shop, amazing collection of high end guitars and amps. Great service, fast turnaround on set ups/repairs. Corey and Brian are great guys. read more