Great company. Bought my first guitar to teach myself there. I bought a Yamaha JR2. Very good business, much better than the big box store GC. read more

I have been a customer at Gary's for many years, back when it was on Albany street in the 90s. Gary is awesome. Chris Pearne was awesome. This is a great store and I still buy stuff there to this day. The reason why this isn't a 5 star review is because I was gouged pretty deep for a simple amp repair (noisy input jack) about 10 years ago and the amp repairman gave me a huge attitude when I inquired why it was so expensive. After telling him that I will not be bringing any of my amp repairs the Gary's ever again, he literally shrugged it of with a "win some, lose some" attitude. It isn't his business so why give a care, right P? Anyway, I have stayed true to my claim and haven't had any repairs at Gary's and I strongly urge all my musician friends to not get amp repairs done here. I think that the guitar repairs would be safe for my musician friends to use but don't know how much they charge as I am a Luthier and do all my own repairs. Should Gary's Guitars get a new amp repairman, I would be willing to have my many tube amps I own serviced here. I miss having a place to go to get tube amps serviced for reasonably priced, friendly service. read more

A true music store run by musicians. The staff will always listen to the customer and suggest what they think will be the best solution not necessarily the most expensive. Great assortment of new and used guitars, amps, pedals and peripherals. Great store! Well worth the trip to Portsmouth, NH. read more

Great little shop! Recommend to me by a co-worker & I'm glad he did. Came in to have my receiver repaired and ended up trading it for another. Paul explained my new receiver to me and told me to call anytime if I had questions or problems. Feeling confident in this purchase and will definitely go back if needed. Thank you Paul! read more

Gary's Guitars - My new-to-me receiver. - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

They damaged my $4K guitar. See the pic. I brought it in to have a set-up. I assumed that a set up had little potential for damage. I was wrong. When I picked it up I was told that the nut needed to be filed, and that they had done so. When I got it home and looked closely I saw that they had damaged the guitar at the place where the nut fits into the neck slot. It's like this on both sides. They didn't mention it to me when I picked it up. I assume they assumed I wouldn't notice. This is a $4K guitar in pristine condition - well, it WAS in pristine condition until they worked on it. It's probably a good enough place to buy strings, but I would NEVER let them work on any guitar I valued. read more

Gary's Guitars - The Damage - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Portsmouth, New Hampshire

The more I go here the more I love it. Was initially unimpressed but service is always great and staff is usually friendly

I've brought acoustic and electric guitars here for various repairs. Gary does honest and fair work. Also is very patient and knowledgeable when I had questions read more

I've purchased a couple guitars here over the years. My Seagull acoustic is one of the best purchases I've ever made! Amazing staff that is super knowledgeable. Support local and buy your guitar here! read more

Nice little guitar shop tucked away in the plaza where ye olde Pick n' Pay still stands (although the charming moniker of yesteryear is now gone and replaced with the more formal Hannaford's). This is the kind of shop where you aren't going to find a brand new Gibson Les Paul Goldtop or Warwick Neck-Thru Thumb bass, but they have good used stuff. They don't seem to go out of their way to get high-end new gear except for a few tube amps, but they did have a vintage Fender P-Bass from like 1972 or some shizz. They sell a lot of the low-end beginner stuff as far as new instruments go, and I'm sure the lessons keep the place afloat when sales are low. Definitely worth a look-see as you never know what kind of used gear they will have when you go!! read more

I don't have any anecdotal evidence to share about their sales side, but I have a bone to pick with their repairs service. Once upon a time, I lent a friend my bass amp. By accident, one of the preamp knobs broke off while in his possession. He kindly offered to get it fixed and, due to the recommendation of a mutual friend, brought it to Gary's Guitars. When it was brought to Gary's, the man at the desk (Gary? I don't know) seemed somewhat excited, saying that he might have all the stuff to fix it on hand. A week or so later, I received my "fixed" amp. I use quotation marks because all he did was solder a piece of wire to the broken base of the knob in the amp, and then attach the knob itself to the other end of that wire. I realize that to fix it for real it would have probably involved opening up the amp, and that would have been labor intensive and expensive, so this quick fix was good enough, but then I found out my friend (who was paying for the repair due to the accident) was charged close to $50 for it, which if I had a soldering gun or something, I could have half-assed on my own in an hour or two, especially since the wire was somewhat bent and caused the knob to turn poorly. I think of people who repair instruments like I think of mechanics, so walk with me on this metaphor: a lot of people use cars, and a lot of people are good drivers, but a lot of people don't know enough to fix their radiator when it breaks or change a fan belt. So they bring it to a mechanic and trust that he is going to fix it, because they know what's up. And we trust them not to screw us. But sometimes, they do. That's what this was. Sure, he gave me a good enough quick fix, but I feel ripped off for what was paid for that quick fix. To be fair, I don't have a lot of experience with getting my equipment repaired, but $50 still seems a bit much for that crooked, awful looking repair. A few months after that fix, the preamp controlled by that knob has blown, at which point I gave up and bought a new bass head. Is that preamp blowing a coincidence? Probably. But I'm unsatisfied enough with Gary's Guitars to blame them first. read more

I purchased a used ovation, after a few days I noticed the belly had a very swollen sound board . I paid cash, I asked for a refund. His attitude was nope, see the sign. NO RETURNS. The sign was not in a conspicuous area. And it's a crap policy, if he was selling a good guitar he could have taken it back , sold it to someone else and suggested something else. Instead of his, so sad too bad i have your money and your not getting it back attitude. Very short sighted, instead of a loyal customer, I won't buy a pick from him ! read more

I don't know if it was Gary was behind the counter, but if he was, he's pretty knowledgeable. On a whim, I swung into the shop for new strings. It has a cozy atmosphere with a couple of patrons putz-in around. 'Gary' helped me out giving the pros and cons of the different strings and I off I went. In out, quick and easy. Upon looking around the shop, it has some solid merchandise and the basic need equipment. If you are looking for a new Guitar Center you won't find it here, but you will find some great used guitars to add to your collection. read more

I love this guitar shop I know nothing about guitars but my son does and he has been dealing with cancer for the last four years and in that time Gary has walked me through good deals and whats over priced. Inspected third party purchases and repaired all of my sons guitars for a very reasonable price. I go to guitar center and get lost in that box store feel. read more

I'm a fan of Gary's because the proprietor knows guitars and dispenses good advice if you ask him for it. He will also do a good job setting up an instrument for you at a very reasonable price. Gary makes a good A/B or A/B/C switch and he usually has a few on-hand, along with a small selection of guitar pedals and accessories. The guitar selection is sometimes thin, but there are always interesting pieces there. Same story with amps. They do a brisk consignment business and the turnover seems to happen quickly. The web site (http://www.garysguitars.biz/) is kept up-t0-date with the current inventory. read more

I've bought amps, guitars, pedals, strings and accessories at Gary's over the past twenty years. It's the kind of place that gets really interesting, sometimes exceptional, pieces of used gear. I make it a habit to check the web site which is kept fairly up to date. Gary is pretty knowledgeable about the instruments and equipment in the shop. He's good with basic guitar and amp repairs, but I'd go to a specialist for anything more than routine jobs. Prices are fair and once in a while you'll find a real bargain on a piece of used gear. All-in-all, I highly recommend getting to know the place. read more

I have recently had a sort of re-thinking of all things guitar( and accessories) and the purchase of them etc. in that,like many people I'm sure,I've drifted to purchasing things either online or from mail order catalogs over the years.In doing so, I realize I've lost a part of playing music I always found very enjoyable starting 30 years(yikes!)ago when I started playing guitar.That is, the personable,fun activity of going into a physical location and trying a particular guitar or effect that you found really spoke to you in your hands,and was going to help you in the progress of finding "your sound", maybe a fairly used piece of gear that still had alot of use and particular charm and value to it,that a person of musical experience could help guide you with. I don't mean to knock any larger ,national, store/company these days(especially in this economy),but I found Gary's to have that intimacy and charm and a way of doing buisiness that seems as geared toward"maybe we can help you find the value/potential in the instrument that you now have"as much as they can sell you that not overly adorned, but honest good sounding used Seagull acoustic hanging on the wall. The years of my being caught up in the spell of constantly wanting or getting the next new model/big thing,and doing so at such a rate,that I did'nt really fully explore everything the last one could do,are over for me(I hope that does'nt sound cynical or self-righteous)not just for financial reasons,but for that return to reason stated above as well,and I truely wish Gary's great success in the future. Thankyou read more

Gary's is my choice music shop, and I know many other people who feel the same way, and I wish they'd write in reviews to get a this store a better rating. Gary is very knowledgeable, doesn't do a hard sell, and is an overall pleasant guy. I've rented PAs, mics, stands from him and his prices are great. Definitely check out Gary's before heading over to Guitar Center or Best Buy. He might have a much smaller selection, but it's worth it to not have to walk into a big box store and deal with the tough sell. read more

Gary and his crew are pros and good people as well. These small shops are run by people who do it for the love and Gary loves music. Paul who works on amps and Gary are great at what they do and there are always very cool items in the store. It's a true gem of a guitar shop. read more

Gary performed two setups on a Gibson and a Strat clone, and I fell back in love with both. He was able to recover the low action feel and intonation that made each a joy to have and hold and play. And his charge was very reasonable and less than I imagined it would be, since he needed to redo some soldering on the Strat clone which has active pickups. I can't thank him enough for his quick turnaround, having fixed things inside a couple hours and for his expertise. I highly recommend him to anyone who wants to get a guitar adjusted or fixed. Thanks Gary. read more

I've been a customer of Gary's Guitars for many years. It is always the first place I shop when looking for cool instruments and amps. Gary possesses a wealth of knowledge about electric and acoustic guitars, basses, and amps from the 1950's to the present, and he is happy to share it. I always pick his brain and leave better educated about which years are the best for certain vintage amps or instruments and why. Gary knows tone and value, and prices things fairly. There are always cool, interesting, and quality pieces in every price range. The selection is not huge, but so much hipper than Guitar Center. Do yourself a favor and shop here first. read more

great service and selection, good local shop, always get my guitar spiffed up at gary's