Find guitar stores near you

Quick answers before you go

Can I actually play the gear before I buy?

Yes — that's the whole point of walking into a real shop instead of ordering blind. Take it off the wall, plug in, and play it before you pay for it; any decent shop expects exactly that. 115 stores here have players saying outright that they let you play everything — it shows up as a chip under "What players say again and again" on the listing. And if you're brand new and nervous about noodling badly in public: reviewers call out 1,203 shops as great with beginners. Nobody's judging — every player in the room started somewhere.

Where can I sell or trade my gear?

1,661 stores in this directory buy or trade used gear — marked with the amber "Buys used gear" badge: walk in with the guitar you don't play, walk out with cash or credit toward the one you will. Store credit usually beats the cash offer, and calling ahead with the make and model saves everyone time. Find shops that buy used gear by city →

Who does setups and repairs?

4,007 stores here have a repair bench or luthier on site — marked with the "Repairs & setups" badge. A basic setup — action, intonation, fresh strings — typically runs somewhere around $50–100 depending on the shop and what your guitar needs; fret work or a new nut costs more. It's the cheapest upgrade there is: a $200 guitar with a good setup plays better than a $1,000 guitar without one.

Which stores offer lessons?

2,698 stores here offer lessons — marked with the teal "Lessons" badge. For kids and adult beginners alike, a store with lesson rooms is a smart first stop: you can rent or buy the instrument, get it set up, and book the teacher in one trip. There's no wrong first guitar — the right one is the one that keeps you playing. Find stores with lessons by city →

What does "dealer" mean, and why does it matter?

An authorized dealer carries a brand's new stock with the full factory warranty — so if you want to play five new Fenders side by side, you want a Fender dealer, not a shop with one used Strat on consignment. We mine each store's own website and player reviews for the brands it actually deals — 14 brands so far, including Epiphone, ESP, Fender — and match them to the stores that stock them. Browse stores by brand →

Guitar Center or a local shop?

Honest answer: both have a job. The 664 locations of 3 national chains in this directory — Guitar Center and the rest — win on selection under one roof, easy returns, and price-matching. Independent shops win on setups done by someone whose name is on the door, vintage and used gear you won't find at a chain, fairer trade-ins, and staff who remember what you play. Most players use both; this site keeps them straight.

How are the stores ranked?

By what players actually say: rating weighted by review count, so a 4.8 with 900 reviews outranks a lone 5.0. The data comes from public listings, the stores' own websites, and player reviews — no store pays for placement, and no store can buy a badge.