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Black Book Guitars
4.9 ★★★★★ 87 Google reviews · Guitar & music store in Portland, Oregon
Music shop specializing in vintage & rare guitars, plus basses, amps & auxiliary equipment.
Plan your visit
- Buys & trades used gear they buy, trade, or consign used instruments — bring the case and any original parts, and expect trade credit to beat the cash offer
- Today see hours ·
- Phone (503) 236-2274
- Website blackbookguitars.com
Hours
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | Closed |
| Wednesday | 11 AM–6 PM |
| Thursday | 11 AM–6 PM |
| Friday | 11 AM–6 PM |
| Saturday | 11 AM–6 PM |
| Sunday | Closed |
What's on the wall
“If you want a great experience trying on vintage electric and acoustic guitars (and amps!”
“I would definitely recommend talking to him if you have a vintage electric guitar to sell, before you take it to a pawn shop, or trying to list it yourself.”
“Nathan was so helpful and willing to go above and beyond to get me set up with a MIM P Bass at a very fair price.”
“If you're in the market for a vintage guitar or amp, call Nathan at Black Book Guitars in Portland first!”
“I would definitely recommend talking to him if you have a vintage electric guitar to sell, before you take it to a pawn shop, or trying to list it yourself.”
“I referred Black Book to friend who also had a smooth, quick turnaround on a consignment.”
“Nathan was so helpful and willing to go above and beyond to get me set up with a MIM P Bass at a very fair price.”
Brands they deal
“He set me up with a stool and plugged me into a nice fender deluxe.”
“Shipped a vintage Gibson from Portland to Nashville no problems.”
What players say again and again
“Nathan was so helpful and willing to go above and beyond to get me set up with a MIM P Bass at a very fair price.”
“When we had agreed on a fair price, I could visually see his excitement that the guitar, which was only ever owned by one family for more than 50 years, was staying local.”
“Nathan and his team at Black Book have been an incredible resource, and have an encyclopedic knowledge of guitars, and well connected nationally.”
“Great guy to do business with , gave me a good deal on a vintage Dobro, cool shop to check out!”
From the reviews
I showed up the shop, not realizing that they were technically closed. Nathan unlocked the door for me anyway and asked if I was looking for anything in particular. He set me up with a stool and plugged me into a nice fender deluxe.
What a great Guitar shop. Felt very comfortable right when we walked in. We were encouraged to play anything, plug in, etc. It was easy to find more than 1 guitar that I wanted. Nathan was extremely knowledgable and explained also in detail the shipping process as we were visiting from out of town.
Not only am I thrilled with the immaculate 1976 RI-made Guild M-80 I just purchased, but also I’m equally excited by the fact I bought it here, at Black Book Guitars. Nathan and Ron were knowledgeable, patient (with my dumb questions) and exuded positivity.
Working with Nathan to sell my vintage acoustic guitar was a wonderful experience. He took the time to explain how its production year and condition related to other guitars of the same model that had recently sold and all of his information lined up well with my own research and analysis.
Selling or trading gear at Black Book Guitars
Black Book Guitars comes up for buying and trading used gear — confirmed on their own site. Two things make the trip go better. First, bring the whole package: the case or gig bag, the original tremolo arm or bridge parts, the paperwork if you have it — a complete rig is worth real money more than a bare instrument, and it saves the back-and-forth of "can you bring the case in?" Second, know that trade credit almost always beats the cash offer, usually by a healthy margin — if you're upgrading anyway, price your old gear as a trade against the new one before you take cash. Either way, expect the offer to be below what the gear sells for on the wall; the gap is the store's margin for setup, warranty, and sitting on it until the right buyer walks in.
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