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Empire Music
4.7 ★★★★★ 219 Google reviews · Guitar & music store in Mt. Lebanon, Pennsylvania
Bustling establishment offering a diverse selection of new and used guitars.
Plan your visit
- Repairs & setups a repair bench comes up in reviews and the store's own info — call ahead for turnaround, since good techs run a queue
- 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
- Lessons lessons come up in reviews and the store's own info — call about openings, instruments taught, and rates before the first visit
- Today see hours ·
- Phone (412) 343-5299
- Website empiremusic.com
Hours
| Monday | 10 AM–8 PM |
| Tuesday | 10 AM–8 PM |
| Wednesday | 10 AM–8 PM |
| Thursday | 10 AM–8 PM |
| Friday | 10 AM–6 PM |
| Saturday | 10 AM–5 PM |
| Sunday | Closed |
What's on the wall
“When I walked in and mentioned the phone call, he immediately knew what guitars I wanted to play and took me into the acoustic room.”
“I recently purchased a Custom Shop 64 Strat from Joe at Empire.”
“Large selection of electric guitars and basses as well.”
“Was browsing their Taylor’s and came across a beautiful used 214ce SB DLX and it was at a great price point.”
“Once I landed on this one, they took it back and set it up (even though it was already the greatest setup I've ever touched).”
Brands they deal
“Joe reassured me that he would contact Fender and get me a brand new case.”
“While I was there, the received a shipment of Taylor guitars that was as big as most stores.”
What players say again and again
“Once I landed on this one, they took it back and set it up (even though it was already the greatest setup I've ever touched).”
“Jordan was the sales representative that helped us during our visit and he was knowledgeable, accommodating, and made the overall experience that much better.”
“Was browsing their Taylor’s and came across a beautiful used 214ce SB DLX and it was at a great price point.”
From the reviews
Snagged a Taylor 814ce Builder’s Edition from Joe & his team last Tuesday! Guitar shipped out the same day, arrived to my doorstep in Austin, TX early Friday! I cannot recommend them enough. The customer service was top notch and even more satisfied with this heirloom guitar!
Very knowledgeable and experienced dealership! Very fast delivery and super honest to work with! I’ve purchased 2 guitars here and the service was professional and exceptional.
Amazing experience. The store smells like JoAnna Gaines cedar sawmill, and they display most beautiful guitars of SE Pennsylvania. The salesman Dominic (amazing hair) was patient and informative as I played several options of the tonal palette.
Empire Music is a music store like none other. The guys there, I dealt with Justin, are in this business to help people along their music journey. I had so many questions and Justin patiently took the time to answer each one of them as if I was his only customer.
Selling or trading gear at Empire Music
Empire Music 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.
Lessons at Empire Music
Reviews and the store's own info mention lessons at Empire Music. If you're signing up a beginner (or restarting yourself), a quick call ahead answers the three things that matter: which instruments they teach, whether the schedule has openings at the time you actually need, and what a first lesson costs. There's no wrong first guitar — a good teacher will happily work with whatever you walk in with, and a shop that teaches usually keeps affordable starter instruments on hand for exactly this reason.
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