We all know of the big online guitar retailers such as Guitar Center, Sweetwater, Sam Ash, Musician’s Friend, Zzounds, and of course, Amazon. No doubt that the inventory is impressive and you can find some sweet deals.
But there are some great independently-owned online guitar retailers that are competing with the top online guitar stores out there. These retailers demonstrate that they have their online retail chops together by providing great photography, informative descriptions, and responsive customer service.
If you’ve not yet purchased a guitar online, we have some advice for you: Live a little! Yes, we understand that on an item as individual as a guitar, buying sight unseen makes some people uneasy. The reality is that guitar purchases made online have grown dramatically and will continue to grow. And here’s the thing to remember: this is not a situation of “either or” when it comes to your favorite online guitar retailer, because they can be both local and online. All of the shops we feature in this article have both a physical and virtual presence.
What We Look For In A Guitar Store Online
When looking for an online guitar store, most people focus on the size of the store’s inventory. This is important, but it’s not the only thing. The benefit of a smaller shop is that they can offer a more “curated” selection, and often more carefully vet the pre-owned guitars they sell. The best online guitar store is the one that has a combination of the type of inventory you are looking for, good customer service, and a reasonable return policy.
Here are 5 of the best independently-owned guitar retailers online, and why we like them:
1. Chicago Music Exchange
Store Location: Chicago, IL | chicagomusicexchange.com
CME is known as the big daddy of musical instrument retail in the Chicago metro area. Their homepage greets you with relevant and regularly updated tiled content, followed by New Arrivals.
One of the great things about CME is the size of their new and used inventory. The listings are well photographed and offer a Quick View that links to a very well photographed gallery of the instrument and the price. Clicking into the full description shows detailed full specs, including neck depth measurements, info that I’m happy more shops are including. On the main navigation menu, under Quick Picks, they offer “Price Drop Electric Guitars”, which is a nice feature that allows you to easily navigate to potentially good deals. The best feature on CME is the Offer/Trade Button, where you can do just that. I love the fact that you can throw them an offer on a guitar without even having to speak to anyone. But if you need to speak to them, they’ve got you covered, because they offer Live Chat 7 days a week.
2. Carter Vintage
Store Location: Nashville, TN | www.cartervintage.com
My favorite thing about the Carter Vintage site is that the “View Latest Arrivals” link is literally the first thing on the top of the page! This makes it easy to check back often and see what’s newly arrived. Carter Vintage is located in Nashville, TN, so there’s no shortage of fresh inventory. As a seller of pre-owned gear, you can tell that Carter is particular about the guitars they sell, and if I had to describe the vibe I would call it “tasteful”. Nashville is arguably the top town in the country for guitar players so you have to think that the bar is set higher. The listings at Carter all have something good about them, and I rarely say “why would I ever buy that?” Chat is available, and they’ve always been helpful when I’ve called for inquiries.
3. Righteous Guitars
Store Location: Roswell, GA | www.righteousguitars.com
Righteous has an in-house PLEK machine, and that is a major selling point. They seem to always have listings for high-end PRS, in particular. Some of the descriptions are a bit lacking in comparison, but the photos are pretty good and they have a 360 feature where you can spin the guitar and see it from all angles. Worth checking out because they have some sweet inventory.
4. The Music Emporium
Store Location: Lexington, MA | www.themusicemporium.com
One of my personal favorites and out of the list, the shop I have the most experience with. These guys started in 1968! Their initial focus was acoustic instruments from many years, but they have branched out to electrics more recently. The website states that they offer “quality instruments to discerning players, collectors and artists”, and I couldn’t say it any better. Their descriptions are well written and the photography is high quality.
Music Emporium specializes in American craftsmanship, and carries a selection of very high quality, low-production level instruments from makers such as Grosh, Collings, Huber, Asher, and Grez, as well as top quality factory guitars from makers such as Taylor and Martin. The sales staff is knowledgeable, and they are always getting cool new guitars in their inventory. It’s not all high-end either, as they have package options for beginners as well.
I feel like I need to also mention the in-person store experience as well—their physical space is open, comfortable, and there is a no-pressure attitude. The Music Emporium is a refined guitar buying experience that I highly recommend.
5. Dave’s Guitar
Store Locations: Milwaukee, WI | Fitchburg, WI | LaCrosse, WI | www.davesguitar.com
Dave’s Guitar has multiple physical locations in Wisconsin, and sells both new and used gear. One thing that’s immediately apparent is the fresh flow of inventory that Dave’s gets, due to their multiple locations. The nice thing is that their online inventory is consolidated, and also shows where the item is physically located. Their inventory ranges from low end to very high end, including PRS, Gibson, and Fender Custom Shop. Speaking of Fender Custom Shop, they often partner with Fender for limited edition Dave’s Guitar runs, which are strats and teles that are built to their custom specs. I might also mention that they are a Gretsch dealer, and therefore stock hard to find USA made Gretsch models such as the Falcon and Chet Atkins Country Gentleman.
The guitar descriptions are straight to the point and include the specs in a paragraph instead of a table, though there are some guitars that either don’t include descriptions, or use the manufacturer’s description. Overall, not a big deal though. One thing I’ve noticed about Dave’s Guitar is that their pricing is competitive.
Know of great independently-owned online guitar stores that we didn’t mention? Let us know!
Happy Playing!