Atlanta’s guitar retail market serves one of the most musically active cities in the South, with a professional musician community spanning the blues, R&B, hip-hop, gospel, rock, and country genres that characterize the city’s diverse musical culture alongside the substantial amateur player population that takes lessons, performs in weekend bands, and participates in Atlanta’s active local music scene. The metro area supports guitar retail options from the large-format Guitar Center location that stocks the comprehensive range of mainstream guitars, amplifiers, and accessories to independent specialty shops like Maple Street Guitars that have built reputations over decades by focusing on acoustic, classical, and high-quality electric guitars from boutique and established premium manufacturers. Atlanta’s music industry, which includes major recording studios, music publishers, and the production companies serving the city’s film and television sector, creates professional gear demand from session musicians and touring artists who require access to high-quality instruments and equipment that specialist retailers are better positioned to provide than general music merchandise chains. The acoustic guitar community in Atlanta is particularly well served by Maple Street Guitars, which has specialized in acoustic, classical, and folk instruments since 1981, building relationships with premium manufacturers like Collings, Martin, and Taylor that provide Atlanta acoustic players access to instruments that mass-market retailers typically do not stock. Atlanta’s warm and relatively humid climate creates specific guitar storage and maintenance considerations that experienced local dealers are positioned to advise on, particularly for acoustic guitars where humidity fluctuations can cause significant wood movement and structural issues.
When selecting a guitar store in Atlanta, look for retailers whose staff are practicing musicians who can demonstrate the instruments they sell rather than salespeople with only commercial product knowledge of the guitars they represent. Reputable guitar retailers should be able to set up instruments for playability before sale, including adjusting string action, intonation, and nut slots to ensure the guitar is properly configured for the buyer’s playing style rather than leaving the instrument in showroom configuration that may not optimize its playability. Red flags include stores that cannot explain the tonal and playability differences between the specific guitar models they are recommending, that resist allowing extended playing time on instruments before purchase, or that lack the technical capability or staff relationships to arrange setup and repair services for the instruments they sell. Guitar setup quality significantly affects playability and the new player’s experience, and any store that sells guitars without addressing setup as part of the purchase experience is likely prioritizing transaction volume over buyer outcomes. For vintage or used guitar purchases at any Atlanta store, understanding the specific provenance, modification history, and condition factors that affect both playability and collectible value requires either deep personal expertise or trusted independent assessment before significant financial commitment.
Top Guitar Store Companies in Atlanta
1. Maple Street Guitars
Address: 3199 Maple Drive NE, Atlanta, GA 30305
Phone: (404) 231-5214
Website: https://www.maplestreetguitars.com
Hours: Tuesday – Saturday 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM
Services:
- Acoustic guitars from Collings, Martin, and Taylor
- Electric guitars from Fender, G&L, and Paul Reed Smith
- Classical and flamenco guitars
- Mandolins, banjos, and ukuleles
- Amplifiers and accessories
- Guitar lessons with qualified instructors
- In-house guitar repair and setup
About: Maple Street Guitars has operated from its Buckhead Maple Drive location since 1981, establishing itself across more than four decades as Atlanta’s premier source for acoustic, classical, and high-quality electric guitars through relationships with premium manufacturers including Collings, Martin, Taylor, Fender, and Paul Reed Smith that mass-market retailers rarely maintain. Founders George and Claire Petsch built the business initially around a guitar lesson studio before expanding into instrument retail, creating a foundation in player education that continues to inform the store’s approach to helping buyers understand the instruments they are selecting rather than simply completing commercial transactions. The emphasis on acoustic and classical guitar expertise gives Maple Street a distinctive focus within Atlanta’s guitar retail landscape, where the major chain store covers mainstream electric guitar demand and Maple Street fills the niche for buyers seeking guidance on acoustic instrument selection from staff with genuine expertise in the sonic, tactile, and construction differences between acoustic guitar makes and models. The in-house repair and setup capabilities ensure that Maple Street buyers receive instruments in properly configured playing condition, a service that significantly affects both the player’s early experience with a new instrument and the long-term relationship between the buyer and the store.
2. Guitar Center – Atlanta
Address: 2480 Briarcliff Road NE, Suite 13, Atlanta, GA 30329
Phone: (404) 320-7253
Website: https://stores.guitarcenter.com/ga/atlanta/761
Hours: Monday – Friday 11:00 AM – 9:00 PM, Saturday 10:00 AM – 9:00 PM, Sunday 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM
Services:
- Guitars, basses, and acoustic instruments
- Amplifiers and effects pedals
- Drums and percussion
- Pro audio and recording equipment
- Keyboards and synthesizers
- Instrument rentals
- Music lessons in guitar, bass, piano, voice, and drums
- In-store guitar repair services
About: Guitar Center’s Atlanta location on Briarcliff Road provides metro Atlanta musicians with access to the chain’s comprehensive gear selection across more than 23,000 square feet of retail space, offering the broadest single-location inventory of guitars, amplifiers, recording equipment, and musical accessories available anywhere in the Atlanta market. The extended hours until 9:00 PM on weekdays and Saturdays make Guitar Center the most accessible Atlanta guitar destination for working musicians who need gear outside standard retail hours, particularly valuable before evening performances or recording sessions when equipment needs arise unexpectedly. The Guitar Center lesson program offers instruction in guitar, bass, piano, voice, and drums from the Briarcliff Road location, providing a practical link between instrument purchase and the instruction that helps buyers develop their investment into a playing skill. The store’s scale enables maintained inventory of popular guitar models, strings, and accessories that smaller specialist retailers cannot always guarantee in stock, making it the most reliable Atlanta source for musicians who need specific items without waiting for special orders.
3. Earthshaking Music
Address: 648 McDonough Boulevard SE, Atlanta, GA 30315
Phone: (404) 577-0707
Website: https://www.earthshakingmusic.com
Hours: Monday – Friday 11:00 AM – 7:00 PM, Saturday 10:00 AM – 7:00 PM, Sunday 12:00 PM – 5:00 PM
Services:
- Electric guitars, basses, and amplifiers
- Effects pedals and accessories
- Vintage and used instruments
- Guitar repairs and setup
- Buy, sell, and trade used gear
About: Earthshaking Music has served Atlanta’s musician community since 1994 from its McDonough Boulevard location in southeast Atlanta, building a reputation as a knowledgeable independent music store with a particular emphasis on electric guitars, amplifiers, and the effects pedals that define the electric guitar’s sonic possibilities. The store’s buy, sell, and trade model creates a dynamic used instrument inventory that appeals to Atlanta musicians seeking quality gear at prices below new retail while making it possible to upgrade instruments by trading in current gear. The south Atlanta location provides a local music store option for musicians in the areas south of the city center who might otherwise face a significant drive to Buckhead or Briarcliff Road for guitar retail access. Earthshaking’s more than 30 years of continuous operation in Atlanta’s competitive music retail market reflects the sustained customer loyalty that genuine product knowledge, fair used gear pricing, and consistent repair capability build among musicians who value dealer relationships over the impersonal efficiency of online gear purchasing.
Frequently Asked Questions
Q: Should I buy a guitar at a specialty shop like Maple Street or a chain like Guitar Center in Atlanta?
A: For acoustic, classical, and premium electric guitars where nuanced sound quality differences between specific instruments of the same model are meaningful, Maple Street Guitars provides the specialist expertise and high-quality instrument selection that makes the comparison between individual pieces meaningful rather than treating all guitars of a given model as interchangeable. Guitar Center’s Atlanta location excels for buyers who know the specific mainstream model they want and need it from in-stock inventory, who require accessories, amplifiers, or other gear alongside their guitar purchase, or who want to explore the broadest possible range of guitars across price tiers in a single location. For used and vintage gear, Earthshaking Music’s buy-sell-trade model provides value opportunities at lower prices than new retail across the electric guitar and amplifier categories where its inventory concentrates. Many Atlanta guitarists use multiple stores across different purchase occasions, relying on specialist knowledge for significant instrument investments and chain store convenience for accessories, strings, and urgent gear needs.
Q: What guitar brands are available at Atlanta specialty stores?
A: Maple Street Guitars carries acoustic brands including Collings, Martin, Taylor, and premium classical guitar makers alongside electric brands including Fender, G&L, and Paul Reed Smith, focusing on instruments at the quality tier where individual playing characteristics and construction quality are worth the investment attention that specialist buying requires. Guitar Center’s Atlanta location carries the full mainstream brand spectrum including Gibson, Fender, Taylor, Martin, Epiphone, Squier, Yamaha, and dozens of additional brands across the full price range from entry-level instruments through professional grade guitars. Earthshaking Music’s used and new inventory reflects market availability rather than a curated brand strategy, with the buy-sell-trade model creating opportunities to find discontinued, vintage, and rare instruments that new retail cannot offer. For boutique and custom guitar makers whose production volumes are too small for chain distribution, Maple Street Guitars’ relationships with smaller manufacturers provide Atlanta buyers access to instruments not available at any other local retailer.
Q: What does guitar setup cost in Atlanta and why does it matter?
A: Professional guitar setup at Atlanta stores including Maple Street Guitars and Guitar Center typically runs $50 to $100 for a complete setup including string action adjustment, intonation setting, nut slot optimization, and fret leveling if needed, with the specific cost depending on the scope of work required and the shop’s rate structure. Setup matters significantly for player experience because factory guitar configurations optimize for shipping and display rather than playability, and a properly set-up guitar plays more easily, stays in tune more reliably, and sounds better in tune than an unset-up instrument at the same price point. New guitars from premium makers at Maple Street are typically setup before sale, while mass-market instruments at larger retailers may be sold in factory configuration requiring setup work to reach their playability potential. For buyers making first-time guitar purchases, asking specifically whether the instrument they are buying has been setup and what the store’s setup policy is ensures they understand what they are actually receiving rather than discovering post-purchase that a playability improvement requires an additional investment.
Conclusion
Atlanta’s guitar retail market serves the city’s active musician community through Maple Street Guitars’ 45-year Buckhead institution on Maple Drive specializing in acoustic, classical, and premium electric guitars from Collings, Martin, Taylor, Fender, and PRS since 1981, Guitar Center’s Briarcliff Road location providing the city’s broadest gear selection across 23,000 square feet with extended evening hours and in-store lessons, and Earthshaking Music’s 30-plus-year McDonough Boulevard operation serving south Atlanta musicians with electric guitars, amplifiers, and a buy-sell-trade used gear model. Visiting any of these Atlanta guitar retailers and spending time playing instruments before purchasing is the most reliable path to finding the guitar that serves your specific playing style and musical goals.