If you are a music lover Gibson Garage is a must-see spot in Nashville. Immediately upon entering the store you can see why it’s any guitar lover’s dream travel destination. Guitars are literally flying around the ceiling on a conveyor belt and the store is full of the coolest accessories that the brand has to offer. The Billy Reid x Gibson collection is our personal favorite to bring out your inner Rockstar.
Gibson Garage is located in Cummings Station in downtown Nashville and is the flag-ship store for Gibson guitar brands. The shop celebrated its two-year anniversary on June 9th. Gibson Garage Fest was organized to celebrate the occasion with live music performances and in-store signings by some of our favorite artists from June 7-10.
The Travel Addict stopped by the shop during our music festival road trip to middle Tennessee a few weeks ago. The first time we dropped in to see thrash metal legend Dave Mustaine at his in store signing of his new custom Epiphone guitars for fans during Garage Fest. Metal fans of all ages were able to meet Dave to sign their Gibson brand guitars and posters and take pictures with the Megadeth front man.
On our way to Bonnaroo we were able to stop by for a proper behind the scenes tour of the garage with Director of Brand Experience, Mark Agnesi. We started the tour around the retail space to see the main attraction. Guitars, guitars, guitars. The shop features six iconic electric Gibson guitar shapes on the pillars throughout the shopping space including: Les Paul, SG, Flying V, Explorer, Firebird and the ES.
The store not only contains popular in stock guitar models but also a custom shop where customers can design the guitar of their dreams. It’s the only place in the world where you can hand select the exact wood, neck, pickup and finish for your own custom model. Whether you want to create a replica of one your guitar god favorites or something all your own the team can walk you through the process to make all the selections. All of the electric guitars are then made in the factory nearby right in Nashville.
In addition to the guitars, the store features a rotating Gibson exhibit case in the center of the store with one of a kind memorabilia on display. Currently, the First J 200 Ray Whitley party guitar and photos and being presented. You can also see one of Orville’s original harp guitars circa 1907 on display in one of the retail spaces.
If 1980’s hair metal was your jam you can also step over into the Kramer room. There’s a stack of old school TVs fitted onto a wall plastered with hundreds of original band stickers – all meticulously curated by Agnesi himself. The whole store has an attention to detail that is unmatched. One example is the Kramer display wall is made of dozens of original cassette tapes from the metal and rock eras.
The garage has interactive spaces setup where customers can try out different guitars by plugging into Mesa Boogie amp systems and headphones to play all day and find the best pick for the sound they are looking for.
The shop features a beautifully designed backstage area where Gibson ambassador artists, who are in town for events and performances, can hang out and even shower between gigs. The shop also offers loaner guitars to professional musicians who are in town. Agnesi said many artists borrow guitars for special Opry performances when they are set to play on the iconic stage.
In the backstage area, you can also enter ‘the vault’ behind a secret door that houses some most prized possessions. Guitars that have a huge amount of history in not only the Gibson brand but music in general.
The vault currently features “The Big Ed” 1958 Explorer and Mary Ford’s 1961 Les Paul with handwritten notes taped to the back, a 1957 Epiphone coronet prototype. The original 1924 Lloyd Loar L-5 with f holes and a 1938 Advanced Jumbo which was the first guitar used to perform on TV with Cincinnati’s own Helen Diller playing and singing.
The venue is also a fully functioning event space with a stage setup for live performances and events. You can rent the garage and it can be easily transformed from a retail space into a concert venue or meeting room for any of your rock and roll party gatherings.
So the next time you are passing through Music city make sure to stop in and check out the Gibson Garage to see it live and in person. We highly recommend!