Six Strings

June 1, 2007 4:03 AM

I'm looking for the very best guitar shop in Europe. Where is it?

I'm not interested in standard, "off-the-rack" guitars. I'd like a vintage, hand-made, or "boutique" steel-string acoustic guitar, and I'm willing to pay a fair price for said instrument. (example: 1956 Gibson J-50) I don't want to buy a guitar online. I want to play it, first. I'm in the England, but willing to travel. Thanks in advance.

posted by chuckdarwin to Shopping (6 answers total)

There are many excellent hand-crafted flamenco guitar makers in Spain. I can't help you much with what is the best other than doing the Google searches for you but I did find this site with some impressive and expensive Spanish guitars. It could be a starting point.
posted by JJ86 at 5:22 AM on June 1, 2007

Best answer: This place recently sold a 1967 J-50 so might be worth checking their website from time to time.

Chandlers also has some nice vintage guitars.
posted by gfrobe at 5:29 AM on June 1, 2007 [1 favorite]

In the UK:

Vintage and Rare Guitars in London and Bath probably have the kinds of guitars you are after although their prices may make you wince depending on where you come from.

For more modern "high end" guitars I would go to Guitar Guitar in Newcastle upon Tyne, Edinburgh or Glasgow or Gillan's Guitars in Blairgowrie.
posted by SpacemanRed at 5:37 AM on June 1, 2007

I second, Guitar Village. Lots of secondhand gear to choose from. I don't know if they still do it, but watch out for the 'Manager Goes Mad', a day in August sometime (I think) when they slash the prices on everything.
posted by popcassady at 5:38 AM on June 1, 2007

Come to Northern Ireland and pay George Lowden a visit... link. They are considered among the finest in the world. They are pricey, you would be talking a few thousand pounds for a custom one.
posted by twistedonion at 8:20 AM on June 1, 2007

Response by poster: fixed link for George Lowden
posted by chuckdarwin at 8:35 AM on June 1, 2007