Guitar shops worth the trip in Phoenix

Running on 7th Ave since 1976, and Phoenix New Times credits owner Bob Turner with one of the best eyes for great used gear in the business. The wall skews rarer and higher-budget than the average used selection — this is the shop to make the trip for when you are after the piece the chains never stock, so come with a number in mind.

Twenty-five to thirty minutes north of Scottsdale, far enough out that it has to be a deliberate trip rather than a detour. The authorized dealerships are what make it one: McPherson and Magnatone, both genuinely difficult to get hands on anywhere else in the state.

Al Lieberman left a business career to build what listings across the trade call the largest collection of vintage and pre-owned guitars in Arizona, with master luthier Sherlin Gerhart handling work on site. One caveat worth knowing before the drive: the shop’s own website is a broken placeholder, which reads as closed but isn’t. Third-party listings are current and the store is active — call ahead.

An anonymous gray building in Mesa holds somewhere between 500 and 700 vintage instruments stacked floor to ceiling, sourced nationally by Joe Dampt. There is no signage and no walk-in trade — appointments only, and the rule is not bent. KJZZ profiled the operation after a ‘54 Strat left the building for $69,000. Nothing else in the Valley works like this.

Opened in 2016 by a former construction worker who pivoted into retail, this Guadalupe Road storefront carries a deep used inventory without the boutique markup that usually comes with it. Reviewers report driving in from other states and up from Mexico for the selection and the no-nonsense pricing.

Three certified luthiers, Martin certified warranty repair, and a Taylor service center make this the Valley’s acoustic specialist by some distance. Walk in to browse; the repair bench runs by appointment.

A full-line music store on Main Street in downtown Mesa, carrying guitars alongside band and orchestral instruments and accessories, with rentals, repair and lessons under one roof. The draw is breadth of general stock rather than a curated vintage or boutique wall, so it earns a stop more than a special trip.

Repair, restoration, and custom wiring are the draw, with luthier Riley Kilian singled out repeatedly for honest work at honest prices. The retail floor is curated rather than large. Treat it as a bench first and a shop second.