Guitar shops worth the trip in Minneapolis

Crow River Guitar & Sound sits at 600 Babcock Boulevard East in Delano, west of the Twin Cities, and stocks a range of stringed instruments from entry-level to top-of-the-line American-made guitars. The shop offers a personalized retail experience along with repair and setup work and guitar lessons.

LaVonne Music has been family owned and operated since 1969 and has occupied downtown Savage since 1983, at 4841 West 124th Street. The store carries new, used, and vintage guitars, basses, amps, and effects pedals, with the owner known for expertise in vintage guitars.

A busy Lyndale Avenue independent, loud and local since 1997, with a deep new-and-used floor of guitars, amps and pedals plus buy and trade.

A small, owner-run stringed-instrument shop near Minnehaha, dealing in vintage and used guitars, banjos and mandolins. Tight hours, so plan around them.