So you’re looking to buy a guitar in the Boston area. With world class music schools like Berklee College Of Music and New England Conservatory right in the heart of the city, you might assume that we’d be full to the brim with stores selling guitars. You’re stepping over their massive inventories of telecasters and Les Pauls that are haphazardly spilling out into the streets, forcing you to navigate an obstacle course of guitar necks while you’re just trying to get an iced coffee from Dunkin’ on the way back to your parked car in Harvard Yard. And now it has a ticket, because you can’t park a car there, actually, and it took you too long to get back to it after you braved that odyssey.

But the truth is, there’s only a handful of shops worth your time battling traffic on Massachusetts Avenue. Thankfully, we here at Loudlands have the local insight to clue you in on where to buy a guitar in Boston. So, fret not! Or, maybe fret a lot, since you’re looking for a guitar. First, let’s talk budget.

How Much Should You Spend On A Guitar?

When buying your first guitar, you're faced with a dilemma. You want an instrument that will make you feel inspired, excited to practice, and not spend time wondering if something about the build quality is holding you back. But, you also don't want to rack up a bunch of credit card debt while you're still exploring the early phase of your learning. If you’re a beginner buying your first guitar, you should be prepared to spend $350 on an instrument from brands like Yamaha, Squier, Epiphone, or Ibanez.

If you’re picking out your second or tenth guitar, you should be looking at instruments in the $600-1200 range. While they are usually labeled mid-tier, guitars in this price range have graced stages of all sizes worldwide. An instrument in this range will have sturdier build quality, and, if maintained properly, will last you a lifetime. If you look for a used instrument, you may be able to find guitars of this quality for $500-1000.

Finally, if you’re fully invested in guitar playing, you can acquire professional level guitars for anything from $1400-5000. This is an incredibly wide range, and incorporates everything from assembly line Fender and Gibson guitars to one of a kind custom, hand built instruments. The used market for these instruments runs in a similar range to the new, and could even be higher, if you’re looking for a vintage instrument.

What To Look For When Buying A Guitar

Whether you’re buying a new or used guitar, there’s a few things to look for while you’re shopping. If you’re a beginner, it’s best to bring an experienced friend who plays to help you out.

If you’re shopping for an acoustic guitar, make sure it feels good to play immediately. Maintenance and repair of acoustic guitars is more costly and difficult than electric guitars, so if you get an acoustic that needs work, it will be a longer journey to getting it in good shape. An electric guitar usually has hardware that helps fix issues a little more easily, like movable bridge saddles and adjustable height. First, check that every fret plays a note when the guitar is tuned up. If you notice any frets that don’t sound no matter how hard you press, or even repeat notes from previous frets, that guitar will need some fret work. For electric guitars, plug into an amplifier and check that all the electronics work as expected. Are the knobs scratchy sounding? Do the switches work easily? Is the output jack loose and wiggly? For acoustics, check intonation by tuning the guitar, then playing 12th fret harmonics. Are they in tune as well? Intonation is a concern on electric guitars as well, but is more easily fixable than on acoustics.

Ok, now you’re ready to get shopping. But where should you go?

Mr. Music

Located directly outside Loudlands at 128 Harvard Avenue in Allston, MA, Mr. Music is the perfect place to grab some supplies before or after your lesson! This shop has been slinging guitars since 1973, and even got in on the online selling game early enough to purchase the domain name www.coolguitars.com. With a wide array of new and used instruments that are well cared for and properly set up, you can be confident you’re getting a quality guitar from this local Boston mainstay. They are registered dealers for a slew of brands like Fender, Paul Reed Smith, Ovation, Jackson, Guild, Takamine, Rickenbacker, Yamaha, and even some budget brands like Jay Turser and Samick. On top of that, they have a sizable selection of amplifiers and pedals, both vintage and new, if you’re the electric guitar type. Mr. Music specializes in the kind of guitars you might want if you play rock, blues, folk, or indie music, and caters to everyone from beginners to professionals.

Mr. Music offers guitars for nearly any type of player at any price range. If you’re a funk, pop, or indie player looking for a single coil equipped electric guitar, a singer/songwriter in the market for a high quality acoustic guitar, or even a humbucker loving hard rocker, odds are you’ll find something to your liking at Mr. Music. Try the 2 hour parking lot across the street if you drive in - finding street parking on Harvard Avenue is best described as a lawless free for all.

Guitar Stop

Located in Cambridge, MA, just across the street from the Porter Square stop via the MBTA’s Red Line, Guitar Stop is a cozy space offering piles of Fender, Squier, and Gretsch electric guitars, as well as Fender, Yamaha, and Cordoba acoustics. The Cordoba stock here is one of the few places you can try out classical style nylon string acoustic guitars, so stop in if you’re looking to get your Bach on.

If you’re a fan of Fender, their budget brand subsidiary Squier is on full display at Guitar Stop. You can grab some of the cheapest new guitars here, with some as low as $249.99.

Guitar Stop has been family owned since 1962 and offers lessons, repairs, and all the accessories and necessities that you’ll find yourself needing over the course of your playing career. If you’re trying out your first instrument, or lean towards classical, indie, pop, funk, or R&B, Guitar Stop could be the place for you. Check them out at 1760 Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge, MA, or view their inventory on their website.

Carlino Guitars

If you’re the type that likes a bit more edge in your music, Carlino Guitars will have the pointy flying V guitars of your dreams. With brands like ESP, LTD, Jackson, Ibanez, EVH, and Charvel on hand, this Medford, MA shop located at 135 Mystic Avenue has been a destination for Boston area shredders looking for their next instrument. Owned and operated by Eddie Carlino, Carlino Guitars isn’t just a guitar store - he also builds full custom guitars for artists like Ace Frehely, Rick Nielsen, and others, as well as hand made custom guitar straps.

Carlino Guitars caters to the mid to professional tier of guitarist - you should expect to spend between $600-1500 on an intermediate quality instrument, or $1700-4000 for a high quality or custom, if you walk in here looking for your next guitar. Carlino Guitars also offers repairs, and even custom laser engraving for anything guitar related. You can view his stock of instruments and fancy straps on the Carlino Guitars website.

Guitar Center Fenway

Finally, we come to the behemoth in the heart of the city. For sheer options, you cannot beat Guitar Center. They simply have the largest space and the largest inventory, so if you’re looking to be spoiled for choice, the Guitar Center location near Fenway Park should be your first pick. While it lacks the charm and care you would find in the small businesses mentioned above, the staff will be happy to let you try out anything in the store, and it’s a short walk from the Kenmore stop on the Green Line.

The variety is so high you may be able to find some hidden gems priced lower than you’d expect if you seek out some of the used guitars peppered throughout the store. In particular, check out the wall just outside the “premium room” near the back of the first floor - that seems to be the holding area for the more unusual stuff that isn’t as easily appraised, or things that have just come in. Browsing the inventory before you walk in is a bit trickier - you’ll have to navigate to the Guitar Center website and set the Fenway store as your store.

Pawn Shops

While these certainly wouldn’t be the first place to look, you CAN sometimes find a good deal at the various pawn shops around Boston. These instruments will likely have little to no care given to making sure they’re player-ready, and the inventory at each store will be constantly changing. But, if you don’t mind that, or are the deal-hunter type, and you know what you’re looking for in a guitar, you might get lucky at places like Empire Loan (with locations in Boston, Lynn, and Stoughton) or Cash Point (with locations in Revere and Medford). This is similar to just scrolling Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist - usually not exciting, but every once in a while, you might find a gem.

Where To Buy A Guitar In Boston