Gruhn Guitars

Last updated

Gruhn Guitars is a musical instrument store located in Nashville. Founded in 1970 by George Gruhn, an expert on vintage American guitars and related instruments, Gruhn Guitars is known as a mecca for professional musicians and well-heeled collectors of vintage musical instruments. [1]

Contents

History

George Gruhn began collecting and selling vintage American guitars while attending college, eventually establishing himself in the folk festival circuit. Gruhn attracted the attention of country music legend Hank Williams Jr., who became a customer and eventually encouraged Gruhn to open a vintage guitar store in Nashville. [2] [3]

On January 2, 1970, Gruhn opened the business with an inventory of 22 instruments in a 20 x 40 foot space at 111 4th Avenue North, [4] in what was then a rundown section of downtown Nashville's Lower Broadway district, next to the stage door of the Ryman Auditorium, the home of the Grand Ole Opry. The store was originally named GTR, which stood for George Gruhn, business partner Tut Taylor and employee Randy Wood.

The store became known as a mecca for professional musicians and well-heeled collectors of vintage musical instruments, including such notable artists as Duane Allman, Mark Knopfler, Robert Plant, Sturgill Simpson, Joe Bonamassa, Eric Clapton, Billy Gibbons, and Rick Nielsen. [3] Vintage pre-owned instruments comprise a large portion of the store's inventory, which also includes new instruments from both mainstream manufacturers and independent luthiers.

The store garnered national attention after Visa featured it in 1992 in a TV commercial. [5]

On December 31, 2006, Garrison Keillor visited Gruhn Guitars with Vince Gill for his New Year's Show at Ryman Auditorium for PBS' Great Performances . Gill told a story about buying some of his guitars at Gruhn's.

In 2013, the shop relocated to a larger space at 2120 8th Avenue South. [6]

Related Research Articles

<i>Grand Ole Opry</i> Country music concert in Nashville, Tennessee, US

The Grand Ole Opry is a weekly American country music stage concert in Nashville, Tennessee, founded on November 28, 1925, by George D. Hay as a one-hour radio "barn dance" on WSM. Currently owned and operated by Opry Entertainment, it is the longest-running radio broadcast in US history. Dedicated to honoring country music and its history, the Opry showcases a mix of famous singers and contemporary chart-toppers performing country, bluegrass, Americana, folk, and gospel music as well as comedic performances and skits. It attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors from around the world and millions of radio and internet listeners.

Luthier Craftsman of string musical instruments

A luthier is a craftsperson who builds or repairs string instruments that have a neck and a sound box. The word "luthier" is originally French and comes from the French word for lute. The term was originally used for makers of lutes, but it came to be used already in French for makers of most bowed and plucked stringed instruments such as members of the violin family and guitars. Luthiers, however, do not make harps or pianos; these require different skills and construction methods because their strings are secured to a frame.

Ryman Auditorium United States historic place

Ryman Auditorium is a 2,362-seat live-performance venue located at 116 Rep. John Lewis Way North, in Nashville, Tennessee. It is best known as the home of the Grand Ole Opry from 1943 to 1974. It is owned and operated by Ryman Hospitality Properties, Inc. Ryman Auditorium was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1971 and was later designated as a National Historic Landmark on June 25, 2001, for its pivotal role in the popularization of country music.

Old Crow Medicine Show Americana string band based in Tennessee

Old Crow Medicine Show is an Americana string band based in Nashville, Tennessee, that has been recording since 1998. They were inducted into the Grand Ole Opry on September 17, 2013. Their ninth album, Remedy, released in 2014, won the Grammy Award for Best Folk Album. The group's music has been called old-time, folk, and alternative country. Along with original songs, the band performs many pre-World War II blues and folk songs.

Orville Gibson Founder of the Gibson Guitar Company (1856–1918)

Orville H. Gibson was a luthier who founded the Gibson Guitar Company in Kalamazoo, Michigan in 1902, makers of guitars, mandolins and other instruments.

Joe Bonamassa American musician (born 1977)

Joseph Leonard Bonamassa is an American blues rock guitarist, singer and songwriter. He started his career at age 12, when he opened for B.B. King. Since 2000, Bonamassa has released 15 solo albums through his independent record label J&R Adventures, of which 11 have reached number 1 on the Billboard Blues chart.

Hamer Guitars Electric guitar manufacturer

Hamer Guitars was an American manufacturer of electric guitars founded in 1973, in Wilmette, Illinois, by vintage guitar shop owners Paul Hamer and Jol Dantzig. The company's early instruments featured guitar designs based on the Gibson Explorer and Gibson Flying V (Vector), before adding more traditional Gibson-inspired designs such as the Sunburst. Hamer Guitars is generally considered the first "boutique" vintage-style electric guitar brand that specifically catered to professional musicians, and was the first guitar manufacturer to produce a 12 string bass guitar.

<i>Neil Young: Heart of Gold</i> 2006 American film

Neil Young: Heart of Gold is a 2006 American documentary/concert film by Jonathan Demme, featuring Neil Young. It documents Young's premiere of his songs from his album Prairie Wind at the Ryman Auditorium.

Mandolin Brothers is a musical instrument shop in New York City.

Broadway (Nashville, Tennessee) Entertainment district and major thoroughfare

Broadway is a major thoroughfare in the downtown area in Nashville, Tennessee. It includes Lower Broadway, an entertainment district renowned for honky tonks and live country music. The street is also home to retail shops, restaurants, dessert spots, tourist attractions, and a few hotels.

Robert Benedetto American luthier of archtop jazz guitars

Robert Benedetto is an American luthier of archtop jazz guitars. In 1968, he made his first archtop guitar in New Jersey and has handcrafted nearly 850 musical instruments. His guitars appear on many recordings, videos, and TV and film soundtracks, and have been featured in books, magazines and museums.

Vintage Guitar is an American magazine that focuses on vintage and classic guitars, amplifiers, effects, and related equipment, as well as notable guitarists from all genres and eras. The publication's feature stories and monthly columns cover a diverse range of topics by contributors, including some of the biggest names in the industry and renowned authorities like Dan Erlewine, George Gruhn, Wolf Marshall, Richard Smith, and Seymour W. Duncan, as well as some of the best-known writers in the field, including Pete Prown, Walter Carter, Dan Forte, Dave Hunter, Rich Kienzle, Michael Dregni, John Peden, Greg Prato, and others.

Elderly Instruments American musical instrument retailer

Elderly Instruments is a musical instrument retailer in Lansing, Michigan, United States, with a reputation as a "megastore", a repair shop and a locus for folk music including bluegrass and "twang". Specializing in fretted instruments, including acoustic and electric guitars, banjos, mandolins, and ukuleles, Elderly maintains a selection of odd or rare instruments. Elderly is known as a premier repair shop for fretted instruments, as one of the larger vintage instrument dealers in the United States, and as a major dealer of Martin guitars in particular.

George Gruhn is a writer, businessman and ophiophilist, born in New York on August 21, 1945. He is an expert on vintage American guitars and related instruments. He opened Gruhn Guitars in Nashville, Tennessee, in 1970 and has sold guitars to musicians such as Eric Clapton, Brad Paisley, Lyle Lovett, Emmylou Harris, Billy Gibbons, Rick Nielsen, Vince Gill, John Hiatt, and Hank Williams, Jr. Vintage Guitar magazine described his store as a "landmark" and a "mecca" for fans of collectible electric and acoustic guitars." He is also the author of several books on the subject.

Vintage guitar

A vintage guitar is an older guitar usually sought after and maintained by avid collectors or musicians. The term may indicate either that an instrument is merely old, or that is sought after for its tonal quality, cosmetic appearance, or historical significance.

Collings Guitars

Collings Guitars is an Austin, Texas based stringed instrument manufacturer. The company was founded in 1973 by Bill Collings. In 2008 it was called "one of the most recognized and respected names amongst aficionados of modern acoustic instruments". Their acoustic guitars have been highly regarded for decades. In addition to acoustic guitars they also make electric guitars, archtop guitars, mandolins, and ukuleles.

Vintage musical equipment

Vintage musical equipment is older music gear, including instruments, amplifiers and speakers, sound recording equipment and effects pedals, sought after, maintained and used by record producers, audio engineers and musicians who are interested in historical music genres. While any piece of equipment of sufficient age can be considered vintage, in the 2010s the term is typically applied to instruments and gear from the 1970s and earlier. Guitars, amps, pedals, electric keyboards, sound recording equipment from the 1950s to 1970s are particularly sought. Musical equipment from the 1940s and prior eras is often expensive, and sought out mainly by museums or collectors.

Gruhn is a surname of notable people, including:

References

  1. Alan di Perna, "George Gruhn: Nashville's Vintage Guru," Guitar Aficionado, Winter 2011.
  2. Makos, Jeff (August 1996). "Would You Buy A Used Guitar From This Man?". The University of Chicago Magazine. The University of Chicago. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  3. 1 2 Silverman, Jack (11 July 2013). "George Gruhn discusses his early days on Lower Broadway and his new Eighth Avenue location". nashvillescene.com. Nashville Scene. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  4. Vinnicombe, Chris (14 April 2016). "Interview: George Gruhn - Guitar George". guitar.com. NME Networks Media Limited. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  5. Beckett, Paul (12 April 1999). "Businesses Drop Green Card, Appear In Visa Ad, Return After Free Boost". wsj.com. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 15 July 2022.
  6. "Gruhn Guitars Reopens at New Location". premierguitar.com. Retrieved 17 April 2019.