Historic RCA Studio B

While staying in Nashville, I had heard that for music enthusiasts, it was worth taking the time to visit RCA Studio B. I purchased a platinum pass from the Country Music Hall Of Fame which included admission to the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, an audio tour and a guided tour of RCA’s Studio B for about 40 bucks. The tour guide was helpful, funny and very knowledgeable. The studio was a time warp back to the days before auto-​tune and boy bands. In the studio, the famed 1940 Steinway piano that was used by Elvis — among others has not left the room since he recorded there. I was lucky enough to sit at the piano and play a quick tune during my visit.
If you are a fan of all music, particularly Country Music, you will enjoy a rich historical tour of the «house» Chet Atkins built.

I’ll be honest. I was actually a little bummed when my in laws showed interest in adding this tour onto our trip to the country music hall of fame but boy am I glad they did!
First of all, our tour guide, George, was incredibly knowledgeable of the music history of this place. You could tell he has such a passion for his job. He was very friendly and funny. And what a memory! Not just for the history pertaining to the studio, but he remembered some of our names and where we were from long after we got on the bus. He made everyone feel very welcomed and had us involved in the tour. I am so glad he was our guide.
It was so cool to learn about the history of the studio and to be in the same room as legends such as Elvis Presley and Dolly Parton. Heard some pretty wild stories about Elvis. I guess that’s not hard to believe though!
Throughout the tour, George played clips of songs from different decades and the sound in there was killer! I guess that should be the case for a studio but it was the first one I had ever been inside of.
The only reason I’m leaving 4 stars instead of 5 is because this is really a tour you would probably need to only take once.

Studio B was my favorite part of my entire trip to Nashville. I really enjoyed learning more about Elvis (among many other artists) and hearing some very intimate recordings. It’s the most personal experience I’ve ever had on a tour. It’s almost spiritual being in there. I would love to record something there someday.

This might be the best tour in Nashville! The tour is run through the Country Music Hall of Fame and I would highly recommend it to anyone. I’m not the biggest country music fan in the world but I know of these musicians. I learned so much about their lives it was well worth it. To think that so many famous singers recorded in this famous studio and here I am standing there was quite a thrill. We had a very knowledgable tour guide who made our tour more enjoyable. Don’t miss this one!

If you’re a fan of older country music or Elvis Presley, this tour is perfect for you. There’s a ton of history in the Historic RCA Studio B and you’ll get your fill.
My issue is that even though this is called the Historic RCA Studio B, the tour guides very briefly mention the names of current artists who’ve used the studio and that’s it. There’s absolutely no mention of what works were done there by current artists. Maybe I’m wrong but «Historic» refers to the fact that the building is old, not that only old artists should be discussed on the tour.

If you’re a fan of music and history, this is your place! This place is owned and operated by the Country Music Hall of Fame and you can take a guided tour as part of your visit to the Hall, they have a shuttle to take you there and back. It was interesting to hear all the stories about this place and gain insight into the recording process. Our tour guide, Anita, was obviously a music fan and the tour was filled with classic samples of songs and rare outtakes. This place Operated from 1957 – 77 and over 35,000 songs were recorded here. This is basically the house that Elvis built, he recorded here until 1971. Something to be said standing in the same room where such talented performers and engineers worked to produce such wonderful music!

What a very cool place to visit/​tour. It was our first day as tourist in Nashville — what a treat! Seeing and hearing so much history on Elvis and how Studio B came to B! It was also special sitting in the room where Elvis made history and where 1,000 songs came out of that studio has top hits on the charts!
Wish we just had a little time to take photos — didn’t want to take any while the tour guide’s spoke the whole time. But, she was an excellent guide!

Would highly recommend this tour ~ only lasts about 1 hr. from start to finish ~ if you have never seen a recording studio or know a great deal about how music is made ~ this is a really nice tour ~ Ron was our tour guide ~ did a really nice job of educating us on recording at the studio as well as various artists ~ very passionate about the tour!!! Thanks Ron ~ we did purchase our tickets ahead of time online ~ the «platinum package» — included the museum + audio + tour ~ $ 40 a person ~ I would recommend this route ~ no waiting in lines or problems with tour ~ friendly staff! Very enjoyable day!

I didn’t know what to expect, but I loved everything about this tour. In a day and age where everything is crisp and modern, I was charmed by the fact that everything about this building felt like stepping back into the 50’s. The tour felt like the best possible type of time travel.
The tour is about an hour and departs from the Country Music Hall of Fame. Don’t buy food or coffee to take with because they are very strict about it not coming on the bus or in the studio (for good reason).
You’ll begin with history of the studio and snippets of music played by the giants of the industry who recorded there and then move into the studio itself.
The highlights are definitely going into the actual studio and sitting where many famous people have sat (Elvis’s favorite piano, really?!) all while hearing all about how songs were recorded as well as standing where many have stood before. I left with a whole new appreciation of country music and of Elvis (who was quite the hottie in his younger years-don’t miss the great photo in the entry area)!

My visit to the Country Music Hall of Fame was a surprising highlight from my time in Nashville. Even though I’m not the biggest Country Music fan, I found the exhibits and memorabilia of the museum fascinating. Of all the Country Music taken in that day my favourite was a side trip touring RCA Studio B — best known for recording over 260 Elvis Presley songs.
Get on the Bus
Our optional tour started with a raspy guide ushering us onto a bus outside of the Country Music Hall of Fame. We were reminded several times that the bus was leaving at 10:30 and was sequentially threatened to be left behind if we weren’t on it. They run a tight ship in Nashville people and touring RCA Studio B is no exception!
Our guide’s firmness let up once we got going (somewhat) as she shared fascinating tidbits on Music City and the studio we were about to tour. In the lobby of the RCA Studio B we were given an impressive history lesson before she questioned the
group on which artists we would like to hear more about. With so many artists and such little time, the guide could only say so much. From Roy Orbison to Dolly Parton and the King himself, the list of artists that have recorded in Studio B is as long as it is impressive. I got goose bumps just thinking about this. Famous hits such as Only the Lonely and Jolene were crafted within these walls. Shivers continued as we were told interesting story after interesting story on Roy Orbison, Dolly Parton, and Charley Pride — the three artists selected by the group. This lady knew her stuff and shared these stories while the very songs the artists recorded in the studio played overhead. Very nice touch.
Whole Lotta Shivers Going on
After the impressive list of artists and songs we continued touring RCA Studio B by taking a seat inside the recording floor. In one corner, a vintage piano that Elvis and his band played. Opposite end of that were the old movable walls used to dampen sound, vintage guitar amps, and rare wooded xylophones. At then end of the room was the recording equipment used to create gold. Of all the music history memorabilia in that room, my personal favourite was a little blue X on the floor marking the very spot where Elvis would lay down his velvety vocals.
Are you Lonesome?
After one last story on editing Elvis’s accidental head-​butt to a microphone on the 1960 hit «Are you Lonesome Tonight?» (have a listen for it!), we were treated to the song in its entirety… in the dark. You see Elvis was having a hard time finding the right mood lighting for the take and ended up recording it with the lights off, which resulted in the best version of the day — head-​butt and all. I closed my eyes for added effect and was instantly revisited by the goose bumps and chills I experienced in lobby.
In and Out
The song ended, the lights came on, and our time touring RCA Studio B wrapped up. Although I would’ve loved some time to snap more pictures, we were scurried out before the next group came through the doors. Take this as a lesson, for those touring RCA Studio B, be sure to get your pictures while the guide is talking as you will not be given any time to wander around! The tech nerd in me did take advantage of what little time we had and got some pictures of some seriously vintage gear:
Time restrictions aside, touring RCA Studio B was one of my favourite attractions while visiting Nashville. It is more than worth the extra ticket price at the Country Music Hall of Fame, Elvis fan or not. On a practical note, book your spot ahead of time as this is one of the hottest tickets in town… and don’t be late!
For more see my full review on
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Omg, so amazing and such a great experience. Well worth the time and money. Our guide Ron was a delight and very knowledgable. I think it’s the kind of place you could visit multiple times and still learn something, and to stand in Elvis Presley’s footsteps. How do you put a price on that?

This is a must do for all music history buffs and music lovers in general… we really enjoyed hearing all the insider stories and facts and being in the same space that so many great performers have been over the years… we had already visited Sun Records in Memphis so this felt like we were finishing the story we had begun there.

Fun. DO IT!

Must do if you’re a country music lover and you’re here for a visit. Came here with my hubby and parents. Though not all of us are into country music we had a great time at the tour getting to know more about the famous artists who recorded at studio b. Our tour guide Ron was fantastic and he paced everything nicely so it didn’t feel like we were rushed. His voice was loud and clear and he could answer all our questions!

You have to do this place once…
The tour guides are awesome and know their stories well…
The history of this place is simply amazing and it feels so cool to be standing in the studio where Elvis Presley and others have recorded music.
Do this tour!

A Must– Do if you’re a music lover and visiting Nashville as a tourist!
We upgraded our membership the audio for a couple of bucks more (but save those couple of bucks) and do the package so you can visit the Museum too. It’s always great to embrace a little bit of history and expand the appreciation for music. On our tour we got to learn a little bit about how artists started their music lines and we listened to a clip of each song. Then we sat in the studio where Elvis recorded and got to touch and have opportunities to take pictures of the piano. My favorite part about the tour was how they kept everything authentic. Learning more about Dolly Parton and hearing the beautiful songs of country music was touching. I wouldn’t hesistate to think about going on this tour and visiting the studio, it’s worth it!

All I can say is «wow!» This tour is worth every penny. Our tour guide was phenomenal, his breadth of knowledge was praise-​worthy. Go on the weekend so you can definitely tour the recording room where Elvis recorded many albums. If you love music (not just country), you should definitely add this to your places to visit in Nashville. Even my ten year old son was enthralled. Loved it.

Checking into Historic RCA Studio B is basically like informing all Unilocalers that you paid extra for touring an additional exhibit at the Country Music Hall of Fame. I guess they couldn’t exactly break it down and rebuild it inside the museum; so they decided to charge you an extra $ 10 to drive you over there so you could see it. Like most things in Nashville, I find that everything is over priced. Thank goodness there’s no tax and gas is cheap. Yeeee Haw! This must be a Republican’s dream out there! I’m surprised that so many country singers, in contrast to their fans, choose to live out here for this reason. Guess it goes to show, no matter how much money you make, it never feels like it’s enough. But hey, I don’t really care for involuntarily offering the government an interest-​free loan either. Especially when it’s clear in the city of Chicago, that they do not know how to effectively use that money.
Anyway, this isn’t a dissertation on taxes vs. government spending. I honestly felt like this tour was the best part of visiting the Country Music Hall of Fame. It was nice to sit at the 1942 piano Elvis recorded his music. My travel partner couldn’t have felt more honored to be there. Everyone who was on the tour that played piano fought the urge to bust out in song. They would gently press a few keys, and then leave it be to pose for a photo. Perhaps they just felt the need to affirm to the rest of the room that they deserved a little extra time to sit there. Funny how none of them chose anything to perform by Elvis or Dolly Parton.
Most of the studio tour is eaten up by playing original studio tracks from some of the first artists to record there. Listening to Roy Orbison was by far my favorite. I always thought his music was incredible; and his taste in eyewear impeccable. Other than that I think everyone felt a little awkward just standing there listening to music. Perhaps if more of the tourists had been drunk, more people would have danced. Unfortunately the tour guide didn’t play the entire song. I think he could also sense that all of us were feeling a little cheated. Our time there was limited, I’m sure.
While we were sitting in the recording room with the piano, the tour guide did take a moment to give us a history lesson on what it was like to «lay down tracks» at the time. It was all about making sure that everyone simultaneously was able to run through the song; instead of today where every musician plays their part and the song is edited together later. None of this was all that surprising to me. Elvis liked to record his music after midnight; which didn’t surprise me either. What I did find amusing, and a little cheesy, was that Elvis liked to record his songs with different colored lighting. I wondered if this was actually true. It’s like, «Ok guys, I am performing a sad love song so I need my blue lighting to put myself in the mood.» Last, I think what really pulled me into the whole experience was the historical smell of the studio. All old buildings get that antique odor which encapsulates the very definition of history. This is the door that opens my imagination; and to where the tour guide’s words become images inside my mind. Today, some famous artists will visit Studio B to actually record songs of their own. They want to experience the nostalgia while making their own mark on history. Visiting The Country Music Hall of Fame is not worth the time unless you pay the upcharge to see this studio. Don’t forget to ask to see the barely visible crack in the wall outside in the parking lot. Apparently Dolly Parton can’t drive. No one really saw anything except for the tourists that were really looking forward to seeing it.

Others have said it already. Worth every penny and then some. The museum is amazing too. Our tour guide was great (i think her name was Amber).
Don’t miss this if you are in Nashville!

Tickets must be purchased at the Country Music Hall of Fame as part of a package that also gives admission to the Hall of Fame. You then meet at the exact time of your tour in the Hall of Fame lobby and are driven via bus to the studio. The bus ride is narrated by the guide. My guide to this was absolutely amazing. Ron. He was a wealth of information and the best part is he loves his job. The whole first bit of the tour was him standing with us in the old reception area of the studio going through all the pictures on the walls telling stories about the singers who recorded there and playing snippets of their songs. We saw the control room for Studio D and Studio D itself then also got to go into Studio B as it was not in use today (this is an active studio). Picture taking is allowed, though the place doesn’t lend itself to the best shots. Regardless the history here is steep — the piano Elvis played is here, and you can play it too! This tour ranked as one of the top items on my trip.