The Classical Guitar Store

Very friendly staff! Taught me a lot about classical guitars and give me the opportunity to play lots of them in my quest to find the one that suited me best! Highly recommended!

I can’t say enough good things about this store. It is small, but cozy. I went in to purchase my very first classical guitar — my very first real guitar really. I knew I was interested in fingerstyle, either classical or flamenco. I told the gentleman (Bill) there that I really didn’t know much about guitars, and that I couldn’t even play (but had a teacher lined up). He spent about an hour and a half playing guitar after guitar, going back and forth until I found the one I thought sounded the most lovely to my ear. He also took his time to talk about myths/​facts I had heard, taking time to demonstrate what people were talking about (things like the sound of spruce vs maple soundboards). Everything he did he did with a mind to my price range. Their prices beat the pants off of amazon and guitar center too for all solid wood classical guitars. Even if they didn’t, the service would have made it worth patronizing their store. Really fantastic experience. Not a day has gone by that I haven’t played my guitar since buying it there. It just sounds too beautiful to walk buy and not play a few arpeggios. Thank you so much for a fantastic experience!
For folks going here, ask questions. The staff know what they’re talking about. They focus almost exclusively on classical guitars (the name should be a giveaway). They have some minor accessories like metronomes, tuners, humidifiers, hygrometers, strings, etc. Don’t expect cheap yamaha composite guitars. Because of this, it may not be the best place for little kids who have a habit of grabbing things because these instruments could easily be damaged (classical guitars are more fragile than steel string guitars — they have no truss rod to fix minor problems with the neck and are designed to have much thinner walls and soundboards so they resonate more and sound louder for performance). So far as I know, everything they sell is high quality, solid wood, and they all sound wonderful.

Spectacular selection of beautiful, handmade classical guitars. Every time I have visited this store, it is as if I have been transported to the dusty balcony of a Spanish villa where one’s concerns are are far more baroque than pentatonic. The quiet gentlemen who care for this establishment are patient and willing to provide a wealth of knowledge on the gorgeous guitars they sell. Lessons are available and your potential is unlimited when armed with one of these «axes!»

Ever since my beloved capo got stolen (a.k.a. what happens when you leave your guitar in the hands of people whom you don’t necessarily know too well), I was a lost soul without it. Unfortunately there are not many legitimate MUSIC stores (that don’t just sell CDs, tapes, records, etc.; rather instruments and music supplies) in Center City, so I was overjoyed to come across the Classical Guitar Store at 20^th and Sansom. The store focuses mainly on selling classical guitars and offering lessons as well as promoting the performances of local classical guitarists, most of whom are members of the Philadelphia Classical Guitar Society. However, they do carry a small selection of accoutrements, and I was able to find a capo that suited my preferences, with the help of a very friendly associate whose name I unfortunately forgot. Should I ever be in a jam like this again or have a guitarist friend in need of resources, this shop will be first on my list!