MUSIC RESOURCES
MUSIC STORES
Earthshaking Music (Lakewood Heights)
648 McDonough Blvd SE, Atlanta, GA 30315
Atlanta Discount Music (Chamblee)
3514 Chamblee Dunwoody Rd, Chamblee, GA 30341
Maple Street Guitars (North Buckhead)
3199 Maple Dr NE, Atlanta, GA 30305
Music Go Round (Duluth) used instruments only
3675 Satellite Blvd
Suite 100 Duluth, GA 30096
SHEET MUSIC / BOOKS
Opus Music (Decatur)
308 W Ponce de Leon Ave # D, Decatur, GA 30030
GUITAR REPAIRS
For in-house repairs at Guitar Shed, please contact Chris Neff at [email protected] If Chris is unable to help you, we recommend the following repair shops…
Intown Guitar Repair (Morningside)
Holgado Guitar Works (Decatur)
Maple Street Guitars (North Buckhead)
AMP / PEDAL REPAIRS
Bakos Amp Works (Little 5 Points)
1091 Euclid Ave NE C, Atlanta, GA 30307
PIANO TUNER
1610 NE Expy NE, Atlanta, GA 30329
PIANO MOVERS
VIOLIN RENTALS
Ponce Spring Lofts, B620 Glen Iris Dr NE #104, Atlanta, GA 30308
BEGINNER INSTRUMENT RECOMMENDATIONS
PIANO/KEYBOARD
Here is a great article about beginner keyboards from our friend Jacob at Sweetwater
And some other keyboards we recommend…
There are also always plenty of acoustic pianos (upright, baby grand, etc.) available on Facebook Marketplace or Craigslist at little or no cost if you are willing to pay for moving and tuning. Acoustic pianos require regular tuning and more maintenance than electronic keyboards.
KIDS GUITARS
Electric
Epiphone 3/4 size Power Players SG
Acoustic Nylon
Acoustic Steel
Luna Aurora Borealis 3/4 Size Acoustic
KIDS BASS GUITARS
Gretsch G2220 Electromatic Junior
TEEN + ADULT GUITARS
Electric
Acoustic Nylon
Acoustic Steel
Yamaha FGX800C Dreadnought Cutaway
TEEN + ADULT BASS GUITARS
GUITAR AMPS
BASS AMPS
UKULELES
Cordoba 20TM-CE Tenor Ukulele (large)
MANDOLIN / BANJO
Below are some recommendations from our teacher Max….
For banjos, I recommend getting the “5-string open-back” variety. They are much easier to hold than the ones with resonators. Here are a couple brands with entry level options that sound good and are easy to play:
For Mandolin, either A or F style is fine. Here are a couple that I would recommend:
KIDS DRUMS
ADULT DRUMS
Note to Students and Parents from our drum teacher Zack….
Here’s a good example of what you’re looking for – complete set with cymbals and hardware (stands). Pretty easy to find on Craigslist or Reverb (like Craigslist but only for musical equipment).
Drumsets are referred to by number of pieces, but the pieces refer to drums only. So a 4-piece kit refers to kick drum, snare drum, mounted tom (aka rack tom), and floor tom. A 5-piece kit typically has two mounted toms. Cymbal setups and drum sizes can vary. Tom sizes will vary and don’t matter too much. Typical kick drum sizes are 20″ or 22″ which is fine for most kids. Small kids do better with an 18″ or 16″ kick drum which are becoming more and more common.
Buying online is your best bet, especially for a used set. Brick and mortar stores sometimes sell used gear, but usually sell drums, cymbals, and hardware separately. Beginner kits with cymbals and hardware included are available, but then you’re paying retail markup for a brand new set. Online, you can often get a better quality/more durable set with cymbals and hardware included for the same or less money.
Brands to look for include Gretsch, Pearl, Ludwig, Tama, DW, Mapex, Yamaha, PDP, Sonor, Ddrum, and Premier. Most of those companies make everything from student models to pro models, so prices will vary widely. Beware of drumsets marketed for kids, they are often glorified toys that won’t stand up to abuse. Better to buy a used set by a known manufacturer than a new one by a knock-off brand. Lookout for dented or torn drumheads, cracked cymbals, and stands that don’t adjust properly (screws stripped, parts bent, etc). These are either deal-breakers or price leverage, as you’ll have to replace them.
