Instrument brand Gibson has opened the Gibson Garage, an 8,000 square foot shop billed as “the ultimate guitar experience,” at Cummins Station on 209 10th Avenue South in the heart of downtown Nashville.
The space is designed as the ultimate location for longtime professional musicians, casual guitarists, beginners and music fans alike. It offers the chance to explore Gibson, Epiphone, Kramer, Mesa Boogie, and KRK instruments and equipmment, try your favorite electric and acoustic guitars, and shop for your guitars, accessories, and surprises.
The Gibson Garage also celebrates the 127-year, generation- and genre-crossing history of Gibson with exclusive, live performances and tapings of the award-winning Gibson TV series. It will also dig deep into history and the stories behind the music with interactive installations and programming.
Photo: Gibson
“The Gibson Garage is the ultimate guitar experience where our past, present and future comes to life for fans and artists right here in Music City,” says James “JC” Curleigh, CEO of Gibson Brands. “This is also our opportunity to contribute to the amazing music and guitar culture that we’ve been a part of for over a century. We can’t wait to share the Gibson Garage with our fans and future fans.”
Adds guitar hero Joe Bonamassa: “The Gibson Garage is the epitome of when the legendary creativity of the original brand perfectly coincides with the vision of the future of the modern electric and acoustic guitar. Congratulations on a job well done.”
Other artists have also offered their thoughts about the arrival of the Gibson Garage in Nashville. Singer-songwriter Maggie Rose says: “You can’t have a guitar town like Nashville without Gibson representing, and they do it with the Garage in an incredibly thoughtful way.
Photo: Gibson
“The space is great for performances and jamming with other Nashville artists or artists passing through town, but the storefront also draws in music lovers from all over the world who come to see the space that delivers the history and a plethora of guitars.”
Singer, songwriter, and producer Celisse adds: “The Gibson Garage is a magical place and elicits the same feeling a deep Disney fan feels walking into Disneyland for the first time. To see all those guitars on the belt and you can reach out and play any guitar of your choosing, it is truly unlike anything I have ever experienced. The Gibson Garage is amazing.”
The Gibson Garage has its own state-of-the-art stage for live and virtual livestreaming concert performances. It combines a modern guitar environment with interactive brand storytelling, a custom shop where you can build your own guitar, and historical and celebrity memorabilia displays.
It also contains a Repair and Restoration Center, and a public retail shopping experience covering Gibson, Gibson Acoustic, Gibson Custom Shop, Epiphone, Kramer, MESA/Boogie, and KRK. In-person visitors also have access to in-store offers on limited edition guitars, instruments, gear, accessories, and exclusive Gibson apparel.
On June 9, the Gibson Garage grand opening was marked by the virtual concert
Gibson Live: A Celebration of Artists to Benefit Gibson Gives, with performances by Warren Haynes, Margo Price, Kip Moore, James Bay, Sergio Vallin of Mana, Lzzy Hale and Joe Hottinger of Halestorm, Marcus King, Orianthi, Samantha Fish, Morgan Wade, Sadler Vaden, Tak Matsumoto, Celisse, Emily Wolfe, Jared James Nichols, Joe Bonamassa, and more.
Gibson Gives is the 501c3 charitable arm of Gibson that supports musicians worldwide and creates and supports other non-profit organizations in their efforts to advance musicians, as well as youth-focused education and wellness initiatives. 100% of donations to the virtual concert are going to MusiCares and Save the Music.