Dan's Chelsea Guitars is near SVA in Chelsea. It's also near the old Hotel Chelsea, as I recall (which has since been renovated). I just love this business. It kind of has an old school NYC vibe you don't see as much these days. The people who work there are very friendly and knowledgeable. They provide background info on any guitar you inquire about. I definitely want to go back during my next NYC visit. read more

I play the guitar for fun. I had my guitar for 40 years and it needed a complete tune up. I brought it into Dan's Chelsea Guitars. People are nice and friendly. The little shop has a great old Chelsea vibe unlike the big guitar store that feels impersonal. They did a great job and they were fast and reasonably priced. My old guitar is like new again and plays read more

Dan's Chelsea Guitars - Guitar - Guitar Stores Near Me - New York, New York

If you're looking for a guitar or need a repair, Chelsea Guitars has you covered. The staff is very kind and knowledgeable. The store has been in business for almost 30 years and predominantly sells vintage guitars. The owner, Dan, is the nicest guy you'll ever meet and the head repair tech, Dean, might as well be a guitar wizard. I don't understand why anyone would write a negative review on this business, this is the best vintage guitars store in the city! read more

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Great shop! Super friendly, approachable staff. They tuned up my electric and acoustic for a good price and both guitars are good as new. Highly recommend. read more

I purchased a Fender Custom Shop '55 Esquire a few weeks ago from Chelsea Guitars and I couldn't be happier. Good communication, they answered all of my questions, and the guitar was well packed for the shipping to Phoenix. Next time I'm in NYC I will stop in and thank them personally! read more

Dan's Chelsea Guitars - Fender Custom Shop '55 Esquire - Guitar Stores Near Me - New York, New York

So Ive been to this store twice and bought nothing. Not bc of anything negative. Just didn't have what I was looking for at the time. HOWEVER, It must be noted that im a guitar gear GAS (Google it) suffering musician and on the two times I have been here I was treated very well. Had all my questions answered, never pressured to buy anything and given names of other local guitar stores to find what I was looking for. On my second visit I was trying to sell a few solid state amps , Dan (who has no idea who I am) kindly declined to buy but once I told him what I would trade for it immediately got on the phone and found someone who had what I wanted for trade and would take the amps off my hands. In this world of the dying local guitar store, places like this are a rare gem. I think it's important to keep places like this in buisness. While I have a Luthier that I've been using for a while I will be bringing in my favorite guitar for a setup bc I want to support this store and a big THANK YOU to Dan for helping me accomplish a simple trade that will boost my guitar rig and hopefully make someone else happy too. read more

I love this store and spend a lot of time in here! The repair guy (Craig) is kick ass - he puts the awesome in a setup, the owner is hilarious and the store manager is HOT! Even if you're not a musician, it is still an awesome place to stop in. Danny (owner) has a lot of interesting items, and the store has many interesting NYC crazy characters. Go. There. Now. Or risk being totally "uncool" read more

Dan's Chelsea Guitars - Guitar Stores Near Me - New York, New York

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I've been doing business with Dan since they opened in the 1980s. Dan is one of the best people I know to do business with. Always helpful,knowledgeable,and honest. I've sold him many items, from guitar pedals to high end vintage guitars. Dan is a business man and isn't giving money away, but with a little negotiation you will get the best deal for your stuff. I have also bought from Dan and never regretted my purchase. You can also trade with him, if you have an item he desires. After almost 30 years in business he really does have great deal of experience and expertise in the guitar market. Always easy to speak with, he will give you his expert opinion, weather you want it or not.His clientele spans the gamut, from beginners to Rock royalty. I sold him a 1964 Gibson 335 and it ended up being purchased by G. E. Smith who is a regular customer at Chelsea. Another guitar of mine ended up with Tom Petty guitarist Mike Campbell. you are looking to buy or sell a low end student guitar or Vintage beauty, or something in between, I would stop by Chelsea and talk to Dan. read more

This guy has taken my guitar hostage for the last three weeks. I came down to support the small business from Washington Heights and no one picks up the phone or calls me back. I got in touch last week and they said to come pick it up on Tuesday...I got there and the gates were down. How can I get it back? Do I call the police? read more

I came in to get my guitar set up and the owner Dan was super nice and helpful. He took the time to talk to me and give me advice since I am a beginner. Their price is also the cheapest I saw for a guitar tune up. Around 76 bucks with tax. I called up a few other places and they were 150!!! What's more, I brought it in on a Saturday at 5 PM and the turnaround was amazing! I was able to get my guitar at 6:30 PM! I highly recommend coming here to get your guitar tuned up and other guitar needs. read more

I have been dealing with Dan Courtney since the 1980's and the glory days of New York City rock and roll. Dan is certainly one of the friendliest and knowledgeable people in the often seedy world of vintage instruments. Dan and his staff make the store a must see for visitors or locals. Not unusual to see rock royalty in here. The staff are great. I just purchased a vintage 355 from these guys and couldn't be happier with the deal and the service. A+++++ Trivia- Dan appeared in Spike Lee's "Summer of Sam." IIRC, he sold Adrian Brody (punk rocker Richie) a Fender Stratocaster and stole the scene! :-) A great New York music staple, right in the Chelsea Hotel. A+++++ read more

Like its famous hotel neighbor, this place is something unique. Get Danny started talking and you'll find 30 minutes have passed and you've covered everything from upper-atmosphere atomic experiments to Ann Cole's recording of "Got My Mojo Working." The guy and his place have some stories. They have Roy Orbison's Diners Club Card hanging on the wall - that pretty much tells you everything you need to know. Even if you're just buying a cheap $250 guitar, they'll insist on an inspection and adjustment before it leaves the store. And they'll throw in a gig bag for free. It's probably New York's smallest guitar store, so if you're just browsing, keep it short. It's not Guitar Center where you can hang out and jam on a Saturday afternoon. Respect the place and you'll be treated like family. read more

What once was is no longer. The glory days and spirit of this place are buried behind old guitars on the walls and apathy in the current staff. Tiny shop which I wasn't really able to browse much less plug a guitar in to try. Scarce accessories. Most of the guitars, while no doubt playable, looked like wall hangers, consignment buys or collector pieces. None of which are bad things, this just doesn't seem like a guitarists shop despite its amazing history. The whole place is an afterthought that doesn't welcome the purchase or playing of a guitar. read more

Great stop for guitar shopping of the vintage and unusual variety (also amps & mikes). Broght my strat here for repair, which turned out to be exceptional work. Ended up picking up a 335 at about $150 below what I could have gotten any where else. While I was there one day, Emmy Lou Harris and Leslie West both stopped buy to speak with the owner, Dan (great guy), and pick up their repective guitars. Highly reommend this place for great instruments, great service, exceptional integrity and pleasant atmosphere. However, having said that, it's not the kind of place that welcomes a renditioin of Stairway to Heaven! Will B. read more

Came in to see if they had any old studio gear, they had a couple tape echos that I was interested in. I had the cash in my pocket to make a purchase but they wouldn't sell me anything until 'the owner gets in'. I asked when he would be in.....they said, 'eventually......sometime before we close'. Not off to the greatest start. So I came back later, owner still not there. So I said I want to buy the tape echo. Tag says $300. They call'the boss' and he says he wants $3500! I had already done my research and a couple other stores in NYC wer selling them for between 800 and 995. I thought I was getting a deal. They said the tag is 15 years old so they couldn't go by that. Strike two. I called back the next day and asked them to call owner one more time before I left the city, they said 'make an offer'. So I offered what I thought was fair, they called 'the boss', and he accepted my offer. From the moment I showed up with the cash they were cool...I just don't know why they couldn't be more helpful before that. It must be the amount of window shoppers they get. Despite my less that impressive experience, they had very cool selection of guitars and they cared genuinely about packaging the item for travel. I'd go back but now I know what to expect. read more

Don't go there. there's no reason to. I got a 'new' guitar from them. it had a warped neck. they wouldn't give me a refund or replacement. they said they would replace it but 'in the future'. they wouldn't take the instrument back. i went to a real guitar store, had the tech guys look at it. they said, no problem, we know the maker, this is warranty replacement case. I contacted the company, immediatly got a pre paid package to ship the guitar back and now i have an actually new and functional guitar. no thanks to Dan or his soon to be out of business store. Bad products, bad customer service, no accountability and no respect. They wasted my time, stressed me out and Dan even physically intimidated me. yeah. stay away. There's no reason to go there. at all. don't do it. read more

Awesome store! Dan is a super nice and helpful guy. He did a great job setting up my son's guitar and is always giving him good advice.

Their guitar guy is a god. Luke will fix anything, and everything, and will do such a good job, you'll begin to wonder if he just got you a brand new guitar. The rest of the guys are knowledgeable, and brilliant. Will hook you up with anything you need, just ask nicely. read more

Sweet guys...they clearly know their stuff, and seem to keep it real with their customers. Definitely NOT sales people, which is refreshing. I recommend stopping by if you're in the neighborhood and looking to buy; guarantee it will be a good experience. read more

These guys will prey on naive people! I came in looking to buy an instrument and they made a big show of selling me something and pretending that they were giving me some great deal. Unfortunately, I had not done much prior research and made the unfortunate mistake of trusting them, and ended up shelling out quite a big of money on something that was nearly $200 cheaper everywhere else. I'm not normally taken for an idiot, so I've really got to give it up to these guys on their top-notch predatory salesmanship. I understand that purchasing from small businesses will not always net you the greatest bargain, but the excessive swindling of small business guys like these are why Amazon is taking over the planet. read more

This is a great guitar shop. Steeped in history, they have everything from a vintage Rickenbacker like John Lennon played on The Ed Sullivan Show to the most up to date guitar. They buy, sell trade and repair guitars and I've used their service for the latter for many years. The staff our friendly and incredibly knowledgeable with great expertise. There's a reason this is the shop for people like Billy Corgan of Smashing Pumpkins and G.E. Smith who used to direct the Saturday Night Live Band. If you want to buy a great guitar, sell your old, one or get yours fixed, this is the place to go. In my opinion, it is by far the best guitar shop in New York. Let's hope it stays open forever. read more

The place is small but it's a treasure for guitarists, musicians and music lovers. You will find all sorts of things and a very talented tech person that can repair pretty much anything. The guys who work there are knowledgeable and very down to earth. I would definitely go there again. read more

If you love old, classic guitars you owe it to yourself to check this place out. The place is tiny; basically what you see in the display window is most of what they got. Go inside and it's like dropping in to a friend's apartment, albeit a tiny apt. But it's cool; Dan and whoever else is there are just hanging out. If you need help, they're glad to do it but if you just want to hang, they'll give you space. They let me put a lot of time in with the guitar that I eventually bought and also let me play an incredibly expensive guitar just so I could see what it felt like. But what I really like is that they're just regular, no BS kinda people who obviously love old guitars for their character. Some of what they've got is collector-level expensive but I bought an awesome Japanese tele copy at a really reasonable price. So whatever your budget, I suspect they have a guitar to fit it. I know they have to move a couple of doors down from where they are now but I sure hope they stick around. read more

Nothing but no nonsense World Class service...Oh and the guitars are a gold mine where if they don't have what your looking...Relax and let them find it for you. read more

Oh the collection of jewels here!! If you're looking for something special,this is the place to find it! I couldn't believe my eyes! The staff was super friendly and very knowledgeable, I received an education talking to them. Do yourself a favor and check Dan's out, you won't be sorry read more

I went to this guitar store for the first time today. I've been playing guitar for almost nine years and it is one of my favorite things to do. I love going to different music stores and seeing what they have to offer, so when I was by this vintage guitar shop on 23rd (on my way to Donut Plant the day after St. Patrick's Day) I knew I had to stop in and take a look. Upon walking inside I see that it is a narrow shop completely lined with instruments all over the walls. Cool. The wall to my left looks like it is all electric six strings. The wall to my right looks like it contains acoustics and basses. There is a case in the back-middle of the store with the cash register where 3 guys are hanging out. They look pretty cool and greet me in between eating their lunch and ask me what I am looking for. I tell them that I am just looking around. I look at some of the electric guitars. I see that about half of them look used, some are really dinged up, and the other half of guitars are probably new. It was a pretty neat assortment of guitars in that place. They had some really nice/pricey instruments like Rickenbackers and Gibsons, and also some cheaper guitars like a Squier Strat. I didn't really spend much time looking at the amps that were on the floor next to the walls because I was busy looking at the guitars above them. I spotted a rad, worn-in looking Fender Jaguar with a 3 tone sunburst finish. This looked like a guitar that some blues/jazz musician probably bought in the 80s and played it for a couple thousand of hours. Pretty dang cool. I ask the guys at the counter about it and they tell me that they just got it in and that they're asking about $4000 for it. I ask them if I can try playing it. They say "yeah." I ask them which amp to use and they point at an amp on the floor and tell me to plug into it (a Fender amp) and sit on a small amp next to it (there is a stool right by the counter that they could have had me use, but they insisted that I squat onto this tiny,other amp under a row of guitars....holding this $4000 Jaguar). I turn it on and start playing. It is a cool guitar. It sounds smooth. The amp it was being played through wasn't the greatest, but whatever, it's about the guitars here. I start playing and notice that the strings feel really light. I ask if the strings on it are 9s. The guys say they don't know and that they haven't done a set-up on it yet. "OK", I think to myself. "A $4000 guitar you put on the wall with no set-up and you don't know what kind of strings are on it either." I keep playing. I notice that the frets on it are really low. I mean, they are practically as short as the fingerboard. I had never even played a guitar with frets this small. I wanted to ask them about it, but I sensed that they didn't really like answering questions. I also noticed a couple things that were not-good about this worn-in guitar, like part of the material for the nut was cracked/gone (which might be a bad thing if you are doing bends or pulls) but, the foggy chrome and worn off paint on it did look really cool. I had probably played the guitar for three, maybe four minutes. Not loud, not annoyingly. I was riffing in the blues scale, major scale, minor pentatonic scale and playing some chords. I was polite the whole time I was there. No other customers had been in the shop when I got there, but now there was a guy who had just walked in with is girlfriend that was looking for a "jazz case." He starts talking to the guys at the counter, and one of the guys working there who was shorter and had brown/black hair comes over to me and says "OK, I have to cut you off." I think "Huh, what?". I just say "OK." I turn down the volume knob, turn off the amp, unplug the chord, hand him the guitar, then hand him the cord and pick. I look around for 12 more seconds and then my girlfriend and I leave. After we walk out the door she says "Wow, those guys were kind of dicks in there. I think to myself, "Yes, those guys were kind of dicks." They sat at the counter eating their chicken wings and acting like they were the bros from Knocked Up. They were less than accomodating for me when I was the only customer (besides my girlfriend) in the store playing a guitar for less than four minutes. Actually, I've never been "cut off" at a music store. I understand the "No Stairway to Heaven policy". I can play, and I don't like being treated poorly by some guys who might not even be able to play for all that I know. My guitar at home is a 62 Fender HotRod Strat. I have a Mesa Boogie rectifier. I have spent some money on guitars and am a real customer. I have no clue why anyone would want to shop at this store when we can shop anywhere else in Manhattan. I would like to emphasize how little time and space I had taken up in their store too. I have nothing good to say about this store except, "Manhattan, vintage guitars." read more

Had a great experience here. The sold me a sweet Japanese Squier for my son last year. Prices are very good and people are knowledgeable and helpful. I have another purchase in mind and they are the first place I'm going to look. read more

I've been going here for a few years for all my guitar needs. They've set up two guitars for me, sold me one, and even set up my at the time impossible-to-play cavaquinho. The service is excellent, better than anywhere I've been in 10 years in this city, yet the prices are the same as anywhere else, if not lower. They are honest, friendly, and helpful guys, the lot of them. Don't go anywhere BUT here. read more

Outstanding! A true NYC gem in every sense. Engage the owner, Dan, in a conversation, about anything... you won't be sorry.

You don't have to be a star or great musician to come here, they'll help you.. Here it's famous, because, the person used to sell only records and music to people he liked, so it's a quirky place.. and it still is. The people never want to sell what they have.. Idk I don't think I'll come back here, i am not a guitarist but I am a long time musician... ... read more

I went there to pick up a vintage Mockingbird. Dan put me at ease from the beginning, and we had a nice chat on Bernie Rico and his instruments. Definitely a very nice experience, with no pressure to be done and get out like I found in other places. I would definitely recommend this place to people that would appreciate their stock of high-end vintage products! read more

These men are local legends. And being a local legend in New York City is no small thing. They can fix, tune, restore, repair, set up or buy your guitar. They can teach you, coach you, advise you and sell you the right guitar at the lowest price. These are are 100% real and there's no bullshit here. Dan's Chelsea Guitars is a musical landmark in NY and a treasure for musicians from the famous to the anonymous. read more