Nashville’s Gibson Garage Is a Must-See Guitar Experience for All Music Fans

A stop at the Gibson Garage is a must for any music lover passing through Nashville.

The world-renowned guitar brand’s flagship location, designed by Director of Brand Experience and Gibson TV producer Mark Agnesi, opens in 2021. Speaking to PEOPLE during a VIP tour of the site, Agnesi reveals a secret vault of some of the rarest guitars in the world and shares some of the famous faces who stopped by Music City, including Michael J. Fox and Robert Plant of Led Zeppelin.

Gibson Garage in Nashville, Tennessee.

Gibson’s Garage

“Every Gibson electric is made in Nashville and every acoustic is made in Bozeman, Montana,” explains Agnesi. This has to do with the climate of those two places, because the acoustics can be greatly affected by changes in temperature, along with humidity.

Starting from the main exhibition area, Agnesi shows one of the main highlights of the location. “There’s 200 guitars circling the universe,” he says of Garage’s overhead guitars. “This is how the guitars come out after finishing in our factory.”

Gibson Garage in Nashville, Tennesee.

Gibson’s Garage

Instead of trying to line the walls with guitars “like every other guitar store in the world,” Agnesi says they opted for a conveyor belt.

There are another 200 guitars scattered throughout the space, which also has a custom shop. “Everything is nicely organized. And everything is for sale.”

Agnesi points out Miranda Lambert’s signature new guitar model, the Bluebird, “which is based on the Hummingbird, but it also has a song called ‘Bluebird.’ so that served as inspiration.”

Gibson Garage Nashville.

Gibson’s Garage

The Chris Stapleton signature model was released earlier this year, along with the Elvis Presley signature model.

“Many of our guitars are bird-themed,” explains Agnesi. “In the 1960s, we had a woodcutter who was an avid bird watcher, so there is a Bluebird, Hummingbird, Dove, Sparrow, Blackbird, Raven.”

The brand dates back to 1894 when it was founded by Orville Gibson, who began manufacturing instruments in Kalamazoo, Michigan. Gibson will celebrate its 130th anniversary in 2024.

Gibson Garage in Nashville, Tennessee.

Marisa Sullivan

More than 125 years later, the Gibson Garage in Nashville is “the only place in the world where a customer can come and hand-pick the wood to build their own custom Les Paul,” says Agnesi, noting that there will be two locations when the Gibson Garage in London opens early next year years.

“A lot of what we do is very historical recreations of very specific guitars by age,” he says, pointing to a model by Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett. “This is his 1960 Sunburst Les Paul, known as ‘Sunny’. ”

As for notable names who stopped by, Darius Rucker performed last summer to benefit the National Museum of African American Music, and Megadeth rocker Dave Mustaine signed on in June for veterans through Gibson’s philanthropic arm, Gibson Gives.

“My two favorites that I’ve toured are Robert Plant — on the anniversary Led Zeppelin VI he’s coming out,” says Agnesi about the legendary performer, who is affectionately called “Uncle Bob” by people in his inner circle.

Agnes’ second favorite of all time? Michael J. Fox, who was in town in May for an event held at Belmont University to raise funds for Parkinson’s research.

Art Salon at Gibson Garage in Nashville, Tennessee.

Marisa Sullivan

“Michael J. Fox is the reason I started playing guitar as a kid,” Agnesi fondly recalls.

“I was outside and there was a bit of commotion in the acoustic room and I see him sitting there playing ‘Johnny B. Goode’ on Hummingbird,” which is the same song Fox played as Marty McFly in the 1985 cult classic film Back to futurethe exact pop culture moment that inspired Agnes.

In the four years it’s been posted on Universal’s YouTube page, the iconic guitar scene has garnered over 60 million views.

Vault at Gibson Garage in Nashville, Tennessee.

Gibson’s Garage

Although musicians and VIPs often entertain in the private artist lounge, which houses a secret “vault” that protects rare guitars worth a total of millions, the rest of Gibson’s garage is open to the public.

Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE’s free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories.

Guests can view his wooden artwork and try out their guitar playing skills even if they are not ready to buy. The store also features a ton of Gibson merchandise that you can pick up for souvenirs on your way out.

The 8,000-square-foot space, which is open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Monday through Saturday and from noon to 6 p.m. on Sundays, offers intimate live music and events every day. It is also available to book for private events that will impress all music-loving guests.

Categories: Trends
Source: HIS Education