Northern Guitars is not a normal guitar shop. This small store in the centre of Leeds is adorned with neon signs, has a pinball machine on the shop floor, and sits above a bar. We spoke to the shop’s guitar specialist, George Germain, about what makes the shop special and how it has flourished in the last year.
“Northern Guitars has been at the heart of Leeds for over 25 years. We offer a range of new, used, and vintage guitars, amps, and pedals and our rock ’n’ roll bar downstairs has regular live music, ensuring our customers are never thirsty whilst shopping for the guitar of their dreams.
If you’re searching for a Japanese Lawsuit Legend, '72 Les Paul Deluxe or a Pre-CBS Jazzmaster, we’ve had them all and pride ourselves on our selection of rare, weird, and wonderful gear. Customer service is at the heart of what we do at Northern Guitars. We think buying a new guitar should be an amazing experience from start to finish. We also utilise Reverb as our exclusive online platform. Selling on Reverb gives us the opportunity to share our excellent range of instruments and faultless customer service to everyone in the UK and Europe.
In the last year, with the help of new management, Northern Guitars has celebrated a fresh lease of life. Being more selective about the stock we carry has driven the shop further into the vintage market and given our knowledgeable staff the chance to deliver guitar sales with an honest, personal touch and passion for the gear we sell. Taking huge pride in our location, we strive to keep the shop’s rich history alive, and the addition of the cafè/bar on the ground floor has made Northern Guitars a hub for aspiring artists to hangout, discuss, and perform material to a receptive audience. Whether it’s our Monday evening open mic, DIY events or the occasional touring act, our passion for live music is as big as our love of guitars.”
