FAQ

The easiest way is to add the instrument to your shopping cart and then check out. Some of our instruments are not available through the shopping cart, so please call us directly for more information. If you have any questions about any instrument that is for sale, please do not hesitate to call us during business hours.

Almost all accessories, cases, strings, etc. can be shipped internationally. However many new and used instruments cannot be shipped across international borders if they were made with endangered species, such as certain hardwoods (like rosewood) and many types of pearl used for inlays. Please call or send an email regarding shipping any instrument outside the United States.

Most of our instruments are available for layaway. Please call for further details.

• Our service technicians set up each instrument before we sell it , and we’re happy to make further adjustments at no cost before and after the purchase. Local customers clearly have an easier time taking advantage of these services, but even long-distance customers frequently wind up saving money on set-up charges when they buy from us.
  
• Our luthiers check out every instrument that comes in the store. We will not put an instrument out for sale if it does not meet our stringent criteria. Suppliers find us hard to please, but we’re proud of being picky.
  
• We also take care of our customers long after the sale. You’ll get a 25% discount on the labor charges for any future set-up, repair, or modification work.
  
• Our sales staff is not ‘on commission’. They have no incentive to try and get you to spend more money than you need for the type of instrument you want or the kind of music you’re playing.
  

We don't rent guitars, mandolins, ukuleles or banjos.

Yes, we do order custom guitars from our popular brands. We will ask for a deposit to place the order. Please call or email for details.

The Gryphon (pronounced Griffin) is an imaginary beast with the body of a lion and the head, wings, and talons of an eagle. Dating back to several centuries B.C., the Gryphon was said to rule both air and land, watchful, loyal, strong, and swift–all those qualities politicians promise but never deliver. In remnants of ancient cultures Gryphons still silently toil, pulling chariots, guarding temples and treasure, and just generally being nice guys while always looking majestic.

We’re lousy at looking majestic, and fortunately our chariot-pulling and temple-guarding abilities have never been tested, but the nice guys stuff has been our specialty for over 40 years. We first chose the Gryphon as a logo, but maybe a bit of those noble qualities have rubbed off, who knows? The “watchful” part is reflected in the wide and varied inventory you’ll see here, with far more to be found in the store, and most of our new customers are referred to us by old customers, suggesting that the loyalty factor works both ways.