In the age of social media, many of us have become aware of some random and peculiar holidays we wouldn’t otherwise know of. One of these is National Buy a Musical Instrument Day, which is observed on May 22 and gives you a great an excuse to finally go buy that acoustic guitar you’ve had your eye on. In celebration of the holiday, we’ve put together a list of some locally-owned instrument shops in Denver to get your musical fix.

Flesher-Hinton Music Company

Flesher-Hinton store front. Photo courtesy of Flesher-Hinton Music Company on Facebook.

Where: 5890 W. 44th Avenue, Denver

The Lowdown: The Flesher-Hinton Music Company has been around since the ‘5os, and rumor has it there’s a nostalgic feel to it as soon as you walk in. The shop caters to all basic musical needs, with instrument selections and accessories, sheet music, music software and more. Flesher-Hinton also offers instrument rentals.

Music Gear Guys

Photo courtesy of Music Gear Guys on Facebook.

Where: 222 S. Broadway, Denver

The Lowdown: Music Gear Guys is a good place for getting the basics of what musician needs that deviates from the Guitar Center feel. They’ve got a great selection of boutique pedals as well as amps, strings and guitars. They offer repairs as well, and provide a good, small-town vibe for local musicians.

Kolacny Music

Photo courtesy of Kolacny Music on Facebook.

Where: 1900 S. Broadway, Denver

The Lowdown: Kolacny Music is a family owned and operated shop that’s been in business since 1930. What started out as a instrument repair shop now has a wide variety of instruments, accessories and gear with a family friendly ambience. Check out their exclusive harp department for some angelic variety.

Rupps Drums

Photo courtesy of Rupps Drums on Facebook.

Where: 2045 S. Holly Street, Denver

The Lowdown: As the name suggests, Rupps is the go-to for all of your drum needs. The shop specializes in selling new and used drums and drum equipment as well as other percussion instruments. If you need some guidance, Rupps also offers professional private drum instruction.

Victor Guitar

Edward Victor Dick carving the bracing on a steel string guitar top. Photo courtesy of Edward Victor Dick.

Where: 1457 S. Broadway, Denver

The Lowdown: Victor Guitar is owned and operated by Edward Victor Dick, a professional luthier (builder of stringed instruments) since 1975. While the shop mainly offers repair work and is home to the Colorado School of Lutherie, you can stop in here to pick up a stringed instrument on consignment — and maybe even check out a class on how to build an instrument of your own. Dick and Victor Guitar were featured in our article about Denver’s luthiers.

Denver Folklore Center

Photo courtesy of Denver Folklore Center on Facebook.

Where: 1893 S. Pearl Street, Denver

The Lowdown: Check out the Denver Folklore Center for a large selection of instruments in every price range. Around since 1962, the store has character and is a great stop for lovers of folk and acoustic music. Stop in for lessons, repairs, books on music and of course to choose from new, used and vintage instruments of all kinds.

Colfax Guitar Shop

Where: 3220 E. Colfax Avenue, Denver

The Lowdown: Colfax Guitar Shop is your stop for — you guessed it — all of your guitar needs. The full service shop handles basic guitar repairs to full restorations as well as emergency services for musicians in a hurry. Pick up a unique consigned guitar as well as any accessories you may need, such as strings, capos or cables.

Hackl Guitars

Hackl Guitar. Photo by © Glenn Ross | www.glennrossphoto.com

Where: 3139 Milwaukee Street, Denver

The Lowdown: Head to Park Hill to check out Hackl Guitars, another shop owned by a Denver Luthier. Justin Hackl is an experienced tour musician who found a love of building and repairing guitars after consistently fixing his own. Take in one of your old pieces for a tune up or have Hackl design and build a custom guitar just for you.