About Bluebond Guitars
A landmark of Philadelphia’s famous South Street, Bluebond Guitars has stood strong since 1989. At 34 years in business, Bluebond Guitars is the longest standing guitar shop in the city, but it was no easy feat. South Street has seen its share of declining businesses over the last decade. Almost daily beloved Philadelphia shops and theatres have had to shut their doors. But we have been able to survive due to our strong ties and dedication to the community. During periods of rent inflation and price gauging we refused to move off of South Street, which kept the regulars coming back to fix their guitars, buy their accessories and even sign their own children up for music lessons. Bluebond Guitars continues to proudly serve Philadelphia’s young and aspiring artists, as well as plenty of famous musical talents.
Bluebond’s History: Bluebond Guitars was founded by Dale Bluebond in 1989 as a guitar repair shop and custom builds. In 1992 Bluebond moved to 4th and South and expanded to offer guitar repairs, custom builds and a retail shop. Not only did the store expand, but so did our staff. Richard Chodak began working at the shop in 1992. The business grew as a custom luthier and repair shop. In August 1994 Bluebond’s founder, Dale, passed away suddenly and Rich could not bear to see his hometown friend’s legacy fade away. Rich decided to keep Bluebond open under the original name in remembrance of his friend. Bluebond Guitars moved to our current location in 1995 then added music lessons in 2005. Bluebond Guitars’ 3 Prong Business of Retail, Repair, Music School has enabled us to stay successful in this competitive music market.
Bluebond Guitars executes our 3 Prong Business Model expertly. We are one of the only guitar shops in Philadelphia to do our repairs in house. While many of our competitors will outsource repair jobs, we do all varieties of repairs right in our own shop, with our own hands and we will never send them out to be fixed elsewhere. Our expert guitar repairmen specialize in a variety of repairs from patching a hole to replacing stripped bolts, we’ve seen it all. Lastly, our Music Lessons have become a vital part of our business model. Our teachers are dedicated to enriching the lives of music enthusiasts of all ages. We take an individualized approach to music lessons and provide a 1 on 1, customized lesson plan for each student. Bluebond Guitars is a small guitar shop, with a lot of heart. Our dedicated employees take the time to help you find your sound. Visit us today!
New Location, Same Rich Musical History
After 32 years at our South Street location, Bluebond Guitars is moving uptown. The new location will have a strong focus on children & adult music lessons, children & adult band programs, instrument repairs, as well as the addition of a new live music venue! We welcome all ages and musical skills to our new location to learn how to play an instrument or perfect your skills. Our live music venue is an opportunity for local Philadelphia musicians to showcase their talents in front of an audience. For more information on registering for a class, enrolling in our band camp or playing on our stage, call our Philadelphia location today!
