Visiting Us
Coal Creek Guitars is located in Englewood, Colorado. We now have a dedicated showroom where players can check out guitars, amps, and gear in person. While we do not have regular public business hours quite yet, we plan to officially open with scheduled store hours in Summer 2026.
In the meantime, we are happy to meet by appointment. If you see something you are interested in, just contact us and we can arrange a time for you to come by, plug in, and spend some time with the gear. We also keep a nice selection of amps and effects available so players can dial in the tone and feel they are looking for.
At the moment, Coal Creek Guitars is operating by appointment only. We are preparing for regular showroom hours in Summer 2026, but for now we prefer to schedule individual visits so we can give each customer a more personal experience.
If there is a guitar or piece of gear you would like to see, simply contact us and we will coordinate a convenient time for you to stop by and try it out.
Yes - our showroom is open to customers, but visits are currently by appointment only. Since we are still building out the showroom experience ahead of our planned Summer 2026 public hours launch, appointments help us make sure someone is available to assist you and have the gear ready to go when you arrive.
We want customers to feel comfortable taking their time with instruments and equipment, not rushed through a crowded retail environment. If there is something you would like to try, just reach out and we will gladly set up a visit.
Absolutely. We encourage players to spend time with the gear and make sure it feels right before buying. Our showroom includes a variety of amps and effects so you can experiment with different sounds, styles, and tones while you play.
Whether you are testing a beginner setup, comparing guitars, or chasing a specific sound, we want you to have a relaxed environment where you can really experience the instrument.
Yes. The owners of Coal Creek Guitars come from a proud military family, and we are incredibly grateful for the service and sacrifice of our veterans and active-duty military members. As a small way of saying thank you, we offer a 10% discount off our lowest price on most gear for those who have served.
We do kindly ask for a valid military or veteran ID for verification at the time of purchase. We appreciate your understanding - and most importantly, your service.
Selling Your Gear
Absolutely - buying used guitars, amps, pedals, and music gear is a big part of what we do at Coal Creek Guitars. We are always interested in quality used equipment and enjoy giving great gear a second life.
That said, we do not purchase every item that comes through the door. All gear must be evaluated in person before we can determine whether it is something we are interested in purchasing. We strongly recommend contacting us first with pictures and basic information about the gear so we can review it before you make the trip.
Please note that bringing gear to Coal Creek Guitars does not guarantee we will make an offer or purchase the item. Interest depends on condition, market demand, current inventory, and overall fit for the shop.
We buy a wide variety of music gear, with guitars, pedals, and effects equipment generally being our highest priority. We also consider amplifiers, recording gear, accessories, and other music-related equipment depending on the item, condition, and current shop needs.
Smaller and easier-to-transport gear tends to be a better fit for us than very large or oversized items, but we are always happy to take a look. In addition to instruments and amps, we also purchase things like unopened string packs, used straps, cables, cases, stands, pedals, and other useful accessories musicians regularly need.
If you are unsure whether your gear is something we would be interested in, feel free to contact us with pictures and details before bringing it in.
We do not keep cash on-site at the store. Most purchases are paid by official company check, which can be deposited directly through your bank or mobile banking app.
Depending on the amount and situation, we may also be able to pay electronically through services such as Venmo, Zelle, Cash App, or PayPal. If you have a preferred payment method, feel free to ask and we will do our best to accommodate it when possible.
We also offer store credit as an option, which can be a great way to maximize value if you are planning to pick up other gear from Coal Creek Guitars.
Absolutely. We are always open to trade-ins and store credit deals at Coal Creek Guitars. If you have gear you are no longer using, we are happy to take a look and see if we can work something out.
Please refer to the FAQ above regarding the types of gear we typically buy and accept. If we come to an agreement on the trade-in value of your equipment, we can apply that amount as store credit toward another guitar, amp, pedal, accessory, or other item in the shop.
Currently, Coal Creek Guitars does not officially offer a formal consignment program. However, for the right piece of gear, we are always willing to have a conversation and see if something makes sense for both parties.
We are still working on formalizing our long-term consignment policies and procedures, but in the meantime, unofficial consignment arrangements may be possible on a case-by-case basis depending on the item, value, demand, and overall fit for the shop. If you have something you think may be a good candidate, feel free to contact us and start the conversation.
Buying Gear
We understand that quality music gear can be a big purchase, and we try to offer flexible options whenever possible. Through our secure Stripe checkout process, qualified customers may be eligible for financing options through services such as Affirm and/or Klarna, which can allow purchases to be broken into monthly payments depending on credit approval and eligibility.
For certain types of gear, Coal Creek Guitars may also be willing to offer a rent-to-own option. These arrangements are handled on a case-by-case basis depending on the item and situation, and generally require a valid credit card to remain on file. If you are interested in financing or rent-to-own options, feel free to contact us and we can discuss what may be available for the specific gear you are interested in.
Absolutely. We often have a large amount of incoming gear that gets cleaned, tested, photographed, and listed gradually over time. Because of that, not everything we currently have available will always appear on the website right away.
If you are looking for a specific type of guitar, amp, pedal, accessory, or other piece of gear and do not see it listed on the Coal Creek Guitars website, feel free to reach out through our Contact Us page and ask. There is a good chance we may already have something similar in the shop or coming soon.
It depends on the item and the situation. By default, Coal Creek Guitars primarily focuses on local sales and in-person transactions. However, we are open to discussing shipping arrangements when the terms make sense for both parties.
We have extensive experience shipping guitars and music gear through platforms like Reverb and understand the importance of careful packing and protection during transit. If you are interested in having an item shipped, feel free to contact us and we can discuss the details, costs, and available options.
For used gear that has been tested and purchased in the showroom, Coal Creek Guitars offers a 7-day return policy. We strongly encourage customers to spend time with instruments and equipment before purchasing so they can feel confident in the gear they are taking home.
For new retail items, we offer a 14-day return window provided the item remains in its original, unopened packaging and is still in new condition. Certain items may be subject to additional restrictions depending on the product type, so please feel free to ask if you have any questions before purchasing.
Yes. Coal Creek Guitars collects applicable sales tax in accordance with the laws and requirements of the State of Colorado as well as applicable local taxing authorities, including Englewood and other jurisdictions when required. Sales tax is calculated based on the nature of the transaction and the applicable local tax rates at the time of sale.
Repair Services
Yes. Coal Creek Guitars offers setup and playability services for electric guitars, acoustic guitars, basses, Floyd Rose and locking tremolo instruments, and seasonal tune-ups. A setup can help with string buzz, high action, tuning stability, seasonal neck movement, and general playability issues.
See our setup and playability pricing for current service details.
Yes. We offer diagnostics for playability, electronics, tuning stability, hardware, fret buzz, neck movement, and general repair concerns. If something buzzes, cuts out, hums, crackles, will not stay in tune, or just feels wrong, we can inspect it and recommend the right repair before work begins.
See our diagnostics and repair pricing for more detail.
Yes. Coal Creek Guitars handles practical guitar upgrades including pickup swaps, electronics work, locking tuner installs, bridge and tailpiece replacement, strap locks, nut upgrades, hardware swaps, and related improvements.
See our pickup and electronics installation pricing and hardware upgrade pricing.
Lessons
Coal Creek Guitars can help connect students with qualified guitar instructors through our local lesson network. Whether you are brand new, getting back into playing, or looking for focused help with technique, songs, theory, improvisation, or performance, we can help point you toward an instructor who fits your goals.
Lesson availability, format, teaching style, and pricing vary by instructor and by what is being taught. If you are interested, contact us with your goals, experience level, and schedule.
Yes, in many cases we can help connect students with qualified instructors for voice and most major non-guitar instruments. Our instructor network includes teachers with different specialties, so the right fit depends on the instrument, skill level, goals, and availability.
Cost varies by instructor and by what is being taught. Contact us with what you want to learn, and we will do our best to help you find the right lesson option.
Serial Decoders
You usually do not need to take any additional action. If a serial number fails to decode in one of our tools, the failed lookup is automatically flagged for review on our side. We then research the brand and serial number format independently to determine whether the serial number is valid and whether support can be added to the decoder.
In many cases, the serial number turns out to be legitimate - it simply uses a format that has not been added to the system yet. When that happens, we update the decoder so it works not only for you, but also for anyone else who enters a serial number in that format for that brand in the future.
We recommend waiting a few days and trying the serial number again, as decoder updates are added regularly.
Yes - our serial number decoders are continuously updated and improved over time. We log all serial number lookups, including both successful decodes and failed attempts. When a serial number fails to decode, it enters a review process where we independently research the brand, format, and available manufacturing information to determine whether support can be added.
In many cases, failed serial numbers are simply using formats that have not yet been added to the system. When we confirm a format is valid, we update the decoder so future searches for that brand and serial number style will return proper results. This ongoing process helps make the tools more accurate and more useful for the entire guitar community over time.
Absolutely. We are always open to expanding our serial number decoder library to support additional brands. While we currently offer decoders for 25+ major guitar and music gear brands, we understand there are many smaller, older, boutique, and less common brands that are still incredibly important to the people who own and play those instruments.
If there is a brand you would like us to support, simply reach out through our Contact Us page and let us know the brand name along with a serial number example you are trying to decode. We will review the information, research the format, and see what we can do to add support for it in the future.