About El Cajon Guitars & Music

Our Story

Welcome to El Cajon Guitars & Music, a small guitar and music shop owned and operated by Frank and Maria. Against all logic, we decided to create our traditional "mom and pop" brick-and-mortar shop in east San Diego County in the age of online sales.

Our journey began in a very small space partitioned off from a local donut shop. With only around 750 square feet, it was a miracle we survived those first few years. But we created many meaningful moments there, building a destination for musicians of all ages and experience levels.

We often say our payment is seeing the smiles on the faces of the wonderful people who choose to come to our shop. We consistently encourage student learning and growth in the musical arts, serving as a resource for families. Daily, we tell young musicians to stay away from drugs and choose to study and practice their instruments instead.

Recognition & Awards

• Recognized by NAMM as a "Top 100 Music Store"
• San Diego School District 2023 Ovation Awards - "Artful Advocate" Award

Our Services

Music Lessons

We offer guitar, bass, and ukulele lessons through partnerships with qualified local and remote teachers. We're passionate about encouraging musicianship for beginners and supporting musicians at every level.

Repairs & Services

We restring, refurbish, and repair guitars, basses, ukuleles, banjos, and mandolins. We also offer amplifier repair services.

Retail

We offer a variety of musical instruments and gear both in-store and online, and we're always happy to special order items for our customers.

Our Curated Collection

We've partnered with amazing artisans to bring you exclusive products that celebrate music culture:

Vintage Concert T-Shirts & Authentic Merch

Discover our incredible selection of vintage concert t-shirts and authentic band merchandise through our partnership with Vintage Merch. Each piece tells a story of legendary performances and iconic moments in music history.

Unique Guitar String Jewelry

Experience the artistry of Retuned Jewelry, where discarded guitar strings find new life as stunning, eco-friendly accessories. Our recycled guitar string jewelry collection features unique pieces that music lovers can wear with pride.

Creative Gifts for Music Lovers

From Joker Greeting's musical greeting cards to KraftGeek's innovative music-themed crafts, we offer gifts for music lovers that you won't find anywhere else.

Community Impact

We actively support local bands and church musicians, providing performance opportunities and career guidance. We've had local bands perform in our shop and feature on our YouTube channel and Instagram. We've sent neighborhood kids home on bikes and skateboards with guitars and amps, many of whom have become passionate young musicians who bring their siblings to the shop.

One of our most memorable days was when Jerry Douglas, Tommy Emmanuel, and Daniel Kimbro visited our shop before their performance at the Magnolia Music Venue. Meeting these musical heroes in our small shop was magical and exemplifies the kind of special moments that can only happen in a music store.

We've also taken instruments to a small church in Tijuana, where a young preacher teaches teens to play guitar, bass, drums, and keyboards. Seeing their joy reminded us of the importance of music and access to quality gear and lessons.

What Our Customers Say

"Vibrant, engaging and lively. From start to finish, a very fun shopping experience. The owners are very knowledgeable and very fair on pricing. Far superior to a major retailer like Guitar Center or Sam Ash - a local business done right." - Gerren Hall

"I was impressed by the personal attention I received from Frank and Maria. It's the kind of place you can walk into not knowing anyone and leave feeling empowered and excited to try something new." - Michael W. Chandler

"Frank and Maria's level of customer service is one of the things that will make many people come back. I haven't seen a storefront on Main Street in El Cajon with this much passion in many years... They are revitalizing downtown El Cajon one very nice guitar at a time." - Kimberly Stanford

Our Mission

Although it's a struggle to operate a small music retail business today, we continue with our mission of educating the public about achieving their musical goals with affordable quality instruments and instruction at a local shop. We hope to continue growing so we can strengthen the music products industry and promote the pleasures and benefits of making music throughout our community.

Thank you for supporting our small business. We're always happy to special order, create new products, and price match. Every purchase supports both local musicians and innovative artisans who share our love for music.

Sincerely,
Frank and Maria
El Cajon Guitars & Music