Where the concierge points people first
- Paul Beuscher — The long-established Paris music retailer, with its main shop on boulevard Beaumarchais near Bastille. Broad stock across guitars, keyboards and wind, and the place to start if you do not know where else to go. (48.8556, 2.3684)
- Major Pigalle — One of the guitar and amp shops on the strip below Pigalle around rue de Douai. Walk the street and you can compare several in half an hour. (48.8820, 2.3367)
- Henri SELMER Paris — The saxophone maker whose instruments are on stages worldwide. Serious players visit to try instruments; casual ones mostly to look. (48.8905, 2.3491)
- Buffet Crampon Paris Showroom — The showroom of the French clarinet maker founded in the nineteenth century, for trying instruments side by side rather than impulse buying. (48.8557, 2.3265)
- Woodbrass — A large French music retailer with a big Paris shop in the 19th, useful for strings, sticks, cables and the other small things a traveling player forgets. (48.8879, 2.3902)
- Easy Backline — A backline hire company in the eastern suburbs, the kind of firm that rents amps, drums and keyboards by the day for gigs. (48.8695, 2.4308)
The rest of the music shops in Paris — every one we hold
- AJ Musique (48.8766, 2.3429)
- Alexandre l'Accordeur (48.8865, 2.3140)
- Alienor Lutherie (48.8787, 2.3219)
- All Access (48.8882, 2.3168)
- Aloca Lutherie (48.8798, 2.3218)
- Aria Musique Paris (48.8483, 2.3466)
- Armozo (48.8686, 2.3558)
- Arpeges (48.8909, 2.3305)
- Atelier Pappalardo (48.8792, 2.3220)
- Atelier von Nagel (48.8522, 2.3870)
- Au Gré Des Vents - Paris (48.8807, 2.3213)
- Bass Center (48.8809, 2.3383)
- Bass Maniac by Star's Music (48.8817, 2.3347)
- bassNguitar Paris (48.8897, 2.3688)
- Bols de Cristal - Paris (48.8649, 2.3720)
- Boogie Brother's System (48.8910, 2.4190)
- Centrale Guitars (48.8816, 2.3353)
- Centre C.Bechstein Paris (48.8789, 2.3223)
- Cham Music (48.8814, 2.3355)
- Coffi Codjo (48.8274, 2.3300)
- Cyrille Mercadier Clarinets (48.8818, 2.3226)
- De Leeuw Guitars - Paris (48.8654, 2.3514)
- Direct Music (48.8263, 2.3281)
- Espace Camac Paris (48.8860, 2.3902)
- F. Lorée de Gourdon (48.8786, 2.3224)
- Feeling Musique (48.8799, 2.3215)
- Galerie Casanova - Luthiers-Expert (48.8630, 2.3398)
- Guitar Legend (48.8812, 2.3364)
- Guitar Street (48.8809, 2.3381)
- Guitare Collection (48.8813, 2.3360)
- Guitare Garage (48.8819, 2.3349)
- Guitars Rebellion (48.8308, 2.3806)
- Harposphere (48.8451, 2.3801)
- Houël & Klépal (48.8664, 2.3700)
- Instruments du Monde (48.8456, 2.4177)
- Italie Musique (48.8259, 2.3540)
- Jd Atelier Des Bois (48.8954, 2.3184)
- Jolly Philippe (48.8335, 2.3288)
- Juste un Piano (48.8910, 2.2922)
- L' Atelier De Pianos (48.8941, 2.4018)
- L' OR NOIR - stand 231 (48.9023, 2.3421)
- L'Instrumentarium Harpes (48.8479, 2.2939)
- La Baguetterie (48.8812, 2.3366)
- La Cave à Vents (48.8807, 2.3213)
- La Flûte Traversière (48.8503, 2.3734)
- La Guitarreria (48.8794, 2.3213)
- La Mécacoustique des Tubes (48.8847, 2.2765)
- La Pédale (48.8810, 2.3368)
- La Petite Boutique des Violons (48.8805, 2.3214)
- Larghetto (48.8479, 2.4385)
- Le Canu - Millant (48.8798, 2.3219)
- Le Coin des Bois (48.8704, 2.3584)
- Le Gaucher (48.8815, 2.3353)
- Le Guitarium (48.8818, 2.3345)
- Le Point d'Accroche (48.8982, 2.3373)
- Le Salon de Musique (48.8831, 2.3292)
- Le Suédois (48.8684, 2.3526)
- Marigaux (48.8794, 2.3705)
- Metal Guitar (48.8814, 2.3356)
- Music Hire (48.8372, 2.3495)
- Musique et Art (48.8784, 2.3223)
- Nebout & Hamm (48.8840, 2.3273)
- Nebout et Hamm (48.8806, 2.3211)
- Oldies Guitars Paris (48.8810, 2.3375)
- Pala Pala Music (48.8870, 2.3534)
- Percussion Du Monde (48.8656, 2.3717)
- Pianos Balleron (48.8574, 2.2801)
- Pianos Beaumarchais (48.8556, 2.3687)
- Pianos DAUDE (48.8794, 2.2990)
- Pianos Guillaume (48.8171, 2.2917)
- Pianos International (48.8786, 2.3224)
- Pianos Masson Bedel (48.8137, 2.2926)
- Pigalle Amplification (48.8814, 2.3354)
- Plein Orgue (48.8901, 2.3590)
- Point 2 Point (48.8818, 2.3345)
- R&F Charle (48.8628, 2.3402)
- Rigoutat (48.8568, 2.3282)
- Rome Instruments (48.8796, 2.3219)
- Salon du Violon des instruments et archets du Quatuor (48.8683, 2.3922)
- Sax Machine (48.8807, 2.3626)
- Selmer Holding (48.8682, 2.3706)
- Showroom Anches Doubles (48.8568, 2.3282)
- Solistos (48.8477, 2.3521)
- Sons de l'Orient (48.8808, 2.3441)
- Star's Music (48.8819, 2.3394)
- Steinway & Sons Paris (48.8559, 2.3270)
- The Perfect Guitar (48.8667, 2.4167)
- Tokyo fm (48.8820, 2.3385)
- Valve's House Music (48.8831, 2.3384)
- Virtu'ose musique (48.8688, 2.3668)
- Voxline (48.8696, 2.3536)
- Yan Ullern Lutherie (48.8785, 2.3223)
- Zicplace Instruments de Musique (48.8583, 2.4359)
Guitars below Pigalle, violins and reeds by Saint-Lazare
Paris music shopping splits by street. The lower slopes of Pigalle, around rue de Douai, have been the guitar and amplifier quarter for decades, though fewer shops remain than in its heyday. For violins, bows, woodwind reeds and sheet music, the old center is rue de Rome by Gare Saint-Lazare, lined with luthiers and specialist dealers. For day hire of amps or drums, go to a backline firm rather than a shop. Most guitar shops will fit a new set of strings if you ask and they are not busy; call ahead if you need it done by a set time.
Questions people ask
What are the best music shops in Paris?
Paul Beuscher for general stock, Major Pigalle and its neighbors below Pigalle for guitars, and the Henri SELMER Paris and Buffet Crampon Paris Showroom sites for wind players.
How many music shops are there in Paris?
Num's directory maps 99 music and instrument shops in Paris and the inner suburbs.
Where can you rent a musical instrument for a day in Paris?
Backline hire firms such as Easy Backline rent amps, drums and keyboards by the day. Luthiers usually rent string instruments by the month.
Ask Num who can restring or rent you an instrument today in Paris
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