The Full History of George Gruhn & Gruhn Guitars in Nashville, TN | Roots Music History Podcast

✴The Full History of George Gruhn & Gruhn Guitars in Nashville, TN ✴
#music #history #podcast #documentary
@gruhnguitarsinc
"Aint Nobody" by Ry Bradley: open.spotify.com/track/6FmOvv...
At 0:45 I say the store is outside of Nashville's "historic broadway street" - it is outside of the "historic broadway strip"
Watering Hole by OK Otter ( @Ok Otter - Topic )
Friend Till The End by Gabe Price ( @GabePriceMusic )
Elaborations and Clarifications:
*Shortly after George's father graduated medical school, he was sent to Texas and then onward to Okinawa to participate in an accelerated program. After he was released from the army, he began his residency in Pathology in NY.
*Pittsburg was a pivotal time in George's life. I wish I had covered more of it in this original video. It was during his years in Pittsburg that he really got into collecting snakes and where his fascination with ethology and zoology really grew.
*The instruments that Gibson was paying GTR Inc. to carve and paint were expected to wholesale around $2k and retail for $4k. Gibson was only paying about $150 for the carving and painting combined, which would have been a money loser for Tut and Randy.
*The mural on the side of the current building is a work in progress. When finished, it will cover the entire wall!
*Randy Wood was from Brunswick, Georgia and Tut was from Milledgeville, Georgia. He and Tut Taylor worked closely together there. Randy eventually moved to Muscle Shoals. Tut stayed in Georgia, but they remained close friends. Tut remained in Nashville until the late 1970s, and eventually moved back to GA.
*Eric Clapton Walked over to George's original location in 1970 during his time playing with Derek and the Dominos. (My placement of that was incorrect). Fender published an incorrect advertisement about this, saying that Clapton had also walked over to the Picking Parlor to purchase parts. George Gruhn called Fender and told them this was not accurate, but a revised ad was never published.
*George's current location is slightly over 2 miles away from his previous Broadway locations.
Related Links:
Gruhn Guitars Website: guitars.com/
Gruhn Guitars KZbin: / gruhnguitarsinc ( @Gruhn Guitars )
Gruhn Guitars Instagram: / gruhnguitars
Randy Wood Instagram: / randywoodguitars
Roots Music History Instagram: / r00ts.music
Link to The Roots of Muscle Shoals and FAME Studios Roots Rockumentary: • America's Most Famous ...
Full Timeline of Events:
1945- George is Born, August 21, 1945 (Currently 77 years old as of August 2022)
1945-1949- George lived in Brooklyn
~1949, 1951- George and his family move to the Bronx
1951- George's Best Friend, Philip, Passes away from Polio, leaving George devastated.
~1952- George is about 6 and the family moves to Tuckahoe , NY
1954- George and his family move to Pittsburg*
~1960- George and his family move to Illinois and George attends the Oak Park River Forest High School
1964-1967- George enrolls in ethological studies at the University of Chicago
1967-1968 studies some time at Duke
1968-1969 semester George begins a Masters program at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville. He only spends one semester there, though, before Hank Williams Jr. Calls him and becomes his biggest client!
1969- George relocates to Nashville, TN. George begins placing ads in local papers in Nashville to Sell his Vintage Guitars
January 1970- George, Tut and Randy sign a lease for their first store location at 111 4th Ave. N Nashville, TN (Building is no longer there).
1976- With Tut and Randy now gone, George re-brands the business from "GTR, Inc." to "Gruhn Guitars, Inc." and purchases his first building at 410 Broadway
1993- George relocates to 400 Broadway ( a few doors down)
****See link to article about the Past, Present and Future of Gruhn Guitars here: guitars.com/newsletter/past-p...)
2012- George Purchases an enormous 18,000 sq foot space just shy of 2 miles or so from his 410 Broadway location and begins renovations on the space
2013- After 3 days of moving vans - Gruhn Guitars finally has it's current home at 2120 8th Ave. S Nashville, TN.
Video Chapters:
0:00-2:35 Introduction
2:35-10:25 George’s Early Childhood
10:25-14:22 Zoological + Musical Passions
14:22-16:30 A Hobby Becomes a Career
16:30-18:04 Enter: Tut Taylor + Randy Wood
18:04-23:55 GTR, Inc.
23:55-29:28 Gruhn Guitars Today
29:28-32:53 Antiques + Family Life
32:53-33:17 Conclusion
33:17-37:20 Encore: George Defines a Guitar
37:20-41:57 Encore II + Close

[@yellow_panther]

Wow! A real historic video. Great tribute to a great man.

[@stephensperlein9649]

I visited Gruhns Guitars in 2018. George is an extremely knowledgeable musical instrument dealer who is very approachable. He was quite cordial to us when we stopped by. Fantastic collection of great guitars. A must see place in Nashville. Thanks for the video. 👍🏻

[@ROOTSMUSICHISTORY]

I'm so glad you were able to have that experience with him! Every time I've been with him he has been SO welcoming to EVERYONE! I am always amazed at how generous he is with his time, too. He will sit and talk to you for hours. I always joke that walking into his store is like walking into a "time machine" but instead of going to the future or the past, time just stands still. It's like a candy store for adults/musicians! Or even just for history lovers! Next time you're in Nashville you'll have to check out his new location, too, it's enormous!!

[@smelltheglove2038]

Cool video, maybe try to do something with the audio.

[@aum3.146]

I get loving a vintage Martin, but snakes?! icky