Picker's Paradise

I’m from Pittsburgh PA and have been visiting the Daphne/Mobile AL since 2019 and somehow overlooked this store until now. Beautiful store with cool vintage stuff. Ended up purchasing the Aria SG in the one picture I attached. Cool place. Will be back soon

Great music store. The owner is very friendly and knowledgeable. Check it out!!!

What a gem of a find! We were leaving our beach vacation & my son wanted to get another guitar "in Alabama or Nashville" on our way back to Wisconsin. I was clueless where to even look. As we're coming out of the coastal area, there's a sign!! Turned around ... son wasn't so sure what we were walking into. SO GLAD WE DID!!! The staff spent time with him to see what he likes, how he plays ... even knowing they'd likely never see him again. Walked out with a BEAUTIFUL Nashville guitar that he just loves!!! If we were local, he said he'd actually go there just to visit & do lessons. (A 16 year old!!) Thanks for a great experience... and not being "sketch" 😁 When we're in the we area again, will definitely stop in!!

Outstanding! Sold my 1962 Gibson Country & Western and my 1968 Gibson Dove. High traffic volume from all over the southeast. If you have a great instrument to sell, Picker’s will take care of you!

Luthier services performed by Andy were completed quickly and skillfully;' and the end results were beautifully executed. I would again trust my finest instruments to his care. They have a steady stream of students taking lessons there daily and also have amassed a great collection of previously owned instruments for sale. These guys express enormous joy in doing what they do. These are musicians serving musicians.

Getting repairs on two guitars . Great store & service ! Just wrote a song called ," Pickers Paradise ." for the store . Will post on YouTube in a few days ! Rock on !

My child loves all the staff! He takes banjo and guitar lessons with Andy and James. Jeff and staff make everyone who enters feel welcomed. They are always eager to help! Great music store!

Fantastic music store with a good selection of hard-to-find guitars. I have bought two from them - a 1950s Bacon and a Dobro Resonator - and am very pleased with the pricing and the quality. The people are extremely friendly and helpful. They carry other stringed instruments and are knowledgeable about all of them. Well worth the time to go check out.

Very good experience with these folks. Got a great deal on a Morgan Monroe mdm-1 mandolin. Highly recommended!

We love Picker's Paradise! They have some great deals. Everyone should go buy stuff from there RIGHT NOW!!! Don't wait! They also do repairs and restrings!

Aptly named! This place is awesome. Owned by my friend, Andy Mac Donald, his goal is to make it a place every guitar player would want to visit. I just bought a guitar there I never thought I could own. While I was there a Nashville player had stopped in to check the place out. I've seen young kids there taking their first lessons. Everyone is friendly. Go check them out!

Great shop for all things stringed. Very friendly and knowledgeable staff. Highly recommend.

Note: I've been playing acoustic and electric guitar for 40 years, and I have dealt with quite a few musical instrument shops over the years. As a teen I spent at least 2 days a week after school in Elderly Instruments in Lansing Michigan. Elderly is well known as one the premier vintage instrument shops in the world. Having spent so much time there I know that what makes Elderly special is the level of knowledge they have, and friendly staff that cares enough to listen and answer questions. I put Picker's Paradise right in the same league. Although Picker's Paradise may be smaller in scale, they have the same great customer service and knowledge, and those are the qualities that matter.

Now that I've taken my Banjo, Mandolin and 12 String Acoustic in for Picker's Paradise to do maintenance and bridge set ups, I can report that their instrument technician (and mandolin / banjo teacher) Andy is just top notch. He is highly knowledgeable, does great work and he's very communicative. He takes the time to make sure you know what you need, and in my experience that makes all the difference when it comes to making an instrument last and keeping it in tune. My brand new Mandolin (that I purchased elsewhere online before I found Picker's Paradise) had a bit of a dead spot in the tone. Andy finalized the bridge set up and made adjustments, and now it sounds fantastic. I highly recommend Andy at Picker's Paradise for instrument inspection, repair and maintenance.

Jeff is also great. Very friendly, and helpful, and if he doesn't have the answer, he will find the answer, and follow through to make sure you have all the information you need.

Bottom line is their customer service is the best you'll ever find and that makes them a rare gem in this day and age.

No matter where you live Picker's Paradise is worth the drive (within reason I guess). Personally I won't be taking my instruments anywhere else.

Lessons/Instruction:

I just started taking banjo lessons from Andy, and in the first lesson I learned the first steps and gained a solid understanding of the new techniques I need to master. Feeling very good about his instruction so far and I'm confident I will achieve my musical goals with his help.

So I also recommend Picker's Paradise for lessons. Regardless of your age, there is always more to learn, and when it comes to new techniques and new instruments, I feel that in person live demonstration and guidance is the best way to go. Youtube cannot observe your physical approach and identify where you may be making technique mistakes. Over time small mistakes turn into hard to break bad habits that can and quite often do, undermine hours and hours of practice and prevent you from achieving your very best sound. In my humble opinion.

I will add more as my lessons progress, and I have more work done on my instruments.

Long review I know, but when it comes to our instruments, nothing is more important than finding a great shop with great people to take care of them, and you. So I wanted to cover all the bases, so other people know that Picker's Paradise is a great place for all your instrument needs.

I hope this review helps you find your way into Picker's Paradise. I'm sure you'll be glad you did, I know I am.

I have been shopping off and on here for years... Even sold a guitar on consignment here this year! Absolute best customer service I believe I’ve ever received in a music store! If you were looking for a great guitar at a good deal, you’ve found your place.

We LOVE Pickers and Andy. Our son has already learned so much in just a few weeks. He has a passion for music but now he also has the skill set to play. It isn't just about talent, it's also about reading music and the history behind it. I hope Sam continues to love music and pursue it as his passion for the future.

Haven't had enough time to thoroughly go through their offerings, but sure seems like a great place ed. Looking forward to when they start having jam sessions again.

Good selections and variety, beautiful guitars, and amazing customer service. Went in for strings, but will definitely be returning to buy a guitar. Plus they offer lessons

This is what a guitar shop used to be like. Very cool vibe when you enter. No egos or salesmen. Very knowledgeable. A place you want to hang and discuss guitar

Cool shop, nice people. Easy to work with. Glad I stopped and left with a very clean vintage amp!

The folks to help you inside a pickers paradise are helpful and very nice and also offer classes.

Great staff, good selection of unusual gear. Best vintage/consignment variety around. Worth the trip!