Welcome to Carmel Music Co.
Fine Acoustic Guitars and Mandolins

Carmel Music Co. owner, Dexter Johnson, has been building, repairing, and restoring acoustic guitars and mandolins since 1969. You can hear one of his custom made guitars played by Jerry Garcia on the Acoustic Disc release Garcia/Grisman (track 9 - "Arabia"). He also worked extensively with his friend, mandolin virtuoso David Grisman, on the Tone Poems 1, 2 and 3 discs setting up the vintage instruments for the recording sessions and co-writing the album notes with David.

Carmel Music Co. specializes in acoustic guitars and mandolins and carries no solid body electrics except for an occasional mandocaster. Besides instruments by makers such as Collings, Ellis, Mowry, and Kimble, there is always a great selection of various used and vintage guitars and mandolins. Dexter will be happy to talk with you on the phone about possible trade-ins as well as about the condition of instruments that are in stock and deals that might be worked out.

Among celebrity visitors, friends, and clients, Carmel Music is proud to include David Grisman, Martin Taylor, Tony Rice, deeply missed friend Charles Sawtelle (Hot Rize), Ronnie McCoury, Ricky Skaggs, Buck White, Andy Statman, the late Jerry Garcia, Bruce Springsteen, Jackson Browne, G.E. Smith, David Hidalgo (Los Lobos), Mark O'Connor, Laurie Lewis and Tom Rozum, Aubrie Haynie, John Reischman, Butch Baldassari and the Nashville Mandolin Ensemble, the late Tommy Comeaux (Beausoleil), Mike Marshall, Darol Anger, Jeff Linsky, Tony Marcus (Cats n Jammers), Carlos Barbosa-Lima, and many more.

After many years at the downtown Carmel retail location, Carmel Music Co. is now doing business exclusively via the internet and over the phone.

Over the last few decades Carmel Music Co. has bought, sold, consigned and restored some of the finest vintage American guitars and mandolins built during the last century including "Herringbone" and "45" style Martins, D'Angelico archtops, Strombergs, and Gibson built mandolins, mandolas, and guitars.