American Guitar & Band is located in the Minneapolis suburb of Maple Grove, Minnesota. We buy, sell, trade and offer the best quality instruments at every price range. Our sales, teaching, and repair staff has solid industry and academic credentials, and our focus is on value and unrivaled customer service. Please click here to read the buzz about us.
Our 5,500 square foot shop is open 7 days a week. It includes electric guitar, acoustic guitar, bass, percussion, and high-end boutique showrooms plus a huge range of amplifiers and accessories. We also offer repairs, music lessons (in all instruments as well as voice) in 10 state-of-the-art classrooms, a gratis coffee lounge and a store pug named Truffle.
Whether it is a musician on tour looking for a rare guitar or a parent bringing their child in for lessons for the first time, the shared reaction is "Ive never been in a store like this." We invite you to contact us with any questions regarding our inventory and services, and hope that your next music lesson, gear for your next gig, or the search for your next "dream" guitar brings you to our shop.
-Cory and Stephanie Lake
Owners, American Guitar and Band
Cory Lake, Owner
Lake studied recording and engineering and built his first recording studio in 1995. In 2000, he opened his first shop (American Guitar Boutique) and in 2007 built American Guitar & Band, which he owns and operates with his wife, Stephanie. Lake set out to revolutionize music retail, and praise for his work includes winning Mesa Boogies Store of Excellence Award and Best Music Store from Citysearch and Minnesota Monthly. Twin Cities Business Journal calls him a Notable Entrepreneur and PLAYback considers him an Industry Innovator. Music Trades describes AG&B as a musical candy store and Music Inc. heralds the shop as a cutting edge, hip, and luxurious addition to the industry.
Of AG&B, Lake states he built his company "for people that love music. I want our clients and students to have fun, and learn, and enjoy all facets of music as much as my employees and I do."
Stephanie Lake, PhD, Creative Director
A design historian and curator by trade, Lake serves as Creative Director for AG&B. She designs all AG&B spaces and in-house products and oversees the shops PR and special events.
Lakes academic and curatorial work has been featured in Dutch, Elle, Elle Decor UK, Harpers Bazaar, Investors Business Daily, Japanese Cosmopolitan, Japanese Esquire, LA Weekly, Life, Los Angeles Times, Lucky, Minneapolis Star Tribune, Metropolis, Minneapolis-St. Paul Magazine, New York Magazine, The New York Times, St. Paul Pioneer Press, Spur, Village Voice, Vogue, W, and WWD.
Truffle and Mae Lake, Store Dogs
Play:
Squeaky Toys
Styles:
Enthusiastic and Cuddly
Education:
Limited attempts at formal training, including full comprehension of the word "treat"
Music Icons:
AG&B music students
Career Highlights:
Being able to work in a dog-friendly environment with my family.
Eric Benedict, Internet Sales
Plays:
Guitar, Bass, Mandolin, Piano, and Tuba
Styles:
Blues, Punk, Jazz
Education:
Davenport University, Grand Rapids, MI
Professional Gigs:
Black Church Service, The Danny Jack Fiasco, Far From Luke, plus session work
Music Icons:
Bill Broonzy, Keith & Ronnie, Muddy. Plus dozens of non-guitarists who have influenced my playing: Louis Armstrong, Bessie Smith, Little Walter.
Career Highlights:
Getting to travel all over the world playing music.
John Lockner (J-LO), Sales
Plays: Bass Guitar, Live Sound Engineering
Styles: Rock, Metal, and enjoys listening to just about anything
Pro-Gigs: Gemini, Jaded, Dungeon, Barilla
Music Icons: Randy Rhoades, Robin Trower, Bob Daislyer, John Sykes.
Tim O'Brien, Sales
Plays:
Guitar, Bass, and also vocals
Styles:
Blues, Funk, Rock
Education:
The Road.
Professional Gigs:
Roy Parkers Family Band, Hot Fat, The Bitter End, King-King, Reverend James and the Flames, Shawshank Redemption, Tim OBrian Project; also founder and builder of OBrien Amplifiers
Music Icons:
Jimi Hendrix, Hubert Sumlin, Albert King, Freddy King, Scott Holt and Red Devils
Career Highlights:
Seeing truly inspiring artists play my amps.
