to find brands that set us apart,” White said. “We onboard a lot of brands as their first dealer, including guys who are making pedals in their garages. We’re one of the two exclusive dealers for Chase Bliss pedals that’s available in a brick- and-mortar. We carry a lot of cool, small brands, including Superlunar, Trap Door Electronics and Non-Human Audio. We still [stock] Boss and Electro-Harmonix and the ‘legends,’ too.” Headphone isolation stations anchor the ends of the pedal aisles, letting customers test gear instantly without the noise and pressure of a traditional demo floor. “Everyone loves it,” White said. “Right when you walk in the front door, it hits you. We’ve got the pedal shelves lined up in these little aisles on a nice little angle for musicians to see the spread and the guitar walls in the back. Everyone’s stoked.” When Eastside moved into its current loca- tion, the space was an empty warehouse with soaring ceilings and no predefined structure. For White, that meant total creative freedom. “I wanted it to be spacious, and have the pedal shelves be a statement piece to who we are and what we specialize in,” White said. MI
EASTSIDE MUSIC SUPPLY Nashville, Tennessee Widely known as one of Nashville’s top destinations for new and used effects, Eastside Music Supply has built its reputation on a simple but often overlooked principle: letting musicians touch the gear. With no glass cases or barriers involved, hundreds of pedals sit within arm’s reach, inviting players to pick them up, plug them in and explore. “We’ve always wanted people to be able to touch the pedals and feel them,” said Blair
White, store owner. “For the design of our new layout, I wanted it to look like a pedal library. You go in and there’s shelves on both sides. Our shop has a lot of greens, browns and earthy tones.” That “pedal library” concept features rows of shelving in clean, intentional lines, angled just enough to give customers a full view of the inven- tory while guiding them deeper into the store. While legacy brands still hold their place, Eastside leans heavily into the smaller builders. “I enjoy seeking out new stuff and trying
GUITAR PEDAL SHOPPE Plymouth, Massachusetts
Known for its showstopping pedal selec- tion, Guitar Pedal Shoppe in Plymouth, Mas- sachusetts, has built a reputation around an expansive mix of vintage finds, boutique builds and brand-new releases, all housed within a space that feels as intentional as the tones it helps create. Owner Ric Tomasi approached the store’s design with a vision to maximize both scale and the customer experience. Working alongside a contractor, he developed a series of custom wooden display shelves engineered to hold hundreds of pedals without sacrificing vis- ibility or accessibility. Every inch of the layout is purposeful, allowing the collection to feel immersive rather than overwhelming. “Our design reflects our insane love for guitar pedals,” Tomasi said. “We wanted as many pedals as possible displayed in one room. Back in 2011, we had our tech design wooden shelves to display over 1,500 pedals.”
When customers walk through the Guitar Pedal Shoppe’s doors, the space opens into a musician’s playground, featuring rows of pedals stretching across pine wooden walls, anchored by thick wooden shelves stained in a rich dark walnut. The material choices give the shop a warm, vintage character. “We liked the look of dark wood so we
went with a deep walnut stain,” Tomasi said. Beyond its visual impact lies the depth of the shop’s inventory. With over 1,000 pedals housed in-shop, Guitar Pedal Shoppe offers a range that spans pre-owned gems and the latest releases. “People love the ones with weird sauce, for sure,” Tomasi said. MI
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