AusLeisure

Coinciding with the 48th Toyota Country Music Festival (running from 17th to 26th January 2020), Tamworth has launched its new National Guitar Museum.

Tamworth is recognised as Australia’s Country Music Capital and home of the iconic Big Golden Guitar.

Having opened to the public on Saturday 18th January, Tamworth’s National Guitar Museum will be another string in the bow of existing country music collateral, such as The Gallery of Stars Wax Museums, The Big Golden Guitar statue and The Australian Country Music Hall of Fame, housed across the Tamworth region.

The National Guitar Museum currently features more than 45 guitars, including the likes of Smokey Dawson’s original riffle guitar from the 1950’s era when he was reigning supreme on radio, records and in comics; Brain May’s (guitarist from QUEEN) travelling guitar that he produced as a replica from his iconic red guitar; world-great, Tommy Emmanuel’s first Maton guitar from the start of his career along with one of his much-used Fender guitars; a personally signed Washburn guitar from KISS’ Paul Stanley; the two final and customised guitars that belonged to Slim Dusty, made by Maton for the exclusive Slim Line; along with signed guitars from Keith Urban, Dolly Parton, Brookes and Dunn, Kenny Rogers, The Eagles and many more.

One of the two signed guitars by Keith Urban, played at his Nissan Stadium Performance in Nashville, 2015 is signed “Tamworth, where it all began”, referring to the city and The Festival as the launch pad for his musical career.

Country Music Manager at Tamworth Regional Council, Barry Harley noted “the guitars that we have been gifted are a tribute to Tamworth’s reputation – something that we, as the people of Tamworth, are so proud of.

“There’s nowhere more fitting in Australia to house a National Guitar Museum than in the Home of Country Music and The Big Golden Guitar.”

The collection of guitars in The Museum is complimented by a world-class photographic exhibition, famously exhibited and captured over the years by Chuck Bradley. The exhibition, titled “Instrumental” is an illuminating picture collection of guitars and other instruments from country and rock icons such as Midnight Oil, INXS, Guns ‘n’ Roses, Troy Cassar-Daley, Archie Roach and more. This collection is continuously growing as Bradley is still photographing.

Harley added “to quote Paul Kelly, “from little things big things grow” – we have great plans for the growth and expansion of The Tamworth National Guitar Museum over time. This is just the beginning of our collection but all in all we are thrilled to add another fantastic facility to our region, that visitors will be able to enjoy not only throughout The Festival, but year-round.”

The Tamworth National Guitar Museum is located at the Tamworth Visitor Information Centre at the Big Golden Guitar on the entrance to the city. Entry to The Museum is $7 which also includes access to The Gallery of Stars Wax Museum.

Image of Tamworth National Guitar Museum courtesy of Tamworth Country Music Festival

Related Articles

17th January 2020 - NSW Police have major presence at Tamworth Country Music Festival 2020

12th October 2019 - Tamworth Country Music Festival executive to address inaugural Australian Festival Industry Conference

28th August 2019 - Sydney to host CiMAM international museums and galleries conference in November

7th February 2019 - New digital platform promotes Western Australian regional museums and collections

11th August 2018 - Guitar festival opens in Australia’s only UNESCO City of Music

9th March 2018 - Free entry initiative sees record attendance at Hong Kong museums

7th March 2017 - New energy partnership to drive greener museums

17th January 2017 - Senior ABC executive to head Museums Victoria

30th November 2016 - Singapore museums attract record 3.7 million visits in 2015

28th June 2016 - Free entry draws crowds to Sydney’s museums

29th January 2015 - 43rd Toyota Country Music Festival Tamworth 2015 a huge success

11th January 2011 - Show will go on at Tamworth Country Music Festival

---

Support our industry news service
We hope that you value the news that we publish so while you're here can we ask for your support?

As an independent publisher, we need reader support for our industry news gathering so ask that - if you don't already do so - you back us by subscribing to the printed Australasian Leisure Management magazine and/or our online news.