Guitar Emporium at Maxwell's House of Music.jpg

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A southern Indiana music store is expanding with the purchase of a legendary Louisville business. 

Maxwell's House of Music, in Jeffersonville, purchased the Guitar Emporium on March 4.

This comes as Maxwell's celebrates its 25th anniversary. 

"They say 25 years makes something vintage," store owners said in a news release. "2022 makes the 25th year that Maxwell's House of Music has existed, so we're a vintage music store, right?" 

Owners said the addition of the Guitar Emporium makes Maxwell's "even more vintage," something they want to keep alive as the two stores merge.

Jimmy Brown, the original founder of Guitar Emporium, started selling vintage guitars while he was in high school before launching the shop in 1975. He sold the business in 2013. Nine years later, it was made available again.

"For me, this is a dream come true," store manager Mike McAfee said in a news release. "I grew up surrounded by Jimmy Brown and his love of vintage gear, and it had a huge impact on my musical life."

With the purchase, Guitar Emporium was merged into Maxwell's 12,500-foot facility in Jeffersonville to ensure the "heritage and importance of the brand" wouldn't fade away.

"We don't take this relocation lightly, and are committed to keeping the vintage instrument market alive in our area along with the feel that made the Guitar Emporium so special," Maxwell's co-owner Mark Maxwell said in a news release on Wednesday. 

Owners said the merger results in a "one-of-a-kind music experience" offering something for everyone.

"We felt lucky to have this chance, but we all know that luck is when hard work meets opportunity," co-owner Jeff McNicol said. "We have put ourselves in position to nurture and carry this iconic brand into the future."

The Guitar Emporium at Maxwell's House of Music is located at 1710 East 10th Street in Jeffersonville. 

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