Vintage guitar shop opens in the Arts District

By Dylan Scott

Thursday, Aug. 26, 2010 | 3:51 p.m.

With his new shop in the Las Vegas Arts District, Mark Castillo hopes to attract the valley’s guitar-heads with a taste for classic axes.

Downtown Vintage Guitars opened the first week of August at its location on South Third Street, near the corner of Charleston Boulevard.

Classic models—Castillo described them as “road-worn” and “choice pieces”—from the likes of Les Paul, Epiphone and Fender are for sale.

The staff crafts handmade acoustic guitars, with custom necks and inlays, and repairs broken or faulty amplifiers, Castillo said.

He also plans to start producing his own line of amps, replicating a simpler sound from the early days of the electric guitar.

Castillo, 50, said his father played the guitar and he grew up with a distinct appreciation for the instrument's design and sound. He built his first guitar before he reached adulthood, but his favorite hobby took a hiatus as he aged.

After moving to Las Vegas 15 years ago and working in the interior design business, Castillo decided it was time to return to his youthful passion. He took lessons to refresh his craftsmanship from Norman Height, a local artisan who will continue to collaborate with Downtown Vintage Guitars, before opening.

Castillo envisions the store becoming a hangout for local players, he said.

“I would love for a young kid to come in here and just shred,” he said. “I’ll hook him up.”

Downtown Vintage Guitars is located at 1106 S. Third St.