The best guitarists in Melbourne
Almost nobody books a solo guitarist to fill a dance floor. You book one for the ninety minutes either side of it: guests arriving, a ceremony, the first drink in a courtyard, two hours of dinner where people want to hear each other talk. Get that right and the player is the reason the room feels settled rather than empty.
Melbourne makes it easy because the players are everywhere and hard because the rooms are so different. A converted Brunswick warehouse with a concrete floor and a tin roof throws sound around in a way a carpeted Berwick reception space never will, and the same guitarist will make quite different choices in each.
Top picks in Melbourne
Top picks are the acts in this category in Melbourne, with premium listings first (no visible client reviews or ratings in this list).
Questions people ask about guitarists in Melbourne
How much does a guitarist cost in Melbourne?
Three things move it: how many hours, whether they need to bring a PA, and how far out of town you are. A ceremony on its own is the short version, while a player covering the aisle then two hours of dinner in the Yarra Valley is a long day with a drive at both ends. The from-prices on this page are what Melbourne guitarists are quoting at the moment.
Should I book a guitarist or a singer with a guitar?
They are sold as the same thing and they are not. Instrumental playing sits under conversation and lets a room talk, which is what you want during dinner. A singer pulls attention to the front of the room, which is lovely for an aisle walk and tiring across two hours of canapes, so plenty of Melbourne players do both and switch halfway through the night.
Can a guitarist play outdoors without power?
For a ceremony, usually yes, as long as the guest count is modest and the wind is behaving. Melbourne gardens and rooftop terraces are the ones to watch, because a breeze off a hard surface will take a nylon string guitar away from the back rows entirely. Most players carry a small battery speaker for exactly this, so ask whether theirs is included or extra.
How far will a Melbourne guitarist travel?
Out to the Mornington Peninsula, the Yarra Valley and the Macedon Ranges is routine work for the players based in town, and the travel sits in the quote rather than surprising you later. What actually matters is the return leg, because a finish after midnight in wine country is a long quiet drive. Give the venue name and suburb in your first message and the number you get back will be the real one.
Booking tips
Name the moment, not the number of hours
Ceremony, canapes and dinner are three separate jobs with different volumes and different repertoire. Say which ones you want covered and a player can tell you where the gaps are before you pay for time you do not need.
Ask what happens to a hard room
Brick, concrete and high ceilings smear a nylon string guitar into mush if nobody thinks about it. A player who asks about the floor and the ceiling before quoting has worked an inner north warehouse before.
Weather moves the ceremony indoors, so ask now
Melbourne will hand you four seasons in one afternoon and the wet plan usually means a smaller room with worse power. Agree where the guitarist sets up in both versions rather than solving it on the day.