Do you have an old guitar gathering dust in the garage or under your bed?

Give that old guitar a new life by donating it to Guitars Gathering Dust.
Donate
Guitars Gathering Dust creates a pathway for old guitars to be restored and re-used in music education programs that support children who cannot afford a new instrument.
Guitars Gathering Dust works with local luthiers and repairers to restore old guitars to their maximum playability.
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Recycle

Please give your old unloved instrument a new home.
No matter what condition your old guitar is in we can use it.

Restore

We work with local repairers and luthiers to restore old instruments back to their maximum playability.

Recirculate

We work with trusted music education providers that support children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

The Power of Music

The mission behind Guitars Gathering Dust is a simple one.

Guitars Gathering Dust is made up of a group of like minded people who believe in the joy and empowerment that playing a musical instrument brings to a persons life. We want to create a more structured pathway for second hand guitars to be recycled and utilised within programs run by music charities such as the Song Room and The Australian Children’s Music Foundation.

Guitars Gathering Dust partners with the local community to provide drop off points for donated guitars. We are working with the Hobsons Bay Mens Shed to repair and restore guitars back to their maximum playability.

Our aim is to get as many second hand guitars in the hands of children from disadvantaged backgrounds.

If you are not able to donate a guitar please consider donating a set of strings (preferably nylon strings suitable for a classical guitar).

Guitars Gathering Dust is a registered charity with the Australian Not for Profit Commission.

The Importance of Music Education

https://musicaustralia.org.au/discover/music-education/

Learning music can help children’s self – confidence, self-discipline and team work. Music helps children progress in other important learning areas such as Maths and English. Indeed, countries with a strong focus on music education tend to have higher scores in literacy and numeracy. Engaging music programs have been shown to help with attendance and can be particularly beneficial for children who are not achieving well in school.

All of this evidence for music’s extrinsic benefits make a strong case for music education, but should not overshadow the sheer joy people experience making music, nor the value of the art form itself.

Why Should Children Learn to Play the Guitar?

  • 1. Improves confidence, self-expression and fosters creativity.
  • 2. Maximises student engagement in the classroom.
  • 3. Promotes teamwork and collaboration.
  • 4. Enhances brain function.
  • 5. Expands a child's social network.
  • 6. Above all playing a musical instrument is FUN.

Some Interesting Research

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Nearly two out of three Australian primary schools offer no classroom music.
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Only 23% of government schools offer a competent music education program.
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88% of independent schools offer a good music education program.
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91% of the population agree that all schools should offer instrumental music education.

Australia lags behind the rest of the world in the provision of school music programs.

Guitars Gathering Dust Supported Programs

Guitars Gathering Dust supports recognised Music Education providers by providing these organisations with recycled second hand guitars that can be used within their programs. We at Guitars Gathering Dust do not disperse or allocate guitars to the general public but work with existing programs who determine how all donated guitars are to be distributed.

The Song Room
The Song Room is a national not-for-profit organisation that brightens the future of Australia's most disadvantaged children with tailored, music and arts program, delivered across the country. Their programs have been independently proven to lift the academic performance, school attendance, social-emotional wellbeing and community involvement of school children. The Song Room vision is that al Australian school children have the opportunity to participate in music and the arts to enhance their education, personal development and community involvement, giving them the best possible start in life.

Phone (03) 9521 3990 | Email: enquiries@songroom.org.au
Visit
The Australian Children's Music Foundation (ACMF)
The Australian Children's Music Foundation (ACMF) is a not-for-profit organisation inspiring creativity and imagination by providing weekly music education classes and instruments to disadvantaged children and youth at risk throughout Australia.

Phone (02) 9929 0008 | Email: contact@acmf.com.au
Visit
The Song Room
The Song Room is a national not-for-profit organisation that brightens the future of Australia's most disadvantaged children with tailored, music and arts program, delivered across the country. Their programs have been independently proven to lift the academic performance, school attendance, social-emotional wellbeing and community involvement of school children. The Song Room vision is that al Australian school children have the opportunity to participate in music and the arts to enhance their education, personal development and community involvement, giving them the best possible start in life.

Phone (03) 9521 3990 | Email: enquiries@songroom.org.au
Visit
The Australian Children's Music Foundation (ACMF)
The Australian Children's Music Foundation (ACMF) is a not-for-profit organisation inspiring creativity and imagination by providing weekly music education classes and instruments to disadvantaged children and youth at risk throughout Australia.

Phone (02) 9929 0008 | Email: contact@acmf.com.au
Visit
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Guitars Gathering Dust Repairers

Guitars Gathering Dust work with local luthiers and repairers to restore guitars to their maximum playability. All Guitars are cleaned and re-stringed and then assessed for additional repair to improve the playability of the instrument. Many old guitars come with scratches and may have a few dings but it is all about the tone of the instrument and how well it stays in tune rather than the cosmetics of the instrument.

GGD-Mens Shed 1
GGD-Mens Shed 10
GGD-Mens Shed 9
GGD-Mens Shed 8
GGD-Mens Shed 7
GGD-Mens Shed 6
GGD-Mens Shed 5
GGD-Mens Shed 4
GGD-Mens Shed 3
GGD-Mens Shed 2
GGD-Mens Shed 11
Australian Men's Shed Association
William Hancock Luthier
Northern College of Arts and Technology
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Donate a Guitar

If you live in City of Hobsons Bay or City of Maribyrnong, Guitar Gathering Dust will arrange to pick up your old guitar from where you live OR you can drop off your old guitar at one of our designated Drop Off points.

Hobson Bay Mens Shed

280 Queens Street
ALTONA VIC 3018
Phone 03 9398 2383

Northern College of Arts and Technology (NCAT)
62 Murray Road
Preston VIC 3072
Phone 03 9478 1333
Email ncat@edumail.vic.gov.au

Scarlett Music

284-288 Ballarat Rd
Footscray VIC 3011
Phone 03 9318 5751
Email info@scarlettmusic.com.au

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Become a Repairer

If you can offer your time as a repairer of old dusty guitars you can help!

Contact Us

Corporate Partners

About The Founder

  • I am a western suburbs boy who was fortunate enough to receive a Wayne D70 Classical guitar for my 12th birthday.
  • Mum and dad insisted (probably for their own sanity) that I take formal lessons and so I went on to be a classically trained guitarist from the age of 12 to 15.
  • During this time, I sat several exams with the Australian Music Examinations Board which prepared me well for later study.
  • I soon discovered that classical guitarists weren't as popular as rock musicians and bought my first electric guitar at 16.
  • Fortunate to spend the first 32 years of my working life working for two great organisations The Herald and Weekly Times and Make-A Wish.
  • Founded an exciting Digital startup in my 50's
  • Now at 55 I'm the owner of a beautiful vintage Gibson acoustic guitar and simply love playing all genres of music.

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ABN  18 712 416 533

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