Where to find the best music shops in Arvada? Top-20 options

Awsome Awsome folks in very informative and freindly I recently started playing the lap steel and was in need of a lap steel bar and found a used one and the person was kind enough to trade me my bottle neck slide for it straight across i would recomend them any time for repairs or new or used instruments.

I love this place!!
Great instruments and service!!!

Absolute game changer. My 1970 D18 was a mess. It sings like a bird now. Perfection. Don’t think twice pickin parlour will make it nice! Can’t say enough.

Knowledgeable owner.

The shop is beautiful!

They were unwilling to negotiate the price (at all) towards a trade in, which was a bummer. Don’t expect any deals here because you won’t get one. I would come back here if there was a guitar I really wanted, but otherwise there are similar guitars in same or better condition on craigslist for less, and without sales tax. He wanted 2600+ for a Martin HD28v with a crack in it.

Staff wasn’t interested in helping us, they seemed preoccupied with more important things…

If you have a guitar that means anything to you at all stay far away from this place. They ruined the most wonderful sounding and easiest playing guitar I ever hoped to own. And, treated me as rudely and dismissively as I have ever been treated.

First…the prices are way too high! The proprietor is a pompous chap to say the least. I walked into The Old Pickin’ Parlor today with $1500 in my pocket in hopes of finding a decent guitar. The gentleman who was running the store looked me up and down (sized me up) and went back to talking to the postman who had stopped to deliver the mail. Not a hello or howdy. I just moved here from Portland, Oregon and found that to be out of character from the friendliness I have found in the Denver area. I then started to look at some of the guitars. The store has some nice Martins, Collings, What looked to be Rhode Island Guilds behind the counter, etc.. I also noticed that the prices were inflated. I have been a collector/player since the 70’s and Have bought guitars from coast to coast. I know the going rate, and these were boutique prices. The real kicker was the guy behind the counter. After his initial glance, he never said another word to me. He made/answered a couple of calls of a personal nature in which he talked about playing an open mic the previous night. He called the sound man at this venue a 25 year old idiot with a tin ear, but despite that, he and his partner “wowed” the crowd anyway. His tone was abrasive and I thought it was so unprofessional to speak like that in front of a (now not so likely) paying customer. I decided to exit the store, and upon doing so looked over my shoulder. The guy was glaring at me! I had to laugh…wow! He did me the best favor possible, because I went to another acoustic specialty store in town and found a Guild NT-72! They only made 200 of these in 1994 (before Fender bought them) and it is unbelievable. Even more unbelievable is that I paid only $1700 for it. It was only $100 more than one of the stock J-50 Guild’s that this guy had at the Old Pickin’ Parlor. Look up the NT-72…you will see what a gem it is. Thanks brother! You may have wowed the crowd at the Open Mic, but you left this audience member(customer) unimpressed and slightly offended.
NOTE: There are other places that will treat you like an old friend in Denver…Try them first:)

Ally’s Shop is the best shop around! I stumbled in with my family a few months ago and I can’t seem to stay away. She has the greatest vinyl ranging in all genres and eras, a large collection of handmade goods (including the yummiest smelling soy candles), vintage clothes, jewelry, stickers and a sick gallery featuring a bunch of artists! Electric cherry is the place to visit in Olde Town Arvada and Ally is the coolest cat you’ll meet!!

Electric Cherry is truly a one-of-a-kind shop! Since my first visit, I’ve been enamored by the creativity that oozes from the space. Ally, the shop owner, embraces artistry in all forms and covers every inch of the store with rad pieces. I came for the vibes and stayed for the strong support of creatives. Make sure to follow them on Instagram so you know about the revolving vintage finds, vinyl and live events they curate.

Absolutely love Electric Cherry Shop! There’s not another shop like it around. I’ve purchased a lot from EC including custom art from a local artist, amazing prints for my home + office, self care products + candles, vinyl, vintage clothing and they have the most amazing card selection if you’re looking for something quirky and unique. If you’re looking for a unique gift that’s not from a big box store, this is your place. The owner ally is super passionate about what she does and especially about music. Highly recommend if you’re in olde town arvada or the Denver area in general.

Very nice, clean and quaint store in Olde Town Arvada! They have an eclectic style and unique items. The vinyl was decently priced (not too high not too low), but it was rather limited with the quality of the vinyl. Nothing overly unique from a record standpoint. However, this place is still worth a visit so go check it out!

Whomever is pricing vinyl here needs a reality check.

Cool vibe though.

These guys suck. Rude and unprofessional.

Awesome musician!

Went there to buy my first electric guitar and amp, armed with pretty much zero knowledge of electrics Ed was awesome helped me pick out a nice set up while staying right near my price range..will definitely be going to him for future guitar needs

Good services

Can’t keep my husband out of this place-He loves it!!!

We got what we needed, it was even a better model than the one we were looking at. But some of the staff need to get some priorities sorted. My friend and I had to ask three different people before the gentleman behind the guitar repair/re-string station helped us out. Everyone just shrugged and said we needed a drum expert… we just wanted an amp from the back. But happy with the product.

The guitar was not to spec, but they did take it back.

Can be hard to get someone’s attention considering there is no central checkout and too much requires assistance to get.

They don’t work with you or cut there prices to make the sale.

This was easily the WORST Guitar Center I have ever been to.
I called earlier to see if they had a product in stock, and they told me they did.
So I drive over 45 minutes to this location only to find out that they didn’t even carry the product.

Thanks Guitar Center

Rude people working there. Very poor attitude. I will never go back there. It was a wasted trip

Awesome teacher! Gene is fun, friendly, patient, and knowledgeable It is fun learning songs I get to choose. I highly recommend Gene!

Gene with Arvada Guitar is an amazing teacher! I haven’t had experience with a musical instrument in 30 years and Gene is patient, professional and makes it fun! That said, I know he also has a ton to offer the most talented musicians.
I highly recommend Gene at Arvada Guitar!!

Arvada Guitar has been amazing for me. I have grown as a player as well as conceptually within different aspects needed to completely master the guitar. While I am definitely not an expect player, I am well on my way to masterful blues solos! Gene always listens to my needs and whether we’re working on songs, improvisation, scales, solos, or just jamming, I have never had one bad lesson and Gene is the best! Definitely come here for a personal guitar experience!

Students are charged two weeks a year worth of lessons for Gene Crout’s vacation time.

I believe in paying for services rendered, so I stopped lessons when I learned of this policy.

Furthermore, he neglected to collect my signed agreement. If he had prioritized going over this agreement with me in person, I would have known about this clause from the get go, and would have been able to decide to continue lessons after our first lesson. Instead he let it slip, and it was never discussed in the 5 months I was his student.

One positive takeaway from this incident is that Gene granted me a refund when requested: which was only fair and just.

Be that as it may, I do not believe in charging clients for services that are not provided, and contributing to his vacation fund.

Costs for his lessons are reasonably priced for an hour time period, and I did learn how to play several songs.

Been going to drumcity since I was a teenager. Tim and Jay are awesome people. I highly recommend them! Always treated me fairly

I have never visited before, had a great experience for the short time I was there.

Really cool joint! Unassuming from the outside, you open the door to a great selection of drums. And behind that are a ton of guitars of seemingly every type, style and configuration. Very helpful staff who have been running the place for ages. Definitely worth a visit.

Small, intimate music gear shop packed full with instruments and anything a musician’s heart could wish for. I was charged much less at the register for an item than what was marked on the package.

This place is pretty pricey. They say their drum heads are half off but the original price is double of what you would pay everywhere else around town, so you break even.

I’ve been going there for over 35-40 years always good

I came in a few times for a cocktail drum purchase and didn’t find prices that fit my budget (which is fine, it was nice equipment and they’re a used store!). I came back to try and trade things in for accessories instead (bass pedal/Hi-Hat stand) but the trade in value was changed when I got there if I didn’t buy multiple items. Again fair enough, it’s a used shop and they need to make money.

I came yesterday to grab a floor Tom ring and Tim was pretty short with me a bit immature saying “Hey, we finally sold you something!” tried to upsell me on a bass drum head for my new kick and when I was said goodbye, he ignored me while walking away.

I truly do not like to write these messages or send negativity to a used music shop as I had been apart of one for a very long time but if you can’t find me what I’m looking for at a price that is in my range: do not make it my problem and make me feel unwanted. I sent an email addressed to Tim specifically to remedy the situation and I haven’t heard anything back. So I’m writing it here to not treat others this way.

Everyone needs to make money but jeez, don’t run your customers out when they finally find something that works for them with you.

I purchased a guitar from this company for my husband, it was a 7 string Schecter Omen which was something he had been wanting for quite some time so I purchased it as a surprise gift for him. He used the guitar once and the next time he went to play it wasn’t working. We took it to a company that fixes guitars and they informed us that it was a used guitar.. I paid full price for a guitar that was not only USED but BROKE immediately after purchase!! If you’re in the market for a guitar I highly suggest that you search elsewhere. Drum City is not a reliable place to purchase from

Inquired over the phone (45 min drive) on needing 2x Iron Cobra Wooden Beaters. “Got them for you” was his response. Fight traffic to get there, buy product and trustingly got back in car. Upon inspection in parking lot, one is labeled CB90W (correct), the other CB90F (wrong). Stems are different and neither comes with weights. Looking closer the wood is shaped differently, different sizes and completely different types of wood. Just paid for two “new” Wooden Beaters that weigh differently and have different bounce properties. This place will lie just to make a dollar. Never going back.

Nathan is a master of his craft!

Rachel has been amazing, my daughter loves her, and is always looking forward to seeing her. She is very professional and patient. We definitely recommend her to anyone wanting to learn about the piano.

Rachel is my flute teacher. I played briefly in my 20s and took the flute up again in my 50s. I have really progressed with Rachel. She is a great musician and an awesome teacher. I highly recommend her.

Our 5 year old daughter has been taking beginner piano lessons with Rachel for 4 months and she truly looks forward to lessons each week. Rachel is great with kids and does a great job breaking everything down and keeping her engaged. We appreciate Rachel’s communication and patience. Thank you, Rachel!

Always in time, works with school schedule when necessary, and my daughter thinks Rachel is a great teacher.

Update: I would be leery of Rachel’s policies and hidden charges. I am modifying my 5 star review to 2.5 stars because of a weird execution of her “policy” that has an exploitive feel. Here’s what happened:
My daughter has 45 min lessons once a week with Rachel. The entire month of lessons is paid for at the beginning of the month. On the 3rd week, my daughter had a 4pm lesson, which she was running late for, trying to locate her music sheets, which took an extra 5 to 10 mins. My daughter was trying to be proactive and responsible, communicating this to Rachel (before telling me). My daughter tells me Rachel responded that she could do the 45 min lesson at 6pm instead of 4pm this same day. At 5pm I get a text from Rachel that says, per her cancellation policy, I *have* to reschedule and pay for another lesson, in addition to effectively having already lost the 4pm lesson we had already paid for (this was her “policy”). First, *I* did not cancel and reschedule the lesson. *Rachel* did this, with my daughter (a minor), without letting me know this was happening until 5pm (after the lesson could have taken place), nor being clear with my daughter that this 4pm to 6pm change was actually a cancellation/rescheduling that incurred an additional charge. Second, had Rachel then spoken to me/a parent first when my daughter let her know she was running late, I could have just asked Rachel to start the 45 min lesson 10 or 15 minutes late instead of cancel/reschedule 2 hrs later for the charge of an additional lesson, which would make no sense. This lesson was by skype, not in person. It would not have been a terrible inconvenience for her to start 15 minutes late on something we had already paid for – during the same time slot- we would have had a 30 min lesson for the 45 min one that we paid for, since we were late on our end. Instead, she texts me around 5pm, after our 4pm lesson would have been too late to do, and tells me this is a cancellation (again, arranged b/t her and my daughter, not me) and per her policy, a cancellation within a month of her recital (this is Rachel’s recital that she requires the students to do) means we are *required* to reschedule and pay for the rescheduled lesson. Third, my daughter is rarely late. We have been understanding – without question about Skyping during covid – even though we paid for in person lessons, and have not missed any payments since we started over a year ago. This was very poor customer service, if not squirrelly or outright dishonest. I don’t think her business is worth it for that.

Good drinks. Good happy hour.

Great drinks and pizza..best pizza in old town arvada

I absolutely love this place! Knowing how much I love Americanos, a friendly barista at Starbucks recommended this spot to me. I’ve only worked here a few times but love it and know I’m going to become a regular. The staff is extremely friendly, their food is amazing, and the overall vibe is wonderful. 100% recommend!

Nice place with a cute back patio area. Live music sometimes and pretty good bloody Mary’s.

Breakfast burritos are really good. Low enough noise level that you can have a conversation. Lovely interior but could use some upper shades for the morning sun. Someone in my group always ends up having to move because of it and there’s limited seating to begin with. Service is generally awful. Slow to non-existant (many in my groups have had to resort to going to the bar to request something that should have been served/offered), rarely checking back, etc. And please, PLEASE fix the tables so they stop rocking!

Overall a very cool vibe

Service was definitely lacking to begin with and then the bartenders started drinking and it turned into a self serve kinda joint. The thing that really sent me was when the politics broke out and next thing you know was tip was deserved so no tip was left.

If you like waiting 45 minutes before your order is taken…
Not receiving it an hour after it is placed…
Giving up and just asking for it to-go…
Paying for it…
Still not receiving it…
Being kicked out by your server because he “doesn’t like your attitude” when you inquire about your order…
Oh, and if you like your server to appear very intoxicated and finding out that your server is actually one of the owners, then…
You are going to LOVE this place!

Coffee house and bar that won’t serve any coffee 30 minutes before advertised closing hours. A to go cup of coffee. Please communicate that online anywhere before someone counts on you guys for said service you guys say to off during advertised hours

They had the items I was looking at a reasonable price. The service was friendly and helpful as well. What more can you ask for?!

Great customer support and service. Since I only needed guitar strings I thought my visit would be a simple walk-in, get strings, pay, and walk out… But the sales person turned out to be not only very personable and pleasant, but could tell me more than I ever knew about strings from manufacturer to the kinds of metal used in production…

I can only imagine how much help the staff can offer to customers who need assistance with any kind of purchase.

I truly believe that a customer can trust the folks at this small but excellent music store.

I am a musician and have been involved with Flesher-Hinton for over 10 years. They always have a wonderful selection to meet my needs and the staff are very knowlegable. I highly recommend Flesher-Hinton for all your music needs!

There’s parking at the new location. Really reasonably priced supplies. Not the best selection for buying instruments though. Since their relocation, seems they’re putting more emphasis on instrument repair. Still probably the best music supply shop in the area

Like always the services people were just great.

The people employees are professional, knowledgeable, and ready to help!
As with any store like this, you can expect them to be salesmen, though they don’t push too hard and don’t avoid helping you find the lowest priced items.
The technicians are great, but I wish they had a bit more enthusiasm.
If you are testing out brass instruments or such, the practice room they put me in had too much reverb to get accurate samples, even with a recording device. I have yet to ask if they had a more acoustically dry room.
They can order sheet music and products, and have all the basics and many accessories for band musicians.

Just terrible experience! Purchased a new wood clarinet 5 months ago. Found out it was cracking, unfortunately happens if not taken care of, but not in the first 5 months.

Took 2+ months to fix, when we finally picked it up, some old guy in the store started telling my 16 year old daughter about keeping it greased every six months- lecturing her because it was so dried out! Finally stepped in and told him…we bought it here less than 5 months ago…in other words, you sold an old dried out clarinet for $2000.00. Will never ever step foot in this store again d/t the service dept.

Went in to check out acoustic guitars earlier today. Got an important call as I was about to tune a guitar I was checking out and the guy behind the counter just starts blowing into some sort of wind instrument seemingly deliberately because taking a quick phone call. So I hung up the guitar and just walked out.
But the guy who welcomed me when I walked in seemed nice.

In 2014, I used this studio to record a solo artist, named Scott Shelton. The production tech guy was so helpful, friendly and went way above and beyond to make sure we got an incredible track! I highly recommend this place for anyone who wants a high end music production on a budget.
Thanks, guys! -Nathan

Absolutely amazing audio video recording studio right in the heart of Old Town Arvada. Amazing people and equipment and great prices!

My husband really likes this place. It’s perfect for buying board games both used and new. Also good assortment of books, though they mix used and new on the shelves which gets confusing. I like buying only used books, so it was frustrating to find books that were priced as new. Will definitely return.

Games, Books, Vinyls, CD’s, Shirts, Tabletop, and many collectible pieces. Check this place often if your looking for something rare, elusive, or if you just want a good deal in a decent environment.

The Denver area’s most interesting small business!

Good people, helped me find what l wanted .

Cool place but hard to find things and kinda pricey

I bring my old books and trade them in for different books.

The staff is not nice or helpful. In the many times I’ve been in therethere over the years. Not once has an employee said hello. I wouldn’t even know who worked there if the phone didn’t ring
And someone didn’t half ass answer the question. Im also never asked if I need help. I get it your punk and damn the man but it is still a business right that needs people to buy stuff to stay open

Really disappointed at this point. I orded something over a month ago and it still hasn’t shown up. Two weeks ago I was told it has arrived so imagine my surpise when it wasn’t there. The lady I dealt with was great and very apologetic. She helped make sure it was orded and told me it should be in by Wednesday. Wednesday rolled by with no call. I didn’t have time to deal with it so I let it go. As of today I stilll hadn’t heard anything so I gave them a call and was told a shipment was on the way and it could be here early today. Since I was going to be in the area later today, I drove by and the older gentleman I talked to today told me it hadn’t arrived. He brushed me off with no other help then it hadn’t arrived and a causal “sorry man” before walking away. I have since decided to take my business elsewhere.

I used to be a customer of Black and Read (the store that is located on 80th and Wadsworth), until 2010. They do have a great selection of books, movies and compact discs, but their customer service is terrible. In the decade leading up to 2010, I had purchased, as well as sold books, movies and music there. I live some distance away from the store, and the last time I went, I called the store in advance to find out if they still purchased used DVDs and books. The woman on the other end of the phone was polite and told me that they did, However, when I showed up at the store later in the day, the grumpy old man behind the counter was flat out rude toward me and got mad when I showed up with a shopping bag containing books and movies I wanted to sell. “You should be buying books and movies here, not selling them!!!” He shouted at me. But, before he could grab the bag I had, I took it away from him and told him that I did not like him or his attitude and that I would never come back here again. Black and Read, you lost me as a customer forever and I encourage those of you who have had the same experience not to do business with them either.

Karen is the best.