What a wonderful store and staff! The gentlemen who took care of us was a very nice, polite and friendly man. We had a very nice conversation and bought a BEAUTIFUL BANJO at a GREAT PRICE! He gave my son great tips for using finger picks. We will be recommending this music store to everyone we know.
This is a mixed business. I drove someone here to grab some collectables. I Frequently shop this place and it’s a good little store.
Great people very friendly and great deals
Inconvenient hours of operation. Ended up buying a used guitar elsewhere. Otherwise my phone call was promptly returned and the woman I spoke with was very kind and friendly.
Eric Roy at UB was amazing. He listened carefully to my musical interests. He addressed spoken and unspoken questions I had as 36 year musician. He spoke with me frankly about features that most fit my plans and travel style. He offered options tailored to my tastes in music and style. He offered practical insights on costs vs function. He is a serious professional who knows the value of relationship.
I just ordered a new upright bass, so far my experience has been wonderful. I would definitely recommend this company
Upton Bass is the best! Back in 2007 I purchased an Upton Professor fully carved bass. The guys over there are amazing. Gary, Eric and Jack helped me through the process of choosing the right model, strings and set up, that would fit my playing style. The Bass ended up being the finest Double Bass I had owned to date(it was my third). After many gigs, rehearsals, recording sessions and auditions, I fell on some hard times and was forced to make the tough decision to have to sell it to a friend (he was super impressed with it and offered to buy it to help me out). I’ve purchased and sold a bunch of gear and instruments throughout my life but I will say that the sale of the Upton was my most regrettable move to date. Luckily for me- Gary and the team at Upton have continued their excellent pursuit of fine craftsmanship and I’m working with them on a custom built Brescian model. Very much looking forward to the process and working closely with Upton to have a bass that will be passed down generations.
I purchased a ply bass that had issues out the door. The geometries where all wrong (e.g., the neck was too thin and was not pitched to the back of the bass) and it had a buzz coming from the fingerboard and bridge setup. They were unable to resolve the buzzing sound and I took it it to a local luthier to have the problem resolved. I ended up donating the bass our school district and purchasing a Shen.
Also do not purchase bows from Upton. I purchased a $2000+ bow made by J.R. Silva, Brazil, which developed a splinter just above the frog within 6 months and Upton would not warrant the bow. I now have a $2000+ paperweight.
Update, 10/28/2023:
… as to your reply, yes, I initially thought this was a great bass until I started using it for rehearsals and the buzzing appeared. I thought it was something I was doing or even due to the new bow. I drove 4 hours one way to your location to have your staff address the buzzing issue and they shaved a high spot on the fingerboard near first position and the buzzing did not appear while I was there. When I returned home and started using the bass again for rehearsals the buzzing reappeared. I wasn’t about to drive an other 8 hours to give your staff a second chance at addressing this. Instead, I took it to a local luthier who fixed the buzzing through a combination of reshaping both the fingerboard and bridge (the bridge was set up for jazz, even though I had told your staff that I play mostly orchestral music). While working on my bass, the luthier pointed out the other issues that I mentioned in my review. I am not a luthier, so I would not have necessarily recognized these issues except that through pro-longed use I might have developed muscular issues.
It also wasn’t until your staff responded last week that they could not help me with the issues with my bow that I decided to post this. I don’t like to post negative comments, but I wanted to warn other potential customers of my experience. Your staff could not even help with how I might get in touch with Mr. Silva. If you sell someone’s product, I would think you would have some form of contact information. I spent a lot of money on this bow ($2000+) and NO I DID NOT CAUSE THIS SPLINTER TO APPEAR. I do not appreciate you implying so by your comment. Had your staff handled things differently, I would not have posted this review.
You, as an owner, could have handled this differently as well. You *could* have contacted me by phone about this, instead of responding to my review in the manner that you did, and I might have considered removing this review. You could have even contacted me directly before I posted this review, as several days had lapsed between my speaking with your staff and my posting this review. At this point, based on the content of your reply, I will not remove this review.
5. Fleet
6. The Music Bureau
Address: 1 New London Rd, Salem, CT 06420 , Baltic , Connecticut , United States
Great lessons, friendly environment, incredible music. Highly recommend.
So I have been battleing this in my head for awhile so I just happen to notice this little shop walked in knowing very little, was super friendly, and answered all my questions, by the time I left he had me set to buy one, So today I’m going to go buy it, I. So excited !!!
Personal and attentive, knowledgeable and professional. You’re not getting treated like a faceless wallet in a warehouse shop here!
This business has changed hands a few times. But still has a great selection of core instruments and accessories. Also offer lessons.
7. Pyro Audio
Address: 54 Main St Unit 395, Griswold, CT 06351 , Baltic , Connecticut , United States
As a person with much computer knowledge but lacking in the audio department, the team at 1428 has been EXCEPTIONAL with advising and consulting me in the right direction.
Many places will happily let you overspend for something you do not need and I am finding that to be the opposite here.
I’ve been in automotive sales since 2003 and can be very troublesome as a client, I am handled very well here.
Excellent work fair prices. The end.
Nobody has more attention to detail, and delivers such flawless results as Bill. I did all of my own luthiere work for many years before meeting bill and now I won’t let anybody but him touch my stringed instruments.
The owner is a scam artist. I would be very cautious about letting him work on any equipment that you have put money into.
11. Stewart’s Music LLC
Address: 171 Main St, Niantic, CT 06357 , Baltic , Connecticut , United States
They are both really nice people. We have purchased instruments, books and other items for my kids music classes andboth owners have been very helpful. I needed to get computer microphones needed in order to submit homework online and I went with the idea of purchasing 2. They could have taken advantage of that and wouldn’t have been the wiser but instead, he convinced me that I only needed one. The instruments that we got from them have worked beautifully and we’ve had them for over a year now. My kids have been going there every week for music lessons and they are always very welcoming. There is no other music store for us but Stewart’s.
A great local business that always has everything I’m looking for. Would highly recommend.
This is my go-to store for all things music education related. From private lessons to instrument purchases and repairs, Stewart’s Music does it all! You’ll get friendly, personalized service from Sam and Jim (which you won’t get at the big chain music stores). I highly recommend this store to my students, parents, and all fellow musicians.
Terrible customer service. Took my flute to get repaired and instead of just simply fixing what needed to be done to it I was told I shouldn’t have bought an off brand flute. This was all I could afford at the time (as a teenager). I am looking to invest in a new one but honestly it is no ones job to criticize the instrument I have. I waited for the repair to be done and called 3 different times on it. The repair person got sick which is understandable. When I called the last time they said it was finished and I asked why they never called me to let me know they said that I said I was going to come in regardless. Which is true. But still does not explain why no one called me. Overall a bad experience. Was treated very poorly and will not be going there again.
Absolutely awful owners were nasty and they charged way too much for a simple repair just go to music and arts its easier and cheaper
Simple advise dont scream at your costumers to get business
12. Rose City Sound
Address: 28-32 Talman St, Norwich, CT 06360 , Baltic , Connecticut , United States
we love coming to JD’s!! the food is ALWAYS amazing and the drinks are always SPOT ON! the music is nice too and you can request your own music on the touch tunes! which i thought was super cool.
Excellent bartender, knows how to interact and offer incite on good drinks. The bar is spacious and the facilities are clean, 10/10 would drink here again.
Good atmosphere, drinks, friendly people. Great band (Crazy Chester). Point off only for the smell of dirty fryer oil and warnings from other patrons that they’d gotten sick in the past.
Food was very good!!!
Go9d time
they have a regular here that uses scare tactics against woman & will allow him to yell at THREE women but when a man tells him not to yell at the girls and to speak to a man instead, they “bar him”
we’ve maybe step foot into this bar 3 times in the last yr, very disappointed with this place. myself as well as a large group of ppl will no longer be spending our money here.
easily one of the worst bar experiences I’ve ever had. the owner, Jimmy/James gay came up to my friend and I (both young females) and would not stop harassing either of us. he would not stop putting his hands on my shoulder/back with no personal space at all. he kept asking us very personal/inappropriate questions, and was extremely rude with his responses. no one ever asked to see our ID once, but Jimmy did take my friends wallet and ID and threw them across the bar for whatever reason. he also kept making us take shots with him when we said we did not want to, and then proceeded to spill an entire glass of water on my friend because she was “rude” to him. he was extremely rude and unprofessional, if I could give zero stars I would. this was my first time going here and I will never return nor recommend this place to anyone at all.
