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.
2. UNT Empire Recordings
Address: 403 Pleasant Valley Rd S, Groton, CT 06340 , Conning Towers-Nautilus Park , Connecticut , United States
Great place to get your high quality gear without spending crazy prices and Ron is great people person, he knows his products well and is always willing to be helpful. I definitely recommend this place.
In the era of impersonal chain stores, it’s a great pleasure to visit a place like Ron’s Guitars. Ron’s reputation is legendary in S.E. Connecticut. His experience and expertise with guitars is unparalleled.
Whether you’re a beginner or expert, Ron’s should be your first stop for all things guitar, both acoustic and electric, and a great variety of accessories.
Ron’s Guitars is a top-notch place to find great deals on guitars, amplifiers, Etc. Ron, the owner, is very personable and an honest businessman. I have always gotten great deals at Ron’s Guitars. I would highly recommend Ron’s Guitars to friends and family for the best prices and 100% satisfaction
4. Spindrift Guitars
Address: 300 State St, New London, CT 06320 , Conning Towers-Nautilus Park , Connecticut , United States
Very helpful and knowledgeable staff, not to mention a beautiful selection of guitars. Thank you for the excellent service. I’m very happy with my Martin. This was my first guitar purchase back in 2001 or ’02. My dear friend, Ray lead me to this purchase way back then & to this day it is one of my most inspired purchases.
Bought an American Deluxe Fender Jazz bass and it was like new and sounds awesome! Description was spot on, I would highly recommend buying from Spindrift Guitars. The bass shipped fast and was on time. Corey was great to deal with!
Recently was on the search for a specific PRS and saw online they had it. Went into the store to purchase it and the experience was fantastic. Will definitely utilize this place for more gear purchases in the future, highly recommended!
Nice small ma and pa guitar shop
Shop owner very helpful with advice on adjusting the action on my mandolin. It is specifically a guitar shop.
An amazing shop, beautiful selection of instruments and very helpful folks.
I brought in vintage Gibson Les Paul custom for a Re fret and they completely ruined it there was surface scratches ,chips in the fret board the frets were un even and buzzed. After 4 attempts bringing the guitar back to the store with the problems only half way fixed every time or even new problems I just cut my loses and brought my guitar to a real professional if you want it done right I do not recommend bringing your guitar here for major repairs
5. Guitar Center
Address: 351 N Frontage Rd Space F-3, New London, CT 06320 , Conning Towers-Nautilus Park , Connecticut , United States
Great place! I was making the mistake of going to best buy for audio equipment but this place is wall to wall industry standard equipment. I got a fantastic pair of studio headphones from them and had a great conversation with their friendly staff. 10/10 will be returning here.
Great prices
Great experience! Had two guitars restrung. Eric laced these up like they were his own! They came back to me tuned to perfection and had a shine that I hadnt seen since they were new! No need to go anywhere else. Thanks again Eric! You Rock!
Staff are limited in number but very helpful when it’s your turn
Plenty of equipment and friendly staff.
Guitar center crushed every mom and pop music store and has been struggling financially for years. If they implode there’ll be a huge void. Staff at this one were moderately helpful.
Lame selection of gear and employees that aren’t musicians
This place is a joke. My husband ordered a drum set for our son for Christmas. They said they would call on a specific day when it was scheduled to arrive. Whelp, no phone call. A week after the scheduled arrival date, he finally called them, and they said it was there and he could pick it up (so WHY didn’t they call and tell us when it had arrived?). When he got there to pick it up, the set was incomplete. The guy told him some parts would arrive at a later date. Again…WHY didn’t they tell us the set had arrived incomplete? Why did we have to drive out there only to find that out at the store? The incompetence of the employees in this place is something else, and they don’t even care. Spend your money elsewhere as this place has zero customer service. We ending up getting a set that was $100 cheaper elsewhere, and we brought it home that same day. Thanks for nothing, GC.
Sold me a guitar pedal that was represented as new, when I got home and opened the box. Guess what? It was used and didn’t have the power cord! I was told by the unhelpful and sarcastic customer service manager Taylor that I would have to pay an extra $200 for the correct new item I was supposed to have gotten in the first place. Taylor wouldn’t give me the contact of his district manager and said that the 1-800 # would. So I called them and they told me Taylor is a liar (the customer service reps exact words) and I would have to file a complaint online. If you have any issues with this ridiculous staff and store contact customer service and ask for Jeremy Hanhold. He is this stores District Manager. Taylor didn’t look too happy I found out the full name before I left the store. I’ll update this review once the district manager contacts me from my online complaint.
6. Kaeser Instruments
Address: 51 Jay St, New London, CT 06320 , Conning Towers-Nautilus Park , Connecticut , United States
Excellent quality work and very friendly. Good price, and done in a timely manner. I went in to get my bridge adjusted and a few other things. My gear played great, and he even told me to come back if it needed to be tweaked, free of charge.
I’ll go here for any future work that I need done!
Called on Friday about a wiring issue, the issue was resolved early Monday morning cant beat it. I cant recommend them enough great honest work.
Excellent work. Fair priced and honest.
8. School Pianos
Address: 96 State St suite b, New London, CT 06320 , Conning Towers-Nautilus Park , Connecticut , United States
I called Caruso Piano Gallery to obtain and verify some information I’d received about a Boston piano at Steinway Piano Gallery in Nashville, TN. I spoke with Larry at Caruso. I couldn’t have been more satisfied with his honest advise and suggestions. I knew my student’s parent and I had been deceived by the information we were given about the Boston GP 156 listed as NEW. It was NOT new and had been used for a major piano event. It had scratches on the cabinetry and rust on 6-7 copper strings. It was manufactured between 2014-15. As you said, “Deceat starts at the top.” I regret that Caruso is in CT and not TN. Thank you, Larry for your honest support. You had nothing financially to gain.
I couldn’t have asked for a better experience.
It took a giant leap of faith to purchase a piano online but I was not disappointed! They obviously know the secret having been in business
since 1929! The best prices coupled with stellar customer service. A wonderful experience through and through. I got exactly what I was looking for at a price I could afford! Also the very best reviews for online piano purchasing. There is a reason for that! Glad to add my review and thank you so much again for your help in finding my dream piano!
UPDATE October 5 2018: Richard Caruso promptly called me the day after I posted the review below. He apologized again, and very willingly reimbursed me for my travel expenses. I feel this was the ethical and right thing to do, and am glad that he made things right with me.
Original review: I flew in from Chicago to try out a Steinway B I had on deposit. The staff knew of my travel plans, and were very hospitable and welcoming. The piano, however, was noticeably out of tune on my arrival. While more accomplished pianists might not have seen that as an issue, it completely stopped me from getting excited about the piano. No sale for them, no new Steinway for me.
They were apologetic and realized their mistake when I pointed this out, but were unable to get the piano tuned while I was there.
This is a shop with perhaps good intentions, but they completely dropped the ball in this instance. I’m writing this review because I don’t want this to happen to anyone else.
I went to their store and also called them multiple times showing interest in one of their pianos. Despite the fact I showed interest and called/messaged multiple times on a piano, that piano was sold to an online buyer. There was no follow-up or a courtesy call to let me know that the product I was eyeing was gone or was about to be sold.
Nevertheless, I think that they have a good variety and a great knowledge base on pianos. I wish they were a little bit more responsive and courteous as buying a piano is a big purchase and takes time and thought.
EDIT: After my initial review, Caruso Piano contacted me and let me know that they have not reached out to me due to not getting a piano that was comparable to what I was looking for. Which is understandable. I truly appreciate them reaching out to me. I have to write that I learned a whole lot about piano buying from them when I first went to their store. I wish them good luck and hope they continue to be successful as a local business.
I purchased a used U1 3 years ago from Carusos.
Please be aware: these are GREY MARKET pianos. They were originally built and sold in the Asian market. You will have proof when you remove the knee board and see the holder for the lease agreement. And due to that fact, the wood of the pianos is dried to standards for Asia. Not the U.S. or Northeast U.S.
I do like the piano, BUT I and my piano technician are having a heck of a time keeping the damper pedal from squeaking BADLY.
I had the piano saver system installed almost immediately. It has helped the piano hold tune very well.
But because this instrument was not built to the specifications of an American instrument (or North America) it is expanding very badly from the humidity.
I have a dehumidifier in the room with the piano, no heat or doors or windows near it. And I have my technition here AGAIN trying to shave down the knee board to try and eliminate this terrible groan/squeek.
My opinion? Buy a piano through a local piano tuner/technition or through a referral from a tuner tech. If you are going to purchase one of these grey market instruments bring your tuner with you. Pay them for their time and have them tune the instrument you choose BEFORE you give Carusos your money.
11. Redbox
Address: 484 Grayback Ave, Groton, CT 06349 , Conning Towers-Nautilus Park , Connecticut , United States
What a great group of guys! I came in to get a game system for my son; not knowing if it would be affordable at this time for me. Not only did I walk with an Xbox. I got about 8 games and 2 controllers. Truly a classic 5 star experience: blessing the community they serve. Thank you guys
These guys go above and beyond! Great customer service! I‘d always buy and sell here before going to any other place, fast easy and always friendly!
Stopped in for first time last week and was able to buy 12 dvds for $10. Cheaper than Goodwill with 50% off prices. They also had a small selection of blu-ray dvds at $4 each or 3 for $10. Store workers were nice and polite and didn’t rush me while I browsed the dvds.
Been a customer for about 4 years and I would say, my experiences are bitter-sweet. This is a small, tight store more for tools and miscellaneous items. Its like an estate sale, in a store. They come off a bit sexist and preferential. I’ve been offered lower prices for the same items as my spouse, a few times. Their customer service is not as welcoming as the other shops in the area. I buy more than I sell/pawn and I’m always going to spend my money in the pawn shop that offers me the most fair price for my items when I sell or pawn. So, if I am desperate, I will go here, for an unfair price .
I have read the reviews before I drove an hour to this place but had to see what was going on for myself. This isnt an “I got ripped off angry customer” post. They will indeed try and will rip you off if you let them. Perfect if you’re not trying to get actual or even 1/2 the value from what you’re pawning and on the other hand you’ll find some stuff cheap there. Be careful with what you buy and sell and examine what you’re being told thoroughly.
The owner is rude as hell
Beyond rude is a understatement. Sad, I’ve bought a lot of tools, odds & ends throughout the years from gold star pawn
DO NOT GO HERE TO PAWN ANYTHING. I Pawned 2 Camera Lenses About 3 Weeks Ago & I Recently Called To Pick Up The Lenses & Ask How Much I Owe Next Thing I Know They Sold Them And It Hasn’t Been A Month Yet. Supposedly They “Bought” Them But I Clearly Said I Wanted To Pawn Them. 2 Lenses Gone.. That I Worked Hard For. DO NOT COME HERE❗️❗️❗️❗️❗️❗️❗️
15. Navy Exchange Main
Address: Building No, 484 Grayback Ave, Groton, CT 06349 , Conning Towers-Nautilus Park , Connecticut , United States
Chris is the best! Super nice guy and extremely helpful and knowledgeable about anything when it comes to drums. He has helped me with multiple repairs with different drum hardware and the results are always perfect. Anything you need fixed or tuned correctly he’s got all the tools and parts you need. Always a great time coming into the shop!
CK’s drum shop is a great shop for drum and percussion gear, quality repairs, and lessons. As a percussionist and music teacher in the area, I would highly recommend this shop to anybody looking for quality instruments, mallets, sticks, books, hardware, and accessories. The prices are fair and the inventory is solid. As well, Chris is very professional with a near-encyclopedic knowledge of all aspects of percussion. The repair work that he does with his staff is second-to-none. Overall, this is a gem of a shop and definitely worth checking out for your drum and percussion needs.
Enter at your own risk! Maybe the owner, Chris was having a bad day. But, I went there to by a bass drum hoop and I guess I asked one too many questions. He became visibly irritated, slammed down the claw hooks he had in his hands and said he didn’t know what to tell me with a major attitude. I calmly handed him back the bass drum hoop I was going to buy and got out of there. Scary dude! The place itself was tiny with no real inventory. Needless to say I’ll never go back.
At a music school you want people from the administration on down to be passionate about music. I found that here. This is not to take focus from the excellent teachers who I’ve found to be patient and helpful. I look forward to each lesson. Practice rooms allow proper social distance. Lessons can also be taken a la carte.
Ive learned so much in the less than 6 months ive been taking bass, drums and vocals!
Living near this place is an absolute nightmare…. being able to hear the drumming non stop ALL DAY LONG… today alone I’ve been able to hear it in my home since 10am with the windows shut and tv on, its now 9:57pm and still the effing drumming continues!!!! Miserable to listen to all day every day. Why a music place would be allowed to move into a residential area without soundproofing is beyond me. This summer lwill be hell istening to the same drumb beat over and over for hours on end into the late evening
20. Telegraph Autonomous Zone
Address: 137 Bank St, New London, CT 06320 , Conning Towers-Nautilus Park , Connecticut , United States
Great experience! Great music to listen to while shopping and great personnel with great pricings. Definitely going back ASAP. Stoked for Record Store Day!
Went in looking for a unique record said gift. It wasn’t there but the owner ordered it for me. Very nice. Accommodating. Top notch service.
Good vinyl
Cool store, good selection of new, used, and esoteric stuff.
I walked in here to find more records for my record player, the guy working didn’t seem really helpful. He said “that all we got” while sitting at his desk
Careful of quality of records here, overpriced but if in need of certain album and do not care about price good place to go. Just make sure you look at record quality. Does guarentee they don’t skip but was giving small attitude about return for different record . I just personally expect when I pay over 15 to 20 dollars for a record it has no scratches. With all this being said I still go here on occasion to look for the rare albums.
Had high hopes after reading the other reviews and took a trip down to visit. Very disappointing. Sure, they had tons of records, old and new but c’mon. The prices were higher than what I pay for at Barnes and Noble or Urban Outfitters! Some weren’t even in great condition. And the service was horrible. Not a “Hello” or “Welcome” when we walked in. Just gave us a look and he went to the back to keep talking to some other guy, not sure if he was also an employee, that was sitting down.
Very rude owner, disorganized and a bad area to park or fell safe in
Had a great selection of used vinyl, but prices are high. I bought 7 Lp’s and some of them where very noisy and a couple skipped. If it wasn’t for the lunch at the Hot Rod Café the day would of been a waste.
