Denver County – Top 20 places for music shops20 recommended music shops in Denver County

My boys love their music lessons at Neighborhood Music! I’m so impressed with how the instructors work with my kiddos. They really pay attention to their interests while still encouraging them to do their best.

We love going to Neighborhood Music! We have found an excellent, supportive violin instructor in Ms. Doreen. She presents our daughter with instructive challenges each week and finds ways to celebrate with our daughter when she meets and exceeds these goals. We love the front office staff, as well, and feel very welcomed there each week.

We love Neighborhood Music!

Just heard about the sale of NMS. A few years ago I for sure would have given NMS 5 stars but we chose to remove both of our kids this year because the emphasis seemed to shift on celebrating the students and recognizing the teacher to celebrating the owner. We started with this business 11 years ago when it was in the owner’s personal home and loved every second of our daughter’s journey from voice lessons to violin and viola and eventually composition class as she got older. Our son also started there for drums/piano. Something shifted majorly and it rippled it’s way down to the kids and that’s when we had enough. I always want to cheer on female business owners and was so excited to see all the things this owner accomplished but along the way she stopped celebrating and highlighting the staff and teachers that helped her build this dream. Staff changes were frequent and abrupt which for sure impacts the lessons. Staff seemed unprofessional and abrasive which is unfortunate for the adults interacting with them but also was felt by the kids. The last straw for us was when a staff member gave his two week notice which were told about but then an hour or so later we were updated that his departure was effective after that evening’s class. He taught both my children so we purchased a going away gift and that night when we gifted it to him, he replied” I have two weeks left”. She never told him she ended his contract immediately after he gave two weeks so we ultimately were the ones to tell him that his schedule was wiped. It was terrible, my daughter was in tears, my son was so sad. I hope the new owners can restore the “school” piece of this in that the celebrations are of the students and the kudos shared between teachers and staff and owners. A business is a business for sure, but this is primarily a school for children and lately has felt everything but that.

Incredibly rude and unprofessional office staff!!

My daughter participated in an international trip that was organized by the owner. It was poorly organized, she misrepresented the cost and the experiences they would have, over priced, and with few opportunities to do much outside the hotel after the morning music program. 1 week before they left we were told we had to find a way to have the girls pay for their meals since they would no longer be included during the 2 week trip. The staff was rude and disrespectful. If this group shows up at your kids school to organize a trip, run like hell.

The recital this year was not very well organized in my opinion.
Music teachers should walk along with their students (especially younger ones) on the stage not only to help boost their confidence but catch little keynotes they might have forgotten during the performance.
My 5yo daughter started piano classes earlier this year and she isn’t close to proficiency yet. We worked so hard to get her to remember her whole song and practiced with an audience at home (the entire family of course)
On the day of her recital, she was so excited! She walked up to the front introduced herself and the song she was going to play then sat and started. The first few keynotes were great, then afterward a total meltdown, nervous, scared, forgot everything, the piano was completely different from what she normally practiced with at home. Imagine how the rest of our evening went…
My hope and prayer is for her to be able to conquer her fear in the future

Incredibly happy with my experience with these fine luthiers. Brought in my Martin that was suffering from the dreaded cracks and loose bracing. Christian did a phenomenal job and she’s like brand new. You can barely tell she was ever damaged. Also super friendly and personable. Trust these guys with your gear.

Couldn’t be happier! To paraphrase the late great Ric Ocasek, these cats were just what I needed. Thanks Colfax crew!

Amazing service and very caring and knowledgeable employees. Dave fixed a small issue my guitar had and diagnosed others, and also gave extensive advice on how to avoid it. Definitely coming back here for any other issues I have in the future.

Not much inventory, mostly a place that fixes guitars

Good selection, but had an easy repair that they wouldn’t do. Did it myself.

They resolve any problem or issues I bring them, good work

Reached out to these folks based on other reviews that seemed like they could help me. Sent a message explaining and right away had said that I live over an hour away so I was trying to gauge if they could help since just walking in isn’t as easily done. Answer was “bring it in” exactly what I said was the challenge.

Probably would still go 3 stars but I point out “hey, right away said that was an issue… suppose I got my answer though” and just was a thumbs up emoji reply… So the combo of didn’t help and okay knowing they didn’t help really isn’t even a 3 in my book.

I thought this was an industry like skateshops where you were supposed to support the local/small one off guys? Realize I was presenting a challenge but hard to support independent shops if they kinda just don’t want to be bothered with your business…. No drama, apologized for “slow” reply but thought it was quite reasonable actually. Think just ultimately not the shop if you need someone to help hash out info before coming in.

NO INTEGRITY! POOR WORK! DISHONEST! HIGH PRICES! THIS PLACE USED TO BE GREAT. THEY HAVE STUDENTS DOING POOR WORK AND INSTEAD OF MANAGEMENT OVERSEEING TO ENSURE QUALITY, THEY PRIORITIZE DEFLECTING AND DEFENDING THEIR SHODDY OUTPUT. DON’T BE FOOLED!
I PAID $270 TO HAVE THEM RETURN MY GUITAR TO ME WITH THE SAME PROBLEM IT HAD WHEN I DROPPED IT, PLUS A NEW PROBLEM! AND THEY DAMAGED MY FRETBOARD WITH SOME CARELESS FILING! I dropped a guitar, asking for a full fret level, I said I was okay with them replacing a saddle, replacing a nut, whatever they needed to do to park that action as low without any buzz! In other words, I was willing to pay for good work. The guy checking in my guitar told me he could probably lower a couple high frets and raise the action. I told him not to do that, I explained I could do that myself! I asked him to do a comprehensive fret level, saddle, nut, whatever was needed to make this thing right. 2 weeks later they call and tell me they raised the action, filed a couple frets and my guitar was ready to pick up? I asked him to do the thing I had initially asked for. So, a couple days later, they say it’s ready. It had the same buzz it had before, plus a new buzz that it didn’t have at all when I dropped it off! I brought it back and asked them to see if they could dial it in, fix those couple things… The manager spends the next 10 minutes arguing with me. He tells me my playing style is too aggressive. I play fingerpicked folk music. This guy never heard me “play” a note. I only thumbed a string a couple times to demonstrate a buzz. He both tried to tell me the undeniable buzzing was okay (and I should be happy with it) and also that it wouldn’t buzz if I played differently. Again, he has no idea how I play and fingerpicked folk is hardly aggressive. I explained that I am unhappy with the work. I just want these buzzes fixed, that I’d paid $270 and what I was promised hadn’t been delivered. In fact, I now have an additional buzz! He tells me we can just start ratcheting up the action and that I should sit there with him for an hour while “we” adjust the truss rod and play. I told him I can do that at home and that I had already adjusted the truss rod to try and eliminate the new buzzes and that I had the action HIGHER THAN IT WAS WHEN I INITIALLY BROUGHT IT IN but was still getting a buzz. So his best remedy was to help me achieve MORE BUZZES AND HIGHER ACTION than when I brought it in. He just kept talking about my “playing style” to deflect from their awful work. They did a horrible job (or didn’t do the job at all). They charged top dollar for it. Manager tried desperately to convince me it’s my fault. It would be like taking your car in for an alignment, they give it back and it’s pulling harder than it was when you dropped it off and they try and convince you that your “driving style” is the problem. You just need to crank the wheel to the left harder! It would have been nice to have them just go, “Oh, it’s still buzzing? Let’s see what we can do to fix it!” Rather than dive directly into arguing with me and trying to gaslight me into believing it’s my fault they suck. The only remedy that was offered was the one I could have done at home, for free, prior to ever having brought this thing in. I could have had the same (or better) result and kept $270 in my pocket. These guys are trash. It’s sad. I suspect if I’d asked them to work on my $5,000 guitar, they would have taken the job a little more seriously. But based on their poor work, and the arrogant, obnoxious attitude of the manager, I wouldn’t trust them to work on anything again. Sloppy.

I brought in a guitar with a Floyd rose tremolo system. The guy at Colfax guitar shop said it was a quick fix setup and would take a week. All this a side, I come in in a week as promised and the guitar at the time appeared to have been set up wonderfully. I even presented a tip to the guy because I was very grateful for the work he did. He asked if I was “sure” that I would tip him and I said “absolutely”. When I got home with the guitar I noticed some things. For one the locking mechanisms on the nut were all crooked. Two days later the high E string snapped. Now a month later some of the strings are buzzing again and some of the notes on the second octave don’t bend or even ring. Now I’m a nice respectable guy and I don’t mean Ill will against them, but if I pay close to a hundred dollars(and I am low income) for someone to adjust the truss rod, restring and in my opinion do just minor work, I expect a certain level of quality. They are great guys and all but next time I think I’ll take my business elsewhere.
Thanks

I have had Mark do setups and repairs since the 90’S. ALWAYS does a superb job in setups and intonation. Have had him do some fret levels and replacements and always a superb job done. Only person in Denver Metro area who insists on seeing you play your guitar before and after setups to make sure all is right. Mark knows woods and guitars like a master. Best Luthier in Denver area !!!!!!

I had my sons guitar worked on here and Mark did a phenomenal job! Highly recommend, great customer service!

I’ve been bringing my instruments to Mark for 10 years now and I wouldn’t trust anybody else in Denver to touch my instruments. Quality work, competitive pricing, and a true passion for instruments.

I’ve been going here to take drum lessons since they’ve opened (about four years now). All 4 years, I’ve had Alana, and she’s kept me wanting to play! In lessons we may work on listening and playing songs or learn about different types of rhythms and their origins. Can’t wait to keep on working with her! Perfect for adults and kids alike (I’m now currently in high school)

I am glad I found a teacher who is attentive, kind, friendly and patient as Emily Kivi, my piano Instructor. She has been encouraging through out my sessions, and helped me work with my busy schedule. Pirisen is a great place to start!!!!

Gabe is an amazing drum instructor!! My daughter started lessons less then a year ago and has learned so much. She looks forward to going every week.

Nice people

Both of my daughters learned different instruments and each day they show progress and improvements, and have learned so much these clases are outstanding.

They’re really helping and improving me. My teachers are Connor and David.

I wish there was a way to give Jimmie more than just 5 stars. I have had multiple dealings with him and every time he has gone out of his way to provide the most top notch customer service I have ever had. I wish the rest of the world would take lessons from him on how to treat a customer.

Jimmie Dean – was fantastic! He took to time to assist me with a pair of Ultimate Ears to use in conjunction with my Sena while riding my motorcycle. The Sena system wasn’t loud enough due to my hearing loss. The UE plug into the Sena, now I can hear my music and cycle to cycle communication along with having external cycle noise blocked. Thank you again Jimmie – Regards Babs

As I write this I’m trying to think of how I can express the amazing quality of service I’ve received from Jimmie Dean at Denver music group and I’m sure I can do it justice. All I can say is Jimmie is the man to see if you’re looking for Ultimate Ears products, he’ll let you listen before you buy and explain the various features so you can make a good choice. He will assist you in every way so that you’re completely satisfied, I can’t praise him enough!

Awesome staff. Well at least Walter was.

I love that the fact that the employees know about the equipment and have helpful suggestions.

Very helpful people. Nice selection of guitars.

Great selection and nice customer service.

Service was expedient today.

Always friendly and helpful

I do not recommend this store the guitar tech is rude and does not want to sevice the customers. He was paged 3 times called and still did not come; instead he had two people relay his message instead of looking at the guitar himself.

People there seem to preoccupied with talking to each other or using there phones to cheak you out.. On top of that i have went there multable times to buy stuff thats in stock to find out its been lost?? then they ask if you want to order it and pay for it first? So you want me to pay you so you can maybe lose that too..right lol I get strings there sometimes cheak out guitars but if i didnt live right near it id never go back they really need new staff worst guitar center ive been to… And ive been to alot of them

I spent 4 hours looking through guitars. They were missing volume/tone knobs, had broken pickups, and a couple had a jack issue. I asked if these guitars are new and they said straight from the factory. I would check pawn shops before hitting this place, same quality but way cheaper elsewhere. They have a nice staff or I would’ve rated as 1 star.

I wish I could give a 1/2 star. I contacted Music Hut months ago about getting a full size cello for my son as he had outgrown his 3/4 size. Andre told me that a) my son (at almost 6 feet tall) didn’t need a full size cello and b) that full size cellos were hard to come by. How is a full size cello hard to come by when you are in the business of musical instruments?? He said he would let me know when he got one in. Months later, our contract isn’t up and the only contact Andre has had with me is to mail a bill. I’ve left messages, sent emails, put notes in the bills asking him to contact me, with no response from him. I’m beyond frustrated, Music Hut is just attempting to collect money without having to do anything. Avoid them!

Completed our contract and paid in full on a cello rental. Music Hut did not provide us with a full size cello prior to our final payment because he said they were “hard to come by.” I said I didn’t want to make the final payment until we had a full size cello in our possession, but he insisted we had to continue payments because we had signed a contract. One year later, he has all of his money, we still don’t have a full size cello and he is now claiming we never asked for a full size cello within the terms of the contract. Very bad business practice!! He won’t return our phone calls. Do not rent from this business. Get your string instruments from a real violin shop. If you search the Better Business Bureau, you’ll see he did the same thing to another customer with a violin.

These guys are amazing to work with, I would recommend them to anyone. They really looked after my Fender amp and waited for me to come pick it up! Great customer service!

I have been going to Wedgles for 4 years. As a guitar player I purchase all of my strings here- All guitar string are buy 1 get 1 free and you can mix and match. I also play in various bands- They have tons of used guitars, drums, keys, mics, etc- They are always willing to negotiate. I also let Wedgles work on all my gear including- changing out pickups in my telecaster- setting nut and bridge on my Gibson j-45. Although I have never purchased a guitar from Wedgles there selection of used Gibsons is incredible. Highly recommend – Thanks Grampa, Jeff and the rest of the Gang!

Very cool store with personality and some really chill staff!

I absolutely love this place the staff are Amal and they ALWAYS treat my possessions with care. Also very understanding and work with me on my loans too thnx Wedgels you ROCK!!!

Full of rare/vintage/collector’s items, but expensive. And definitely not the place to haggle. More of a novelty type place if you’re a casual musician instead of a collector.

This is the local pawn shop for your instrumental needs. Great music items

Awful experience.

Guitars are just broken. Never think about buying anything in this store. Prices are 200% what they should be.

Talked to a guy and said I’d be there right before close and they closed the doors early. Nice move guys.

I purchased a used acoustic guitar from this company and after only a few weeks I’ve had serious issues with the bridge, saddle, string tree, tuning pegs and the nuts for the guitar strap. Whatever repairs Wedgles Music made to this guitar before they put it out for sale were done with extremely low quality workmanship. It looks to me like they did whatever they had to do to get the guitar in a presentable condition and working just enough to get it out the door. I was even assured by the representatives that the guitar had been inspected and tested before being put out for sale and was told that it was basically as good as new which is why they were charging so much for a used guitar. Now my options are to purchase a brand new instrument or spend the equivalent of what I paid for the guitar in repairs. The customer service and the gentleman I worked with were OKAY, but I will would not recommend this shop to anyone. Here is a more detailed description of the issues: Bridge holes were worn out significantly and too big to hold bridge pins. As a result the pins slip out when tuning. The saddle that was installed was not fitted properly, and was extremely loose to the point that it falls out on its own. The screw holding the string guide (string tree) in place fell out after just a few days due to poor threading. The tuning pegs are not in great condition but are functional – I decided this was not a major issue and would replace myself upon inspection of the guitar before purchase but combined with all the other issues it becomes more significant. Lastly, even the pegs/nuts for the guitar strap came out. All of this happened in the course of a couple weeks which means that this guitar was probably never in great condition in the first place. In order to fix these issues and turn this into a useable instrument I would need to have a new bridge installed, a customized saddle and nut made and installed, new tuning pegs and a new hold drilled into headstock for string guide threading. If I were you I would not buy from these folks.

If Wedgles Music decides to take ownership of these issues it would be a different story, as I understand businesses can’t be perfect or get it right 100% of the time. But when I called and informed them there was no effort to even try to make this right.

Unfortunately I cannot recommend this shop to anyone as they have lost my trust.

Awesome selection and great customer service! I would highly recommend!

Highly recommend Flipside Music! The staff is super knowledgable and friendly, store is stocked with a great selection. I purchased an acoustic guitar for a Christmas gift and it was one of the easiest purchases I’ve ever made!!

Had a great experience buying my first guitar here. Staff was knowledgeable and friendly. I walked out with an instrument I’m really happy with and never felt pressured.

Best service in this category

Good inventory for a small place.

First Visit. Nice small shop, great pedal selection and some nice guitar brands (Reverend, G&L among others). Really friendly folks.

Overly expensive and also lots of homeless people hanging outside on the street near by. It’s a dump.

What a wonderful store for my purchase of a new mountain dulcimer. They were knowledgeable and had experience with the manufacturer. They even had a capo for it! Fun experience

It’s hard to find local shops like this anymore. Knowledgeable and welcoming.

Austin was very positive and encouraging. Shared his knowledge of the banjo and made our visit a fun learning experience. They have a great lay-away plan too!

Even with restrictions, the guys inside were super friendly and helpful (they even gave us some stickers for my boys’ guitar cases). If we lived closer (like, within the same time zone) we’d probably have bought something!

Good knowledge folks

Nice helpful people. Only sell acoustic guitars.

ZERO STARS if it was allowed

I called in advance before I drove down from Loveland to make sure it was ok to try some guitars. I had a specific Martin in mind that was in their inventory and had money in hand ready to buy. Ian was very helpful and set me up to play the guitar for about 30 minutes.
When I asked to look at another guitar, Ian obliged, but a surly older man emerged from the back room to scold me and tell me If I wasn’t prepared to spend “real” money on a guitar he’d rather not let me touch any. I understand covid considerations, which is why I called in advance before driving 60 MILES to make sure I could play. Mind you, there was not another customer in that building for the short time I spent.
Poor Ian looked stunned, and I politely left, completely embarrassed.
You’ve heard of snobbery in music stores?? Well his was worse than any Guitar Center will ever dish out. I will never do business or recommend this place to any one because of one of the worst retail experiences I’ve ever had.
I have successfully purchased that same guitar as of last week.

I miss Harry. He was polite to his customers.

I was playing instruments hoping to buy a banjo from them, I don’t know anything about banjos, and I was nervous so I was playing some guitars and nobody really ask me anything, and a guy the came up to me and told me they don’t like people playing their instruments, so I left and bought a brand new banjo online deering model its cool came in perfect condition ready to play. I’ve experienced this at other places but that’s a funny way to sell instruments.
Also I was the only person in the store and was playing lightly, and I was considering buying one of the guitars, but definitely not from them.

Took my Fender Acoustic and Fender Baritone out to Justin to get work done. I thought the Baritone might be an issue since it is not all that common. Within two days Justin was in touch asking pertinent questions and making sure I knew exactly the work he was going to do. My guitars were ready within the week. Both guitars have never sounded, or played better AND the price he quoted me was the price that I ended up paying. From here on out Justin is the only person in Denver that I will take my guitars to.

Justin has worked on two of my guitars so far. One was a routine setup and he did a bang up job. He even went ahead and put in the extra effort to help fix a grounding issue while doing a pickup install.

Have taken several guitars to Hackl for setups and mods. Excellent workmanship and speedy turnaround time. Highly recommended!

Awesome service. Very helpful.

What a selection of amps, guitars, drums and gear. Very friendly staff. Why pay more just because it is new?

Great staff incredible selection!!

Staff was very friendly and helpful. Nice selection of used instruments of good quality.

Each visit seems like a never ending quest for treasure. Lot’s of spare hardware, effect pedals, guitar’s , Bass, banjo PA gear…one never knows what might have just arrived.

I like supporting local but kind of fealt like I was taken advantage of. They knew I wanted to get rid of my gear and didn’t want to pack it all up and “shop around” as they offered so I took a low ball offer.

The guys seemed nice enough and I’m sure I could have argued or haggled but it would be nice to not have to struggle to get what something is worth.

I just stopped in but very nice place.

Avoid this “music store” (pawn shop) at all cost. The owner was not knowledgeable at all regarding high-end music equipment and then proceeded to low-ball an offer as he did not believe we knew the value of our equipment. We were then screamed at after requesting a fair price and insulted. We packed up our equipment to leave and then we were followed and insulted more as we were trying to leave. Then the owner threatened to call the police (not sure for what reason) as we were leaving and instructed us to stay put. The store is in a very “sketchy” area and I do not recommend visiting unless you want to be taken advantage of and accosted.

Not the friendliest bunch

Main guy was very mean when I asked him for help. Don’t visit has terrible amps and they are not trustworthy and they are broken. Bad Store Low Quality Bad Worker. DO NOT VISIT YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT they used bad words at me when all I asked was do you know how to fix this not I want my money back or return just do you know how later that day we went to a professional electrical engineer who could fix the amp for us I just feel like he tried to make it seem like we were the bad guys, DONT GO HERE.

BEST drum-shopping experience! Lodo Drum Guy offers high-end equipment at the most reasonable rates around. The loft is a drummer’s paradise! I’ve bought it all from Pete! And, when one kit was no longer meeting my needs, I traded it and stepped into another. Lodo Drum Guy travels all over Colorado to constantly replenish his stock, and he keeps the prices DOWN! Like a high-end, boutique experience, minus the high price. I refer every person I know to Lodo Drum Guy. Plus, he’s constantly giving back to the local front range music community by back-lining events for the best causes. Shop LOCAL and INDEPENDENT. Get all your drum gear from Lodo Drum Guy!

Lodo Drum guy is the only place to get gear in Colorado. Always the best selection and a personalized service that doesn’t exist other places. Weather it’s for great used percussion equipment that’s always in top notch condition or for all of your backline needs when rolling through town; nobody comes close to what Pete can do in price and service. Highly recommended for all local bands, traveling musicians etc… you will not be disappointed.

Whether you need a drum kit for a child, all the way up to a high-end one (treat yo-self!), Lodo Drum Guy has what you’re looking for. Or maybe you need cymbals or a snare. Pete does lots of good work in the music community supporting non-profits and fledgling music start-ups.

Great prices good gear, friendly guy, currently going through some growing pains in moving his shop out of his apartment so he’s pretty disorganized but he does his best to answer any questions you have

BEFORE YOU MAKE THE DRIVE:

This is a private drum shop that is by appointment only.

The number provided is a cellphone number, and he will text you/call you if he does not pick up.

This location is also his house.

Overall not very professional, but probably has some cool drums.

Great guitars