Our 13 year old son has been taking private saxophone lessons at ” The Music Shop” for over 4 years, starting with Leo Liddle. Keith Wilson, a very talented musician took over as his teacher and we love his dedication and perseverance to help expand our son’s musical knowledge with the sax, while also making it fun. The expansion of his new location makes the updated atmosphere a wonderful learning environment, and also has great on site repair service.
Throughout the years I have purchased guitars,and Equitment,. We miss Leo. He was the music teacher at Lewis S Mills High School in the 70’s. To ?. I graduated in 72. Great music shop. Get just about anything musical.
2. Martel Music Store
Address: 1 Whiting St, Plainville, CT 06062 , Montornès del Vallès , Connecticut , United States
Best music store in CT and one of the best on the planet!
TOP SHELF musical instrument store! If you’re bored of the big chain stores try MARTEL MUSIC for a difference in quality and attention… they have it all from brass, woodwinds, strings, drums, mandolins, ukuleles, new and used acoustic and electric guitars, lessons and accessories and an in-store JAM NIGHT. Go check ’em out!
I drive 40 mins to shop here, i love this store and their great selections of brands and products.
Interesting store with some interesting gear. They don’t seem to carry Fender or Gibson. They had a stomp box manufacturing class going on when I visited.
Purchased a guitar for 750, now walking out with 637. Unfortunately I was not told about a very unfair and sneaky return exchange policy until I had asked after already completing the purchase. Also could not see clearly a visible sign inside that states anything about a return policy. When I asked where the sign was upon trying to return this guitar he pointed to have a corner and I still did not see the sign. I do believe that a return policy sign should be at the register for full disclosure. The law does state you are entitled to a full refund if you are not told about the refund policy during the time of the transaction, which I was not informed of that. Limited selection and unfortunately subject to a very steep restocking fee or store credit, if you are a serious musician make sure you know this first as you know that buying instruments is quite expensive and it is hard to want to get locked into something that you do not truly love.
As one reviewer already stated. They have a terrible return policy especially with online purchases. Good store as long as you know you’re going to keep the item but who really knows, its musical gear, its hard to tell if your going to dig it or not until you play it with your rig. Returning a pedal (or probably anything) is just not worth it due the return fees. 2 stars because I received it pretty quickly but definitely wasn’t packed that well. Without a doubt this will be my last purchase from this store. There’s plenty of other great stores to choose from that won’t bend you over on return fees. **Edit for response to the owner** Yes you do clearly state your return fees online. “Small restocking fee” is a bit of an understatement…your restocking fee is 10%. If I pay $250 for a guitar pedal. Right off the bat you’re keeping $25 of my return. I couldn’t imagine purchasing a guitar online through your store.
3. Acoustic Music
Address: 4 Maple St, Chester, CT 06412 , Montornès del Vallès , Connecticut , United States
The guitars in this shop are amazing; all of them make me sound like a guitar hero. The staff is friendly, knowledgable and more than happy to help.
if you play guitar and enjoy finer instruments you got to stop in…. the best selection of quality acoustic guitars and a few electrics too for those who like to plug in. They will also match Sweetwater as well. So if you need a new instrument stop in and support a local shop.Very knowledgeable staff as well.
I had one of the most positive guitar store experiences anywhere at Acoustic Music.
I called ahead specifying the guitars I was interested in checking out, arrived with them all ready to go in a dedicated room to play them in. No straining to hear the guitar over other players, no need to feel self-conscious, nobody hovering over me. Huge thanks to Ian for being super helpful, friendly and making it a great experience!
Had a guitar cable when I needed it.
Thé Owners are lousy business
Not many mandolins
No prices listed
4. Alpha 1 Music
Address: Hamden, CT 06514 , Montornès del Vallès , Connecticut , United States
Was a nice surprise to find a fairly well rounded store and staff
Everyone is really friendly and helpful, and the lessons so far are very nicely organized.
Went there for the first time a couple of weeks ago with my teen daughter to purchase a violin. The customer service we received was top notch. We were treated so well and able to purchase a violin. I can’t remember his name, but the employee answered all of our questions and helped us to pick out the right shoulder strap for our budget and experience level.
He told us she could take violin lessons at the store on Wednesdays which was pretty cool and unexpected. My daughter signed up for a few lessons and had her first one with the instructor, Kaitlyn, yesterday. She loved the experience and said Kaitlyn was incredibly patient and helped her to feel at ease. I would highly recommend this store based on our customer service experience.
I had a dispute regarding an instrument repair. The tech did a great job with the repair, but there was a miscommunication with the store concerning the scope of work to be performed. Jed Weeks at corporate resolved the issue with speed and grace.
Small space but with limited music supply stores in the area it’s good to see places like this still up
This store is a good place to get music books for several instruments especially classical instruments that you can’t find many stores for. I have a violin and go here occasionally to buy books for cool songs. 🙂
The in-store representatives are great and nice. But I am very much disappointed with the customer service representative and the supervisors. All of them showed rude behavior. I signed up for 10 months contract and during Covid situation there was delay in returning the instrument to the store at the end of contract period. But Music and Arts still charged me for 2 months on higher cost. Way above my 10 months contract. When I called the customer service, they were very rude and not showing any flexibility and care for customers. I wanted to do business with them for the next school year. But with these behaviors I will NEVER do business with them. I could not find anything lower than 1 star rating…
All they need is customers’ money… No care for customers… even in this COVID situations…
6. The Music Shop
Address: 405 Queen St, Southington, CT 06489 , Montornès del Vallès , Connecticut , United States
Very helpful staff and kids get to play the demo keyboards which only sparks their creativity and musicality and that’s a bonus in my book. They also offer lessons here and have a huge selection of guitars and instruments can be rented or purchased. Will be visiting again that’s for sure!!!!
My kids have been going to The Music Shop for 8 years and their experience has been flawless. The ownership and instructors are very professional. The instructors personalize each lesson to keep the kids engaged in wanting to learn and practice on their own. There is no other place to go, stop here.
I’ve been doing business with Scott at the music shop for years, he knows about the needs of musicians and great on any repairs or just info on your current instrument. Will hopefully be doing many more years here.
Great place but website could be better such as pics of some used equipment. I’m a drummer and would like to see what they have for new and used cymbals,stands,drum kits etc. And prices. I have done business with them and always had a great experience the reason for three stars is the website doesn’t do the music shop justice. All and all great store great people.
The cellos were in not in good shape and we had to pay a luthiere to redo repairs that were poorly done when we received the instrument.
7. DuBaldo Music Center
Address: 881 Main St, Manchester, CT 06040 , Montornès del Vallès , Connecticut , United States
That was likely the most pleasant guitar buying experience I have ever had. I could not recommend patronizing this amazing store more. Thank you so much!!
Finally got to visit after doing some business over the phone 18 years ago with Pete. Great inventory, selection and people. One of the very best examples of why we need to support local businesses and how great a family can run them!
I’ve never been more comfortable trying out guitars in a shop. I drove over an hour to get here and the customer service made it completely worth it. They have an incredible selection of great sounding instruments and went out of their way to make sure I found the guitar I wanted. Highly recommend this place.
Great service
8. The Music Score LLC
Address: 2315 Silas Deane Hwy, Rocky Hill, CT 06067 , Montornès del Vallès , Connecticut , United States
My daughter’s piano teacher in East Hampton recommended this store for the purchase of a piano. Thank you Gil for your help selecting one of your pianos. We purchased our piano several days before Christmas as a gift for my daughter. As it can be challenging to find delivery at the holidays, the store owner went out of his way to deliver the piano personally on Christmas Eve. The piano sounds wonderful and my daughter was thrilled. Thanks for the excellent service, wonderful piano, and beautiful music that now fills my home.
The Music Score is now at 2315 and under new management. The store offers lessons for all instruments (including vocal), rentals and purchases on all instruments (including pianos.) The Music Score includes workshops and classes, like Music Together for toddlers, Music Fun Time for small children, and more. Jazz Band is held on Wednesday nights, Open Mic every last Friday. Other fun times are held, like Karaoke, Music Movie night, and Game night. Events are held about four times a year like The Frozen Spring Thaw, Open Houses, Christmas parties, recitals, new years for kids, and more. This store has a little of everything and caters to people from newborns to senior citizens. When you walk in the door you are part of the family and the teachers, associates, and owners take pride in caring and educating. A true mom and pop shop who are part of the community and helping it grow.
Really great place to stop by and get an instrument. The prices seem a bit higher but the quality is surely within the quality you’d expect.
I bought a ukulele here and the quality and sound lived up to the price.
Very knowledgeable and friendly.
My daughter is signed up for lessons and her teacher is great (I hear the others are as well). Just try not to deal with the guy that owns it.
Arrived at 10:00am (they open at 10am, but not today). I waited and they finally arrived. All I needed was guitar strings, but they had none. What a waste of time.
I tried to return my daughter’s Viola due to the school no longer providing classes. It was a total nightmare to get an answer in regards to my credit. They are very irresponsible and I am very disappointed by the lack of care towards my return which was even misplaced! Mom and dad are not helpful at all and he should really look at keeping them home, they make things worse!
9. Brian’s Guitars
Address: 453 W Main St, Cheshire, CT 06410 , Montornès del Vallès , Connecticut , United States
I’ve been playing music since mid 90’s and been to a ton of music stores, I can honestly say Brian’s guitars is by far my favorite go to place to shop. The entire staff is extremely knowledgeable on any questions you may have and also extremely friendly not to mention the selection of guitars is unreal. Looking forward to my next visit
Just purchased a Nash Tele from Brian’s. Graham was awesome and quite patient as I hemmed and hawed, not about the guitar but about how I would explain this to my wife!
It’s a Nash, so knowing what I was getting, and living out of CT instead of driving hours to play it I trusted ordering the axe over the phone. The guitar was in my hand the next day, beautifully packed and set up. They even tossed in a braided cable and some swag!
Do not hesitate to do business with Brian’s. True professionals. Courteous, friendly and very knowledgeable.
Thanks Graham! This axe is so damn sweet, and hey, my wife wasn’t ticked off… She digs it!
BUYER BEWARE: If you’re shopping used online, call ahead and ask them to send you updated pictures of the instrument before you buy.
I just purchased a used guitar online, from Brian’s Guitars. It sounds and looks great.
HOWEVER: the pictures and listing posted online were not accurate. The listing said “near mint” condition. The pictures showed all the tags and plastic seals on the components still intact. When I received the guitar, all the seals were gone. There were scuffs on the pickguard, and there was a screw completely missing near the volume/tone knobs. After an email exchange, I learned that the pictures were posted from when the guitar was new. Still, why was a screw missing?
I may have scored a guitar at a sweet deal, but now my confidence is shook. Even though everything sounds fine, I’m left wondering if a screw was removed to mess around with the internal components. I’ll get that checked out, but given the inaccurate listing, I’m not sure if I would buy from Brian’s Guitars again.
Love the layout and they have beautiful guitars. However, customer service is lacking. I advice those that are interested in buying a high-end guitar and enjoy collecting these musical art pieces to look elsewhere as I was told so rudely. Especially if you are a minority. The stereo typing is real!. If you think this is a rant of someone that is not able to afford this level of guitars, well, think again. I have a small collection that keeps growing of high-end to medium range guitars, bass guitars , and amps. I Hope this helps someone that does not want to be profiled while shopping for their next piece of happiness.
I recently had a vintage bass repaired and appraised here. I left it with them to have the electronics fixed and a general setup done. I got a call that the guitar was ready to be picked up a few weeks later, but had to remind them to also do the appraisal.
I get the bass home and the jack is incredibly noisy. I called and was told that they would make it right at no cost. I take the bass back and the tech puts a new jack in. They still charged me $10 for the jack, the making it right part only included the labor (about ten minutes). I couldn’t care less about $10, but making an extra trip out (about half hour from my home) to have something fixed that should have been done in the first place, guarantees I will never go back here or recommend it to anyone.
10. Music & Arts
Address: 50 Main St, East Hartford, CT 06118 , Montornès del Vallès , Connecticut , United States
Our go to place for strings, sticks, and whatever else we may need!
I have spent a lot of time at this store with my kids. All three kids play different instruments, which means I’m at the music store constantly. Each time I go in, I am more impressed than that last. The staff are courteous, and very helpful. They are informative, and help guide me to the best option, yet never pushy on sales. They are very knowledgeable. I can’t say enough nice things about this store. I am thoroughly impressed.
Got just what I needed! Customer service up the wazoo. Am I royalty?
Good selection and price
Cool place, very expensive
I went to the store 7:45 pm because I need to rent an instrument. I’ve been waiting because the employee was helping another customer. Then, when it was my turn he said : I can’t help you because we close at 8 come back tomorrow. While I was waiting I saw another employee he just looking at us and he didn’t of help us.The worst customer service I ever experienced.
I had been taking lessons at this location since March 2019. One of their instructors stopped teaching in June 2019 and took the summer months off. The store called me in August to say the instructor was not returning in the Fall and my account would be closed but if I wanted to begin with a new instructor I could. To my surprise upon starting with the new instructor, my account incurred a new student fee of $30 which is out of order since I am a continuing student; I asked the store to provide a credit and they recently did so. The new student fee is inappropriate due to no fault of mine.
Rented a saxaphone for 2 years. Summers were free. Returned the sax in the fall and was charged for the summer. 300$ which is the yearly rate. No notification or change of contract. Its a scam. Free summers not part of the contract, just a gift to you until you return it. Hours spent on hold to corporate as the local manager has no power.
