staff is a great help and you just can’t beat the prices
Just new strings on my 12 string. Tech was efficient, friendly, and knowledgeable. Dropped off, ran an errand, was all ready when I got back. Perfect.
I love this place! The crew is knowledgeable and helpful. The environment is chill-I’m comfortable dropping-in or hanging-out practicing for awhile. I have never felt pressured into buying something. I appreciate the crew, the teacher discount and the vibe. I’m a fan!
Worked there, bought there, if you’re a musician in sarasota, there’s a good bet you’ve worked at sam ash if you haven’t made a major purchase there.
the employees are great and helpful, but i will not be coming back to this place ..prices on all their stuff is set in stone, even with the used gear. i’ve gotten better deals at guitar center on new items then used gear here. i’ll take my business to guitar center for better deals all day
I just had the most awkward encounter in a store that I think I’ve ever had. My fiancé and i brought our 2.5 year old son to Sam Ash to replace his lost eukelele. Our son is obsessed with instruments, and had a blast looking at all the instruments on display during his first and only other visit to this store a few months back. I don’t know why tonight was any different…
We found what we were looking for pretty quickly, but still wanted to browse. After also finding a connection cable my fiancé needed, we went back out into the store to browse. The salesman immediately started following us and didn’t stop. Although he asked a few times what we were specifically looking for, and we told him that we were just looking around, he continued following us and nearly blocked us from walking further at times. It was extremely uncomfortable…
I’m not sure if the salesman thought we were lost, potentially stealing, if he wanted to ensure he got the sale, or if he was eager to rush us out so they could close the doors (in an hour..), but the situation was very off putting. Maybe the employees are trained this way as a sales strategy to make sure all needs are met or something? But it was aggressive and awkward…
Sitting here since noon, it’s now 12:20 and the store is still not open.
The guys in the store were very cooperative except the guy in the drum department. Very uncooperative. He acted like you were bothering him the whole time and it happened both times I was in. Will not go into a Sam Ash again!!
2. P & H Bows London LLC
Address: 8251 15th St E UNIT A, Sarasota, FL 34243 , North Sarasota , Florida , United States
My son has been taking piano lessons for more than two years now. Ms. Larissa has been just wonderful, very patient, excellent child phychologist, very supportive. We have enjoyed our lessons so much and really see positive results in over all development, focus, discipline and multi tasking skills. Music is great for the developing mind and I cannot be happier that we have found All Star Music Academy. Thank you Ms. Larissa!!!
My son has been playing for 10 months and we love it.Miss Larissa the piano teacher is a big part of it.I can’t wait for my daughter to start piano next year too.Great teacher, very understanding and accommodating with our busy schedule.
Best piano teacher ever! Ms.Larissa is a very talented, super friendly and caring teacher. I surprised from how much I learned just from my first lesson and how much I improved in a year. . REALLY recommend Ms.Larissa as a piano teacher.
I purchased a living social deal. I knew I wouldnt get all four of the music lessons I paid for because it was expired but when I tried to schedule the value of what i paid. $50. I was told that it would that it would not be honored because she didnt get paid enough for it. Uh, you signed up for the deal, its not my fault. You knew how it worked. Its bad business. I would have paid full price after the living social deal was over and now they lost a customer forever. Extremely disappointed, as is my niece who i purchased it for.
She was directly dismissive, condescending, and arrogant when asked questions about her teaching style, techniques, and background. What would that have meant if we actually placed our kids under her teaching?!?!! Imagine the first time they questioned or challenged her!
I was really looking forward to setting up some music lessons for my 10 year old daughter who loves to sing and play the Ukulele. I found out about AllStar Music Academy through a Groupon deal I purchased offering 4 sessions for a very reasonable price. I had tried calling to set up an appointment but never received a return call at that time and I had ended up going through a lot of unforeseen circumstances and wasn’t able to call back until now. As my Groupon deal approached expiration, I was offered an extension period or to return my funds to use for a different deal. Knowing my daughter would really love this, I contacted AllStar and spoke to someone who told me that I was not following the rules of Groupon and could not extend the offer even though, in my Groupon app, I was being given the option. She also told me that the deal I bought which stated was good for 4 sessions would actually only cover 1 session. Very disappointed that the only option I had left was to get my money returned back to me through Groupon to use towards a different deal. I was truly looking forward to surprising my daughter with music lessons.
4. Electric Mix Music
Address: 1258 N Palm Ave, Sarasota, FL 34236 , North Sarasota , Florida , United States
These are some great musicians! They have an outstanding sense of musicianship and musicality that you don’t find in many other ensembles. As a composer and arranger who has collaborated with the duo on multiple occasions, I can attest to their attention to detail and authenticity to the music.
Jonathan is an excellent guitar player and instructor. I have been taking lessons with him since May 2019 and he has been very patient with my progress and accommodating to my musical desires/tastes. I’ve learned so much in the few months I have trained with him. He makes the lessons fun and enjoyable and doesn’t make you feel bad if you haven’t practiced as much as you probably have. I highly recommend Jonathan as a musician and as a teacher!
Superb musicians, duo and individuals. No hesitation on my part to recommend both Angela and Jonathan for any endeavor they pursue. Both individuals have music in their heart, and you see this in everything they play. They are not only intelligent but also professional, kind, loving and talented individuals as well as gifted musicians. I have known and been involved with the duo for quite some time, and it is indeed my pleasure to give them the highest rating and recommendation possible. Keep up the good work Jonathan and Angela.
6. Sarasota Pianist
Address: 1562 N Lime Ave a2, Sarasota, FL 34237 , North Sarasota , Florida , United States
I recently brought a few prewar vintage guitars to Ted. He took good care of the 80 year olds as well as my wife’s custom Brazilian rosewood 12 fret sized parlor. All needed re bracing some worse then others , a bridge place reglue, and general set ups. He found the last person who set up my guitar placed the floating bridge in wrong place. Ted had a quick turnaround for me and called about any fixes that were not discussed in person. Professional and courteous I would recommend to all my friends.
Great service. Quick friendly and knowledgeable. I have had Ted work on all my guitars in the past two years and will continue to see him for more guitars in the future.
Hands down the only guy I trust to work on my git pickers. He’s a great guy and does great work. It’s as simple as that. Support local and reap the rewards!
Took drum lessons for several years here and went from a total beginner to playing gigs every weekend and knowing a network of awesome musicians. Also did a bit of bass lessons and formed bands with other students there. A great place to start!
My son began taking drum lessons at The Drum Studio with Sandi Grecco when he was just 13. He continued under her tutelage with the drums, bass guitar and other instruments for over 6 years. It was a decision that has proven to have positively shaped his life in every aspect. Sandi has been an incredible teacher, mentor and positive influence in our son’s life and continues to be so to this very day, over 10 year’s since his musical journey began. She is truly a blessing to our family.
Our son and his friends had a great experience training with Sandi Greco. With Sandi’s guidance he was able to secure a full scholarship at Berklee College of Music in Boston and now tours the country sharing his talents. Sandi is a great instructor and knows how to get whatever potential exists in our kids and out on the stage. If your kid or even you want to learn how to play drums, guitar, or whatever, Sandi and The Drum Studio should be 1st on your list of the only place to go.
Marc Mannino played guitar for our outdoor wedding ceremony on 10/22/22 and it was absolutely beautiful! Hands down the most charming music and such a pleasure to work with.
Marc is the most talented and professional musician in the industry! As a former wedding planner, I can speak from experience. Marc provided the music for my personal ceremony. My husband and I were absolutely thrilled with his musicality and ability to pick the perfect music for our day. Many of our wedding guests had compliments for Marc, too. He truly made our day special. I would highly recommend Marc as a guitarist for any event!
Love working with Marc. He’s so talented, easy, flexible and our wedding couples love his professionalism and repertoire.
10. Sarasota Violins
Address: 777 S Palm Ave UNIT 1, Sarasota, FL 34236 , North Sarasota , Florida , United States
We bought an intermediate violin for my son here at Sarasota Violins. They have full selections of violins ranging from the beginner to advance. The owner help us to choose which violin is appropriate for my son. The location of the shop is easy to find and there is a lot of parking space. The owner is very knowlegeable and easy to talked to. He let us try different violins and picked the best for us. Very competetive to online prices too. Highly recommended. Visit the shop. You will not be disappointed.
What a delightful surprise! In an age where customer service is almost non existent, just walking through the front door you will immediately be greeted with such sincerity. We felt immediately at ease, even though we knew next to nothing about violins, the array of violins available for purchase plus they offer lessons and we left with way more knowledge and understanding of this beautiful instrument. My son (new to the violin) had quite a few questions and was able to speak with the owners! Mr. Mendoza is a truly amazing talent. Just listening to him play for a minute brought tears to my eyes! He and his wife are a true treasure and we thank them from the bottom of our hearts for being so sincere and welcoming. We will definitely be back and truly wish them every success here in Sarasota. They deserve it!
Excellent service.
Mr. Mendoza gives a good help to choose the right violin for the student.
The store has the best violins in Sarasota.
Excelente ambiente
La energía se siente brutal
Se los recomiendo con los ojos cerrados
Yo grabé y me gustó mucho ☄️
Lleguen y rompan
Great studio for all genres. Top of the line equipment great environment for everyone/anyone!
Great experience there! Up to date equipment great vibes staff very professional Overall just a great studio and place to work on your craft! If your looking for a studio this is your place!
13. David Turner Music
Address: 4046 Woodview Dr, Sarasota, FL 34232 , North Sarasota , Florida , United States
David is a phenomenal DJ and saxophonist! I reached out to him literally the evening before my party. He responded quickly and was very accomodating. We discussed tastes and music and he was a great hit! Brought everyone to the dance floor. He accommodated on the spot requests from guests even African songs! Playing the sax brought an added element you can’t quantify. He really made a difference to the party made the night such fun. Will definitely use him again. Thanks David.
I have used David Turner for several Marketing functions and have found him to be professional, prompt and always willing to go the extra mile to ensure a great event! I highly recommend him. Kristen Myers, Marketing Director, Village On The Isle
David performed and DJ’d at our beach wedding on May 1st. Our guests are still talking about how much they enjoyed the music. He played the flute and saxophone as well as playing fantastic music. Every one was dancing mist if the night and didn’t want him to stop playing. We definitely would recommend him for any event that you have. Great musician and DJ.
14. Drummerboy Entertainment & Recording Studios
Address: 8051 N Tamiami Trail D8, Sarasota, FL 34243 , North Sarasota , Florida , United States
hands down the best place to record in Sarasota. The space is really nice and EJ always goes above and beyond to make your project the best it can be.
Very professional and dedicated to making sure their artists are happy
He’s a very professional producers. I always feel at home when I’m working with The management. He’s fun to work with and knows his stuff
-Gretta Saunders
hey out of svc
15. Piano Ca Dab Ra
Address: 1562 N Lime Ave, Sarasota, FL 34237 , North Sarasota , Florida , United States
Lucky day when I found Dave. Finally a piano teacher willing and with the skill and ability to start “where you are” and able to ‘take you where you want to go’ Never would have been playing chords and singing along to my own playing as quickly. Highly recommend
Great experience! Highly recommended. I obtained my chord skills quickly using the technique taught by Dave. Makes all the difference!
I may be a little biased, but truth be told the Billy Lyon Band is the best.
We’ve seen Billy perform at venues all over Sarasota, have hired him for corporate events and private parties. He’s entertaining, engaging, and can perform a wide variety of music. He’s also super professional to book and a great guy.
Absolutely awesome performance! Back in July my now husband and I were searching for singers for our welcome party and stumbled upon Billy and Greg at the Freckled Fin on Anna Maria Island! They were fantastic and the exact vibe my husband and I were looking for. They preformed at our welcome party on 10/20 and our friends and family loved every second of the show! They had crowd dancing the entire night. After the party we received so many texts saying how much fun everyone had and how in the world we found such a great band! Beyond thrilled with their performance. Forever wishing I could have that night on repeat! Whatever your event, they are a must hire!!!!! If I could give more than 5 stars I absolutely would!
Gavon was so nice and easy to work with! Our wedding guests absolutely LOVED the live quartet during the ceremony and cocktail hour! The sounds of the strings definitely made walking down the isle very memorable for myself and my husband! 1000% recommend!! THANK YOU!!
We had Mabry play during our wedding ceremony. They were very professional and easy to work with from start to finish, and played beautifully!
We enjoyed the beautiful music and the ambiance it created was perfect for our wedding. Ross was easy to communicate with and offered thousands of songs to choose from. We highly recommend Mabry String Quartet!
If I could give 0 stars I would. Do not hire this group. The manager Gavon is a scam artist. They are not equipped to play at events with more than 20 people. I hired them for a major charity event, they assured me they had everything they needed to perform. When they arrived they did not have what they needed and could not play. I had 400 guests waiting to hear them play and we had to put the dj back on. Our guests were very disappointed and will now not attend the event in the future.
I requested a refund since they did not play at the event and they refused. So our company lost thousands of dollars! Very unprofessional!
18. Guitar Center
Address: 8223 Cooper Creek Blvd, University Park, FL 34201 , North Sarasota , Florida , United States
While visiting friends in Sarasota from Jax Bch, decided to stop in Guitar Ctr, for Sarasota area. Awesome drum dept. in-store, w/ used and new equipment, super friendly, honest, staff in drum section of store..They were so nice I bought a cymbal from them while on vacation. (forgot his name but shorter guy, asst mgr?) Jacksonville store should do there training there..They also informed me they’d price match anyone, not so at Jax store, (won’t even look it up,to check) even though they advertise they do, they don’t….If I lived half way between these 2 locations Sarasota would get my business everytime. Bravo to you.. R
My dreamed place!!!
Phenomenal service people are always really helpful in finding what you need. We went not really knowing what exactly we wanted but we kind of described it to the people there and they always help us and I’ve always been so helpful no matter what time of day you go in even when they’re busy they make you feel like you are the only one. Always amazing!
Selection is just ok
Glad to be able to stop in a grab things on a whim. 4 stars for that. The 5th when the service is not so hit or miss.
Decent prices on used gear and trade-in value is decent.
Got a used jackson, went back to pick it up (layaway) and the tone knob was missing. This was after bringing it up before to make sure that doesnt get lost.
Got an ibanez w/ licensed floyd, asked if it could be tuned better before leaving. The guy went in the back for a long time then came back out with an attitude and was like “i dunno man i never understood/liked those floating systems” layed it down, told me its as good as its gonna get and walked away. Employees dont seem to care whether your there or not but thats ok, sometimes its nice not to be bothered.
They have a play room to go in and check out a guitar but figuring out how to get anything to work is another story.
I prefer Sam Ash. This is the place for used gear for sure. Overall i still like this place.
Me and my friends went there to purchase a keyboard. I walked in with the intentions to leave with my new keyboard that day. Was very disappointed that the sales staff never asked us if we needed any help or if they could help us find something. We were completely ignored. We were ignored by 4 employees while I was looking at the keyboards on display. Each one of them walked by and never asked if we needed help. I ended up finding the one I wanted by myself but refused to purchase it from this Guitar Center because of how lazy the employees were. Lazy salespeople doesn’t deserve commission unless they work for it and I wasn’t going give it too them. As of now I have not purchased anything and I debating weather or not purchase this online. I’ll give the store manager one week to make it right. I’m going to buy the keyboard somewhere and I would much rather buy it locally instead of purchasing it online. Respond to this if you care about your customers. I need: Yamaha P45 Keyboard, Yamaha L85 Stand, and a nice sustain pedal (Need some help finding the right one)
This store is rated as one of the worst music shops I’ve ever been to and I’ve been too easily at least 100 around the country. Staff and employees are very uneducated with at least acting as if they cared about their customers. I actually went back against my better judgement only because I had a gift card from a relative. While there I spend 20+ minutes looking around without absolutely anyone coming up to me and asking if they could help me but instead 3 employees stayed in the checkout area and just laughed and talked with each other about their weekend. Well I was interested in a digital delay system they had and with no help I just took my cellphone out and checked the item out on the internet and found the exact same item used as well for $70.00 less and free shipping on Reverb so I immediately purchased it there instead. I was also looking at a guitar and couldn’t reach the Les Paul that was on the highest top wall hangers. No help and I stood and looked at the employees but again being so absorbed in their joking a they paid no attention to me and a couple other customers so I then typed the guitar into my cellphone and actually located the same Guitar on the local Craigslist and immediately contacted the person and told him where I was and we made arrangements to meet right then so I left the Guitar center and shortly afterwards we got together where I purchased a gorgeous Les Paul from someone who actually needed the cash vs this huge store where they proved that they didn’t need the money or the interest in selling a Guitar. So they’re actually lucky that they even received a 2 star rating from me. There are quite a few other negative issues that have kept me from wanting to deal with them but I don’t have the time to go through all of it right now.
Horrible customer service !!! Employees have no idea how to run their POS and openly admit it. It took me 40 minutes to rent a guitar. In the end they couldn’t do it so they took picture of my DL (feel very unsafe about this) and took my fingerprints ! Over a used guitar ! For being the only game in town – this deserves 0 stars. Can’t wait for Amazon to put you out of business…
