Exclusive selection: The top 20 music shops of Poquonock Bridge

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.

Excellent work fair prices. The end.

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.

The owner is a scam artist. I would be very cautious about letting him work on any equipment that you have put money into.

Great local music store! They’ll take care of you!

One of the best, most complete musical instrument stores in Connecticut. They also do installs for pro audio equipment as well as lessons. Guitars, drums, band and Orchestra, pro audio recording and more. You name it, they take care of it. The owner Randy is a true industry veteran and his associate Jim is one of the best luthiers in the business. Come on by to get seriously awesome customer service. I swear they did not pay me to say this! I’ve been doing business with them since I was a kid and they’ve always taken care of me. I wouldn’t go to anywhere else..

Was looking for some stage monitors. They had just got a used pair of top of the lone JBLs. They were a great price as well saved a lot. Used them all week and I love them. Great store with a knowledge staff in Audio and Guitars.

Nice little music store. They had a decent selection of both acoustic and electric guitars and a really good selection of used Amplifiers (and a couple steals in there too). Hidden gem in my opinion

Great communication and fantastic instruments!

From the contact I’ve had with Upton Bass associates, it’s abundantly clear from their accessibility that they place primary importance on the well-being of not only their established but potential customers.

Going into the Upton Bass shop you are cordially greeted by a group of individuals who are each doing their part in producing the finest instruments that they can make. At the helm Gary Upton is there directing them to fulfill the needs of the customer so that they can go on to perform some wonderful music on their new instrument. I own their first award winning bass from the ISB competition in 2009 and feel it is time to move on to another bass and give someone else the opportunity to play this special instrument.

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.

Great selection of guitars from Taylor, Martin, Huss and dalton, Boucher McPherson, reverend, stock guitars and more. Staff was super knowledgeable and cool. No pushy sales vibes. They also build guitars and tube amps in house. Spindrift is a true guitar store.

As soon as I walked into this guitar shop I was greeted by Vince who was working the front desk. He was extremely knowledgeable and kind. The store gave me a great trade in value on a guitar I brought in and I purchased a gorgeous fiesta red mustang. They are definitely a place I will be returning to in the future.

A real gem of a shop! Corey and Whit both do fantastic repair work (guitars and amplifiers respectively) and while the selection of guitars isn’t huge, there are always a number of interesting things hanging on the wall. Despite having many local repair people to choose from, I drive an hour to visit their shop and access their expertise.

They really know their guitars.

An amazing shop, beautiful selection of instruments and very helpful folks.

Shop owner very helpful with advice on adjusting the action on my mandolin. It is specifically a guitar shop.

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

I am very happy with my purchase at Caruso. They were very accommodating allowing me to come in on a day they were closed so I could try the pianos I was interested in. I ended up getting a piano that I absolutely love. Brian was so helpful and after the piano was delivered it needed adjustment. Brian set it up snd Caruso paid for my technician to fix the issue. Great company and so far so good! It’s been 2 weeks and I couldn’t be happier. Thank you Caruso for bringing a life long dream of owning a Yamaha grand piano to fruition.

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!

This place is by far the best. There is a felt passion and pride in every ounce of their service that speaks for itself. Thank you again!

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.

Super helpful, knowledgeable staff. Great selection. Only problem is I have to stay away otherwise I will spend all my $$$$.

Nice store ”very good staff.

Getting back in the game after like 15-20 years and looking for a used guitar. Manager Phoebe was amazing! Let me try it with no judgment on my lack of playing skills, answered all my questions, made some great suggestions, and did what she could to get me the best deal/coverage possible. Very clean, organized store, easy to find what I was looking for, much better than past experiences with judgy “gear heads” at other gear shops in the past. Got a Schecter C-1 Platinum, orange combo amp, and all the needed start-up gear for under $600.

Tons of guitars

Nice place to SHOP for a guitar if you just want to look around. But when asking specific questions about guitars, first you’re lucky if anyone will help you, second don’t expect too much knowledge of the equipment or parts of the guitar. Their staff was quite lazy, uninterested in assisting, and in the long run made me decide to not buy, but keep looking. -I was shopping for 2 acoustic guitars and a complete pro audio system. I found what I liked, but didn’t buy it there because I didn’t care for their service. On a good note though, their guitar repairman was kind and squeezed in a re-string while I was there. I’m going to try the other store in West Haven this month to see if they have better service.

Good sale. Good customer service. Nice store .

I called about 3 weeks ago to ask about getting my guitar strings changed and the guy said “$20 a guitar and you can bring them in anytime”. I called today to double check that they had time to change the strings on my two guitars, and the guy said “I think it’s about $39 a guitar but it’s been so long since we’ve had a guitar tech that I couldnt even tell ya”. Bottom line he said they couldnt change the strings because they dont have a “tech”. You’re telling me there isnt one employee at GUITAR CENTER that knows how to change strings,
like the most braindead easy thing to do on a guitar? I’m convinced this dude basically told me their mcflurry machine was down.

The staff were unhelpful and at times extremely rude to multiple customers during my visit. Your better off going to a local shop or buying instruments offline.

well I went in there today to pick up a drum set and when I walked in there was a guy there with long hair he was pretty cool but then we went into the drum section and this other guy came in short hair sports jacket looks like a manager or something now I guess it’s all about business but be on your guard when you see this guy just seems like he was trying to up-sell the dude with long hair was like Hey you know we got like these cheaper stands over here you know and the other guy was like nah you need these ones you know you need these symbols to like and I don’t think he knew anything about drums so he had to go get the drum guy and he just came in and like picked out some pieces and walked away I’m thinking to myself why am I talking to this manager guy when I should be talking to the guy who knows about drums it just seems weird like this guy was trying to take as much money from me as he could really left a bad taste in my mouth 2 Stars and like I said if you do go there be on your guard for that guy he seems a little slimy

Good finds!

Great selection, great vibe
Staff are friendly and knowledgeable.
Always a pleasure to visit this local institution

So many amazing records to go through. Dan (the owner) obviously really loves music and knows his stuff! Wish I lived in Mystic because I’d go back every week. Not only that, all of my records looked brand new.

Awesome place, really nice owner, great selection

Fair selection, owner is a breed of his own.

Great shop great service.
I like dan don’t have a lot of mainstream music.
The quality of the vinyl is very high and the prices competitive.

Place opens at 11am, yet owner is barely ever there on time. Waited out in the cold and in nearby shops for around 30 minutes for nothing. Heard from locals that this happens a lot.

One morning my wife and I were walking around Mystic on our day off. We happened to stumble upon Mystic Disc which we have never been before. Being a huge Pink Floyd fan, we were searching for that selection. We actually found 6 records that I do not own. I was in such a great mood, finding these felt like I struck gold. Well Dan just opened the shop and we were the first customers in the store. So jokingly I walked up to the counter and said “Any discounts for a first time customer buying more than 5 records?” Clearly it was a joke as I was laughing and chuckling. Dan started getting defensive saying that he had a customer the other day that spent $239 (roughly) and another that spent a $100 and something. Then Dan gets very standoffish and begins a lecture explaining that if I ask for a discount and he says no, then I would think he’s an ***hole, but if he gives me a discount and there are other customers in the store, and they heard he gave me a discount, they would expect a discount as well. I then again told him that I was kidding and we don’t need a discount however, he made it apparent that he was going to because I asked. Dan made the experience for both my wife and I very uncomfortable. He also insinuated that we did not work in retail to understand his justification (there is around 25 years between my wife and I). First off, I would have to know someone well enough to know if they are worthy of the title ***hole. I don’t appreciate Dan making that kind of an assumption, being that he doesn’t know me. I also don’t appreciate that Dan pointed out other customers who have spent more money than what we were going to purchase. That made us feel belittled and not appreciated as a customer. This is not the customer experience I would provide to my customers and we most certainly don’t need to be taught the etiquette of being a customer. Unfortunately we will no longer return to Mystic Disc. We have other record stores that we can shop at that has a kinder atmosphere. It’s too bad it took this one/first experience to shop elsewhere.

I can’t actually give a star cause the shop wasn’t open. It was supposed to be open but they didn’t ( maybe something happened I don’t know)and neighbors say he comes in when he chooses . So I went to the telegraph in new london.

Friendly and knowledgeable guys working here. Helped me figure out what was wrong with my player.

One of my weekly stops for out of print records and cds. Owner is super nice. One of the only reasons to visit downtown New london.

Good place, seems like I find more then what I was looking for every time I go

Nice place for some vinyl. I was visiting the area from Chicago and thought I would check this place out. They have a decent selection of rock music new and used. I would have liked to have seen their selection of Heavy Metal LP’s equivalent in size to their Punk section. I purchased 2 LP’s during my visit. Maybe when I am back in town I will stop in again.

A good selection of records, but rather pricey.

This is the best place I know to get used CDs. Be sure to look under the record cases for them as well

Very rude owner, disorganized and a bad area to park or fell safe in

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.

Doesn’t call back. Doesn’t respond to emails. Records are routinely left in shipping boxes on release day. Store is VERY disorganized and employees do not have any clue about stock. All items are overpriced. Would happily pay the few extra dollars for an ounce of customer service.

Excellent work. Fair priced and honest.

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!

Quality work and service! Very pleased with the repairs I had done.