Rental process was fairly easy and great customer service!
Great place for the kids. The staff is very friendly and great for kids of all ages.
Joey fixed my son’s bass guitar !!!! Great and knowledgeable guy !!!!! Highly recommended !!!!
This is one of the best places you can go for music lessons, I took guitar,bass and voice lessons here and it was an awesome experience. They don’t have a good selection of quality american made instruments, I don’t even think they sell gibsons.
My friend has taken his instruments in here for servicing and he’s only said good things about them.
REVISION: after I brought this review to the attention of the management, they gave me a $15 credit – but the policy is still in place so be aware of this.******
I really like the teachers here, but the business itself, I am very disappointed in. Last week we received a call shortly before our lesson time that the teacher was ill and the lesson was canceled. No problem. Tried to reschedule but I am very busy right now with my work and extremely limited in my times that I can bring my daughter to the school (this is why we chose Saturday mornings, it’s the only time I have right now) Much to my chagrine, I was told that even if I could not reschedule the lesson, I would still have to pay for it – no credit given. The school tried to tell me it is a viable option to simply have two hours the next week, or to schedule two lessons a couple of days apart, etc. A few seconds of consideration will tell you that is not the same value. It feels like Music Showcase cares about its weekly lesson fee more than it cares about having a happy, loyal customer – and trust me, I am not very happy or feeling inspired to be loyal. I recommend that you find somewhere else to take your child.
I had a bad experience with Music Showcase in December 2015 after dropping off a used violin for evaluation and possible repair. After many days of the violin sitting there without any communication, I called requesting a status update. The receptionist informed me that their luthier was MIA and that they had no one to make the repairs. I eventually took the violin to Roydon Music where they evaluated and repaired the violin the same day.
Fast forward to May 2017 – my child now needs a larger violin. I called Music Showcase since they have a fairly large store, and I inquired if they had any used violins for sale. The receptionist told me no, but that she would pass my information onto Joe, the manager. Moments later I receive a call from Joe who informs me that he has quite a few and more in a warehouse for sale. I said great and asked for pricing which in return he said he does not have any pricing for the used violins, but asked what I was looking to spend. I thought that was odd, but he said he would call me back after he pulls out a few of the violins. A bit later I receive another call from Joe and again I asked for the costs of the violins which in return he asked again for what I was looking to spend. I decided to take a drive over there to see what was going on and upon arrival the receptionist showed me over to the violins Joe had sitting aside. All the tags had a very quick scribbled price on them and we’re horribly overpriced for them being used and small student sizes. I asked Joe several times why he did not give me the costs of the violins over the phone to which he could not give me an answer. Lesson learned. An instrument for sale should cost the same to any person who walks in the door. Be suspicious of a business asking for your budget and refusing to give you the cost of an item. The situation truly felt like a car lot!
Avoid this place! Very shady practices! Check out Roydon Music or some place else.
My son has been having guitar lessons with Greg for several months and we are only able to do every other weekend due to having a split family, which they were very understanding on at first. Now they have a student that can be a permanent student every weekend so Greg decided to bump my son out of the class!! They don’t care that we already paid for the class, they didn’t even bother to contact me and let me know!!! My son has been through a lot as it is and now is devastated because he really looked forward to going to class to learn to play the electric guitar. This is to me the worst type of business! Why would you kick a kid out of class because of a new student coming in?!? We have been customer’s for almost 6 months and now we don’t even matter to them! I will never recommend or go to Music Showcase ever again!! If you do decide to go there just know that this can happen to you too!
The worse customer service, we had a trumpet and was missing parts, kept having the same issues with the trumpet, turned it in, they say they fixed it but kept having the same issues. Music & Arts off of 60 is way better. You get brand new instrument with the case, better insurance and a lot cheaper.
4. Guitar Technician Ed Riech
Address: 1547 Clair Mel Cir, Tampa, FL 33619 , Progress Village , Florida , United States
Going to Ed for my trust rod adjustment is the best decision I could make. I will definitely be going to him rather than the franchise stores. I will be a returning customer for sure! Thank you Ed!
Acabo de recoger mi guitarra que tenia abandonada desde hace tiempos. La llevé para hacer setup y regreso mucho más limpia y brillosa, con mejor acción. El servicio fue rápido muy amistoso y después traigo mi otra guitarra que necesita reparaciones más complicadas. Muy contento con el servicio y el precio.
Ed is a super talented musician who knows the ins and outs of the workings of a guitar. If you want a professional who is also a perfectionist then he is your guy.
5. Music & Arts
Address: 2452 W Brandon Blvd, Brandon, FL 33511 , Progress Village , Florida , United States
They are an amazing place to go for beginners and every time I get welcomed like it’s my home. The names that I have gotten so far is superstar, and prodigy which is very nice of them to call me that and I have had and am having a wonderful experience with them. Thank you music And Arts center for my amazing experience!!!!
I’m not sure who helped us but he did a great job explaining what was best and answering all my questions and even questions I didn’t think of. Can’t wait for my son’s new drum to come in.
Staff friendly and helpful. Nothing like the big box guitar super centers. Bought two guitars there that I would never have bought at those other places. All because of a sincere hello can I help you. Great place I found by accident. Thought it was a performance center. Dont be afraid to wander in!
Good customer service
This is a great little place with friendly helpful staff. While the selection is somewhat limited the pricing is decent and they do have a good variety for the space they have. I would definitely do business with them again.
Nice, small music store, friendly staff with a variety of guitar options. The location of the store however is atrocious as Regency Square Mall is a very poorly designed store layout and to make the situation worse they design engineers created a mall with such poor means of entering and exiting the facility that the patrons get the privilege of sitting in long lines (usually 30-40 minutes) just to get to the 2 main exit roads so you can sit through multiple light changes before you can actually get out of this nightmare. Love the store, recommend moving to a better location.
Very bad experience with one of the music teachers named Donny Mayer, he start making fun of me on my 2nd class, very unprofessional calling me names like “Judas” and telling that I never going to learn how to play guitar, after I decided to try with someone else… they also make me pay $50 more to be able to cancel and stop my classes, of course classes that I never take and I never get my $ back, What a Waist of money! ☹️
The store’s products are fine, but its current management is mind-numbingly incompetent. My saga started off when I ordered a curved head joint for a flute that I already owned, with the challenge being that I needed to find one that fit the flute body. I talked with the store manager over the phone and had the head joint delivered to the store. The head joint arrived earlier than expected, and I brought my flute to the store on Monday, Nov. 12. The head joint was slightly too small, so I left my flute with the manager so that the head joint could be expanded. I was told that it would be ready the next day, and that he would call me. So far, so good – a 5 star review.
At this point, however, things began going seriously off the rails. Having not received any phone call from the manager, I returned on Wed. Nov. 14 to collect the headjoint. When I arrived, I was informed by an associate that the head joint was ready, but that it and my flute were in the manager’s car, and he had just left for at least an hour. Rather than my waiting, they offered to ship it to me, free of charge, with an arrival date of that coming Friday. While I wasn’t thrilled, I accepted and returned home.
Well, the package never arrived, and I called on Sunday to see if someone could let me know when I could expect it. The manager was not at the store that day, but I was told that the flute had been shipped out on Friday (not Wednesday as promised), and that the manager would call me. He didn’t.
Believing that the package had been sent out on that Friday, I patiently waited for a week until the next Friday (Nov. 23) rolled around. Still no package. So I called the store again, and spoke with the manager. He said that it had been mailed out on the Thursday (a day earlier than I had previously been told) and he would find the UPS tracking number and call me back. He didn’t. I called multiple times that weekend, and kept getting the same response (either from the manager or an associate) – the manager needed to locate the tracking number and would get back to me. He never called.
On Sunday evening, the manager said that he needed to reach out to the UPS rep to get the tracking number, but he would call me by 10am the next day (Monday, Nov. 26). He never called. Instead, I called him several times that day, and several more on Tuesday. Each time I got the same response – he needed to find the tracking number and call me back.
Finally, Tuesday at around 5pm, I called one last time and spoke with an associate. After a brief hold, she informed me that the package had somehow “been returned” by UPS and was in the store. IN. THE. STORE. They tried to send it “again”, but instead I drove to the store and picked it up before UPS could collect it.
I have no idea on what day the package was mailed to me, or if it was ever sent at all. I also have no idea why the manager decided to keep MY flute and MY headjoint in his car when left the store that day. Cars do get broken into, and musical instruments would appear to be exactly the sort of thing that someone might want to pawn off to make a quick buck. Finally, it is mystifying that no one realized that the flute and headjoint were at the store until I called at least 15-20 times.
But what really steams me most about all of this is that, having called over and over and over, I never once received a call back from the manager. NOT ONCE. If I was the manager, I would have personally delivered the package to my door, or done something to atone for everything. I didn’t even get the courtesy of a single phone call. Incompetence is one thing – apathy from a manager is another.
When, as a courtesy before writing this review, I called the corporate number for Music and Arts, the only response I receive was that they would forward my concern to the manager. I know exactly how well that will work! In the future, I will shop somewhere else.
I been going there for a while my daughter play oboes we use to rent from them untile we start rent from her school but stil go there for her reed every three four week every time good experience untile today so mad and disappointed never going back there reed was not working 17 dollar the lady won’t exchange it to me and give me 5 dollar discount where the reed I took was broken too went back said I didn’t open it broken they like oooh give me another and charge me 11 dollar what the hell there is sweet girl there was helping me when she saw me getting mad she like I don’t know why she charging you it was broken the box was open like what the hell didn’t argue just left am so disappointed sooooo disappointed I use to go there aloe not anymore time to find another store
A1 quality , engineer is a great listener and very professional. Low prices, worth every penny. This guy is really bout it
This the best studio I been to in Tampa hands down they have snacks drinks clothes ac good vibes 4/20 friendly an most of all the best engineer to give you the best sound as a artist
If you want to sound great and not just put together any kind of way, most deff stop by. It’s a whole vibe for any artist. This about to be my spot every time. The engineer so
This place they answer all your questions and help you find what you looking for they spend time talking to you no matter you don’t buy anything they very nice and polite
Nice shop HIGHLY RECOMMEND
Very nice guitar store on South Dale Mabry. Well stocked, even had nice high end guitars. Which you don’t see too many at Guitar Center anymore. Guitar Center even did away with its high end room. Not a lot a large of amps though. Decent selection of effects and effect pedals, definitely has all the gear to get you started or keep you going.
Nice instruments but prices a little high.
I think they’re one of the best stores to South Tampa and the best deals you can find on a used or new guitar and their service is excellent
Not military friendly–will ship all over US, but wont consider shipping to military APO, even though it’s a domestic US address/rates. Strange policies from a business that services an area with a large local military population. Also strange to alienate the 450K active military serving overseas, approx 80% of which are males between the ages of 20-45–a significant overlap with the target demographic for electric guitars and basses…
Steer clear of this place!! Total rip-off. They offered me less for my trade-in each time I came in. Slick talking! Total rip off artists. Please go somewhere else where your military service is honored, and truth matters.
Same greedy attitude as at the Sam Ash / Guitar Center. Will offer you a peanuts for your gear while asking a fortune for theirs. Today I was about to trade/ purchase a high end Gibson Les Paul Reissue. They offered me a $1K for the Gibson Les Paul Classic Ebony P-90 ( selling for over $2K ) and $1500 for the Music Man Sabre ( $ 3200 ) using funny excuse as ” they don’t sell good”….. what a waste of time
Came in looking for some scalp treatment oil and got helped immediately. Ms. T recommended a product and was extremely nice.
Customer Service is always stellar, great prices, clean and organized storefront!
I’ve been here a few times and they a good selection. The store is clean, organized, and the owner is always really helpful. They also have a rewards program which is nice because with the limited amount of times I’ve been there, I’ve already redeemed some coupons.
The Store is clean and the people who work there are very welcoming however the prices are very high and majority of the items on the shelves have no prices. It’s very frustrating to have to keep going back and forth asking the employees how much each item cost. Please fix this issues.
Easily accessible and reasonable prices
Product inquiry
I called concerning a product inquiry I was left on hold. The clerk never came back to the phone. I called back after 30 minutes to inquire. She pretended that she came back to the phone and I was no longer there and said that she Don’t carry the product and then had the audacity to ask me the name of it again!
Staff ALWAYS cool, and well informed about the merchandise. A great place to find musical equipment of almost ANY type (including rare items), but most importantly: the best toy store for music-loving adults.
Michel as a Teacher is the BEST!!
I went in looking for a part for my guitar. I had to wait 20 minutes for the parts guy. That is the only reason I can’t give 5 stars. Once the parts guy came it was amazing. He knows his stuff. I told him what was going on and what I needed. He knew exactly what I needed and hooked me up. I was also looking for a specific strap and he found it. He even went as far as to make string recommendations for my guitar. He talked me into Elixirs and I am happy I did. They sound great. I will definitely be a repeat customer. They have everything you need. It is truly a one stop shop for all your musical needs.
Eh.
Typical music store, just a tad smaller. Service was good and attentive. As a Bass player, wish GC as a whole would broaden there bass section.
El servicio al cliente no me gustó, en la página de internet decía que tenían un producto y después de ir desde lejos, no había.
Be careful,of the online site versus actual store inventory. It a bait and switch.
Worst customer service, unprofessional salesman. Definitely the worst place to go shopping. Never again
What an amazing time I had this evening..Good food..Good music..The saxophonist was amazing..The singer was amazing…I will definitely be going to another event
Creative Cohort provided exceptional services for my engagement party. Jay, the saxophonist played beautifully and the DJ was a nice touch. Kris was able to coordinate well, problem solve, host, and even brought 2 nice ladies to assist with drinks and serve food. Thanks team and would def hire them again.
This was my first time at this establishment and I must say it was awesome. The ambiance was very nice, welcoming and safe. We were greeted with class from the gentleman selling the cigars, the MC of the evening, the bartender and even the owner. I am visiting from Birmingham, AL and I would be most delighted to visit this establishment once more. Thank you for the experience! #iam4everybodyblack
18. The Vibe Music Store
Address: 6126 N U.S. Hwy 41, Apollo Beach, FL 33572 , Progress Village , Florida , United States
Thanks, Doti and Terry, for allowing me into your world to jam at your music store (Vibe) on Tuesday night with Mario, Madison, Steel Steve and the Myriad of musicians that played showed up to listen or just hung out. I’ll tell you I never learnt so much had such a good time especially with selling my house and having to make a major life-changing decision! I’m not going to say good-bye. I am forever grateful for the friendship. I still need a mic and a band but everything in good time…I am confident that somewhere some other musicians will appreciate my composition of my songs and harmonica playing Happy Trails
…Love and like David Essex said “Rock On”…
Thanks Lori
The best music store around, south of the Mason Dixson line to buy a harmonica as well as jam !
Nice music store with good selection and friendly staff
Doti and Terry are wonderful! I love family friendly small businesses.
Been there 3 times at a normal hr after work at around 3-4 pm. Every time door was locked 2 times saw someone inside who did not come to the door. I was ready to purchase a new guitar with. Cash in hand each time. Also get my drum kit repaired. So willing to spend quite a bit of cash. So disappointed. Closest store to me. My money went elsewhere.i will not step foot in this place if the doors are open.
turned away because i refused to wear a face diaper. when you want to return to reality, I’ll happily come in for a guitar lesson. Thanks.
We have left three voicemails in the last week to see about music lessons for my child and not once have they returned a call. No one ever answers the phone. Doubtful they can stay in business with these practices. We won’t be calling again.
19. Paragon Rentals and Music Lessons
Address: 1442 W Busch Blvd, Tampa, FL 33612 , Progress Village , Florida , United States
They gave excellent and rapid service to repair my son’s instrument. I highly recommend their services!
Awesome place! Go see Kyle, he’s amazing! Super nice, patient guy who really knows how to teach!
Called to make sure they had an instrument, they said yes but it required I come in for a credit check then they ship it from Clearwater. Drove almost an hour to this place, filled out their form, gave them my social, unlocked my credit files and left only for them to call me 15 minutes later and say they never actually checked if the instrument was available and they had none to rent.
Daft staff told me an instrument was in stock and 30 minutes later when I arrived it was not
20. Sam Ash
Address: 13133 N Dale Mabry Hwy, Tampa, FL 33618 , Progress Village , Florida , United States
Smart workers and big place, they sell new and used also take your trade ins. many types of instruments like guitars, drums, brass, piano. Prices are ok and expect your trade ins value is about 50% of what you get on eBay “buy it now” prices. I bought Ibanez S series used for 250 but new cost about 500. I asked for a discount and I got 10% off which they approved so instead of 4 stars I gave 5 stars. Hope this helps if so hit “helpful” button. I highly recommend Ibanez S series guitar light and slim.
This store is incredible! I loved the customer service and vast variety of music scores/accessories. Great option for the Professional or enthusiast alike.
I had a really good experience yesterday coming in and buying a Ukulele. It was a fast and easy checkout, and the gentleman was super cool and helpful. I don’t remember his name, but he was a shorter Asian man, probably in his later 20’s, had some facial hair and glasses. Awesome guy!
Need to get real dj EQUIPMENT technics 1200s or 1210s
Beautiful quality in musical instruments. Very satisfied with the customer service and the permission to play the instruments.
Sam Ash offers instruments ranging from classical, electric, and acoustic along with equipment to mange the instrument such as head phones, sheet music, pads, and more.
Awesome place
Good store, good selection. Prices okay. Customer service has been hit or miss over the years
Online lists they have a large violin selection they had one. Their hours are different than what is stated on here they actually open at 12 not 11 like stated on Google maps.
Ordered items for a birthday. No one told me the items were on backorder. When I inquired about what happened, the blame was passed to me because, “someone should have told you” and “you should have known”. No customer service, no processes to notify of backorder status. In addition, there is no indication on the website items are on backorder until you’ve made the order, they’ve realized items not in stock, and they update the website.
I tried to support a mom & pop business and was slapped on the hand. Don’t make the same mistake as me. Go through Guitar Center, Sweetwater Music, or even Amazon. Literally, anyone else.
I had bought a guitar, and needed it a new setup. I also came in looking to buy a bunch of strings. Let me tell you, the associates I talked with could not have been less helpful, or condescending. Think of the worst sterotypes about musicians, and that was basically it. I asked if they could order me some certain Gibson strings, and they said they’d get around too it — spoiler alert: they never go back to me, even after I called to follow-up again. The people who did the work on my guitar after I got it back, could not have been less interested in telling me about the work was done, and seemed REALLY aggravated when I was asking them questions about it, as it was clearly beneath them to do so.
This was all shocking, as I had frequented another Sam Ash up in New England, and I have always loved their service and selection. It’s why I chose them over on-line retailers, Guitar Center, etc. Ever since this exchange, I have told myself I won’t be going back, and instead bought an entire new guitar setup (guitar, amps, pedals, etc) through another retailer. Have no interest in going back, as they seem pretty dead set on not wanting to help people at this location.
