Discover the top 17 music shops in Sants

Professional staff and nice selection, I will be back. Please consider expanding your ukulele selection.

I could always find everything I need plus more for inspiration at this branch. But the best part is their staff. All the staff are so professional and knowledgeable and very cool. It feels like more than a store—it is a place where music lovers help others.

The service was very helpful and personable.

The girl at the front of store, with long brown hair was more involved in her cell phone then noticing I was standing at the counter for a good two minutes. The girl in the band department was very nice and helpful, so was everyone else.

I also like this store. The only thing is, i can’t try out an acustic drum.

If you get anything on credit make sure the clerk writes down everything correctly. He wrote my birthday wrong and now the app to make payments won’t work unless I fax them a copy of my license. Forget it.

I was considering buying a guitar, bass and an interface. I was completely ignored by all employees while I was one of three customers in the store(a pair of young men who were clearly there to buy were also ignored). Not even a greeting or goodbye. Find a mom and pop, or even a pawn shop. Don’t support these miserable people. They have a terrible selection, high prices, they profile and are miserable people to be near. I could have bought but wanted nothing to do with them after finally procuring the ‘attention’ of someone for a fleeting moment. I won’t be back.

Not what it used to be.

Edit: This review was written over ten years ago but a small edit and it has now posted as recent. Not sure why but that’s not why I’m writing this edit here. This review being posted prompted a manager from Sam Ash to contact my father (who has the same name as me) to try and address whatever issue prompted the negative review. My father called me to let me know and told me the manager would like me to call him. Well… I’ve called around 6 times now and can’t get through, it simply hangs up on me after pressing #2 for a manager. I decided to give the 1-800# a call to see if they could connect me to the New Haven store manager because it kept hanging up on me. Guess what? Twice I called the 1-800#, twice they hung up. At this point it’s comical. I don’t even really remember what my issue was when I wrote this review but things must not be any better down there at Sam Ash since I can’t even contact anyone. Keep up the great work guys.

Original Review:
“You want a real review then look no further. When you walk into Sam Ash it is like walking into a garage sale. Used products trying to be pawned off with brand new retail prices. Almost everything I purchased from Sam Ash had to be returned or replaced. Customer Service hah! Forget about it. Some preemie-punk band wannabees who know only what their 1978 computer programmed screen tells them on how low they can go without making a commision. If you are a novice they will clean your wallet without even blinking! Do not buy into their trade-in program HUGE let down. They will not take anything!! You are better off going to the local pawn shop with your gear. I brought in a workstation worth triple what I was trying to trade for and they looked as confused as George Bush at a press conference and still would not trade. Do not waste your time with this Flea Market! Do yourself a favor and make the extra trip to Guitar Center or if you need orchestra instruments see your local music shop you will be 100% better off. I am a 25+years musician and HAVE NOT and DO NOT work at any music store so what you read is the truth do with it what you want.”

Absolutely amazing, kind, and genuine people. Was going to drop off my guitar for a repair. Did not need to drop it off, the gentleman at the counter took my guitar apart and fixed it on the spot, under charged me and would not take more money. Truly an exceptional experience. Highly recommend

So during this pandemic we are dealing with I felt myself wanting to start jamming again. So with almost every retail store being closed and having to rely on online and waiting, (I’m not patient,lol) I took a shot to see if any guitar stores were possibly doing curbside in Ct. Found the music shop in southington,ct was doing curbside. Upon calling I spoke with Scott, great customer service!! After talking to Scott about my music style and and what I was looking for, within 20 mins I had received pictures and fell in love with what scott suggested. Normally when I buy a guitar, its multiple guitars i play and usually takes a couple hours to choose. Let me tell you scott nailed it!!!! The guitar, an ibanez art120 and a 75watt peavey amp with effects and cab sounds built in…and let me tell you both products are hands down amazing!!! On top of that within 20 mins he threw a new set of strings on and did a full setup!!!! Totally worth the hour and a half ride!!!! These guys rock, thanks again scott!!!!!!!

Used to go to guitar center all the time till one day the worker wasn’t there, gave a chance over here and wasn’t disappointed! Gave me help on my Billie joe Armstrong replica by installing a new neck and saddles and I have to say this has to be the best set up I’ve ever played, I feel like I’m playing a custom shop on a squier! Such great help, friendly faces and now my go to for setups and help! Have a custom Strat there being worked on and I can’t tell you how tired there gonna get of me bringing in guitar after guitar to get setup in my collection one comes back to me and I give them another the same visit haha, thank you Scott, Jackson and Tyler!! Feels like a family and not business and that’s the best type!

– Michael

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.

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.

A great local business that always has everything I’m looking for. Would highly recommend.

This is my go-to store for all things music education related. From private lessons to instrument purchases and repairs, Stewart’s Music does it all! You’ll get friendly, personalized service from Sam and Jim (which you won’t get at the big chain music stores). I highly recommend this store to my students, parents, and all fellow musicians.

We have always had a good experience at Stewart’s. We have purchased, rented, and sold instruments through them while my two children took music at school from elementary school through high school. They always told us our options as what was really needed at certain levels of playing, whether purchasing or renting was best. My son also took lessons with one of their teachers and enjoyed his instructor while picking up a new instrument for the summer. They worked with our kids school and pick and delivery was easy as it is done at the schools. Both are musicians and understand all instruments and questions about instruments. Easy going and fair prices buying and selling. When we consigned our last instrument after the kids went off to college I realized that I’m going to miss seeing them. How many businesses can you say that about?

Absolutely awful owners were nasty and they charged way too much for a simple repair just go to music and arts its easier and cheaper

Simple advise dont scream at your costumers to get business

Terrible customer service. Took my flute to get repaired and instead of just simply fixing what needed to be done to it I was told I shouldn’t have bought an off brand flute. This was all I could afford at the time (as a teenager). I am looking to invest in a new one but honestly it is no ones job to criticize the instrument I have. I waited for the repair to be done and called 3 different times on it. The repair person got sick which is understandable. When I called the last time they said it was finished and I asked why they never called me to let me know they said that I said I was going to come in regardless. Which is true. But still does not explain why no one called me. Overall a bad experience. Was treated very poorly and will not be going there again.

Love this independent music store gem in New London. Amazing selection of guitars, gear and accessories. Truly professional and accommodating staff.

The staff is knowledgeable. The luthiers know their craft and they’re straight shooters. Top notch.

Bought an American Deluxe Fender Jazz bass and it was like new and sounds awesome! Description was spot on, I would highly recommend buying from Spindrift Guitars. The bass shipped fast and was on time. Corey was great to deal with!

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

They really know their guitars.

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

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

What a great place. The owner, Chuck, is very kind and helpful. Extremely reasonable and fair rates and flexible with school rentals. Definitely oriented towards making the customer happy. Highly recommend!

Chuck was very friendly and accommodating, and he has lots of great music stories!

Chuck is the best for any type of music gear. He pulls strings with his suppliers to meet your needs. Over the years I’ve purchased from Chuck a hard-to-find Telecaster model, guitar/bass cases, microphones, accessories of all kinds. If you have a spare half hour, stop by Madison Music to “talk story” with Chuck!

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.

This is a wonderful resource for excellent quality guitars and other stringed instruments. The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable.

This guitar store is amazing! Great selection and knowledgeable staff!

Had a guitar cable when I needed it.

No prices listed

Not many mandolins

Thé Owners are lousy business

Amazing service, amazing people, smiles on their faces. Willing to go above and beyond to service my old instrument (not bought from them) which is now unplayable without the premise of me purchasing a new one or even having them repair it. Great small business, located just off the highway in a beautiful barn. Great experience, would totally recommend!

Wicked awesome nice people

I ordered an Upton Standard Hybrid last spring and it arrived in December. The guys in the Shop at Upton were super helpful in helping me understand what I was getting and making choices. They knew I was only buying the Standard and this did not change how they treated me. Eric in particular gave me his time on two separate occasions and I did not feel rushed at all. Felicia, the young lady who answered the phone provides first rate customer service. She explained things too me and went into the shop to fetch me pictures during the build process. The bass itself is as gorgeous to look at as it is to play. Its unlike any other bass I’ve played, its good on volume and has a more defined midrange character than any I’ve heard. This is also my first bass with a pickup so I have no other experience, but I’m pleased with what I’m getting from the Rev. Solo pickup. I would encourage anyone looking for a bass to consider Upton. Be warned, they are busy and the turnaround time is long. I had some problems with the shipping company and Upton held my hand the whole way. That said, if you can drive up there to get it yourself it would be worth it. Upton is a great company and I could see doing business with them again.

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.

Rob has been fantastic helping me with my instrument rental and purchase. He was very attentive at listening to what I was looking for and researched several options to me to select from. He was very knowledgeable and was able to provide great insight and recommendations. He went far above and beyond my expectations and made the process so easy. I wouldn’t hesitate recommending working with Rob to anyone!

The artists who work here are very helpful and patient my partner and I will be back for sure and special thanks to the sweetie with Pink hair and the curly cutie for all your help

Found a bass that changed my life, come for the instruments, stay for the customer service.

I whould l8ke to buy aking or yamaha euphonium

Todo en musica

Amazing

Very nice place, I love to go there

Place is fine.
Just don’t sell them any of your stuff.
Unless you are really desperate.
They will not give you anything
Fair. Worse then trading in your car.

Amid the low to mid priced guitars, I was a bit disappointed, because trying to find a brand new bass amp among the used gear was like trying to find a needle in a haystack. The store was not clean and appeared to be in a bit of disarray. It’s been a few years since I have been in this location, and it’s a shadow of what it once was.

A great variety of instruments and everything musical you need!

Don’t know whats going on with this place. Stopped by last week, couldn’t tell if they are going out of business, or just got robbed. Next to no inventory, things out of place. Store beat up and run down looking. Was once a great store. Almost always walked out buying something in the past. Now just a handful of overpriced guitars behind 1 counter and bunch of junk hanging on 1 wall. I wish them the best.

Not helpful anymore. The employees would rather chat and play with the instruments than help the customer

So I was on the lookout for a nice acoustic guitar with an alternate top other than spruce which is my personal preference. I tried a few cedar top seagulls and a Breedlove hog top. After a long time a rep showed up and asked me what I was looking for and I said I prefer a hog top. to my surprise he said “oh yeah, those are bright sounding…” wow really??? he said he’ll be back with a few hog tops and I never saw him for a long time after which i left. It wasn’t a really busy day either.

Great, friendly and fast service!

Michael is wonderful; so helpful! Although there’s plenty to choose from, if he doesn’t have what you need he will order it. If he doesn’t know an answer to your question,he will find it and get back to you. I’m so thankful to have this store 5 minutes from my home.

The Feola Family are awesome, helpful and actually excited about people learning music! Equipment, lessons or repairs, they’ve got you covered check them out.

Staff is very friendly and knowledgable.

excellent store, good Fender Selection, nice acoustics, lessons, and school instruments.

Ordered instrument for my son, was told to pick up the next day, went the following day to pick it up and it wasn’t there. Also bought a box of reefs for the instrument and was given the wrong kind. The gentleman that waited on us was polite, although he didn’t recognize us even though we had just been in the day before!

Martel has lots of effects including everything Strymon makes! Nice people.

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!

Ordered a beautiful mint Pink Paisley ’69 RI Telecaster from the shop on Reverb. Very fast response and amazing customer service. Sent a message around 11am, Corey responded very fast with detailed photos I asked for and details about the guitar. He also set up the guitar before sending it out(all in the same day!!) and I gotta add, they do great work. Guitar came safe and sound. After tuning the guitar played smooth as butter with the action just how I like it. Amazing experience overall, I am so happy with the guitar. Will definitely do business again whether online or if I’m in the area, thanks Corey and everyone on staff at the shop!

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.

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.

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.

Where else? Where else in the Danbury/Bethel area can you get all the music, Muzak, musique y musica Stuff and Expertise at all levels and for all genres that you may need?! Where, I ask you. Go ahead, try and tell me. But don’t try to tell me you’ll find nicer, more helpful staff than Sarah and Sophia and Juan and… Don’t even.

Really great place for anything music. Went there to have my daughters violin checked and was treated great. Staff was knowledgeable and nice. They explained alot to me and also made some great suggestions for the future. We will definately be coming back. Great job.

Fantastic folks at BMC! Skilled lutgiers as well.

Just stopped by quick. Had a great hour. They are the best

Good info from employees

Instrument rentals are great for their prices

So is the phone number and the address on the website the old info?

Bought a second Tom Anderson from here. This guitar is unbelievably fabulous! (I throw away my James Tyler burning water 2k studio elite Limited edition after getting Tom Anderson..) Due to insane currency rate (CAD & USD) I ask for some discount, Brian deals with it very well so I can purchase within the amount. I am really appreciated.
Hope to purchase another one soon!

Just received my order from these guys, and it’s amazing. I asked to swap a couple things out and a setup for my preference and they delivered. If you’re thinking of ordering from them do it, won’t be disappointed.

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.

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.

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.

Ken is a good guy. Store has a lot of character, loved it. This was my first time ever doing business here. I brought in two guitars for setup and a guitar amp that needed some attention. Ken got everything all set for me in a couple days. Talk about fast service with very reasonable pricing. Next time I need service or want to shop around I will definitely be taking a trip to A Sound Choice.

Great service and great guitars. Kenny is a good man.

Such a nice little store, Owner is very kind and helpful, i really enjoy going there for my guitar needs.

Very convenient

Cool little music shop. Worth going and especially if you need a setup on your instrument.

Ordered a guitar on Reverb and Ken always answered the phone and was very helpful throughout the process. I ordered a Larrivee OM-40 and it was listed as brand new but definitely had a dent and 2 scratches which was disappointing but overall a good experience with the process.

The guitar however has a terrible extreme buzzing noice, especially when playing on the first 7 frets of the 4th, 5th, and 6th strings…even when playing a single note and strum lightly…a terrible buzz. I can’t seem to figure out where it is coming from. I will have to take to a luthier which is unfortunate given that it is a brand new guitar. He did say he sanded the saddle down before shipping to lower the action, suspicious that is the problem.

Update: Took it into a luthier. The saddle had been sanded down, action too low, poor job with the setup. Had to build me a new saddle. New strings, and adjusted trust rod as well. Buzzing gone. Sounds and plays like a dream!

Woodbury Music is the best shop around of all of your instrument needs! The shop owner Dave, is both friendly & knowledgeable! I have gotten both common things done (fixing of saxophone keys) as well as unusual things done (fixing of a dulcimer bridge) and everyone has always been great! I have also taken lessons for almost three years now, and my teacher Mike is not only a dedicated teacher, but also a very talented professional. Stop by and check it out!

A hidden gem UPSTAIRS. Don’t miss it. Dave the owner is great, and talented. Patrick Gill is the PREMIER guitar TECH in the whole northwest CT region. He works miracles at a very fair price. Excellent teachers, Will for piano and keyboards and Mike for guitar and bass. Better check them out. I only trust my guitars to Dave and Patrick. Won’t go anywhere else. Seriously.

Great honest shop here. Had a great online interaction with Dave via email. Want to know why I trust them? Because they talked me out of a purchase. Ha! Thanks again!

Great selection, prices and most of all, a wonderfully helpful staff!

Alex, Tommy, and Mackenzie are literally the best. They are all truly passionate about music, and not there to just there to sell you stuff. They want to make sure that what you are getting is what you need… And also want.

Alex is a badass tech from another plane of existence.

Great store great help from everybody

They never have anything in stock that I am looking for… Not for the discerning musician.

Very helpful staff and good selection

I’d like to start my review off with that I am generally not a big fan of large corporate music stores. That being said, this Guitar Center does a good job. The reason being the employee’s helpfulness and niceties. Selection is ok, but could be more varied such as a larger amount of Ibanez, 7 strings, Music Man, ect and less Fenders n Gibsons.

I went into guitar center to purchase a PA, Mic and mixer. I was there for about 15 minutes walked around the entire store. Not one person talked to me the entire time I was there. I went there to ask advice about what I should purchase but instead left because the options were confusing. Yeah I know I could have went up to the counter and asked for help but I figured eventually someone would ask if needed anything. I even fooled around on a sit down electric keyboard for a few minutes. I guess I’ll just watch some YouTube videos on what people recommend purchasing.

No good for anything but buying guitars and equip. They dont really have or keep stock on hand for things like tuners or specialty stuff. String selection is very basic, the pedal selection is like 15 pedals. Everything i needed they did not have. Not really impressed with the staff either. Seems like i was the brunt of a joke when i walked in and everyone working there turned atound and started laughing. So that also made a bad first impression. I tried but no way. Alto music in wappingers falls is my go to place.

Nice people they want to help. Never have any drummer accessories. I check the site and this store never has anything. Always has to be ordered. If you show up they may have one it’s a demo unit and stuffs missing. Every. Single. Time. Terrible I have to drive an hour to a location that has equipment.