A fantastic record store! I found a lot of great stuff. Tons of good deals to be had in the $1 bin too. Don’t forget to look on the lower shelves! I’m heading straight back here next time I’m in town!
Located below a barber shop, so it’s kinda easy to miss. A truly hidden gem!
Get out there and support your local record store!
The variety of vinyl was great.
They need more Hip Hop and RnB but you can find a decent amount of music that you need. They do not sale vinyl cleaning brushes.
Very well organized record selections. But very small collections of classic Jazz albums, and a little pricey on some selections for my taste.
Great stacks of records
Came in here today, and decided to share my thoughts.. First off the guy behind did not say a single word the entire time we were in the shop. Not a hello or greeting or anything. I guess he didn’t really want business that bad if he couldn’t even say hello. Second, the record selection is disorganized and hard to find anything besides new releases. Third, they are a bit on the pricier side.. not too overpriced, but still overpriced. So yeah, definitely not the best record store like people in previous reviews have stated.
Rude guy behind the counter, bad selection and overpriced
Som is a decent record store. They have an ok selection but it is not by any means “DC’s best place for new/used vinyl.” There was a good selection of used lps. There is also a very small amount of CDs and cassettes. The cashier was a bit snarky with my friend who isn’t a frequent vinyl shopper. Go to Smash Records instead
5. Decibel Music
Address: 626 S St NW, Washington, DC 20001 , Shaw , District of Columbia , United States
Assessment: ★★★★★
5/5 based on 4 evaluations.
Reviews
Coming from Jersey Me an my Son walked a long walk from the Marriott Marquis to Decibel only to see the gate closed, tapped on the glass and they let us in. What a relief, The owners were very knowledgeable and the prices cant be beat. It is an upstart and filled with records and cassettes…
Hands down the best record store in dc.
Hey – fellow record collector in the area 🙂 when do you guys officially open? Keep walking by and seeing progress…
I’ve been playing drums and keyboards in church in Manassas, Virginia for eight years in my life. And actually I play my drums and keyboards in my house. One day I will come over for a visit for some time.
8. BG Récords
Address: 405 Florida Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001 , Shaw , District of Columbia , United States
I love this outpost. Solid record selection, a focus on DC music and bands. The owner was at the counter and she seemed positively delightful. One nice touch was albums from bands that had played at sister location Songbyrd (in AdMo) had a little sticker indicating they had played there with the date of the show, which I was tickled by.
Sticker said that the record was 20 dollars and got charged 33 dollars for the record.
Didn’t notice until I was home and got the receipt, contacted customer service and they fixed it promptly!
Surprising to see
Cool record store with some nice selections
Found pure gold in this shop. A must to visit.
Very nice record store. Great vibes. Good music selection. Clerks were really cool.
Parking SUCKS but that’s DC for you.
Sadly common in record stores, the general tone of employees can be pretty pretentious. There are a lot of casual people browsing (maybe the location?) rather than more committed record collectors perhaps, but nobody should feel that. Especially when asking about specific rare or lesser known records etc and getting ‘I don’t know’ as an answer. ‘Digging’ is definitely not encouraged.
Felt completely unwelcomed from the moment I walked in. Not a single greeting or acknowledgement from employees. I over heard a woman saying she was an owner and they just stared at me while they conversed about how “dangerous” Mexico is. One of the employees then followed me around without saying anything as if I was going to steal. I ended up leaving without purchasing anything because I didn’t want to support such terrible customer service and while their selection is mid most of their vinyl are over priced and hard to shuffle through. Find another record shop, this is not it.
Absolutely horrible. Employees didnt even say “Hi” when you walked into the door. Atmosphere is majorly lacking. Everything was overpriced. There wasnt a spot to test records either, or if there was you wouldnt know because the employees said absolutely nothing.
10. Middle C Music
Address: 4530 Wisconsin Ave NW, Washington, DC 20016 , Shaw , District of Columbia , United States
We popped into Middle C to have a guitar restrung and tuned. They did it quickly, but more importantly made it great fun for my aspiring but beginner guitarist. Tom was amazing – so helpful and took the time to show my son how to tune the guitar, hold it and get started. Really fantastic service. Thanks Tom and team!
My daughter started taking piano (virtually) during Covid with Mandy Brown and she loves it!!! We are so impressed with the progress she has made this year, and the joy of hearing piano playing in the house. Plus the staff at the Middle C store is incredibly welcoming and helpful – buying her new music is a breeze.
A bedrock business in our community providing musical equipment lessons and service on instruments from strings to extensive guitar choices Middle C is awesome
Nice atmosphere, pleasant people
Pretty good store and staff. just make sure you speak to right person in regards to information. Not nick!!!
I was recommended to this shop by a friend to get one of my guitars set up. Had high hopes because he spoke highly of them, and the staff was very kind, and I had also purchased a few pedals from them over time. When I got my guitar back, the side of the fret board was scratched, and there was also large dent. They got it painted over and covered the cost of course, but that could only help so much. When I asked about the potential value of my guitar had i decided to sell it later down the line the response was that since it was a squier it wasn’t gonna be worth much anyways. I sat with this for a few days but that just wasn’t cool.
EDIT: All has been resolved.
After calling to ask and then asking again upon arrival of their fees to string a guitar, they tripled the amount quoted. It was an awful, exploitative experience. I planned to rent an instrument and have my children take lessons there. We will not return.
In response to the reply below, the information on pricing was not explained before the service. Guitar Center has not charged me in the past and they state that they charge $1 per string if they are busy and wish to wait. I did not request you to honor their rates. I mentioned it to see if it was of your interest to honor as I was unable to get to their location. I was told it could not be honored and I would be charged $20 total for labor. You choose your rates according to your needs. Customers must be given accurate information in advance.
Last year I trusted them to set up my brand new PRS SE $700 guitar. Still had the plastic film on the back. I purposely didn’t take it to a Guitar Center because I wanted it taken care of. The cashier even noted what a beauty she was. It wasn’t until I brought it back home that I noticed they made a large scratch on the back. Beware. Obviously the person they use for simple guitar repairs is careless. Just extremely disappointing and now there is a forever mark on my favorite gear!
Friendly, kind and helpful but horridly overpriced
11. Wedding Musicians • StringPoets
Address: 450 K St NW, Washington, DC 20001 , Shaw , District of Columbia , United States
Our experience with String Poets was amazing! They were flexible and professional and the music at our wedding was wonderful. I would definitely recommend them to anyone looking for string music for an event.
String Poets did a fantastic job for our wedding ceremony. They understood the mood I wanted to set and knocked it out of the park. Our friends and family could not stop complementing them. The planning process was easy, and I could discuss what I wanted. It was just beyond what I could have hoped for on the day. We had two violinists and one cellist. I could not recommend them for your ceremony enough.
As a Wedding & Event Planner, I’ve worked with many musicians. I had the pleasure of working a wedding with the String Poets at the Baltimore Museum of Art.
My team and I connected with each member of the quartet before the wedding began. They were so courteous and collaborative as we confirmed their needs for the ceremony.
Then, they managed something I thought was impossible! With very, very limited practice time, they flawlessly accompanied signers for 2 songs during the ceremony. It was a remarkable experience! The singers met the quartet for the first time RIGHT before the ceremony began. The way things came together, you would’ve thought that they had been playing and signing together for years! I was so impressed!
I just want to give a HUGE shout out to the String Poets! You are phenomenal! I appreciated your musical expertise, flexibility, and communication on the wedding day!
I can’t wait to work with you again in the future!
The owner of this organization is in deep need of taste and class. I attended a wedding this summer where StringPoets was responsible for the entertainment… it was an absolute disaster. The group reeked of stale alcohol and the man playing violin clearly couldn’t set aside his ego for the sake of the performance. It felt as if the man were destined to prove that he was a soloist rather than a part of the group. I left feeling aggravated at the group and sympathetic for the wedding party. Please, please, please be better before offering your services to the overly trusting public. Shame on you!
12. coordinate° studios
Address: 1240 9th Street Northwest, Rear Entrance, Blagden Alley, Washington, DC 20001 , Shaw , District of Columbia , United States
Amazing people, fresh equipment, and the quality is always top notch. Thank you Beyond for everything!
Julien and Zack were incredibly professional. We had a private listening party in the studio which is a warm and well designed space with an incredible sound system.
Great space for a lot various events. I had the pleasure of DJing a comedy show and I can easily say it was one of our best shows we’ve had in our 3 years of doing shows. It’s at an easily accessible location which is minutes away from the Convention Center. 5 stars to the establishment and all the guys running the White Room.
DJ Bo
13. Ask Congress
Address: 10 G St NE # 710, Washington, DC 20002 , Shaw , District of Columbia , United States
I’ve seen this band multiple times in a variety of venues. Every time they get the crowd hyped and energized. You’ll feel the energy and bust a move with tunes you are sure to remember. Although they are considered a “Jazz” band, they also play modern jams with a Jazz twist. Something you dont find much in today’s music. I appreciate that they mix old school with new school, and they never miss a beat! Check out their schedule on their website for upcoming shows. Great for dates, events, or just something different to get out of the house. Get in tune with good music and go Blue Dot!
Enjoyed seeing them at the Alex in G’town. Highly recommend!
Love these guys!
15. District Empire Entertainment, LLC
Address: Washington, DC 20005 , Shaw , District of Columbia , United States
Very well laid out store, with all sorts of products. Staff is very friendly and helpful.They make very fair offers for your goods.I look forward to seeing them again!
I love this place! Such nice people
Whoever complains about this place is probably trying to sell $100 guitar for $100, this pawnshop has the fairest prices and contracts I’ve ever encountered, and the best customer service Mike and his team will treat you very well, thanks guys for the continued awesome business!
I prefer this pawn shop, because I trust that my jewelry will be there when I return to pick it up. And it’s only $5.00 a month for the cost of leaving it in the shop.
I recommend thus pawn shop to anyone the merchandise is very kept . Very freindly and they make good offers to you .
Very nice people. Comfortable and quirky space with lots of odds and ends. I wish they paid more but really, they are just honest about what has value and what does not. I appreciated their honesty and straightforwardness. I will be back to sell more and check out the other offerings. Good for selling electronic equipment like old speakers, tablets, etc.
sort of impolite, not willing to negotiate. primarily looking to rob you of money and items. all around underwhelming experience from “the greatest pawn shop in the DC area” save yourself the time and parking money
If I could I would give no stars!
Dude who I talked to in there was pretty rude and dismissive when I was being nothing but polite, like he thought he was Gordon Ramsey or something lol def won’t be coming back here
19. districo
Address: 1240 9th St NW #300, Washington, DC 20001 , Shaw , District of Columbia , United States
20. Grindhouse
Address: 623 Florida Ave NW, Washington, DC 20001 , Shaw , District of Columbia , United States
