Paul is a wealth of knowledge for anything guitar or any musical instruments as well as proav and many other things related to the industry. There’s really only one small town music store left in South Arkansas. I’m glad it’s Shuffield music.
Paul is awesome! He is friendly and very knowledgeable about musical instruments!
Great little music shop good selection of guitars awesome staff very friendly
Great local music store. We have shopped here for years.
Not to bad
Good place to buy guitars, don’t ask them to fix anything you own uness you want it damaged.
Rude
2. Guido’s Hot Springs Music
Address: National Park, 812 Higdon Ferry Rd, Hot Springs, AR 71913 , Sulphur Springs , Arkansas , United States
Always a great time at this shop. I like to buy sell trade with Guido he is spot on!
best guitar shop ever. you can get a gibson les paul for 600$ there when they usually cost 1200$ i cant imagine guido acting rude to his customers like what these people are saying.
Best guitar shop in Arkansas!
Great service and reasonable prices.
Does anyone know if $5 is a fair price for two plastic bridge pins we bought here? We also bought a string which was extra, so the total was well over $5 according to the receipt, which I kept. Seems like you can find six bridge pins for $5.99 online with free shipping. Wondering what the price for a full set of six bridge pins is at this store? I’m guessing $15? Just asking… (update Jan 10, 2019: Big Event on Grand sells bridge pins for 75 cents each, as opposed to $2.50 each at Guido’s.)
I have lived in Hot Springs for a year and a half now and I pass this this guitar shop almost every day on my way home. As a guitar player and music enthusiast I have been interested in visiting this store but never found time to do so. I finally was able to go inside the music store recently and I have NEVER in my life been treated so poorly. I went with a friend of mine in early January. I was browsing the guitars, and even picked one up and stood at the register waiting to ask about a price on the guitar, since there was no price tag. The clerk was too busy talking to his buddy to even acknowledge my presence. After several minutes I returned the guitar to the shelf. Finally the clerk was done talking and I inquired about two guitars. I received very short answers that seemed ridiculous amount-wise. I honestly believe the prices I was quoted were made up on the spot. My friend had found a guitar strap that he thought I would like and brought it over to show me, then he returned it to the shelf after I told him that I rarely use a guitar strap. I continued browsing, and when I rounded the corner and came close to the register, the clerk said to me “what did you do with that guitar strap?” I replied that I had never touched a guitar strap. It doesn’t take a genius to realize this man was accusing me of shoplifting. A few minutes later the same clerk approached my friend and me and very rudely told us to leave the %&#@ing store and not to ever come back. He said we were suspicious because we hadn’t been to the store before and that we were wearing coats! May I remind you, it was JANUARY! Yes, we had never been to the store because my friend was from out of town and this was my first time to visit the store. I’m not going to lie and claim to be rich, but I enjoy buying new guitars and other instruments. I tried to talk to the clerk as an adult, even though his demeanor was that of someone on steroids trying to pick a fight. I guess this store doesn’t want new customers, and heaven help us if its cold outside and you’re wearing a jacket. I feel very disappointed at the customer relations of this store. My friend and I were potential customers and were treated as shoplifters simply because we were new and had jackets on. This is absolutely absurd and I can’t for the life of me understand why this guy attacked us. I have never had an experience this insane at a music store, and I’ve been to many guitar shops all over the country. If this clerk was not the owner of the store, then the actual owner should relieve him of his job because he is hurting the stores income by bullying customers for wearing a jacket in January. I can’t believe I was treated this way.There aren’t words to express how badly we were treated and how upset I am about this experience. I will make it a point to tell everyone I know and meet about the way they run their business there and recommend that they find a different store, one that treats its customers with dignity and respect. By the way, this store didn’t have a very good selection of anything and ridiculous prices, I have no idea how they are still in business. If they treat all new customers this way their future is bleak. Thanks, Hot Springs music–Guido especially, for being the rudest, most disrespectful, and worst customer service store ever! You’d get 1/4 of a star if I could mark it that way. You should be ashamed of yourself for acting like a child. Disgusting.
This is easily the worst guitar shop I have ever been in. His prices are outrageous for the cheap faulty equipment he sells. The 15$ guitar amp cord I bought from him recently broke within a week. WITHIN A WEEK , for 15$ I could have gotten quality cord. He treats customers as poorly as he let’s his shop look. If you want to buy shoddy guitars , faulty equipment, and be treated like garbage that has sat on the curb for a month then go ahead and buy from this crook. I DO NOT RECOMMEND BUYING HERE , if you need a guitar for someone who’s never played and you don’t what you need look elsewhere . Buyer be warned.
3. Big Event Music
Address: 149 E Grand Ave, Hot Springs, AR 71901 , Sulphur Springs , Arkansas , United States
Big Event is the place to go for your video production or audio recording needs. Great staff that is very knowledgeable and can help you with any of your needs. Brent, the owner, is a great guy and one heck of a guitarist. Give them a holler and they can hook you up!
Great place! The staff knows there science.
Mike thx for explaining the issue with my 38 yr old Yamaha cut- away guitar.. in the future, i’ll get the bar ground down so the strings will be at the same level. i enjoyed the visual explanation, bc it allowed me to understand your comments… This is the second time I’ve been a customer. So far u have made two of my guitars sound better… Very pls’ed with the service, honesty, and flexibility. Merry Christmas.., Kevin
My one stop shop for all my musical needs. You can also record tracks. Awesome place.
Excellent service
Awesome place
Holy cow. I didn’t even know this place was open until I went inside. Not very inviting and the whole building needs renovations. Seemed very trashy. Almost made me feel like the items there have less value just because of how badly ran the building is.
I bought a lot of things from Brent when the store sold instruments and amps and was always happy with them. Unfortunately, things have changed. I brought a guitar in that needed a rewire job. I was aware they were busy with festivals but they kept my guitar for 2 months and finally called and told me they didn’t have time to fix it. Needless to say, I wont be back.
Super helpful and friendly staff. My experience was very quick and easier than expected.
Kind staff, very straightforward.
My go to
Being that it’s about the only place left to rent musical equipment your kinda stuff there mercy….
My husband’s the musician. He likes it. He said the guy went out of his way to be helpful.
Nice place, very helpful people.
This is the worst guitar place i have ever been to. I brought mine in for repair and they took the entire finish off my guitar and kept it for over 4 months for repair. needless to say the guitar wasn’t fixed and was in terrible shape. It didn’t look like my guitar anymore. I’m seeking legal matters over this. worst customer service ever They don’t even deserve a star.
They had a decent selection but it was literally the most cold and unfriendly music store I have ever been in. The two guys just stared at me as I told them I was looking for a 5 string Bass. One of them half pulled out and ear bud and pointed to the ukuleles. I picked up a bass and played it and was never given any interest or info at all. I just left. I won’t put it high on my list to return.
Always out of the guitar picks… They only cater to the school band crowd
6. Billy’s House of Guitars
Address: 201 E Broadway, Glenwood, AR 71943 , Sulphur Springs , Arkansas , United States
Went in for a ukulele for the grandson. Good selection. Friendly staff. Nice store (but, then, it always has been) I like the new location. We walked out with exactly what he wanted for his birthday. Very pleased
They were very knowledgeable and helpful.
The Palmer family are some of the kindest, most selfless people I know. My boyfriend is a huge guitar fanatic so I shop at Palmer for small things for him that could help up his guitar game! They are always so eager to help me with whatever I need. It’s a wonderful environment and such a great way to shop locally. If you are nervous or scared to stop by a music store if you are just starting out because you are afraid of being seen as ignorant, DONT BE! I highly recommend Palmer Music Co to anyone who does not know much about music, but would like to learn more! They supply a judgement free experience to make you feel like part of the family.
My guitar was in for repairs for about 4 months. Almost no communication was provided about status of the repair work. It’s understandable with Covid making it difficult to have parts shipped, but the lack of adequate communication was uncomfortably disappointing. I don’t blame the young individual who was working on my guitar, but rather leadership who should have provided direction on appropriate and timely customer service communication. It doesn’t matter to me that it would have taken considerable time for repairs. But the lack of communication stating that due to a backlog in parts, and it was just a waiting game, would have been enough. A 30 second phone call every couple of weeks or so to advise a customer that no progress has been made is better than nothing…it would have been enough to have left my guitar there for months longer. The ironic thing about all this is that I really like the store and the people at Palmer Music, so I will most likely continue to purchase my music supplies from them and I hope my experience there was a one-off….
Talked to Joey in the store today. He took some time to help me plan for an upcoming purchase for our church. They have a large selection of all kinds of musical instruments and they do lessons, as well. Knowledgeable and helpful staff. Highly recommended! Thanks, Joey!
Usually busy because they’re good at what they do!
Go to GUITAR CENTER instead (you can actually have FUN there).
Went in expecting to buy a new guitar on 01/26/2023. The man behind the counter was very unfriendly & unhelpful.
I found one I wanted to buy but I just didn’t really want to give my money to a person who didn’t know how to smile.
Another employee walked by and was even more emotionless than the other guy. I left feeling very unwelcome.
I will not be back.
8. Guitar Center
Address: 12315 Chenal Pkwy A, Little Rock, AR 72211 , Sulphur Springs , Arkansas , United States
I love this place! Everyone was so nice. And I love how you can try out guitars and amp before you buy them.
I’d like to move in. Love this store.
The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable
Let me start by saying, I’m usually an avid supporter of small business. That personal preference has been embedded by occurrences that I experienced, some small instances that built into a strong opinion. The favor I show does not apply when it comes to my hobby of music. In fact its quite the opposite in regards to my numerous visits to Guitar Center. The service is excellent and well coupled with a knowledgeable staff. Above all else though; the selection of instruments and more importantly the vast array of repair parts and tools is unmatched by any local competitors.
Pretty good guitar center…never had a problem here.
TERRIBLE customer-service experience at this guitar center. Spoke with a salesman named Jacob (or Jake, it was easy to remember since we had the same name) about selling them a used amp. He offered me a price that was less than half of what the amp was selling for used at guitar centers all over the state. My amp was in mint condition but he tried to tell me that they would have to sell it at a price well below what other stores were charging. The amp wasn’t the nicest amp on the market, but it was a good amp with 2X12 speakers that was well taken care of. Jake, however, told me that no-one would want it because other amps had better built-in distortions. I told him that this was a practice amp that was perfect for people playing in bands, people in bands typically don’t use the build-in distortion – they have effect pedals. However, Jake told me that people in bands ALWAYS use the built in effects of their amps. This is obviously OBSURD and demonstrates that the staff at this particular guitar center has NO IDEA WHAT THEY ARE TALKING ABOUT.
WAY TO EXPENSIVE!!!! I paid $32 for a tuner, I found that tuner on ebay & amazon for $10?? I don’t know how they get away with it? Shop online before shopping there.
A rude salesperson made me a happy Sweetwater customer. Too bad it wasn’t before I’d purchased too many items from GC.
9. Modest Mike’s Mods
Address: 21 Nottingham Dr, Bella Vista, AR 72715 , Sulphur Springs , Arkansas , United States
Very nice selection of mod services and prompt shipping. Been very happy with all my purchases from this shop. Quality service and support, would recommend to anyone interested in upgrading their pedals.
I’ve had several orders from Mike and he’s been quick, honest, and friendly each time. My pedals sound/look like I spent three times the money. Cannot recommend him enough.
Received my modded Boss GE-7 from Mike very quickly after ordering. The pedal sounds great! Does what a Boss EQ is supposed to, but does it cleaner and quieter. Nice work!
Very talkative 2 of the co-workers were very awesome helpers in what I needed to buy for myself. And how to be able to find it very quickly. It also looks like City Mall is looking to expand in some places. Maybe they could add a Game X change, Gamestop, and a TCG store in the place. For people who cant drive. So the distance isn’t a concern.
Favorite place ever!
Great staff
Pretty cool place. The reason for only 4 stars, they would not sell me the full size stand up of Pennywise !
Ok for random nerd culture stuff. It looks like it’s about to close for good in the near future.
False advertising
BOGO beanies (no exclusions listed) are not BOGO….they are BOGO with exclusions. I spoke with 2 staff members who could or would not help and there was no manager.
Take the signs down or honor them.
Went to this FYE and the store was fantastic up until check out where the cashier tried to sneakily enroll me in a monthly magazine subscription without being upfront about it. I know employees are unfairly pressured to get a certain number of people to sign up for these things but this is not the way to get them. Very slimy, dirty, and underhanded.
Overpriced and underwhelming. As soon as we said not interested in the members card,
the cashier’s attitude did a 180 and she actually delayed our transaction to do a price check for someone else.
12. Arkansas Musicworks
Address: 2400 SE J St, Bentonville, AR 72712 , Sulphur Springs , Arkansas , United States
I really don’t know what to say except that everything about Musicworks is wonderful. Also,
Jimmy and Tom aren’t just professional and knowledgeable: They’re sagacious wizards at what they do, and you will treat them with the respect that they deserve. If you don’t… well, I can’t actually do anything about it, but do know that I will be profoundly disappointed in you.
Nice place. Good service. Very friendly and helpful owner.
Stopped In with a friend ended up playing a whole set. These guys were amazing. A+ definitely would recommend!
Friendly & helpful people
Nice place.
Good selection, kind of pricey. I had to wait nearly ten minutes to pay for guitar picks. There was only one staff person at the time I visited. I will still shop there, they are conveniently located on J street.
They ended up not being able to fix my guitar. Horrible. They scratched the finish on my custom guitar. Didn’t put my pickups back on correctly, or even all the way. They also thought my input jack was glued in, when it clearly isn’t. Made a passive-aggressive about the guitar. Don’t take your instruments here.
I wish I knew or experienced what other people have seen here. I walked in with my wife as the only customers an hour after they opened. Out of the four visible employees milling around, one nodded a hello as we walked in the front doors. Otherwise, there was no interaction from anyone. No one even bothered to notice we were leaving even though we walked next to them and the counter is 20 ft from the door.
The guitar inventory was ok, acoustic guitars are less than 1/5 of the inventory and like the balance, was mid-low to low end save one or two items. There is nothing wrong with the quality and price point/selection being on the affordable side but I was a bit shocked given how pretty the property is and it’s overall size. I was looking for something different and would only really knock a five start review down one notch at worst.
The bathrooms are very clean.
Selection was ok. Only 2 left handed guitars both strata, no lefty basses. Limited drum selection. Good selection of music books and accessories, though. Guy behind the counter (older dude named Tom) was a jerk both times I’ve been in there. Will not be going back
13. The Musician’s Exchange
Address: 2221 Alma Hwy, Van Buren, AR 72956 , Sulphur Springs , Arkansas , United States
Decent prices on a wide variety of instruments. That comes at the cost of them fleecing you on trade-ins, however. I recommend selling elsewhere, but buying here. They’re the only local music shop I go to anymore.
Today my grandfather and I went in to but an amp he was previously told cost $350ish. He was so excited to get it. He hadn’t played in forever. He had a gig about a week ago but that was it for a long time and he didn’t have an amp for it. Well we got there and he was told it would be $150. My granddad doesn’t show emotion that well. But he started crying!! He was sooooo happy!!! He’s said he’s known the owner of the shop for a long long time and said “he’s always taken care of me.” Anywho… Made my week. Was the sweetest thing I’ve seen in a while. Y’all deserve more than 5 stars but sadly that’s the max on here. He’s been playing non-stop since we got home and it’s 8:30
They have very helpful and friendly personnel working there. If they don’t have exact what you are looking for, they don’t try to pressure you into buying anything but help keep an eye out for what you want. They have a lot to choose from and are always getting new items in. Any musician should check them out for upgrades to existing equipment; or, just to see what they have in stock.
Had a hard time trying any of the basses or bass amps….nothing was even plugged in…..had to run extension cords all over the place . Then the basses and amps were so crowded could not move to even try the gear out. Didn’t feel like rerunning power to the whole department to try any other amps out. Shame would have tried more gear out….but just wasn’t expecting to hook it all up myself. Sorry guys you lost a sale….take ten minutes plug In couple bass amps everyday instead of sitting out smoking…..dude you know who you are….you shut the door on my wife as you went back in after your cig break….seriously….Shame store has potential
This is one of only a handful of places in the River Valley you can buy instruments and accessories from. It’s a place I can drop in quickly for new strings or sticks. They offer some set-up/repair services from entry to intermediate difficulty. Keep to the kids close (or at the house), as various instruments and/or parts are laying around in some areas of the sales floor, making for somewhat treacherous terrain and unclear pricing. Staff are generally friendly and helpful, though you may have to approach them directly for help. I prefer this myself. Glad they’re here.
Nice enough staff. Lots of good inventory.
Bought a brand new acoustic guitar here after years of using this store for my musical needs. The guitar wasnt staying in tune and i noticed the intonation was a little off as well. I took it back 4 days later and they offered me 100 bucks for it. It was brand new and i spend 400 on it and bought a 150 dollar case as well. Thats not the way you treat repeat customers. I will never be returning to this store again.
Hate it I could not find a clarinet ,:(
Dropped my guitar off before Christmas was told it would be ready 2nd week of January. Called 3rd week was told not yet. Called 1st week of February was told it was being repaired. Called 4th week was told it would be ready today or tomorrow. Still not ready. Called March 2nd was told still not ready had not started on it had no idea when they would start on it or when it would be ready. Then the smart ass says if I am in a hurry I could just come and get it he did not care.
14. Guitar Center
Address: 160 E Joyce Blvd, Fayetteville, AR 72703 , Sulphur Springs , Arkansas , United States
