I have been taking guitar classes with the teacher, Matt, for over 3 years now. His expertise has…read moreallowed me to grow exponentially as a guitarist. We started off on chords, and easy to learn songs, eventually we moved onto more complicated pieces. I have also seen Matt in concert, his band rocks! He's a tremendous guitar player, teacher, and I seem to learn new things from him every week. I strongly recommend Tonal Music Art School for any aspiring musician!

Hye Seon Hong has got to be the best Piano teacher on this side of the Hudson. So are the other…read moremusic teachers in this school. They're passionately dedicated to teaching music and at times go far with teaching techniques beyond the book. You can be an absolute beginner wondering where to start, and here's where their music material really shines! They've got it all covered - be it pop, rock, jazz... from beginner to becoming a pro! All you have to do is practice. Beyond teaching, they inspire you to explore your own style in songwriting and playing instruments. They also host seasonal recitals. My piano teacher Hye Seon has years of experience orchestrating off-broadway Jazz musicals in New York. She's very involved with her teaching - helps you appreciate music theory, has taught great playing techniques to flow effortlessly on the piano. I thoroughly enjoy taking music lessons with her. Delighted to have found this school and so would you be!

I took a banjo here forever ago for a setup and the luthier there really massacred it. The neck was…read moreset to the body weird, in such a way that it almost looked warped. I was told this was the best he could do. I took it to Mandolin Brothers a little while later and the luthier there, who had more experience with folk instrument just stared at it, shook his head sadly, and said he'd fix it. Two weeks later it came back perfect. I avoided Metropolis for setups for years after that. I had an old 80s Ibanez bass that got set up well at Guitar Bar years ago, but it was about time for it to get set up again. I thought, okay, a banjo is a weird instrument, maybe a bass will be easy. I was wrong. I was told it would take about a week, and that was fine. I wasn't in a rush. When I dropped it off, I was told it was an old, cheap bass and that there was only so much he could do. Okay, fine. I didn't necessarily believe that, as I had gotten this bass setup once and it was great. Week goes by, got no call, nothing. Life got busy, but three weeks later I called about it. They said another week. Fine, okay. They never called, and I figured, forget about it, and went to go pick it up, to maybe give a try setting it up myself again. When I stopped in this week, the luthier there told me it was already done. The bass came back just as hard to play as it was before. Action was really high above the fifth fret, and there was buzzing on the 19th fret. I was told that other than getting a new truss rod or a refret, there was nothing else that could be done. Okay, fine. Who plays the 19th fret on a bass anyway? Then I got it home and tuned it up. The bass wasn't even intonated properly. At the 12th fret, the E string was like 17 cents sharp. The G string needed some attention too. Did the luthier even put it on the bench? Did he try to tune it? Intonating is not a special order type thing. I didn't explicitly tell him to intonate it, but when you get a setup, that should always be included. Did it take me long to intonate it myself? No, less than fifteen minutes with a screwdriver and a tuner. Which is what makes it even more frustrating that it wasn't done. This is probably a nice place to get lessons. But don't get an instrument set up here. I try not to be hard on local business people, and this place is surely doing something right, as it's been here for over 20 years. But setups aren't one of those things. Buy strings here. Take lessons here. Grab the odd wire or cable or music stand. But get your instruments set up at NJ Guitar and Bass Center or Guitar Bar.

It was not a good day to see they have left. The owner having worked at Manny's in Manhattan has a…read moresharp knowledge and was a great asset to the area. They took excellent care of buying and selling instruments with me and I can only wish them the best. Metropolis Music was a great feature of Downtown Jersey City not easily replaced. To their best. They certainly have the skills and talent.

Came into town for a gig and needed drum sticks and I came upon this place!…read more So welcoming and organized. The employee was able to get me in and out so quick it was beautiful. If you're a traveling musician and need something, this is a great stop!

Have known Mike and Joe for years. Both are great guys and Joe has done set ups on a couple of my…read moreguitars. He actually "saved" a MIM Strat I found at a thrift store and brought it back to life. These guys are affordable and trustworthy.

Experienced teachers as promised--most have been there for several years. Affordable as well, plus…read moreJaime is always offering discounts for her students. She hires when needed, unlike Piero's which has a waitlist for over a year.

I have been taking guitar lessons with Keith C for about 2 1/2 years now. I started with absolutely…read moreno experience and have come a long way with his help. After searching and being put on waiting lists for 3 months by others Jaime's was recommended to me. I called for an appointment and was able to start immediately. Additionally I was pleasantly surprised by the affordability of a lesson as opposed to what others were charging. Most of all the reason I still take lessons here is because Keith my instructor has been extremely flexible with my very unpredictable schedule. He understands I may have to cancel with very short notice and is very very accommodating with rescheduling. PS: I received my first guitar for my 50th birthday so it is never to late to start. Tom L

Context: I visited…read moreGuitar Bar on September 10th, 2025 and had the pleasure of being helped by Don, who has been with the store for three years. The store itself has been around for 30 years, and you can really feel the history and passion in every corner. As someone who loves documenting experiences, I took plenty of photos to capture the vibe and inventory. Also, support small businesses. I began my guitar career after piano violin around junior high, and ultimately after my career started to grow, have not played for over 15 years. Bought a dreadnought about two years ago, but due to the move from the Bay Area to West New York, New Jersey - rarely played it. Read great reviews, and most importantly when I looked at photos from existing yelp users, everything seemed really genuine and reminded me of those old school and authentic vibes. I got from when I first started in Chicago. Guitar bar did not disappoint at all and I had an amazing experience learning more about the business. Staff and service: Don was extremely friendly, knowledgeable, patient, and after a very enjoyable conversation with him learned that he came from a musician background. Don told me he worked there for three years, but the Business has been there for 30 years. He took the time to walk me through everything. I came in specifically for a few picks, including a soft one because I wanted to teach my wife, a digital tuner as my ability to tune, has gone down the drain, as well as a new capo. As you can see from my photos, inventory is fantastic, and even though it might look cluttered - you can see authentic acoustic guitars to base and guitar amps of all sizes to ukuleles. The transaction was quick, but what really made experience a 15 out of 10 was my conversation with Don. Although he does not have a favorite guitarist, he shared his family background as well as some of his favorite guitarist. I am a millennial - but growing up in addition to church music, I had a deep respect for classic rock as well, and we really had a great conversation in regards to that. He truly knows his history and you could feel genuine passion in every corner. As someone who loves documenting experiences, I took plenty of photos to capture the vibe and inventory. It was clear he genuinely cared about my experience and not just making a sale. The store is extremely spacious, cozy and well organized, even if the photos seemed like it cluttered. I promise you to go inside and give it a try because if you have time - you will be there for at least an hour. Products & inventory: I mentioned the products already and everything is authentic. Pricing is reqsoanble, with selections you normally would not see in E.G. Guitar Hero. The musical equipment caters toward skill of all levels and every single one you can play and test out - with no pressure at all. Highly highly recommend giving the store a chance if you're looking for any kind of musical instruments or just want a really cool and down-to-earth guy who knows this stuff to answer and address any of your questions - without that sales and pushiness. Vintage, authentic - we need to keep these businesses alive because it stores like these they got me into music in the first place. See photos for yourself Rock On!!!!!!

This shop is truly a piece of nostalgia, and harkens back to the old days where independent music…read moreshops were the place to acquire your gear. Walking into this shop feels like walking into a different era, and I mean this in the most positive of ways. The store has a great selection of anything you could need. They have integrity, and will work with you to meet your needs. As others have said, if they don't have it, they will get it or point you in the right direction. I could not imagine a better place to bring a young, budding, musician to purchase their first instrument, as this is what a music shop should be. This will certainly be an experience for them as compared to a big-box store. The personal touch is what makes this great. Recommended!