great shop. I've been taking lessons from Randy for several months and I couldn't be happier. he is patient and extremely knowledgeable not to mention a great player and teacher. the entire staff is built of helpful and knowledgeable people who really care and love and appreciate music. read more

Appalachian Bluegrass Shoppe - Not Johnny Thunders yet but with Randy's help who knows - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Catonsville, Maryland

I live about 15 minutes from this place. I had purchased a Ukulele from the Bill's down the street and had that for a couple years until I learned guitar. While searching to buy my very own guitar, I found this store and actually changed my mind about wanting a guitar. This place has a wonderful selection of Mandolins of which I bought an Eastman A-Style Mandolin. It is absolutely beautiful and well worth the price! I visit every now and then, and this place isn't just for high end guitar collectors. They have MASSIVE amounts of other and more affordable yet still fantastic stringed instruments. Since the Mandolin, I bought a used Martin & Co. Backpacker Guitar for $199. It came with a great gig bag and the guitar is great. Apart from the products, the atmosphere is great. People may come in and play guitars, mandolins, ukuleles, basses, or banjos freely in the store. It's really cool and it helps that the staff is so very kind and helpful. If you want to get into string instruments or already love them, I'd absolutely recommend going to this store. They really have a fantastic location and are worth every penny I spend there. read more

Brought my USA Fender Stratocaster in for a neck reset and what great work they did to make it play better. I can't tell you how much I love the guys at ABS!! Fixed my Strat and in a timely manner to boot. ABS gets all of my Guitars for service (got a few - Fender, Taylor, Gibson) now! Never change you guys, your the best!! read more

Nothing is more American than bluegrass music. Having roots in Celtic and American jazz, bluegrass developed in the isolated mountainous regions of the eastern US. What resulted was the highest octane music in the world. In the 40's and 50's this was the heavy metal genre of it's day. Every major country/western musician plays bluegrass because if they can handle the licks and riffs in bluegrass, they can handle anything that comes their way in country. If you want to learn more about bluegrass, don't go to a museum, go to the local bluegrass music store and just hang and talk to the owners or regular customer Just say you want to learn about bluegrass and they will talk to you until the cows come home and out again. When I had more time on my hands, I played bass for a bluegrass band in LA and hung around McCabes in Santa Monica. I had to quit the band when I moved back east, but didn't have the time to start with a new band. Going on instinct, I quickly found Appalachian Bluegrass Shoppe. The people there are extremely friendly. They will take the time to understand what you want and get it for you. Or they love to just gab about bluegrass. They have a wide assortment of new and vintage instruments. Remember that old uncle or grandfather that had this Martin acoustic guitar he bought in the 50's? If in good shape now, that can pay for half of a condo in Washington DC. If you ever wanted to learn more about bluegrass and the roots of our country, stop by the Appalachian Bluegrass Shoppe and sit for a spell. If you call ahead and come on a night when they have one of their weely jam sessions, you could listen to the music live for free. SHOP HOURS Monday through Thursday -10 a.m. till 9 p.m. Fridays 10 a.m. till 6:30 p.m. Saturday 10 a.m. till 5 p.m. read more

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I have been in and out of Emory & Charlene's place for almost 30 years. I took my first guitar lessons there back in the late 80s and i have never had an instrument repaired or set up anywhere else but at AB, including a Les Paul and a Strat (that was way back a long time ago.) I may not have bought every guitar I own from them, but they have worked on every single one I have ever bought to make them the best they can be. Well...maybe not every single one. I don't think they had to do anything to the Martin I recently purchased from them. In a world of Guitar Centers and Amazon.coms it is good to know there are still places like Appalachian Bluegrass keepin on keepin on! read more

I dropped my new Gretsch Electromatic for a rolling bridge upgrade. After 2 1/2 weeks, I receive a call the work is done. While installing the bridge the finish flaked off and some extra work was required to dull a sympathetic string sound. Picked up the guitar and while the damage is noticeable, the repair was fairly well executed. The rosewood mute on the strings was effective and by no means unsightly. The owner gave me a discount on the work, which was very kind of him. I'll visit for my Telecaster Bigsby install... read more

Emory worked on my J200 Gibson 12 string, prepping it for me to sell it and I couldn't be happier with the work performed on my instrument. Thorough, honest, diligent, fair and perfect are words I will use to express my satisfaction in the job you did on my "baby." Thank you so much for what you did, the time you spent with me and the way tou, your wife and staff treated me. I felt like I was THE man when dealing with you. Will be back!! read more

Appalachian Bluegrass Shoppe - Gibson J200 12 string 1994 - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Catonsville, Maryland

Recently took my John Pisano Eastman guitar to Emory to have the wiring checked out because of some noisy hissing and sudden loss of volume/signal. After fiddling around with the guitar in the shop, he quickly diagnosed the problem and let me know he could take care of it. Fast-forward to about a week later and I received a call that the guitar was fixed and ready for pick-up. I took the guitar home and tried it out and it sounded great! However, the tone pot was VERY loose and rattled as I played. It was a quick fix (simply tightening the nut), but you expect everything to be in working order. read more

I wandered in here a few months ago while waiting for a friend to meet me for dinner. The guitar selection is not huge, but what they have is all great quality - even in the $300 range (and especially the $1300 range). The staff was perfectly content to answer my questions about lessons and let me play around a bit - even though I'm just starting to learn again. Last week, my SO decided she wanted to learn the Ukulele. She'd always wanted to learn the guitar, but it hurt her fingers, so she wanted something smaller. Besides, if it was good enough for Audrey Hepburn to play moon river on, it was good enough for her (though she refuses to be dubbed). Appalachian Bluegrass jumped to my mind as the perfect starting place for our search. That was a mistake. They immediately pointed out three concert ukuleles that were all very good. At $100, the first one was a bit quiet, and not quite as tonal. At $275 and $250, the next two were both incredible. The staff member was happy to play away for us to help us decide (I only knew the C chord at this point, and my SO didn't know any). At some point in his repertoire, my plan to shop around went out the door and we went for the middle price (good sales lesson, always have a more expensive model to make the target sales item appear to be a good deal). We wanted to get a case for the instrument, but the quality of the concert bag they had wasn't great. The guy working there told us to call back the next day when Charlene was in, and she could order us a nicer one. They would be happy to take back the cheaper bag and refund us the difference. The next day, when I called in, Charlene informed me the other guy had screwed up. We were supposed to get a high quality bag for free with the ukulele, along with a tuner. They easily could have just let it go, since the screw up was in their favor, so I'm really impressed the copped up to the problem. read more

I have been going here for 30 years! I just got 2 beautiful Bacon banjos fixed and repIred here at very reasonable prices! Please support this wonderful small business! Very knowlegeable in all instruments and styles as well! Plus, you can try out and play their instrument selection! THE BEST! read more

Best Repairs, Setups and Sales anywhere around. They even restored my Husband's Vintage Gibson....which had been kicked down the road a time or two! Prices are fair, if not amazing. Always a good experience and hard to walk away without another Guitar ! Or Mandolin ! Or Dobro ! Jackie read more

This is my new go to shop for all my violin needs. I was greeted as soon as I walked through the door, and found exactly what I came here for very quickly. They have the best ukulele selection I've ever seen and gorgeous mandolins. The staff is friendly and the selection, given the size of the shop, was quite impressive. read more

Appalachian Bluegrass Shoppe - Adorable ukulele. - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Catonsville, Maryland

Had a bad experience here! The place does not have the friendliest vibe. Feels tired and worn out. Beware of their music lessons and their policies. No one ever explained their cancellation policy to me regarding missing a lesson. I called them when I could not be at one of my four lessons - which were given to be in the form of a gift certificate. No one and I mean no one from check in personnel at the front counter to the instructor told me anything about forfeiting your lesson and money if legitimately missed. I literally called in a week before missing the class to cancel well in advance. Never a mention of rescheduling or making up a legitimately missed class. Not sure how the instructor is with others but this instructor does not take any time to find out where you are at in the spectrum of learning. In 3 1/2 hour lessons I pulled my instrument out once because I wanted to show him something. Kind of a waste of time. As a teacher and business person I would recommend you spend time to research better places! read more

Well, I go in to the shop a few days ago and the guy with the long poofy hair and ball cap was working. I started asking about 12-strings and he was very attentive and pulled out a Taylor for me to try and I was trying to chat with him a little about my needs. I was talking about one that I play and how I don't think it plays well or at least good enough for me. Then the phone rings and "hang on Josh." Anyway I ask him if they took trades. He said no because they one I was playing was a consignment. Fair enough. I said what about new instruments. He says rarely and frankly I don't want your 12-string that plays bad. Well ok. So I hand the guitar back to him, I go back to the back of the store to look at other things, and he picks up the phone " I'm sorry Josh I will have to call you back. This is going to take longer than expected." I just told him "ok man I'll get out of your hair." The only customer in the store. What a burden. Between my girlfriend and I, we have spent a good bit of money in the store. I heard through the grapes vine that this place was going under. Probably because of guys like this one. I was in Bills a half hour before and everyone I encountered said hello and were pleasant to me. Probably why it has been open for 50 years, and will probably be open for 50 more. Unfortunately ABG has completely lost my business. Hope Josh had a job offer for you buddy. read more

This shop is really cool. I only go in to buy guitar books and they have a great selection of teaching books. Usually some amazing talent is in there playing guitar while I browse. They are nice people and I love supporting local business. Edit 4/23/2016 My husband bought me a new guitar here for Christmas. I noticed it had a pretty big ding on it which really aggravated my OCD. My husband hadn't noticed. I called them to ask them if they would exchange it and they did five minutes before closing time! Great customer service! read more

This is a great shop with expert staff and a wide selection of acoustic instruments. They are really looking out for the customer's best interest. I recently took my guitar there for service. Turns out it just needed a quick truss rod adjustment, and I was on my way. The staff is very friendly and willing to answer any questions you have. It seems that they are genuinely passionate about getting good instruments into peoples' hands! read more

This store is a gem. I bought an amplifier and some accessories here this morning and Charlene and Emory could not have been more gracious and helpful. Their inventory is extensive and their prices are competitive with big chains. They struck a perfect balance between showing me options and leaving me alone to decide whether and what to buy. There was no pressure whatsoever. The environment is upbeat and friendly. They clearly love what they do. It is a pleasure to patronize a locally owned business that is so integral to the community. I highly recommend them without reservation. read more

Great boutique guitar shop! I live in DC, but think the drive up is more than well worth it. These guys are super friendly, knowledgeable, and happy to let you play anything you want. They have all of the finest guitars you want, from Collings & Waterloo, to Martins, Taylors, Santa Cruz, and even some Eastmans for you folks on a budget. Every single guitar they sell here is babied and loved. The shop has the creaky old wood floors of an old country store and yet it's still got a fresh new feel to it at the same time. They have tons of picks, strings, accessories, not to even mention their mandolins, ukuleles, and used guitar selections, they even offer lessons and expert repair. I spent a few hours playing the most amazing (and expensive) Collings they had (of course the one I liked before even seeing the price...how lucky) and the guys were happy to just listen and chat along with me. I can't wait to buy a bunch of great instruments from them. Feels like a really special place for serious musicians. I noticed a couple people brought instruments in for consignment while I was there, so they'll even help you sell your old one to get a new one! There are only a handful of high quality, high service, boutique sized shops like this in the nation. I suggest you visit them and cherish the opportunity. read more

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I am so impressed with the customer service, quality of work and price I received at Appalachian Bluegrass Shoppe! We called multiple string instrument repair shops to fix my daughters violin, she is a 5th grade student and this is her first instrument so I didn't want to spend a fortune getting her violin ready to play. Everywhere my mom and I looked was either overpriced or did not have someone who could do it in the 7-10 day time frame we needed. Not only was Appalachian Bluegrass Shoppe able to do it at a reasonable price and within the time frame needed but they were so kind and patient explaining the instrument to my mom when she picked it up. I would highly recommend their services to anyone looking for string instrument repairs! read more

Great customer service. Sent me very detailed pictures and prices of what was in stock at the time.

Great guitar shop that is family owned. Despite being small, it has a top of the line guitar selection that doesn't get much better in Baltimore. I took my taylor 5 series in for a re-string and it was completed within 30 min. Keep the local guys alive and thriving by doing business here. read more

Great products, prices, and service. I must have made four visits and taken hours of time trying different guitars. I can't imagine a more helpful salesman. ABS is the ONLY store for my acoustic guitar needs. read more

Had heard a lot about the store and its large selection of instruments, so finally stopped in to buy my son a strap for his banjo. I go to the Guitar Store often and love their huge choice of products, numerous manufacturers and opportunity to try all the instruments. Unfortunately, I was very disapponted with the very limited selection of banjo's and guitars and would not recommend going out of your way. read more

Wow, what a great place. I recently bought a Martin D-18 that arrived with some issues. Seeking advice, I called up and spoke to Emory. I couldn't believe how knowledgeable, helpful and friendly he was! I just wish I lived closer so I could visit more often! read more

Fantastic guitar store it's like stepping back in time when the person behind the counter actually knew about the products they were selling and could count change. Strangest thing is if they can even tell you how to get there if you call them and ask for directions what a concept I have always felt that their instruments rule expensive and when guitars often times you can find the same thing for Less but I just got acl l) slammin I mean stompin ass violin new bow new case new violin $150 it plays great.I used to play so it's just fabulous people quality instruments I really hope they stick around for a long time read more

The staff are so helpful! I've been to the store a few times and the place is consistently clean and the staff consistently knowledgeable, patient and polite. They do recommendations but not pushy. Great store! read more

I just had my first visit and I was impressed. Upon entering the shop the employees upon seeing me welcomed me with hellos and smiles. The employees were appropriately attentive without interrupting my exploration. The owner, Emory sat with me spending time to get to know me and my interests. He brought me a Collings to play. Play I did for some time, a very nice guitar. No sales pressure at all, lots of happy faces. The shop is laid out in a friendly manner that is easy to navigate and explore a nice selection of musical instruments. When you need something one of the staff was right there to handle it. The shop is very a welcoming and comfortable feeling. My plans are to visit it again soon. read more

Expert repairs, friendly people, good selection of music books, and lots of high end guitars!

One of the few remaining family owned music stores in MD and possibly, the nation. Excellent customer service. If they don't have what you need in the store, they will definitely try and order it for you. read more

My daughter took beginner guitar lessons. The teacher was great. Very patient. The staff was always very nice.

Absolutely love this place! Phenomenal selection, good prices and top notch service. I just recently had my Taylor 6 string and my bass setup. Both are now like new! They were also able to fix up a nasty little gash on my Telecaster. What a wonderful experience with these guys! read more