SIMPLY THE BEST!!! BETTER THAN ALL THE REST!!! (see also Tina Turner)…read more Phil Jacoby is the best luthier in town...PERIOD. His knowledge of his craft and the artistry with which he executes the client's vision is second to none. Having owned upwards of 30 basses over my career, I have yet to meet a bass that I haven't wanted to modify, save my sainted 1992 Ken Smith 5 string. With the wisdom of a Jedi Master, Phil has "talked me down off the ledge" on some of my most hair-brained ideas...while crafting others into some KILLER instruments. And to top it all off...Phil and Jay are just GREAT GUYS!!! I HIGHLY recommend Philtone Guitars!!!!

I had a vintage hollow body that needed a re-fret and made the long drive to drop the guitar off…read more The good = the removal of the frets, and re-planing of the fretwork is the cleanest and most conservative I've ever seen. He also pinned the floating bridge in a really neat, clean, and innovative way. The turn time was less than two weeks. The bad = The final charge was over $100 over the estimate, and they didn't inform me of this before hand before I made the long drive to pick it up. The new frets were too high and not crowned properly, so it was painful to play. The frets were squared off and not rounded. I couldn't afford the time and money to make the drive again to have this corrected, so I had to pay somebody else to correct the work (by leveling and re-crowning the frets). I now have to ship my guitars out of state for fretwork since there is nobody good in the DC/Baltimore area aside from a few hobbyist working out of their homes. I've definitely seen worse fret work than this, like I said, I was impressed with the care taken with the removal of the old frets and re-planing the fretboard. But the re-fret felt incomplete to me and the extra unexpected charge was a kick in the gut.

I've been going to Dave for over 15 years. He does great work and has lots of cool instruments and…read moreequipment. I love this place.

Dave's deals is the real deal. He has been around for a long time and always has great prices. He…read moreis very honest and has helped me with things above and beyond

I bought a guitar through Reverb which was unfortunately damaged during shipping. I sent a message…read moreand Nick was very professional and responsive in getting the situation resolved. I would trust buying from them again. Great job!

A old 1980s Kramer solid body six string with Floyd Rose whammy emerged from a family closet…read more Something/someone had gotten into the pots and wiring harness. It was ugly. When plugged in the guitar made no sound. As a possible first timer, I called the shop and was referred to Zack. We talked and I explained the problem. While talking, I got the sense that he knew what to do. New wiring harness. New pots. Setup. I brought the Dead Kramer in, having stripped out the wiring harness. Zack told me, probably two weeks. As I left, I saw pots in blister packs for sale on the wall behind the cash register. That gave me confidence that this was the right place. About a week and a half in I called and he told me it would be ready by the end of the week. I waited until the beginning of the next week. I did have to go back to get the Floyd Rose handle, but no big deal. Zack had it. The Kramer is now in the hands of a 13 year old who is learning Rush licks and Dropped D tunings. Mission Accomplished. I'll be back.

Killer customer service, really nice guys, and my guitar plays great. definitely recommend.read more

So thankful for Larry and staff; he lets my band Girls Night Out rehearse when we need to, and…read moreprovides a space for a yearly concert. Please go to Music Land for your instrument, accessories, repair, and other music needs-----

So I've been going to MusicLand since I was a kid. That's the local music shop and as a kid I loved…read moregoing there, it was like a candy store to me. Moved away for college but now I'm back in my hometown and love to support local business. I recently went in to get my bow repaired and new strings for my violin. The repair guys (I believe his name was Gary) in the back were awesome and very kind. But the employees on the floor... 1. I've never been greeted upon entry the past couple times I've gone. 2. It felt like I was bothering them to ask for strings or to be rung up. They had an air of annoyance that I interrupted their conversation behind the counter. I chalked it up to maybe they were having a bad day. Yesterday I went in, I know exactly what I want. I want a coil instrument cable. The employee's first response was "you know those are super expensive" Which yeah... I do know. Don't look at me like I'm crazy for knowing I want a very specific item. For frame of reference a top shelf coil cable averages at $60.00 USD. I just spent more than that to have my violin bow rehaired. I explain that "yes, I want a coil cable because there is a certain tone I want for my instrument." I yet again get another incredulous look. This was after I was led to their selection of cables. They're sold out of coil cables. I wasn't offered to put in an order, or to leave a number for when they were restocked. I'm bummed because I want to support local businesses especially those regarding the arts. But I'm really fed up with how the sales floor employees treat me. I'm probably only going to come back if it's for repairs.

Hamiltone music resides inside an old firehouse in the heart of Hamilton-Lauraville's Main Street…read more The location was renovated with great community assistance and also huge support from the HL Mainstreet Association. It is a business incubator. Terrific work!! Hamiltone is mainly a site fur music lessons which I'm told are great. There are three studio practice rooms for instruction and a small retail business. They also fix guitars. On the retail side it's small. James, the owner, admits it's a work in progress. He has guitar strings, some equipment and a few guitars. Again it's mostly lessons so don't expect a ton...but do expect knowledge!!! He helped my little boy pick a 3/4 guitar and compare it to full size, gave us advice on cases, and was encouraging. Great little shop. I hope he expands.

Hamiltone Music is a wonderful little shop in the heart of Hamilton. James is so knowledgeable and…read moredoes amazing work on guitar repairs. He is a warm instructor who specializes in teaching guitar to all levels. The shop has a lot of fun instruments for sale, as well as any gear you might need for your instrument. It is definitely worth stopping in! If you are looking for guitar lessons, James is your man! And if guitar isn't your thing, they have many other talented teachers and James will pair you with the best!

I had a flea market guitar that someone had tried to fix and failed. I found Curtis on CL and sent…read morehim some pics. He researched the guitar, found the schematic, sourced parts online, even printed out comps of similar guitar sales. Very organized, thorough, meticulous technician. Great prices. His Strat mods are amazing! I'll be back with other projects. Thanks, man.

The area is so blessed to have BDC; as a drummer I hate stores like guitar center. Never really…read morehave anybody in drums and when they do not usually even a drummer. This place is a Mecca for drummers! Product galore; knowledge Galore; really nice ppl; and service is out of this world. Frank; John and Chris are the best and they can fix sooooo much on the spot. I do big and small purchases; they don't have it they can get it! Love this place and these guys. Buy local in general; especially if your a percussionist buy BDC! See y'all there!!

This place is an oasis for drummers of all stripes in the Baltimore area and region. It's a small…read morestore but has a ton of stuff. This store is to me as those used book stores are to book junkies. The staff are great. So helpful and knowledgeable but without the pretentious bs that can come with a store that's so important and niche. Quick story: I go there just to look at drums, as I've. It played in almost a decade and planned on looking for a drum-set into the summer. I was in no rush.I went to several music stores in the state and was unimpressed enough to keep looking. Within 30 minutes of looking at drums at BDC a used kit would call my name for the next 7 days. I'm so happy with my purchase and never would have found this gem without BDC. Looking forward to buying many more toys ASAP.