I have taken multiple guitars for setups an am very happy with the work. Recommend Aaron Smiley to…read morework on your guitars.

I dig Strait because it has a clean vibe and staff shoots straight. The only trouble I have, my own…read moreG.A.S. (gear acquisition syndrome). Very serious...I really try to keep my distance. Austin led me to the perfect Martin. I had to check around town, compare. This morning I went back to Strait...Be careful what you wish for. But, if it is an instrument check out Strait Music.

Amazing place. If you're in Austin, go here--spend some time, spend some money, and enjoy checking…read moreout the incredible pieces they have on hand. We stopped in while visiting family and had a group of four adults along with my 12‑year‑old daughter. The staff was exceptional: friendly, knowledgeable, and genuinely accommodating. Their inventory is impressive, with options across a wide range of price points, so there's truly something for everyone. They've built something special here. Highly recommended.

Neat small guitar shop with a nice dog that roams the place…read more The stock is mostly classic and vintage guitars and amps. No Vs in sight though.

Amazing boutique music store. MCG has one of the best collection of pedals in Austin. Great gear…read moreand instruments that they don't keep behind a counter or glass cases, so you can pickup and play that '73 Fender Jazz Bass without pressure. Plenty of new gear and a great selection of unique used gear and pedals!

This shop is by far the best in Austin. Great selection and Cade was super friendly and helpful.read more

When I have time to kill on business trips, I usually find myself looking for a guitar shop. Man…read morewas unhappy to find Austin Vintage Guitar. Absolutely incredible collection and super nice folks working there as well. I spent about half an hour looking at the guitars and playing a few, but never felt rushed or pressured. They probably would've let me hang out there a few more hours if I'd had the time. Bought a really cool T-shirt as a gift for my daughter who is also a Guitarist. Hope to be back someday with a little more spending money in my pocket.

Great selection of Martin and Collings guitars, friendly staff, lots of new and used inventory.read more

This place was amazing, super accommodating of my group coming in to play all sorts of instruments…read moremostly while killing time between work events. They were so chill and welcoming that we bought t-shirts so we felt better about wasting their time without buying anything expensive. I'll probably come back next time I'm in town and buy that Acoustic Bass I've been jonesing for ever since my visit.

I heard from a source they were the go-to for acoustic guitar work. I brought in my Martin for a…read moresetup, and now it plays better than ever. The entire process was a delight, from the guys working behind the counter to Ben who actually did the work. Ben called me to ask about my preference and playing style, and he took the time to listen to me to make sure we were on the same page. Also while ringing me up, the guy behind the counter was nice enough to let me play his personal Martin that happened to be there. If you've ever gone in the store, you know it's not your typical music shop. I wouldn't want it any other way. Keep it up!

DO NOT take your instrument here for setups…read more I visited Musicians Woodshed last week and initially spoke with one of the guitar techs, Jett Boyd, who was polite and professional. We discussed my bass guitar and the possibility that some frets might need adjustment. When I returned the following week after noticing some fret buzz, I spoke with Miles Manglos. I explained that I prefer a very straight neck with low action and that I was not interested in adding more relief to the neck. Because of that, the logical solution would have been to address the fret work. Instead, he suggested doing a setup that would involve adding relief and raising the action--the exact opposite of what I had just explained I wanted. When I asked whether that meant adding neck relief and how that would affect the current setup, he couldn't clearly explain it. I also mentioned that at a different shop in another city, a tech had previously performed a setup even though I specifically asked him not to and only wanted the jack repaired. I brought this up simply to explain why I was trying to be very clear about the work I wanted done. Instead of addressing the issue professionally, Miles abruptly declined to work on the instrument and told me to leave. He was dismissive and repeatedly said he didn't understand what I was saying. A competent guitar tech or luthier should be able to translate what a musician is describing and communicate clearly about the work being recommended. If a shop cannot or does not want to perform a certain service, that's fine--but it should be handled respectfully and professionally. Unfortunately, this interaction came across as pretentious and unhelpful, and it left a very negative impression of the shop.

Miles and Alex were awesome to talk with. Super friendly and knowledgeable. I will definitely be…read moreback.

Blackerby sells and rents stringed instruments that are played with a bow, as well as the…read moreassociated equipment. They have plenty of sheet music. I hadn't played a violin for roughly 18 years, so I asked about their rental plan. It's pretty reasonable. They have two rental tiers. Comes with the instrument, bow, case, rosin. Shoulder rest purchased separately. Half of the amount you've paid in rent can be used towards purchase of an instrument of the same type, although such a credit expires 30 days after the rented instrument is returned. This location also contains a recital hall and some studios, both of which can be reserved. The staff here are very friendly, and they seem to carry a wide selection of instruments.

Amazingly helpful people very nice and considerate. Completely restrung my daughter's violin and…read moretuned it while I waited. Also Dropping a violin off that is a family heirloom to be completely redone. Super nice people super helpful. When our kid started out trying to play the violin, we bought a small one. As she grew, we traded it in and were able to buy the next size up until she reached adulthood and we got an adult size violin. This made it affordable as we got a lot of money back for each violin as long as we took care of it. That way in the end you're able to afford a decent violin. I know it's been a while, but I'm sure they would still have that program.

This is hands-down the place to go if you need anything drum-related. These gentlemen spent more…read morethan an hour repairing or replacing my ten-year old's drum set. They patiently and with kindness spent time with my son explaining what they needed to do, and why. They did not try to upsell me. The price is right, and the service spectacular. This is a true Austin treasure. We will be back.

Maybe it was just a bad day. I was visiting family in Austin…read morethis past week, and mid-day on a Wednesday a group of us stopped into Tommy's. There were four adults and my 12‑year‑old daughter, all musicians--I'm the only drummer. We had just come from South Austin Music, which had been a great experience. Unfortunately, this visit was the complete opposite. When we first walked in, we were greeted by a friendly staff member who told us to let him know if we had any questions or needed help. I asked whether there was any used gear, and he mentioned a few used pedals and a used kit upstairs. He then stepped away--presumably to eat lunch (a food delivery person came into the store at the same time we did)--and the other staff member was left behind the counter. I took a quick look around the upstairs area, which had an impressive cymbal selection, a handful of snare drums, and a couple of nice Gretsch Renown kits. I paused to look more closely at a raw copper snare that really caught my eye and made a brief comment to the person behind the counter. His response was a single word. I tried to engage a bit more, but he clearly wasn't interested in conversation. At that point, I was ready to leave. I was genuinely in the market for a used ride or a snare and had money to spend. I assumed that being in Austin there would be plenty of options, but that wasn't really the case. That's fair--used gear takes effort to manage, and many shops focus primarily on new inventory. As we were preparing to go, my wife asked if I wanted a t‑shirt. I took a look and agreed it was a cool design. She went to the counter and the staff member helped her with the purchase, but again, there was no engagement. I made one more attempt to start a conversation, but there was no response--no smile, no eye contact, no expression at all. Maybe we were annoying him. Maybe we interrupted his lunch. I honestly don't know. What I do know is that it was a disappointing experience. South Austin Music had such a great atmosphere--fun, welcoming, and warm. My local music shop in Maryland (not a chain), where my daughter takes guitar lessons, has that same vibe. This drum shop, by comparison, felt cold and purely transactional. I left feeling bummed out and awkward enough that I apologized to my family for the experience.