Though I loved the old Guitar Shop on Connecticut, this new location is just as convenient for me…read more I have owned a bass for five years.... FINALLY started taking lessons a few months ago with John, and I'm loving it! It's so much fun, and John is an excellent teacher. He teaches to my learning style, he's patient and thorough, and consistent with his reminders of how I should be playing (finger placement, posture, and all). Though his style may seem scattered at first, he really does a great job of building off of what we learned from the previous week while keeping it interesting. If you're like me and thinking that you'll eventually get around to taking lessons, DO IT NOW! (Before they realize that they're not charging enough!)

From the owner: Lessons offered on guitar (blues/jazz/rock/classical), bass (electric or string bass,) banjo and…read moremandolin to all levels of students from beginner to advanced, using a patient approach designed for relaxed, comprehensive, fun lessons tailored to each student. Formally at The Guitar Shop in DC for 6+ years, teaching theory, improvisation and repertoire building, supplying aspiring musicians with the necessary tools and materials to be successful. We specialize in showing students how to learn from and play their favorite recordings.

This story starts off in guitar center. Went in to purchase a $1K+ drum kit. They had it in stock…read more They would NOT take it off the shelf for me to play. I told them I didn't actually need to play the assembled kit but absolutely needed to hear WTF it sounds like so was only asking to take it off the shelf for me to strike each drum a few times. They refused and told me to go to YouTube to hear it! While it was right TF in front of me. Went to Chuck's, found a similar set but it was $300 more expensive than I wanted to spend. The guy at the drum counter assembled it in the middle of the store drum area and even brought out additional cymbals that they had to get from storage for me to try. Purchased it on the spot. All these terrible reviews on here but... It's either here or Guitar Center so pick your poison. Zero other options in the area. And they have the best guitar tech in Maryland. Have taken 4-5 guitars to him over the years and received perfect service. One bizarre thing- there is no need for 3 security guards. Does this place get jumped all the time? Might as well just hire a cop.

I bought an item with Free Shipping. It did not work out and I returned the item, brand new, never…read moreused. I paid to send it back. I looked at my band statement and saw over $35 was deducted from the total. I was told that shipping was deducted from my refund. I really do not understand this. The company advertises free shipping...but if you have to return the item, then all of a sudden the shipping is not free? I paid $156 for the item and was penalized another $19 because I returned it. Maybe I am being unreasonable but I think this is not right. Either shipping is free or it isn't. Don't say one thing and then do another.

Great service from across the country. They were very helpful with my purchase of an autoharp and…read moreshipping it out to California. They answered all my questions and were very friendly. I just wish I could be there in person to browse what else they have in stock!

Lovely people, lovely instruments. The best place for folk/traditional instruments and musicians in…read moreDC. If you go in, just talk to the guys. They know so much, and love to talk. I guarantee you'll learn something. Also a great place to run into other musicians. They're fair and honest consigners.

Marianne is a wonderful piano teacher! She meets you where you are at in terms of music theory and…read morepiano skills and helps you create manageable goals for practicing and improving.

I found Marianne through Yelp and am so pleased to now have my (slightly) neglected piano now in…read moreher care. With regular tunings by Marianne, my lucky piano will no longer suffer from neglect. Marianne worked assiduously for two hours on my piano, and tuned it twice, in fact. (It had been so long since the last tuning that, alas, that was necessary.) I trust Marianne to know what's best for a piano so readily agreed to another visit in three (instead of the customary six or 12) months because she knows these instruments well. In addition to being punctual, diligent, and very reasonable, she is a friendly soul with whom you can discuss music, dogs, and probably a lot more.

what ever happened to neighborhood guitar shops?…read more nothing really, they're still there. you just started going to mars and chuck levin's superstores as soon as you were old enough to drive. wandering the aisles of shiny guitars with glossy five-figure price tags and salesmen working for commission slowly degraded your music store experience to only a fragment of a step above buying new socks at walmart. but that neighborhood guitar shop is still there, even though you stopped going. and that crusty old dude who convinced you to drop your lawn-mowing money on a beat up fender, told you the secret about how it will always sound better than that shiny factory-fresh one at the superstore, and gave you your first few lessons, pretenting to believe you when you said you practiced your arpeggios; well, he's still there too. chances are you're not going to find exactly what you came in looking for, but shops like this are the only place you'll get what you really need, even some kid looking at what you asked for and says "ugh, you don't want one of those, here, try this, it's cheaper and i like it better..."

I just purchased a guitar from Jerry's Music and I'm in California. Jerry really knows his stuff…read more He has a music degree in guitar. He really knows all types of guitars. His prices are much more competitive than the Big Box music stores and the service is much better. Honestly, I'm going to refer my West Coast friends to Jerry's.

Ever since my first review over 14 years ago this shop keeps getting better and better! I'm used…read moreto other chain guitar shops that only chat with the guy who's with me but action music treats everyone the same! Hilarious (dis)respect! Jk. They are amazing and make everyone feel welcome! I stop by time to time to browse and purchase items or get service done. I would highly recommend as I was expecting a restring of an acoustic and a small electric guitar repair to take a few weeks but I was in and out in under 30 minutes. I really have to thank Mr. Matt and the rest of the incredible staff. It makes me want to continue my music journey and come back very often. A big plus is their location now. Parking is ample and signage is clear!

I want to thank Mr.Mike for helping me figure out if my parts were genuine. Awesome dude. Always…read morehelpful when it comes to gear! His Knowledge is very extensive and amazing! Love that guy! And also want to thank John and Matt for the Mods to my guitar. Its always love when i come here, i drive an hour in traffic just because i know these guys are human and know their stuff! Always good Vibes and Beautiful instruments here! If you want a Rare and Unique guitar or amp, simply walk in and see what speaks to your soul! Im beyond happy with my last visit. Legendary Guys and Legendary Shop. Thanks Guys

Amazon had a massive outage when I was expecting some P/A equipment to arrive in a particular time…read moreframe. I had no way of tracking the delivery, and it was imperative we got our equipment on time. I called half a dozen music stores in the area, and no one had the piece I needed. When I called Alexandria Music, Sonya (sp?) helped me out. They did not have the model I needed, but they did have a really great alternative, albeit more expensive. I told her my situation, how our delivery was caught in between worlds in the ether of delivery debacles, and she said, "Let me check with the owner and see if we can help you out." Shortly afterward, I got a call saying they would give sell me the higher-end unit and give me a discount to accommodate our very specific budget. In short, she (and the owner) saved our bacon and took my stress level down several notches. I've worked in music stores, and I've frequented countless others across the country. I've actually grown to dread going into them; I often find myself feeling like I'm at a car dealership. Heck, I'm sure I made folks feel like I was a car salesman when I worked at the music-store-that-shall-not-be-named (*cough* Walmart of music stores *cough*). This was different. Short, to the point, zero haggle involved, just accommodating a customer in a very stressful situation and going above and beyond what most places would ever do. I don't live super close to the store, but I might just make the drive to Alexandria in the future because my experience here was so good. Thank you Sonya; I'm sorry if I misspelled your name. You made my life much easier this week, and I sincerely appreciate it. And thank you, store owner I never met. My sole experience tells me you've got the right mindset on running a music store. I'll be back.

Not often that you come across a real music store these days but this is one! Love this place.read more

Friendly efficient staff, decent violin I needed to rent at a reasonable rate for a couple of…read moremonths.

Middle C Music is a convenient place for most musical needs, with a focus on students. A wide range…read moreof sheet music is available. There are studios for lessons and a helpful staff. Lots of instruments and some setups where you can explore different instruments and effects.

The ol' SV1 has some miles on her, but is playing very well after her most recent tune-up from…read moreProtech. This is my main ax. Currently, I have the joy of working with the Gospel Choir at the U.S.N.A. Needless to say, my gear has to work. Everything has to be excellent 100% of the time - that's the vibe there. So, when my keys needed repair, it had to get done quickly & correctly. Only the piano sound was working, and if you know anything about the SV1, you know you get it for the Rhodes and Wurli patches (which simply weren't working). Protech was the only licensed Korg repair shop in the area, so it was an easy choice regarding where to take the instrument. They charge a reasonable $75 diagnosis fee upfront, and then inform you as to the problem and a quote to perform the repairs. I'm always leery of timeframes with shops, but these gents were timely. It was about two week, and an additional $144 ($219 total), which is very reasonable. It's worth noting that their work does come with a 30 day guarantee. I did have to utilize this fact, as the SV1 needed a second round of love to get her back to new. They honored the agreement, and did the work at no additional charge. Protech is good enough for me and the US Navy - you can feel confident in taking your gear to them.

I took my Sony CD player in for repair. I was unable to remove the 275 CDs because the unit was…read moreinoperative. When I got the unit back, 7 CDs were missing. I spoke with 3 reps about the matter & Bob was the most obstinate, aggressive person in the trio. I'm a 74 year old military veteran with much better things to do than accuse folks over 7 CDs, in hopes of being reimbursed. Of the over 275 CDs in the unit, most are artists of color. All 7 of the missing CDs were by white artists, just a coincidence I suppose. The tech I dealt with when I picked the unit up was inhospitable. Never told me he had put the box he had placed my CDs in over by the exit. Never returning there & never suggesting them to anyone else.

"Say no more...I kno exactly what you're looking for"…read more Lindy and Jane....what lovely human beings. My sister and I popped into this little guitar gin joint to purchase ourselves a couple of guitars. Let me preface....I played the violin for 13 years, and my sister for double that ....but as far as guitars....we knew NOTHING about them. We both knew enough from playing violins for years and high quality violins at that....that we really valued the sound quality of our instruments. We knew we wanted all wood guitars. We also knew that we were drawn to warm, buttery tones....we also are two short women....my sister is a half pint, haha....so we needed instruments that felt comfortable in our arms. Lindy plopped right on down and played ....repeatedly bc we were intently listening ... A handful of guitars for us. She was very knowledgeable, very clear in her explanations and Jane as well chimed in several times with her own wisdom, and opinions which I really appreciated. She never talked down to us. She was incredibly conscious of our budgets. She was frank and honest with us about the accoutrements we would need to put hade. And one of the guitars we bought had a bit of a nick....and so she gave us some coins off. Their prices are competitive with what you'll find online...so why not stop in and support a beautiful local business. I loved them ... And I'm grateful that my first gutar came from them. (Ps....kinda badass that the day I went in, it was two women running the shop....which meant...complete empathy when talking about small hands, boobs that get in the way, and how a guitar fits into the frame of our bodies...amen. Not saying men can't meet us there...but it was beautifully seamless with these ladies.)

I needed to get my cello tuned (tried doing it myself but my C-string was being finicky and I was…read moreweary of dealing with the pegs), so I called to confirm they had someone that could tune my cello and they said yes. Staff was so nice, and I ending up buying a tuner for my cello as I needed one and wanted to support the shop. Location is great: pretty neighborhood and right by a cafe. Street parking was easy the day I went. They do music lessons and sell instruments, sheet music, tuners, and more!