Main St. Music is my favorite local business in Waltham; between all their teachers and regulars,…read morethere's so much musical knowledge and ability here. I don't know why people complain about prices--this isn't a corporation, they don't get the kinds of massive bulk discounts you're going to find at Guitar Center. That being said, you're going to find much more here in the way of community than you'll ever find at some big name store staffed by egotistical kids. The staff remembers you, will sit down to play with you, will go completely out of their way to help you, and can get you something if they don't have it there already, even foreign instruments that you can't usually find. The weekly meetups on Wednesday nights are great and always diverse. Shop local, keep your mom 'n pops in business. I know I'll come here before I go looking anywhere else.

Run, don't walk, as far away as you can from this place. If you don't you will be the victim of a…read moreconcert you didn't sign up for, (just wanted to get an instrument fixed, as advertised and get out. I brought my own strings and the guy had no clue how to fix the instrument and wasted my time trying to. He then suggested I should learn guitar and wanted me to sign up for guitar lessons. No thanks, I'm good. He then rips out his guitar and starts playing "guess what song I'm playing" and when he forgets the lyrics, I supply them. What the fuck am I doing here? Did I sign up for an open mic show? Is this guy tripping? As an added bonus, they ask all kinds of personal questions as you try to figure out your easiest escape. There is a guy out front that keeps on walking back and forth in front of the store. This is creepy. They push the guitar lessons again and find a way to insult me, maybe because I don't want to take his guitar lessons? Then he gives me his number so I can be sure to call to sign up for the lessons. With you? Are you out of your mind? Yes, you are out of your mind. And I know the safest thing for me to do with someone like that, is not to get angry, just humor him and GTF outta there asap. Longer than I thought it would take, but I'm still here living to tell the tale. And I won't be back.

My business dealings were an online purchase. There are no dealers in my immediate area for a…read moreproduct I needed and a Google search led me to Virtuosity which had the item I needed in stock. There was a problem with my shipment with the Postal Service causing a long delay in delivery, so they sent me a replacement via UPS which arrived in short order. It's this going the extra mile service that will keep customers coming back again and again. I recommend them highly!

Great people. Was looking for some trumpet accessories. Amazing collection of antique instruments…read more Very accommodating.

I had my P bass redone. It was sent out to the luthier he recommended and redone top to bottom, and…read morenow plays like brand new. I found where I can take my bass now having had mediocre jobs done in the past.

Cool little shop... I took lessons here briefly, years ago, and thought Frank was a great guy. Was…read moreburning me cds to take home and practice with well before the technology was common/popular/easy. Haven't been there in years, but here's hoping it (and Frank) is still there and doing well.

Very educated and knowledgeable staff about all things Cello! They were very helpful with my…read morerental and I'm getting ready to make a Cello purchase. Just trying to decide if I want a three-quarter or a 7/8 ladies cello size.

Wonderful rental experience with great customer service that went above and beyond when a case was…read morebreaking.

Incredible sales folks ! Hard to find items . Prices are better than guitar center . What a neat…read moreplace to hang out and find your next guitar

I went in to buy a new Martin acoustic, but the staff's bored snarkiness made me think they learned…read moretheir social skills in high school, and stopped there. The good news is I bought exactly the guitar I was looking for, the bad news (for them) is that I bought it at a different guitar store that had much better service.

1. Illegal bait and switch 2. Complete incompetence…read more3. Unhinged rude attitude 1. Illegal bait and switch - I called and asked if I could bring a guitar for assessment. Guy on phone said I could bring in and they'd assess for free. After five minutes of my free assessment, the lady tried to charge me for it. The guy then changed his story and said he actually meant that they would assess it for free only if I dropped it off but not dropped by with it (which doesn't make much sense if you think about it) 2. Complete incompetence - A) I told her that the guitar frets were out of tune. She denied it and said nothing was wrong with the guitar. B) I told her I wanted to action lowered. She said it was impossible to lower it anymore without causing buzzing. C) I told her something was rattling when I played the open G string. She said it could be anything causing it, even a loose truss rod So I took it to Stubblebine lutherie. Without even playing it, he inspected everything about the guitar - he listed exactly what was causing it to be out of tune (mainly the nut grooves), exactly how the action could easily be lowered without causing buzzing (he said the action was actually pretty high), and exactly what was causing the rattling (loose tuner component), and offered to fix everything for 100 dollars 3. Unhinged attitude - She started making fun of me for the questions I was asking. When I handed her the tuner, a rubber piece fell off, and she blamed me for breaking it to her coworker. When I pointed out that some of the frets we're out of tune, she blamed it on how I tuned it. When I clarified that I was told on the phone that the assessment would be free, she started to try to guilt me into paying and trying to get me to tell her how much money I made in my job. When I eventually did offer money because I felt bad, she made fun of me again

During a recent visit to get my daughter's clarinet repaired, I encountered mean spiritedness and…read morehovering, (by two different people but still...)! The middle-aged woman who initially greeted me and looked at my instrument was helpful and kind but not as knowledgeable as the second, older woman who was clearly running the show and ended up helping me. A third and younger woman stood so close to me until she was sure I was acknowledged by the middle-aged woman, if we weren't wearing masks, I'm sure I would've felt her breath on the back of my neck. The initial impression was enough to make me want to leave and not return, but my daughter really needed a clarinet and time was not on my side. So I swallowed hard and tried to make the best of things by staying engaged in conversation with the kinder middle-aged woman.I made it through the ordeal and decided to vocalize my disappointment here because while I don't know the first thing about instruments, I do know good service, and I did not experience that here. So, despite the fact that I ended up getting a loaner from Wood & Strings, as my kid's clarinet was busted, I can't in good conscience recommend this place because the service was subpar. It's unfortunate too, because the shop is so close and my kids are really getting into instruments that I see myself investing lots of money. But the woman was just so snotty and condescending, (of course in a "no disrespect intended" sort of way), if I don't have a better experience upon returning the loaner, they're going to lose a good customer because I won't be going back. Even if the prices are good, it's just not worth the hassle!

The best Organ restorer/builder in the Nation. Many have learned from him, and gone on to be…read more"successful", but there is only one Nelson Barden. Museum quality pipe organ restoration. Not a turn and burn operation that so many have become...

Best guitars and best owners and so welcoming and so open to help and I got a free shirtread more

Highlights: - Friendly and helpful staff…read more- Lots of guitars to check out and try - Melodicas!!! I stumbled into Mr. Music while visiting Boston. I was really excited to check out Allston, and this place caught my eye as I was walking around the neighborhood. I've been playing bass for about 4 months now. I was really excited to finally be able to walk into a music store and be able to actually try out the guitars and see which ones I liked. The staff were very helpful - right away they asked if I needed help finding anything. They pointed me in the direction of the bass guitars, specifically acoustic basses (which I was interested in hearing/playing). Their bass guitar section is awesome! They have a handful of acoustics that you can try out, which is really cool. If you're looking to purchase a bass guitar and want to make sure you're comfortable with it first - this is the place. They have a variety of pics that you can try, too. I've only played with two different pic styles before, so being able to try a handful made me realize what I really liked. They also have a great little corner for trying out electric guitars, complete with a little amp. I tried a lot of different electric basses, and found the ones I really liked. It was so much fun to try out the guitars and find out what I want to save up for. Besides guitars, they have a cute little percussion section and a bunch of melodicas!! The melodica is such a cool instrument, so I was happy to see it getting some love in this store. All-in-all, I walked away from the store with a handful of new pics and a smile on my face. This is such an authentic little shop, you can tell they really care a lot about music. I would love to go back!

Bob O. rebuilt an old Bach 42B back in the early 80's for me, and the horn is still the best!!read more

Jim services my 1966 Reynolds Contempora bass trombone, taking a ent out of the bell and removing…read morethe double trigger valve mechanism - replacing with an ergonomically comfortable pair of paddles. Spectacular work!

This dude is phenomenal as he is friendly, accommodating, and offers fair pricing. He fixed my…read moreMesa Boogie Tremoverb and it now sounds brand new ! Definitely recommend his business to anyone looking to repair amps.

I am new with this firm and had two Dbx units repaired to my satisfaction in a prompt and courteous…read moremanner. Both units work ok over a month later. A bit hard to find this place and tiny shop that you cannot enter. He seems to repair things like guitar amps too, besides consumer electronics. Could use an updated website to explain his services better. Dave M.