I shopped local to me, only one music store in my town. I played some Taylor's and was strongly considering the 214ce k plus. I was watching guitar reviews on YouTube and saw Joe of Empire and that it was about a little over an hour from me. I called ahead to asked about the in stock inventory of the guitars I was wanting to play to compare. Jordan answered the phone and was pro from the start and told me to ask for him when I came in. When I walked in and mentioned the phone call, he immediately knew what guitars I wanted to play and took me into the acoustic room. Took the guitar's and tuned them all in. I played Yamahas, Taylor's, Martin, Epiphone Hummingbird. But my skill level isn't great so I asked Jordan to play each of them for me, several times when he came back in the room. He wasn't pushy, gave some very solid input. I ended up going with the Yamaha A5R Acoustic Electric. Price was tagged , no gimmicks, no bs. This model just fit my hands , comfort and sound. They worked with me and I ended up spending less than I would have back home. They even did a quick set up to lower action. Jordan was patient and straightforward and Empire is lucky to have him. My wife was with me and we both agreed it was a very very pleasant and fun experience. The whole vibe is there! Beautiful shop! Rock on Empire! read more

I loved the attentive employees here. Very chill vibe and I've heard great things about Empire Music. A friend got her Fender here. It's beautiful and the selection here is amazing I brought my old Bass here to get repaired so it's just about waiting to find out how repairable it is. The estimated cost was really reasonable. Just needed a Jack Repair, Neck is severely bowed, so hopefully it can be fixed and other than that a cleaning and new strings. So far so good...I will know within the week. Say prayers for this old sentimental Bass of mine read more

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I received my third guitar from Joe at Empire today, and it's a beauty- a "Empire Select" custom ordered 414ce with a cedar top and big leaf maple back and sides. Plays and sounds GREAT and different from my other guitars- crisp and very clear, but softened up with maple top. I called Joe to discuss it and he surprised me with a special offer. Thanks again!! read more

Thanks again Joe for all your help. The D41 and D35 comparison video you made for me was above and beyond what I expected. I appreciate that level of customer service. This D41 looks and sounds amazing. Can't believe how it feels and projects. It almost jumps out of my hands but also has a delicate side that is effortless and smooth. I'm glad I went with the 41. Looks awesome as the centerpiece in my collection. I highly recommend Empire Music. Your YouTube channel is another thing that sets you apart from other stores. Thanks also to the rest of the Empire Team. read more

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I bought a Martin D Jr E Streetmaster from Empire on the 31st of May. Two business days later the guitar was at my doorstep. They did exactly as they said they would and packed it well and had it set up for me. They even sent along a couple of picks with their business logo on them so I could test my guitar right out of the box(had some picks on hand, but still cool). Definitely would recommend them. Thanks for those YouTube videos Kevin T read more

I really appreciate Joe's customer service and fair trades/deals. As someone that lives right next to Blawnox, I can tell you I will skip convenience "and stuff" in favor of quality every time. It was a night and day experience for me and I walked away with a brand new guitar today! read more

I've never bought a guitar online but I decided to take a chance after calling and speaking with Anthony. He answered all of my questions and I decided to buy the guitar. It arrived a couple of days ago and it looks even better than in the pictures online. It feels and plays great! I'd definitely do business with Empire Music again. read more

They're the most friendly and accommodating as I've ever seen until the sale is completed. After reaching out less than a week after a custom shop Strat arrived I found out my wife purchased a Masterbuilt one for me for my birthday next week. When I reached out to discuss a return or exchange I was told that I got a great deal, the guitar my wife bought was going to be a problem and that I was a day too late. Such a stark contrast to how I was treated last week. Shameful but ultimately their loss. Word of mouth goes a long way. Caveat Emptor. read more

I have bought two lightly used from Empire Guitars and both were fantastic. The price, the attention to detail and setup, proper packaging and conversation with the sales people via chat -- even on a Sunday afternoon -- were great. I live 2 minutes golf cart ride from Guitar Center, but I will never step foot inside there again when there are excellent stores like Empire Music with fantastic, top level gear at attainable pricing with great service. Thanks! Greg A. read more

Mt Lebanon price gouge! I had a simple guitar repair... busted nut... that plus a new pair of strings was $175. Also... out for tune. Bunch of amateurs charging whatever they can read more

I purchased a brand new American Professional Series II Telecaster in Olympic White from Empire Music after messaging a few retailers on Reverb for an inspection and setup as a condition of sale. I try to support smaller shops when possible as a former guitar store employee. Joe, the owner of the store, responded and told me that he has two Fender authorized technicians on staff and that the guitar would be inspected and in perfect playing condition upon receipt. (Screenshot attached to review.) The action was incredibly high upon arrival, but it had 9 gauge strings which threw off the feel for me. I changed the string gauges to 10s and let the guitar settle for 30 days before bringing it to my luthier for inspection and setup (I would have taken the guitar immediately if Joe had not assured me it would be inspected because I've been playing for 35+yrs and know guitars can come from the factory with problems). I got a call back from my luthier, who I've brought numerous guitar purchases to over the years, within a day informing me that the guitar was a complete dud - 10 high frets and a raised neck at the pickups (if the guitar was inspected and setup, someone raised the action to accommodate the high frets but didn't note the TEN high frets). He added that if anyone had looked at the guitar, it wouldn't have gone out the door and that the retailer should have "caught this with their eyes closed." He even said that in 3000+ new professional series Fenders he's setup, he'd only seen this degree neck warp one other time in 40yrs. He didn't fix anything and instructed me call the retailer for an exchange. I sent a message to Joe via Reverb and an email telling him that my less than 55 day old guitar was definitely not inspected and attached the detailed assessment from my luthier (attached to this review), expecting him to make it right. I did not receive a response to either. I decided to call which I did daily for the next week until I got him on the phone. He quickly put the onus on Fender to make it right, adding that he would not give me a new guitar but would instead try to work with Fender to give me one. 15 phone calls with Fender, two Fender authorized tech evaluations an hour's distance from my house, many calls to Empire, and countless emails later, I was given the choice of having Guitar Center fix my brand new baby's neck or live with a dud. I saved for over a year for this guitar as a gift to myself for getting through a tough hurdle in life and paid the "new" premium to avoid the headaches that Empire not following through on their promise has now cost me 10x over. And now I have to pay to have the guitar fixed myself if I don't want to trust Guitar Center's luthier. Joe did not keep his promise to inspect the guitar, I got stuck with a lemon because of it, and he did not make it right despite numerous attempts at getting him to do so. I told him that I went out of my way to give him business when I could have gone with Sweetwater who would have exchanged this guitar no questions asked (and even if they hadn't sent me a dud) within this period, so even if his return policy is 14 days, he should exchange it since they dropped the ball on the inspection. Joe played his "small business" card, but the truth is that he put the consequences of his mistake on me, the consumer, who has even less power than his music shop. I've read through the other bad reviews for Empire, and the underlying theme in them was that Joe was great up until a customer had a problem with their order and then became unresponsive. If you buy from Empire, be warned, and best of luck to you because they're not going to support you as a customer once the sale is complete. read more

Empire Music - Part 1 of the initial conversation with Joe where he promised me an inspected guitar (notice the date) - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Mount Lebanon, Pennsylvania

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Came in while in the area to have my basses get a complete set up. The staff was incredibly friendly and the set up left my basses feeling the best they ever have. Additionally, they had a wide selection of instruments - mainly Fender, which made me happy, but I know isn't everyone's favorite company. All in all, I couldn't recommend this shop more! Definitely check it out! read more

Wow.! I live very close to Portland Oregon. Joe and his team really took care of me in my guitar purchase.! 1st. in their work to create the 20th anniversary 00-15M deep body guitar. They added what was needed in the 00-15m low end.! and custom shop craftsmanship. 2nd. the sale and how they took care of me. 3rd. their care to see that it got all the way across the US safely to a stranger. They just rock and to me it looks like in their work it's more than a business it's a passion.! Thanks Jim read more

Dropped guitar off for service. Turnaround time was super quick and assessment was honest. They took good care of my instrument and got me back to playing quickly. Was a positive experience. read more

I am entirely over the moon with said purchase I recently made with Empire Music. Their staff is extremely knowledgeable and fully equipped to satisfy your every need. I would highly recommend anyone to reach out to Empire Music to make your shopping experience a more than pleasant one. read more

Took a tenor ukulele to them to have a strap button installed. They did a great job - the instrument is in great shape, and the buttons are solid. Will use them for more work in the future. They were friendly and very helpful. read more

2 days ago I find this unfortunate to say, but this may be a RACIST establishment! I wasn't going to write this review, but even months later my girlfriend is still traumatized to the point that she doesn't even want to pick up a guitar anymore. So I have to. She was just getting started with lessons and we were going to get her FIRST guitar from this establishment. My cousin, girlfriend, and I (all minorites in appearance)were browsing around this guitar store for the first time. Little did the worker know that we were actually in the market to buy had we found something were we in love with. We quietly and peacefully looked around at guitars (great selection by the way, which is the saddest part) and didn't touch anything. Just looking. As we explored each guitar, we accidentally made our way to the back area of the store. It looked to be public and would confuse any first time visitor. This store has multiple rooms with different types of guitars so you don't want to miss any of the rooms. There were no signs or anything stating these areas to be off limits. At least not in plain sight to our knowledge. Without thinking, the worker barked at us in a rather hateful and condescending tone and said that that he doesn't want us back there. There's a way to conduct yourself with customers and that simply is not it. He was extremely unprofessional! He could have told us "I'm sorry guys, but it turns out that area is actually off limits to customers, I'm sorry" or at least something along those lines, but he chose to not control himself and talked to us like we were worthless garbage instead of potential customers. I do believe the vigorous and overly aggressive nature of his response to our seemingly innocent mistake was a complete overeaction to the point that it felt racially motivated. I will not be returning and inform anyone who is of any minority decent and those who support the cause to stay away from this establishment to avoid this type of unpleasant experience. read more

If you are looking for great service and want to get away from impersonal chain music shops, Empire is the place to go. We found them a little over a year ago when searching for a reasonably priced Taylor accoustic from a certified dealer. We had such a great experience with their service we ordered another guitar for our church from them. Have just now ordered a ukulele. Each time Joe's service has been friendly, knowledgeable and efficient. Even though I live in another state, I will always purchase from them and recommend them to others. read more

I ordered online through Empire, my decision being helped by the fact that they display high-res photos of the actual guitar that's in stock. Ordering was fine, but alas, my acoustic guitar had a crack that despite photos, couldn't be seen (until turned to an angle). Here's where you learn how good the customer service really is. I called and without hesitation, we coordinated an exchange and I am delighted at how smoothly it all went. Joe and Jordan were great. I am overjoyed with my guitar and have a hard time putting it down! read more

I started playing (acoustic) guitar by ear at 6, and took lessons until I graduated high school. That's when I flirted with getting a 12 string guitar. I wanted to see how this place stacked up to The HOG (House of Guitars, Rochester, NY), and Lawrence Music (Castle Shannon, PA). I had my eye on a 12 string in each store. If you're here for a Fender electric guitar, you have some decent choices. If you're looking for an acoustic, not so much. First, when I walked in, there was a salesman with a customer. No problem. I looked around for acoustic guitars, walked past, straight ahead to a small, unmarked room in the back with acoustic guitars. There was about 2 dozen or so, and all but about three were 6 string guitars. Of the (3) 12 string guitars, I began strumming one ($899, a bit pricey for the quality). It was okay, needed tuning (which I could do), but it still lacked the rich resonanceof the ones I tried at The HOG (as native Rochesterians say), or at Lawrence Music. The second was also out of tune (also $889). I was strumming another one ($1299), when an employee walked right past me without any acknowledgement. I strummed for a few more minutes, thinking maybe someone would notice a potential sale. No such luck. That's when I decided to leave. It would've been nice if the salesman would've at least looked at me, or gave me a smile or nod when I walked in. Or got someone to ask me if I needed help. When you walk into either Lawrence Music or House of Guitars, you're immediately greeted, and asked how they can help. They lost 2 customers, because Daughter also plays guitar. And ukelele, which they apparently sell. How many more they lose depends on how many people take this review to heart, and how/if Empire fixes this problem. read more

I bought a guitar online, but it needed to be set up (altered)--in particular, the action on it was too high. I brought it into Empire Music, which was my local neighborhood music store at the time. The guy who helped me--I wish I could recall his name--was nice and very helpful to me. But he also gave me his take on why it is so important to buy instruments at small, local stores in the first place, and explained that in this case it would have been in my financial interest to do so, because they sold that same guitar for that same price, but with a lifetime guarantee the online retailer doesn't offer. And he pointed out that stores like his couldn't stay alive just working on instruments bought online from big corporations, but that if his store weren't there, I wouldn't have anyone to set up my instrument. I have to say, he was right! I am not a person who can afford to pay some huge premium to buy the same thing at a small store that I can buy cheaper online, but he disabused me of that prejudice that the big online retailer was always going to be cheaper or the better value, even when compared with a store in a wealthy suburb like Mt. Lebanon. More importantly, he was really patient and sweet, showed me some things about my guitar that were useful for me to know, and best of all did a fantastic job setting up my instrument! When I got it back it was so much easier to play and I was immediately able to spend hours practicing on it without killing my fingers. So in short, if you are looking to buy an instrument and/or get work done on one, definitely think about swinging by Empire. They have competitive prices, their staff are friendly and passionate about the business, and they do good work. It is an important thing to have a music hub like this in the community. read more

I have purchased 3 guitars from Joe, 2 Taylors and a Martin, and the experience has always been pleasant. I have driven over 2 hours to purchase and worth every minute of the drive. read more

Ehh, pretty disappointing, well compared to when I went last summer... I usually try to avoid ordering music accessories online.. But I guess that's what I have to do.. Very , very weak guitar selection, pretty much Fenders only... It seems like every guitar store in South Hills is just a Fender distribution center...The main reason i went there was for an amp they had on their website... Which was not there anyway.. Good thing too, got it from Guitar Center for 50$ cheaper. Staff seemed nice, nice selection of acoustics I guess...As much as i would love to support local stores, they make it very hard with their lack of selection and not updating their website.. Internet presence is everything.. read more

Each music store usually has a personality of its own. Empire Music's is friendly and professional. A friend recommended me to Joe and Empire. So I checked out their acoustic electrics, finding a used Seagull in my price range. The guitar was beautiful and the case was super protective. Bought it on the spot (when you know, you know). Empire sits in that upper crust of music stores with awesome products and fair / friendly staff. And they don't nickel and dime you like a Guitar Center. Definitely shopping here again! read more

Meh.. bought and traded at empire and they are "ok". I probably won't go back. Most recently had a repair done to a Taylor 614 that was done poorly. Do yourself a favor and go to Guitar Gallery in the south hills, or Pianos n Stuff north of P'Burgh. read more

Best guitar store I know of. I drive 2 hours from Youngstown just to come here because I know I'll get the best deals and service from Joe and Todd. Any music stuff you need, this is the place to go! read more

Only place to go for Fender, Martin, Taylor, Gibson. I've purchased a few guitars from them now - Always a top notch experience! Guitar displays are accessible and laid out very nicely. Guitars are clean, perfectly setup, and come with all the proper paperwork, documents, original box, etc. They also put on lots of great in-store events. Thanks Joe, Todd, and Anthony for providing the best guitar shop around! read more

Every time I wander in here the staff is super friendly and helpful. Just rented a PA and it was in great shape, sounded good and they provide all the cables for a pretty nice price. Highly recommend. read more

Still the best guitar store in the area! And even better than before. Since my last review Empire has become a Fender Guitar authorized seller. Their selection is incredible. Literally 100's of Fender electric guitars in shop. Even better is their Fender Custom Shop room, with high end Fender electrics. You won't find a better selection of Fender, Taylor, and Martin guitars in the US let alone Pittsburgh. read more

Looked all over my state (NH) for a Taylor 412 - none to be had (no cut-away, no electronics). Empire had the best on-line price. Within a few hours of my on-line purchase, the owner (Joe) sent me e-mail let me know the guitar was packed and ready to ship the next morning. Ordered it on Tuesday evening and was picking out a tunes on it by Friday night. Great price, personal feedback, prompt no-cost hassle-free shipping. I couldn't ask for better service. read more

Prices are way too high here, especially for mid-line instruments. You will do much better taking the drive down to Guitar Gallery in Canonsburg. read more

I was searching for a new acoustic guitar for my collection and I was fortunate to stumble upon a Taylor 814 left handed on my web search. I Sent an email inquiring about the guitar and received a quick response from Joe. Joe was knowledgeable about the guitar and did not hassle for a price. I received the guitar the following day in perfect condition. I look forward to placing future orders with Empire Music. read more

excellent service. really good with the kids. the owner Joe always provides excellent service