I love this place! I live in California but have family in western Mass. I've been here four times…read morenow, once for food, twice for music, and once for the luthier himself. All were delightful. The decor is outstanding. The music is intimate, varied and always fun. And Steve is completely at home with his place. I could not recommend it more highly. Just go!

The best music scene in the area, legendary open mic. Great crowds, and amazing team that runs it.read more

I can't say enough about how great this store is. And now that they're in the new location, it's…read moreeven better. I've bought, sold, and traded a ton of gear here and it's always been a great experience. The whole staff is very helpful, but not pushy. I often deal with Sam, since we're both guitar pedal aficionados. He's always eager to answer any questions or just talk about gear in general. Their inventory is very impressive, for an independent music store. And their prices are as good as the big online retailers. I don't go as often, since I moved out of the Valley. But whenever I'm out that way, I'm sure to stop by. I haven't been to every music store in Massachusetts, but this is definitely the best one I've been to. Beginner to Boutique, they have it all.

AVOID MILL RIVER MUSIC AT ALL COSTS - JON (the owner) HAS AN APPALLING LACK OF ATTENTION TO…read moreDETAIL. ADDITIONALLY, HE IS EXTREMELY RUDE AND DISHONEST. In the past 25 years, I have over 2500 transactions on ebay and reverb. I have left negative or neutral feedback less than one 1/2 of 1% of the time. In this case, Jon richly deserved it. Many times over. PayPal glitched my address on a Reverb Payment, resulting in Jon sending my guitar to the wrong address. This was DESPITE me giving the correct information to Julia prior to the sale AND having the correct information on file with Reverb. As soon as I saw the error, I contacted Mill River Music immediately -Julia was not there, so I had to deal with Jon. Jon acknowledged the correct information WAS provided ahead of time, that he did not talk to Julia prior sending, and that he blindly went by what PayPal provided without contacting me first to verify. (Despite my primary address of record on Reverb being the one I had provided to Julia prior.) ALL OF THIS WAS NO BIG DEAL- LIFE HAPPENS-I GET IT. However, when I contacted Jon, instead of apologizing for his oversight, and immediately correcting the situation, he was incredibly rude and insulting many times over. OVER HIS LACK OF ATTENTION TO DETAIL. There is no excuse for this deliberate lack of customer service and accountability. None. He then said he would contact Fed-Ex to reroute my guitar. HE DID NOT. Again, there is no excuse for this deliberate lack of customer service and accountability. None. Jon had several days to contact Fed-Ex prior to delivery and failed to do so. He had time to send me several obnoxious messages, but he couldn't make time to contact Fed-Ex and redirect the guitar prior to delivery. This resulted in the guitar being delivered to a high crime area and left unattended in plain view in a box labeled as a guitar. It is incredibly lucky that the new occupants were honest, retrieved it before it was stolen, held it for Fed-Ex and that Fed-Ex was ultimately able to deliver it correctly. (No thanks to Jon.) Jon never once acknowledged his lack of attention to detail with my valuable instrument, or apologized for mishandling it. IF he had, that would have been the beginning and end of it. Instead, Jon's actions have forced me to leave this review as a warning to potential customers. AVOID AT ALL COSTS. THIS IS NOT SOMEONE WHO TAKES PERSONAL OWNERSHIP, PRIDE, AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE GOODS AND SERVICES HE PROVIDES. AVOID AT ALL COSTS. PS: 1. to be absolutely clear, Jon waited TWO days after i reached out before he contacted Fed-Ex. 2. I have screenshots and pdfs of everything. 3. i fully expect that instead of demonstrating basic customer service and simply owning his mistakes and apologizing for them, Jon will reply to this review with more gaslighting and personal attacks. AGAIN, Avoid At ALL Costs!

Whip City Music is what a hometown music store should be- from lessons to instrument repair to…read more cool new and used instruments and guitar pedals. Just gotta love this place! Owner Doug Cotton aims to please- being a musician himself,he knows his stuff and can help out whether you are a budding musician or seasoned pro. I'm so happy Whip City Music is here serving the local community and helping to make downtown Westfield happening again!

From the owner: Locally owned and operated, Whip City Music continues the tradition of providing quality new and…read moreused musical instruments, a wide array of music accessories, expert music lessons and essential music instrument repair services in the heart of downtown Westfield Massachusetts. With our competitive and affordable prices and friendly, relaxed atmosphere, Whip City Music is the place to go for all your music needs.

Permanently closed...Just vanished with no warning. Never heard it was closing. Sign still on…read morebuilding over vacant store. Next closest store is over 35 miles away.

Stopped into Guitar Center in West Springfield, MA to level up on our gear for the upcoming season…read more2026. Had a chance to meet management, who hooked it all up and made the transaction sweet and easy. Special shout out to Josue Mattei-Vega. He is one of our greatest local artists in Western Massachusetts. He goes by the name Omehc. Check him out on Spotify and Apple music. His music is 100% turn up. Thank you, Sir. It was a pleasure meeting you and I'm a true fan for life! #DadbodsOmehc #Omehc

I've visited twice, and each time the older, long-haired man (guessing he is the owner) has been…read morecondescending with me. First time, I shrug it off - everyone has a bad day now and then. Second time, he was happy and jovial with another customer and made little attempt to cover his "displeasure" with my asking any questions (when he wasn't speaking with the other customer). Too bad, but I will never go there again. Seemed like he had some treasures, but no crappy customer service is worth it when other stores are willing and capable of treating you with decency and respect.

The owner is great. I had a wonderful experience selling him an instrument. He has a very good…read moreselection of instruments and accessories. I was very impressed the second that I walked in the store. I will definitely recommend this place to anyone who's interested in anything musical.

Came in for strings. What a shop. So many beautiful, high quality guitars. Price for strings was…read morereasonable and I'll be back. Wish they had lessons.

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

These guys are the real deal, this is the kind of thing you can't find online. I was blown away by…read morethe boutique setup...high end, incredible guitars. Everything was highly priced...the guitars ranging $800-$3000 approximately, I was scared to move as I walked through the store hoping I don't accidentally knock something down. Store in the front, repair shop at the back and 3 sound proof rooms where they conduct lessons by certified instructors during the week. $35 for a 1/2 hr session and goes up to $55 for an hour. The staff is helpful and very informative.

With the hollowing out of American bricks n' mortar retail because of online shopping, especially…read more'one click shopping' on Amazon, it is refreshing to walk into a beautiful, well-run shop that completely understands the needs of the customer, and can accommodate virtually any kind of budget. The owner of this shop, Nate, obviously loves and understands the business, and he also takes his time to show and explain the different types of guitars that he offers, and why they might make sense. There is also an awesome Golden Retriever in the store to keep you company if you just want to hang out with a dog instead of buy a guitar. The most impressive thing about Whole Tone is the completeness of the shop -- not only can you buy the guitar, but you can service it there as well, get your lessons, and also come in for demos of talented guitarists to see what is actually possible. I suppose you could just click and buy your guitar for the lowest price plus shipping on Amazon -- but you'll miss out on the rest of an important part of the experience, not to mention, the chance to actually try the equipment and hear what it sounds like before you do make a purchase. Its not merely about the lowest price. It also has to sound right. And if it makes you feel any better -- Nate did match the price of my guitar to whatever the lowest price was online -- without me even having to ask. That's pretty cool. Hopefully the dog will help out the lessons. No luck so far....

I had 4 vintage guitars from my long ago playing days and I wanted to secure a future for them as…read morethey were in decent shape had sentimental value. The staff at Empire Guitars was friendly and professional and provided me with an honest assessment of their condition and value. Thanks to everyone! Mark H.

I brought in my guitar, I've been playing for about a week or two so I obviously don't know much,…read morethey took a look at my guitar and helped me fix it and are just super informative and helpful I also bought some strings and a tuner while I was there and their employees are so amazing and super friendly and it was an amazing experience in general! They also have an amazing selection of guitars, pedals, etc. I definitely will be coming back next time I need something.

I have given Owen several of my instruments to repair. He's the real deal: not just an instrument…read morerepairman who truly cares about his work, but a craftsman. I've taken him several instruments--an HD-28 with a crack in the side--I'd banged it accidentally. Also a 1936 Martin 000-18, which needed a reset, action-wise. His work was first-rate, and his prices very reasonable. But the job I was happiest about was the Fender Jazz bass I'd bought 8 years before , at a Guitar Center in NYC. The neck had warped--badly. I asked him to repair it, but he said: "You know... I think this might still be under warranty. Let me call them." He did, and although it took Fender a long time (it was during COVID), when I got the bass back it had a brand new neck. The action was perfect as well. He'd adjusted it, and didn't charge me a penny. A similar thing happened with my travel guitar. It was one of Taylor's amazing GSM Mini's. (You cannot beat them for the money.) Over the years, I took it a lot of places, and unfortunately, the bridge began to lift off. I took it to Owen: same deal: he called Taylor and they repaired it for free.

Owen restored and old guitar of mine from college--really old then--with respect and care. Anyone…read moreelse would have turned up their nose at it. He has a good inventory of stringed instruments and is a true craftsman. We're lucky to have his business in our town.

Their communication was detailed and had the specifics I didn't even think about. They responded…read morevery promptly too. I had a tight window of opportunity and they were able to fit into my schedule. Their price was in the same ballpark as 5 other quotes I got for businesses in the area. The guys showed up within the time window they originally gave, worked quickly, were easy to communicate with, and handled things with care.

A very reasonable rate for a 2 day house pack and move in state…read more Nothing got broke in the move which was great . Some items that were to be left behind got moved so be sure to keep a close eye on that if you have that situation. A Very cheerful and dedicated team who made the move easier for us. Some mispacking in order to fit everything but it all turned up ok when we unpacked.