I came here to buy my first banjo but I ended up getting so much more out of it than that! The shop has such a welcoming atmosphere and Rylan truly went above and beyond answering all of my questions and more. His passion for his craft and helping customers is apparent. I learned a ton chatting with him and enjoyed that part the most about my experience. I went in a couple months later for my free tuneup and had the same great experience, then just a few days later I accidentally left my banjo in my hot car and got some string buzzing, but I brought it back in (thankfully it was nothing serious) and they kindly fixed it that same day at no charge. They also made the process of selling my guitar a breeze. I never leave reviews but this was an exceptional experience. I'm so glad I decided to shop local. Knowing I can drop by anytime for help or advice is priceless. read more

Such a cute shopping and Dewitt mall, variety of classic collectible, guitars and bases and stuff and like collectibles stuff like Martin backpackers and banjos rare models that were used by famous musicians as well as affordable and used instruments. Service was very friendly and information. They have some great displays making it easy to examine the craftsmanship. Great local shop definitely check them out and the greater Dewitt mall. It's a cool little spot, like a time capsule. read more

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Seems the motto "Repairs Aren't Us" Should apply to this place after my experience and reading the Yelp reviews. Maybe this place is good for the gigging musician or getting initially set up, but for the proletariat guitar player it's total hell. $100 to restring a guitar? Went from $70 up to $100 when they decided to replace the battery in the in-body tuner without even asking. Ugh. Never again. See the clever "still owes" section of the receipt (attached here for your viewing pleasure) after I paid the unconscionable sum of $71 already just to get the dang thing done. Guitar Center: "Take me to your leader" read more

Ithaca Guitar Works - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Ithaca, New York

I was visiting Ithaca from Boston and stopped in to look around. What an amazing store! Maybe it's because I like what they had, but it's a great combination of acoustic, electric, new and used. The staff is very knowledgeable and helpful without being pushy. I left without buying but the next day arranged to have a guitar shipped. It arrived in two days with professional packing and a nice setup. I give these guys my highest recommendation! read more

I have done business here so much in my younger years, and then again when coming back to visit family. Chris was great to deal with and so are his sons Ry and Ash. They have always had such a great selection of basses and guitars. Everything a stringed musician could want! Great location, too! read more

"I'VE GOT BLISTERS ON MY FINGERS!" and I couldn't be happier about it. Thank you to (Ryland I think) for spending at least an hour with me (more like two) picking out my first guitar. He was awesome and patient with all my questions and gave me a lot of options and better yet, a ton of information. Although I live in Austin and there's no shortage of guitar shops here, I wanted my first guitar from my hometown. I can't thank everyone enough for making the purchase not too overwhelming and a lot of fun. I love this Guild, I feel so fortunate. It's been a month and I'm jamming with Amy Ray and that is blissful. I'm addicted and so grateful for my sore fingers. Peace! read more

Ithaca Guitar Works - New to me Guild. - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Ithaca, New York

I'm a gigging musician & this is the only place I'll go. I've bought guitars from all over the state & online & this is the BEST of any music store I've ever had the pleasure to encounter. The vibes here are excellent. The prices & policies are beyond generous for used and bundled and store credit needs. These dudes are SO down to earth, not at all stuffy, and make me want to shop here again and again. I've never sounded better or enjoyed playing as much as I do now that I've found my forever shop. Tldr: ANY LEVEL GUITARIST IS ACCEPTED HERE; THESE GUYS ARE THE REAL DEAL, LEGIT & NO EGO, NO BS; BEST SELECTION & PRICES & CUSTOMER SRVC ANYWHERE. So.... F*** GUITAR CTR & SUPPORT LOCAL BUSINESSES!!! read more

The workers were very helpful and kind the place had lots of items new and vintage. Everything was fairly priced. Great experience.

This place rules! They keep an awesome stock and are INCREDIBLY knowledgeable. Both Ash and Ry were super helpful and accommodating to myself and my brother. They provided hours of assistance and consulting for our acoustic duo and did so happily. We've officially decided that Ithaca Guitar Works is our go-to store for service and selection. We definitely recommend them to any guitarist, professional or beginner! You won't be disappointed!!! read more

Ithaca Guitar Works - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Ithaca, New York

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Really happy with this store! The luthier, Paul, did an incredible setup on my guitar and went the extra mile to work with the after-market parts on it. Best setup this guitar has had. The other guys that are on the sales floor are also very friendly, and knowledgable about the inventory. Highly recommend them. read more

Wonderful family run business that does fantastic work on a variety of string instruments & sells them as well, & for reasonable prices. Super friendly employees. Also stocks tons of local music in the form of CDs, sheet music type stuff for guitar players, pedals & amps, and accessories. The only reason the reviews on here are skewed is that a large portion of their customer base are local Luddites who've never heard of yelp. This shop is essential and should be treated as such. I always feel confident when I put my instruments in their hands for repairs. read more

Brought my older Fender Super Champ to Ithaca Guitar Works to figure out reason for unusual 'buzz/hum' - they fixed the problem quickly, professionally and completely - highly recommend you check them out - for repairs and as the 'go to' music store for whatever you need - read more

Needed a guitar amp for my son and the owner could not have been more helpful & friendly!

After a long period of looking for a guitar repair shop in Ithaca, I was glad to find a shop dedicated to guitars. Conveniently located in the Commons, a bus ride away from Cornell, it was great. Lots of customers and helpful employees (at least some of them, more on that later) all seemed to be a good sign. My guitar had been needing repairs for some time and as I asked for an estimate for everything, both the employees I talked to were confident that they could do it for ~$45, max $65 if they had to replace the parts. Also, they promised it'd be done by the end of the week. Two weeks passed by and the much awaited and dreaded phone call came in. "With tax, $87." What? Asking if they had to replace any parts, they all refused to answer, even though it was clearly written on the invoice later that no replacements were made. They had charged me labour fee of $65/hour for 1.25 hours. No, it wasn't something I could do easily myself, but that was just a ridiculous figure. Once I got my guitar back and was asking what was actually done to the guitar, they were suddenly silent and quickly turned into one of the rudest employees I have encountered. As for the guitar, all the problems mentioned were fixed. The knobs were shoddily put back on, so much so that it was moving out of its place and easily removed when pulled. Even with new strings, the low E string is buzzing now. I've no experience with purchasing products here, but for repairs, I'll say this is one of the rudest, rip-off shops I have ever been to. I'd avoid it at all costs, even if that might mean some shop farther away. read more

I've been stopping by Ithaca Guitar Works since I was a young teenager. The first time I walked in, I was a new guitar player that had showed my parents that I was serious about playing and learning. The way that the guitars line the walls in every possible nook and cranny has the Duncan's Toy Chest effect (in Home Alone 2 when Kevin goes to the cool toy store). I've had several guitars from here and I'm always satisfied with the service and quality of what I've purchased. I've had one of my amps repaired at the shop and wasn't blown over by the price. The amp came back and works flawlessly now. I also enjoy talking to Chris and his son. It's the kind of place that you really enjoy stopping by to try a few out but then you start wanting to buy it. read more

Ithaca Guitar Works really is a cool shop. Their location in the Dewitt Mall makes it an ideal place for browsing. The inventory is Fender-centric, uke/mando/banjo enthusiasts will feel good, bassists too. Beginners can get outfitted really well here and those who like high-end/botique guitars and amps have options. They price at 'internet prices' so you don't need to go shop big-box. The staff is friendly and patient, though not always great at assessing customer needs without cues from you. read more

I was treated so rudely by the British guy in the repair shop that I thought I was on a episode of Punked. I kept waiting for the TV cameras to pop out at any moment and let me know it was all a set up to see how long I could last without breaking down. To the British (I think) Repair Guy: Why are you so rude? Why are you so condescending? Why do you lack basic people skills? To the Owners of Ithaca Guitar Works: Bottom line: you are losing money and your stores reputation is being tarnished. You have a HUGE problem. I know many people who will not go to your store because of him. I was sitting around a bar waiting to do a set and the topic of Ithaca Guitar Works came up. Of the 5 musicians sitting at the bar, all had stories about the British chap in question. Not one person will go back. I've been telling everybody I know about him. You are losing business. You seem like decent people but wow that guy is a problem to your store. Also, from what I've heard, he's not all great at repairs. Especially after all the pain you have to got through with his temper, mood swings, and general spoiled child behavior. I'm generally a cheerful up beat person who see's the good in others. But this guy is your deal breaker. I'm not coming back, I will not even buy a pick from your store. read more

Everything seemed overpriced and no one approached me to see if I needed help, even though I was in there for a few minutes.

This place has just about anything you'd need if you are a guitarist or bassist. They sell mostly used stuff, so everything is relatively reasonable. The ceiling is lined with new guitars though, but they're not as accessible. The staff is really helpful, and they usually don't mind if you take an old, expensive Gibson off the walls just to jam on, in fact, they'll usually plug it in for you. Guitar Works also sells all sorts of music, tapes and CDs of local and well-known bands. I've been going here for years, and it's probably the best place in Ithaca for guitars. read more

Just another sexist guitar shop. I came in looking for an amp. Everyone who works there is an older dude, per usual. I had my eyes already set on an amp and I didn't really need any help, but one of the men walked over to the amps with me. I showed him the one I was interested in and he asked me what kind of guitar I play. When I told him he picked up a guitar, plugged it in, and started playing and playing (and playing) in front of me, turning knobs and just... playing guitar in front of me? I was in too much shock to ask him the burning question: were I a man, would he actually let me touch the technology? I felt degraded and demoralized. As a potential customer, I should be given the freedom to play around with the item I am considering. I should not have to yank a guitar out of anybody's hands in order to get the opportunity to test equipment myself. On another occasion I came in in a hurry looking for a capo. I needed a cheap one, quick. I asked the man behind the desk for the cheapest capo. He sighed and brought out a bunch of capos, and then insisted that I *guess* which one's the cheapest. So, if you enjoy guessing games, do visit this store. Otherwise, I would look for a place with better staff. read more

Their original approach was friendly (regarding repairs), their estimate was reasonable, their return time was for a short turn around. The work cost twice as much as estimated, it took twice as long, and they became less friendly with each interaction. They rarely return phone calls or email inquiries (after you commit). Some of the work was excellent, some aspects of the work that was not under repair were actually worse when the guitar came back (tuners were loose and maybe didn't seem like the originals). The luthier's work seemed mostly professional, yet when it was not good it seemed to be done with complete disregard for the final appearance (one pickguard replacement vs. the other pickguard replacement). I felt the owners became a bit more rude with each interaction. I will probably seek a different authorized Martin repair shop if my guitars ever need further repairs, though they did give a two year warranty. When I told them I was interested in using a guitar as a trade in; then I felt they inordinately detracted from the condition of the guitar so that they can get it at a lower trade in value. Their quality and variety of instruments for sale is very high and their sale prices are very reasonable, I just didn't like the way I was treated after I committed to using their services. Maybe you will have better luck yourself. read more

You need guitar equipment in Ithaca? You go here. It's as simple as that. They've got tons of everything you might possibly need and there isn't any sort of sales pitch going on. The fact that they let me and my friends come in and just jam on their guitars all through high school speaks to how laid back a place it is. The employees are super helpful and usually damn talented. When you buy a new guitar you get free adjustments for three months that they tell you to use, even if you don't think you need to. read more

I had to take my Taylor in for repairs here because there's not another Taylor service shop around. Unfortunately this was the worst service I have ever experienced. I had to pick up the guitar unfinished and will be driving it to Maryland to get it fixed. read more

Great selection of guitars, and represented by a good staff who will help you with any problem you have. Have a range of products in all fields for guitar, so expect to see something you've always wanted at every turn. They setup my guitar really well, but they had told they didn't start working on it until after I had to call them to ask them for its progress (they told me it'd only take a day or two). read more

I have been consistently pleased with the quality of service and the workmanship at Ithaca Guitar Works. I hade two very different experiences from that of Willy K. They converted a lefty Mexistrat into a righty and I have not stopped playing it since. Fantastic job. They are currently repairing a Ric 480, so I will follow up with a verdict on that, but the luthier spent a good 20 minutes with me over the phone to discuss exactly what I wanted. Really nice guy who knows what he is doing. I had them fix a vintage Morley volume pedal that had crapped out. Yes, it was a bit more expensive than I thought it would be, but it works beautifully now (and, for pedals, they do send them out). And, yes, they set up an Ibanez T-60 and they said that they could have done more, but I had wanted to keep the price down and thus limit it to a basic set up. So that was my choice. Repairs take a while, but no more than other places that do quality work. Chris is really nice and most of his colleagues are also super nice -- not the surly "hey, man, I really should be on stage...don't touch the hair...wot, that'll be $1.29" that you find elsewhere (although, to be fair, the folks at all Ithaca guitar stores have been really nice). I wish they had more effects, but it probably keeps me solvent that they don't (and it makes trips to NYC and Rogue Music more fun, anyway). read more