J was awesome getting my brand new bass restrung and tuned up. Now my matte black axe has some…read morebeautiful neon green strings that sounds just as sick as it looks.

Guitar Bar is just a great place overall. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable. They have things…read morefor every level of musician - from really cool gear to bits and bobs to upgrade your gear to lessons to learn how to better play your gear! Plus the store is an old florist shop - so much to look at!

Sometimes you stumble upon a gem of place that is world famous and you don't even realize it. Here…read moreI am 5 years on and realize just how amazing this store is! 2019 Was traveling around the 50 states and hopped into this place as I was passing by... Just blown away by the instruments they had! Not sure how long I was in there, but everything from droolworthy original D'Angelicos, original Epiphones and more... So much of music's history of the past to the present. After I get home and watching guitar videos I keep seeing this store pop up. Keep saying 'Hey, I was there!'... Do. yourself a favor and stop by. See the amazing selection of instruments they have on hand / display. The staff was super friendly and always willing to help when I asked. Thanks guys! Look forward to seeing you again!

Sometimes you stumble upon a gem of place that is world famous and you don't even realize it. Here…read moreI am 5 years on and realize just how amazing this store is! 2019 Was traveling around the 50 states and hopped into this place as I was passing by... Just blown away by the instruments they had! Not sure how long I was in there, but everything from droolworthy original D'Angelicos, original Epiphones and more... So much of music's history of the past to the present. After I get home and watching guitar videos I keep seeing this store pop up. Keep saying 'Hey, I was there!'... Do. yourself a favor and stop by. See the amazing selection of instruments they have on hand / display. The staff was super friendly and always willing to help when I asked. Thanks guys! Look forward to seeing you again!

I have been taking guitar classes with the teacher, Matt, for over 3 years now. His expertise has…read moreallowed me to grow exponentially as a guitarist. We started off on chords, and easy to learn songs, eventually we moved onto more complicated pieces. I have also seen Matt in concert, his band rocks! He's a tremendous guitar player, teacher, and I seem to learn new things from him every week. I strongly recommend Tonal Music Art School for any aspiring musician!

Hye Seon Hong has got to be the best Piano teacher on this side of the Hudson. So are the other…read moremusic teachers in this school. They're passionately dedicated to teaching music and at times go far with teaching techniques beyond the book. You can be an absolute beginner wondering where to start, and here's where their music material really shines! They've got it all covered - be it pop, rock, jazz... from beginner to becoming a pro! All you have to do is practice. Beyond teaching, they inspire you to explore your own style in songwriting and playing instruments. They also host seasonal recitals. My piano teacher Hye Seon has years of experience orchestrating off-broadway Jazz musicals in New York. She's very involved with her teaching - helps you appreciate music theory, has taught great playing techniques to flow effortlessly on the piano. I thoroughly enjoy taking music lessons with her. Delighted to have found this school and so would you be!

My daughter has been going here for a while now and she takes piano lessons with Jared. He's my…read moredaughter's favorite teacher. She loves taking lessons with him. He's very knowledgeable about music and different artists and he's very open to learning new songs. His teaching style is great and he really encourges my daughter to try her best when learning something new. Jared's the best and a really great person. I will definitely keep bringing my daughter here!

I have taken guitar lessons for many years with several different teachers. Presently, I am…read morestudying Jazz guitar with Mr. Rob Backof. He is by far the best guitar instructor that I have ever had. Rob is extremely knowledgeable with regard to music theory, musical notation, chords, arpeggios, scales and modes. His expertise with regard to his instrument of choice is readily apparent and Rob is very well versed with regard to all types of guitar instruction and playing including Rock, Jazz, Jazz Fusion, and Classical guitar. He is a very patient and mature instructor. In addition, Rob is a very motivational teacher, always encouraging one to do their very best, yet never critical concerning a student's progress and always generous with praise. John Christiano, M.D.

Came into town for a gig and needed drum sticks and I came upon this place!…read more So welcoming and organized. The employee was able to get me in and out so quick it was beautiful. If you're a traveling musician and need something, this is a great stop!

Have known Mike and Joe for years. Both are great guys and Joe has done set ups on a couple of my…read moreguitars. He actually "saved" a MIM Strat I found at a thrift store and brought it back to life. These guys are affordable and trustworthy.

I took a banjo here forever ago for a setup and the luthier there really massacred it. The neck was…read moreset to the body weird, in such a way that it almost looked warped. I was told this was the best he could do. I took it to Mandolin Brothers a little while later and the luthier there, who had more experience with folk instrument just stared at it, shook his head sadly, and said he'd fix it. Two weeks later it came back perfect. I avoided Metropolis for setups for years after that. I had an old 80s Ibanez bass that got set up well at Guitar Bar years ago, but it was about time for it to get set up again. I thought, okay, a banjo is a weird instrument, maybe a bass will be easy. I was wrong. I was told it would take about a week, and that was fine. I wasn't in a rush. When I dropped it off, I was told it was an old, cheap bass and that there was only so much he could do. Okay, fine. I didn't necessarily believe that, as I had gotten this bass setup once and it was great. Week goes by, got no call, nothing. Life got busy, but three weeks later I called about it. They said another week. Fine, okay. They never called, and I figured, forget about it, and went to go pick it up, to maybe give a try setting it up myself again. When I stopped in this week, the luthier there told me it was already done. The bass came back just as hard to play as it was before. Action was really high above the fifth fret, and there was buzzing on the 19th fret. I was told that other than getting a new truss rod or a refret, there was nothing else that could be done. Okay, fine. Who plays the 19th fret on a bass anyway? Then I got it home and tuned it up. The bass wasn't even intonated properly. At the 12th fret, the E string was like 17 cents sharp. The G string needed some attention too. Did the luthier even put it on the bench? Did he try to tune it? Intonating is not a special order type thing. I didn't explicitly tell him to intonate it, but when you get a setup, that should always be included. Did it take me long to intonate it myself? No, less than fifteen minutes with a screwdriver and a tuner. Which is what makes it even more frustrating that it wasn't done. This is probably a nice place to get lessons. But don't get an instrument set up here. I try not to be hard on local business people, and this place is surely doing something right, as it's been here for over 20 years. But setups aren't one of those things. Buy strings here. Take lessons here. Grab the odd wire or cable or music stand. But get your instruments set up at NJ Guitar and Bass Center or Guitar Bar.

It was not a good day to see they have left. The owner having worked at Manny's in Manhattan has a…read moresharp knowledge and was a great asset to the area. They took excellent care of buying and selling instruments with me and I can only wish them the best. Metropolis Music was a great feature of Downtown Jersey City not easily replaced. To their best. They certainly have the skills and talent.

Context: I visited…read moreGuitar Bar on September 10th, 2025 and had the pleasure of being helped by Don, who has been with the store for three years. The store itself has been around for 30 years, and you can really feel the history and passion in every corner. As someone who loves documenting experiences, I took plenty of photos to capture the vibe and inventory. Also, support small businesses. I began my guitar career after piano violin around junior high, and ultimately after my career started to grow, have not played for over 15 years. Bought a dreadnought about two years ago, but due to the move from the Bay Area to West New York, New Jersey - rarely played it. Read great reviews, and most importantly when I looked at photos from existing yelp users, everything seemed really genuine and reminded me of those old school and authentic vibes. I got from when I first started in Chicago. Guitar bar did not disappoint at all and I had an amazing experience learning more about the business. Staff and service: Don was extremely friendly, knowledgeable, patient, and after a very enjoyable conversation with him learned that he came from a musician background. Don told me he worked there for three years, but the Business has been there for 30 years. He took the time to walk me through everything. I came in specifically for a few picks, including a soft one because I wanted to teach my wife, a digital tuner as my ability to tune, has gone down the drain, as well as a new capo. As you can see from my photos, inventory is fantastic, and even though it might look cluttered - you can see authentic acoustic guitars to base and guitar amps of all sizes to ukuleles. The transaction was quick, but what really made experience a 15 out of 10 was my conversation with Don. Although he does not have a favorite guitarist, he shared his family background as well as some of his favorite guitarist. I am a millennial - but growing up in addition to church music, I had a deep respect for classic rock as well, and we really had a great conversation in regards to that. He truly knows his history and you could feel genuine passion in every corner. As someone who loves documenting experiences, I took plenty of photos to capture the vibe and inventory. It was clear he genuinely cared about my experience and not just making a sale. The store is extremely spacious, cozy and well organized, even if the photos seemed like it cluttered. I promise you to go inside and give it a try because if you have time - you will be there for at least an hour. Products & inventory: I mentioned the products already and everything is authentic. Pricing is reqsoanble, with selections you normally would not see in E.G. Guitar Hero. The musical equipment caters toward skill of all levels and every single one you can play and test out - with no pressure at all. Highly highly recommend giving the store a chance if you're looking for any kind of musical instruments or just want a really cool and down-to-earth guy who knows this stuff to answer and address any of your questions - without that sales and pushiness. Vintage, authentic - we need to keep these businesses alive because it stores like these they got me into music in the first place. See photos for yourself Rock On!!!!!!

This shop is truly a piece of nostalgia, and harkens back to the old days where independent music…read moreshops were the place to acquire your gear. Walking into this shop feels like walking into a different era, and I mean this in the most positive of ways. The store has a great selection of anything you could need. They have integrity, and will work with you to meet your needs. As others have said, if they don't have it, they will get it or point you in the right direction. I could not imagine a better place to bring a young, budding, musician to purchase their first instrument, as this is what a music shop should be. This will certainly be an experience for them as compared to a big-box store. The personal touch is what makes this great. Recommended!

Always bring my guitars here when I need something done. I've known Paul for about 9 years now I…read morethink? Setups are great. I don't even try the guitars in shop when I pick them up after a setup, because they've always been so consistently great. Bought a really expensive used Meshuggah 8 string guitar, and brought it directly to him to set up; plays like brand new. Brought him a used 7 string that was out of wack, he set it up perfect and also installed a shim to turn the floyd into a hard tail. Be's brought several old acoustics of mine back from the dehydrated dead, and sound great. I first met him when I was looking for someone to put together a custom lucite flying v guitar comprised of parts sourced from all over the place. A project that could have gone horribly wrong, he took and made it the best it could possibly be. He even suggested and routed battery compartments behind the pickups to retain the cleanest possible look from the see through body. Paul is a genius. He is in my phone as "Guitar Genius Paul" since I first reached out to him in 2008. All the negative reviews, take with a grain of salt.. Everyone knows how needy and bitchy these kinds of people can be. Paul is not only reasonable, he's extremely cool!

I have been a customer of Guitartech for going on 6 years now, and have experienced nothing short…read moreof superb customer service. Paul & Joe are great at what they do, and genuinely care about me as a customer, but also as a guitarist. I trust every word of advice that I am given about guitars and all things related to them. I grew so confident through my experience with them, that I had a custom guitar built by Paul. It has been an invaluable piece of my journey as a musician. Amazing place!

My twin sons love Westwood Music Studios! They started as beginners at the age of 7 on violin and…read morepiano. The music teachers are patient and wonderful. We have thoroughly enjoyed the bi-annual recitals. Vinny(guitar) and Nancy(piano) instructors/owners are kind and very flexible with scheduling needs. Ten years have passed and they are still attending private classes. Their progress has been amazing and they have placed in many music competitions over the years.

I have been taking piano lessons with Nancy - one of the owners - for a few years. She never fails…read moreto discover how to help me improve my playing. I started playing as an adult, for my own enjoyment (a hobby) and have discovered that my life is richer as a result of playing. I would not be where I am as a pianist without having a commitment to continuing regular weekly lessons with Nancy. It would be "easier" sometimes to do other activities, but then I would not have the added pleasure of music in my life!! My only regret is that I did not start sooner!

I am a huge fan of this store, and always have been. Staff have always been kind, courteous, and…read morehelpful and the store has always had the personal touch that I believe sets it apart from big box stores. I love to shop local and independent, and this store harkens back to a different time where music shops had character. The selection has always included what I was looking for. This Christmas, I was thrilled to open a Stratocaster purchased from this store by my wife. I have never had a guitar that played as good out of the box than this one, and the staff in this store clearly set the guitar up BEAUTIFULLY. Needless to say, they know what they're doing here, and that is hard to find these days. Additionally, my wife raved about how kind, patient, and supportive they were throughout the process, given that she is not a musician. This personal touch is well-worth a few extra bucks because it is independently owned. I can't recommend this store enough.

Always great service and fast repairs. I always recommend RME to my musician friends…read more They've cared for my basses for over a decade and I trust them implicitly