if you are looking for great service, good prices and classic folk instruments, look no further.read more

My guitar duet partner and I purchased 5 acoustics from these guys throughout the 90s. We also both…read moreplayed classical guitar guitars and are serious players. We went in there the last time to check out classical guitar and we're treated so rudely we never went back. I was astonished And I should say every time that I bought a guitar there I felt uncomfortable. but at the time they were really the only game in town for Taylor guitars. I don't know if it's changed, but I heard that the guy that used to work at the front is part of ownership so I'm not sure anything's changed. The individual was not particularly friendly. I felt sorry for him in a way - kind of a dour dude. I hope for new folks going there it has warmed up a bit. i'm a southern boy and not originally from Massachusetts but it get kind of cold up here if you know what I mean.

Dropped by on Friday hours before a gig for a new snare head, sticks and a cymbal stand. Got a…read morewhopping package deal and Alan let me test everything out in the shop to be sure I liked it. Great service and great deals.

I was thrilled to find that this store doesn't just have hand drums, but is also well-stocked with…read more hardware and parts for rock drum kits. And if they don't stock something you need, they'll order it for you or point you in the right direction. Alan, the owner, is extremely knowledgeable and helpful if I have questions or need advice. When I came in last year wanting to restore my vintage kit, I had no idea where to start, and Alan helped me through the entire process, from cleaning, de-rusting, to finding missing parts. Whenever I have a problem with my kit or something breaks, I always go to Alan first (it's a good idea to call the store to see when he's working!) Often he'll find a way to fix it without having to purchase new parts. Definitely recommend this gem over bigger places like Guitar Center.

Mike's repair skills are unmatched. Pricing is fair, staff is solid. Always make time for me on…read morezero notice for emergency repairs

Leonards Music is fantastic. Mr. Mike Leonard was recommended to me by a Berkley Music School…read moreprofessor for a review and repair as needed of my 1934 Cohn tenor sax. When several years later it needed the neck cork replaced they did it in 20 minutes while I waited for a ridiculously low fee, no appointment required. The staff is warm and friendly on the phone and in person. The facility is easy to get to and no issues with parking. I would recommend it without reservation for anyone in need of musical instrument repair, especially saxophones. Steven W. Margles, MD

Brought a ukulele in for string replacement and lowering action as that is what the teacher of the…read moreclass I just started said would improve my experience playing. The gentleman working there looked at the instrument, which I am borrowing from a family member, and pointed out that some warping was the reason the action was a bit high - not a typical saddle or nut height issue. I asked if he could just replace the strings (I had brought in my own). Dropped it off on Saturday and picked up on Monday. He was helpful showing me different sizes of ukuleles they had as I mentioned waiting to buy one myself until I knew better what I wanted. Very helpful and not at all pushy. I almost didn't stop in due to seeing bad reviews here but my experience was great.

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

Came here to purchase a music stand per recommendation of my family friend. The gentleman who…read moreassisted me was very knowledgeable and gave me real advice without being pushy or trying to upsell me, rather just educate me to help me make the right purchase. I didn't get his name but he was very kind. They also have music lessons here and sell instruments, and everything in between. Right in the heart of downtown Woburn with free, 2 hour street parking.

Great people, always satisfied with service. Great product line, if it's not already in the store,…read morethey can get it for you fast. I highly recommend National Music for all your needs.

Joe seems to get a lot of flak on this site from people who claim that he isn't nice to people who…read morearen't interested in buying a guitar. I did buy a guitar, so I can't comment from that perspective, but I will say that when I went into the shop to check out a model I was interested in, there were some high school kids playing around on a guitar and they clearly weren't going to buy and Joe let them play. I thought Joe was a nice guy. Straightfoward but helpful. He knows his stuff and clearly loves guitars. Anyway, I bought a guitar at Performance Music Center and my experience was good. I bought a G&L Doheny Tribute model and it is a lovely guitar. The only issue is that the initial one I purchased had a factory problem (one of the potentiometers didn't work correctly, which was probably indicative of a wiring problem). I realized this once I got back home with it and played around with it. Anyway, I took it back to the store and they were VERY apologetic. Joe raised hell with the G&L people and they sent a replacement one. Joe was nice enough to let me hold on to the defective model to play with until the new one arrived, which was a nice gesture and offered a discount on gig-bags as a further apology. Once the replacement guitar came in, it worked great. All in all, I am giving the review 4/5 stars because they really should have caught the mistake when they were setting the guitar up, though I also sympathize because a wiring error is something that you would expect the guitar manufacturer to catch in quality control, especially one like G&L, but still... That being said, if I could do it all over again I would still work with the Performance Music Center and I will be back. In fact I already bought an amp from them. One thing worth mentioning that is pretty cool is that if you buy a guitar from them, they will do free tune-up/setups for the life of the guitar. That's an amazing value. So anyway, I'll be back to them within the year to take advantage of that service. If the setup service proves to be as good as promised then I will upgrade the review to 5 stars. Anyway, overall I would say that it is a store and owner than know their business and are passionate and knowledgeable about their brands. They worked with me to correct any errors along the way and I look forward to continuing with them in the future.

I arrived in town early before school so I had a little extra time to check out local business. I…read moretried a few guitars and a tube amp. A few days later I went back and got kicked out as soon as I walked in the door. I will NEVER go back there. And I have spent an ungodly amount of money on guitars and amps elsewhere.

Rock 101 band got super big, like two of every instrument and super chaotic. We asked if they were…read moregoing to split it in two; first they blew us off and then they were sort of actively rude about our followup. After six weeks or so of our kid complaining that he only actually played for ten minutes per session, we sadly quit; owner Mark Abruzzese then wrote us a nasty email where he managed to insult us and our kid. It all felt really scammy tbh.

My 15 year old daughter had such a great experience at School of Rock (Burlington) summer camp last…read moreJune. She said the teachers are super nice and Mark, the owner who is also a music teacher, is awesome. Now she's in the performance program and is really enjoying that too! My daughter has enjoyed performing her entire life but since Covid it's been a real challenge getting her back into it. I am so grateful that School of Rock has changed that for her! If you are shopping for an innovative, fresh approach to learning music in a musically prolific environment that is "excitable and friendly" (my daughter's sentiments) you've gotta try this school. You will be so glad you did!

Ever since I heard the original Pirates of the Caribbean score, I wanted to learn how to play…read moreviolin. About 11 years later, I met Ariadna and finally began the journey. Ariadna made every session fun, which is one of the most important and less popular methods of teaching because it made me (and other students, I'm sure) want to practice at home more often. Ariadna is patient, encouraging, and extremely observational: She's able to explain the proper technique and form of holding a violin in a multitude of ways and her (optional) hands-on approach was key in teaching me to be able to RELAX my muscles. I wouldn't even know that I was tensing up, and Ariadna would tell me to relax from sometimes even half a room's length away. If I thought I was when I actually wasn't, she'd walk over and gently put her hands on my shoulders, and they would melt away from my ears without her even putting pressure on them. Ariadna's ability to notice the slightest bit of tension in her students' bodies is extremely helpful to minimize the risk of shoulder inflammation that can result from improper form. It's also helpful in teaching us to remember to let go of unnecessary tension, both in our bodies and in our minds. Ariadna makes every session comfortable, both in the sense of making sure my shoulders wouldn't tense up towards my ears (as they so often would) and also of providing a comfortable, safe space that enriches her students' learning capabilities. Ariadna brings calmness, understanding, and passion to everything that she does, and her genuine nature inspired me to practice more often than I otherwise would had if I had been paired with someone else. I highly recommend Ariadna as a musical teacher. Her interpersonal, musical, and encouragement skills are unparalleled. I haven't been the same person since we've met, in the most positive sense of the phrase.

We have been this lovely studio for a year almost, my 6 years old boy enjoyed every moment of there…read morewith Pianist David, and we highly recommend this lovely place and people to all music lover.

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.

The business owner, in fact, is a friendly and patient man. I was looking for a beginner acoustic…read moreguitar, and the business owner offered a good deal, and even gave an introductory beginner lesson. So, come with a good heart, and enjoy the music!