Looked around for a music shop to repair my banjo and everybody was booked up. One place…read morerecommended Alan at Village Music, who said he was able to work on it. Dropped it off at his place and picked it up a week later. Sounds good now and was not expensive. It looks like the music store has moved from its original location, don't know the details but whatever works.

I really want to love this place. I mean, a local music store on Bainbridge? Should be awesome!…read more But the truth is that every time I go there, I am criticized. Either my guitar is mass produced and just not good quality, or my playing style is wrong and I'm going to hurt myself (been playing for 20 years - I'm doing fine....). If you even hint that you purchased something from the web, you will get serious stink-eye. Here's are some hints for the owners: 1. People do actually buy things elsewhere. Compliment them on their purchases. Tell them their guitars or other instruments are just awesome and they sound great. Ask if you can play them. Stroke their egos. Then show them the guitar you have that you think would complement it. 2. Make your customers feel good about coming in! Even if you're bitter about stuff, don't let people see it. Smile. Joke around. Be nice! People will buy stuff for the experience of coming in and feeling great. 3. Never, ever, ever tell someone they are playing wrong or tell them they need to improve their form. It's totally not your place unless you're asked. It sounds snooty and condescending when you have no idea what experiences and training people have.

Nice little music shop that rents, repairs, and sells new and used instruments. I was surprised at…read moretheir variety of items, considering they are rather 'off the beaten track'. Plus, their prices are better than some around town. Good customer service and knowledge about products.

Once again, Mr. Castleman came through for us. I totally forgot (my bad) to come back and write a…read moresecond review in march, after he fixed my daughter's cello. What a great job he did! Not only did the major stuff get fixed, but also every nick and scratch was filled, smoothed and removed. The cello looks a lot better now. Also, he saved us some money by working on repairing existing pieces, instead of just replacing the bow. He did advise us on better handling of the bow to avoid future problem, and also that the bow fix could be just a temp thing, and might still fail. That was back at end of March. The bow is still being abused daily here! =) Once again, thanks for the artisan-ship, for the professionalism and for the time you took talking to my daughter and I. We always learn something valuable from you! =)

Our son has taken Classical Guitar lessons from Rick for a couple of years now. He has no previous…read moreguitar experience but has always had a very strong passion for music. Rick saw something in this and has developed a way of teaching to our son that has kept him captivated and reaching new heights with his abilities over the years. Our son is not only able to read and play music; he writes his own songs and is willing to perform them willingly when asked. Granted this is over time, we couldn't be happier with the results we have seen in our son (unless he practiced more). Rick provides the much needed encouragement, passion and dedication in each lesson and we like to hear the progress when our son actually practices. Our son is no professional and still has a long way to go, but we couldn't imagine him being anywhere other than with Rick at Washington Academy of Music.

I liked the instructor enough, but when I went out of town for being a service member (overseas…read moreservice), and even when I verbalized that prior to leaving the state, they continued to charge me full price for two months. They did not let me know the instructor was receiving a bunch of no-shows from us. Seemed like a money ploy to me.

It all started when I popped on to their website and was looking at sewing machines. That annoying…read morelittle chat thing sprang to life with a perky Emily asking if she could help. A very pleasant conversation took place with a surprising twist, turns out QSV was having a sale in a few days!!! But Emily was extremely helpful and funny, ask her about her side hustle as an actress. Unfortunately I was going to be out of town, ya bummer, but she said I could have the sale price when I got back YAY for the win!!! I eventually got around to picking up my new JUKI TL2010 with Angelina helping by wheeling it to my truck. I stopped her there, if she tried to put it in the back seat she would be real close to lifting it over her head. Went home, unboxed the beast and have been a happy camper since. This place is full of nice people and great stuff. If ya need something for sewing or quilting they probably have it, give them a call and ask.

Excellent store great people large selection, I always find what I need for my sewing needs there!!!read more

As a brand-new pipe smoker, I couldn't have asked for a better experience. The owner of Cargo Hold…read morewas incredibly friendly, welcoming, and patient. He took the time to answer all of my questions and was very knowledgeable about pipes, pipe tobacco, and everything I needed to get started. Instead of trying to upsell me, he focused on helping me find the right tobacco for my experience level, which I really appreciated. His customer service made me feel comfortable and confident walking into a hobby that can be a little intimidating at first. If you're new to pipe smoking--or even if you've been enjoying it for years--I highly recommend stopping by. Great selection, outstanding customer service, and a staff that genuinely knows their craft!

Looking at the other review I was weary about going to this shop for the first time because of the…read morefeedback on the employee. The same employee was super nice, informative and very helpful. I'll be back for sure.

Amazing and beautiful store. Worker is nice and very friendly. Pokemon cards inclusion is awesome…read more Definitely recommend!

There's a medium built, dirty blind girl- could be 18 could be 36- opening the shop this morning…read more She was rude, clearly I irritated her being the first customer of the day and her register wasn't logged on yet. No hello just an explanation as to why she was probably going to give me some crap ass service. I ended up not buying anything. Because for me customer service is always going to Trump everything. I either need to train their staff better or consider who they really want to be the face of their company. Data visit 6:11/26 at 9:00 a.m.

Mike is amazing. Dude was able to do the best job in the world doing what he loves...teaching…read moreguitar. it shows in his teaching methods. Patient but persistent. I have been his student for over 2 years and have over 75 songs learned from rock to blues, Cream to Joe Bonnamassa, and I am hooked for life. Thank you Yoda.

My son took lessons for a year with a different instructor and only new how to play Happy Birthday…read moreafter that time. We switched to Mike and his ability to connect with his students and has led to my son playing everything from CCR to Joan Jett. I highly recommend him!

I always have a great experience when stopping at Gig Harbor Audio. I purchased my HiFi system…read moreelsewhere, so I haven't bought equipment from them, but I've spent over $1000 on records here. I've spent hours listening to various setups over time. The staff is knowledgeable and interesting. There is a good selection of high-end records here which are hard or impossible to find at most vinyl-only shops. Prices are reasonable considering Discogs market rates. I make a point to stop in every time I'm in Gig Harbor!

This is the kind of Hi Fi shop you thought had gone extinct - really excellent gear, carefully…read morechosen and well presented, and classic timeless pieces. Definitely not flavor of the month. The staff are quirky - the good kind of quirky. They know their stuff and they aren't herding you to buy what they have. Instead I feel like I'm having a conversation with a super knowledgeable enthusiast whose opinions I can trust. I bought my first piece, a Leben amp, and it was everything it was claimed to be. Recently I added a set of Chartwell speakers which have their special charms. Great shops like GHA make you want to return. They dig their music and they treat customers with respect - educating where helpful and never condescending. They lean towards tubes and English hifi, but spend time listening and you'll understand the charm. Prices are fair and trades are welcome and fairly valued.