Amazon had a massive outage when I was expecting some P/A equipment to arrive in a particular time…read moreframe. I had no way of tracking the delivery, and it was imperative we got our equipment on time. I called half a dozen music stores in the area, and no one had the piece I needed. When I called Alexandria Music, Sonya (sp?) helped me out. They did not have the model I needed, but they did have a really great alternative, albeit more expensive. I told her my situation, how our delivery was caught in between worlds in the ether of delivery debacles, and she said, "Let me check with the owner and see if we can help you out." Shortly afterward, I got a call saying they would give sell me the higher-end unit and give me a discount to accommodate our very specific budget. In short, she (and the owner) saved our bacon and took my stress level down several notches. I've worked in music stores, and I've frequented countless others across the country. I've actually grown to dread going into them; I often find myself feeling like I'm at a car dealership. Heck, I'm sure I made folks feel like I was a car salesman when I worked at the music-store-that-shall-not-be-named (*cough* Walmart of music stores *cough*). This was different. Short, to the point, zero haggle involved, just accommodating a customer in a very stressful situation and going above and beyond what most places would ever do. I don't live super close to the store, but I might just make the drive to Alexandria in the future because my experience here was so good. Thank you Sonya; I'm sorry if I misspelled your name. You made my life much easier this week, and I sincerely appreciate it. And thank you, store owner I never met. My sole experience tells me you've got the right mindset on running a music store. I'll be back.

Not often that you come across a real music store these days but this is one! Love this place.read more

I have been taking piano lessons from Nicole for 13 months now. She is an excellent teacher. As an…read moreadult learner, I was starting at the very beginning, and I am so pleased with the progress I've made in a little over a year. Nicole is an encouraging teacher, who gently offers suggestions for how to improve, while also supporting her students and helping them to see their progress. She works hard to tailor her lesson plans to the student's needs, and is great about giving me a mix of things to work on each week to continue to progress. I highly recommend her!

From the owner: Northern Virginia piano studio offering private lessons for beginning and intermediate-level…read morestudents of all ages, including adult beginners or returners. Both traditional and Suzuki methods, with individualized approaches and goals, are offered, along with daytime availability for adults and homeschooled students. Inquire via website about trial lessons.

Service from Rob was great! They have a good selection of products for both wind and brass…read moreinstruments. After putting my saxophone down for 36 years (yeah that's right), I've regained interest in playing it again. Yup, still the exact saxophone I played back in 1990. It was already considered vintage back then, but a good instrument, like one's body and mind, maintained and repaired, will last a very long time. Dropped off my sax for a tuneup and pad replacement where needed today, and their turn-around time is 14-days. You can pre-authorize a charge limit, and if any repairs will exceed that amount they will call you to discuss. What's also good, is that they'll inspect it first before performing any work and let you know if the instrument is worth the cost of repairs or not. Rob said they'll provide you an evaluation, as well. When my sax is ready to pickup, I'll follow up and update this review.

Predatory Scam - Stay Away!…read more Signed up for lessons, got billed for services I never received. No lessons, no communication, just automatic charges to my card. Tried to cancel-- they ignored it and kept billing, then tried doubling the amount after cancellation. And this was four months ago... This is straight-up fraudulent and predatory. Do NOT come here and do not give them your credit card info or sign any contract. I've filed complaints with the FTC and CFPB.

Though I loved the old Guitar Shop on Connecticut, this new location is just as convenient for me…read more I have owned a bass for five years.... FINALLY started taking lessons a few months ago with John, and I'm loving it! It's so much fun, and John is an excellent teacher. He teaches to my learning style, he's patient and thorough, and consistent with his reminders of how I should be playing (finger placement, posture, and all). Though his style may seem scattered at first, he really does a great job of building off of what we learned from the previous week while keeping it interesting. If you're like me and thinking that you'll eventually get around to taking lessons, DO IT NOW! (Before they realize that they're not charging enough!)

From the owner: Lessons offered on guitar (blues/jazz/rock/classical), bass (electric or string bass,) banjo and…read moremandolin to all levels of students from beginner to advanced, using a patient approach designed for relaxed, comprehensive, fun lessons tailored to each student. Formally at The Guitar Shop in DC for 6+ years, teaching theory, improvisation and repertoire building, supplying aspiring musicians with the necessary tools and materials to be successful. We specialize in showing students how to learn from and play their favorite recordings.

**Outstanding Customer Service -- Thank You, Melody!**…read more I had an absolutely outstanding experience at the Guitar Center on Arlington Blvd in Falls Church, and the reason was **Melody Diaz**. I came in with a general idea of what I needed, but I wasn't completely sure what would work best to connect my subwoofer with my Fender PA system. Melody was incredibly knowledgeable, patient, and customer-focused. Instead of simply trying to sell me something, she took the time to listen, understand what I was trying to accomplish, and help me figure out what I actually needed. What impressed me even more was that when I mentioned I was considering upgrading my system in the future, Melody walked me through several options and gave me some great recommendations to consider when I'm ready. There was no pressure--just knowledgeable, professional advice focused on what would work best for me. That level of customer service is becoming harder to find, and Melody represents it exceptionally well. **As long as Melody is there, Guitar Center in Falls Church will be my first stop whenever I have an audio equipment question or need.** She turned what could have been a frustrating shopping experience into a truly 5-star experience. Thank you, Melody! Guitar Center is fortunate to have you on their team.

I stopped into this location to return a speaker and didn't have the best experience. I've been to…read moreother guitar center where the staff is great and expected similar customer service. When I walked in with 2 big boxes, everyone in the store just kinda stared at me. Not welcoming at all. Once I returned my items, I also wanted to purchase something else and the gentleman in that part of the store was not super helpful and a little standoffish. I won't go into the details, but definitely not the same energy I received from the Alexandria location.

This is the WORST, absolute worst, business in Alexandria. They constantly double book lessons,…read moretreat their students and teachers as if they are expendable, and regularly mess up their billing. They have no merchandise to speak of and it seems like they have not cleaned the store in months. Avoid this place at all cost! If you want lessons check out ROAM, Fox's, Alexandria Music, even Craig's List first!!!!!

Bad experiences with this awful place. Overbooked sessions constantly and overcharged me several…read moretimes. Terrible place, don't go. Teacher Steve Attix is a very shady and dishonest teacher and business owner. He seemed to always be in a rush and gets frustrated while teaching. Interestingly, he used to own this same place at same location under another name called Acoustic Axis Instruments years ago, it has some bad online reviews regarding the competency and practices of the owner Steve. Stay far away!

This place is amazing! The store is clean and very organized. The lessons run on time, the pianos…read moreare in tune, and their rock school program is fantastic. ROAM's teachers have played all over the country, Europe, and China. The billing is always accurate. This is THE BEST place for lessons in Alexandria.

My daughter took piano lessons with Erin. Erin scheduled her own lessons and was always very…read moreorganized (there were a few times when we weren't *quite* as organized and forgot our daughter had a lesson, and Erin was always very kind and understanding). Our daughter loooooooved taking lessons with Erin! We have no complaints at all, Erin really got Ava interested by making it fun... She even taught Ava how to play some Harry Potter pieces We originally started with Del Ray Performing Arts Center because Erin was there, and when she moved to ROAM we were so relieved. Unlike DRPAC, ROAM is incredibly consistent with billing dates and always accurate. The owner, John, is very personable and professional. We usually waited in the lounge while our daughter was in her lesson, and it seemed like all of the other students and parents were happy with their respective teachers as well. We recently moved to Texas, and we will miss all the folks over at ROAM!

Kudos to a tightly organized music lesson instructor with a reminder system that works well. Matt…read moreis always on time, makes great music selections for my daughter, and keeps the class moving at a good pace. Thank you for a professional and enjoyable setting.

Fantastic experience. Very comfortable setting and Judy is a total pro. I recommend this company to…read moreany age; any talent level and for any purpose or goal. I hope to go back soon!

When I purchased my first brand new clarinet from Foxes, the staff was very accommodating of my…read morequestions and allowed me to look at several different ones ones before I came to a decision, giving me a very reasonable price below MSRP. Later when my clarinet developed cracks while breaking it in they offered to replace it instead of having me wait for them to send it back to the manufacturer for repair. The customer service I received has been excellent and as such they are my first choice for music instrument needs. They also have a large selection of sheet music for various instruments and you can spend a lot of time just browsing their selection. Because of this I absolutely recommend them. On top of the great service and selection they provide, they are a local business that I am proud to support and encourage others to do likewise.

Foxes Music has been a pillar of the Northern Virginia community for decades. We are lucky to have…read moresuch a great resource in our community. The staff there are very helpful from the earliest beginnings of your musical journey and continue to be there through adulthood. I've been a customer since before I became a parent, and I've bought multiple instruments for me and my now adult children. Foxes has everything from beginner instruments to vintage professional instruments. On top of having great inventory of instruments, music and accessories, Foxes Music is very generous with helping out our local schools in need. I highly recommend Foxes Music!

They say the true test of a relationship isn't how things are when everything goes right, but in…read morehow things are when things go wrong. Last month, I stopped into Atomic Music and saw the most beautiful guitar, a model I had been dreaming of for years. My birthday was coming up, so I decided to splurge and treat myself. One of the owners gave me a great price and was really friendly. Everything was wonderful until a month later when I finally got around to setting up the guitar for my preferred gauge of strings. I discovered a serious but repairable structural issue with the guitar. Not their fault -- It wasn't something they would have been aware of unless they had taken the truss rod cover off and attempted to adjust the guitar's neck. I sent an email detailing the problem and it wasn't even five minutes later I got a call from one of the owners. He told me to bring it back for a full refund, and that he'd even pay for my gas to bring it back. There was no argument and no questioning of my expertise. That's fantastic service in my book! I will be back and I have no worries about spending money there again. The shop has an enormous used inventory including some high-end instruments and prices are fair.

A coworker recommended going, I was reluctant since I live on the VA (other side) of the city. But…read moreOMG. The inventory was amazing. I was actually overwhelmed by the number of guitars and amps in stock. Literally thousands. What I thought would be a 10 min max, look around, buy a pack of strings (I always try and buy something at non chain music stores) turned into a 2 hour adventure. Rows and rows of guitars. I was at first intimidated and it took a bit to get my bearings as how the instruments were organized. LPs over here, Fenders over there. Did I mention there were "like 2 thousand guitars. Then I was shocked at how reasonable the prices were. After 45 minutes I had decided I was definitely getting a new guitar that day, then what to choose? Narrowed down between 2 that I wanted and matched what I could afford that day. The guy who rang me up, saw it was my first purchase there and knocked a few bucks off and threw in a new set of slinky strings. Look if you are looking for a posh music boutique store with fancy displays, this is not the place for you. But if you are a musician looking for quality gear that is priced right and huge inventory, this is the place. I am already planning my next visit with a bigger budget.