Good service and the employees there are so nice and they helped me pick out a good Xmas gift but the amp selection is kind of small

I ordered a Fender Jazzmaster Elemental in black from Matchetts, as no one else in the UK had any left. Not even Fender (Fender still don't). This is due to them being a limited run. When I ordered the guitar, I had an email confirming my order. I also had an email saying they would be in contact with me every step of the way. Only they didn't. I rang up 2 days later to ask if it had been dispatched yet, as I had heard nothing from them. It turned out it had. When the guitar was delivered, it was damaged. There was a crack in the finish between the control knobs. I thought about having it refinished. So I plugged it in and it played really nicely. Unfortunately, on closer inspection the volume knob was bent and the tone control was severely crackling when using it. So I emailed Matchetts and told them I wanted to send it back. I sent them videos of the damage. Matchetts said they could send me the same guitar in white, as they had no black ones left in stock. I decided to return it. They agreed to have the guitar collected and I could have a refund. They thought the body might be cracked due to the damage in the video I sent. I cancelled my over time and waited at home all day for Parcel Force to turn up. They didn't. I rang Matchetts again and arranged for the damaged guitar to be collected from my neighbour. Again Parcel Force did not turn up. Matchetts said they had turned up and neither myself or my neighbour were in on either occasion. However we both were. We also both have iRing doorbells. So every time some comes down the drive, the doorbell records it and the motion sensor alerts your phone. Funnily enough, the doorbell worked on the night I had off, as Amazon made a delivery and it acknowledged they were there and the doorbell rang out when they pressed it. I made the shop aware of this. I rang the store again, they suggested for Parcel Force to pick it up again. I told them I had already lost £150 through cancelling my over time, would they pay if I got it delivered. They agreed they would cover the whole cost. So I went to the Post Office, and they weighed the guitar to be sent by Parcel Force. They asked me the value of the item, I told them and they charged me around £45 for it. That same day I sent a copy of the receipt to the guitar store with the tracking number. A few days later the guitar had been delivered to Matchetts and I had one email saying they had issued a refund for the guitar, and another saying they wouldn't refund me for the full cost of the guitar shipping. This was apparently because I had unknowingly paid extra for insurance to cover the guitar in case damage was done to the guitar in transit. If more damage had occurred in transit to the guitar, that would be deducted from my guitar refund (see their website for returns procedure). So they refunded me around £15. I didn't argue, because I can't make them do something they don't want to do. Even when they break a promise about covering the whole cost of the shipping. All of the communication throughout this ordeal was always instigated by me. They returned my calls 2 out of 3 times and seemed very disinterested about what had happened. Or about getting the guitar back as soon as possible, so they could refund my money. Unfortunately I don't have over £1100 to just throw away. But they didn't seem to care. So as well as the dissatisfaction of their service and losing £180. It has been the worst experience I have ever had buying guitars online. I have been buying guitars online for around 20 years. Funnily enough, they now have a the same black guitar in stock on their website for the same price I paid. Fender still don't have it in stock. So it's interesting how they managed to get a new one when the manufacturer can't, to put one their own website. I'd be wary of using this shop if I was you. I definitely won't be. The service, broken promises and loss of money was more than enough to put me off. Especially as receiving a new guitar is generally a brilliant experience. But then they made it even worse. I did a review on Google and they lied by saying they had given me tracking numbers and all the documentation for the pick up of the guitar, on both occasions. They did not. I would seriously avoid this company. read more

This shop suffices anyone in a music crisis but don't expect them to be the nicest. It sometimes can prove to be a challenge to get served and once you are lucky enough to be one of the chosen few you may be herded on very quickly and not given much time to ask your questions. I presume the manager is just 'sell sell sell'!!! But of course you can buy anything there and at an Ok price, but my advice would be to know exactly what your looking for before you go in. Do your due diligence and research the product your interested in because there won't be much advice offered. When your looking for a product like a guitar or amp and there are so many different type. You need to have a conversation with someone who knows what they are talking about and someone who is actually willing to talk about it. What you don't need is someone letting you buy something that is expensive an not appropriate for your needs. Anyways, I'm not a big fan of this shop for that reason. But try it out for yourself, maybe you might have a different experience. read more

I'm pretty attached to this shop. As a former trumpet player, it used to be my first port of call for sheet music. It's also the place that I was bought my first trumpet, so I get a bit nostalgic when I go in. They stock pretty much everything the music student needs, and while you can get a lot of the stuff cheaper on the internet these days, what sets them apart is that the staff know what they're talking about. Most of them play an instrument, so you can usually find an expert to chat to about what you need, but if not, the rest of the staff will have enough knowledge to steer you in the right direction. read more

Matchetts Music - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Belfast, BFS

Staff could do with a course in customer relations. Their ability to make one feel like an inconvenient nuisance is second to none. I came away feeling disappointed that I completed my purchase. Next year I'll buy from reputable online dealership. For a family run business it was an unpleasant experience. read more

Been coming here for a lifetime and this is definitely the music shop in town for any musician be they amateur or more pro. The staff are very knowledgeable and will gladly give out advice on anything be it string gauges or a specific piece of kit you might be looking to order in. Of course the main attraction is the hanging rows of guitars and there's a good mix of cheapish guitars/basses ranging right up to more high end Gibson/Fender stuff. Plenty of acoustics and there's a specific drum area out the back where mere mortals are scared to tread. One interesting thing they do is set-ups on guitars which have helped transform a couple of old planks of mine into something more playable. Obviously if you know how to do this yourself it might seem expensive but if fret filing and intonation sound a bit alien then these boys will sort you out. Tons of pedals, strings, cabling, rock tab books...blah blah, it's all here. A very nice shop to browse and as I said, the staff are always enthusiastic. Pros: Great selection, helpful advice. Cons: Not a huge selection of amps/combos/cabs. read more

Matchetts Music - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Belfast, BFS

From my days as a student in the school of music, I always ended up in here every so often, looking for rosin for my bow, or the latest music theory book (retch!) and now I trawl through it's shelves looking for singing/vocal scores. They have just about everything you could think of in the music book section, from jazz, to pop to well-know hits and classical symphonies. You will always get great knowledge and assistance from the staff there - they know their stuff when it comes to music. They also sell instruments, and you can sample them out before you buy which is great - although working there could give you a headache if you were forced to listen to 15 years olds play "Smells Like Teen Spirit" over and over again. The instruments are expensive, but I would say that you would find this to be the case no matter where you bought them, and the music books are good value for all the use you get out of them also. They do have the market cornered in Belfast but could do with bringing their prices down a little to compete with all the online stores that are offering similar things. read more

Matchetts Music - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Belfast, BFS

Matchett's Music is a friendly little store in the city centre and its arguably the one-stop shop for your musical needs. Living with a budding young music teacher, I have paid a visit to this shop more than a few times and despite throwing in the towel on my career as a trumpet player many years ago, I have to say this is the sort of shop which would encourage me to take it back up. The staff are very friendly and the shop is stocked everything from music books by Robbie Williams to children's toys to every musical instrument you could every want to learn. I had to collect a trombone book for my girlfriend's brother and despite the shop not having it in stock, they ordered it for me and called me whenever it had arrived. My friend also purchased a clarinet for £90 which may seem expensive but the staff get you everything you need to know from books to equipment. Not the cheapest store in the world but never the less, the staff are experts and writing this review makes playing the trumpet seem marginally more appealling than it did when I was 12! read more

Matchetts Music - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Belfast, BFS

Of all the Matchetts stores, this would be the one I spent the most time in. When I was a kid, our little group were always trying to start bands and take over the world. This meant we spent a dangerous amount in this shop. Its staff, like in the other Matchetts stores, fit the bill of the description of the shop. They love what they do and love to divulge all their knowledge on anyone who will listen. The store stocks all the major brands of musical instruments and equipment. They are always willing to do a deal or have a haggle with you if you're buying a lot of things which means a bargain is never to far away. The best shop in town for all your rock and roll pipe dream needs! read more

Music shops are great places to hang round. I've been to many different shops with an ex-boyfriend who was a maestro on the guitar. I've also had my own ill-fated attempt at learning guitar, I didn't have the patience. Most recently though, I had to call into Matchett's to get some sheet music for guitar and piano for my sister- she plays virtually everything. And I'm not even one bit jealous! They have a great selection of sheet music and some lovely looking guitars as well as some more unusual instruments. There are lots of grade books to cater for music students. The staff are really friendly and helpful, which is needed in a shop like this. There are always people hanging about at the guitars strumming away, luckily I haven't heard any stairway to heaven just yet! read more

This is the originally and less spacious Matchetts shop which has adorned Belfast for many a year, keeping us musicians happy and content. The so named, 'folk shop' here sells a range of traditional instruments, acoustic and flamenco guitars, bluegrass instruments and a few of the old woodwind also. There is also an abundance of all kinds of sheet music on offer to tickle your fancy regardless of your musical persuasion. The last thing I purchased in here was a mandolin to add to my burgeoning string collection. The staff are more than helpful and threw in a music book for free along with knocking a little bit off for the accompanying case. A fantastic place to get your musical needs sorted. read more

Matchetts Music - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Belfast, BFS

I'm no musician but wanted to get my dad a present for Christmas... The guys there were happy to take time to explain the differences between products and what would best be suited to what my dad would need. Also Diddnt seem to be pushing towards selling more stuff or more expensive stuff than needed. They then gave us a hand carrying it all down the road to the car!! read more

I took delivery today of a beautiful Yamaha P-45 digital piano, the staff were wonderful, knowledgeable about the products and about music without being arrogant and smug, very helpful and got me the right product for my needs, I haven't had a piano in over 20 years, and I have cried lots of happy tears, I feel like a child on Christmas morning, thanks to the professional service and attitude of the staff. Thank you guys I will certainly be back and will be recommending you to others read more

Back in my guitar shredding days (joke-I was more of a folky acoustic kinda gal), Matchetts was a favourite haunt. While it advertises itself as a 'music' shop and does indeed sell a wide range of instruments, it's best known for its' range of budget guitars. Matchett's tends to cater for the school mums crowd in general, targeting those looking for budget beginners kits for their children's lessons at school. It's at the lower end of the market compared with the other 2 guitar shops in the City Centre, which are both extremely expensive. So if you're just starting out/looking for a cheap buy for any instrument, but particularly guitars, I'd come here. Great service and friendly staff who care about music. read more

This is where everyone used to go when we were younger to look in awe at the huge stock of guitars and drums. It has quite a large selection of instruments for anyone looking to try their hand at a little bit of rock and roll. The shop has full drum kits, guitars, bass's, keyboards and most other instruments needed to start up a band. I bought my first guitar here, which was the famous Yamaha eg112. Yes, I am sure you are all in awe of such a quality purchase, but that's what is really great about this store. It has a great selection of guitars for kids looking to start out. My guitar cost me £150, which is a lot of money for a 12 year old. But once you are hooked, they are ready and waiting to sell you a guitar of much better quality. If you are looking any rock or pop instruments, then this place is a must visit. read more

Good stock but the staff, particularly the older guitar guitar specialist guy put me off, he has an attitude and never seems to be too worried about helping you, even when he's setting up the american strat you just bought from them. i think they'd suffer if they had any real competition in town because the majority of the people i know who go there only do so because they're not prepared to go to bangor to dawsons. read more

Staff at both rock shop and other come across as arrogant and unhelpful. The rock shop in particular, I don't know who I disliked more, the Russell Brand wannabe or the fat guy with the ridiculous fluffy beard. I would say, stick to shopping online if you can. read more