I had some damage to occur to my Washburn dreadnaught. I had an estimate of $160 from the Guitar…read moreCenter. I thought that was a little high so I took it here. Sean Gotkin was very helpful, he told me they had an agreement with a local Luthier who could look at it and provide an estimate. The esitmate came back at $120 so I asked them to go ahead and do the work. It took a little longer to repair than they had committed to. When I went to pick it up, he charged me $100. That's what I call service! Why go to a franchise store when you have a local shop who does quality work with a local craftsman? Support your local business!

Lots going for this store: real musicians work there, great advice / service, good selection of…read moreguitars, ukes, accessories, lessons, school band rentals and an amazing array of sheet music. Also unique for the music stores in the area: lots of in-store events like jams (Friday nights) and concerts. And bonus: you can feel good about supporting small business, instead of G**tar C***er or online mega-stores. (Yes, I'm an actual customer...)

Great guy! Best luthier in Northern Virginia. That being said- don't go there or he'll get too…read morebusy and I won't be able to get my stuff fixed . Seriously though, he's that good. I've tried other people and guitar center and no one comes close to the quality work he does. I finally own a Gibson I can play without it going out of tune

What an outstanding find. I was referred to Chris by a stranger on a bass forum while looking for a…read morelocal luthier. I brought him two basses to have setup, he also hand cut a nut for me, and repaired a pre amp. The setups turned out great and he even polished the bodies, frets, hardware, and oiled the fingerboards. Aside from the service, we sat around for a while, just BS'ing about guitars .This is a one man shop that he runs out of his garage and has an incredible feel of that kind of place that you chat with your buddies in. I will definitely be back!

I went there once and will never go back again. Walked around for nearly 20 minutes trying to find…read moresomeone to help me. I finally found someone who looked like they weren't busy and asked about the instrument I was there to purchase. He told me they don't carry that particular item (despite the fact that they show it on their website) and that he could order one and have it for me next week. Why? I can order from amazon and have it within a day or two. And, they'd deliver it right to my door. I'd never go back there.

Pros: -huge store with wide range of acoustic/electric…read moreguitars, keyboards, drums, speakers, accessories, you name it -very well organized -dedicated acoustic guitar room -dedicated drum room -guitar repair services - I haven't personally tried but see their rate sheet in my pics -helpful/knowledgeable people that work there (can't say the same for the Seven Corner's location) -offer lessons, rentals - again I haven't personally tried to comment on, but they are there -has most of the popular Taylors and Martin guitars, small section for Gibsons -this location has more uke and banjo options than the Seven Corners location Cons: -doesn't have a dedicated quiet room like the one in Seven Corners -parking is a bit tight in their parking lot, but usually plenty of spaces, just be careful not to park in the reserved parking for the next door business

Al, is an amazing luthier, who is able to work wonders on all types of electric guitar, from an…read moreEpiphone Emperor I Joe Pass model (hollow body) to a solid body Agile Pendulum Elite 92527. The Ephiphone needed a complete overhaul of the electronics (pickups and controls) and a setup of the strings afterwards since a new piezo bridge was also installed. Prior to this work, the pots were quite noisy, and there were issues with the 1/4" output where it was also crackly depending upon movement. The pickups were replaced with a fairly standard set of Seymour Duncans (SH-2N and SH-4B), the wiring harness was removed and replaced with a much quieter (read shielded) setup, new pots and a new 1/4" output jack. The sound of this instrument while plugged in has drastically improved and now has a bit more versatility when it comes to live and studio usage. There was a little less work with the Agile solid body, where it needed to be updated with stacked pots in order to give a more Gibson-esque control layout of two volumes and two tone pots (one pair for each pickup) to replace the standard master volume, master tone. This allows the guitar to have more tonal variation, especially when both pickups are in use. In both cases the work was done promptly and with an expected series of charges. Al is probably one of the better luthiers when it comes to communications (including pictures) on what is going on with the respective job orders. Like the others on this board, I highly recommend your repair/setup work come his way.

I was looking for a luthier to help out with resizing the drill holes in my guitar so I could…read morereplace the bridge. Al not only quoted me a very reasonable price but made some very helpful recommendations that I wound up having him work on doing the complete upgrade and set up, all within my budget. His attention to detail and thoroughness made my guitar turn out way better than I could hope. Am very happy with the results and the fast turn around. Would use again.

I have been a patron of the Manassas Music and Arts store for many years. I've come to know Mike…read morethe manager and Wes as my go to's. They know through our interactions when I'm looking to make a purchase. In this case to upgrade my tenor sax. They are not pressure salesman. If they were, I would not be working with them, trust me on that. I bought a very nice, professional tenor sax at their Horn Showcase in December 2023. It seemed like the perfect choice. But as I really dug into it at home, I noticed one quirky thing. I informed them about it. I took it to my technician twice and talked to their technician as well. They heard and understood what was happening but nothing showed that was wrong to fix it. I informed Mike and Wes about this "thing" and they brought in another horn for me to try to see about an exchange. It was a more expensive horn, but the horn I bought even with the very annoying quirk played so much better. While I haven't decided if I'm going to return the sax or not, I will say how much of a pleasure it is and has been working with Mike and Wes over the years. They have been consumate professionals and consultative through this whole process as well. I am woodshedding the horn now, putting it through its paces. It seems to be working out, hopefully, as I adjust this and fiddle with that. One of my sax friends has the soprano model of my tenor and and alto by the same manufacturer shared that is a quirk in his horns as well. But he loves them all the same. I get it. The long and short of it is, this is my store and they are my dudes. In an age of rapidly declining customer service, I have nothing but the highest praises for them and the culture they've got going on over there. I will not look to work with any consultants other than Mike and Wes and the Manassas Music and Arts team. Go check them out. Bravo and thank you! As a P.S. I discovered with my repair tech the screws on the octave mechanisms on both necks needed to be addressed. They werent allowing the pad to stay completely sealed with that one fingering. That seemed to do the trick. I'm glad.

We've rented and purchased an instrument for three children in middle through high school. Their…read moreservice and selection have always been top notch. Wes and Roxanna always provided quality service in renting, returns and rental adjustments.

Thanks! Brought my dusty old Spanish student guitar in for new strings, and to be generally…read morechecked out. Recommendations were right on point. Easy communication. Lucky to have a speciality shop right here in Fairfax!

Great selection of classical and flamenco guitars, some electric guitars too,the owner is…read moreknowledgeable and fair with his prices, highly recommended this place!

Custom Technologies is excellent, Martin is a musician who can diagnose PA & guitar amp's. He gives…read moreyou a fair assessment if the equipment is worth repair. I have used the services on three occasions. He also does the repair for a major Music store in MD.

From the owner: Audio Electronics Repairs and Services, Guitar and Bass Repair Shopread more

Both the music studio and Matt's Guitars are one of the best shops in Manassas/no Northern…read moreVirginia. Fantastic customer service, thanks to people who make the experience comfortable for an absolute novice like my self. Prices and selection is top notch. And in the event you do not see something, they can likely get it for you. If you are just browsing, starting your musical journey, or a seasoned rocker, go check this place out now.

First, let me say that I am a transplant to the area and feeling lost with lost without my locally…read moreowned neighborhood music shop that I've done business with for 25 years. Being in the fairfax area I've frequented Guitar Center as my only known option for guitars and pedals and mics ect. I hate the way most big box music stores make you feel. Like your bothering them to get a guitar down for you or grab a pedal out of a case. Frequently at big box stores there are multiple employees around talking to each other about their weekend exploits instead of helping customers. Not the case here. I walked into Matt's Guitars on a whim since I spotted it on facebook. They not only have a great selection of amps, guitars, and pedals....but they are happy you came in and treat you with care and respect. The guys here were happy to and even encouraged me to plug in and try a couple guitars amps and pedals. So pleased I found this place, even though it's about a 25 min drive for me, I will be back...often. Their selection of Strats and PRS was very nice to see. Thanks!

What's not to like!? This has to be the most diverse and talented staff in the state of Virginia!…read moreNot only talented, but very attentive to my child's needs and skill set. The center director, Katie, has never failed to work with me if we ever needed to make up a class that was missed. From Ms. Susan, Ms. Lauren to Mr. Mike, this staff has done nothing but impressed us! Our son Jordan is 5 now, and had been emersed in the Bach 2 Rock experience since about 3 years old. I would recommend this music school to any and all minds that love the art of sound!

Keegan is super good at teaching drums and guitar and also is very good at production and…read morerecordings I recommend you to request him as a teacher

Let me first say that Scott is precise, he wants to make sure that you're not only playing the…read moreinstrument appropriately, but that you can do it for a long time. He's very passionate about the drums. I've just recently started from zero and he's already given me some fantastic lessons and pounds of inspiration. Sitting there and watching him is pretty amazing as well. He will explain things clearly, give you honest feedback, and push you to be a better drummer. I couldn't recommend him more highly.

Absolute legend. The drums will change your life if you let them, this is the place to start.read more