Best guitars and best owners and so welcoming and so open to help and I got a free shirt

Highlights: - Friendly and helpful staff - Lots of guitars to check out and try - Melodicas!!! I stumbled into Mr. Music while visiting Boston. I was really excited to check out Allston, and this place caught my eye as I was walking around the neighborhood. I've been playing bass for about 4 months now. I was really excited to finally be able to walk into a music store and be able to actually try out the guitars and see which ones I liked. The staff were very helpful - right away they asked if I needed help finding anything. They pointed me in the direction of the bass guitars, specifically acoustic basses (which I was interested in hearing/playing). Their bass guitar section is awesome! They have a handful of acoustics that you can try out, which is really cool. If you're looking to purchase a bass guitar and want to make sure you're comfortable with it first - this is the place. They have a variety of pics that you can try, too. I've only played with two different pic styles before, so being able to try a handful made me realize what I really liked. They also have a great little corner for trying out electric guitars, complete with a little amp. I tried a lot of different electric basses, and found the ones I really liked. It was so much fun to try out the guitars and find out what I want to save up for. Besides guitars, they have a cute little percussion section and a bunch of melodicas!! The melodica is such a cool instrument, so I was happy to see it getting some love in this store. All-in-all, I walked away from the store with a handful of new pics and a smile on my face. This is such an authentic little shop, you can tell they really care a lot about music. I would love to go back! read more

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Playing music can be a soul crushing experience. Your mind dreams of effortlessly flying through harmonic sections with Dave Murray by your side. But your hands often sound like they're strangling cats. (And failing... seeing as how the sounds don't really stop.) Mr Music is that old, grungy shop that makes you think Joe Perry is chain smoking inside. And everyone there is fantastically helpful. They're old pros (and often young pros) whose attitude is that of guides helping you on our guitar journey. It's where you find Yoda to help you lift your busted guitar out of the Debogah swamp. read more

I visited Mr Music, hoping to acquire a first guitar for my 14 year old. I wasn't sure what to expect. We were greeted by a friendly, knowledgeable young man named Jake. He showed us several guitars- different body types, different features. He encouraged my teen to play each of them. Very much a "take your time, no pressure, let me know if you have any questions" sort of approach. Jake told us that he felt like it was an honor to help anyone select their first guitar. He was so gosh-darned earnest, I am convinced that he was totally honest when he said that. I'm so glad that we visited Mr. Music. A venerable, legendary, long-standing local business that can also boast of youthful energy. I cannot imagine ever buying a guitar from any other business. read more

The store has been here since 1973. I've been around here since at least 1973, but I'd never been in the store until this past November. Got my first guitar and amp and now I'm learning to play. It's not to be in an actual store vs internet shopping. Bruce Springsteen has been in here to pick up guitars as has Peter Wolf of the J Geils Band. read more

This is a truly classic guitar shop. Everyone should stop by if they're in the area. All of the employees are kind and knowledgeable.

There may come a morning, perhaps sooner rather than later in these COVID times, when you wake up and say, "I need a ukulele." You reach for your iPad or your phone or any of the handful of other devices scattered at your bedside, pull up Amazon, search for ukuleles and find dozens of instruments at every price point. You find a model that's not too expensive, has good reviews, and doesn't look awful. Unfortunately, Amazon is still prioritizing certain items for faster delivery and, astonishingly, Jeff Bezos doesn't consider ukuleles a high priority. You may not see it for a week, or a month or, if that order of disposable face masks you ordered from China when the panic began is any indication, ever. You've read every book in your apartment, even those classics you bought from Barnes and Noble for a couple of bucks a decade ago because, you know, you "should" read some Edith Wharton and Theodore Dreiser. You have cleaned out every closet, baked a loaf of bread (OK, it was two-year-old pumpkin bread from a box) and have finally scrubbed your bathtub to a shine that it probably hasn't seen since your apartment was built in 1965. You are down to the Norwegian salmon fishing championships on Netflix. You need that ukulele. What do you do? Well, if you are an aging hipster living in Allston-Brighton, you grab your hand-sanitizer, select an ironic face-covering, and walk down Harvard Ave to Mr. Music, where some very nice guys who know a lot more than you do recommend a $50 Kala, a set of strings, and a chord chart. Maybe they throw in a few picks. The hell with Amazon and its "priorities." You have your ukulele and it took, like, an hour from door to door. You also got a little exercise and supported a local business. You spend the rest of the day watching instructional videos on youtube and perfecting your strum. Your neighbors appreciate you. Quarantine is a harsh mistress. read more

Shout out to Mr. Music who gives back to our community by supporting our local Girl Scouts by participating in the Hometown Heroes program! If you need an excuse to shop local - here it is! Support the local businesses who support us! read more

Mr. Music - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

Walked in with a broken high e string and a missing screw on my squire. Eric not only replaced the string and screw but taught me how to restring it and then didn't charge me a cent after I tried to pay him. 10/10 service and kindness. I will be back, could not recommend this shop more. read more

Been going there since 1973. Bought my first Marshall 50 watt combo there and in 91' my second. Also bought my first strat there.Going to check out if any stars are hanging around today, Who knows, Bruce was there in the summer w/Peter Wolf. I need some strings. Over 45 years on Harvard Ave and going strong. read more

Great shop to browse and pick up some gear. Mr. Music is a great place to have your guitar/bass set up. The pricing is competitive, they you back to playing quickly, and they do a great job. Highly recommend their services. read more

It's easy to walk into a music store and immediately feel like you're out of your league. This is especially so if you're a beginner musician like myself. When I visited Mr. Music just after their opening on a Sunday morning, I wasn't sure what to expect. However, upon having a look around and talking extensively with the staff, it was clear that this shop is the exception to just about every rule. Mr. Music isn't a warehouse style music shop, with towers upon towers of instruments. Rather, the store is laid out in an extremely user-friendly way. There are small, open rooms with guitars ranging from the very expensive to the affordable. Bass guitars have their own area and the selection is quite deep. There is a small section for keyboards and I didn't see an extensive selection of drums, leading me to believe that Mr. Music specializes in guitars and the associated gear. There is nothing weird about picking up an instrument, plugging in, and jamming away at Mr. Music. I had the opportunity to try a couple of bass guitars, while my buddy played around with a guitar and some pedals. The staff was present to assist with setting up and providing brief tutorials for the best use for our choices. They kept a respectful distance and demonstrated a level of trust with their patrons. In many music stores, I feel like I'm under constant surveillance and can't really enjoy playing as much as I need to in deciding if I want to buy. This creates a super relaxed environment and a very pleasant browsing or shopping experience. Although the pricing feels a bit high, Mr. Music is definitely a musician friendly shop. I would highly recommend stopping in if you are in the area. read more

Mr. Music - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

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Love this funky little divy-old-school-Allston-Brighton place. Complete with muppet python on the ceiling, what's not to love? They have new and used instruments, and an assortment of left handed (yes, that's correct) guitars. Prices reasonable for the quality, and everyone in the place looks like they should be working in a guitar store. T-shirts because they know how cool it is there, and helpful "help". You can even try the instrument of your choice in their smaller room to check tone and timbre. So far I've only bought strings there, but you know it's a slippery slope when guitars are involved... read more

I purchased a guitar amp less than a year ago. The amp started making a horrible noise and stopped working. I brought the amp to the store to seek advice and the store owner was completely disinterested in helping me in any way. All I asked him to do is turn the amp on and listen to the noise. I wasn't demanding my money back or asking for an exchange, I just needed to know what I should do about an amplifier that I paid $700 for less than a year ago that is now completely useless. The owner clearly could care less. One of the salesman tried to help me. He at least plugged it in and heard the noise. He asked the owner if the technician could come have a listen and the owner said, "I don't even want him to look at it." He gave me a card of someone who could look at it. I researched on line and learned that the retailer is supposed to work with the manufacturer to access the warranty. This owner did nothing. I'm out $700. It's very sad. I've played guitar for 50 years and purchased most of my gear at Mr. Music. I'll never go there again and you shouldn't either as the owner doesn't stand behind his products nor make things right when he sells you a lemon. Very unprofessional. read more

I bought a guitar from Mr Music on Reverb - although it had been accurately advertised, it didn't work for me - the return process went perfectly - I would definitely buy from this place again - highest integrity read more

Very good selection of guitars across all price ranges, both acoustic and electric. What really made them stand out was the atmosphere. Everyone who works there is happy, welcoming, and genuinely excited to see you and teach you about what you're buying. Amazing experience. Will definitely come back for anything I need. read more

Bought my first electric guitar here and had an awesome experience. The employee was super helpful and made us feel super comfortable and not at all rushing. They have an excellent selection of instruments of all price ranges new and preowned. I have a fair share of more than unpleasant times looking at electrics so this was a breath of fresh air. I 100% recommend you take your business here. read more

Love Tom at Mr. Music. Tom is the most loyal and honest person. I bought a guitar there for my son and he loved it. Thank you Tom for all your help read more

As a woman, I've avoided getting my bass properly set up for a long time because of negative past experiences I've had at various music stores. I'm very glad to say I had the opposite experience at Mr. Music. The gentleman who helped me was kind enough to get my input about I was looking for with the setup, talked me through the process so I knew what to expect, and helped me pick out strings without upselling me on brands I didn't need. He made the whole experience really seamless and professional and my only regret is not going sooner! My bass is in great shape now and is so much easier and more fun to play. I would definitely come here again for any purchasing or repair needs to support this great local business. read more

Fantastic service, great deals, and going the extra mile. I went to Mr. Music to pick up a keyboard which would have been $200 at Guitar Center. I got it for $120. I also picked up a stand and power adapter all which were also discounted, and they even threw in a shirt for free! The service was amazing, very kind and obviously adhering to COVID precautions masks, etc., etc.. This is all without mentioning you're supporting a local business. Their storefront is also really cool. I will be coming back, and I recommend you do too! read more

This is the place to go for guitars in Boston. Recommended by Robin Stone of Berklee. Went there. Was going to buy a used SG but ended up buying a Martin 000-28 instead. Also second hand and in excellent condition. Super nice. Knowledgeable . Good selection of used guitars which suits me just fine as they are less expensive and in great shape . You get a free t-shirt with your purchase. Yeah not a reason to buy a guitar but you can add to your guitar store t-shirt collection. read more

5 years later, still great. Still selling Hohner and Lee Oskar harmonicas in EVERY key.

Today I walked into Mr. Music and said, "I need a ukulele!" (Because I did.) It turns out that Mr. Music is chock full of ukuleles. I have zero experience playing ukuleles (or any other stringed instruments), so I was certainly in need of some assistance. And that is what I got -- the man who helped me was extremely helpful -- he tuned a whole ton of ukes for me to try and told me some basic info about playing them. There was no pressure to spend lots of moneys -- in fact, he recommended I spend a smaller amount, before I figured out what playing it was about. I also got a great price on the case because it was a little broken in a way that doesn't actually keep it from being fully functional. All in all -- as a sort of a newbie musician, I was super pleased. read more

This place is pretty cool. It's small compared to the chains in Boston like Daddy's or GC, but they still have a good selection. Where they really shine is in the more rare or vintage equipment. While the prices for these hard to find goodies may seem high, they're pretty standard. And the staff is cool. They keep pretty much to themselves, doing repair work (another cool feature of this place) or tidying up the place, but if you ask them a question you can be assured they know what they're talking about. Oh yeah, and they sell concert tickets. read more

Mr. Music - I don't think they ever close those steel curtains anymore... - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

How many of you can boast of a music store experience that included [in no particular order]: singing civil rights songs conversations on dead german philosophers literature of the harlem renaissance AND how much better the beaches are in California? [and yes, Santa Monica beach is better than Revere - sorry east coast, it's true]. Anyway, even though Mr. Music doesn't have a special violin section, they [and by 'they' I mean 'they' - almost every associate in the store was willing to help me out. I'm sure I looked like some kind of Atlas / poor woodland creature hybrid - violin cases can be quite cumbersome] got me some new strings, tuned 'em, and suggested a tuner/metronome. All that and good conversation. My cup o' tea. I'm dockin' 'em one star for not liking Feuerbach. read more

Infinitely better than guitar center, a national reputation amongst musicians, and right around the corner from a few of Allston's music venues. This place is amazing. They can rock a tune up, provide you with some guidance if looking to deviate from the same old strings, and have a really good selection. read more

Based on all the positive reviews, I took my husband over here to look for a ukelele for his birthday. They had a great selection, plus we spent close to an hour playing all the acoustic guitars and the two banjos they had in stock-and no one bothered us. When we finally made our decision, we took it up to the counter, and had a funny conversation with the staff as they searched for the gig bag and free dvd that came with the uke. The convo started with - so who's going to be the uke-master??? We had a great time and I know we'll be back. PS-adorable white cat followed us around the whole time-awwww! read more

Solid solid guitar store. I've bought a bass guitar, a bass amp, an effects pedal, and a ton of strings/accessories here, and the guys are always willing to work with you on price. I personally haven't had any repair work done there but two good friends of mine have had positive experiences, one with a guitar amp and the other an acoustic guitar. The store can get slightly camped if there are more than a few customers there, but usually it's not bad. Sales staff are fairly low pressure, but then again I'm not the type to linger for an hour if there isn't anything I'm legit considering. Prices I would say are average/fair, nothing too noteworthy there. Oh I also have sold a guitar to them and that process was smooth. Comparable to a big chain in that regard. Check this place out! read more

Mr. Music - Bass section is stocked right now! - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Allston, Massachusetts

Visited here from England whilst over in Boston and was not disappointed. The range of equipment is incredible, and I think you'd truly be hard pushed to leave here without something you want or need (same thing, right?). The guitar pedal selection is out of this world, and the staff are outstanding. No elitist views, no snobbery, just happy to let you play 3 chords over and over and test out anything you want. There is so much knowledge here that no amount of reading of reviews can replace just turning up and asking for some recommendations. I cannot fault this place to the extent that I would want to come back to Boston just to buy a new guitar here - it is that good. read more

I was delighted with my first time visit to Mr. Music. I went in with a vague idea that my Martin acoustic guitar, having gone a long time without servicing, sounded crappy and needed some new strings and a set-up. I expected it to take several days, but one of the employees, Mark, quickly checked it out and told me he could get me a new set up strings and a little bit of tweaking within the hour. I was very pleased with the work he did and also how honest he was about the level of service my guitar required, because I totally don't have a clue. Super happy to have my guitar singing again later that afternoon! As a woman going into a guitar store, I sometimes get intimidated... but everyone here was kind and helpful. Can't wait to come back here if I never need any new equipment or anything! read more

One of the few "mom and pop" music shops left in Boston. Some of the staff have been there for 40+ years! I was there to buy an amp, but they had a great selection of pretty much anything you'd be looking for in a music store at reasonable prices. Genuinely helpful and knowledgeable. Been playing guitar for 15+ years and been to countless music shops over the years and this place is about as good as it gets! Check em out, don't go to guitar center/Amazon/reverb, buy local! read more

Signed up with yelp just to say how much I loved this place. After not finding the ukulele strings needed at another store, Mr. Music solved my problem. Even though I had been in a rush, once I got in there, I sucked in. If I ever get enough money for a new uke, I'll definitely look forward to seeing what they have in stock. read more

I came here with a friend looking for a small portable amp. I was helped by Jameson who was super friendly and was a wealth of information. He took his time, asked all the right questions, and helped me walk out with the perfect amp. Go here, shoot the shit, learn something new, you'll come back again. read more

My family is a string family and we are always looking for new places to visit. My daughter has been playing the Uke for over a year now and she wanted a better quality one for Christmas. I went to our usual place but they did not have a good selection (they were waiting for a shipment) and the range of prices hurt. I happened to notice this store they other day and popped in to see what was what. They had a nice range of Ukes here and the varying prices were good. I brought the girl and she found exactly what she wanted and it did not break the bank. The staff was really nice and not pushy. While not as convenient as our other location, I would definitely come back here if I had the need. read more

I didn't buy anything but I wanted to come here to tell you that the people who work in this store are the nicest, most helpful people ever and I can't wait to buy my husband a guitar here when we can afford it at the end of the summer! :) I love how people are testing out instruments here and there. Gives it a nice vibe. You will definitely get my business in a few months!!! read more

If you live in Allston and you enjoy local music, then you know that Allston is crawling with rehearsal spaces. And if you REALLY are into local music, then you may know that Allston is also home to a bundle of recording studios. I worked at one of those studios for several years before we moved the facility to Waltham. Mr. Music was clutch for me on many occasions. I remember aggressively driving down Harvard Street to purchase guitar strings every so often.... or a new drum head. They're not super huge, but they're well-stocked, knowledgeable, and helpful. As someone who enjoys vintage equipment, I wish that they had more stock on older gear, but I realize that vintage equipment can put a strain on a business sometimes.... but if they started housing more rare instruments and amps I think the clientele would grow in a great way. read more

About as Allston-y as Allston gets. Mr. Music throbs with the patented Allston Rock City authenticity that other, bigger chain places don't have. The store's not huge, but it is packed with stuff. I came over looking for a book of Clapton tabs, and I found that, a complete set of tabs for the Who, and for all the songs in all the guitar hero games. Most of the books are a little beat around the edges, but that's part of loving them, right? They have a ton of guitars and the staff never pressure me me when I wander around plucking stuff at random. I want a hollow body electric so bad it makes me crap my pants, and so every now and then I roll over there to play with the ones they have out. I did once make the mistake of playing some distinctly emo rock while trying out an amp, and one of the dudes behind the counter gave me a hilariously disapproving look, but no one said anything. The place is more intimate than something like guitar center, but it's local and has the flavor the chain stores don't. read more

Awesome selection!!! If you want cheap shite go to Guitar Center. If you want quality new and used stuff go here read more

I went here because I was looking for an acoustic guitar on budget. I forget the employee's name, but he helped me narrow down the best guitars within my price range. Gave me plenty of time to try them out and I selected my guitar upon his recommendation. I checked online after to compare my guitar. It was well received by the online community, and price was equivalent to what I would've bought online (without shipping). The guitar plays great and sounds great, and very satisfied with my experience. Thanks! read more

There is nowhere else that I would shop for guitars. I send all of my producers, engineers, music students, bandmates to Sal. Sal, the owner, is hands-down one of my favorite people to deal with. I don't recommend any other store in Boston like I recommend Mr. Music. He's going to give you the best deal. Better than online. Fuck yeah. You don't stay in business for 45 years by being a chump. read more