I preface this review by fully admitting I know nothing about music. I can't even read it yet. So please, take this into consideration when reading this review.
I stopped in here today for the first time just to check it out. I usually go next door to the comic book place, but had been considering learning how to play the guitar and finally decided to stop in. a friend of mine that offered to permanently loan me a guitar, but I still wanted to stop in and see what the options were, and the price points.
I was greeted right away by Chris, who took all the time I needed to talk to me about the different choices and types of guitars. he plays the bass himself, so he is familiar with guitars and can make recommendations for you based on your skill level. based on the type of music I want to play, he was able to narrow down a list of 20 guitars to about 2 or 3 and that would be right for me. He talked about the different price points and values, why one was better than another, and made sure I knew about the specials. (This week, it's a free amp with purchase of certain guitars.)
Everything in here is piecemeal. Guitars, cables, amps, cases, and everything else you could need are all available, but separate. If guitar isn't your thing, they had ukuleles, violins, drums, various wind instruments, and the accessories you would need for any of them. I'm pretty sure they had some other instruments too, but I didn't catch everything At a glance. They also have a decent supply of music books available.
They have several instructors for people who want lessons. according to Chris, they all either hold degrees in music, or have 20 or more years of experience instructing. Based on the instructor, the prices for lessons range from $23 to about $30 per half hour of instruction. The available hours vary, but generally speaking, lessons can be scheduled any time from 2:30 until close during the weekday, and from open to close on the weekends.
Now let's talk price. For the electric guitars, the prices seem to range for about $179 up to about three or four hundred dollars. For the acoustic guitars, the starting price point was about $150, and went up from there. That sounds expensive, but I had been looking heavily at similar models on Amazon, and prices are actually quite similar. Even better, in the store you get to feel the actual size and weight of the guitar, and see what feels right for you. This is something you simply can't do when you're buying something online and hoping it is a good match. By the time you factoring sale prices and the personal touch you go to the store, it might actually be a better deal just to go in rather than ordering things online.
All in all this was a great little store, and Chris was fantastic. If you're in the market for musical instruments, I highly recommend you stop in and talk to him. read more