Called around for violin bow rehairs. The place nearest me quoted $99 per bow, which was almost…read moreenough for me to just buy a new one. There had to be better. So I called a couple more places and Schmeeds popped up. Much better pricing in line with other quotes I saw online. Friendly guy on the phone so I walked in and, well, there he was. Great to talk with Pete and he said he'd get my bows over to Alex. While I was there, I listened to some instrument practices in the side rooms. Next day, Alex calls me to talk about the bows. Very detailed, concerned, wanted to make sure I was okay with the risk of rehairing a bow with cracks he saw. I appreciated the concern and we cleared things up, but it was nice to talk directly with the person handling my equipment. Fast forward... less time than I thought (2 weeks was stated), and I get the call that it's all done. I pop on over and there we are, two freshly haired bows and more friendly chat. While I was there both times, kids and adults were practicing in the various lesson rooms. What a wonderful local place to spend time and money on music.

Hard to find good local music shops these days. What I love about Schmeeds is, they're actually…read moremusicians - they dig what they do (and in my opinion could actually charge more for some services). Have had two guitars set up, one bass guitar fixed (pick up issue, neck issue) and they're quick and inexpensive. Never been there for lessons but I hear good things about that, too. Check em out!

Nikos is a very personable and warm sales person. He is quite knowledgeable about everything…read moreYamaha. He let me look around and try out the pianos and offered helpful suggestions. Honest business and great customer service. Thanks Nikos!

I had two of my pianos tuned and cleaned by Faust. Their piano tech was friendly and knowledgeable…read more I have used many other piano tuners but was happy with the service that they provided. I'm giving Faust 4 stars because of the lack of flexibility with their schedule. I work during the week and they don't have any weekend appointments available.

I went for the first time a couple of weeks ago interested in a small practice amp and I left with…read moreone I'm really happy with in 10 minutes. Ritchie's is a nice, local music shop. It wasn't racks upon racks of the same overpriced, mass produced, mid-grade instruments and equipment that pack the corporate chain stores. The store is well organized and the staff is knowledgeable and helpful. It's worth a visit.

I knew George from the Route 46 locations so I was excited to see they were till around. I drove…read moreout to this new location and not only was George not there, but the drum shop had barely much of an assortment. At any rate I inquired about a Pearl Hi Hat Seat model that was for my stand from several years back and they said they could acquire it and would phone me. Almost 2 years have gone by, I have never heard from them. Wrote this store off and it's a shame because I spend roughly $1k a year on equipment and maintenance of that equipment.

I'm a new student (22 y/o) but I've been loving it so far! I was choosing between a few different…read moreplaces for voice lessons, and Denville Music Academy kindly let me do a trial lesson before making my decision. Once I met my teacher (Alyce, who is both talented and fun to talk to) during that trial lesson, I knew I would be staying and didn't have to try any other places; I really enjoyed myself and learned so much already within my first lesson. Everyone else at Denville Music has been very sincere and flexible too, in my interactions with them. Plus, the academy is a kind of cool, quirky, warm vibe inside. Definitely recommend trying it out!

Denville Music Academy has offered my daughter a great experience as she learns piano. Their…read moreteachers are knowledgeable, work really well with children, and it helps that the owners are very hands-on in the success of their school. After researching several other options, we are very happy we made the decision to enroll here.

What a perfect piano purchase experience. I accompanied my friend to buy a piano. She found Prosper…read morePianos and now she is a proud owner of a magnificent piano. Isaac was so helpful in helping her find her dream piano.

I can't imagine a better experience than buying a piano from Isaac at Prosper Pianos. I reached out…read moreon a whim after seeing a post about the business. Though we've wanted a piano for years, we had looked only casually before being struck by Isaac's philosophy: taking pianos and touching them up or even restoring them to sell to people across a wide range of budgets and skill levels. When I reached out, Isaac responded promptly, and we had a long conversation assessing what we were looking for in a piano. When we went to his shop, he explained the origin of the pianos he had and what made each different. He graciously let us try everything from a Baldwin spinet to a beautiful late-1800s Steinway (which he knew was NOT in our price range!). We ultimately settled on a warm Charles Walter upright, made by a smaller American company we hadn't been familiar with but that - - besides making great pianos - - has business values we appreciate as a bonus. The piano movers Isaac works with are excellent: they arrived promptly and carefully navigated the piano up several steps through a narrow entrance, in and out within fifteen minutes. Now we're beyond excited to have this beautiful piano sitting in our living room and highly recommend Isaac and Prosper Pianos.

I can't say enough good things about my experience at The Music Shop, and especially about my…read moreinstructor, Dave Wheeler. I'm a 72-year-old saxophonist who picked up the saxophone for the very first time after retiring from a 40-year career in biochemistry spanning academia and research. So yes, I came in knowing enzymes better than eighth notes. Dave has been an absolute gift. He brings a deep well of music theory knowledge, practical musicianship, and real-world experience to every lesson. More importantly, he has remarkable patience and creativity. He listens carefully, identifies where I'm struggling, and then designs clear, effective strategies that make practice both productive and enjoyable between lessons. What I especially value is that Dave doesn't teach from a script. He adapts to the student in front of him--age, background, learning style, and goals included. Thanks to his guidance, I've made steady progress, gained confidence, and genuinely look forward to practicing and improving. If you're considering lessons at The Music Shop -- whether you're 08 or 78 -- I can't recommend Dave Wheeler highly enough. He's the real deal. -- Michael Van Allen, student https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelavanallen/

I'm sharing my experience to help others make an informed decision…read more I brought in a ~1-year-old student flute (purchased on the West Coast) for what I now know were minor adjustments. At the time, I followed the technician's recommendation for a full COA. When the instrument was returned, it played essentially the same as when I dropped it off. I brought it back a second time. It came back slightly improved, but still not properly adjusted. A few weeks later, I visited an independent flute technician in Brooklyn. He immediately identified the issues, charged nearly half the cost, spent over an hour on the instrument, and fixed it correctly. It has remained in excellent playing condition since. Based on this experience, I would not return here for service or purchase. I would strongly encourage others especially parents of student players to seek a second opinions and verify the quality of work.

I've had nothing but great experiences with Karin Menzel Violins, from having a violin bridge and…read moretailpiece replaced, to buying my first real cello and purchasing a double-bass bow for my middle-schooler, every visit has been both a learning experience and a peek into the world of stringed instruments. Karin is patient and professional, taking into account what your instrument needs are, rather than trying to upsell you, which I appreciated so much. There are also more violins on hand than I've ever seen at any other music retailer (with the requisite room humidifier in operation), and that alone is worth making the trip to Boonton!

I highly recommend Karin Menzel if you are looking for violin purchase/repair in the Northern New…read moreJersey area [Boonton near Morristown] She is competent, easy to work with and honest. Her instruments and repairs are reasonably priced. I travel a long distance for this kind of relationship.