just bought a Stratocaster from the PHIILY store. Great place. The store has humidifiers everywhere. The sales person took the time to reeducate me on Fender's new Stratocaster line-up. The Luithier took the time to set up the guitar. Re-adjusting the truss, reset the trem aand put on the gauge strings I used On it. They even have a "points system" that my next purchase I will have a credit to use! Can't say nothing but great things about this place! read more

Russo Music - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Asbury Park, New Jersey

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Russo Music is an incredible independent music store and as the independent music stores seem less and less, it is refreshing to see one that not only is still in existence, but offers some top of the line guitars. I would definitely recommend this particular music store. It is good to see an independent music store and even more so when that music store has some incredible top quality instruments. read more

Zero stars for arrogant entitled employees who assume their clients are gullible. They are attempted rip off artists I am a professional musician from California who always has an acoustic guitar at my relatives home in New Jersey waiting for me... I needed some re-stringing this summer for our summer visit for a guitar I told them was a standard Epiphone acoustic , nothing fancy just needed a basic restringing . so I brought it to Russo music and they said to come back the next day and they can restring it. I came back today and had the guy tell me with some fake test of Where the strings are held together telling me that the shop would not restring it due to the fact that the glue is coming off and this acoustic guitar, would need a complete refit and set up... a cost of over $200 I took it to Guitar Center down the street they restrung the whole thing for $25 and said there is no problem with his guitar. Absolute entitled, arrogant unprofessional place... If you are a professional musician I do not recommend this place. read more

A friend of mine said, "let's go down to Asbury park and play some guitars... I know a cool shop there". We walked into Russo music and were welcomed warmly. The staff were super friendly. I picked out a couple of Strats I wanted to play and they offered to restring one while we went to lunch so that it delivered the best experience when we returned. I played a few and left... A few days later with that restrung Strat still in my mind, I called up and asked if it was still available; it was and we struck a deal. Guitar arrived quickly, professionally packaged with great follow up from the shop. A pleasure to do business with Russo Music! read more

In the tradition of the Guitar Center stores or modern retail where people just don't care, the employees simply ignored me when I walked in this place. I'm at the point where I can buy any guitar I want (I've bought three in the past year and a half),so if I walk in a store to look for a new Tele, I would like to actually have some assistance....especially in light of the rude "don't touch" signs on all the guitars! What ever happened to guitar store workers who love music and actually wanted to sell guitars? Who like to see people buy guitars? Hey man, this place doesn't make Telecasters, so if they want to sell them, they should help the customers out. If I didn't want to speak to someone at the guitar store, I'd be shopping online. Reverb.com. If I'm caught out there needing strings or picks, I might come back, but I simply can't support this music store apathy/arrogance. Oh, the two stars are for the guitars, which are mostly rock and blues styles. No real jazz stuff and very few acoustics. But, a bunch of Teles, Strats, Gretschs and I love them Teles! read more

There are a variety of reasons for this very low review, however, I only need to focus on the first and foremost which is the attitude and condescending behaviour of a staff member by the name of Sebastian. He is young, a know-it-all, boring, and more informed than anyone other than himself. It was refreshing when he finally stepped away from me because he dragged his big head along with him back to the counter and left some air in the room behind for me to breathe. The absolute worst type of salesman is still alive and walking the Earth in the form called Sebastian! I could go on and on about the hour that I spent there last week but why bother? Between his hovering, pulling the instrument out of my hands and shoving something else in them, and pushing pedals, its just too much. Guess what? I would have bought a guitar but I was NOT going to buy a guitar from this egomaniac. Enough. Said. read more

Purchased a 60th Anniversary 1959 Les Paul Standard this weekend from Russo - had seen it on the wall at the Asbury location and finally decided now was the time. Best buying experience ever! Mike was quick on response, offered exceptional service and really went above and beyond. Will never shop anywhere else again! read more

I searched the usual mega guitar emporiums for the guitar I wanted, and was left with that used car salesman taste in my mouth. I happened across Russo music by chance, as I live over an hour away. My experience was more than pleasant. They answered every question I had and even made a couple of suggestions I wouldn't have thought to ask, since I'm a bass player buying my first acoustic guitar. I left with the perfect guitar at a good price and didn't feel like I needed to take a hot shower to get the mega store slime off. I will gladly make the drive to Russo from now on. read more

The ONLY place to take your guitars or amps to get repaired/set-up in NJ as far as I am concerned. All my beaten to hell ancient gear is feeling new again and i love it. The pedal selection is intoxicating and dangerous... you will spend some dough here if you're a pedalhead. read more

Just bought a Bass guitar for my daughter and a Les Paul for my son and I can't tell you how happy I was when I left . Matt was fantastic and very helpful and patient with my family They took complete care of us answered all our questions demoed all the guitars and basses that we looked at. I highly recommend this store to anyone who is looking into buying equipment for music every single person from the guitar techs to the salesperson to the management was amazing we will definitely be back and spending more money at this place. read more

I would give a sixth star if I could. More than a year ago I took up playing bass ( at the tender age of 49 ) and purchased my first bass via my instructor. A beautiful Fender Squire Jazz Bass to get me started. After getting my fingers callused good, I brought my bass in to get some flat wounds and met Scott at this time. He seemed to be very articulate about the nuances of each instrument and I really enjoyed talking with him. A few days later, Scott called to tell me there was an issue with the 19, 20, 21 and 22 frets - and that he would call Fender on my behalf (and as an Authorized Fender Dealer) and ask them to warranty the defects and he would correct the issues. Fender agreed and he negotiated two hours of labor to correct the problem at no cost to me. He fixed the bass and I was all good. Fast forward almost a full year later - I bring my bass in for a setup and new strings and to discuss an issue I am having with the neck of the bass. At the top of the neck all if OK - equal distance between strings and neck however, as I move down the neck the strings are further away - as if the neck was bowing. Scott examined the issue and again directly contacted Fender. They agreed with him that this was related to the original fret issue and therefore, Fender sent me a brand new bass. Now, of course, you think I am writing this rave review because I got a new bass however none of that would have happened without the expertise and willingness of Scott at Russo's. The guy is a difference-maker and a real pro. Yeah, I love my new bass but what I also love is the fact that I deal with a great music store. read more

I like shopping here. Generally in music shops I was feel like I'm under pressure. I'm here I'm way more relaxed. I credit the staff. I get a nice vibe and the guys there take time helping me find what I need. I have made some of my bigger purchases here like my. Fender Jazz Bass. They also have a great repair shop. They set up my Martin acoustic beautiful. Overall I highly recommend to starter musicians as well as advanced. read more

I was in the market for a Gibson J-45 Custom acoustic guitar and it would be a remote purchase without being able to see or play the guitar. Saw the website listing Russo Music had through a search, contacted them and ended up dealing with the store manager. A total 5+ star experience!! Friendly, responsive, and knowledgeable; gave me a fair price, answered all of my questions, set up the guitar to my requirements...outstanding customer service in every way. Absolutely would buy from them again! read more

Obviously this is a guitar store, because the drum department is seriously lacking. They have a decent selection of hardware but the selection of drums and cymbals is very limited. The service is also mediocre. Whenever they don't have something I need in stock, they order it like most stores, but often never contact me when it comes in, and it can take months where other stores can have it in a week. read more

Every associate in there is mean and annoying, they follow you around as if you are going to break something or steal something, you are not allowed to touch any guitars without permission, personally i feel like im being judged the second i am in there, it is slightly overpriced, with a mediocre selection of gear, they lost my bussiness the last time i was there, sorry lol read more

We were looking for a digital piano for remote piano lessons during the pandemic and cam across Russo Music selling the Yamaha model we were looking for. We ordered it online on Sunday and received the instrument on Wednesday evening through very speedy UPS shipping. The package came in very good condition, but unfortunately one of the keys on the keyboard was loose. We contacted Russo music and they responded immediately and offered free return shipping. We sent the instrument back through UPS and a week later we got our refund. Despite the unfortunate broken key issue (which Yamaha's fault and not Russo's), we had an excellent shopping experience with Russo Music and would totally return to shop for our future music instrument needs. read more

I'm mystified by a few less-than-favorable reviews of Russo's. I have been a customer of Russo's (Asbury Park) for years, have purchased many guitars (new and used), many amps (new and used) and accessories there and have had only the most positive experience since the first time I walked in. Everyone (sales, managers, tech's) has been friendly, helpful and totally honest about everything they sell. No pressure ever. I've been treated absolutely fairly on trades. I have abandoned the big box stores for this truly wonderful brick-and-mortar boutique. read more

The shop is clean, the selection is amazing, the staff is knowledgeable and super chill, and most importantly, I've had my guitars set up by basically everyone in NJ who knows how to do it - Russo's set ups are by far the best. BUT ONLY THREE STARS CAUSE THEY DON'T LET YOU PICK UP AND PLAY GUITARS WITHOUT ASKING! There are literally signs on just about every guitar in the store that say "DON'T TOUCH MY AXE". What a turnoff! read more

Super friendly staff, great selection of gear, great environment. Only quarrels would be the "ask to play me" signs on the guitars. Although the command is delivered in the nicest way possible I feel - as an employee of a similar style store - that sales staff should be attentive enough to watch the players and let people grab what they want. Unless it's something rare or over $4,000. It's a bit of a vibe killer as soon as you see that. They were cool to me about it because the fella knew I was from another store. But if I wasn't I'd probably feel weird. Only other gripe was the drum department, albeit a cool selection, not very inviting or open enough to feel comfortable. Kind of against their will, given the size of the store. Other than that, guaranteed you'll find something you want there. Great to see another music store doing well. read more

I cannot say enough good things about the folks here. Helpful, knowledgeable etc. The environment is a huge bonus but its the people that make it special. They all seem to really care about the products and understand how to treat people. Also this is one of the few places I've gone to where all the products were set up and cared for before the customer ever handles them. Great place! read more

I always went to the big chain guitar store in Neptune before I found Russo Music in Asbury Park, NJ. I was so pleased with the way I was treated at the store that I will never go back to that other store again. The staff at Russo Music was friendly, helpful and patient. I got great advice and Mike took the time to show me various guitars in my price range. I bought an Epiphone DR500mce. I paid less than I would have at the chain store or on line, they put on new strings and checked the set-up for free. The best the big chain store did was to tell me "the guitars are over there". I will continue to shop at Russo's for all my guitar needs. Its nice to be treated well when you shop. read more

I found a used archtop listed on Russo's website. When I contacted the store to inquire about it they were very nice but some information didn't seem correct. Instead of jumping on Yelp and lambasting the shop, I emailed customer service to see if they could confirm what I was told. I promptly received an email explaining that I was correct and a sincere apology on behalf of the store. The guitar was at their Hamilton location but Russo had it sent over to the Asbury shop. I was kept up to date as to when it would arrive. When I went to the shop to check the guitar out, I first looked around. This shop has an amazing collection of guitars. The staff was very friendly... they greeted me, asked if I needed any help, then let me browse the shop without feeling rushed. I was able to check out a great selection of resonators, some beautiful Guilds, and a couple parlors. Once I was done looking around, I let a salesperson know I was there for the used archtop. He quickly got it out for me and let me check it out at my own pace, only coming over to ask if I'd like to plug it into an amp and offer a tuner for me to use. After about twenty minutes I told him I wanted to purchase it, was rung up, and had a couple questions answered. I will absolutely be using Russo as my sole source for all my guitar shopping. I got to talk to the repair guys while they installed a new set of strings and they were very friendly and well versed in what they were doing. Thank you, Russo Music, for offering an independent guitar shop that is of the highest caliber. read more

They opened a store in Philly The sales staff seems really nice and have been helpful so thought I'd trust them to do a reapir on a strat with a bad pot. and avoid the drive to D town.. The review applies to the repair guy. I got the strat back and really did not try itout as the meter was running close and PPD is always on the hunt. The pot did not work on the middle pickup but did on the bridge pickup, the guitar sounded really thin bright and awful. I noticed on the bill they replaced a 250k pot with a 500k. So I opened it up. The guitar is an early 80's 62 ri. The wiring system was not done in the stock vintage style but was modded like a current strat and rather then use an .047 cap he added a .022., in fact these old style used.1uf, in fact on the phone he told me one cap was missing, so clearly he was not aware of the various Fender wiring styles. I checked the old pot with an meter and it gave a reading of 250k. So I question if it was bad. End result I paid good money to have a guy sell me a pot and cap I did not need and rewire a vintage strat like a new one. After an experience like that I decided not to even risk going back to fix it. read more

Terrible store. Cant touch or play without assistance their priceless guitars? If you don't want people playing guitars without permission, lock the hangers or hang them up higher. But the worst part? Do not talk down to professional musicians, older ones for that matter, with bullshit scolding. "Watch the buttons on your jacket", things like that. Will never return and will tell any musician to stay away. Horrible used and vintage selection as well, bad staff. Classic Asbury trying to be hip and missing completely with a bad guitar store that has a bad vibe. read more

Selection and quality of what they have is better than any other guitar store/shop ive been in by far. The techs have way more knowledge than at guitar center and can do any job you ask pretty much. The acoustic room is not only make favorite place in the world, but is so big and full of great choices. The only downside is that you only get 50% trade in value for your guitars, so I recommend you do trade ins elsewhere or sell your gear on your own on letgo app. read more

Extremely pleasant No pressure Knowledgeable Staff and a Great spot. Super Inventory Great prices Thanks Guys New Strat

What a great place. If you like American quality guitars them this place is a must. Great work on my les paul sounds great. Best vibe in a music store ever. read more

Russo Music Center in New Jersey is number one on my list for drum supply needs! I had been searching around for a particular drum kit, and every time I tried to order it from different vendors it was the same story: Out of stock/ on back order. I even called a store that I normally shop at who were advertising it, and was told it would be 4 to 6 weeks before they could get it. Then I found Russo Music Center online and discovered they had two of these kits in stock. I emailed Russo asking if they could double check for me if they indeed had it before I ordered. Since it was after store hours I didn't really expect a response right away. I was so wrong. Within three minutes Steve DiMaggio -the Web sales and Marketing Manager, replied and was extremely helpful.. He verified that it was in stock and so I ordered it the next morning. I had a couple of additional questions on when I would ship and how long it would take, etc. Again, I always got instant responses from Steve D, and also from two of the shipping associates from the Asbury NJ store- Andy and Steve. They were also extremely responsive, helpful, and really courteous. The biggest most pleasant surprise was that the kit shipped out on Tuesday afternoon, and I received it in less than 24 hours near Concord, New Hampshire! INCREDIBLE! Everything was packed extremely well and not one piece was missing. Take my advice, shop from this store. These guys go the extra mile for you and them some, they know their stuff, and they treat you with respect. Thanks, Russo! -Eric F Concord Area, NH read more

Great location, great selection, and and meaningful assistance and insight from the musicians that work there. Best place I've been to since Manny's closed. Couldn't ask more from a music store. read more

i will have to say this store has the worst customer service any where a week ago on Tuesday I ordered a Fender Mustang bridge and was told its a two day turn around since my gig wasn't till Saturday that they would call me and email me when it there no call no email from the web master when ordered he said I have all your info on store computer since I been a loyal customer from the ole store I called Friday and spoke with Dan in the Asbury Store oh no record of your order he said h'll make sure he gets in and calls you so now I still didnt get it in time for my gig and still no call no email no order they just drop the ball so fuk them I will spend all money else where I just wish I didnt spend 7k there never again Dan sucks too. fuk ups oh Im Brian Daley jerk off rating a ZERO read more