Jacob and Ryan are the best! Always eager to meet your needs, I always deal with NOBODY in Santa Fe for guitar needs but Candyman's. George H. Santa Fe read more

I stopped in today ready to buy a new guitar and amp and I was looking at the guitars this afternoon and no one came up to help me. No one said may I help you even though I was clearly waiting for help and I finally got frustrated and left. read more

Very disappointed with Candyman WRT to guitars. I was shopping for a new Taylor and asked if they would order it for me. Yes, they would, and if I didn't like it there was a $400 restocking fee, and by the way it would take three weeks. I ordered from Taylor, free delivery, had it 2 days, free returns in 30 days. I'd have to pay return shipping -- less than half Candyman's restocking fee. I'd prefer to buy local, but if they pass all their risks and costs onto me and can't get the guitars in a reasonable timeframe, I don't really care to do business with them. I am not alone. Talk to local guitarists. Candyman is not our musical home in Santa Fe. read more

Candyman is the best! Not only a true gem of Santa Fe, but one of the coolest music shops you'll visit. Staff is incredible and insanely knowledgeable on anything that makes noise. Massive inventory of gear across all price points and their events for the community are always a blast. read more

Like many folks i really want to like this place bc i prefer to support local shops. But there's a lot to unpack here.... First off, i dont like that they have like a ""wall of shame"" of people who stole stuff when you 1st walk in the door.... Sad that shoplifters have come thru, but kinda feel like that happens in any retail store ‍ also can agree with some other comments that the staff can be standoffish sometimes and its like so much trouble to get assistance so the vibe is off to me. Their selection is ehhh. Mostly mid - low end gear, some random consignment stuff, nothing that stands out to me... that is if you can find a price tag i swear alot of stuff has no tag at all so maybe its free ... and signs all over the place like keep you're playing limited to 15 min or whatever it says, me personally i wouldn't come in to test instruments out all day long, but are they timing u??? Feels weird idk. read more

I was hanging out in their acoustic guitar room when I dropped one of the guitars and it shattered -- my fault completely. I told Rand and he was so understanding, kind, and accommodating. It being my fault, I was ready to just pay and attempt to fix it on my own but they went the extra mile for me. Rand not only knocked off $100 but they also repaired the guitar for a tiny tiny fraction of the cost -- and it was a major, major repair. They didn't have to do any of that -- but they did. So now I'm a big fan of Candyman, will try to buy all my stuff there. And the repair service did an amazing job too, the guitar is completely playable now and it was completely shattered before. So I would recommend them highly based on that experience and I will shop there as much as I can. Thank you, Rand, my guitar repair master (s) and Candyman! read more

Great shop, good customer service and communication. Just wish the item came double boxed with foam padding as you see per usual with large name sellers. read more

My Fender guitar that I had on consignment was stolen from the Candyman. Rand informed me that his insurance did not cover the theft even thouigh it had been stolen from their shop. Rand was very unsupportive and totally blew me off even though it was a huge financial loss for me. I also found out that the theft was not reported to the police, no theft report was filed by the Candyman. I was totally SOL and Candyman didn't care. Furthermore, the Canndman didn't have any camera footage of the theft. Long story short, don't trust the Candyman with your consignments because if anything happens, Candyman doesn't give a hoot. Youll be the one out of luck all the way around, Karma is a funny thing and Iam sure that it will come back around on the Candyman. read more

I dropped off a guitar to be assessed for repairs. After a month of waiting and getting no follow up, I was finally contacted and told that my guitar repairs would cost more than the value of the guitar itself. Discouraged and disappointed, I ended up paying approximately $42 for 30 minutes of this guy's time while I waited 30 days. Somethings wrong with that picture. The technician lacked courtesy and concern, in my opinion and I wouldn't recommend doing business with this place. I overheard another customer stating he hadn't heard from them for over two YEARS! read more

I have had nothing but good experience's when I have gone in. Staff has always been great and very knowledgeable . The owner ( Randy ) is a very nice guy, very helpful. I have been going in a few times a year for the past 10 years and will continue. read more

Candyman scratched my brand new guitar while in their shop for service and won't take responsibility for it. I've used them for 40 years but never will again. If you take anything there for service, take pictures from every angle before dropping it off. read more

Tried to return a guitar cord that I purchased as a gift for my son. He received another from somebody else and couldn't use this one. The store sales person refused the return and offered store credit. I probably would never need anything from this store as it is a music specialty store. I pointed out that there is no signage posted in regards to this policy. He refused to help me. Ridiculous policy if there is no way for a customer to know about this. I strongly suggest you shop a store that cares about details like this and the Candyman is not such a place. I guess I'll have to give away this very expensive but useless to me item. read more

I'm not from Santa Fe, but stopped in here today to get a broken string replaced on my Traveler Guitar. I was immediately greeted and one of the staff took my guitar and went to fix it. As I looked around the store, pretty much every employee said hello and asked if I needed help with anything. Seems like a super shop with great people. Also looked like they had some nice studios for lessons and practice. Good job to the team there. read more

The Candyman is still there! It is actually The Candyman Strings & Things (the original name from 1969) and has gone back to basics- just selling musical instruments and accessories. It's in the same location on St. Michaels where it has been for over 20 years. No more records, CDs, or electronics, but still a great store! Recommended! read more

These guys are great! I came in here to get my baby Taylor set up. Everyone was super friendly and helpful. Dan helped me out and had the work done within an hour and they only charged me $15. I have never had a guitar serviced that quickly and for such a great price. While I was there I was checking out their collection of Ukeleles and ended up buying one. They helped me pick one out and informed me that I should use a humidifier here in Santa Fe due to the dry climate. All in all a great shop with a great crew. read more

It's a sad sad day when you realize that The Candyman is about to close... For over 20 years this music-specific store has catered to those of us who covet hard to find releases... But eBay seems to have had it's say and it is no longer reasonable to find hard copies of music without the internet anymore. Generations of music fans saw the writing on the wall nearly a decade ago, but it's finally come down to the closure of the last real record/CD/DVD store in Santa Fe county of any real interest. What you do get with this closure is a fantastic sale with slashed prices, so just between you and me, if you ARE a real music fan... Get down there quick and buy the good stuff for pennies on the dollar. A friend just purchased nearly the entire "Resident's" collection on vinyl for a fraction of what she would be paying on eBay... I guess the Candyman will still offer audio equipment, but the sheer stock of music will be gone forever... read more

Great at selling but don't even think about getting anything repaired there. #3 weeks means 6-12 weeks. They will never call even though they say they will. Its a shame that an icon in Santa Fe music has been on a decline. read more

As a local musician, I appreciate The Candyman's friendly easy atmosphere and helpful staff. I have been going there for over 16 years and have always been happy with the service and the quality of the merchandise and repairs. read more

We were so pleased with our experience here. We were helped by Francesca, apparently the only woman in the store. We wanted to buy a mandolin but had many questions and concerns. She was so patient with us, and always respectful and helpful. We left with a beautiful instrument - I am so in love with it - and felt that it (and we) received the best of care and assistance. In the context of their business, our purchase was probably a small thing for them - but it was huge for us, and they (she and the tech, whose name I didn't get) made us feel like it was every single bit as important to them. We'll look forward to coming here again! read more

Did a great job repairing the jack on my Martin. Fast and reasonable. Highly recommended.

Everything that a music store should be! I'm going back today for strings and a tuner!

I am very impressed with the staff at The Candyman. Each person I worked with went out of his way to help me with a complicated situation. I didn't know if my gear was working properly and so I needed guidance as to whether or not I should replace it. Sam went above and beyond the call of duty to help me assess my dilemma. I couldn't have been happier with his expertise, kindness, and patience. This store is a great asset to Santa Fe and it would serve us to remember that when we purchase musical items at this store instead of online, we are contributing to a very fine resource. read more

Real attitude there, they do not follow instruction or listen to the customers! You would have to pay me $25.00 to even go there to talk to people! read more

Shop local! Their prices are competitive and their stock is vast. They even rent audio equipment and p.a.s.

Staff could never resolve any issues and never bothered to call back to tell me my instrument was in. One manager in particular was very surley and almost racist in his lack of attention. Many of the instruments are dented and cracked so be careful, as they will not say a thing and you will be stuck with a damaged item as I was. I will continue to favor High Desert Guitars on Second Street for my Santa Fe music needs, as they seem more honest and at least you get good service and the instruments are not all banged up before they are sold. read more

What a refreshing experience! Knowledgeable staff, great selection, prices that compare or BEAT Guitar Center. We came into Santa Fe on tour and I needed a variety of odd guitar picks, that even GC doesn't have in stock most of the time. They had all of what I needed and more, at a cheaper price than GC no less! If you're in Santa Fe and need a music shop, this is the place to go! Way to go Candyman! You guys understand what musicians need! We will see you next time we're in town! read more

So often I go into these kind of stores and am met by a stand-off owner who hovers and acts as though they really don't want me there. Not this store. Right from the beginning, I was welcomed and encouraged to play anything. I only wish I didn't live so far away, but anytime I have the opportunity to visit them, I will. I cannot say more than that. Big fan here. read more

Six months ago I left a guitar with a case on consignment at Candyman. At the time, the person helping me commented what a nice sturdy case it had. Since it hadn't sold, I recently returned to the store to pick up my items. They found the guitar right away, but could not locate the case. When I asked what might have happened, the salesperson replied, "Oh, it's impossible to say." I think it is possible to say Candyman has shoddy and irresponsible business practices with consignment items. They did give me a replacement case, but no apology whatsoever; their attitude was dismissive and self-righteous. Oh, but he assured me they would "keep looking for the case and will call as soon as..." Yeah, right. Definitely not the best in Santa Fe. read more