When you call, or walk in the door, you're a customer. It doesn't matter if you're gonna spend a cent or brought your black diamond credit card, they care about you and they care about music. How do I know? I had the pleasure of a thorough and empathetic call with either the owner or somebody I'd trust to run the place. ~~~ T took time out of his day to discuss my need as a customer for a very niche need, and I'm sure he takes care of people like me all day with the same aplomb and kindness. I asked about harp pins, and after talking enough, he knew I meant friction pegs but for harps. (No, I didn't know this would also explain it!) While I'm not sure of how practical it is to get teensy harp pins (3 mm size?) or use friction pegs (too large?), T invited me to visit so we could look together. ~~~ He was willing to look through catalogs and online searches with me to find the piece I'd need. How can you beat this kind of interest? The people here are like when you have a home project and need to know *how* to do it and *what* tools you need. Do you want a big name store where nobody knows anything and you're on your own? Of course you don't. You want a place where the employees live and breathe their work. Look at other reviews--Union Music proves it. ~~~ I'm definitely stopping in to see T, even if it's a month or two from now. Thank you for treating me so kindly, T, and Union Music. read more

Local music institution. If you're there for service, be careful with who works on your stuff. Brian lied to my face about doing service work that he didn't do. Christian fixed my mandolin a did it for as little money as possible. It sounds fantastic now. read more

I bought a rare and wonderful used guitar here at a fair price. The owner needs to exercise more pride on what he sells though, my guess is that this isn't his day job. Lots of love for the small independent guitar dealer tho. read more

Support local music stores!! Great selection, lots of knowledge, and excellent customer service. Honestly, Mom and Pop music stores are becoming harder to find. This is a place you can sit down and play an instrument in person before purchasing. Great staff. Honest and caring. read more

Union Music - Acoustic guitar section. - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Worcester, Massachusetts

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I recently decided to buy a keyboard, and spent many hours on Amazon, comparing reviews and analyzing the available options for different models. I became increasingly confused by the number of different features, and the difficulty of deciding whether I truly needed a keyboard with weighted keys, demo songs, 61 keys vs. 88 keys, etc. Fortunately, I decided to go look at keyboards in person at Union Music. The salesperson was exceptionally helpful. He answered every single one of my questions patiently, without pressuring me to buy a more expensive model. When I asked comparative questions such as, "I don't need this, do I?" or "What do you think about this feature for a beginner?," he answered honestly and objectively. With his help, I was able to choose a suitable keyboard in a reasonable amount of time, and the additional piano bench and stand for the keyboard were reasonably priced. I don't believe that I could have gotten a better deal on Amazon and --what's more---I could easily have ended up with a model that was not well-suited to my needs. All in all, I am very satisfied with my purchase, and I am grateful that I had the assistance of a professional salesperson. read more

Used to be a great store. Bought my first Gibson guitar there a couple years ago. As well as amps, tuners, and had a few setups too. The store has clearly changed since then. Here is why: Took 8 months for them to even look at my guitar after they said they'd see it as soon as they could. Constantly had to call the store so they wouldn't forget to look at my guitar.. two times they told me they lost the paperwork (keep your receipts!!) I was priced at $300 for a neck reset. I was told that was the TOTAL cost besides the strings. Imagine my surprise when I received the guitar and found out they added an extra $88 to the bill for setup. $388 now! Why would they leave that out of the first bill? Not to mention the condition it was in which I've shown in the photos.. The manager was helpful and agreed that the guitar was in bad shape.. but I still had to make even more calls to get something done. I talked to the guitar tech Dan Hunt who did the work and he didn't apologize or even acknowledge he did shoddy work!! Though eventually he agreed to work on it.. Now one of the worst parts of the whole experience was actually talking to the store owner Michele who messaged me after my complaint. She did not apologize or seem sympathetic at all. She continued to defend the guitar tech Dan who doesn't even work for the store! In fact most of our conversation involved her trying to convince me that my bad experience at the store wasn't a big deal at all and that "most people rave" about Dan's work. Her words. Speaking of i finally had enough and told her this was the last time I was doing business with them... Her words? "Good luck". I have emails to prove that. My overall opinion? Finally got the guitar back a few weeks ago and they did a good job covering the ugly marks. However all the stress I went through to have that work done was not worth it at all. If you want to buy a guitar here they have a good selection and the manager is very friendly and helpful (only reason this review isn't a 1 star) If you want a repair done.. go somewhere else. They have outsiders who are not store employees to do repairs and if you have a complaint you have to deal with them. I'll never come back to this place again and the store owner saw to that. Good luck!! -Rob read more

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Love this store, always get great service whether buying new or getting setups or repairs. Great spot. Highly recommended!!

Fantastic drum lessons that make you feel like a rock star. What more could you ask for?

I just came to Worcester for 2 weeks and have already purchased a martin guitar and a amplifier in the store. It is definitely the best store I have ever been. Both the quantity and the quality are great. And the people here are so nice. You can just take your time to try different kinds of staff with no pressure. And if you have question, these guys will give you exactly what you want to know and the greatest recommendation. Also, the price is affordable~~ I will definitely choose to buy everything I need for music in this store!!!~~~ read more

Union Music is the OPPOSITE of the giant big box franchise and chain stores across the country. Here you will only find warm, experienced musicians that are knowledgeable and extremely helpful. There are some really incredible musicians on staff for instrument lessons. The private rehearsal space is very reasonable also. Unique to this type of music store (small and independent) is that they frequently have some really interesting and unique clinics and free group lessons where they actually let you use their instruments (djembe or ukelele for example) to learn from a professional on site, in the store! One of my favorite things about this store is the owner Carl Kamp. Aside from being a really talented guitarist and all around musician, Carl personally stands by every transaction that takes place in the store. Should an issue arise, Carl will go our of his way to make it right. You don't get that kind of personal attention at a big box chain store. read more

This is believe it or not one of the better music stores that I've been to. Usually I'm not big on a lot of non corporate music stores because the selection is pretty small, but they had some good stuff, especially pre-owned. Bought a $400 used ride cymbal for my drumset here, one of the best cymbals I've ever owned. Didn't really test the knowledge of the staff at all, I didn't really need them, so I can't speak to that, but like I said they had a solid selection. Tried to sell some things here, but didn't. I'm not really going to fault them for that, music stores anywhere ever, will try to really undercut the value of your stuff if you try to sell it through them. Everybody's got to try to make a profit right? read more

Yes; very nice music store. Friendly knowledgeable helpful staff. No rush. Take your time. Sample to find what you like. Every time I stop by when I'm in the area (and it has been quite a few over the years with purchases and repairs) I'm always glad I did. Great for all musicians from big to small. read more

Union Music - Budding musician! - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Worcester, Massachusetts

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This place has a decent selection of equipment. However, I went into the store last week, walked around 40 minutes, and was never greeted or asked if I wanted/needed any assistance. I felt unwelcome if I didn't know what I was doing. read more

I had been looking for a specific guitar and they had what I wanted through consignment. Went there on a whim, very satisfied. Very attentive owner and staff. I will definitely be back soon. read more

I've been going here for years. Have nothing but good buys and good repair experiences here. Friendly and knowledgeable staff, they even hooked me up with a same day repair which I needed to facilitate a deadline. They'll definitely continue to have my business read more

This place is a real gem, IMO. The staff here is knowledgeable, and helpful, and doesn't pressure you. Well worth a 40 mile drive from Boston. There aren't a lot of places out there (and I mean anywhere) where the help can accurately describe to you what every single knob on a Peavey Bandit amp does! They also answer email inquiries promptly and accurately. The prices here on new gear are quite good and if you are a G&L or ESP fan (I'm the former) - you'll be delighted with the selection. Prices on the used stuff is decent - you'll be able to better it on eBay or at GC I'm sure, but it seems they only accept used stuff that is in good, operational condition. I'd feel comfortable buying used from them. I'm very, very impressed with the quality of the setups they do on their guitars. This would be a great place to take a beginner guitarist. The only downsides to this place are the rather limited selection for new guitar gear and that it inhabits a particularly gritty area of the post-industrial landscape that is Worcester. read more

Nice selection of new and used instruments. Acoustic room is much better than average. I ordered a USA G&L through them, and was very happy with the service and price. They offer consignment on used gear. They aren't a Fender or Gibson dealer, but are a big Taylor and Martin dealer. I wish they carried a wider selection of amps. They have practice and studio space available. read more

If you're looking for real knowledgeable staff/musicians that can guide you through any questions or concerns you may have, this is the place to go. Forget the big corporate stores who hire anyone to work there as long as they can fill their schedule. I buy my gear and accessories here knowing I'm getting exactly what I need with the best people standing behind it. I also bring all my guitars, electronics and speakers here for tune ups and repairs. This place and all the people in it are awesome! read more

Very easy to work with, very fun, very transparent businessmen, very positive friendly environment! I came in for a simple intonation repair, and they even showed me how to do it myself, and were able to accommodate my very rushed schedule that day! Very accommodating, very generous! They can have ALL my dollars! read more

Ya know there's something about the service and quality that you get at your GOOD local music store. These guys are the best. good selection and fair prices. Super helpful and all around nice folks. The repair dept is outstanding and the acoustic room is nothing short of unreal! They stand behind their products and even offer awesome clinics and lessons! How cool is that! You wont find this sort of service at Guitar Center where all they do is make the sale and then they dont want to know you! There's nothing they have that union music cant get for you while still treating you like a person! This is the reason I shop here exclusively! read more