I'm not sure where these negative reviews are coming from all I can say is that I've been treated great every time I've talked to them and they will be the first place I go when I'm looking for a banjo read more

One of the best experiences I've had purchasing a guitar. Embarrassingly, I've bought way too many (I have to keep a spreadsheet) from various sellers. From the historical building to the room filled with so-many vintage guitars, this was a treat to see and play. I knew what wanted. Fred brought me the exact guitar I was looking for and showed me a lower priced model to compare. I went for the Martin 000-12 Fret Custom, no question. Catherine helped me finalize the deal and treated me so nicely and professionally. If I'm ever back in Philly, I'm coming back. Alfonso read more

Rude. I couldn't imagine having to deal with these people long enough to make a sale. If the bumbling white haired man has ever made a sale in his life it would be a huge surprise to me. The whole place reeks of mold as well. I couldn't get out of there fast enough. read more

I have to disagree with the other reviews although the owners do live in their own world, I've never found violin makers and music shop owners who's heads are not in the clouds! Humans are not the priority, the instruments are! But I know Fred and Catherine and they do have hearts of gold as you get to know them. There is quite the collection of instruments in here... and quality bow makers and instrument repairs upstairs too. I'm not screaming from the rooftops about customer service here, just praising what they promise they will do, which is provide great instruments, repairs and fair enough prices. read more

Vintage Instruments - Vintage Instruments Broad Street Philadelphia - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I have always wanted to visit, but my visits to Center City rarely coincide with business hours. So I finally did. Not having ever been here I didn't know the protocol. What a nasty, nasty woman! She got up from her desk with a sneer. I knew then what was coming. I also know if someone comes "under my roof," to visit my shop, I'd try to be marginally gracious. Help them out. Show them around. Maybe get some of their business. Not this one. Nope. Instant attitude. Stay away. I post a follow-up. This unpleasant woman's response is a brazen lie which attempts to impugn my intentions. I was unfamiliar with the premises. I stated that I had always wished to visit but didn't know the layout. I had only visited the website. "Lurk" is not in my vocabulary. There are multiple levels. There are instrument cases visible. Is that a storeroom? Is there a showroom? Do I just climb the staircase? Draw your own conclusions. read more

They have cool stuff but their communication isn't great. Emailed a few times and havent heard back. Not very professional, if you ask me. It only takes a second to return an email and validate a potential customer. read more

Great outstanding selection of high ticket vintage instruments but the owners who were upstairs were very rude to us. It was so awkward. They seem to be unhappy with people coming in unless they can tell off the bat you are there to spend 40,000 or more. Yikes. Not sure if I would spend my money here ?? The guy who works downstairs was very friendly though and gave us a lot of fantastic education about each of the vintage guitars and let us play with them which was a great experience. So mixed feelings about this place. It is worth checking out maybe put on your Sunday dress when you come in ;) read more

An excellent store, with some of the most unique guitars you can play. I felt like i was in Ollivander's Wand Shop. If you are looking for an intro guitar, guitar center is your place. If you are a serious player who is looking for a unique guitar with a unique sound, vintage instruments is your place. I read some of the other reviews, I don't know why these reviewers think someone should be able to wander in off the street to potentially manhandle fragile 60 year old instruments. I found the proprietors knowledgeable and courteous, spending a large amount of time to help me find the right guitar. The experience was reminiscent of a bygone era. read more

Vintage Instruments is a treasure. It is one of the most beautiful places to visit and their inventory is like visiting a museum. I am very thankful for the generous amount of time given to me and the wide variety of instruments to make an educated comparison. There are few shops in the country which have their inventory. Cannot thank you enough for your kind assistance. read more

Vintage Instruments can be a little intimidating. I won't deny that. It is not Guitar Center. However, you will find a variety of instruments there, new, used, and vintage, that you'll have no chance of finding anywhere else in the region, as well as top-tier expertise. When I went, Fred, Catherine, Gabe, and Natalie were all friendly and helpful and I ended up buying two guitars from them. One of them hadn't been on my list, but Fred took the time to listen and had something perfect that was not yet posted on the site. My strong suggestion is to do some homework before going, for your sake and theirs. Review the inventory on-line. Make a list of instruments of interest and questions to ask. When you've narrowed things down, you'll appreciate having access to Fred's encyclopedic knowledge in making your final decision. read more

I love this place. I live a few blocks from the store and cannot walk past without going in (it's not easy to spot because signage is poor. Adds to the mystique). The store itself is a step back to Victorian splendor with warm wood paneling and decoration. You walk down a beautifully appointed staircase to the guitar room and it is magical. Although I think it's primarily a violin shop, Fred (the owner) is a Martin dealer (maybe a Washburn dealer also), and has a fabulous assortment of new guitars. But the real attraction is the breathtaking collection of high end preowned instruments from many manufacturers. Many, one of a kind and many pre-WWII. Fred is so knowledgeable about these instruments that I believe Martin consults with him. This is not a mass merchant guitar store but they are incredibly knowledgeable about their product, don't try to oversell, and are price competitive. More importantly, customers are encouraged to take their time and try out different instruments to see what pleases them. Take Fred's suggestions seriously. Finger picker or flat picker, he has the instrument for you. Uks also. If you are a serious musician or just starting out, you won't be disappointed. One more thing...... I don't believe I've ever seen a true electric guitar here. It's all about acoustics and acoustic/electrics. read more

I was looking for information on a used Banjo I was working on restoring. If you are not actually looking to buy an instrument they have restored, expect to be treated as inferior and a waste of their time. Let me rephrase, on my ONE phone call to the store (never going to call again) in my attempt to not waste their time or my time, Catherine seemed to go out of her way to ridicule and belittle me, continue to repeat, "I'm not sure how I can help you." All I was looking for was some shared information on the size and dimensions of thumb screws to attach a resonator. Not brain surgery, but some research on a banjo that isn't produced anymore, that I assumed a place that restores "vintage instruments" might happen to have. After she seemed to almost mention by accident several websites ( TheMusicLink.Net and StewMac.com) that I'd never heard of before for instrument parts, she suggested that I just take it to a hardware store and start jamming different screws in to try and find what would fit. "That's what we'd do." Somehow the idea of having someone at a hardware store (maybe) cross-thread a nut that can't be removed from the resonator seemed a little less than ideal. Eventually, a gentle man named Fred came to the rescue of the phone call. He is gentle, hence the space between gentle and man, and is well equipped to treat one with civility and knowledge. He was very helpful in heading me in the direction that typically American banjos have a standard threading, but the depth depends on what was hidden in the way the resonator was created. While I'm waiting for the thumbscrews ( 10-24x1/2 for those of you looking for the same) to be delivered, I thought I'd review my disrespected adrenaline creating conversation with Catherine, to show off that despite her opinion, I do know the basics of using a computer, and should anyone else be tempted to call this place ASK FOR FRED RIGHT FROM THE BEGINNING. Fred, you get two gold stars. read more

What an amazing space filled with so many incredible vintage instruments. I'd never seen so many classic pre-war instruments in one room before. Fred was an excellent and knowledgeable host, letting me play whatever guitar, mandolin, or banjo I had my eye on. I can guarantee that the next big instrument purchase I make, it'll be made here. read more

Having just read the previous review, I felt it important to chime in on this. Agreed, these people carry some nice instruments sure, but so do a lot of other people who don't treat me like shit. The woman who owns this store is flat out rude and will never get my business which I assure you there is plenty of. Support your local music shops, but stay away from this one unless you like being treated with no respect as a customer or as a human. read more

A somewhat risky deal by my usual standard of doing things, I mean, I sent off a few thousand $ to purchase a guitar sight-unseen, from a merchant I didn't know, on the other side of the country. Eye yiyi. ALL of my anxiousness turned out completely assuaged when I received the consignment delivered on-time, solidly protected in shipping, at the agreed/fair price, and 100% in the exact condition depicted & represented. (they even included a few nice accessories on the side!) Great transaction, completely satisfied, THANK YOU VINTAGE INSTRUMENTS! GML read more

Vintage Instruments is a different sort of shop. If you are a musician looking to find a really fine guitar, fiddle, etc. AND you have an idea of what you are looking for, this is a great place. If you just want to come in and strum on a $3,000 Martin, or ask dumb questions, then you might find Fred to be a bit brusque. They have a lot of work to do, and so they can be a bit busy. They are also actual musicians and so they care about the instruments and want the customers to do the same. There are plenty of "mall" style music stores with mass-produced crap and commissioned salespeople who don't know much, but are super-friendly. Vintage Instruments is not them. But at some point, when you have saved and want a really special thing -- you will be glad to spend some time at Vintage Instruments. They are a world-class shop. read more

I called this place twice over the period of about a year and both times the woman who answered the phone appeared to be put out that I was infringing on her time. With a snobbish elitist attitude like , if I couldn't make money for her she wasn't interested. I'm glad I didn't drive there. read more

Fred was helpful and friendly with providing me the information I needed for a 'golpeador' on my Flamenco guitar. Unlike the other specialty store on Sansom street, Vintage Instruments is adept, friendly and carries a ride variety of vintage musical instruments. I always look forward to giving them my business as they are such a pleasure to deal with. read more

A great experience. The store is multi-level and has a huge selection of instruments. It feels a little sacred - like an old church or library. Sarah was lovely; very knowledgable and happy to tell us a lot about the individual guitars. read more

Some attempt being made by them to clarify/answer questions, and Fred did follow up with my very frustrated call. But still very slow response and very hard to get details on instruments over the phone. I concur with other posters that an in person visit with no expectations of being given much time might be better than long distance shopping with them....unless you have no detailed questions and just want to make a simple purchase. read more

I went here to look for drumsticks, which by the way they do not have. Fortunately, I also play guitar and discovered their great selection of vintage acoustic guitars. I thought the staff were very helpful. They tried to get an idea of what I liked and pointed out stuff that I might be interested in, even though I explained I wasn't really in the market at the moment. Overall, it was a good experience, and they sent me to a shop that did have drumsticks! Thanks! read more

As a professional music advisor I recently accompanied another experienced individual to this business, after prior research and with sufficient funds immediately available. I watched and listened in silence throughout. One hour and twenty two minutes. Apart from presenting instruments with adequate commentary, this Catherine proved to be a uniquely ill-mannered and dour sales person indeed. This in alarming contrast to the beautiful setting in which she sits - rather like a little brown spider, accountable to no one, as to good manners & base line social graces. She spoke in a quietly insinuating tone & delivered pointless challenges - with small expressive facial muscles forming around her mouth, in what I could only guess was a familiar rictus.To wit: she met questions -not with polite answers..but with her own confusing rhetorical questions, e.g. "Why would you want to know THAT?" delivered in a preachy manner throughout. The merchandise? Stellar. The business atmosphere?: airless, seriously anti-social & anti-sales, start to finish. Fred! talk to this woman already. She lost this great sale! strong onto the upper low thousands. By way of her clueless interchanges with me and other discerning people this Catherine is losing you both A LOT of money. Perhaps, you don't care, thinking that her behavior is somehow an allowable expression of professional expertise. Not I've now heard two further accounts directly from others, almost too disappointed to recount them in detail. Catherine's purported knowledge & technical skills are NO excuse or compensation for her willful assertion of entitlement, and her characteristic disregard for essential gestures of emotional intelligence and trust building. I will spread the word far and wide, in all confidence that I have precisely and properly characterized this regrettable experience as warning to many others in the future. read more