The folks at Finlay + Gage are just fantastic. Helpful, knowledgable and talented, they're exactly…read morewho you'd want to ask for help if you're in the market for any type of musical instrument or services. From rental violins for your budding Suzuki fiddler and a fun variety of ukuleles to gorgeous vintage guitars for daddy and some rockin' amps to plug into, F+G has a wonderfully curated selection of offerings. What I appreciated most was their honesty in evaluating some repairs on an old Fender acoustic dreadnought whose bridge was beginning to separate from the body. After dropping it off for a couple of days, I returned to hear the bad news of how much it would cost to bring back to a proper playable condition and the genuine assessment of how it wasn't quite worth it. Of course, while I was in there, an immaculate used Epiphone SG caught my eye and lingered in my heart until I took the plunge and splurged on my lifelong guitar desire. Therein also lies the danger of stopping in to browse (at least pre-pandemic): You might fall in love with a finely crafted instrument. But then again, that's a risk I'm willing to take!

I waited to write this review as I wanted to spend some time with my guitars after the setup. I've…read morebeen looking for a guitar tech in the Montclair area for awhile (4 or so years.). I've taken chances on other techs in the area and at times received hatchet jobs literally. I noticed Jason had worked for Mandolin Brothers and that immediately gave me hope. I took a couple of guitars in, but was a little nervous about my '71 telecaster with a bigsby. Man I'm excited I found this place. The guitar intonates amazingly and such a quality setup. All the way up the neck. The guitar feels better than it has in a long time. Finally a place you can trust!

I'm not from around Springfield. I live about 30 miles away closer to New York. However. This…read moreguitar center in particular made every inch of the drive worth it. I had just gotten off work. I was tired, sleep deprived, shouldn't have been going to a guitar center but I really needed to satisfy the itch like any guitar enthusiast. Found this Ibanez RG8 in stock in Springfield. I wouldn't normally have done this but I really just felt the need for metal. Anyway, my car overheats on the way there. It's already 8:40 and this place closes at 9. I'm screwed. I buy coolant, give it to the car and get back on the road. Oh no, now my ETA is 9:15 and this guitar is waiting there AND I've already driven 15 miles. Jesus CHRISTMAS. How could this day get worse right? Then Victor picks up the phone. This guy pulls the most MVP clutch move of all time and tells me he's there until 10 and that if I knock on the door he'll let me carry it out. Turns out not only is this the most clutch GC employee on earth but he also knows how to go above and beyond for his workplace and fellow customers like myself. Great guy, great guitar, great night. Do you need people to cater to YOUR needs? This is your guitar center. - Thank you, Victor. This guitar is sick

Brought my guitar on a Wednesday, because the first string was sitting lower than the rest of the…read morestrings. The grey-haired luthier also noted that the 6th string was sitting high. He said it would be reading by the end of Thursday. I didn't get a call until the end of Friday. Ok, fine. I went to pick it up on Saturday morning. The luthier stated that he leveled out the 3rd and 4th strings as well as the 6th. However, he never mentioned the 1st string, and I pointed out that it was still lower than the rest of the strings. This man lied to my face and said it was actually better that the first string sat lower than the rest. Wow. If you couldn't fix it, 1. you should have told me and 2. I should not have been charged full price for repairs. This is sad. People are so desperate for your money that they will straight up lie to you just to take it. I'm done doing business here.

Matt brought my guitar and ukelele from "Rustic Grime" to Masterpiece!…read more I brought my 20-year-old Walden Natura D550 and a vintage 1953 ukulele to Matt, and the results are honestly shocking. The '53 uke was in rough shape--old, rustic, and covered in decades of grime. Matt transformed it completely. He finely detailed the body until it was shining like a mantle piece, fixed the tuners, and recommended Nylgut strings that make it sound incredible. It went from a dusty relic to a daily player that I can't put down. For my Walden guitar, Matt performed "wild work." The action was high and the strings were dead, but he used a "cold clamp" technique on the neck and hand-carved a perfect unbleached bone saddle. He even recommended a spectacular cocobolo bridge to match the guitar's aesthetic and tone. Both instruments came back sounding "shockingly fantastic." If you have an instrument that has lost its "soul" or just needs expert engineering to sing again, Matt is the man to see. A true master of his craft and a total professional.

MW Guitar Repair My…read moreGuitar for Repair (Ibanez GB30 2023) Matthew performed a thorough inspection of the Ibanez and explained in detail the work he would be performing. During our conversation I noted that his passion for Guitars was clearly evident. I felt confident that he would bring more musical life to this instrument. Matthew checked fret wear, the string action (and spacing) , the guitar neck, tonality, guitar bridge and stability, string groove, action, tuners, fret buzz, saddle height, intonation, pick up height, stable tuning and much more, He is meticulous and precise. My instrument now has new Life, Vibrancy and now runs on all Musical Cylinders! It is a pleasure to know Matthew and the positive aura that is felt when you are at MW Guitar Repair. You will walk in with a smile and leave with a bigger smile. Thank You friend. I truly appreciate the intense work you perform. Additonally your work is of Heart and Soul, sincerely.. Respectfully Tom E

Out of biz 9/2024. Very sad…read moreBeen buying gear there since the 80's, always had a great selection and a cool, helpful staff... another victim of the digital world...

Went in to pick up an online order, and all went very smoothly…read more Noticed that it seems like the store has gotten some new merchandise. Instruments were looking really nice. Up front, items were on sale and they were really great value and caught my partner's attention. He told me, if he didn't already have so many guitars and gear already that he's trying to sell off, he'd have been all over it. Sam Ash did not disappoint today. Recommended!

Turn around time was excellent, went in, had my Buescher TT alto checked and PR gave me a quote for…read morean overhaul.. I decided to get a patch job for the meantime, his service was excellent. One day to the next, the fastest turn around time I ever experienced. I asked him a few questions about gear and man... he is an encyclopedia! Gave me recommendations for some of my gear. Got my TT, plays beautifully! I can imagine what an overhaul would do to this thing.. WOW!

Excellent repair of my tenor sax. Perry was informative, friendly, and completed the work quickly…read more Very reasonable price.

Liberty Music consistently has great horns and even better repairmen. Definitely one of the more…read moreprofessional/reputable places in the area, these guys know what they're doing.

From the owner: We are a boutique saxophone store, with a huge selection of new and vintage saxophones and…read moremouthpieces. We have a professional and experienced repair staff, and offer lessons as well.

I've purchased two guitars here over the past few years. Both remotely because I live in…read moreCalifornia. Shopped the website then called and had a long discussions with Lou while he did in-hand descriptions of several guitars I considered. I already owned two Peerless brand guitars and know that the high quality to reasonable price ratio for the Korean made guitars is very good. Guitar n' Jazz is probably the highest sales volume dealer of Peerless guitars in the USA. Several other high quality brands also sold. After my purchase via phone call, Lou did a great job in setting up the guitars for maximum playability and putting super premium Thomastik strings on at no higher charge. Shipment time was excellent. Packaging was top notch. Of course Hard shell cases were included. Advice: Always buy a hard shell case when you purchase an instrument remotely that requires handling by Fedex / US Postal service / UPS no matter what the instrument is. I've sadly gotten several instruments over the years from other sellers shipped in double cardboard boxes that were completely destroyed upon arrival. Nobody wants fire place kindling when buying a wooden musical instrument. Even though there are several guitar shops that sell a few vintage jazz instruments within 50 miles of my home, I will always check this shop first when contemplating my next purchase. 5 Stars! Highly recommended.

I purchased a Gibson ES-175 from Guiitars 'n Jazz for a very decent price over the phone without…read morevisiting the shop. Owner Lou is honest, very easy to work with and he wanted to make sure I was happy my choice and with the purchase for all the right reasons. The guitar arrived well-packed an in perfect shape (it was advertised as "excellent" but in my opinion, it was actually closer to mint). There were a couple of issues that I felt should have been taken care of before it was sent out (it happens). Lou agreed and he was quick to make amends. I guess that's why it's a good idea to deal with a serious, long-time, reputable dealer who picks up the phone himself. Not sure what else you could ask for. Many thanks for making the process hassle-free, Lou; I'm seriously digging the guitar : )