Unpretentious and down to earth, this place is my favorite music shop in Seattle. The staff is knowledgeable and they are practical with their recommendations. As a beginning guitar player, I have always received the guidance and help I need without being belittled or feeling stupid. I have never felt obligated to make a purchase and feel comfortable just coming to poke around and ask questions. They have an excellent selection of acoustic and electric guitars and they don't sell crappy accessories. I highly recommend this place for your music needs read more

Best music store in Seattle for...decades! Mike in the drum shop is awesome and so is Terry in pro audio. Forget dealing with the yahoos at GuitarCenter and support an excellent local store instead. read more

Oh man this place had been recommended to me by several other musicians. The sales floor... Man these guys must HATE their jobs. They looked absolutely miserable! Every simple question I asked (I even brought in the contact mic with me), I was given a grunt or a pointed finger as they sulked on their stools. However, on the repair side, Alden is fantastic! Customer service aside, its a stocked and well planned out floor. On the cool side they have an amazing stock of gear. read more

I use to go there every once in awhile to check out to see if they had the "guitar" I wanted, usually they didn't. They do have lots of Gibson's and Fenders which is okay, if you can afford them. They do have Epiphone's and sometimes Jackson's and LTD and ESP, so they do mix it up. I finally did find the "guitar" a Jackson, and at the right price, so after 5 years of coming and going I finally got sold. Derek was great and helpful and a solid person to handle your needs. I have most of the stuff I need, but you know strings are always needed and straps and maybe a keyboard in the future, they have a great keyboard selection also. Maybe I'll keep coming and going checking out that gear next. It doesn't hurt that they're only a few blocks from home either. read more

Of all the really good instrument shops, this is the most professional. I have witnessed and received good service here. They will answer all of your questions. They have always treated me well. I have had work done on one of my guitars and have purchased other misc. gear as well. Expect more new instruments than used. Parking is ample. Selection is good. Staff is on the ball. Guitar Center is a punch line. This place is no joke. read more

Classic guitar store vibe but with better service. Compared to guitar stores 20 years ago when you would have to pull the guitar out of the sales person's hands to get him to acknowledge you. read more

Wow, if your a musician and you play the guitar or the drums...here's your store. They have an amazing selection with very experienced staff...guitars, drums, percussion, and music...great stop. read more

American Music - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Seattle, Washington

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Great place to rent PA systems! Easy, friendly service and very affordable! Thomas made the process very easy and we didn't have to drop it back until the next day. Plus, they were flexible about the time. read more

I helped run sound at a wedding recently, and the groom rented all the equipment from here. The prices were really competitive and the gear was top notch. I was honestly anxious about it being loud enough or the wireless mic picking everything up, but the PA provided was perfect for the job. read more

This is specifically aimed at the repair shop guys Cooper and Steve. They are seriously the best. They listen, they care, they cuddle, they fix...well, I don't know about the cuddle part- I just threw that in the mix for some strange reason. Hands down- the only guys I trust with my gear. They answer calls quickly, they figure out issues quickly and the turnaround time is great. Plus, they really know music gear through and through, which is important to me. Thanks guys for the awesome service. read more

I am a local wedding planner and have been using American Music for sound system rentals for a few years. Each time I've needed to rent it's been such a good experience. Not only has the gear been top notch, the employees (Tomas in particular) has been informative, available for questions and just super helpful all around. It takes a strong and reliable team to make great events happen and I consider American Music rental department to be part of that for my work. Thanks guys!! read more

This is the best music store in Seattle. Great service, everyone on the staff are local musicians who are all about getting you what you need and not about how to bump their sales. It's a very laid-back atmosphere, there's a great selection, and everyone here is very helpful. Go to American Music - not Guitar Center! read more

Far away the best music store in Seattle... actually Washington. Great guitars, bass, drums, keys, pedals, etc. More than that, the service is the best I have ever experienced. Real musicians working with stuff they love to work with. I can't say enough about them. The best selection, expertise, price and service. read more

Great neighborhood music store. I've been coming here for years and they're always friendly, patient and helpful. The service is so much better than what you'll get at the big stores like Guitar Center read more

Drum man Michael tuned up my older Pearl fiberglass Bass drum w/ a new set of Evans heads. Excellent help and very knowledgeable - highly regarded - It's best to buy local. thanks . read more

Okay, I understand this place has a lot of nice instruments and equipment. But wow, they were SO rude! I walked in to the store, smiled as I made eye contact with one of the workers, and was ignored. I had the same luck with the other three workers. Its like American Music only hires jerks. I was in there for an hour looking at acoustic guitars and I was not offered any help. They just sat in their seats and stared. I fell in love with an Eastman they had, but I couldn't bring myself to buy from them. Thankfully, Dusty Strings is just down the street. read more

Thanks Ted for helping me find an electric guitar in my price range, and that I enjoyed playing. I've played a lot of acoustic, but am new to electric, and Ted patiently answered questions, and helped me get a great set up that I'm very happy with. read more

I went to American Music on Fremont a few weeks ago to look around for a bit. It was my first time in. I met Terry in the speaker department that day and we had a good talk narrowing down what I should purchase to fulfill a current need, but I wasn't ready to buy anything. A couple of weeks later I go to see Terry again regarding some used speakers he had for sale on Craigslist. I was honestly pretty excited for a chance to keep my purchase local, and begin to build a relationship with some folks who can help my DJ business, while I help their retail business. Most of my previous gear was bought online from various other retailers. The ad clearly read: "2 QSC K8 LIKE NEW WITH BAGS $400 EACH" I'm a mobile DJ and needed one to use for a booth monitor. This was the speaker I had been looking for and the price was great. When I arrived, Terry was not on the sales floor. The gentleman who greeted me (I don't remember his name) and I located the two K8's and I told him I'd take one. The man replied he would need to call Terry and ask how much they were, and also inquire if he could sell me just one. I said there was no need for that, I have the ad right here (I have saved a screenshot for proof), and pulled up Craigslist on my phone. He called Terry anyway who promptly told the man the speakers were $900 and could not be separated. Not only was this contrary to the language in the ad, but they had mysteriously raised the price $50/each since posting it that weekend! I protested again, citing the ad to no avail, and left empty handed. I think this was a pretty shady move on their part, and deserving of a poor review to warn others. Don't be baited in by their misleading Craigslist ad(s)! read more

Loved my experience here. I came to buy a mono cymbal case b/c this is one few places that carries it. But they didn't have it in stock when I came in so the worker wrote my name and my number to let me know when it came in. When it finally did, he gave me a call like he said and gave me a discount to match the price that was offered from a different store PLUS another $5 dollar discount from the yelp checkin deal:) he was also very friendly and gave me some advice on taking care of my cymbals. I also noticed they have TONS of unique cymbal choices. Definitely coming back here again. read more

I don't often post reviews but I had to give a shout-out to American Music. I am a school music teacher, and rented two keyboards from them last Spring. Thomas in the rental department was very responsive, gave me a good price on the rentals and was flexible with the length of the rental term to make sure we had adequate time to practice with the keyboards, which worked great in our pit. Subsequently, I decided to purchase keyboards for future productions, and visited American Music on two different occasions. Phil and Emma in the keyboard department helped me, and both were attentive in helping me find what I needed. The first purchase involved several special ordered accessories, and Phil kept me posted as the items arrived, and even gave me a call when they received the school purchase order. When I went in to purchase the second one, the store was busy and Emma was due for her lunch break, but she still spent quite a bit of time with me, researching accessory options and searching for the components. Because the item I needed was out of stock, I ended up buying the floor model and the box was not available. They ultimately gave me a very reasonable price on the item, and loaned me a case from their rental department so that I could safely transport the keyboard home while waiting for the special order case to arrive. Because I mostly work in acoustic orchestral settings, the products sold by American Music are outside of my area of expertise, however when I do need to work with electronic or amplified equipment, I can trust that the staff at American Music will steer me toward the items I need, and rent or sell them at a fair price. read more

American Music has always underpromised and overdelivered as far as their repair shop goes. I recently tried Condor Electronics (bad idea) and ended up back at American so they could fix what Condor couldn't in less time and for less money. I HIGHLY recommend American Music over any shop in Seattle. I have had several amps and a guitar into American over the last couple years and if my crap keeps breaking (!), I'll keep going back. read more

You get 5 stars just because you aren't Guitar Center. Cheers.

I've yet to make a purchase in the retail portion of the store, so my two cents are in regards to the repair shop. The first time I went in there I had a problem with a pickup on my guitar. The guy working actually took time to open it up in front of me and asses the situation. It really was a nice gesture, as most places will def make you fill out paper work before they even touch anything. So after checking a bunch of things he determined the pick up was faulty. Since it was a new guitar I had purchased from a shop that had a warranty through Fender, he made a point of saying they would be able to bill them and fix my guitar for free! I had to use the guitar for a gig, so I told him I'd bring it back with a receipt next week. Fast forward to this week. I brought the guitar in with reciept, and Ben, the guy that does repairs informed me it would take about two weeks to get a new pick up shipped in. But rather than leave my guitar there, leaving me SOL, I was able to keep it with me until the pick up came into the shop. So I've yet to have the actual work done, but so far I've had nothing but good service. I'd recommend this place over any other reapir shop because they are really helpful, and won't try and screw you over. EDIT: ok. so i got my guitar back. but it was a bit of an ordeal. i had originally expressed interest in a set-up, but didn't confirm that i wanted it done for sure since it costs $90 + tax to do it there. When I got the call from Ben to inform me it was ready to pick up, he told me I'd have to pay for the work done when I came to get the guitar. I was confused and a bit pissed since he only said he would be installing the pick-up when i dropped the guitar off(there was no indication of the set- up on the invoice he gave me).. When I brought the guitar in I had also mentioned to them someone would have to come pick the guitar up since I work during there business hours. Why would they have not mentioned they were going to do the extra work that would involve payment since it would be a someone that's not me coming to get the guitar? In the end i had to call in my credit card, and just suck it up. the work had been done. now don't get me wrong, he did a good job setting the guitar up and installing the pick up.. however, after this whole experience i feel a bit sour about this place. read more

I've been in four or five times to browse guitars, everybody has always been warm - go ahead, help yourself, plug in if you want to, have a pick, here's a tuner. Last week, I went in, got decisive, picked one out and took it home. These guys couldn't be greater. read more

The best independent music store in Seattle, period. Good selection (would like to see some more acoustic guitars, though), competitive prices, and fantastic and knowledgeable staff (big props to Derek!). The repair shop is second only to Third-Coast Guitars in Chicago, and even that may be a stretch. Highly recommended. read more

Ultra friendly staff, definitely not the creepy,hovering, asking if they can help you every five seconds style of customer service you get at GC. This place provides a we can nerd out about gear without pressuring you to buy something style situation. normal prices and good selection. read more

When it comes to a sound system rental , I am technologically challenged. American Music's Service Rental Manager Erik set me up with perfect sound system: speakers, amp, mic and a cable to connect up to my 'little mp3 playing' device. At the weekend rates, I got an affordable sound system for the family hula show! Super fast check out and return, very professional quotes. read more

I've known about Ben Bryan for years and I'm glad he's with American music doing repairs now, because his work is like second to none... I wouldn't take my axes to anybody else. He'll quote you a fair price. It may seem steep at first but considering his expertise and his knowledge and factor in the US overhead (Fremont, people) and US wages were paying, well, it's worth it. As for the sales department I haven't been buying as much lately but their strings selection is really good. I miss Michael Crouse... he was my salesman back in the grunge years, he was very personable and always hooked me up with cool instruments. If the store is good enough for Chris Cornell it's Goodnuf for me -- how about that for an old cliché. No, Cornell never factored into my being a loyal customer. I've always hated being in the store the same time as someone either famous or well-regarded. Just not fun. read more

Way less attitude and corporate BS than GC. I usually buy accessories here, not instruments but it looks like their prices are a little better than GC, who act like they are doing you a favor by charging $1000 for some Epiphone Les Paul made in Uzbekistan. Ben in the repair department is an Ace, he can fix your guitar just the way you want and need it, without seriously gigging you on the cost to the point where you have to consider which body parts you may be able to live without in order to pay the invoice. More often than not I know exactly what I need when I walk through the door and I appreciate not being hounded by sales peeps, but there have been a couple of times where I had to go find somebody to ask a question and it seemed like they were short staffed. It could have been the days and times I visited were anomalies though. read more

Wandered in here on a Saturday to look at keyboard stands- they had maybe two that I could see. Perhaps they had more magical ones in the back- I'm not sure and I'll never know because not one of the 'men' working in the store, not ONCE, acknowledged my existence. There were at least 4 people working (from what I could see). I circled the entire store at least three times. The selection of guitars was nothing to be excited about. They had some interesting keyboards and synths. There are other music stores in Seattle... EDIT* I received an apologetic message from the owner, so I'm bumping it up a star. At the end of the day, it's this kind of thing that can make a difference when shopping somewhere local. I appreciate the message she sent me and like I told her, would not let the experience I had here deter me from ever coming back. read more

Everyone I interacted with on the phone or in-person was polite, accommodating and helpful. We rented gear for an event and we had to rig our light stands because some screws were missing. They refunded us the rental for the lights no questions asked. They're a local business and have been around for forever for good reason. Will absolutely work with them again. read more

Way better than GC. The staff, at least the gent I jabbered with, knows a thing or two. When talking neck radius, amp tube difference, or wood tone characteristics, they don't stare Bambi-style into your eyes. read more

Highly recommend getting repairs done here...and if you ever need to rent equipment , this should be your first choice. Excellent customer service. read more

I'm a DJ and took in one of my Mackie SRM350s to get the high end driver fixed. It took a few weeks to get fixed as they had to wait on a few parts from Mackie, and they were very proactive in tracking down the parts as the warehouse was in disarray due to a move. Steve at American Music was really great to deal with (all of the guys there were very helpful.) As things took longer than they originally quoted and I had a gig, they hooked me up so I could go to the show with a set of speakers. I don't want to say exactly what they did as they might not be able to do it for everyone depending on inventory, but they really hooked me up. They have gained a new customer for life. read more

Staff was very helpful. Got my finger picks and learned all about them.

I just went to American Music for the first time, and my mind is still boggled from the phenomenal service. I came in knowing exactly what I wanted to buy (a super cheap 18" Gemini subwoofer), and the guy who worked there, Terry, guided me to the unit. He then continued to question me on what I was going to use it for, what it would be appropriate for, and how it wasn't the greatest quality (which was also represented by the price). Despite me having walked in confident that I was going to make the purchase, it was almost as if Terry was trying to sacrifice a sale and make me reconsider because he didn't want me to end up disappointed. He continued to move the giant thing, plug it in, and bring it to it's peak performance so that I could truly hear what I would be getting. When I told him what speakers/amplifier I would be plugging into, he knew exactly what I was talking about, and gave me honest input on whether or not the subwoofer could be overkill (it was only a 500 Watt PA system, so I was afraid that an additional 500 Watts of just low-end could be a little much). Having known the amp I was using, he knew exactly how I would set it up, which inevitably saved me a lot of time googling/trying stuff out to get everything to work. When I finally told him that I wanted to buy it, he rang me up and wheeled the massive sub out to my car on a trolly, and helped me fit it in. Plainly put, this guy wasn't a salesmen. Never in my life have I experienced someone in a store who has cared so much about the satisfaction I would be getting out of my purchase. I've always felt like sales associates at Guitar Center had been stripped of all compassion by the commission-based, quota-driven work environment. Right away, it was clear to me that this guy Terry at American Music didn't give a single measly fuck about quotas. He sincerely wanted me to have a good experience, and I left without an inkling of doubt that I would get just that. read more

Love this place. The staff that works there is always super friendly and helpful. I live down the street so I am super grateful for this shop. read more

This review is for the repair shop, not the store (where I've had positive experiences). I brought my amp in to the shop some time ago because it quit working completely. The amp is a 1948 Fender Deluxe Tweed. Yes, you read the date right. The guy at the counter seemed like he was too cool to even look at an old Fender, but he did me the "huge favor" of taking it in anyway. It was ready a week or so later, but when I brought it home it buzzed like crazy. I took it back, but the same guy said "That's pretty much what these are like. Sorry, there's nothing more I can do." I asked him what he thought of that particular amp and he said--and this is a direct quote--"It'll Rock, but it won't Roll. If you know what I mean." So I took the amp to a repairman named Rick Erickson. His enthusiasm was evident the minute he laid eyes on the amp. He opened up the back and asked where the work had been done. When I told him he showed me what they'd done. They'd just cut the leads from the old components and soldered the new components to the old leads. Unbelievable! He took the amp in and really set it up right. That was several years ago and I still have that amp, and it still Rocks (and Rolls!) harder than most of the garbage out there, even with the original speaker! Note to my fellow gear geeks: It's a vertical tweed, mohair grille, with the handwritten serial number 720. I love it. read more

Great staff, great atmosphere. Selection is on the small side, but then again they have limited space to work with. Ultimately, my favorite shop because I bought my gorgeous guitar here and the amp that goes with it, and they make a killer tone together. I've been happily playing that setup without any desire to replace either of the pieces for the last four years, and still can't imagine replacing them. read more

Not bad-it is a smaller store, which is a plus, but it doesn't have the feel of 'The Trading Musician,' either. I was looking for drum stuff, so they had nothing here for me. (I'll have to go back-one of their employees yelped me that they have one of the best drum rooms around) If you're in Freemont and are looking for guitars/and or gear, not a bad place. read more