The best music store in Queens. I dropped off my Telecaster to be serviced and George went above and beyond to make it look and sound like it was brand new. It was a great experience, the prices were fair and the service was excellent. George also made it super easy to coordinate schedules, especially when so many places' hours are varied due to COVID right now. Thanks, George. I'll definitely be back for all my other music needs. read more

A friend told me about Astoria music and how he got his acoustic guitar repaired for a reasonable price and in Just a few days . I decided to start playing my bass guitar again after being non active for a bunch of years and it needs a little TLC before I can slap my axe . Astoria music is really a mom and pop old school music shop that sells and service many different types of musical instruments and they have music teachers as well if you want your little one to learn an instrument or if you the adult want to start a new hobby . Very nice gent who i assume is the owner , looked over my bass and knew exactly needed to be done . A few parts had to be replaced and I didn't mind cause I do recall how nice my fender bass sounded when it was in peak shape . 3 days later it was ready and the sound is exactly what I remembered after all these years . Glad my friend told me about this music store and would recommend this place 100 percent. 4.5 stars on my yelp meter. read more

1. There is a "technology fee" of 7$+ when you pay through credit card. I don't know what that is. Owner didn't mention while paying. See pic. Not a tax because tax is already added to the "Base Amount" 2. Bass guitar I bought has already a bended headstock and warped neck. But the owner insists it is okay. And when I said "you are luthier, you know it is not". He refunded my money and told me he can change the headstock to a new one. 3. Website says they are open and will be opened 11am. Waited and wasted 2 hours in the cold outside went back the next day and told me they now open at past 1pm. Photos of my horrible experiences below. read more

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Small mom and pop place run by George, an affable fellow, possibly by him alone. Set up my banjo perfectly after i thought i could do it and failed (damn youtube!). Fixed the action, the intonation, marked the bridge setting among other things. Also told him i needed it asap on a Tuesday for the weekend. It was ready next day. Plays great. I will take my guitar there for a set up too. It being Astoria, he has a lot of bouzouki and baglamas for sale and most likely a pro at setting those up as well. Set up was $85. Well worth it. read more

George is nice but I've now Uber'd my guitars here TWICE during their normal business hours for them to not be open. I'm not doing it again.

Okay, so getting my guitar set up here was a bit more expensive than, say, Guitar Center. But it's such an art that I trust my instrument more with someone who has been doing it for longer. George has been doing this for a long time. He did a terrific job, too. I read reviews before going, and heard that he raised the action too high on some people's instruments, but I did not have this experience. As a matter of fact, the action was even lower when I got it back, and it played like butter! He told me that it takes 30-40 hours of playing to be fully broken in, and it hasn't been that long yet, but so far so good. No buzzing, and the new strings sound great. He also fixed my worn out frets! read more

WHAT A NICE GUY! George fixed my cello up in minutes. What a wonderful experience (and very impressive)

I deleted my review earlier because I thought nobody took it seriously. After finding out other people have had horrible experiences here, I decided to put it back up. Long story short I bought a used EJ Strat and brought it here for a setup. Played like a dream. Best guitar I ever owned. I took it here for a setup, as I thought one should after getting a new guitar, and he ruined it. It never played the same again. He "polished" the frets and in doing so, took off enough material that they no longer were in perfect alignment. Also he raised the action and increased the bow in the neck. It was a complete nightmare. I have since taken this guitar to no fewer than 3 other technicians since. None of them have been able to fix the problems George created. I've considered selling the guitar but it has immense sentimental value. My entire life revolves around playing guitar, being that I'm a musician. I can honestly say that I would give anything to go back in time to stop myself from going to Astoria Music. That's how badly I regret this. I was unable to afford another $2000 dollar guitar afterwards and was stuck with a piece of garbage, as that's what my EJ Strat was reduced to after I took it here. DO NOT GO TO ASTORIA MUSIC EVVVEEEEERRRR read more

Came in to buy a new b-string for my Acoustic Guitar. owner was super friendly. 2 minutes & $2 later, I was back on my way to play! Can't wait to go back and take some lessons! read more

Forget those big box stores. This is the place to go for your musical instrument needs and schooling. The owner George is gem. read more

Astoria Music - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Astoria, New York

I've been coming here for a few years now and this is what I have to say. They have a good selection of bouzoukis but their guitar selection leaves MUCH to be desired. Everything is cheap Asian plywood. George would be much better off stocking Yamaha guitars which have proven themselves as great values many times over. They have a very basic sheet music selection that has obviously been picked over for years, evident by the many torn and frayed corners. George seems to do okay setup work and can do quick repairs while you wait but I would take my instrument to a private technician if it needed some TLC. He nearly botched a simple neck heel strap button installation on my flattop. They also provide private instruction. I have no experience with their instructors but a friend that has taken lessons there seemed to find it worthwhile. George likes to talk but I'm afraid he's often not very truthful about what he's selling. For instance, one of the first times I went in, I asked to see the banjolin (banjo mandolin) he had hanging up. It was a vintage piece and the rim was cracked in two places, there were numerous shoddy repairs and the neck was unplayable. It was a decoration, not a working instrument. He insisted it was flawless even after I showed him the obvious cracks and he was still asking an outrageous price. Not a good sign, I thought. I realize he has to eat like the rest of us but that's just bad business practice. Most recently, I visited to check out the Hohner accordion that's been sitting there for years. It's way out of tune throughout the instrument and some of the pallets are leaky and he's still asking $850 for it. It would need a full overhaul and tuning which would run close to $1,000 if not more. Again, he insisted it was flawless and wouldn't consider moving on the price. That was pretty much the nail in the coffin for me considering buying anything from him. I want to love this place and support a local shop but between everything being overpriced, their sub-par instrument and music selection, and George's less-than-forthcoming sales approach, I cannot recommend them. read more

George was so helpful and kind. He repaired my guitar so quickly and did a great job! I highly recommend

Small business but ran beautifully by the owner. I called for a saxophone the day of purchase and he set me up with everything as well as tips on how to do what I need to do. The store is quite simple in its layout with the store upfront and small studio in the back for people to practice behind with a basement for his storage/inventory on the right-hand side when you enter. The store has chairs to sit when waiting but for about 4, It gets busy due to its neighborhood charm and being the only local music store. It looks like a 1 man show in the shop but he caters well to his customers' needs. read more

Dropped off a strat on Thursday night for a setup. A guitar that I've kept in great condition for 15 years. George told me he would treat it as if it were his own and that it would be ready by the same time the next day. I go in the next day and I was told that my guitar wasn't ready because "there is chemical drying on the electronics." I didn't think much of it, a minor inconvenience. Picked it up this afternoon and there is a giant crack right near the neck plate, clearly from over tightening the screws. I start to freak out and rightfully so. I am then met with complete denial and told that "it's been repaired free of charge." This repair consists of gluing a couple of paint chips back to the area of the crack and in the process dripping a line of glue down the back of my guitar. George tells me to come in another time and he can "buff it out." I am told over and over the guitar was like that when I brought it in. It wasn't. There was a 10 minute consultation with the guitar on the bench when I dropped it off and we inspected it together- it was perfect. In addition to the cracks he filed off too much finish on several frets... There was only one bad review on here about a guitar setup when I did my research before bringing it in, I figured it was a fluke. I decided to give a local business a shot and was I wrong. This place is garbage. Stay away if you care about your instrument. read more

I had a great experience when I stopped into this local music spot and found George to be very helpful. I am on the novice end of things and was looking for some guitar music for a family member. He asked some questions to get more info then explained the different things they had and what he would recommend and why. Then he let me browse leisurely, which is always nice. I would say they don't have a huge selection of music books but they definitely have the basics, for all levels, and I'm sure anything particular you want they could help you find or order. George seemed very knowledgeable and honest. In fact, when I asked if they sold record players, he said no, but suggested the best places to get one. Also while I was there, a young boy came out of a lesson, I think for piano. The teacher talked a moment with the waiting father about how he did, and I overheard the father comment that the boy had learned a lot from his lessons. So there's an extra review as well. To me it seems like a great local shop, covering a variety of needs, and catering to musicians of all levels. I would recommend to anyone in the area. read more

What a gem hidden in the heart of Astoria! Definitely a great experience with George. He was very helpful and knowledgable. I picked up a great acoustic guitar at an amazing price. Also check out their private lessons!! read more

This little store is a perfect example of why musicians should always give their local music store a try before going to Guitar Center. I visited for the first time last week. I'd just inherited a not-so-gently-used electric bass from my new bandmate and needed the equipment to restring it and clean it up, but I didn't know what kind of strings would sound best for the kind of music I'd be playing. George gave the option of cleaning up my bass for me, but was still eager to help me when I said I'd rather do it myself. He was encouraging and very knowledgeable, and made recommendations that weren't the most expensive options. Not only did he cut me a deal on a strap, he even gave me a soft sort of steel wool to clean the bass's neck and demonstrated how to clean with it. While I was there, two musicians came in to pick up guitars that George had repaired; they were very satisfied with what he'd done. He also set up lessons for a walk-in. I have a feeling that he's there a lot. I left the store having spent a little over $100 for a great gig bag, strings, and a padded strap. I'm sure I could have found these somewhere online for cheaper, but George's expertise and encouragement were more than worth it (not to mention the convenience of picking these things up a few streets down from my house). Local musicians: I highly recommend checking the place out and giving George your business. read more

It is a small Mom and Pop type of instrument store that specializes on Greek instruments. They have some good electric guitars from non-brand name makers but are known to be of good quality. All of the gear there is excellent for beginners and intermediate players who aren't looking to buy beginner (mediocre) quality gear or want to expand their inventory but don't want to sell a kidney and a foot to afford it. Unfortunately the store does not carry tube (valve) amps. The store does sell replacement tubes and does service them. The owner, George, is knowledgeable about the things he sells, is very friendly and is more than willing to answer any questions. The store also teaches students how to play. I've seen a student or two in the back room both for violin and guitar lessons. I've had my two electric guitars set-up by him and he does treat them as though they were his own. The price for two separate set-ups was $52 and $70 (the higher priced one really needed a lot of work done to it). The price and the work he did was more than justified. I compared the work he did the first time and realized that I might have paid more for that same work at a chain store or at another instrument store. The best part of his service is that his work is often ready for pick up on the same day. Other stores I've had set-ups done had me return a day or two later and they did less work on the instruments. read more

Astoria Music is great. George the owner is helpful, funny & extremely knowledgeable. He used to be a NASA scientist and has the unique ability to fix almost any instrument, amp or other gear for a good price. read more

I don't usually write alot of reviews, but I had to for this place. I found out about a last minute show on Friday and called George to see if he could set up my guitar in a hurry. Not only was he able to provide a very quick turnaround, but the guitar sounds brand new!! He took time to explain what was wrong with my guitar, and is extremely knowledgeable. I've had set ups done many times in the past, and none of them have provided such a great reasonance to my guitar. This place is a hidden gem for all musicians! read more

Went to this store today during its stated business hours to pick up some needed supplies for a gig tonight, only to find it closed for no stated reason. Now, I'm kind of screwed for my show. I've gotten good service here in the past, but this is a BS way to do business. read more

I always leave this place with a smile. George is great. Whether it's just to ask questions about your instrument or looking to purchase new equipment he's always there to offer invaluable customer service. read more

This place is the best!! George fixed my precision bass in 5 mins and didn't charge me anything. Really nice guy! Top service! Will be coming back again and again! read more

I bought a guitar as a Christmas present from Astoria Music. Great experience with George. He explained everything. Let me try out a few before I picked the one I wanted. He's very knowledgeable and helpful. Going back again for an electric guitar I saw. read more

I went back here yesterday after a friend changed the pickups in my electric guitar. I thought there was a problem with them, and feared the wiring would need to be re-soldered. George looked it over right in front of me and tested and made adjustments without having to go into the wiring and everything is fine now. Seems it was my ears that were off! But he adjusted the pick-ups and fixed it where the spring/screw on one side of a pickup had come off. He fixed a loose pickup cover too. He didn't even want to take my money for his time! Very honest guy and he won't up sell or cheat you at all. Will get you what you need fast and honestly. Thanks George! read more

Having heard negative things about repairs at places like Guitar Center (which is actually where I bought one of my guitars), I was looking for a real music shop to bring in my two guitars to get some basic things fixed up and to have them restrung while they were there. George went above and beyond to test the instruments and explain everything to me before working on them, including a price estimate (which I found reasonable), and he gave me a call two days later to let me know they were ready for pick up. I came back and my guitars looked and sounded great- better than before, even. George let me test both guitars in store to make sure they sounded good and that the electronics were working. He said if I had any concerns about the sound I could bring it back and he'll re-adjust for free. I highly recommend this shop for quick and expert guitar repairs. read more

This is down the block from me, I needed a repair on my guitar which I couldn't do at home due to the lack of equipment and went here. It was a 3 minute job and cost 30$ which is the same price gutiar center charges (I called and asked). The staff is friendly. They also have a variety of guitars, basses, literature, strings etc and they teach piano, guitar, bass, theory from what I heard while I was there so check um out if you need any of these services. They dont hound you to buy guitars and what not like they do at guitar center for commissions. read more

I took my violin to get fixed up and the owner was so kind and knowledgable! Their prices are really great too! Happy costumer :)

Just making sure everyone knows, the store moved to 34-17 28th ave! George at the store is very attentive and cares about what his customers are looking for. Just bought a guitar today; he makes sure you take your time with the guitar, and although it's a small store the selection is great quality. read more

George is awesome. If you're a musician in Astoria and need instrument maintenance and repair, be sure to stop by here. Very reasonable prices, great service and friendly staff. Recommended! read more

I brought my wife's Martin accoustic/electric here for repair after speaking to George on the phone. He is very nice, honest and clearly loves what he does. I brought the guitar in at noon with 3 different issues and he addressed two of them in front of me within 10 minutes as they were very simple fixes (but I could not have done them). He did not charge for that part - which left only 1 (more major) issue - which he fixed at a very reasonable rate and had it done in 3 hours. He did not attempt to upsell me for any extra repairs or anything. People like George are hard to find - honest and capable. I was thoroughly impressed with this place and would come back if I ever needed a guitar repair. He also gave me some great guitar care advice too, which was appreciated. For information: I called guitar center to ask about a similar repair. They said I'd need a basic set-up ($75) and a new battery box ($20+labor) and then I think they said $40 for the other issue.... so over $135 for that. George did everything for $45 so I tipped him very well to compensate. It's VERY hard for me to believe that anyone would get scammed here, George did not push anything on me at all and did a great job, fast and for a great price. Highly recommended. Can't believe he doesn't have more great reviews. read more

Astoria Music and the owner, George, are the best. My daughter takes piano lessons here and I have also purchased a guitar as a gift for my nephew. George the owner is knowledgable and friendly. Everyone is made to feel like family here which is the reason we've been customers and clients for over 10 years. There should be more mom and pops like this one in the world. read more

George did a great job setting up my Epiphone. Thanks for the work. It was a quick turnaround and I'm very satisfied with the service.

This place is a SCAM. My boyfriends birthday was quickly approaching and I knew he only wanted one thing... his guitar to be fixed. After pondering whether or not to go to Guitar center, I chose mom and pop Astoria Music after walking by everyday assuming they would be much more honest with me. So I went one day when the BF was still at work and shuffled the broken guitar along with me. When I say broken, basically my bf was complaining that when he played the strings hurt and that the strings were too far from the actual neck of the guitar. I obviously know nothing about guitars and that was my downfall when I met the owner (I don't remember his name, he's always there working when I walk by). I explained to him that the strings hurt my bf when he played and he inspected the guitar. I thought this was really nice of him. I told him I didn't mind getting him a new guitar if fixing the guitar seemed pointless. I actually pushed for this because I tend to always end up splurging on gifts anyway and my bf talked about wanting a fender. The owner told me that the strings were far from the guitar head because my boyfriend didn't play it enough (which was true, he's a casual player) and that the strings were tightening over the years, causing the guitar to bend and make a gap between the guitar and the head (it made sense I thought). He then insisted that the guitar was too expensive to fix and that replacing it would be cheaper. He also INSISTED that this current guitar was a great guitar and I should just get a new one and tell my boyfriend to play more. In my heart I knew my boyfriend wanted a fender and that this guitar was some no name (Crescent). I thought that the owner was just looking out for my wallet. He volunteered to call up places to get a price on it and then call me back to confirm the order. I told him to go ahead and look for one in the same color. Meanwhile I thought something was fishy and I knew I'd probably say no anyway because my heart was set on getting a fender anyway. Still, I waited for the owner to call me back just to know the verdict. He called I think that night or the next day with the price. He said to order the same exact guitar it would cost a little over $200, perfectly in the low end of my price range. Still thinking that things seemed fishy, I decided to research this guitar and find the actual retail price (finally using my street smarts!). After finding a very rough website http://crescentdirect.com/zen/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=4 and then calling the company who makes these crescent guitars. The retail cost of the guitar was actually $69.... hmm from a guy who said this was an "ideal guitar" So basically the owner knew I didn't know anything and decided to take advantage of that. Or giving him the benefit of the doubt, he researched the wrong guitar maybe. Who knows, but I felt scammed. The only thing that helped the situation was telling my boyfriend how much the guitar actually cost when finding out his ex gf had gotten it for him. :) Happy ending: I went to guitar center and bought a reasonably priced fender my boyfriend loves. read more

I really appreciate their help as I'm a beginner and glad they fixed up my guitar and gave some advice that can help.

Astoria Music is a Music shop and school as well. Both segments of the business are solid but I have to point out the big negative about the place. Ramon Taranco. He's the guitar teacher there who handles the most students. I studied with him on and off for 3 years, 2008-2010. I strongly recommend that if you want to learn how to play the guitar that you go with their other teacher, Brian Billings. Both Brian and Ramon are very good, however, Ramon is unprofessional to the point that taking lessons with him is like going to the dentist. It's not fun at all. In 2008 I just got into the guitar. I was really impressed with Ramon's skill and I quickly learned a few good Beatles Songs that he recommended. I was very in love with the instrument and the great atmosphere of Astoria Music. However, Ramon frequently trashed many popular musicians and bands from all different eras of music. At one point he called Dave Mathews an A-Word and ripped on Meg White's drumming skills. He also complained constantly about his boss, George, who has always been very nice to me personally. From what I saw, he was very nice to Ramon too, which says a lot because Ramon was never once on time for our lessons. He was always walking into the store 5-10 minutes late or I would show up on time and he'd still be working with his other student because he started that lesson 5-10 minutes late. All this didn't bother me at first but after a year Ramon invited me to take private lessons at his home. I took him up on his offer because he said I was a good student. He said that it wasn't hard to teach me because I was a hard worker. I was honestly touched that he thought I was good for a beginner and I was going to save 16 dollars a month. This was a really bad decision on my part. Ramon was worst on his own then he was in Astoria Music. He was far more whiny about his job and life and he was far more critical of the kind of music I was into. He called one of my favorite bands A Words. Everybody is entitled to his own opinion but I was paying him good money and I felt like he was being unprofessional and took up a lot of time complaining about how these bands that I liked shouldn't be as well known as they are. Three months in he jacked up the price to the Astoria Music level. What made it worst is, I couldn't show up too early for his lessons. He lived in an apartment building and I wasn't allowed to hit the buzzer until he was done with the student who was there before me. I had to wait in the cold or heat for the lesson to start. I finally couldn't take it anymore and went back to Astoria Music. I felt bad too because I never told George about Ramon luring away students from the school or all the bad things he says about him behind his back. I should have, but I didn't want to be a rat. If I could do it over again, I would have. As time went on I got a new job and my lessons became less frequent. I could no longer go every week. Finally, I had to switch to Brian. I couldn't take it anymore. The last straw was when Ramon insulted a 5 year old playing a violin. It was a breathe of fresh air. Brian was 10X more professional. I only studied with him for a short time, my job wouldn't let me take off on Saturdays and that was the only day he worked there. But that was all I needed to know that Brian was the guy to go with. I'm gonna give Astoria Music 4 stars. The only reason I'm not giving it 5 is because of Ramon. I have never bought a bad product at that place and I highly recommend it for the service. I love the store and I'd be taking lessons there right now if I could. read more

After many recommendations from countless other professional musicians, I decided to go to Astoria Music for a guitar repair. All I can say is that after being there for close to 1/2 and hour I have never in all my years as a musician met anyone more professional, dedicated and honest than the owner George. Clearly, someone who knows his way around the music business inside and out, on stage and off. While there, the customers were lining up from inside the store up until there was a line outside waiting to get in. Many of them were for instrument repairs, but others were there for music lessons and sales. I overheard one guy with a Fender Strat saying that he's been having some serious fret buzz and that a few repair shops including Guitar Center and Sam Ash telling him that he needed a fret job which costs anywhere between 400 to 500 dollars. George looked at the instrument and did a repair on it on the spot by banging in 2 frets that were popped, and then buffing them. Problem solved. The customer was in shock, and furthermore, the repair was so simple that he did not even charge him. Talk about honesty. After reading some of the reviews here, I find it impossible to believe that this person is dishonest and trying to scam anyone. Just the opposite. The next day I came back to pick up my Gibson Custom Les Paul and could not believe how well it played, even better than when I bought the instrument brand new. A complete setup and adjustment for $75.00 which is less than other repair shops I've been to. What a refreshing and honest experience I had, and thought of how lucky we are to have a World Class Master Luthier Repair Shop run by a musician who knows his stuff and the music business, smack in the middle of Astoria, N.Y. I give this place 10 stars out of 5. Hurrah for Astoria Music. Extremely Happy Customer. Highly recommended. read more

George overcharged me for a simple twist of a truss rod and was dishonest about other work he said he did. Keep your eye on him and ask for his price before you let him do work you didn't ask for. read more

I took guitar lessons at Astoria Music a few years back and had a very enjoyable experience! It's a nice shop and the owner, George, is an extremely friendly and knowledgeable guy. The store specializes in Greek folk instruments like bouzoukis, and they also have a decent selection of beginner guitars, basses and other instruments. It's not necessarily the place to go if you're looking for a brand new Les Paul or a Fender Custom Shop model but the store purposefully caters to a different market segment and does what it does well. I also wanted to say a few words about one of the store's guitar instructors, Ramon Taranco. I've taken lessons from about a half-dozen different teachers over the years and Ramon Taranco was hands down the best of the bunch! He is, first and foremost, an excellent player and can teach any style including classical and flamenco. Ramon is good at explaining things in terms that make sense to novice players, and he's careful to make sure his students are learning proper technique (which other instructors are not always so careful to do.) He's also very encouraging and, I believe, helps to bring out the best in his students. In my case, Ramon encouraged me to go out and perform at some open mic nights after I had been taking lessons for a few months. He even went so far as to locate some places that had regular open mics and passed the information along to me. It was this encouragement that helped me to get out and perform in front of others, which is, of course, the reason why most of us pick up instruments in the first place. Ramon is opinionated about music (as are any of us who are musicians or music fans). Ramon isn't afraid to say negative things about artists whom he doesn't care for but that has absolutely no impact on the quality of his teaching. If you want to learn a song, he'll teach it to you no matter what he might think of it and he won't give you a hard time for it. Frankly, I enjoyed talking with him about bands and music in general -- it was one of the things I always looked forward to when I went to my lessons. In short, I'd definitely recommend Astoria Music and their guitar teachers (both Ramon and Brian) to anyone interested in learning guitar. read more

My name is Ameer Kazmi and I'm a 16 year old from Queens, NY. I have been taking guitar lessons at Astoria Music with Ramon Taranco for 6 years. Ramon is friendly and fun to work with as well as stern, to make sure that you progress consistently. Since I began playing guitar, he has guided and pushed me to strive for excellence; not only in music, but in other aspects of my life. The dedication and practice it takes to learn an instrument taught me to practice and work harder in school and sports. Ramon also connected the importance of my musical background with my passion for filmmaking. He showed me how I could set the mood with the type of music I use in a soundtrack and what the right times are to add music. Ramon also encouraged me to explore other aspects of music so I joined my school band as a percussionist. Over the years, I've learned that Ramon is a knowledgeable person. Taking guitar lessons with Ramon helped make me a well-rounded person. read more