I had a great experience renting equipment for an upcoming event. The manager Robina went the extra mile to help me with a few complicated requests and helped me get into all the right equipment that the musicians needed for my venue. I am thrilled that I came across this place and look forward to the next time I can work with them on rentals. read more

I went in to get my trumpet that I rented from them fixed because my pinky ring was broken off and the valves were having issues. When they took a look at it, they started talking crap about how my trumpet looked because it was rusted even thou they gave it to me rusted and started ranting about proper care. 10 days later, I went to pick it up and they had given it a chem clean, the pinky ring still gone, and the valves still horrible and they charged me 90 dollars when they said it would be free. NEVER again. read more

Went to sell a vintage Selmer clarinet. Took it to the shop, Dorsey Music, that did the restoration one year ago. The instrument is in excellent condition. They have comparables, including a Selmer, on their own Dorsey Music website for up to $17,000. Owner's son acknowledged that it had real value but only offered between $200 and $400. When I pointed out the comparables on his website, the punk got all jerky and said, "Now I don't really want to buy it." read more

Dorsey set my son up with his instrument for school. They were so kind and helpful and gave my son tips to get started. Highly recommend - we will be back! read more

I brought my Breedlove in to get the jack tightened and the girl behind the counter said she could do it. So, I let her. Short time later I thought I'd check her progress and she was clearly frustrated. My guitar has a bridge truss, and she was wrenching on the worm screw of the truss. I very politely and calmly explained to her that what she was wrenching on had nothing to do with the pickup jack. She smartly told me she had just watched a you tube video on the issue and continued to pretend she knew what she was doing. I walked away for a moment to collect my thoughts on what was actually happening, and about the time I had decided to take it somewhere else she announced that she'd have to let the luthier take care of it. she wrote up a ticket and asked me how much I was willing to spend. I said I didn't know because I was confounded by the question as its related to tightening a jack bolt, so she suggested $30. I thought wow, I doubt it could possibly cost that much but said yea I guess so. When I picked it up the luthier wasn't there but I wanted to make sure he knew that she had been cranking on the bridge truss so he could make the corrections, so I asked the girl behind the counter (different girl) if he was informed about it. She said "yea he knows", and I said "ok that was my only concern". Then, its time to pay the bill and guess how much: yup $30. I started laughing because it just seemed so unbelieveably excessive to tighten a jack. SHE TOLD ME, "IT WOULD HAVE BEEN MORE THAN THAT BUT YOU WERE ONLY WILLING TO SPEND 30". It ceased to be amusing at that moment. I paid the 30 and told myself I'd never be in there again. My advice to ayone going in there for guitar work is don't do it, and if your looking to buy one go to Dunkley in Meridian. Its such a shame that I can't allow myself to patronize a local business because I'm quite mindful about doing so, but I really have no choice. You can't take an expensive instrument somewhere you can't trust read more

I took my 23 year old guitar to Dorsey Music yesterday. The staff (3 people) were welcoming and helpful. Robina listened to my concerns and needs and assured me they could handle it for me. I was given a reasonable estimate for a full set-up and new strings. Surprisingly, I was called the same day to pick up my guitar. When I arrived I was greeted in the same friendly manner I was when I brought the guitar in for service. The work was done and my guitar looked and sounded amazing. The set up made my guitar play so easy and it sounds better than it did when I bought it 23 years ago. The estimate was exactly what I was charged. Too many times an old man, an amateur plinker can feel ignored in a music store. I'm not there to spend a bunch of money on a new instrument and I'm not a friend of a friend that plays in the same band as the salesperson. I was really treated well at Dorsey Music and will recommend them to anyone who has musical needs. read more

Back in 1985 I saw a B.C. Rich Stealth and I was amazed. I put it on layaway and paid on it for a year. When I went to make the final payment and take it home, Steve told me he sold it. He said layaways are only good for one year and there was no refund. I was 14!!!! What a jerk. By the way Steve I have over $10,000 worth of guitars including a Mockingbird, a Flying V, and of course a B.C. Rich Mark Rizzo Signature 7 string Stealth. Bite me, Steve. read more

Great place! The music store to go to in the area. John Cabello is the friendliest most helpful gentleman of all. Go see him at Dorsey Music and be blessed by the experience. read more

I can't speak to anyone else's experience, but I am so grateful for the lovely lady that I was working with to rent to own my daughters viola for her new strings program. I had been working on a business trip and out of town; and Sunday they are closed; and my daughters teacher was sort of stressed about the kids getting their own viola. Ms. Robina was just about the most lovely delightful and thoughtful person in retail sales. She was so knowledgeable and helpful; she spent over an hour helping us despite my shameful arrival just two minutes before close. She took the time to help us get the shoulder rest fitted; and kindly assisted me with some budget-friendly advice that helped me out, but didn't help her overall sales that day. She was so much more than patient, and shared so much information with me that I was able to understand the whole process and the viola even better. She vouched for me to be able to rent to own without a credit check. She is an absolutely amazing person and I have never been more grateful and impressed with someone in retail. Thank you, so much Ms. Robina! read more

Dave at Nampa took the time to lower the strings, adjust intonation and tune a PRS I ended up buying. After playing it at home overnight, I was struggling with the guitar tuning in general and especially the b string. I knew I'd be down near the Boise store the next morning. Stopped in and talked with Brian. He checked the tuning, it was fine of course, like the car that stops making the noise at the mechanic shop. I saw they had the same model hanging on the wall. That still small voice said; ask to trade, so I did. Brian was unfazed by the request. Very positive response and I was feeling pretty dumb for asking since there was no obvious difference. Played the exchange and too me felt a difference right away. Thank you Brian and team Dorsey! read more

The staff could pay more attention to customers. We didn't feel very important inside the store and it took a long time to get customer service. They also like to close up early. read more

we came in to sell some speakers and the guys was a completely rude for no reason. to literally told us ya know I was really excited for these to come in and im not anymore . then told us he couldn't even give us 75 per speaker when these speakers are being sold for over 2-3 hundred in the used condition mind you the only scratches on it are on the bottom where theysit. he said he didn't want them and just walked away didnt say anything else just acted like rude af so we left went somewhere else and got $200 . I will not be coming here to buy anything ever that was the worst customer service I have ever had . read more

The only reason these guys get two stars is because they have a good selection. I went in to checkout some cymbals. Keep in mind that I'm NOT a Guitar Center style customer who goes in to crank amps and bang on drums as loudly as I can. I try to play as quietly and respectfully as I can. So as I'm testing, some long haired guy who kinda sounds like the hippie from Futurama comes by to ask if I need help, we talked for a second, he goes off to do something else and about 2 minutes later he pipes up from downstairs and says "How much longer are you gonna be, bro? Because we are trying to write rental contracts down here. It's difficult." It didn't help that his tone of voice was super condescending and rude. Even the employees at Guitar Center are less rude than this guy (actually the Boise Guitar Center people are really nice). Firstly, I think that if you work in a music store you should expect people to play music. Secondly, as a retailer, you should expect that people are there to buy. And indeed I was, I was looking to spend about $1500-$2000 on cymbals, hardware, and a chair. For which I had cash in hand. Jokes on them because literally $2k walked out of the door right then and there. I was also looking for a kit which would have added quite a bit more. There is no doubt that I will not be purchasing anything from Dorsey at any point. However, I will go back in to test equipment so I can order it from Gig's. read more

My Mom and I visited this store for the first time yesterday to purchase a digital keyboard for her. The very first thing we noticed, that gave us both some struggle, was that the store is very small for the amount of inventory they have which makes it a very difficult place to navigate/shop for anyone with a disability like my Mom, who uses a walker. To avoid being a bull in a china shop, my Mom sat on a piano bench the whole time while the staff brought items to her. This part was nice but it definitely limited her experience. Particularly once she'd decided on the piano and then wanted some song books. All the song books are on the second floor up a long staircase with no elevator, completely inaccessible to handicapped people. The other issue we had was with getting a pair of headphones that would work with the keyboard. The staff brought her two headphone options, both in packaging, to pick from. Most people like to try on expensive headphones before buying to ensure a proper fit and level of comfort but they seemed baffled when she asked to try them on. He then had to run around the store trying to find an open set (even though I found later that the packaging would have been easy to open right there for her). He finally found one she could try on so we went with those. Overall it was an alright experience. The staff could have been a little friendlier (mostly just the older gentleman working with us, the younger gal was very friendly), but they were accommodating for the most part. The biggest problem for me was the lack of accessibility. I'm not sure how that's even legal these days, I thought code dictated accessibility was mandatory but maybe code changed after the business existed. I like that they are local but unless I'm shopping alone in the future I wouldn't bring my Mom back here or recommend it to others. read more

I picked up a 1971 Eagle Les Paul that needed some repairs from my buddy and I brought it here to get fixed up. After meeting the luthier I should have known to take it somewhere else but I ignored my better judgement and decided he was probably just a weird old dude and he could probably get the job done. However the next two months was nothing but a hassle. First off he quoted me for a full set up, strings, and electrical work. I had went through the electricals myself and found nothing wrong, but when I told him that he said "oh the jack is loose and needs tightened". I kinda chuckled because that's not a real repair and tightening the jack nut should be part of the setup. But I said okay do whatever you have to do, just get it fixed because I want to take it to my next jam session which was about a month away. The sessions my buddies and I do is at a place that is 7 hours from my house and we only do it a couple times a year and I really wanted to take the guitar. He tells me it will be about a week and he will call me. A week goes by and I figure that he's busy so I wait a few more days but still no word. After 10 days I start calling in but he's never available and did not return any of my phone calls. I start calling every day and still no word. After 16 days I went down to the shop but he wasn't there so I went back the next day and he's still not there. The third day in a row I go in and the lady said that he was on lunch, so I waited somewhere around 2 hours until I saw him enter the building. I go in behind him and wait another 15 minutes downstairs because "he's not ready for customers yet". Finally get upstairs to see him and HE HASN'T EVEN STARTED ON THE GUITAR. He told me that he was waiting for me to give him the okay to do the work even though I told him twice that I don't care what it cost and to just get it done, not only that but at least 10 messages asking how close it is to being done and whatnot. He tried telling me that I never called and he never got any messages but I pulled the call history off my phone and verified the number with him. Then he says "well you could have stopped by" and I told him I've been stopping by every day for three days and all he said was "well I was here". Pffft. Anyways after all of that he said that because of all the hassle he would discount the work to $100 for the same work. I asked when he could have it done and this time he says he will start it that day and it would be a week or two. I told him that was fine as long as I had it back for my trip (which was exactly two weeks). He said that would be fine and I left. This go-around was the same as before. After about 10 days I started going in (I didn't bother calling because of my last experience) and he's still never in and nobody else knows anything about it, they didn't even know where it was! I told them I just wanted it back and I would take it somewhere else but they couldn't find it. I ended up going to my session without the guitar, and when I got back the shop still couldn't find my guitar. I start calling and stopping in to try and get it back but still unable to get ahold of it. I just wanted my guitar back and to go somewhere else but the luthier was never in and no one else knew anything. After all that my wife and I went to Mexico for a couple weeks and I told them if they don't have my guitar ready by the time I get back I was going to talk to my lawyer and ask him what my options are. When I get back to the states I FINALLY have a voicemail from the luthier stating that the guitar has been done for weeks and he's been waiting for me to pick it up. I go in to pick up the guitar and he was super rude. At this point I don't care and I just want to pay him and take my guitar back. I was in and out as fast as humanly possible. However, I get home and the first thing I do is plug that guitar in and let her rip. Dear lord the guy DID NOT DO A THING TO IT!! He literally slapped some strings on it and that was it. Didn't do a set up, Jack was still loose, fret buzz on every string and every fret. The guitar seemed like it was in worse shape after leaving his shop. I tried calling to complain but as usual he's never in and nobody else knows anything. So all in all this place is absolutely terrible and I'll never use another Dorsey Music again. read more

First time in Dorsey Music on Saturday. Older male clerk was condescending and unnecessarily brusque. After he delivered a brief lecture about me not being able to return a special-ordered instrument, we left. I was ready to purchase an instrument, but when you're going to drop some cash on a not-entry level instrument, and you need to order it (not play or handle it first), it helps if the clerk is knowledgable and friendly instead of abrupt and acting as though he really doesn't care if you buy an instrument from Dorsey or not. Favorite quote, when I asked what there return policy is on an ordered instrument, he told me "You put it on Craigslist." Fun fact. Guitar Center, who we visited next, has a 45-day return policy on any instrument you order. Also seems reasonable, as once you handle and play an instrument, it just may not be right for you. read more

Terrible staff! Went in with a wad of cash to buy a high end guitar. Very rude. They are not very inclined to let you play instruments.

Bought a hard case for my Grand Piano here. Experience was good. Poopa John played a melody on the nose flute that brought tears to my eyes! Brian was not able to locate the karaoke tape I was looking for. Derrick didn't know where to put my $2 bill, as the cash register didn't have a dedicated area for such odd currency. Mr Dorsey said "Reeeeeer-Reeeer" and"Oh no!" as I left, then took his wife to Perkins for their anniversary. Gary Santa wanted me to sit on his lap. All in all very nice. read more

I have to say, first time around, I really dug the store. like alot. They had a ton of drumsticks on sale and drum accessories, it made my head spin. I hit it off with the manager there. Super cool guy. Thats too bad that some other person had a negative experience, mine was fine. Will definitely return for more goodies! I am a semi-pro drummer in the Boise area. read more

I have been going to Dorsey's for Guitar, Bass, Drum stuff for over 10 years. I love the place! They might not be the cheapest, but for quality instruments (new OR used) I would not look any further. Go buy some strings or sticks and support the local music shop! read more

Poor service - there were at least three staff there this morning when we went in at 11:30. One was helping a customer on the phone and two were helping customers at the register get instruments for their kids. Not one person said hello. We had a list of things we needed for a new percussionist. We wandered a bit, hoping to find someone who could help us. They had quite a few books out for students, but none were the title we were looking for. One staff member walked by us so I asked him if there was another place to look and he said try upstairs. Not there either. We went back down to see if we could quickly ask for direction from staff who were helping the same families at the counter, but I couldn't get anyone to even glance our way. We wandered around for awhile waiting, and were really hoping to give one of our local music stores our business, but we will go to one and hope for a better experience. read more

This store has an incredible inventory however their luthier was so rude that we will never go back into the store. When my son went in to talk to the luthier and introduced himself he was greeted with "what do you want". With the luthier profession being a so called "dying art" this luthier could be part of the cause. read more

I have shopped at Dorsey Music for over 8 years. The prices are competitive with anyone in the valley for quality products. The staff knows enough to demo what they are selling or has someone in the store who can. Their list of teachers for referrals has to be one of the hardest to get on and stay on. Teachers having trouble with students do not seem to last long on the list. The staff at the Nampa store speaks fluent Spanish and when a person comes in that is ESL, there is no hesitation in changing languages both to make the person feel comfortable and also to help make a sale. The special order person at Nampa is wonderful. She can find about any piece of music and the delivery time is usually as fast as anyone around. Prices for music can be cheaper than the competitors especially when ordering more than just one copy. The strings department in Nampa is as good as any shop in the valley. Some may carry a few more high end instruments, but if you are looking for quality and value in the $5,000 to $10,000 range Dorseys can probably let you play 15 to 20 different violins. If you are just shopping to see what is out there for products, you will not leave Dorsey's store without feeling that you are a better educated consumer regardless of where you end up buying. Their beginner strings will compete with any storefront in the area. Rental plans have got the rest of the crowd beat along with the wilingness of the staff to help you trade up when the time comes. Rare is the store that has that kind of confidence in their beginning instruments. If you have problems with this store, take it too the staff before you spread some self-serving terrible reviews across the internet. These people do what they can to keep their customers happy. read more

I asked to rent either a acoustic bass guitar or an electric one with amp to practice during my latest stay in Boise. I was offered an electric guitar but was not the amp apparently because Mr. Dorsey didn't have one to rent out. I should have walked away then but I wanted to show my two grandchildren that they could learn to play one so I took it home to practice. Mr. Dorsey treated me like I a potential thief not like the potential customer that I could become since I'm in Boise several times each year. I returned it the next day and Mr. Dorsey ignored me and walked away when I told him I didn't feel like they wanted me for a customer. Didn't offer to refund my $$. One rep did apologize. Bad business practice. read more