This isn't the very best in town as there are better cash converters in the worse retail spots on…read morethe outskirts of town which don't get the same number of visitors, but this is the very best of its kind this close to town. It's not exactly in the city centre, but Leith Walk is a popular shopping street so you can come here and still have a browse about in all the other shops. For any electrical equipment these places are hard to beat and this place's speciality it its hi-fi and audio section which offers fabulous value for money especially on any item that plays CDs making it ideal for those with an impressive CD collection. Other than electrics it only offers a few musical instruments and golf clubs, but it really doesn't matter because it does do electrics very well.

No refund on items that are not working--the store manager will do everything and anything not to…read moregive a refund.Go somewhere else for an honest deal.

The Broken Drum Studio is the dark horse of Edinburgh's music studios. If you are a musician or in…read morea band, this is the place to go. My favourite place! Not only is the drum-kit huge (and on an impressive rise) and more than ample for any ambitious percussionist, but the owner also offers drum tuition of a very high standard. (He also has extensive history of musicianship -- he helped me with my clarinet skills and corrected me with my rather lacking knowledge of music theory of which I am a grade 7, and was generally a very helpful guy about it too -- too often I encounter pretentious or arrogant musicians). The equipment is top notch too: plenty of amps with strong dynamic range; more than enough to accommodate the picky guitarist. Mics are good too -- plenty to patch up to instruments -- and for the vocalists too obviously. The owner will help make recordings too -- he seems to know a great deal about the industry and editing. I have dabbled in jazz and nu-metal -- two vastly different sounds and two different worlds of recording, but the software as well as the hardware being used at the studio is definitely my first choice. All of it is reasonably priced; and, having been in more one band, I can say he was really helpful with the times too -- my vocalist works a night shift and has pretty odd times to record, but, as I say, the owner was happy to accommodate. I am making this place sound like a dream; but I suppose it is -- any one who has been in a band has to deal with the crappy reality of getting the crew together and the general expense of it all -- already there is stress; and often that can hinder playing; but The Broken Drum Studio is certainly more chilled out than the other places I have been to. I think they do discounts as well -- sorry, I cannot remember that. But great all in all. Check it out.

With a gloriously old fashioned sign, I was enticed into Varsity for the variety of instruments…read moredisplayed in the window, and the promise of low prices. Vasity have been supplying the Edinburgh musical community with good quality instruments for over 30 years. Although they primarily specialise in selling and repairing beautiful pianos, they also have an impressive brass collection, with flutes selling for as low as under £200. They also have a number of affordable, good quality electric guitars that would be good for beginners like myself wanting to get a handle on things. For aspiring musicians and people wanting to teach themselves scores, they have a number of song books at the back along with some classical sheet music. A perfectly adequate music store with numerous services, Varsity is good for people in high school playing instruments to professionals who are in need of good equipment or repairs. The staff are friendly and great at pointing you in the right direction.

Situated on the bustling Nicholson Street, Varsity Music is in a great location for catching any…read moremusic fans as they pass through. They aim to specialise in pianos and seem to have a good range, but they also offer brass instruments, a wide selection of bass, acoustic and electric guitars and even accordions. I'm no good at music myself, but the staff in here are friendly and keen to lend a helping hand to anyone looking to into an instrument. They sell plenty of instructional books and DVDs for all the instruments they sell along with sheet music. Whether you're looking for a new instrument to take up or just a renewal, Varsity Music is the place.

From the moment you roll up to the swanky York Place address of Stringer's, it's apparent that…read moreyou're in a shop for music professionals. Not really a place to browse, you have to wait for a receptionist to buzz you into the premises, and then are immediately met by solicitous sales staff eager to know your business. The walls are lined with beautiful and shiny stringed instruments in different shades of mahogany and teak, and although I am a strictly amateur musician and simply came in to pick up some rosin for my cello, I could sense that the people here have real expertise, and are used to dealing with players of all levels, from those who play as a hobby to virtuoso performers. This is not the place to pick up a fiddle on the cheap: it is instead somewhere you can depend on for dependable and quality service, whether you're hoping to repair an instrument or acquire something new.

I've played the violin all my life, and when it came for me to get my own it had to be from…read morestringers. Being a musician, I've found that a lot of other musicians (myself not included) tend to have a fairly high opinion of themselves and there is always an air of superiority when I've looked to buy my own violin from other people. But not in stringers. The building is beautiful and as soon as you go in you are greeted with that magnificent smell of polished varnish (...ok maybe it's a violin thing). In the main rooms the walls are lined with beautiful violins, cellos, viola's and a couple double bass. Upstairs is the same but even better...bows and mahogany everywhere. I was quite literally like a kid in a candy shop. I was undecided about which violin I wanted - I had a choice of 3, and whilst I was dithering the staff put the 3 violins away in their cases and just gave them to me for the weekend....they just gave them to me! This gives you an idea of the level of friendliness in this place. There are leaflets everywhere too with details of instructors and concerts as well as leaflets on how to maintain your instrument and how to improve your playing. I was quite lucky in that my violin was being paid for by the BBC via a bursary, otherwise it would have been well outwith my price range. The prices can start from around £200 up to £20,000! But it's a great place, even if you don't play an instrument, just walk around and smell the varnish!

If you're looking for sheet music and are a serious music player wanting to make sure that you've…read moregot accurate sheet music then this is the place to come. There are a few entry level pieces on offer, but primarily this place is for those of greater competence and you'll find some of the more advanced items abundant here. Another good point is the fact that the pricing is pretty good, but I do have one criticism which is their range. It's a big shop and I can't help but feel that they could offer a bit more choice as although it's not limited it's perhaps not as expansive as you might expect from a specialist sheet music provider.

Before I walked into Omni Music Store I considered myself a competent musician. I had been playing…read moreguitar for ten years and I thought I was fairly good. I got a bit of a reality check while flicking through some of the sheet music on sale here. I was a bit skeptical when I heard about this place, how can a business (in a great location) survive on just sheet music alone. We live in an age where guitar tab and piano music is online and in most cases, 100% free. Can a place like this still be relevant? Yes! The place was packed with people, young and old browsing through the massive collection of workbooks. "Bach" for Grandpa and "Songs From Glee" for the Grankids (and also Grandpa is he's honest with himself), it's eclectic. While difficult to grasp at first glance, these books have one clear advantage of online tab. 100% accuracy. And thats what fills this place on a daily basis.

A place that I could spend literally hours in, Live Music should be my second home…read more They mainly specialize in guitars so if your looking for a varied selection of anything else this isn't for you. If I had a spare grand kicking about I would blow it in 5 minutes here. A great, rare feature to this shop is that they repair Guitars too. For about £20 for a half hours labor they can usually fix any problem. Essential stop for guitar players.

For guitarists, Live Music can be summed up in one word: fantastic…read more I bought a guitar here upon commencing my university education (goodbye student loan) and I was certainly pleased with the purchase. I bought a Epiphone Les Paul Standard Plus for only £299.99. Upon entering the shop, I was awe stuck by the beauty of the guitars on display. As well as excellent prices, the staff are extremely friendly. Through the door, I was gazing up in lust at my intended purchase and was informed that I could pick up and play anything that tickled my fancy. This certainly made a welcome change to what has become the usual routine at some other guitar shops: stare lustfully, ask to play, then undergo scrutiny from the staff before they decided whether or not you are worthy... Upon deciding to buy the Epiphone, I was offered a carry case at significant discount which I gleefully accepted. Overall, this is certainly the first place I'd go if I decided to buy another guitar.

I first came into scayles when a friend was planning on buying a guitar. There was a lot to choose…read morefrom (the store seems to specialise in this department) and the staff was eager to assist and advise. They have a good selection of instruments. All are fairly competiively priced. The shop isn't the biggest but they make the most of the space.

Scayles is one of Edinburgh's many music stores, and is perhaps one of the smallest. Selling a huge…read morerange of musical instruments including trumpets, guitars, tamborines and mandolins they will cater to almost your every musical need. We bought one of our guy friends a pink Ukelele from here for his 21st and filled it with condoms. It was only around £20, bargain! I saw a Spongebob Square Pants Ukelele in the window once and was mega impressed. This shop also had a good selection of accessories for a variety of instruments and music books to go with your instrument. There is also a board at the back which musicians use to find a new drummer/singer/whatever so a handy hint of your on the lookout for a band.

This shop just has to be one my best finds in Edinburgh! Never had I come over an Oxfam shop…read morededicated to music! Down in the Edinburgh area of Stock bridge, this isn't just a typical charity shop, it is more like a professional independent record store! The staff are generally volunteers, which is great as many of them are music enthusiasts and have a pillar of knowledge about all genres of music! My first find in the store was Bob Dylan's Blood on the Tracks album, CD format, for a cool £5! Second hand Cd's are in abundance, many of them include singer songwriters and indie classics. Indeed, the beauty about this store is that all lot of their stock are from people who have collected a certain genre of music over decades! So the chance to find some unique records in this store is very possible indeed! Furthermore, this shop also stores vinyl (still in my opinion the best format for sound quality!), from cheaper vinyls to more expensive, collectable records. Also, the shop is open late on a Thursday for any after work trips for music fans! If you're a record collector or music lover, then a trip down to this Oxfam music shop in Stockbridge is a must! And buying records from this shop helps towards a brilliant charity!

I always become highly enthusiastic when I see that someone else was just as blown away by a place…read moreas I was. I mean, I knew about this shop before I'd even stepped foot in Edinburgh. And, sadly, it took me quite a long time to get myself to Stockbridge to check it out. But whoa. Whoa. If you don't have either a) an addictive personality or b) a record player, then this shop might not be for you. I happen to possess both a) and b). You see, I moved into a house that came equipped with hundreds of records and I managed to borrow a friend's record player, so now I get over-excited at the prospect of buying new records. The Oxfam Music Shop is THE place to go. I mean, they have their 'valuable' section, which I steer clear of because the prices are in the double digits, but I found the Valley Girls soundtrack for 4 pounds and other records for even cheaper. There's a mistaken assumption that because records are so old and not in high demand that they're cheaper than CDs. This is not true. At all. But the Oxfam Music Shop isn't extortionate at all. So get on it, folks. Be addicted. Very little beats listening to a record instead of music on your iTunes.