With sadness I have to say that I had a frustrating experience with The Dulcimer Shoppe, the maker…read moreof McSpadden dulcimers. It was the first time that I dealt with this company. I ordered a Ginger short scale dulcimer, and the instrument that was shipped to me had two nicks-dings on the top. Ok, just cosmetic, but it bugged me. I wrote to The Dulcimer Shoppe and added photos. The owner answered that when they check an instrument before shipping they "do not use a magnifying glass"... which I think it is not the right attitude towards a customer who has a problem. He also said that he offered to fix the dulcimer, or that I was free to return the instrument, as long as I was going to pay for the shipping cost... Again, I am not sure this was right because I was not returning a perfect instrument just because I changed my mind, but I was returning an instrument with a cosmetic issue. Anyway, before deciding to return the instrument, I asked the shipping department how much they were going to deduct from my refund because of shipping costs. The answer was: $25.81. So I shipped it back. Today I received the refund, and they deducted $84.25 from it, for shipping expenses... that is more than 3 times than what I was told. I wrote to them asking to explain. Response: " Sorry for the misunderstanding. When I replied to you I was focused on the return shipping and not the previous one. Due to the fact that you are returning and not exchanging, our policy is that the customer pays for the shipping both ways. If you had elected to exchange or have it repaired, we would not have charged you the shipping". I would have much appreciated if they had given me this detailed info upfront, which they didn't. If I knew that I was going to lose 85 dollars, I could have chosen a different option, as having the dulcimer fixed or having it replaced. I am sad to see that they didn't do any effort to put themselves on the customer's side and understand my frustration. It looks like, for the Dulcimer Shoppe, a few dollars are more important than losing a customer for life. I am sure that there are many customers who have been very satisfied with their experience with The Dulcimer Shoppe and McSpadden dulcimers, this is one of the reason why I decided to go with a McSpadden. But in my case, unfortunately, It looks that I had bad luck. My frustration is not that I received an instrument with a cosmetic issue (it happens). It is the way I have been treated when I tried to resolve the issue. Confusing information about the amount of refund that led me to believe that the return would have cost me just 25 dollars, when instead I discovered a return policy that establishes that even if a customer receives a defective instrument, he has to pay both shipping charges if he wants to return it. Something that I have never seen applied by any other reputable maker. And something that it is not mentioned on The Dulcimer Shoppe web site...

Any musician, of any kind, must stop! Hand-crafted goodness! Mountain and Hammer Dulcimers made…read morehere. Walked in the door, within a minute a woman asked, "Do you play?" And when my husband said no, she said, "Then take one down and try it." Who says that about their hand-crafted babies?! My husband was in Ozark-music heaven! Everything about the Shoppe made him feel warm and fuzzy inside, like if grandma's chocolate chip cookies were a place. And even for a non-musician like myself, you'll appreciate what happens here. Their workshop is a separate room in the back, but with giant windows so you see the magic being made. Impressive through and through!

unfortunately, this location is no longer on the Square. I don't know if they've relocated to…read moreanother location, or just went out of business. it's a pity that Mountain Home has no other full-service music stores. please reply if you know more about this.

Tom is a very nice guy and it was a pleasure to learn that we both worked with and knew some of the…read moresame studios and engineers from Los Angeles. I have only bought strings there so far but will definitely be back for a G&L bass in the near future. Love the mask policy!!!

Good knowledgeable employees that don't make you feel like a dummy for asking questions…read more Fast service on guitar repair

Took my Martin in to have neck adjusted and new strings put on. When I got it home I noticed they…read morehad replaced the high E's bridge pin with a pin that did not match the rest of my pins. It had obviously been replaced and no one said a word about it. Really looks ghetto and it straight up angers me. I was going to purchase an electric guitar and amplifier there; however, after my experience with their service, I'll be taking my business elsewhere. I hope it was worth losing a customer for the $2 pin you failed to return.

The owners are musicians, Luthiers, teachers, and know the area and its venues very well. On top…read moreof that, their instrument selection is very strong, and they stock the gadgetry to go with it. I go pretty regularly (except this year with Covid) to both the Spring fest, and the Bean fest. The group I jam with have set up diagonally across from the music store, and it is rare that I don't pop in for some supply or other. I cannot remember a time when they did not have what I needed.

A pretty good music store for a town this size. But then, Mountain View bills itself as the folk…read moremusic capital of the world. There's jamming in the squares all around, and sometimes even on the front porch of the music store. If you're into the traditional music of the region, you'll find all the instruments you need.