I took my guitar to this shop in March for a standard setup. I also asked them to clean a crackly…read morevolume pot and apply a bit of glue to a small cosmetic crack on the headstock. They charged me £110 in total (£50 for the setup, £10 for strings, £25 for the glue, and £25 to clean the pot). I didn't question the price at the time -- even though it seemed steep -- because I trusted they'd do a good job. Unfortunately, that trust was completely misplaced. They originally told me the guitar would be ready in three days. It ended up taking three weeks. I was told the delay was because "glue takes ages to settle," which seemed odd. During that time, I had to go to the shop in person multiple times because they don't answer the phone, and every visit came with a new excuse. When I finally got the guitar back, the strings were buzzing badly. I returned it immediately. They made a quick adjustment and said it was because "the new strings need time to settle" -- something I've never heard from any other tech. The problem persisted, so I brought it back again. This time, they said the bridge was bent and needed to be replaced. I ordered a new bridge myself and brought the guitar back for them to install it. They offered to do the swap free of charge -- fair enough -- but it took another month to get my guitar back. Again, I had to chase them repeatedly, with little to no communication from their side. I only got through once by phone and expressed how frustrated I was. They promised to sort it properly. When I eventually got the guitar back, I was told it was fixed -- but the same issues were still there. At that point, they told me the guitar actually needed a full refret. Funny enough, when I first brought it in, they said nothing like that was necessary. To top it off, when I came to collect the guitar for the final time, no one even acknowledged me. One of the brothers just handed it over without a word or apology -- genuinely unfriendly and unprofessional. This is the worst setup job I've ever had -- and this guitar has had plenty of work done over the years without problems. I'm now taking it to a proper luthier to fix the mess they left behind. I would strongly advise avoiding this shop if you care about your instrument and your time.

I went in to get a strap for my acoustic guitar and they had good prices and offered to install it…read morefor me. They were nice and happy and the overall vibe of the store was nice. plus since it was raining when I went in it was nice and warm. Their prices where reasonable. I needed to have something put in the bottom of the guitar which only cost £2.50 and the actual strap was about £5.50. I also saw an Electric Guitar for only £95 (average price is £200-£300) so all-around a very nice store :)

Brittens Music store in West Byfleet is a great local music shop and probably one of the best in…read morethe Woking/Byfleet areas. It's a large store which stocks instruments, accessories, sheet music and CDs. Half of the store is dedicated to classical instruments and the second-half to keyboards and guitars. The store will stock most basic instruments for immediate sale. They will order other instruments in, but, if you're looking for something better than stock you'd be better going somewhere where you can try before you order. The store offers a hire and buy scheme for those just starting out and who are unsure whether they will want to purchase an instrument. A repair service is offered which will be good enough for most school grade instruments. Most of the music for the common exam syllabi is stocked although you'll find less for the higher grades. Staff are generally knowledgeable although they tend to be jack of all (instruments) rather than specialists. Music lessons for keyboard and guitar are available in store and come recommended. Lists of tutors are available for other instruments.

As a newly self taught electric bassist, The Musician Shop gave me a glimer of hope for my somewhat…read moremediochre abilities. The staff are polite and very helpful. They have all the usual books and self teach DVDs etc with the added benefit of all the staff actually being able to play the instruments. A great selection of instruments can be seen and even tried in their soundproof booth (big enough to house a full drum kit with electric bass and guitars). Having more than the odd snag they were quite happy to sit down with me and show me some tips to keep me going. The Mrs ended up buying herself an electric 6 string! They also have a list of local tutors and sometimes have workshops in the shop (after closing). Occasionally they invite local bands to play during the day as a promotion for the shop and band. I have to say it's that good that I find it impossible to visit Bluewater without a trip to the Musician Shop.

Always worth a trip to any music shop if you have a keen interest in the subject…read more Always have my strings in stock as and when I need them. Staff know their business too. A lot of instruments but not the biggest variety of brands.

I purchased my first violin from this establishment. It has lasted me for 12 years in good…read morecondition, so I would highly recommend this shop. It's main area of expertise is violins, violas and cellos, the stringed section of the orchestra. It provides all types of price variations on instruments, from entry level to more expensive models. You can also buy various other instruments such as saxophones and guitars. Musical accessories such as instrument cleaning objects and rosins are provided in store as well.

Their products are very disappointing. I recently bought a brand new violin which costed me £500 at…read morethis store, I was promised that it was in good condition and was efficient. Unfortunately, after the short period of a week the instrument completely fell apart without any notice, which lead to me missing a few lessons before my exam. It was very disappointing and I required a full refund. Moreover, the staff at this establishment did not give me much guidance on this matter. I would not buy any of their products again and I would strongly recommend that you find another establishment that will provide you with well working instruments.

Whilst in a rehearsal, one of my piccolo pads decided it didn't like me and jumped out and flew…read moreaway never to be seen again. As I've got a concert this Friday, I needed to get it fixed, but having never had my flute or picc serviced in London I wasn't really sure where to go. After talking to a couple of my flautist colleagues, I decided to go and give Top Wind a go. They'd been before and had lovely service and were happy to recommend it. It's near Lambeth North tube station which is a bit of a trek for me but I didn't mind as it was necessary and also a welcome break from revision. When I got there I was a bit surprised as to what I found. A nice little shop where you got greeted the second you walked in, the owners milling around ready to welcome you. This place is a pure flute specialist shop, where the owners are all flute players, so they know exactly what you mean and what you're after when you talk to them, which makes it a lot easier. Also they've got stacks of music, and CDs, all flute repertoire and recordings. On top of that they have a collection of flutes to try and buy, as well as piccolos, and no doubt some altos and bass flutes tucked away. I hadn't looked on the internet about the shop, and in hindsight I was probably a bit cheeky going in and asking as the guy working in the workshop area (there's only room for one!) was up to his eyes in flutes that he was fixing and servicing. Luckily a single pad replacement is a quick job and so they were able to do it for me. It only took about ten minutes as he was already halfway through screwing a flute back together so he had to keep going with that a bit before gluing a pad in. Decent price for a quick job as well. My flute and picc need a good service, so I'm going to try to get that done at some point, and I'll definitely go back here. They were lovely chaps, really helpful and friendly and looked to be doing a great job with the mountain of flutes around.

These Guys at Top wind totally know what they are doing. They have a detailed understanding and…read morerespect people as well as the instruments. Fair in price and verdict. I came across this shop after finding out the hard way where not to go and what not to do. Do not even think about going to get an estimate elsewhere, like me, you may find you have more of a repair job than when you started. So Top Wind restored my faith and my flute. Plus Plus.

We love this family run business offering customer servicie and and product knowledge that you just…read moredo not find anymore. Shopping at Hop's is a real pleasure and the prices are excellent too!

I'm so glad I found this shop. Needed some repair work for two electric guitars and searched on the…read moreWeb. They sounded decent on the phone so I took them in. The work they did was very reasonable, quickly done and their estimates accurate. My only caveat is that they are guitar mad and as a humble amateur you get the usual blinding jargon, but it's a small price to pay. They sell all sorts of guitars, keyboards, amps and mixers etc. You don't have to go to Denmark Street for an excellent guitar shop.

A shop dedicated solely to ukuleles is a very special thing indeed. It is one of those specialty…read morestores that is admirable in its dedication to an obscure product. I have seen some things in this store that I have never seen before in my life. One of them is a banjolele. If you haven't already guessed what that is, it's a cross between a ukulele and a banjo. Amazing. The store also sells banjos, books, and various bits and pieces including guitar strings and plectrums. There is also a recording studio and rehearsal rooms down stairs that you can hire out. The Duke of Uke also has nights where bands come and play in store. It is a really cool place to see a band, as it is incredibly intimate.

Lovely shop, great advice from staff (plus they are quite a laugh too)…read more This little store has all kinds of ukes, the cheap ones start at around £20 - perfect if you're not so sure about the whole thing. A uke is quite a good instrument to have at home. It's tiny, it's fun, and everyone will want to try it. They have really fun ones too, I bought a watermelon shaped one for my friend's birthday and she loved it! Of course they've also got various music sheets, for all levels, and will help you choose what to get (these guys sure know their ukes) or even how to get started if you ask.