I find that they are pretty good with band instruments like trumpets and horns, and the guy in the…read moreback who deals with the PA systems and guitars is also pretty good. But where I find difficulty with this company is how much they're charging for accessories like patch cables. I can't believe how expensive they have gotten over the years. And they (patch cables) really haven't changed anything over the years. I guess the days are gone where you could buy an instrument cable that was 10 ft or more for less than $20. Now it's more like $50 if you buy a 25 ft long cable. And then I've gone to K&S Music over on south side and they have much better deals on cables. In fact it's almost half as much. Then I hear people complain about Robert M Sides overcharging for stuff in regards to accessories for guitars and that kind of equipment. Honestly, my family has done business with Robert M sides for many years. My first trumpet was bought from them by my mother. She worked extra shifts for 10 years to pay that trumpet off for me. I like to go to Robert M Sides because the folks there seem like they're pretty nice, and I go there mainly because I'm really looking for sheet music for the organ. And when it comes to classical methods, I'm always looking for trumpet French horn and flute books, things that come from repertoire. And everyone there seems pretty knowledgeable. I would just exercise caution about actual sale prices because it seems to me that you end up paying more for accessories then you would if you went to some of the smaller stores. I know that they make most of their bread and butter through instrument rentals for all the different schools and like coming county and around their other locations. And I highly recommend going to them because they're prices on sheet music is pretty good. So, going with an expectation that you're going to buy something that's quality but you may end up paying for that quality, you don't get something for nothing and they don't always give you the discounts that you think you're actually getting when they're putting a sale tag on something. And I'll tell you, a patch cable made by Fender is not really that expensive in reality. I think unless you're an immediate need for a patch cable, buying them on eBay is way more economical. If you're needing one in a pinch, go to K&S over on south side. They also have a lot more in regards to accessories for electric guitar then Robert M Sides does. Now that being said, I would be remiss if I did not mention that if you go into Robert M sides and you spend a large amount of money at once, they will take money off and discount things like the patch cables. I bought a brand new Yamaha 16 channel mixing console from them several months ago and I needed a lot of patch cables and I got a really good deal on everything combined. And I didn't have any complaints. But this last time I bought an instrument cable, there's 20 ft long and I paid $47 for it, and I think that that's a little bit too much. I wanted to take some of that money and spend it on sheet music but I couldn't justify doing that after spending that kind of money on that patch cable. It kind of blew my budget for that visit. So I'm hoping that Robert M Sides will be reading this review. Maybe they can take what I have to say into consideration. Hence the four star review in lieu of a five star.

I never go here if I can help it. The sales guys never seem to be interested in helping you if…read moreyou're not looking to buy a big ticket item or in their personal circle of musician buddies. I asked if they had an ebow in stock and rather than trying to help me by ordering one, the guy said "why would anyone want one of those things?!" He then spent 15 minutes trying to talk me in to getting one of their credit cards and spending $3,000 on a guitar I barely liked and could never afford the payments on because "it's a really popular model. Lot's of famous musicians use them". Their sales are a joke. The ads say stuff like "20% off!" when what they mean is "20% off manufacturer's suggested online factory direct order retail" which is what EVERY store has as their regular price. They aren't marking the items down from their everyday prices, they're just changing the wording on the signs to trick people into thinking they are getting a deal. How do I know this? I went in one day a month before their big "blowout" sale and looked at a guitar and wrote down the price so I could shop around and see if someplace else had it for less. Then I waited until the blowout sale and went back. The sign attached to the guitar said "HUGE REDUCTION! 25% OFF!". It was the exact same price. That was the last straw. Unfortunately, this is the only place in town with a big selection of pianos and school band instruments. I have to imagine that their contracts with the local schools are the main thing keeping them in business because most of the local musicians I know won't go in there anymore. We all go to K&S in South Side now. Those guys have always treated me right and I've bought more from them in the last few years than I ever bought from Sides.