This is my go to store for anything music related! They sell at or below the price that you can get anything online. They have a painfully large inventory that I'm sure is difficult to maintain. The staff is knowledgeable and are all musicians themselves. Great bunch of people! Do yourself a favor and buy local it doesn't cost more and you'll probably get it for less.... read more

My ex and I and I owned a music shop, I have a degree in music and he was a professional musician so I feel very qualified to make this assessment- Mammoth is an excellent music shop if you are a guitarist, percussionist or looking for amps, pedals, cables and performance equipment. They also have a wikked selection of old skool vinyl. Also, they're really nice and approachable. Good vibes all around. And did i mention thia place is packed?!?! Holy hell, you're in for a treat if you've never been here. Have fun! read more

Mammoth Music can meet all of your Music Equipment needs! If they don't have it . They will order it! Go see them today!!

I came down here after hearing from a former co-worker that Mammoth Music had a decent variety of vinyl records. The longtime music establishment first opened on Spenard Rd. back in the early 90's while a second location opened up a little later at the Pink Mall on Dimond Blvd. before making their way to their current location on 5th Ave. and Eagle St. in the eastern side of downtown. The retail area is massive with plenty of musical instruments adorning the walls and a jam studio on the second floor where you can hear some of the customers playing some tunes before deciding what to buy. The whole crew are friendly and always easy to strike up a conversation with especially on the subject of vinyl records. One employee I particularly enjoy chatting with is a serious collector who has an extensive collection of older rock and jazz recordings. I enjoy getting the tips on some special edition or limited release vinyl that comes through the store from time to time. The timing couldn't have been more perfect as it was the week after Record Store Day on April 13th that a lot of collectible vinyl were still available on the display tables by the front counter. Some standout pieces I took home with me are a Pearl Jam Collector's Edition record only available to collectors when they come in on Record Store Day. The record store across town quickly sold out of these and I was fortunate to get the last copy on 180g vinyl (a thicker and heavier record a lot of artists, past and present, are releasing with newer or older recordings today for its durability), a rare limited pressing of the jazz great Ornette Coleman on transparent vinyl which was made in Germany and only 2,000 copies are available worldwide, a reissued edition of the legendary jazz musician Charlie "Bird" Parker on blue-colored vinyl (awesome to look and hold in your hands), and a 50th anniversary reissue of Frank Zappa's mono album We're Only in it for the Money". The cover is a parody of the Beatles Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Club Hearts Band but with the members of Frank Zappa's band The Mothers of Invention and Zappa himself gracing the cover. An original pressing of this record started out as a promo for record stations with a white label back in 1968 and is worth a significant amount of money today if found in very good condition. They have a good variety of used records stored in boxes underneath the display tables, but a little pricey for $5 each especially if a record has scratches or if the album cover itself has moisture damage, seam splits, or writing depending on how the record was stored and/or properly cared for. I could get the same records with the same flaws at any of the secondhand stores for $2 or less which is why I gave them four stars instead of five for my most recent visit. However, the friendliness of the store staff and their versatile selection of vinyl are easily five stars. As of this writing, I believe this is the only store in downtown that has a significant amount of new or used vinyl records for sale. read more

See all

Bought a guitar here. They literally gave me such a great deal on a guitar that I wanted that they bombed Guitar Center's lame efforts. I tried to do business with GC, but I have purchased so much stuff from Mammoth, that I had to give them a chance. Brother, did they come through. I felt great about my purchase. They went the extra mile for me and I am very happy. Thanks guys, love my surfcaster. read more

I went there for vinyl records & musical instruments. The musical instrument selection &'pricing was excellent. Their vinyl selection (which they were originally a record store) was not organized and the selection was difficult to find any particular genre or artist. The people were very friendly & informative. They are rumored to have a great selection of Vintage Guitars, but they are by appointment only. read more

The staff here are extremely friendly to even the least knowledgeable music lovers (me). They answered any and all questions with a smile on their face and I really appreciated that. read more

It really is a neat store! With a nice selection of instruments and a great staff. I have purchased many items over the last 15 years from Mammoth and plan to continue. Thank you all !!! read more

I've always driven by here but since I have a vinyl record player now, I saw it and was like, "no time like the present!" Abby enjoyed seeing all the funky looking guitars and now wants a pink flower one. I, myself, am kind of interested in learning guitar and they seem to have a really nice selection. The staff is quite friendly and knowledgeable. We went on a "record store day" but I'm not sure which days it is or if it's all the time or if we just got lucky. Regardless, I got a Bach album in mint condition for 3 bucks and a Game of Thrones soundtrack for 20. Can't beat that with a stick! They were also able to tell me about lessons and different people who give them for guitar. If I end up taking lessons, I'm definitely going here! read more

See all

This place is the Real Deal. Knowledgeable staff, many of them working musicians themselves, and good management. The crew there have helped me find the right microphone, the correct amp, you name it. I think most of my gear is from there, in fact. Forrest Jackson, if he's in, knows just about everything that you need to know. Keep our local music scene strong and call Mammoth first. They can order you almost anything, beat most online prices, and do a huge business over the web, if that's your thing. But when stuff doesn't go right - when it matters most, they are there for you. Local, knowledgeable, and steady. read more

I live in Chignik Lake on the Alaska Peninsula. I usually only pass through Anchorage about twice a year, but eager to get a new guitar, I didn't want to wait. So I gave Mammoth a call. The associate I worked with made getting a guitar out here effortless. For a nominal delivery fee, he took it over to the bush air service we use. When the guitar arrived here at The Lake, it was in perfect condition - not only in its case, but well packaged in the original delivery box. Everything I asked for - including a couple of extras tossed in - was there. I could have ordered this instrument from any number of places. I was happy to be able to spend my money on an Alaskan business, and I'm happy to be able to give Mammoth Music a full 5 stars. JD read more

I've been shopping at Mammoth pretty much since arriving in Anchorage in late 2001. Their service has always been the best. The guys working there always take the time to help and figure out the best options for a musician's needs. Even with Guitar Center arriving in town this year, they are my go to store when ever I need expert help. Their selection is not as extensive as Guitar Center's, but the service is great and they sometimes have items in stock that you would have to otherwise get online. They'll also work with the customer on pricing so don't let that dissuade you. Great people and great service. read more

One of the major reasons I moved to Arizona was the constant set of problems endemic to Alaskan-based businesses: high costs, limited selection, and lackadaisical service. Not that they're not understandable - insane shipping fees, high rent, and limited employment pools account for a lot of it. But there's a reason most higher-income Alaskans travel to another state for major purchases if they can. I'm surprised and pleased to say, therefore, that Mammoth Music was a far better music shop on all three counts (!) than anywhere I've been in Arizona. Not only are they a prestige dealer with several major manufacturers (and therefore allowed to carry higher-end models that most music stores won't have), but they're run by people who know both their inventory and their customers, and aren't shy about offering help or recommendations or their own experiences. And, perhaps most amazingly of all, they live up to their "better-than-Internet-pricing" guarantee. In my own instance, I'd been playing an Ibanez acoustic I got at a yard sale, and while it was a great guitar for the price, I'd decided I was serious enough about it that I wanted to upgrade to something a little more professional-level. I'd been eyeing several higher-end Gibsons, including the Hummingbird and the Songwriter, but hadn't been able to find anywhere that had them in stock to try out. So you can imagine my amazement when, while up in Anchorage to visit my mother, she took me here and they had multiple examples of each available to play. Play them I did, and while they were wonderful guitars, I found myself very glad that I hadn't ordered one without trying it - neither struck me as quite worth the price Gibson wanted for them. However, while (on the recommendation of the owner) I was playing a variety of others and getting a feel for the various manufacturers' strengths, I picked up a beautiful all-koa-wood Takamine...and discovered that I absolutely loved it, both in terms of looks and sound. Even better, it was less than half the price of either Gibson I'd been considering, and with no sales tax, to boot. When I talked to the shop owner about how much I liked it, rather than trying to steer me back toward the more-expensive Gibsons as I'd been half-expecting, he told me about the Takamine's history and how he'd been playing it every day in order to get the sound of the koa wood to open up, and how it had mellowed and deepened and would likely only get more so with age and continual play. He even got a little misty-eyed the next day when I came in to buy it, though he seemed happy it was going to someone who would treasure it as much as he had. Needless to say, I left Anchorage with a beautiful brand-new guitar, a big smile on my face, and a resolution to absolutely visit again the next time I'm in town. read more

I have been shopping at Mammoth since they first opened on Spenard Road in 1990-91, where a young Mr. Wallender in a 'Men in Black' suit helped me with a purchase. That was a small building with a floor warped like a rolling ocean! I shopped also when they moved to the Old Seward Hwy. location and back again to their longest location presently listed. They have a nice selection of acoustic guitars, electric guitars and amps, pedals, keyboards, P.A.'s, drums and all kinds of accessories. I buy records there too! There is something about being able to look, feel and try out the product in person that cannot be done through the internet. Especially guitars. Hearing a guitar and/or an amp in person is quite different than on the internet and cannot compare. It's a good thing I moved to another city over 10 yrs. ago, otherwise I'd be in there every week instead of every few months. They always have had good prices for a local store and even great prices at times, also when they have crazy sales events, a couple of times a year. They have always treated me well, they have always given me good prices and at times great prices. Thanks for all the great service from you Forrest and your employees! Ken, Andy, Cody, Chris and more - I have a real bad problem with not remembering names, but I don't forgot who you are. read more

Went in today to look around, and was surprised by the staff. I was asked if there was anything I needed help with right away. If I go into a store sweaty from the gym I never get asked anything! FYI - the friendly gentlemen informed me that if I ordered through them, I would not get charged for shipping which is unheard of these days; especially from a locally owned place like this. I'll definitely be back! read more

Not the typical music scene. There aren't a lot of guitar snobs riffing away like Malmsteen trying to 1UP everyone. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable and easy going. The shop is laid out really nice and they have a great selection of axes, including some that I thought I wouldn't see in Anchorage (top of the line Charvels). The pricing isn't as low as say Musicians Friend however with shipping, the prices tend to even out. Haven't use their tech services for setup or luthier work but looks good so far. read more

I used to come to Mammoth Music to get used cds for a fraction I would pay at Sam's Music, or turn in unwanted music for credit. Alas, all that is left of Mammoth Music is the downtown location which features musical instruments, amps, and other accompanying musical delights. I recently purchased a starter mandolin with case for $245. Dude gave me a small discount on the case. I have always been happy with my experiences here and hope this small business will be around for a long time. read more

Mammoth Musical Instruments - Instruments anyone? - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Anchorage, Alaska

See all

I've pretty much played piano since I knew how to control my finger movement. And I've only recently (within the past 7 years) have been teaching myself how to play guitar. While I am pretty set on my piano set up at home, guitars I still seek help with. And holy cannoli, there are LOTS of them here. The store is very cluttered with mostly guitars, cases, amps, there are drums set up and more boxes of musical goodness. Typically, I will drop off my guitar here for new strings/tuning and their turnaround time is within the hour. Enough time to look around and tinker with their toys. There staff is very knowledgeable on music in general, some of which even offer lessons. One day I'll find time to learn from someone rather than YoutTube. read more

I have very few issues with Mammoth Music. For the most part every time I do business with them I am left satisfied without any problems. However, there is one major thing against them. Mammoth Music really doesn't have much competition in Anchorage, so I've noticed that they can be lazy on their work in the back doing set ups and other maintenance. Their prices are still quite reasonable however. Another thing is their estimations of various parts arriving and time it will take them to work on something is often quite off by a few days (even weeks on some parts that they had ordered and they told me it would only take a week and it ended up taking almost three weeks for it to arrive). Mammoth Music is definitely the best guitar/bass store in Anchorage, but if a Guitar Center were to open up I'd most likely end up taking my business there instead of Mammoth Music. read more

The dudes at Mammoth are great. I'm pretty sure the two guys that helped me out were named Lance and Cody. Those music retail-superheroes came through big time on a warranty issue (if the management is reading this, give those two a raise and an immediate vacation). I'd recommend this place to anybody. Thank You, Mammoth! read more

First of all, let me start by saying that Mammoth has no competition in Anchorage. That is a bad thing. I've been purchasing items there for the last 8 years. Most of the time, my experiences there are just fine. However, as a drummer, the place is no good. There are a few reasons for this. The drums and sticks, equipment, etc. are upstairs. Are there any employees upstairs? Usually no, because it's boring, I suppose. All of the action and check out is downstairs. This brings me to the experience I just had there with an employee named RYAN. Upon entering the store and heading upstairs to grab a pair of sticks I was met with a problem. No employees in site, and the sticks are behind a counter marked with a sign that says "employees only." What do I do? Wait for an employee to magically appear? Walk back downstairs and flag an employee? I decided to call the store from my cell phone and ask for assistance upstairs. Was that rude of me? I don't think so. RYAN answers the phone and says "looks like someone is heading up there now." He is apparently mistaken and then walks upstairs himself. He comes up and looks around as if annoyed and I say "I need help, do you work here?". He replies, "yeah what do you need?" It was obvious he couldn't care less that I needed help from an employee. My entire interaction with RYAN was filled with bad attitude that I felt from the very start. I ask for a pair of sticks behind the counter, he walks behind the counter and asks which ones, I begin to tell him which ones and he says, "you can come back here you know." RYAN was being a blatant asshole. I walk behind the counter, grab my sticks, then suggest that they get a buzzer for customers who are upstairs and need help. I honestly can't remember what he said but it was all rude. At that point I felt it best to not talk to RYAN again, for fear of getting in a physical confrontation. RYAN should be fired, or at least written up. Mammoth Music should be courteous to the customers (drummers) who shop upstairs. My experience was absolute garbage. I will only return because I have no choice in Anchorage. Mammoth Music has employees that don't know the first thing about good customer service. RYAN acted like it was a chore to assist me. Is it really that hard to walk upstairs and grab a pair of sticks for a customer? Mammoth, if you read this, fix the problem with no employees being upstairs, or just allow customers to get behind the counter like you used to. The system there is broke. You're potentially losing out on sales and pissing off customers in the process. read more

I have purchased a several items over the last 15 or so years. I've found some great deals on obscure effects that most normal musicians wouldn't care about. If a guy named James, I believe, still does their repair and set up work, he takes great care and does excellent work. Yes the prices for new main line things like Gibson and Fender are pretty ridiculous by lower 48 standards but it's Alaska and yes, they've got the market cornered. I've not found the staff to be particularly rude but, then, I try not to talk to people. read more

Thank God for these guys. Tried ordering a cable on Amazon, they were taking forever and I needed it now. Called them, explained what I needed, they found it in their stock and set it aside for me. Picked it up and it was exactly what I needed and very nice quality. Good lesson in supporting local, especially right now. Thank you! read more

Want to support local, but after yet-another disappointing experience, I'm done. It's pretty sad when you feel like an online retailer offers more attentive and sincere customer service than your neighborhood music store. read more

This place rocks! Knowledgable and friendly staff, not pushy salesmen. Just bought a new guitar from them and had a great experience. Highly recommend this shop. read more

Mammoth Music has been around for decades, and has a decent amount of guitars available. For acoustic guitars, they have mostly Martins in the higher quality category. It would be nice if they were able to sell Gibson or Taylor, but the licensee fees they charge annually can be ridiculous. For tube amps, I have seen Orange, and Fender amps. Sometimes they will carry VOX, but the majority are run of the mill solid state amps. For electric guitars, Gretsch and Fenders are the major brands sold here that are of decent to high quality. Overall there variety isn't the greatest, but they provide good customer service. It will be interesting to see how they compete with Guitar Center moving to Anchorage in the near future. read more

refuse to go back after they failed to uphold return policy. I did indeed clarify return policy before purchase with young man, long blonde hair. Amp failed after one week, was not the tubes. Took 4 months to get it back from fender on their warranty, opposed to the 15 minutes to simply exchange. Bald man with glasses and piercings extremely condescending and rude. This incident will be the 4th unfortunate experience with them, after purchasing 3 faulty guitar pickups in a row. at least they took those back..... High prices never bothered me because i loved the local business side if it, but learned my lesson with big purchases from them. shame :( this is the one yelp review ive ever done and really feel i need to do, heed my warning. read more

First time in and I had a great time. They have a wide variety of items, the staff is really personable.There is a real treasure of classic equipment, amps, guitars, effects, pa gear. I saw things I haven't seen in years. I will be back read more

I have a love/hate relationship with mammoth. In the fact that they don't have any huge competition. So they have up to a four hundred percent markup on guitars, basses, amps, etc. and about five years ago, a worker. Don't recall his name or position. Told me he " loved" that I purchased a 2000$ Parker electric. Used. That he " fucked me over". And that if he " had any inclination to buy the guitar back" he would lowball the " shit out of me". I'm arthritic and have no feeling in my fingers. And I'm only 33. I'm not exaggerating this punks words at all. They are verbatim. In front of his coworkers. And customers. My shock at that response, left me speechless. My Impulse to those statements would usually of been to jump the counter and slug him. Instead I just walked out. After a few choice words. First look at petrs violin shop, in the guitar section. If that's too spendy than try musiciansfriend.com, we Alaskans lost out when Best Buy stopped instrument sales. But mammoth is taking advantage of that. This is not the same mammoth it was in the 90's. Where you could trade cds for other cd's. As the only pre MP3 age, it was great for music lovers. To get music Sam goody/musicland didn't carry. Or want 25$ for a cd not worth 10$. But mammoth now has become a joke. I was browsing a couple weeks ago. Needing a cheap steel string pick. The staff was fine to be fair. But then I walked into the drum room. And saw a 500$ pearl drum kit for sale for 1400$. And minus the cymbals. And hi hats. As well as the bass pedals. That is not correct. That's almost theft. Even with shipping, musiciansfriend will save you hundreds. I don't know about mammoths music lessons. They could be great for all I know. But their markups are insanely greedy. read more

This store has relocated to the old "Reef" building next to the Dimond Center. My recollection was that Dimond Center kicked them out because Best Buy was complaining that Mammoth was competition to them. They're right! I'd rather buy from a small shop that is locally owned and has employees with their hearts in their jobs. They have a great collection of new and used CD's and they have musical instruments. I was checking out the guitars. Good prices. No doubt, Alaska needs to keep these small businesses alive, and I will shop here before I shop Best Buy now. Good Prices, Good Employees, Locally Owned. My kind of shop! read more

I have been going to Mammoth since the 90's, it's a shame that it is no longer open as a music store. When I recently needed equipment for my daughter, I recalled the downtown location. We were able to browse and take our time and when we needed help we were helped greatly by a really nice guy. He answered all of our questions and didn't seem rushed or put out at all. Very helpful. Would recommend to anyone looking for an instrument, vinyl, or accessories! read more

Few positive experiences with this place. The staff here has always ranged from disinterested at best to flat out rude, but my last (ever) visit to this place over the summer was the shit-dipped cherry on top. I called ahead to find out if they buy guitars. They said yes, bring it on down. I proceeded to bring it to the store at which point the staff implied that I must have stolen it. I was absolutely shocked. I wish I'd told them to kiss my ass. I actually had the receipt saved in my email, but I was too angry to bother with it. I've spent thousands of dollars here over the years because they don't have much competition, but they won't get another cent from me. I'll stick with Chicago Music Exchange. read more

A$$hole Powder looking guy. Asked why the acoustic guitar room is locked in the back. He says in a smartass voice, cuz the guitars in there are expensive and then walks off. Well hey dude! I can walk into any Guitar Center and pick up a 4,000 dollar acoustic and play it, no questions asked. I was even offered to play a 30,000 dollar 1952 LP. So don't tell ME, the guitars in that little mediocre room of yours are too expensive. If you know anything about instruments, it's how they feel when you play them, not to keep them locked up! How the hell do you expect to sell any!?!? For You, i give you no stars; for the bass player behind the counter 5 stars. At least he was nice enough to give a decent explanation and have a conversation with. read more

Would offer 1 star if not for better experiences in recent years. In the past Mammoth had broken a friends guitar when they mishandled a set up. When he complained they flagged him as a problem customer in their system (a mutual friend of ours had worked there at the time informed us). Needless to say they never paid to fix the damaged they had caused to the guitar. Additionally, years before that I'd bought an amp under warranty that was very difficult to get service for through them when it broke. All this FYI. read more

Mammoth Music is in a unique situation, but I suppose so are all musicians in Alaska. Shipping is always a problem when buying stuff on the web, and this is especially true for heavy musical instruments like drums or amps. Mammoth is the only place in town with a decent gear selection. Despite this fact, their prices are actually very good - many items at or better than Internet prices. But on the flipside, customer service is poor. On weekend days, you will wait 20 or 30 minutes for a salesperson to get you something from the back. Custom orders take an eternity. They don't return calls (at least the drum department doesn't - Tony is always "at lunch"). Of course, these days, the Internet makes in-person sales advice redundant, and I suspect most musicians have already researched the heck out of a product before they go in to buy it. I suppose that's why Mammoth doesn't care about the human element: they don't have to. Inexplicably, you can't play any of the acoustic drums in the store. Equally mysterious, the higher-end acoustic guitars are all locked in a vault, so you feel really awkward asking to be "let in." This is really too bad, because even a younger player that can't afford it right now should get to experience firsthand the pure joy that comes from picking a high-end Taylor. Given the general course of capitalism, and as Anchorage grows, I'm sure we're due for a Guitar Center opening its doors in town any day now. Therefore, you'd better be on your best behavior, Mammoth. Bottom line: you'll return to shop here, but only because you don't have a choice. read more

The way i was treated by the staff was just rude and repugnant. They do not care about musicians finding an instrument they like, they just want you to buy something and get out. While playing different guitars, i was approached by a staff member. "are you gonna be buying anything?" Startled i replied "not today, no." knowing i was just sampling and finding something i like for a possible future purchase. "well you need to stop. we dont want people playing if they're not gonna buy. it causes wear and tear." 1. Me playing on a guitar for 2-3 minutes is not gonna diminish the value. 2. I could be looking to buy one in the future. Dropping $300+ dollars on an instrument is a fairly big decision, I would like to not be rushed. Overall i had a negative experience with the staff. They were rude,unhelpful, didn't even say "welcome to mammoth!"' and came off extremely snobby and elitist. They do not care about music, all they care about is money. They have lost all of my future business and i dont plan on returning there again anytime in the distant future. I hope a new music store worked by actual musicians can come to the anchorage scene so i don't have to deal with these clowns ever again. read more

These guys run a decent shop I think. The people that work there are knowledgable, not pushy (thank you), and their prices are only a little higher than online prices (but they price-matched musicians friend for my guitar). I bought a guitar, and they set it up for me twice for free. That is a lot of free service although the turn-around time did take awhile. But I would highly recommend them for new guitar gear & service. read more

Amazing place! Your absolute ONE STOP Music Shop when in Anchorage. Needed to rent a KORG KRONOS, YAMAHA MOTIF X8 & Sonor Drum Set for event at the Denai Convention Center instead of traveling with equipment. They had ALL the cables and everything. Great support staff to boot! read more

These guys rock. Ace and the gang are true professionals dedicated to their craft. Every time I go there I learn something new. Great place to buy instruments and get a music history lesson. read more

Best place in AK to buy a guitar or get work done in AK imo. I ordered a guitar from there, and it arrived in no time flat. I have also had several guitars serviced there, and the turn around time is also fast. They have the best guitar teachers, and one of the best selection of guitars I've seen. It's always been the first and last place I need to go to find guitar parts when I feel up to working on the guitar myself, and the staff are all knowledgeable and friendly. read more