For instrument collectors, Charles Byrne is a musical playground. Here you'll find ukuleles,…read morebanjos, bones and spoons, but also classical guitars, violins and violas. Books and beautiful cases for sale make for great gift items as well. This family-owned shop has been part of Dublin for ages, literally, since 1870, and its instrument packed windows have watched the city go though magical changes. Inside Charles Byrne you will not only find unusual and old instruments but if you listen carefully, hear the song of Irish history echoing off its walls.

This establishment can boast itself as being Ireland's oldest family owned music shop, pretty…read moreimpressive feat. This music shop has a lot of traditional Irish instruments which is an excellent selling point for it. My friend lectures music in the UK and he bought a bodhrán here, he knows his music, obviously! He recommended them for their knowledge and passion for music. They do have other instruments but the Irish assortment is impressive. Waltons has a lot of the market so if you want to try somewhere else that is a little hidden away, gave this place a lash.

There's a right way to run a small music shop, and there's an overpriced and under stocked wrong…read moreway. The good news is, Goodwins gets it right. I can't stress how important it is for a music shop selling any type of instruments to create a space were sound quality sells the stock for them. Goodwin's beautifully stocked walls of Taylor, Martin and other accoustic treasures is double height to give these guitars room to sing. There is the smallest of sheet music racks with a scattering of bongos and tambourines, but really this shop is about the strings. And when I say the guys in here know their stuff, take it as rote. In fact, just assume that there's lots of good to be had in a visit to Goodwins and get over there.

An excellent example of a music shop great knowledgeable staff and super customer service…read more I've been shopping here for quite a while and I've never been disappointed

A mere shadow of it previous incarnation (and situated across the road from the huge premises they…read moreonce held) is what is left of the once great McCullough Pigotts. As music shops go it is grand, for the most part it sells sheet music - something only really in demand by the classical world these days since every budding rock musician now pulls what chords they want from the net - for free or very little anyway! At the back is Joe Lynch instruments where they sell a selection of instruments - some nice stuff too, it's just that the selection is small!

This is a one-stop shop for anyone who plays a musical instrument, whether you're a beginner or…read morepart of the National Symphony Orchestra. Small but well stocked, the staff are friendly and approachable and promised me theyd order anything I needed. Offering the biggest collection of sheet music I've seen in Dublin, McCullogh Pigott also supplies all you need for a range of instruments including clarinet, flute, guitar, piano and drums. It's the best place to go if you need a baton, a blues harmonica and an instructional DVD on guitar chords. In terms of actual instruments for sale, you can have a try of the Casio keyboards or the Cort guitars and no-one will bat an eyelid. If you need to know anything about the instruments, it seems that all the staff are musicians and they'll get someone with the right experience to help - customer service at its best. As an added bonus, the staff are great at selecting gifts for a musician friend - even if you haven't got a clue. Give whatever details you can and they'll fetch you something that fits the bill. It's the friendly feel that makes it a winner. Ask a stupid question and no one sniggers. It's laid back but professional and you get an instant welcome. You can tell this place has a lot of loyal clients. In fairness, it's well deserved.

The owner is a great guy! Very helpful and friendly. Bought the best guitar of my life from here.read more

I don't know if he's the owner or what but the bald guy made myself and my brother feel like we…read morewere tarnishing their guitars by simply standing near them. Another staff member immediately followed us around a swell when we got into the store. Extremely unwelcoming atmosphere ...

It's no wonder why there's such a cacaphony of intrsuments and chatter in Waltons massive music…read moreshop...the place is full of its students! Pop in on a weekday after schools let out and you won't be alone. Teenagers, music school students and lay customers mill around in the massive space behind the small shop entrance. Guitars line the walls along with chords, cables, straps and other string-instrument paraphernalia. There's parliaments of pianos (of the upright and grand varieties), do keep your mitts off the sold merchandise, but feel free to plink away on the unclaimed models. Best of all in this palace of music is the New School of Music upstairs. Affordable classes, taught by professionals with storied backgrounds, for everything from voice to viola can be taken here; the promisingly titled Rock Guitar for Teens is just €170 for 10 weeks. Each meticulously written flyer urges early enrollment as classes are kept small and fill up fast. Check out the website for details on upcoming classes and workshops!

I was thinking about buying a guitar, even though I have absolutely no experience with the…read moreinstrument other than vaguely learning some chords a few years ago. Still, I want one. I had been stopping in and looking at the selection at a bunch of music stores around the city and Walton's has one of the best selections, especially for beginners. They have a few different entry-level guitars at a variety of prices, which is appreciated. I am very left handed, so I said that I was looking for a left-handed guitar. The guy assisting me was pretty great and told me that I should reconsider getting one and try to learn with a traditional guitar. He explained that it would be a lot easier for me to find better guitars as my skills improved. I really appreciated his sincerity, but felt that I needed to sleep on it and left empty-handed. Still, I had a really good shopping experience there. They have pretty much everything one could need; songbooks, instruments, accessories and even kids instruments too.

I think Waltons has got some serious competition here…read more I've been to this place a few times and dealt with a number of different people, to get things like a keyboard, an amp, cables, a Korg monotron, among other bits and bobs...and they were always great to deal with. Usually, my experience going to music stories is that they treat you like an intrusion, and their explanation of their products is usually mumbled, disinterested, and I usually come out of these shops feeling like i'm a bit thick because i didn't speak to them using all of the correct terms. MusicMaker felt different. I felt as if they were happy and interested to explain various things that they sold, and were happy to give me a discount if i bought more than one item. Also, they won't try to sell you something if they feel you don't need it. It's a decent balance. I'll definitely be back when i'm thinking of making my next musical purchase.

Folks, no NOT trust their card system. I return a faulty amp, they put the credit on one of thier…read morecards, when i tried to use it there was absolutely nothing on it. €450 lost and the way I was treated, after 30 years of custom was a sickening shock.

I didn't think there was space for a new guitar shop in Dublin - particularly around the Exchequer…read moreSt area which is already well served by the very excellent Perfect Pitch and slightly lesser Music Maker, but here in No. 4, the old home of an Art Gallery I think, is Dublin Guitar Centre. It is a well laid out shop and sells lesser known but noteworthy brands like HUDSON and Cort. The guys behind the desk (Dave & Alan) are helpful and as you would expect no strangers to guitars and musical instruments in general. Deal of the moment for me was the HUDSON black cutaway semi acoustic for 169 Euro - for beginner or experienced player alike it offers great value for money - both playing and sounding well. for the guitar enthusiast there is a new kid on the block and damn it, he aint half bad... which is dreadful news for my wallet!

On a recent crawl through Exchequer Street's music shops, I stopped into the relatively new Guitar…read moreCentre for a peek at the shop's offering. Tiny, bright and so new I could swear the paint was still drying, the store itself was less a Centre and more a depot for Cort guitars as it was just about the only brand available here (although some vintage models are on display). As for accessories, the variety was slim but the stock was excellent; Blackstar amps, decent effects pedals (think Boss and Electro), stands, cables and miles of string at fair prices. The size of this shop is seriously limited, but there's still just enough room behind the counter to hide a practice area where buyers can give different models a test run before making the big decision. Feel free to ask the staff anything about their stock or music in general, the two gentlemen manning the shop are incredibly knowledgeable and eager to share. Having just opened in December of 2009 there's still a lot for this little music store to prove. Kinks need to be ironed out and more selection needs to be rotated in, but I am a huge supporter of independent shops and wish Guitar Centre luck in the new year.

Perfect Pitch is a music shop that wouldn't ordinarily be overlooked if it wasn't for the…read moreneighbouring music shops. Walton's and Music Maker seem to have the market cornered, but the fact of the matter is, that Perfect Pitch are just as good as the other big music shops down the road. They specialise in guitars, both electric and acoustic, but do some other four stringers like banjos, mandolins etc. Great help if you're into guitars, but being a drummer, I felt a bit lost amongst the walls of guitars. But my guitar playing mates swear by the beardy guitar druid behind the counter.

I like the spirit of small music shops like Perfect Pitch; band flyers paper the walls, music…read morelesson cards crowd the counter and the walls inside are a forest of great acoustic, classical, bass and electric brands just begging to be pulled down and strummed. No wander along Exchequer street is complete for the guitarist in my life without a look in at the latest offers and instruments here. Here working musicians stop in for easy chats with staff, giving this small store that genuine feel of a local institution. The stock is well chosen, with good accessories and sound equipment suitable for studios or garage bands that are priced accordingly. While this is a haven for professionals, beginners won't feel out of place here. On your inaugural visit, feel free to ask about any and everything, the lads behind the counter are happy to help. It's no wonder Perfect Pitch has such a loyal following!

This is a great place to go if you're looking for used or vintage gear in Dublin…read more Jimi is a knowledgable and super friendly guy and the shop regularly refreshes it's stock with fun and interesting gear. If you're looking for something in particular Jimi can try to help out. They also do very reasonable and efficient servicing and repair of guitars and amps. Well worth a trip!