I dropped off two flutes to Randy in late January that had not been maintenanced in 15 years. He…read morehad them ready by early February. He was knowledgeable, honest, and just around cool person. Ask him about the instruments and bring him yours. Don't be like me and keep your instruments in good condition.

Randy did a fantastic job removing some significant dents from a vintage Conn 8D Horn I had…read morerecently purchased. The instrument was, annoyingly, damaged during shipping from the seller. Randy's work was marvelous; one must look carefully to see any trace of the previous damage. Additionally, his prices were very, very reasonable given the quality of the work. I will be bringing him instruments in the future for normal maintenance as well as any emergencies. Highly recommended.

My 4 yr old broke her toniebox. I found DIY instructions on ifixit but got myself into trouble…read morewith the desoldering & resoldering. I contacted this shop just to see if they might be able to help. They were prompt, professional, courteous and fixed the toy for at a very reasonable price. I am especially thankful that they took on a project that isn't necessarily their specialty. Would definitely do business with them again. My child thanks you!!!

I didn't even have a Yelp account, but I felt like I had to create one after my experience with…read moreRock'n Repair Shop. On the advice of a friend, I took my beloved vintage stereo receiver to Rock'n Repair back in early/mid-September 2022. They emailed me in late September to let me know about what it would cost to do the repairs after they'd checked out the receiver. I wrote them back that the price was fine and to please go ahead with the repairs. I never received a confirmation that they'd received my sign-off on the repairs, so after a few weeks I tried emailing, then calling - but there was no response. I regularly emailed and called, not receiving any sort of reply until DECEMBER 2022 when they finally answered the phone. They acted like it was no big deal and just a matter of course that they were simply AWOL for almost 3 months. But they assured me the repair work would get going soon. (with no explanation as to why nothing had been done between September and December) More time passed and I heard nothing. After about a month, I started regularly calling and emailing again, but I still got no response. Finally, in MARCH 2023, they wrote me back to say that my stereo repair was going to be a big job and they were "going to focus more on music production and small hifi repairs." When I went to pick up the receiver today, the woman working in the shop (not the technician I'd previously interacted with) assured me that the only reason they didn't take the job is because it was not technically feasible - contradicting what I was told in the email I quoted above. Technicians and artisans are free to take on or reject whatever jobs they do or do not want, as they see fit. But if that were the case, they should have told me that from the start. Instead, they promised they would do the repairs, then simply held my equipment, did nothing with it for months on end, and ignored all my calls and emails before finally saying they simply couldn't be bothered to deal with it. Don't ever trust Rock'n Repair with any equipment you care about. They are rude, unprofessional, and a waste of time. A real disgrace.

Amazon had a massive outage when I was expecting some P/A equipment to arrive in a particular time…read moreframe. I had no way of tracking the delivery, and it was imperative we got our equipment on time. I called half a dozen music stores in the area, and no one had the piece I needed. When I called Alexandria Music, Sonya (sp?) helped me out. They did not have the model I needed, but they did have a really great alternative, albeit more expensive. I told her my situation, how our delivery was caught in between worlds in the ether of delivery debacles, and she said, "Let me check with the owner and see if we can help you out." Shortly afterward, I got a call saying they would give sell me the higher-end unit and give me a discount to accommodate our very specific budget. In short, she (and the owner) saved our bacon and took my stress level down several notches. I've worked in music stores, and I've frequented countless others across the country. I've actually grown to dread going into them; I often find myself feeling like I'm at a car dealership. Heck, I'm sure I made folks feel like I was a car salesman when I worked at the music-store-that-shall-not-be-named (*cough* Walmart of music stores *cough*). This was different. Short, to the point, zero haggle involved, just accommodating a customer in a very stressful situation and going above and beyond what most places would ever do. I don't live super close to the store, but I might just make the drive to Alexandria in the future because my experience here was so good. Thank you Sonya; I'm sorry if I misspelled your name. You made my life much easier this week, and I sincerely appreciate it. And thank you, store owner I never met. My sole experience tells me you've got the right mindset on running a music store. I'll be back.

Not often that you come across a real music store these days but this is one! Love this place.read more

Middle C Music is a convenient place for most musical needs, with a focus on students. A wide range…read moreof sheet music is available. There are studios for lessons and a helpful staff. Lots of instruments and some setups where you can explore different instruments and effects.

Friendly efficient staff, decent violin I needed to rent at a reasonable rate for a couple of…read moremonths.

Wow! Greg did a setup on my Gibson acoustic That just wasn't…read moresounding great anymore.After getting it home, I realized what a difference that his setup had on my guitar, everything was better. This is the third Guitar of mine that Greg has worked on and he has over delivered every time. Prompt and friendly service

Greg is a complete professional. I I was gifted a very well used classical guitar. I told Greg to…read moredo whatever needed to be done to make it usable again. Two days later, I picked up a perfectly playable guitar. Given what he had to do, I was pleasantly surprised at how reasonable it was. I would not hesitate to use Greg's services again.

A coworker recommended going, I was reluctant since I live on the VA (other side) of the city. But…read moreOMG. The inventory was amazing. I was actually overwhelmed by the number of guitars and amps in stock. Literally thousands. What I thought would be a 10 min max, look around, buy a pack of strings (I always try and buy something at non chain music stores) turned into a 2 hour adventure. Rows and rows of guitars. I was at first intimidated and it took a bit to get my bearings as how the instruments were organized. LPs over here, Fenders over there. Did I mention there were "like 2 thousand guitars. Then I was shocked at how reasonable the prices were. After 45 minutes I had decided I was definitely getting a new guitar that day, then what to choose? Narrowed down between 2 that I wanted and matched what I could afford that day. The guy who rang me up, saw it was my first purchase there and knocked a few bucks off and threw in a new set of slinky strings. Look if you are looking for a posh music boutique store with fancy displays, this is not the place for you. But if you are a musician looking for quality gear that is priced right and huge inventory, this is the place. I am already planning my next visit with a bigger budget.

They say the true test of a relationship isn't how things are when everything goes right, but in…read morehow things are when things go wrong. Last month, I stopped into Atomic Music and saw the most beautiful guitar, a model I had been dreaming of for years. My birthday was coming up, so I decided to splurge and treat myself. One of the owners gave me a great price and was really friendly. Everything was wonderful until a month later when I finally got around to setting up the guitar for my preferred gauge of strings. I discovered a serious but repairable structural issue with the guitar. Not their fault -- It wasn't something they would have been aware of unless they had taken the truss rod cover off and attempted to adjust the guitar's neck. I sent an email detailing the problem and it wasn't even five minutes later I got a call from one of the owners. He told me to bring it back for a full refund, and that he'd even pay for my gas to bring it back. There was no argument and no questioning of my expertise. That's fantastic service in my book! I will be back and I have no worries about spending money there again. The shop has an enormous used inventory including some high-end instruments and prices are fair.

Potter Violins is the best string shop in the country!! They are very knowledgeable on their fleet…read moreof fine instruments and provide excellent service.

This is purely for customer service since I'm still looking for my unicorn viola bow. I want to…read moregive a shout out to Yan who helped me test several bows. He was super friendly, knowledgeable, and most importantly patient as he took the time to help me try out bows in several price ranges. I now have a better sense of what I'm looking for as my search continues. I'll definitely be checking in with them periodically to see if and when they get new inventory. Thank you, Yan!

Ever since my first review over 14 years ago this shop keeps getting better and better! I'm used…read moreto other chain guitar shops that only chat with the guy who's with me but action music treats everyone the same! Hilarious (dis)respect! Jk. They are amazing and make everyone feel welcome! I stop by time to time to browse and purchase items or get service done. I would highly recommend as I was expecting a restring of an acoustic and a small electric guitar repair to take a few weeks but I was in and out in under 30 minutes. I really have to thank Mr. Matt and the rest of the incredible staff. It makes me want to continue my music journey and come back very often. A big plus is their location now. Parking is ample and signage is clear!

I want to thank Mr.Mike for helping me figure out if my parts were genuine. Awesome dude. Always…read morehelpful when it comes to gear! His Knowledge is very extensive and amazing! Love that guy! And also want to thank John and Matt for the Mods to my guitar. Its always love when i come here, i drive an hour in traffic just because i know these guys are human and know their stuff! Always good Vibes and Beautiful instruments here! If you want a Rare and Unique guitar or amp, simply walk in and see what speaks to your soul! Im beyond happy with my last visit. Legendary Guys and Legendary Shop. Thanks Guys

Luis is a master! Luis completely restored 2 Harmony acoustics I had from the 60's. I cannot…read morebelieve how amazing they are. I have never played better guitars in my life! They both needed a lot of work. They both needed neck resets, new frets, new strap buttons, he brought the tuning machines back to perfection, he reshaped one of the fretboards since the neck had som bow to it, he fixed big body cracks to the point of not being able to tell they were there, one of the tops was separating from the side, he put a new brass saddle on one, new nuts, the way he sets up guitars makes them play like butter, and they are perfectly intonated. I've also taken two other guitars to Luis. I got the frets leveled on one, and got an amazing setup. He made a bone saddle for the other one with his amazing setup. He's also given me so much great advice on how to take care of my guitars better. On top of that, he's a wonderful person to talk to. Thank you for everything Luis! I will return forever.

Luis provided fair estimates for our guitars, indicating that one did not truly need work. His…read morecareful attention to my guitar were spot-on, making it more comfortable to play, and better at holding the tuning. A meticulous, responsive professional.

Though I loved the old Guitar Shop on Connecticut, this new location is just as convenient for me…read more I have owned a bass for five years.... FINALLY started taking lessons a few months ago with John, and I'm loving it! It's so much fun, and John is an excellent teacher. He teaches to my learning style, he's patient and thorough, and consistent with his reminders of how I should be playing (finger placement, posture, and all). Though his style may seem scattered at first, he really does a great job of building off of what we learned from the previous week while keeping it interesting. If you're like me and thinking that you'll eventually get around to taking lessons, DO IT NOW! (Before they realize that they're not charging enough!)

From the owner: Lessons offered on guitar (blues/jazz/rock/classical), bass (electric or string bass,) banjo and…read moremandolin to all levels of students from beginner to advanced, using a patient approach designed for relaxed, comprehensive, fun lessons tailored to each student. Formally at The Guitar Shop in DC for 6+ years, teaching theory, improvisation and repertoire building, supplying aspiring musicians with the necessary tools and materials to be successful. We specialize in showing students how to learn from and play their favorite recordings.