Joe seems to get a lot of flak on this site from people who claim that he isn't nice to people who aren't interested in buying a guitar. I did buy a guitar, so I can't comment from that perspective, but I will say that when I went into the shop to check out a model I was interested in, there were some high school kids playing around on a guitar and they clearly weren't going to buy and Joe let them play. I thought Joe was a nice guy. Straightfoward but helpful. He knows his stuff and clearly loves guitars. Anyway, I bought a guitar at Performance Music Center and my experience was good. I bought a G&L Doheny Tribute model and it is a lovely guitar. The only issue is that the initial one I purchased had a factory problem (one of the potentiometers didn't work correctly, which was probably indicative of a wiring problem). I realized this once I got back home with it and played around with it. Anyway, I took it back to the store and they were VERY apologetic. Joe raised hell with the G&L people and they sent a replacement one. Joe was nice enough to let me hold on to the defective model to play with until the new one arrived, which was a nice gesture and offered a discount on gig-bags as a further apology. Once the replacement guitar came in, it worked great. All in all, I am giving the review 4/5 stars because they really should have caught the mistake when they were setting the guitar up, though I also sympathize because a wiring error is something that you would expect the guitar manufacturer to catch in quality control, especially one like G&L, but still... That being said, if I could do it all over again I would still work with the Performance Music Center and I will be back. In fact I already bought an amp from them. One thing worth mentioning that is pretty cool is that if you buy a guitar from them, they will do free tune-up/setups for the life of the guitar. That's an amazing value. So anyway, I'll be back to them within the year to take advantage of that service. If the setup service proves to be as good as promised then I will upgrade the review to 5 stars. Anyway, overall I would say that it is a store and owner than know their business and are passionate and knowledgeable about their brands. They worked with me to correct any errors along the way and I look forward to continuing with them in the future. read more

I arrived in town early before school so I had a little extra time to check out local business. I tried a few guitars and a tube amp. A few days later I went back and got kicked out as soon as I walked in the door. I will NEVER go back there. And I have spent an ungodly amount of money on guitars and amps elsewhere. read more

Danger..warning..avoid repair service for guitar electrical equipment. THIS REPORT IS NOT BASED ON WALK IN, only phone/email. CLOWN CAR MANAGERIAL ARRANGEMENT, I.E store operatives refer to an ornery, non-stop talk to himself as "authority" in front of you non-manager, independent, who is arrogant, using false 'expert power'. This is the only business I have encountered in 50 years as consumer who requires you fill a separate "repair" form" in addition to their own internal email preliminaries. No doubt, the repairs aren't to be trusted without you paying many "In God We Trust" bills. In the repair call, the so called "expert" ((ho keeps legal retribution away from the store by this phony paperwork alliance)..the man's laughable words included "I work for a lot more than (customer suggested 50-100 FLEXIBLE usd for VERBAL analysi of old equipment). This so called professional seems anything but butt. AVOID, unless your kids want to play shuffleboard with your wallet! read more

Zero stars if I could. I needed to waste some time before going to an appointment so I checked out a few basses. The owner is pushy, likes to handle the instruments himself, and consistently talks down to me. "I know the history of Fender" and "So you think I should ask more for it?" I'm sorry dude. The sale ain't happening. read more

If you want to rent an instrument, purchase some great pieces or get lessons, they do it all! The owner Joe Mullen and his staff are great to work with! They are all Very knowledgeable on all their instruments and have Excellent Customer Service! They are the Best!! read more

The first employee who helped us was very nice, but Joe the owner is honestly a very questionable type of person. He seemed nice at first, but refused to sell to us because he didn't approve of what we needed the equipment for. He claimed he had nothing we were looking for, but that was just an excuse to politely ask us to leave. We went to another music store and actually got better equipment for a cheaper price. They were happy to assist. Avoid this place altogether. They just overcharge on equipment and frankly are very bigoted. read more

Taking ukulele lessons with Ron for a couple of months now and I love it! The owner also was able to make my lefty uke electric by adding a passive pickup! I love it and them! Great staff!!! read more

I've visited PMC a handful of times and have had good experiences. The first item I purchased here was a pedal. They were quite nice about letting me try it in the store and I thought I liked it. When I got home I didn't like it with my amp. I had no trouble returning it. More recently I bought an extremely nice USA G&L guitar here. I visited two different days and Chris spent quite a bit of time with me and let me play quite a few guitars for an hour or more the first day and then let me play the guitar I ended up choosing again through a different amp the second day. I ended up buying the guitar and feel like the price was pretty amazing. You will have no trouble here if you realize this is not guitar center and you should be respectful. The guitars here are kept in immaculate condition and are setup and kept in fresh strings for a better experience for actual buyers. You won't find broken guitars on the wall being sold as new here. But that requires customers to be more responsible. When you walk in a store and everything is immaculate you should realize you shouldn't just grab stuff without asking. Inventory here is higher average price than a Big Box store but it's not Music Emporium where every electric guitar seems to be $2000-3000 and the amps are all boutique. PMC seems to be hitting a happy medium and having G&L and PRS in the store is great. read more

So every time I go in there I get an evil eye. If you ask to play an instrument, you get a huffy attitude and they polish the shit out of the thing as if it were a Ferarri dealership. Every time I go there they tell be how great G&L is, and how they're the #1 distributor of G&L in the world. Maybe if I gave a shit, that would be impressive. However, since they're so meticulous about keeping their shelve selection pristine, I'm giving them two stars. The missing 3 stars are for their attitude on life, which might have something to do with the fact that they work at a guitar store in a mini-minimall. read more

Picked up my second Telecaster here, a blue 98 Mexican model. Very good instrument and the staff at Performance Music helped get it set up and tuned the right way. Extensive stock of instruments, all in excellent condition and they don't mind if you take a lot of time to find out which one suits you best. Service is impressive...they know their products and understand when to be helpful and when to let the customer have some space. Salespeople are also players, yet are very good at figuring out the purchaser's level of expertise and how best to communicate with them. Prices for Fender products are super-reasonable, considering that they're located withing Route 128. Of special note is the large inventory of amps, easily one of the better selections in the Greater Boston area. This will definately be my first stop next time I'm buying a new guitar. read more

Great store for such a small town. I didn't expect to find G&L, Godin and Gibson in a small main street store. Prices are alright or at least comparable to the big stores and the service is great. Their selection may not be as big as Guitar Center but they do have a few gems in the store. I have my eye on that SWR 4x10 combo. :) read more

I've had good and not so great experiences here. I generally come for some useful information and a few small accessory purchases. I can understand qualms of those that have expressed frustration...just try to remember that sometimes the problems we have with others are problems we may have with ourselves. Give the guys a break and take it upon yourself to have a better experience so you can get back to rocking!!! read more

On break from jury duty and stopped in to check the place out, always like to support the REAL music stores, which are unfortunately being pushed out by the big box stores.... Grabbed a bound manuscript notebook and a set of strings. Guy who helped me was friendly, store was nice and seemed to have some good gear. I'll definitely stop in again if I'm in the area. Check em out! read more

I've been in this store many times over the years and bought a few things. I always liked the classy feel of the place, with quality instruments, nice lighting and layout, and low-key staff. Now I'm seriously looking at G&Ls and the selection, pricing, and experience of trying them out are top notch! It's not a "guitar center" atmosphere with teenage shredders hogging the inventory and making it hard to hear the instruments. If that's what you want, go to guitar center. The staff is knowledgeable, helpful, empathetic, which means they want to satisfy the customer with any budget, even if it means selling a used or imported guitar that is less profitable. read more

Great little neighborhood music shop. Great collection of guitars. The G&L selection is top notch (hello, USA Fallout and semi-hollow Comanche!). Played some other brands I haven't even heard of. Staff wants you to ask before picking up anything, which is cool. They tune it up and plug you in and then leave you alone, which is perfect. read more

Stopped by while I was passing through town to check things out. Was able to speak with the owner for a few minutes and was given a great education about the history of G&L guitars. It was a really nice break from stuck up musicians who are only working at these shops for the discounts. He was definitely proud of his store and it showed. Wish I had a shop like this closer to home instead of the big box guitar centers. read more

Short version: My daughter took lessons at Performance Music Center for 9 months. I bought a drum set there as well. They received more than $1000 from me over that time, & had none of what happened below had transpired, I might have ended up paying them an additional $15,000 over the next 10 years. I regret every penny & recommend you never enter this store for any reason. Joe Mullens, the owner, is a bully who will be glad to take your money & be just as glad to tell you that you are wrong if you have any complaints. Should you disagree he will get aggressive & make you feel unsafe. None of this is an exaggeration. Stay away from this place. Long version: My daughter began lessons there last summer (in 2012). A few months later the instructor was out for roughly 6 of 8 weeks. The substitute didn't have a real plan for building her skills & we were just strung along with the idea that the usual instructor would be back soon. It was also annoying because the cancellation policy for students is fairly strict. I tried to address this with the store owner & he only said that he provides a "qualified substitute" when the instructor isn't available. I said that a substitute isn't there every week. A substitute is temporary. He repeated the qualified substitute line. I protested again, & he repeated the qualified substitute line & added that "with [the] quality of instructors, you should expect this" - meaning, for them to have jobs which take them away from lessons. When I am paying for a lesson with an instructor, I expect to see that instructor, & if they are of such high quality, it stands to reason that the substitute is not as high quality. This was lost on him as he addressed me dismissively. (The actual instructor was great. It's just unfortunate that the store he works at is owned by a giant jerk who doesn't really value customers.) Afterward, I wrote on FourSquare "Lesson policy is draconian with respect to cancellations. Yet instructors can miss weeks at a time. But wait, it's a 'qualified substitute' and 'for this caliber of instruction you should expect this.'" Pithy, but it was two exact quotes from the owner, Joe Mullens. Several lessons later, after the instructor was back & things had gone smoothly for a while, I walked in & asked a question about payment for the month. The owner looked at me coldly & started getting the paperwork. As I wrote my check, he sarcastically remarked "Thanks for the review on Yelp. That really helps this business & all the hardworking people who work here." I was silent (in part because I was taken aback & in part because I had never published a review on Yelp - later I realized he must've meant FourSquare.) He went on, "If you have a problem with me, take it up with me instead of posting something on the internet." I finished writing the check & mumbled "ok." Seems he'd conveniently forgotten that I had taken this up with him & he just didn't give a crap at the time. I went to get a coffee & took some deep breaths. I decided to try to clear the air with him. So I walked back & said, "Can we have a conversation about this?" "Yes." "What exactly was inaccurate about my review?" "That is beside the point!" He began rambling, & I only recall pieces of what he said. His voice rose, it dripped with sarcasm & anger & every sentence ended with a finger jab at my chest. He said "I talked to [the instructor] & if he didn't like your daughter, I would've thrown your ass out of here!" He continued rambling as I continued to be shocked about what was happening. He eventually said something like "You hurt the business of the people who work here." I replied, "How does what you are doing right now help your business?" This made him angrier & he began to raise his voice further and jab his finger closer. I put up my hands & said, "Ok, you don't want to actually talk about it." Then I tried to walk away. He said, "If you want to have a conversation about it, then we're going to have a conversation about it!" Then he rushed from behind the desk. I retreated & he continued to walk towards me jabbing his finger at me with each sentence. I was concerned he was going to throw a punch, but knowing that my 7-year-old was in a room 8 feet away, I sat down in the waiting area & tried to disengage. He stood less than a foot from me pointing his finger at my face. I got the impression that he wanted me to ask him to step outside or give him an excuse to hit me. He called me an "internet tough guy" & proceeded to throw personal insults at me for a while. Finally he walked away. Shaken, I waited for my daughter & we left. After that we found a new instructor. I can't support the business of a borderline psycho whose idea of customer service is to tell you you're wrong and if you dispute that to become nearly violent. This business deserves to fail. If you ever have a problem with him, expect condescension or outright aggression. This is not a safe place to take your kids. read more

I found the review from David to be very accurate. When I was in high school, every kid I knew that took guitar lessons hated Joe and his instructors would always quit because of the way they were treated. Joe is well known to bully customers and employees. That's been known for years, maybe that's why he's now in a smaller location than he once was. read more

I have been considering buying a Lakland Bass and found this shop from their website as a dealer in Ma. The shop is clean, well stocked with guitars, basses and amps. The prices are in line with the quality of the gear. The owner (Joe) came over to me and asked if I needed help. I told him I was just looking, not buying that day, he told me if I wanted to try any of the basses or had any questions to just find a staff person. The ask you get someone to get the instrument down for you and I find this a very reasonable request. When I settled on the model I wanted to try Joe came over and set it up for me. He took the time to explain everything about the manufacturer and the bass. He never made me feel rushed or like I was bothering him and he had others in the shop at the time. He is extremely knowledgeable about is instruments and gear in general. I was impressed with his shop. It's the opposite of big box music stores where the staff is usually clueless. If I go with the Lakland I'm definitely buying it from Performance! read more

Very rude service from joe everytime I WENT there. very hesitant and letting people try equipment out and made me not feel welcome there with his attitude frorm the minute I walked in. they have very over priced gear and accessories compared to Guitarcenter. i would give this place a lower score but it wont let me.if you want advice where to shop id tell you go to guitarcenter or another music shop cause this place SUCKS! read more

Visited for the first time today and was impressed. Joe was friendly, informative and very generous with his time even though it was clear I was just browsing. Great selection of a wide variety of guitar brands and the best selection of G&Ls I've ever seen (as well as a handful of beautiful Heritage guitars). There are guitars here I've never seen anywhere else. Prices are right there with big box or online stores, but the guitars are in much better condition - I'd feel very comfortable buying one of the more expensive guitars knowing it wasn't left out to be used and abused along with the beginner instruments (which is why I've never bought anything "new" from GC - it's definitely used, and worse, used by people who don't own it). I've been in a lot of guitar stores, some great and some not so great. This is one I plan to come back to because it had gear I wanted to buy priced competitively and sold by people who know their stuff. And also because I really enjoyed hanging out there for a bit. (The only reason I didn't give five stars is because I didn't see a huge selection of used gear, which is my sweet spot, but they certainly did have some and there's a good chance I missed more.) read more

Came in needing a .080 gauge string for my 8 string guitar. I asked if they sold single strings, and after a few minutes, walked out with two .080 strings of different manufacturers, free of charge! Great service and very helpful, check them out. read more

Best music store in the Boston area!Great costumer service and great teacher! I have been learning guitar and Cris is great, I highly recommend this place!!! read more

I visited this place recently to pick up strings and check out the guitars. I've been, previously, but it's normally for small purchases (picks, strings, etc). I'm glad I never gave them more than that because time and time again I am disappointed by the customer service I receive. The owner, Joe, as stated a few times on this Yelp page, is a raging bully. So much so that it encouraged me to create a Yelp account to let others know. I am not surprised that I am not the store's first bad review. As a musician, I'd like to test out the guitars I am even potentially buying. In the first few minutes of me picking up the Ibanez, Big Brother was watching me through a pair of thick rimmed, uninviting glasses. He made the experience uncomfortable and made me feel like I was somehow intruding in HIS home... this is a local instrument shop and you'd think I was caressing a portrait of his great-grandmother. He was rude during checkout, too. I hope Joe learns that no amount of experience (whether it be 5 years or 25) is grounds for treat paying/non-paying customers like complete SHITE. On a superficial note, the decor is tacky and belongs on the Steve Wilkos show. If you're looking to support local music stores, places I've had AWESOME experiences at Mouradian Guitar in Winchester (only a mile away/awesome staff and very welcoming to those who'd just like to test out their stock), Music Emporium in Lexington, or Axe Palace in Walpole (a drive worth it if you're looking for cheap repair costs. They HAVE THE BIGGEST BOUTIQUE GUITAR COLLECTION and they're inviting when it comes to testing the instruments out.) -Jan read more

Best selection of guitars around. Joe knows the products very well and will help you make an educated selection

Went in to play a G&L a few months ago and I asked about their setup service after playing it. Joe asked why I was asking. When I tried to point out that the fret ends weren't dressed on the guitar, he told me I was being picky. Clearly he doesn't understand what a proper setup is. And he has the nerve to call me picky?? read more

PMC is a first class store. They find current edge instruments. I've bought a Parker Fly, Washburn Electric Acoustic, they had G&Ls before anyone. I've bought other guitars and purchases and am very happy. read more

I've shopped here a few times because the location is convenient to me, and I like to support local businesses. Unfortunately, each encounter with Joe has been negative to the point that I've now chosen to take my business elsewhere. I would not recommend this store to a friend. read more

The owner is a Jerk. He scolded my 23 year old son and I for "pawing" his precious guitars. He said then he would have to re-polish them all again for nothing. This only happened after he saw I was only buying a strap. They have a lot of nice gear. The owner told me that I needed to have respect for the fine instruments. I told him I did respect them, it was HE I had no respect for. Go to Guitar Center. They have more respect for their customers than their precious instruments. read more

I just had a set up done on my guitar and had my nut slotted for 10's, something that I've wanted to do since getting the guitar new last year. I spoke with Joe and he was fantastic to work with. The price was fair and the results are terrific. I went in with my daughter who plays Ukulele and Joe was nice enough to explain to her the different types and also showed us some amazing acoustic guitars from Breedlove. I'll definitely come back and work with them again. read more

I have been shopping at this Performance since it has opened. I have always had a good overall experience at Performance Music center. I read this rant from a David W, that is Joe Mullens is dangerous, that is very unlike Joe. I have seen Joe have problems with customers, and he never lost his self composure. I had an issue with Joe myself, I realized a week later I was at fault, and Joe was forgiving enough to let it be forgotten. Joe never once raised his voice at me when we had our debate, and only stated the facts of the issue. The store is always clean, good variety of products, and they don't push known garbage products on you. read more

Helpful call about ordering a G&L bass guitar. I'll be visiting soon.

I love this place everyone is so nice and friendly. They are the best my two sons have been coming here for a while and they love it. I highly recommend this place thanks Joe Mullen read more

Drove 45 minutes to check out what I felt may be a great guitar store in MA. Did not get much of a chance to do once I arrived with my 3 children with me. Greeted s we walked in by a friendly employee who asked if I needed anything, I responded that it was our first time and we would like to look around. After he answered my question about new/used gear ratio he asked me to watch my children round the guitars, fair enough as they were raised in a music store and know to keep their hands to themselves in another guitar store. As we entered the guitar area, another salesperson yells from behind the counter and near the back "don't touch he guitars". At this point I turned to my kids and said "time to go kids" to which my oldest son replied "we just got here". I refuse to do spend anytime in a business that feels it is their responsibility to parent my children especially when it is not needed. (It would have been welcomed if they were doing something they were not supposed to be doing and I was being a un-attentive parent) After we left I placed a call immediately to the store and asked to speak to the employee (Joe? The owner apparently) who made the rude comment. I explained my situation and feelings about the situation that just took place to Joe, letting him know that I was offended by his behavior towards his customers. His replied started with "alright Mr.Sensitive Dad..." And proceeded to tell me that if they feel the need to diffuse a situation they will do so. Great, but there was not nor was there going to be a situation, mostly because my kids are respectful of instruments and they had a parent with them, their very own Dad. He then told me there were plenty of other stores out there and I agreed and told him his is off the list. Dear Joe, Why own a business that sells merchandise that is intended to be picked up, felt, rubbed, caressed and played by human hands if that is the last thing you want your customers to do? Signed, Sensitive Dad read more

I have been going here for years... over the years I've had lessons, rented gear (once), tried instruments, bought a guitar, etc. Joe and Seitu are good guys and I highly recommend the place. read more

I've seriously tried a few times with this place. Continuously they are rude and unhelpful. They have a solid, but generic inventory. Their customer service is simply awful. Basic questions are met with indecisiveness or arrogance. After trying a few times, I get the sense that they feel they are simply too good for a mere peon like myself. This is a huge bummer, given that I live about 10 minutes from them. At least I have amazon prime... read more

Buy all my strings and picks here, and my drummer buys cheap drum sticks also. Good local little store and keep coming back.

I"v been a customer of performance music for over 15 years. I enjoy going there and have bought several guitars and amps at very reasonable prices. I also like the fact that the instruments there are not all banged up and scratched when you buy them like some other big name stores. they want you to ask them before you pick up an instrument and start playing it which seems fine to me considering they are not all banged up and scratched from some customers being careless with something they might not purchase. if I buy a new guitar I don't want any scratches or dents. the owner joe is a nice guy I"ve never had a problem with him and the crew he has working there are all great to talk to and ask for advice. you just can't please some people like the poster above. I highly recommend performance music center because if I have a problem with something I purchase there they will take it for me. read more

I am professional musician who has been in a lot of music stores and I have never been treated so badly at a music store in my life. Don't even look at the guitar without getiing yelled at. Apparently they don't want to sell anything. Also the guitar tech couldn't even fix a simple problem with my guitar. read more

I just started on guitar, so im new to everything. i found this store pretty helpful, OK serice. I would recomend it for starters.