Music Planet has always been the go to shop for me for anything musical. For one thing it's in the…read moreperfect location, really central and easy to get to. For another, the staff are always so helpful. Whether you're looking to by picks or a $6000 keyboard, they're right there to guide you all along the way. They'll get instruments down for you so can have a little play when you're looking to buy. There's loads of great instruments there with top brands like Martin, Fender, Korg, and loads more. I love the back room with lots of DJ equipment, crazy electronic gadgets and little keyboards that make all sorts of noises and do all sorts of things. They are really ahead in the digital side of music but have really good traditional instruments. If you're ever in need of anything musical Music Planet should be the first place you go!

Music shops are often hit or miss. Sometimes you find really interesting, passionate people who…read moreabsolutely love what they're doing and because of that are super helpful and friendly. And other times you find really interesting, passionate people who absolutely love what they're doing and because of that are *ab-so-lute-ly-terrifying*. I really needed a new set of strings. And because they seem to cost close to a month's salary in Australia, I figured I'd save a bit on the exchange rate and pick some up in Auckland. Immediately upon walking in, I knew I was dealing with the 1st type of passionate employee I mentioned above, and before I knew it, I just wanted to be friends with all of them. I picked some strings based on their recommendations. I lusted over a few custom left handed Martins. I snooped a little bit at the rest of the gear before leaving. Aucklanders are lucky to have such a wonderful music shop so centrally located and stuffed to the brim with the right kind of passion.

veryhelpful staff, attentive and willing to find a solution to any query just ask. pricing was…read morecompetitive and good stock levels if not in stock then item ordered and supplied in shortest possible time.

I am just back from the shop…read more Went to check and try to find a proper price for an Yamaha P255 Digital Piano. After mentioning to the seller the prices I have seen online he very agressively told me to buy somewhere else. In any moment I lost my temper but felt very ofended when he insisted asking where I am from in a clearly sign of discrimination. If you wanna buy a piano, look somewhere else. Rockshop sells Roland and Kawai and Music Planet sells the Korg range (the awesome Kronos workstations). I am never coming back to Music Works. If you wanna buy Yamaha, look online. The model I am looking they sell from 3k NZD. The list price in Australia (with same plug/voltage) is 1999 AUD (=2.1kNZD). You can find still deals over this price. To ship to NZ they discount the GST that is 10% and you pay 15% when it arrive at customs. To ship is around 200nzd. 500nzd cheaper at least and doesn't need to be offended by an unprofessional seller. That's not to say that in the US (Amazon.com) the same piano is 1299USD.

Realistically, a drum shop has a limited audience. Are you interested in drumming? If not, then…read moreDrum City will hold absolutely no appeal for you. I mean, it's just full of drums and stuff. If you are interested in drumming, however, and want to buy a drum or something drum related, then Drum City is perfect for you. It's full of drums and stuff! Their prices are comparable to anyone else selling drums in Auckland (i.e. you get what you pay for and if you want something really nice, it won't be cheap) and they have a decent range of gear. The guys who work there are obviously drummers themselves, and are happy to answer questions if you want to know specifics about particular items. Also I took my little brother in there (he's just starting to learn to play, bless) and they were friendly and helpful with him, without being condescending. If you buy skins they're happy to put them on and tune them for you, which is great for people like me who aren't that good at tuning.

I don't know a heck of a lot about pianos (would love to learn one day), but despite the name this…read morestore is much more than just pianos. They sell other instruments as well like keyboards, guitars, ukuleles, violins, and other small music related devices that you might need (metronomes, guitar strings etc.). What I like about this place is the large selection of books and DVD's that they stock. It's almost like a mini library in the side section of the store. You can get tablature books, print music, full band/album works, as well as numerous lesson books and DVD's. Everything you might want in order to learn an instrument, or improve your skills.

Piano Traders have been around for decades. As the name implies they specialise in pianos and other…read moresuch musical instruments including guitars, keyboards, and basic wind instruments. Piano Traders also stock a seemingly infinite amount of sheet music - anything from Beethoven, Bach and beginners scales to contemporary easy listening music, Piano Traders has it all. Not just used by the general public, Piano Traders is also the one stop shop for music teachers. When I was learning the flute, we used to visit Piano Traders to check out their sheet music and I was always so impressed by the beautiful baby grand pianos - oh how I wish I had learned to play them instead!!!! The staff are all really passionate about music, and are musicians themselves which makes any advice they give you seem really relevant and genuine. It's so nice to talk to people who actually know what they're on about! Bonus: Located on Mt Eden Road, halfway between the Village and Symonds St, there's plenty of free on street parking readily available.

Been here a few times to pick up some stuff for music. Of course. They have a great range of…read moreproducts (and services) and the staff are definitely really helpful and definitely know their stuff inside out.

DD Music is a handy local music store; the sort of place you can pop into for some strings, or…read morevalve oil, or a new music stand, and know that you'll get them without fuss and with a friendly chat. They concentrate on guitars here, and the owner really knows his stuff; it's always reassuring buying something from someone who knows what they're talking about. They also have a whole lot of entry level ukeleles if you want to get in on the latest musical trend. There's also a bit of a studio down the end of the shop where people can occasionally be found playing; I imagine allegedly trying guitars out, but perhaps more just taking the chance to play a nice instrument!

KBB is a one-stop shop for anything musical: they've got it all, from recorders to grand pianos and…read moreeverything inbewteen. They also offer an instrument repair service, and did a good job on rehabilitating an old clanger of a clarinet I bought for nothing off Trade Me. Everyone who works here is also a musician, and they'll often call someone else over if the person you are talking to isn't an expert in that particular instrumental area rather than trying to bluff their way through it. Finally, they're big supporters of music education, even paying for one music teacher a year to travel overseas for professional development, and are long standing sponsors of a big secondary school's music competition, so thumbs up for that.

I first discovered JB Hi-Fi on a trip to Australia a few years ago now and since then they have…read moreexpanded to NZ. They have an extensive range of anything to do with music, gaming, computers, cameras (basically entertainment technology specialists). Whenever I'm in JB Hi-Fi they seem to have some really good specials. I purchased some Sennheiser headphones there which have served me well. They have all the headphones out on display so you can listen to music on them before you buy. I keep seeing a lovely pair in there, which are brown, gold and amazing, but my budget didn't quite stretch to them at the time (sadly). JB Hi-Fi Queen St also do meet and greats occasionally when artists are in town - see photo of Ellie Goulding (whose album Halcyon is worth a listen)!

This JB Hi-fi has just undergone a refit/renovation to improve the aesthetics of the store. It has…read moreimproved remarkably. You can now see & find everything clearly without obstacle. They have a HUGE selection of gaming for Xbox one/360 & PlayStation which is fabulous! They encourage 'trade & save' or to buy pre-owned games: pure genius. I find the security guard highly entertaining & friendly, been here for years so a good go-to if you can't find a salesperson. The staff a bit nonchalant & disinterested (which is a shame), always been the case here. Great opening hours, you can sell your games, DVDs etc if you want some extra cash however (be warned) they pay peanuts. However, they do gift cards to any dollar value. Brill.