Incredibly polite and welcoming staff. Absolutely beautiful and well tuned pianos. They had no…read moreproblem letting me play the pianos, even just after they were tuned. Also, I had a nice conversation with one of the staff who was a former Harpsichord builder and composer, so clearly qualified for the job. Overall recommend checking out for any pianist

Best Yamaha store, particularly with the acoustic Grand Pianos…read more Take time there!! Look for the keyboards too.

Whilst in a rehearsal, one of my piccolo pads decided it didn't like me and jumped out and flew…read moreaway never to be seen again. As I've got a concert this Friday, I needed to get it fixed, but having never had my flute or picc serviced in London I wasn't really sure where to go. After talking to a couple of my flautist colleagues, I decided to go and give Top Wind a go. They'd been before and had lovely service and were happy to recommend it. It's near Lambeth North tube station which is a bit of a trek for me but I didn't mind as it was necessary and also a welcome break from revision. When I got there I was a bit surprised as to what I found. A nice little shop where you got greeted the second you walked in, the owners milling around ready to welcome you. This place is a pure flute specialist shop, where the owners are all flute players, so they know exactly what you mean and what you're after when you talk to them, which makes it a lot easier. Also they've got stacks of music, and CDs, all flute repertoire and recordings. On top of that they have a collection of flutes to try and buy, as well as piccolos, and no doubt some altos and bass flutes tucked away. I hadn't looked on the internet about the shop, and in hindsight I was probably a bit cheeky going in and asking as the guy working in the workshop area (there's only room for one!) was up to his eyes in flutes that he was fixing and servicing. Luckily a single pad replacement is a quick job and so they were able to do it for me. It only took about ten minutes as he was already halfway through screwing a flute back together so he had to keep going with that a bit before gluing a pad in. Decent price for a quick job as well. My flute and picc need a good service, so I'm going to try to get that done at some point, and I'll definitely go back here. They were lovely chaps, really helpful and friendly and looked to be doing a great job with the mountain of flutes around.

These Guys at Top wind totally know what they are doing. They have a detailed understanding and…read morerespect people as well as the instruments. Fair in price and verdict. I came across this shop after finding out the hard way where not to go and what not to do. Do not even think about going to get an estimate elsewhere, like me, you may find you have more of a repair job than when you started. So Top Wind restored my faith and my flute. Plus Plus.

As a newly self taught electric bassist, The Musician Shop gave me a glimer of hope for my somewhat…read moremediochre abilities. The staff are polite and very helpful. They have all the usual books and self teach DVDs etc with the added benefit of all the staff actually being able to play the instruments. A great selection of instruments can be seen and even tried in their soundproof booth (big enough to house a full drum kit with electric bass and guitars). Having more than the odd snag they were quite happy to sit down with me and show me some tips to keep me going. The Mrs ended up buying herself an electric 6 string! They also have a list of local tutors and sometimes have workshops in the shop (after closing). Occasionally they invite local bands to play during the day as a promotion for the shop and band. I have to say it's that good that I find it impossible to visit Bluewater without a trip to the Musician Shop.

Always worth a trip to any music shop if you have a keen interest in the subject…read more Always have my strings in stock as and when I need them. Staff know their business too. A lot of instruments but not the biggest variety of brands.

This is a small, busy musical instrument repair shop on Denmark St., London's "Tin Pan Alley."…read more It's on quite a historic stretch of shops, where the history of popular music oozes from the walls. All you have to do is wander around a bit and read the posters and old newspaper and magazine articles posted in some of the shops to know that so many famous musicians have passed through here, recorded famous works in the former studios here. There are a few clubs here showcasing live music, and the street continues to serve as the epicenter for London's music scene, supplying a large percentage of the guitars, drums, and amps to musicians passing through London, at all price points. G. Noden is in a basement shop under Hank's Guitar Shop. It's a busy repair shop down a steep set of stairs. The repair shop is nothing to look at, very crowded with instruments and parts all around, but you get the sense that lots of work is being done here. I had a guitar repaired, and was very satisfied with the work. It was returned on time, when promised, and everything worked well. These guys know what they're doing. In addition, it was not expensive, so that was a welcome bonus. It reminded me of that old saying, "if you want something done, give it to a busy person."

I was given a Tanglewood Odyssey - not a top-flight guitar by any stretch of the imagination, but…read moreone that I liked aside from the very high action. I took this in to Noden's to have the action lowered and the guy said it would take about a week. I called back a week later and it wasn't done. Another week later, the same story, except that this time it was because someone had brought in a 'really nice Tele that needed working on'. The bottom line was that, two months later, I got my guitar back, untouched. It was under a pile of other things, still in its case, which was covered in dust. They hadn't even looked at it. The guy who worked there, an older bloke who I think was the owner, shrugged and patronisingly suggested that I use it for slide as there wasn't anything that could be done. It was like dealing with a caricature of a plumber from a Carry-on film The guitar was actually fixed in fifteen minutes by a friend who tweaked the truss rod and sanded down the saddle, making it playable at last. It felt like jobs were prioritised on prestige. Bring in a '59 Goldtop and they'll work on it day and night. Bring in anything that cost less than a grand and they're just not interested. The imminent demise of Denmark Street is a sad loss, but I can't see myself mourning the twilight of this sort of attitude.

Brittens Music store in West Byfleet is a great local music shop and probably one of the best in…read morethe Woking/Byfleet areas. It's a large store which stocks instruments, accessories, sheet music and CDs. Half of the store is dedicated to classical instruments and the second-half to keyboards and guitars. The store will stock most basic instruments for immediate sale. They will order other instruments in, but, if you're looking for something better than stock you'd be better going somewhere where you can try before you order. The store offers a hire and buy scheme for those just starting out and who are unsure whether they will want to purchase an instrument. A repair service is offered which will be good enough for most school grade instruments. Most of the music for the common exam syllabi is stocked although you'll find less for the higher grades. Staff are generally knowledgeable although they tend to be jack of all (instruments) rather than specialists. Music lessons for keyboard and guitar are available in store and come recommended. Lists of tutors are available for other instruments.

Kensington Chimes has hundreds and hundreds of sheet music books, certainly the biggest selection…read moreI've come across in such a small shop. Literally, every wall is lined with bookcases where you can find everything from Schubert piano solos to opera vocal scores. In fact, it was named the 'winner of printed sheet music' in 2005/6. So if you can't find what you need here, I doubt you will be able to anywhere else. The staff are all extremely knowledgeable musicians, but it does tend to get very busy in here so you may have to wait a while before you can grab their attention. There's also a nice selection of acoustic guitars, music related stationary for all the young budding Wagner's out there, and other bits and bobs. At the moment they have score printed crackers! What every Christmas table needs, ah hem...

Yes! Finally I've found what I've been looking for- a music shop that specialises in printed and…read moresheet music. They range from vocal to brass to percussion or jazz, blues and classical for almost any instrument. I was particularly interested in spanish guitar music and was immediately pointed to a massive stack on 2 shelves by an enthusiastic young lad. I walked out with about 4 pieces of music I was so happy. They also have a mail order system and for people in East/Central London there is a branch in Barbican as well.

If you've got just a hint of musical talent, then you'll sing your heart out just to visit Macari's…read moreMusical Instruments shop. You can tell just by looking into the front widow, that the selection of instruments available in the store is massive. Here you'll find new and second hand instruments at affordable prices. There are prelude alto saxophones that go for around £420 and classical guitars for £49. This is a great place to browse if you are untalented when it comes to music like me or for purchasing instruments for you or children.

Macari's is probably the best musical instrument store around. That is quite a bold statement…read moreconsidering there is about 20 within close proximity. This shop stands out in its location, as it is very close to the musical epicentre of Denmark St., but does not get lost in the main strip of music shops. There is a wide range of guitars, with an acoustic room down stairs, and an electric room up stairs. There is a wide range of percussion and various other music paraphernalia as well. I was looking for a trumpet mute for a Christmas present, and after trying a few other stores, I found it at Macari's. It's the little things like that which separate Macari's from the other stores.

Pawel is a brilliant musician who is a master of his trade when it comes to early music and…read moreharpsichord. I had the pleasure of attending his recitals and think of him as a true professional. His programmes are always 'just right'. Thoroughly recommend anyone who would like to learn and understand the world of Baroque and early music to attend his recitals. I can go on forever saying wonderful things, but would rather log off my mac and listen to his playing on my playlist:)