Well stocked, kind, and helpful. Why go anywhere else? Besides Ted Brown has been in Seattle for a long time, maybe 40 years +. I like to support the classic Seattle stores. Ok, so you could say like Nordstrom, Starbucks, and Amazon? No. Once a store has achieved world domination I give up on it. The rest of the world supports Amazon so why should I? But I do like to stick with the smaller stores like Ted Brown that have managed to hang on for decades. read more

Sad that I absolutely dread walking into this store these days. It used to be an extremely happy place for me. Now I get looked at like I'm trash, not spoken to and completely ignored by employees of this company. I have walked in with $5k budget to buy tour gear with and left to make a Sweetwater music order in the parking lot. Music stores are dying and this one deserves it. If all the other string music stores act the same way I get why Sweetwater is so popular. Just a terrible music shop with really bad employees and mid level gear you're not missing anything. read more

I came in to Ted Brown Music for the first time to look at guitars and maybe play a few as I start a journey to purchase a new acoustic. Not only did I leave with a little more information, a little more confirmation about the kind of guitars that suit me, but the particular employee working that night was so kind and helpful. First, the store itself. It's tucked away at the end of a plaza that includes a cute dessert place. The store is small and carries a modest variety of instruments, as well as sheet music and accesories. I'm not sure if this was just timing but the guitars seemed more suited toward beginners, and most fell under $500. I found a couple that I wanted to try out and this gentlemen engaged me in a really non-intrusive way, leading to a nice conversation and him offering to plug in the electric acoustic I was playing. Later, I heard him helping a kid make up his mind about some part to his instrument that he needed to replace. When I left he let me know he appreciated me and welcomed me back anytime, and I know many employees say that at places, but he just had that genuineness to him. I will definitely keep this shop in mind as a shop around and encourage anyone looking for sheet music, lessons, or exploring what instrument to get next or for your first one to put this place on the top of your list! read more

Came for a new mouthpiece for our clarinet. They had what we wanted and were very kind and professional. Will come back when needed.

I had a good enough experience. All I had to buy was rosin so I didn't try other services/products they provide. But, I was treated friendly enough by the clerk, the rosin was the right kind and I walked away satisfied. read more

I bought my first professional quality horn from Ted Brown over 20 years ago. The price was fair and they delivered it in good working order. Buying a saxophone is one thing but getting it set up correctly (pad sealing, key heights, spring tension etc.) is completely another. This one just worked well out of the box. Great intonation and response and a sound you can shape into your own. I like that they participate in educational events as well. Last time I was a Ted Brown it was to take a masterclass with none other than the Tower of Power horn section. I believe that it was co-sponsored by Yamaha. My nephew has that today and it still sounds great. read more

Ted Brown Music is a gem in Seattle. We have rented instruments, purchased new instruments and had them serviced - all at Ted Brown. Everyone always go above and beyond to help and problem solve. The staff is incredibly knowledgeable and cares about making sure everything is just right. I can't recommend them highly enough. read more

Helpful and fairly well stocked. Music stores, like newspapers seem to be going away, but Ted Brown is reliable for Seattle music needs.

On a friend's recommendation, on July 16th, I took my brand-new violin in to get fitted with new strings and a bridge at the shop so I could start my lessons. When told that the repair person came in once a week, no big deal, just let's get the thing done and get, specifically, the bridge replaced and new strings put on it. I left the bow, spare strings, rosin, and new case in their care. I'm in no rush. Two weeks? Eh, a bit longer than I'd like, but no biggie. Let's just get it set up. I have a bit of time. Easy enough, right? Hah. A week later I called back. (July 25th) The repair person had been in, but not looked at my violin. (Actually, the person had to wonder if I had brought a violin at all. It had been stuck on a shelf where nobody could see it). Apparently they forgot to tell her that it was there. A week after, I called back again. (August 2). This time I was being sold an instrument full breakdown and repair for around $150 - which is precisely what I paid for my beginner's violin. No, let's just go with what I originally asked: fix the bridge and replace the strings. I authorized them to do the repair and get the work done so I could start lessons next week. Giving them two weeks later, figuring that I'd have given them more than enough time to do the fix, today (August 18th), I called. Not only was the bridge and string work NOT done (the work of what, five minutes?), they: Lost the violin bow that was in the case. Couldn't find the spare strings included in the case. Didn't do anything to the violin. Here's the key complaint: after thirty days of having the damn thing, they didn't do anything to the violin. In point of fact, nobody put a record of repair in on the violin, even after three phone calls authorizing repair on the violin and a claim ticket issued to me. Why bother offering repair services if replacing a violin bridge and strings is so onerous that it takes upwards of five weeks? And a lost bow? When asked about authorizing repairs, I was told the (brand-new) violin needed a polish, and that the bow should be rosined up. And for only $25 for each service! It doesn't need a bloody polish, it needs STRINGS AND A BRIDGE. That was it. The bow didn't need rosin. It wasn't the friggin' Stradivarious of bows. It was a cheap $60 thing I picked up to be able to play said violin with. Each time I called I got a different story about the instrument. The repair person was coming in. The repair person hadn't looked at it. The repair person estimated a repair cost of nearly $200 on a brand-new violin missing a bridge and some strings. Seriously. The hell is wrong with this picture? Don't get me wrong, I'm positive they do brilliantly for piano sheet music, for the wonderful range of big band music and they have a decent series of things, but after this 30+ day runaround, I learned that regardless of personal recommendations by friends, people do slip through the cracks. These are not bad people. They're just thoughtless, and when it comes to dealing with personal instruments and customer service, thoughtless people are not the people you want to deal with. I'm just glad my POS beginner's violin wasn't the one I originally planned on getting, or my beloved old mandolin, or the bass my dad gave me when I was twelve. I'm very glad that the violin I did bring to these people was something that I intended to play as a trial rather than investing a lot of money and emotion in, because after experiencing their repair system, I have a vast dearth of confidence in their abilities not only to take care of the people who come in, but also an utter lack of concern for the instruments themselves. When speaking with the representative of the store, he mentioned that there had been issues with repair because of the summer season. Then he offered me a $25 gift card as recompense for the problem. My response was, "Look, it was about $25 worth of work and parts I asked you in the FIRST place to do to the instrument. Why would I want to get $25 worth of stuff from this store?" And while I understand that the lacksadaisical attitudes many have towards warm summers' days and being able to run around in the park, it ain't THAT hard to spend twenty minutes to wind some strings and glue a bit of wood in place on a violin. Twenty minutes out of a single month is not an onerous amount of time. I picked it up, and the employees there immediately ran back to get the manager, who very nervously came out holding my violin, then explained, oh yes, sorry, our employee who is a piano player, she did not see the bow, here it is, yes, sorry. Why would I buy instruments from these people? Come to think of it, why would I even bother going into a local brick and mortar if they treat people like this? Period, end of story - the selection sucks and their customer service is terrible. read more

This is an old-school music store. Most of the other reviews mention the sheet music selection, but that's just half the store. If you need a purple metallic music stand, tenor recorder, cutesy music-themed stationery, oboe reeds, melodica, 8-channel mixer, Chopin bust, and rent a soprano saxophone at the same time*, then this is your kind of place. Places like this still exist in the mall zones, but in the city this is one of the few general music stores (if not the only one) that isn't heavily tilted to either guitar heroes or zither enthusiasts. * I saw all that stuff the last time I was in, but I'm now the proud owner of the aforementioned purple metallic music stand, so nyah nyah. read more

Nice store, old school and very proud of it! Tons of sheet music, instruments, pleasant and helpful staff, ready and standing by to help you order that special Marty Robbins or Eddie Cochran songbook that no one has. It's a great place to get what you want, and the help to find it. And isn't that all you need? read more

I was excited to see the new Nux Cerberus multi-effects system offered by your company through Reverb.com, and although I knew nothing about your company, I decided to order it from you. It was offered with free shipping, but I was charged $25 shipping anyway. I reluctantly decided to pay for the shipping, and I was truly excited to see it arrive here on Maui today; I unpacked it immediately to try it out with my new Quilter MicroPro Mach 2 amp. Massive deflation set in when I discovered that you shipped it with NO POWER SUPPLY!. I can't even try it until I order a power supply -- likely another wasted week. This will be my one and only purchase from your company, and I will be sure to let others know not to expect much from you...Caveat Emptor -- Let the Buyer Beware! No free shipping as advertised, and no power supply. I operated Nadine's Music music stores here on Maui and in Honolulu from 1985-'91, and I know how to provide excellent customer service -- your version of customer service is reprehensible. read more

Even though they didn't carry what I was looking for (steel drum sheet music), I'll still rate 'em high because they have a good selection of sheet music, and the workers are very helpful and gave me their business card in case I'd like to find my desired sheet music online and order through them. Good job, Capitol, teach some of these customer service defunct bizzes something, would you?? read more

Had my trombone fixed by Atlas and did a great job. My horn was dropped which dented the slide. Atlas removed the dent from both inner and outer slide plus a few easy to reach minor dents throughout the horn. The horn was well cleaned and the tuning slides and rotor valve were properly greased and oiled. The trigger was tightened up and feels so much better. Turn around as a bit longer that I expected (over a week), but the quality of work was worth it. Just dropped off my nephew's trumpet for repairs as well and confident that I will receive the same good work. read more

I love this place for all my piano and violin sheet music needs- they also have a good assortment of strings for orchestral instruments (though the "big daddy" of them all is Bischofberger on Capitol HIll). They have lots of rock/pop sheet music and such too. I daresay their old building in downtown Seattle has been demolished, because I could not find them last week! I thought I was losing my mind. I checked their website - they are now conducting business just out of their Roosevelt branch - 1032 NE 65th Street #B, across from Whole Foods. And yes, their staff are very very friendly - very "Old Seattle". read more

I went into the shop to return a wall mount that I bought for my small guitar. I realized it wouldn't fit the neck when I put the guitar against the packaging. I found the person who assisted me (I think it was the owner) to be incredibly condescending. I told him it had been a while since I bought the item and he stated "a while is not good." I told him that I realized my guitar would not fit into the holder when I brought it home. He asked how I knew the guitar wouldn't fit - I told him that I looked at it. I don't know why this question was even asked? While processing the exchange he asked "who is the musician?" assuming it wasn't me? I brought back a Snark tuner to exchange for the refund amount and he asked if I wanted him to show me how to use it. I told him I had used one before. (Even if I hadn't, they are pretty self explanatory.) Before I left, he told me to take the piece of plastic out of the tuner to turn it on (after I had already told him I'd used one before). I thought about this for a while before posting it. While these questions individually could be interpreted as just trying to get info, or just trying to be helpful, I felt that the series of questions as a whole reflected a misogynistic point of view. I sincerely doubt that this line of questioning would have been used on a male customer in the same situation. read more

Cody at the Seattle store helped me with a cymbal search. He was responsive to inquiries and went out of his way to be helpful. It's a small shop and appears to specialize in school band equipment. I've had good luck with Ted Brown Music's other locations as well finding drum equipment. Thanks Cody! Thanks Ted Brown Music! read more

Wonderful service! Techs helped me configure my computer to use the microphone I bought from them. Months later, helped me figure out that one of my USB cords was defective. read more

This is a great place! The staff is especially knowledgeable. Worth the drive to get good help! They also are able to help you find area resources for repairs or other things. read more

Asher (the owner) is extremely unpleasant and unprofessional. I went to Ted Brown with the intention of renting an alto sax and a very nice female sales clerk assisted me but in the middle of our discussion about the alto sax the owner interrupted her for completely different topics, he kept trying to tell stories about himself to me and the sales clerk and would interrupt when I attempted to say a word. It doesn't feel like he respects his customers. I felt bad for the sales clerk as she honestly wanted to help me but I ended up leaving the store and taking my money elsewhere as the manager took over 15 minutes out of my time while I was trying to make my purchase. read more

I've not been here before so I decided to call ahead to see if they had what I wanted: sheet music of two different Christmas carols written for either guitar, piano, vocal or cello. I realize this is summertime but I wanted to get a jump start on a Christmas project and support a local store too. Just my luck I picked an iffy place with iffy guys. One dude had white hair and glasses. The other looked like a Eugene levy stunt double. I walked in and told white hair guy I called about sheet music. He had told me they had a wide selection of Christmas books on the phone and that said books had ... one of the songs I wanted. Ok. I walked in and said I had called earlier to inquire about Christmas sheet music. White hair guy said, "yes I spoke with you. And I specifically told ya they were in the back on the shelf." well did you now? Specifically?? Ugh if I were a guy I wouldn't get the condescending tone. He left me to search through their "large selection" of books - yeah, a dozen books with one of the songs I wanted and no 3 to 6 part harmonies to the songs. Just sing a long beginner guitar stuff. Not helpful. Eugene levy finally asks if im finding what I need and I say no and explained in more detail what I needed. He then asked, "haven't I seen you before?" nope. Not really relevant to what were doing. Eugene's doppelganger then offers to do a search for the individual sheet music rather than books. Yay! Someone wants to help. He finds one of the songs in a big black binder and goes looking for the other one. Meanwhile white hair guy is discussing while ringing up another customer how his store is for real musicians, how everyone who comes there is a real musician and they aren't lame like guitar center. So far dude, you're not much better. As Eugene levy is searching and white hair dude is playing with a pink plastic children's ukulele (seriously, maybe you could clean and organize this "real musician" store) another guy walks in asking for guitar strings. Rather than have Eugene keep searching for my music and help the guy himself, white hair guy keeps strumming away while Eugene rings up guitar homie. Meanwhile im in the back of the store watching. I decide to keep looking through the big black binders and find the second song myself since neither Eugene or white hair guy seem that interested in me other than a string of, "so is it Christmas in June?" inquiries. Eugene then finishes with guitar dude and begins making cracks about Christmas in June. I say, "lets just finish up" as he presents me with more cello arrangements that aren't what im looking for either. I leave with the two SATB and piano individual sheet music for both songs. It cost me just under $4. Granted I got a good start and supported a local place, what a pair of local yokles. Honestly you probably could find stuff faster if you cleaned up, paid attention to customers when they spoke to you and organized a bit. If I were a dude would you have been so unhelpful white hair dude? Put the kids toys down and do your job. Eugene leave the jokes to the comedians. That's the only $4 you'll be getting from me. read more

I use Ted Brown Music for all my music needs. I've bought guitars there, purchased sheet music, repaired a clarinet, and am renting a violin. No matter what I need, they always take care of me! The staff are experts at what they do. read more

Great service and selection. One of the only if not the only place that really focuses on selling sheet music in Seattle. Most other stores are music instrument stores first with only a couple racks dedicated to books. Ordering on Amazon is ok but there is nothing that beats looking at the difficulty of the music. read more

Music stores are closing left and right but we have a good one right in the neighborhood. Asher, the owner is doing everything he can to give we music teachers a place to send our students for sheet music and instruments and to connect to the community. He even offers "Wednesday Nights Live" concerts of local musicians- a great chance for students to get performing experience. Admittedly their stock of music for instruments other than piano is small but I was able to give them a list of all the pieces my students would be needing in the next few months for them to order with no shipping costs to us. They even gave me a special section for my students' music. The staff is willing to help and willing to learn. So let's help build up this terrific resource in our community. read more

I am not sure about their selection of popular music, but if you are looking for classical music materials, this is the place (and seems like the only place around Seattle, unfortunately). The staff is very friendly and knowledgeable. read more

They have sheet music for MOST categories, including musicals, classical chorales, and rock. Suzuki recorder supplies, gifts for music lovers, and VERY helpful advice if you get the right person. Some of the staff has a "I only work here" attitude, but two folks acted like owners and went totally out of their way to get me what I needed, including hand-writing music notation for me. Great place; I'll go again. read more

I can tell this place can be disorientated and things can be lost. However, the staffs are great and more than willing to help. Also, this place seems busy with violin lessons. Perhaps hiring more employees during busy hrs would leave customers more satisfied. Came to ask for them to tune my violin, the lady did it quickly and well. Will return to purchase piano and violin books next time! read more

Our family has been coming to Ted Brown (in the u-district of Seattle) for over 6 years for instrument rentals (and related supplies) for our 2 sons and we love them! They are very friendly and knowledgeable, and they always have what we need. Their instruments are high quality but we find their rental prices very competitive. I actually had an orchestra teacher thank me for getting such a high quality instrument for my son! Very happy about that. If I could give them10 stars, I would! read more

Good collection of kids piano books. The staff remembered us. We would choose this over amazon.

Sheet music and music books galore. For every instrument, for every level player. If there's a teaching method out there, they probably have the books. NIce store to browse in, and staff is willing to help you find what you need. read more

What a great experience. They actually had a decent selection of Christmas books for Saxophone and other brass and woodwinds. Service was friendly. I'll be back. read more

The folks at Ted Brown are consummate professionals taking their jobs seriously! Making an equipment purchase is ALL about developing a relationship with your local retailer. Those of us who buy musical and recording gear need someone we can trust will give us current and informed information AND someone who can bail us out when something breaks in an emergency situation. Several years ago, I had a mail order service send me the WRONG product--something I needed badly for a recording session the next day. The sales person wasn't informed enough to know what I was asking for and sent the wrong product. I scramble and learned a very important lesson when I called Ted Brown and found a music professional who knew exactly what I needed and had it in stock for me to pick up. Mike Kay at Ted Brown is the most informed and professional retailer you'll find. Whenever I need something, I call Mike. He has the industry depth required to know what I'm asking for--and maybe even more importantly--he stays up-to-the-second current so he can let me know when there's a new or better option available. I give Mike and Ted Brown Music an A+ for providing the best customer service in a very impressive facility. In my book, they are consummate professionals taking their jobs seriously! read more

I really like this music store. They have many things I don't find in other places, where I might go for brass instrument rental or repair. Yes, the staff are not professionally trained, polished sales people, but I don't mind that. I wish them great success! read more

I would sooner be KICKED IN THE BALLS WITH A METAL SHOE than go anywhere else for my music needs! I came in...sheepish and shy...with but a glimmer of hope! The staff EXCEEDED MY EXPECTATIONS. Time to face the music, people! Support local business like this...and RESIST buying all your ish online!!! It's good karma! read more

Such a great shop for information and repairs. They are very helpful with beginner musicians. Atlas in the repair shop is a great resource! Talented and nice! read more

One of the best music stores anywhere, and certainly the best in Seattle. Wide selection, knowledgeable staff, everything. Everyonein the music scene in Seattle comes here, without exception. It's a gem, and I'm so glad that they came back (like the proverbial phoenix) when their store closed down in the downtown area. read more

Best service ever from Atlas, who repaired my son's bass clarinet. We were in a bit of a panic, since my son needed his instrument for a performance. Atlas helped us on the spot. His ability to repair instruments is brilliant. He's extremely good at what he does,and with a great attitude too. Thanks Atlas! We'll be back, I'm sure. read more