The music cellar is a fabulous music store. I know nothing about musical instruments, yet their…read morehelp and advice when purchasing my sons flute was brilliant. The instrument provided is of very good quality and my son is progressing much better having bought his own flute. The staff know their stuff, and are always helpful and attentive to your requirements. Highly recommended store.

The best music shop in the North West. Sells musical instruments, accessories and music books. They…read morehave a large stock of pianos, keyboards, guitars (electric and acoustic) amps, drums, flutes, saxophones, etc. They also provide music lessons on weekday evenings for the guitar, drums and keyboard. Great friendly knowledgeable staff and excellent service - always happy to help.

i used to have keyboard lessons here every saturday morning. cannot fault this place one bit! all…read morethe staff know their stuff and are always happy to help. i would most defo recommend this place if your ever thinking of taking up a musical hobby!

Rimmer's is the sort of music store that offers customers a wealth of selection in many…read moreinstruments, ranging from traditional ones like guitar and pianos to more unusual ones like harmonicas and mandolins. The overall atmosphere in the shop isn't as comfortable or as personal as smaller, independent music shops, like nearby Quicksilver Music for example, but they make up for this by having such a large range of instruments for sale there. Their prices are pretty competitive there and the staff are quite friendly and approachable whilst being happy to offer you some advice if you're not sure what you're looking for. They're also happy to let you try before you buy, just don't go playing the intro to Stairway to Heaven anytime soon as it's a bit of a faux pas in music shops. It might not have the charming appeal of smaller places like Quicksilver or Wesley Music but if it's a good selection of products that you're looking for, then Rimmer's should be your first port of call. They also offer guitar tuition if you're daunted by the prospect of learning an instrument on your own.

Rimmer's has loads of choice, and great prices to boot. Whatever you need music wise, they have…read moreit. If they don't have they will either tell you where to find it, or find it for you.

Excellent service and excellent product range. Transparent and professional communications, very…read morehighly recommended. Peter.

Now, I'm not sure whether the use of 'Affects' in the name of this shop is intentional or not. I…read moreguess their name could be suggesting that sound affects everyone, rather than them incorrectly spelling 'effects'. That, plus the fact 'Sound Effects' is a bit of a boring name for a shop, means I'll give the owners the benefit of the doubt when it comes to the affects/effects argument. Name issues aside, Sound Affects is a modestly-sized music shop in Ormskirk that manages to fit rather a lot into their shop. The shop has a small but quite varied selection of guitars which are not particularly expensive, certainly no more than the larger shops in Liverpool, for example. They also stock a range of other instruments in the shop, such as bass guitars, ukuleles, drums and keyboards as well as various amps and accessories. The staff there are helpful and knowledgeable and they also offer a great tuition service for all instruments, which is perfect if you're looking to learn a new instrument but don't know your G chord from your C.

I hold my hands up, my non-calloused, soft hands... I'm not a musician, yelpers. I've tried the…read moreguitar, bass, keyboard, flute, violin, and I can't practise. Musically, I have the attention span of a gnat. I know the fact that I tend to hang round with them is well documented, and I constantly protest that I'm not a groupie; they just happen to be in my social circle. But as a result of this I do happen to find myself escorted into musical instrument shops, and Professional Music Technology, being right down the road, is one that crops up quite regularly. PMT to musical purchase is what a chain restaurant is to eating. Real foodies love the creative, unique process that goes into cooking at a local independent restaurant, and die-hard musicians love beat-up second hand gear full of character, which is something you won't find here. Nor will you find... the food thing at the... you understand what I'm saying, yes. It does the job, and it's excellent for the mid-level or hobby player as they always have the necessary strings, leads and accessories in stock. In terms of Manchester, if you're after something one of a kind and looking to spend an absolute fortune, Johnny Roadhouse or Sounds Great would be your best bet. And while for new players it makes a great browse, this is the professional musician's Superdrug or Boots; it's the local supermarket metro, that quick stop-off to grab some essentials. And we all need those!

Well it is 10 years later from writing my original review and I am pleased to say little has…read morechanged - apart from the ridiculous amount of money I've spent in here now - probably nearing £15-20K compared to the £2K on my original review. Needless to say, any business which can retain a customer for so long in face of competition like Anderton's and their global media presence says a lot. On that media note, PMT also have a YouTube channel which is fun and engaging offering reviews as well as tours of stores and celebrity interviews etc. Manchester is still a great store and during covid I continued to use their click and collect service to show my support. I love it here.

As a rule of thumb, I'm not usually a fan of Dawsons Music. I think their shops look and feel more…read morelike department stores that happen to sell musical instruments rather than furniture and fashion. This particular branch however, seems to be run by staff that genuinely appreciate music and actively encourage customers to pick up and play the instruments. I've never witnessed it myself but apparently, most of the staff are musicians themselves and if asked nicely will happily perform guitar, bass and drum solos to show you the capabilities of individual models. They can also offer one to one tuition if you fancy signing up for lessons. As you'd expect, there's a good line of guitars, bass, drums, synths, woodwind, percussion and pianos as well as PA systems, recording equipment, turntables and mixers. Further proof that this Dawsons is one worth checking out is the fact they hold regular open days where you can find out more about particular equipment and brands. There was one awhile back about new and vintage Gibson guitars and there's one coming up on 10 April called 'An Introduction to PA Systems.'

Dawsons is one of at least three music stores on the same street, and if I'm honest it's not my…read morefavourite. They do have a large selection of musical instruments, ranging from guitars to pianos. It's a bit strange because you are encouraged to give the instruments a whirl, and the staff will play for you if you ask them. The quality of the instruments is great, but in this place, you pay for quality. My problem with Dawsons is that it can be slightly intimidating if you're not exactly a music scene king/queen as all the staff are wannabe rockstars. It also seems that they try and sell you the most expensive item, rather than what you're actually looking for.

Playtime Music is a great little music shop and family owned business in the heart of Otley. They…read moreare situated in the awesome Kirkgate arcade and are one of the friendliest music shops that you could visit. They themselves are musicians/enthusiasts and so offer a down to earth and honest advice for any new and budding musicians. They have tried to cover all areas, selling sheet music for a range of skills, a range of strings and other musical accessories, and of course a number of instruments to peruse! If music be the food of love, Playtime Music helps those in Otley to play on. Fantastic little shop!

A good value guitar shop with knowledgeable and friendly staff. They stock a large range of guitars…read moreso there's something for everyone from beginners guitar and amp packages up to top of the line Rickenbacker's etc. Full range of accessories.