Geddy's a good dude and does a good job setting up guitars. Took two acoustics that needed its…read moreaction brought down. One of them had an impossibly high action and I wasn't sure he'd be able to shave the saddle down enough. But he did an excellent job on both and they play beautifully. They were intonated perfectly and without and fret buzz. Price was good--better than what a setup would have cost at Sweetwater, for example, and I liked the fact he's local and can do the setup once I receive the guitar since the shipment process itself can alter how a guitar is set up. Also, as a side note, he also makes candles on the side and will give you a sample.

Excellent service, pricing, and work! I got both an electric and an acoustic set up by Geddy and…read morestill love playing them several months later! I will definitely be going back.

The folks at Finlay + Gage are just fantastic. Helpful, knowledgable and talented, they're exactly…read morewho you'd want to ask for help if you're in the market for any type of musical instrument or services. From rental violins for your budding Suzuki fiddler and a fun variety of ukuleles to gorgeous vintage guitars for daddy and some rockin' amps to plug into, F+G has a wonderfully curated selection of offerings. What I appreciated most was their honesty in evaluating some repairs on an old Fender acoustic dreadnought whose bridge was beginning to separate from the body. After dropping it off for a couple of days, I returned to hear the bad news of how much it would cost to bring back to a proper playable condition and the genuine assessment of how it wasn't quite worth it. Of course, while I was in there, an immaculate used Epiphone SG caught my eye and lingered in my heart until I took the plunge and splurged on my lifelong guitar desire. Therein also lies the danger of stopping in to browse (at least pre-pandemic): You might fall in love with a finely crafted instrument. But then again, that's a risk I'm willing to take!

I waited to write this review as I wanted to spend some time with my guitars after the setup. I've…read morebeen looking for a guitar tech in the Montclair area for awhile (4 or so years.). I've taken chances on other techs in the area and at times received hatchet jobs literally. I noticed Jason had worked for Mandolin Brothers and that immediately gave me hope. I took a couple of guitars in, but was a little nervous about my '71 telecaster with a bigsby. Man I'm excited I found this place. The guitar intonates amazingly and such a quality setup. All the way up the neck. The guitar feels better than it has in a long time. Finally a place you can trust!

Matt brought my guitar and ukelele from "Rustic Grime" to Masterpiece!…read more I brought my 20-year-old Walden Natura D550 and a vintage 1953 ukulele to Matt, and the results are honestly shocking. The '53 uke was in rough shape--old, rustic, and covered in decades of grime. Matt transformed it completely. He finely detailed the body until it was shining like a mantle piece, fixed the tuners, and recommended Nylgut strings that make it sound incredible. It went from a dusty relic to a daily player that I can't put down. For my Walden guitar, Matt performed "wild work." The action was high and the strings were dead, but he used a "cold clamp" technique on the neck and hand-carved a perfect unbleached bone saddle. He even recommended a spectacular cocobolo bridge to match the guitar's aesthetic and tone. Both instruments came back sounding "shockingly fantastic." If you have an instrument that has lost its "soul" or just needs expert engineering to sing again, Matt is the man to see. A true master of his craft and a total professional.

MW Guitar Repair My…read moreGuitar for Repair (Ibanez GB30 2023) Matthew performed a thorough inspection of the Ibanez and explained in detail the work he would be performing. During our conversation I noted that his passion for Guitars was clearly evident. I felt confident that he would bring more musical life to this instrument. Matthew checked fret wear, the string action (and spacing) , the guitar neck, tonality, guitar bridge and stability, string groove, action, tuners, fret buzz, saddle height, intonation, pick up height, stable tuning and much more, He is meticulous and precise. My instrument now has new Life, Vibrancy and now runs on all Musical Cylinders! It is a pleasure to know Matthew and the positive aura that is felt when you are at MW Guitar Repair. You will walk in with a smile and leave with a bigger smile. Thank You friend. I truly appreciate the intense work you perform. Additonally your work is of Heart and Soul, sincerely.. Respectfully Tom E

Dan music studio located in west orange, NJ is one of the lovely and friendly music place. The…read moreowner name Joanna. She is very kind and friendly and place look a like small house with warm astmospher. They teach variety of instruments. They teach also to people with disabilities. I highly recommended this place to everyone.

From the owner: Dans Music Studio (DMS) was organized in 2006 by Dan ODea. Upon graduating from Rutgers University,…read moreDans vision was to provide quality music education in vocal and instrumental music to the youth and adults of the community. Educated and living in West Orange, Daniel chose to open his business in his hometown. In November, 2006, he opened the school with one other teacher, serving 16 students each week. As enrollment grew, so did services and staff. Lessons are currently provided in piano, strings, percussion, and band instruments, as well as vocal performance. Group ensemble and rock band are also on our menu of service. Our newly formed Little Theater allows us to give each student an opportunity to learn to perform on stage, in front of an audience. Call us for more information.

I went for the first time a couple of weeks ago interested in a small practice amp and I left with…read moreone I'm really happy with in 10 minutes. Ritchie's is a nice, local music shop. It wasn't racks upon racks of the same overpriced, mass produced, mid-grade instruments and equipment that pack the corporate chain stores. The store is well organized and the staff is knowledgeable and helpful. It's worth a visit.

I knew George from the Route 46 locations so I was excited to see they were till around. I drove…read moreout to this new location and not only was George not there, but the drum shop had barely much of an assortment. At any rate I inquired about a Pearl Hi Hat Seat model that was for my stand from several years back and they said they could acquire it and would phone me. Almost 2 years have gone by, I have never heard from them. Wrote this store off and it's a shame because I spend roughly $1k a year on equipment and maintenance of that equipment.

Turn around time was excellent, went in, had my Buescher TT alto checked and PR gave me a quote for…read morean overhaul.. I decided to get a patch job for the meantime, his service was excellent. One day to the next, the fastest turn around time I ever experienced. I asked him a few questions about gear and man... he is an encyclopedia! Gave me recommendations for some of my gear. Got my TT, plays beautifully! I can imagine what an overhaul would do to this thing.. WOW!

Excellent repair of my tenor sax. Perry was informative, friendly, and completed the work quickly…read more Very reasonable price.

I can't say enough good things about my experience at The Music Shop, and especially about my…read moreinstructor, Dave Wheeler. I'm a 72-year-old saxophonist who picked up the saxophone for the very first time after retiring from a 40-year career in biochemistry spanning academia and research. So yes, I came in knowing enzymes better than eighth notes. Dave has been an absolute gift. He brings a deep well of music theory knowledge, practical musicianship, and real-world experience to every lesson. More importantly, he has remarkable patience and creativity. He listens carefully, identifies where I'm struggling, and then designs clear, effective strategies that make practice both productive and enjoyable between lessons. What I especially value is that Dave doesn't teach from a script. He adapts to the student in front of him--age, background, learning style, and goals included. Thanks to his guidance, I've made steady progress, gained confidence, and genuinely look forward to practicing and improving. If you're considering lessons at The Music Shop -- whether you're 08 or 78 -- I can't recommend Dave Wheeler highly enough. He's the real deal. -- Michael Van Allen, student https://www.linkedin.com/in/michaelavanallen/

I'm sharing my experience to help others make an informed decision…read more I brought in a ~1-year-old student flute (purchased on the West Coast) for what I now know were minor adjustments. At the time, I followed the technician's recommendation for a full COA. When the instrument was returned, it played essentially the same as when I dropped it off. I brought it back a second time. It came back slightly improved, but still not properly adjusted. A few weeks later, I visited an independent flute technician in Brooklyn. He immediately identified the issues, charged nearly half the cost, spent over an hour on the instrument, and fixed it correctly. It has remained in excellent playing condition since. Based on this experience, I would not return here for service or purchase. I would strongly encourage others especially parents of student players to seek a second opinions and verify the quality of work.

Austin is great! Sends regular tuning reminders. Very precise in his craft, gives clear estimates…read moreon time and budget, and has tuned our piano for the past couple of years, efficiently and effectively.

The Bloomfield Public Library has a 1921 Steinway which gets a lot of varied use. It's not in the…read morebest of environments and had been shifted around quite a bit. Over the years it might not have received enough proper care and handling, but it's ours and we love it. We have been using Austin's Piano Service for a year now and the piano has never sounded better. Austin keeps it tuned for our many concerts, recitals and programs. He's explained things to us in detail so that we know exactly what to do to keep this piano in tip-top shape. The artists who come here to perform have been remarking on the improved quality of the piano's sound. His prices are great and he's a very personable guy. I'd recommend him highly. If he can keep this heavily-used piano in tune, he can do anything.