Midtown Music rocks! My family was vacationing near Biddeford, Maine, and my son was eager to rent…read morea guitar to play. We found Midtown Music and drove over. Nick at Midtown was incredibly friendly and helpful - and rented us a guitar and amp at a very reasonable price. A day later, the output socket was loose, so we drove back, a little nervous about it, and Nick fixed it with a smile (and no charge). From the looks of the other people in the store and the music being made, it's clear that Midtown is for real pros. For the budding musician like my son, Midtown is a friendly place that loves and encourages music. I wish we had a place like this where we live.

We just stopped by Midtown and signed our daughter up for lessons. Nick is such a great guy to work…read morewith. He answered all our questions and gave us some great tips for success! What a great place!

I've been seeing Jacob for luthier work every month since sept. 2025. A total of 7 stringed…read moreinstruments, 2 -6 string acoustics, 2-12 string acoustics, 2 electric guitars, and 1-uke. Complete set-ups on all. And some repair work also. His prices are very reasonable , his work superb. That's What kept me going back​. He explained things perfectly,and very giving of himself to his customer's. I will continue giving him my instruments in the future. So don't frett. No pun intended, he'll come through for you too.

Brought my mandolin to Jacob at FretboardRehab for a setup and restring…read more Mandolin was buzzing and action was on the high side requiring more finger pressure when fretting than was comfortable. Jacob is amazing! He went over the entire mandolin checking all the problem areas. I tried the mandolin when I picked it up and no more buzzing or vibrations. If you want quality work from a very qualified person, take your instrument to Jacob.

Needed strings on a used electric guitar i just picked up. Dropped it off at 4 and explained that…read moreI'd love to have it by close if possible. By 5 the new strings were on, tuned and i was on my way. Thanks for the fantastic customer service guys. I love your knowledge as well. I don't feel stupid with any question i ask as I'm teaching myself this stuff.

Great service! Great local business! Buy local! I cannot get enough of local merchandise and…read moreputting my money where it belongs!

With me being in my early 40's and picking up a guitar at what I thought was too late of an age I…read morewas slightly intimidated to call a guitar teacher for lessons. Boy am I glad I called Chris! Right from the first phone call he made me feel comfortable. He understands what and how to teach someone starting late in life. His patience is incredible. If I'm stuck on something he will help me through it til I get it. I can only speak for myself as adult but if you ever dreamed of picking up a guitar it's never too late. Give Chris a call. He is an amazing guitarist and teacher. A great guy too!

From the owner: I am a classically trained guitarist with a passion for teaching and playing all styles of music…read morefrom classical to heavy metal. I offer a fun and rewarding environment for students of all ages to learn to play guitar.

This is the place to go for guitars and guitar gear in Portland…read more The staff is great, the prices are excellent, and the vibe is cool. They recently helped me re-setup my Tele after I screwed it all up by adjusting the neck on my own. They did great work, and got my guitar back in shape pronto. Best of all, unlike the corporate bozos over at Guitar Center, Buckdancer's won't try to upsell you at every opportunity.

I bought a very pretty Martin guitar to get back into playing (45 years since high school) I didn't…read moreunderstand that with the quality of the wood it needed to be hydrated in winter months when the house gets dry. So it cracked! Buckdancer's were able to fix the crack (it happened two years in a row) beautifully and did not charge me an arm and a leg to do so - reasonable price! The guys working there are really great. I have had a good experience shopping there over the years for myself or grown children. Highly recommended! Phinneas, the owner, is a very nice man too! PS They gave me some great advice on hydrating gear to protect the guitar going forward as well.

Pat has closed his shop and retired. A loss for all guitarists, as he is the best tech anywhere.read more

I have driven hundreds of miles each year for 20 years just to have Pat DiBurro tune up, and work…read morehis magic on my Taylor guitars. Pat is a MASTER LUTHIER and even nicer person. Thank you, Pat.

This shop is awesome and has become my go to music store. Super helpful and friendly staff, you can…read moretell they all genuinely love music. I brought my gibson and taylor in for a set up, not only was it a great price but they play and sound so much better. I plan on starting up lessons here pretty soon and have no hesitations that this is the right place for me to learn. Can't recommend more and very glad/appreciative to have a music shop like Strings and Things close by!

Not sure where all of the previous, less than excellent ratings come from. I went today and the…read moreowner was quite helpful and extremely knowledgeable. They had excellent selection of acoustic guitars and he was more than willing to let me try any that I wanted. Understandably, he wanted to take them off the wall for me. It was early so the owner was helping out with electric guitars also and I know that he set up a customer with a demo. I was able to find a beautiful new Martin at a reasonable price. I am sure that Strings and Things will be my go to for guitar related goodies!

Bought several guitars from John Mann guitar, this place either ignorantly lacks basic quality…read morecontrol ability or purposely selling guitars with issues while being aware, they advertise a huge inspection process that simply was either not done, or they know what they were doing and was dishonest. I cannot say they are dishonest for sure because sometimes people make mistakes, or dont know any better. So I suggest if buying from this place, GO AND INSPECT the goods in PERSON.

This shop is probably the best, most friendly music store experience I've had in 55 years of…read moreplaying. I bought a guitar there about a year and a half ago and after trying out everything from Core models to S2s and SEs, I chose one of the most modest SE's in the shop. There was no pressure. I was able to take as much time as I wanted and even though I chose a lower priced model, the sale was treated with courtesy and respect. The Guitar Vault is a gem and unlike almost any other music retail experience I've had . If you want a PRS product, great aftermarket parts, an amp or luthier work, I wouldn't hesistate to go there.

Exeter Music has been a standby for many decades. Rich Bolwes, owner has stocked this small store…read morewith most essentials and supported our community especially enriching our youth. The dedicated, knowledgeable & friendly Alex Potvin often holds the fort down in grand form. Alex fixed the action on my bass while I waited. Id bet most music stores would have told me to leave it for a week or so. This store is my stand by and I highly recommend stopping in. If you are not a musician this is a Great place to get a musician a gift! A conversation with them gives Added value! Check out the geographic moments of wildlife behind store. At low tide there are herons, cormorants, bald eagle and sometimes a seal! Thanks Alex

Had a terrific experience with the people at Exeter Music. Had them restring my newly acquired…read moreMartin guitar. They looked it over, tightened the tuning pegs, cleaned it up and added the new strings. Professionally done by friendly, welcoming staff. Highly recommended for all your music needs.