Reviews about Music Stores

stacirocket says "This place is a treasure" about The Sound Garden - Baltimore, MD

stacirocket — Wed, 06 Aug 2008 16:28:41 GMT

The Soudn Garden is a great place to find the best in new music! I am an avid fan of MPR and can nvere find new artists in the "big box stores". I can always find whatever I am looking for there and much less than anywhere else most of the time.

It is a great place to just drop in and check out what's going on. They have all the best free publications and you can always find out what is hot on the local scene.

Definately a must for any music or movie lover....great DVD deals!...

jmdobies says "New & Used CDs, DVDs, & LPs for Cash or Trade - Sort of Cheap" about Cheapo Discs - Austin, TX

jmdobies — Fri, 09 May 2008 18:57:20 GMT

Cheapo Discs (a/k/a Cheapo Records, for us old-school types) is the largest CD store in Austin, which is saying something, since they're an independent record store, an endangered species in these days of digital downloads and iPods.

Cheapo buys and sells new and used CDs, DVDs, and LPs, with a huge selection of every genre under the sun. They have a massive section devoted exclusively to Texas music, from Buddy to Willie to Roky to my fave local band, the Ugly Beats. They also support the scene by hosting cool in-store appearances by a variety of local and national acts.

They will buy your used discs for cash or trade, but don't expect top dollar. The only time I ever traded in CDs at Cheapo, I got less than a dollar a disc. If I hadn't found a few must-have items while waiting for the clerk to look through my stack o' rejects, I might not have taken the offer, and instead tried my luck at Planet Replay.

The prices at Cheapo belie the name of the store, as all the new items run pretty close......

AmyA says "Go to the theme park without me...I'm going to Johnathan's " about Johnathan's Cupboard - Appleton, WI

AmyA — Sun, 30 Mar 2008 12:38:33 GMT

During my morning news I always see commercial ads for Johnathan's Cupboard and they show me a new gadget and how to use it...Oh, drewl...Amy must have! Well I ventured out yesterday to visit this fun looking store and OH Boy, I found the mother load of kitchen gadgets and then some. Wooden spoons and whisks, cups, ice creams makers, mixers (much different then what you see in other stores), coffee makers, baking pans, stuff for the grill, tater bakers, pizza pans, pasta makers and the gadget wall (oh myyyyyyy). When I was little the rule was keep your hands to your sides at all times in stores...I used this rule when I was there. I find this helps me not load many fun things into my cart and I picture my Mom on my shoulder too.

Johnathan's Cupboard has so much more to offer. Cooking classes, super service, samples to try (fudge, dressings, dips and mixes), a well laid out store and they will come up and ask if you need any help. (while I was there a gentleman didn't know the...

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gitbean says "Far from The Garden!" about CDepot - College Park, MD

gitbean — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 18:08:56 GMT

Although I no longer live in the city of Baltimore and have to make that extra trip to get my favorite music/dvd retail shop the Sound Garden tucked away closer to home is CDepot in suburban Maryland. CDepot is a big spacious store with a huge inventory and many styles of music to spare offering up a huge selection of dvd's as well. From time to time in addition to finding the odd forgotten gem you can luck up on some bargains. Both stores share some likenesses and differences as well with more of the ladder.

While CDepot has lot's to pick from they lack in the service they provide. For example the Sound garden special orders music for you at no charge and the Depot does not offer that service. Lets take their listening policy VS the Garden's:

THE SOUND GARDEN:

You can listen to what you like, in the seated listening stations already set up(6 or more players), new or used having no obligation to buy.

CDepot:

Only used cd's can be previewed after you turn in your id for a pair of headphones...

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gitbean says "Long live CD/DVD shopping!!" about The Sound Garden - Baltimore, MD

gitbean — Fri, 01 Feb 2008 03:30:42 GMT

We live in a day and age were our music and movies are fed to us instantly through this very tool that allows us to read and write reviews. Gone are the days of going to your favorite record shop and spending half the day looking for and listening to music possibly not buying one single thing. We are now left with the "microwave way" of getting our media and music taking the joy away from buying your favorite tunes or movies. The closing of the retails stores that Tower Records had all over marked the end of an era because Tower embodied that very joy in that if you wanted it they had it. Some major retailers are still around but one gets the feeling that i's a matter of time before they all become a thing of the past.

Welcome to the historic section of Baltimore, Maryland known as Fells Point and in addition to taking in other local points of intrest take a trip down the cobble stone beauty of Thames St. and pay a visit to the Sound Garden. Their you will find that very joy...

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OldHippie says "Vintage Guitar Shop" about Acme Guitar - Saint Louis, MO

OldHippie — Sun, 13 Jan 2008 09:06:33 GMT

At the corner of Clayton and Tamm Ave. in the "dogtown" section of St. Louis you will find a small, unassuming storefront...Acme Guitars. Inside you will find a vast array of vintage and budget guitars. You might find an Austin electric guitar for $150 or so. You may also find a vintage Gibson Les Paul.

Mike (the owner) and Chris (the repair man and luthier) run a great little shop that will give you more personal service than a place like "Guitar Center".

Looking for a vintage tube amp? These guys ROCK.

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PandoraPsychic says "Providing me excellent repair services for the past 30 years!" about Evanston Band and Orchestra - Skokie, IL

PandoraPsychic — Fri, 14 Dec 2007 16:19:06 GMT

Yes, I have been having my flutes and piccolos serviced by Evanston Band for the past 30 years and no I am not that old! I first found out about Evanston Band and Orchestra when I was 8 years old and the band program had just started at my grade school. Over the years I have always gone back for any instrument repair needs, frequently referring students, friends and family. In 1983 I bought a top of the line Yamaha Flute here and Evanston Band oad Orchestra have been the only people to repair/repad the instrument - it is as good as the day I bought it from them! The only way they could get better is to be Lakeview Band and Orchestra so that I don't have to keep driving back and forth to Evanston to get work done - LOL!! Keep up the good work guys!...

Saxguy says "Great source for repairs and vintage and new saxes" about PM Woodwind Repair - Evanston, IL

Saxguy — Sun, 10 Jun 2007 15:37:06 GMT

PM Woodwind Repair, in Evanston, IL, is known far and wide for it's instrument repairs and selection of vintage horns. Specializing in woodwinds, the owner, Paul Maslin, concentrates on saxophone repairs, with additional staff focusing on clarinet and flute repairs. I have had my saxophones and clarinets fixed on several occasions. One nice thing about the repairs is that minor repairs can be done by appointment while you wait. That's incredibly convenient.

PM Woodwind also had an extensive stock of pro-model vintage saxophones, along with clarinets and flutes. They also have the Selmer, Yamaha and Mauriat lines of saxophones, and a selection of used mouthpieces. PM sells nationwide by mail order. I bought my tenor sax from PM in 1992 and I have had students buy used and new instruments from them with great success.

The shop maintains a good inventory of reeds and woodwind supplies and accessories, and a smaller selection of sheet music, generally saxophone transcriptions and method books...

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Saxguy says "The best place in the nearby area for instrument rentals" about Evanston Band and Orchestra - Skokie, IL

Saxguy — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 17:17:55 GMT

In the interest of full disclosure, this store has me on their recommended instructor list on saxophone, and I do get occasional referrals for students from them.

I have steered students looking for instrument rentals to Evanston (IL) Band and Orchestra (now located in Skokie) for years. Actually, Evanston Band and Orchestra is another brand name of the store once known as "The Saxophone Shop". A merger later, they still are staffed by many of the same people, who rotate in and out of they and their sister stores in Des Plaines and Barrington.

Deciding where to rent can be a quagmire. There are so many different arrangements. Most middle schools have a preferred vendor, selected (hopefully) by their ability to service horns at the school, generally done on a weekly basis by the store rep. Some of these stores can be very far away from a school, necessitating a lot of travel to get an instrument fixed in an emergency. Plus, each store has their own rental contract.

I generally view renting...

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Saxguy says "Outstanding sound system rentals" about The Guitar Works, LTD - Evanston, IL

Saxguy — Thu, 31 May 2007 03:51:43 GMT

When faced with my first big gig where I would provide sound and a still-incomplete sound system, I looked around for rentals. What I had was mikes, mike stands, a mixer and monitor speakers. To complete it, I would have to spend $1300 plus for a pair of Mackie powered srm-450 speakers and the gig wasn't going to cover that.

Meanwhile, I had a contract in my hands that would allow me to pay for a sound system rental of $150 plus another $50 for a sound guy. I polled my bass player, a bandleader as well, who told me that he had a sound system but that it would cover a crowd of 200 or less. I needed a sound system for a crowd of at least 300. He suggested Guitar Works as a source for rentals. Less than 5 miles from my home, I checked the place out.

I needed speakers sufficient for 300. I had the mikes and most of the stands. Guitar Works uses powered mixers and passive (non-powered) speakers, so I would need both speakers and a powered mixer. The Guitar Works person told me that I could get...

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