Rayburn Music

I’ve gone to Rayburn a few times for clarinet repair and to buy reeds and such.
In terms of a shop they have a good selection and can’t fault them there. However I have had my clarinet repaired twice specifically requesting that they look over it for any flaws that would need to be fixed in the future and repair them. In both cases a pad came loose or some kind of other issue arose in two-​three months that my clarinet would need to be repaired again.
Also turn-​around was a week in both cases.

Well-​stocked store staffed by knowledgeable people. They carry cheap and nice stuff and everything inbetween.

I was directed to Rayburn to sell my tenor sax in consignment by a few people I know who attend the music school in the area. When I say I’ve never experienced ruder customer service, I’m not joking. The unfortunate part is that my experience started out really well, and just went downhill. The owner, Roni (sp?), whom I had the displeasure of having to track down to get information on my payment was one of the rudest people I’ve ever encountered. My saxophone had sold three months before I called to track down my payment, when the policy was a 30 day waiting period after the sale, and she could not get me off the phone fast enough. It then took another two months for me to get my payment, which was 70% less than what I had been told it would sell for. My advice to anyone looking to sell would be to try craigslist or eBay. You’d be better off taking your chances there.

I have been using Rayburn Music for my instrument repair work for over 30 years, but not enough so that they know who I am when I come through the door. Both my alto and tenor saxes were overhauled by Emilio Lyons and they practically play themselves. Dan Kellerman has done a lot of work on my clarinets and flutes and just does perfect work.
There’s a lot of chatter out there on the net about different shops, personalities, etc., and some of the other scores on Unilocal seem to reflect some sort of «I just didn’t get along with {fill in the name}.» I look at musical instrument repair the same way I look at choosing a physician: sometimes the best is a person you don’t necessary add to your Christmas card list, but if you trust them and they work well for you, and you get great results, then you have achieved your goal.
In summary, anytime we need an instrument repair, we go to Rayburns.

Rayburn does rentals through my kids’ school. Beware that they make it very difficult to return the instruments, so that the billing can continue endlessly. They also bill erratically, it appears so as to rack up late fees. Customer service is indifferent at best.

I rented my violin and my flute from here as a young student, so of course I came here when my young clarinet player needed a key fixed and when my flutist daughter wanted to upgrade her instrument. The folks in here look to be mainly serious musicians themselves, and in fact were very easy to talk music with. So when I first walked in I suspected I had to assert myself to get someone’s attention, because of the deep discussions going on between themselves and customers. Danny took care of fixing the clarinet in the hour I went to get some lunch. The other time I came back to get a new flute for my other daughter, they had maybe 5 or 6 for her to try in a private room in the back. Apparently as soon as they get in new flutes, they seem to fly out just at fast. Anyhow, this was the second music store that we visited to look at flutes, so my daughter already had a good idea which brand worked best for her sound. It has almost been 6 months and she is still very happy with her choice, having already gone through one audition with it.

Apparently Rayburn specializes in brass and woodwind instruments, and it seems like they’re pretty dedicated to that. I wouldn’t go here if you were looking for anything having to do with string instruments. I went there to get some new strings and some peg dope for my violin, which turned out to be a mistake. They did carry the peg dope, and the price was reasonable, but the general staff don’t really know much about strings and I think they sell them as a side business. Usually strings are sold individually, but Rayburn sells them as a pack, and it costs more there to buy them individually. If you don’t know exactly what you’re looking for or need any kind of advice in buying something for a string instrument, go to a specialty shop instead.
However, if you do know exactly what you’re looking for, Rayburn probably has it. I just don’t know if I’d recommend them based on my experience there, knowing that there are so many music stores in Boston.

I loved this shop.
I was directed here by my daughter’s music teacher to rent a clarinet for the few months before we entrusted her with the family wood clarinet.
They had an excellent supply of reeds on hand, advised me fully but not overwhelmingly on how to clean it, and anything I needed was to hand.
As a lifetime pianist, I have not a huge amount of experience with instruments that require Supplies, but I think that on the whole, they did an excellent job, and that they’re an under-​used resource in the Fenway community. They charged beyond fair prices on instrument rentals, were talking to a few Serious Musicians when I visited the shop, and were extremely amenable to any and all queries without being obsequious.

Mini Maracas!
I work right next door to Rayburn Music and since our building used to be an old bank, there is a now sealed glass door that provides a view of their shop from my lobby. Everyday I peer through the window and what really catches my eye out of the assortment of professional music equipment, dedicated staff that work all sorts of hours, and odds and ends — is the MINI MARACAS! These simple little cheap shakers are propably the only thing in the store I could play, and sometimes when the day gets monotonous, I daydream about purchasing them!
Well, FINALLY I decided to head into the store today to check it out. Talk about professional! This is 100% where all the Berklee/​New England Conservatory kids come to get their stuff fixed. The place is much bigger than you think and extends way back into the shop selling instruments, stands, music and of course has a huge area dedicated to repair.
Make sure to wander all the way back, because its an old bank vault, they still have the huge vault there — and they use it to store all the expensive instruments at night!