Old Town School Music Store

The staff are very knowledgeable and willing to help you be it a guitar purchase, a question about classes, or how to play that bluegrass lick. The instrument prices are fair and you can often find great deals (especially if you go to the garage sale)

We got the product we wanted, but the experience was not first rate.
The person who «helped» us was constantly trying to upsell. He presenting himself as more knowledgeable on ukuleles than he really was — he didn’t know a soprano ukulele from a concert. He said they didn’t have anything in the price range we wanted when the day before on the phone I’d been told they did. Someone was off base, and my hunch it was him.
Good selection of instruments and a great venue for music classes. Just an unpleasant experience for me. Hopefully it’s the exception not the rule.

AWESOME SERVICE! Great job guys! Went in to buy a ukulele, which may I add are hard to come by locally. Most high end places that I’ve been to in search for a ukulele don’t have much of a selection and this place definitely had all the good brands!!!
HIGHLY RECOMEND!!!

My husband and I purchased this oud from here. The staff were really familiar with the oud and the quality of each one. The store is also a lot of fun to browse for gift ideas too. My husband came prepared with a ton of questions on ouds. This one we purchased has hand carved features which are beautiful and imported from Egypt. We were really happy with this purchase and recommend this store to any newbies to music or even the professional artists. Thank you Old Town Music store!

Had a string replaced on my ukulele and got a wall hook here. They have great customer service and some pretty amazing instruments to browse through.

I visited the store today, Jan. 8, 2013 with a broken B string on my new guitar and met with Rebecca. I explained I was just starting out and was trying to tune the guiter when I broke the string.
Rebecca explained how the strings worked, installed the B string and tuned the guitar for me and was very professional and caring. She also informed me of the beginner’s classes at OTSM.
Cannot say enough about the service and price both of which were GREAT ! Will definitely visit again !

We’ve taken Lullabies and Wiggleworms classes. Lisa For Lullabies was a little mellow and chill but it worked well for babies. She had us singing at home all time time which was really our goal. Mr Dave for Wiggleworms has a great upbeat act and good sound. Classes with him seemed to follow a formula though and the same each week. We didn’t practice music as much outside of the classroom with Dave but the class was an awesome chance to hang with other infants and clap our hands.

I brought my violin bow here to be re-​haired after looking around and discovering that they quoted the cheapest price out of a few different repair shops in the area.
They have an outside contractor do violin repairs so their turn-​around time may not be as fast as other places, but I emailed the guy and he gave me an accurate time estimate. It took about 10 days, which would have been a problem if I didn’t have a backup, but in my case it was ok.
My bow was ready a day before the quote. I picked it up and the price was exactly as quoted.
Dealing with the store staff was fine. I would definitely come back here.

I can’t say enough good things about this place. The guys who work here are nice and helpful, they get you set up with a guitar and amp and leave you alone to strum awkwardly. I love that. Because I always feel self-​conscious and I don’t need no dudes thinking I’m a girl who can’t play music. I’m just shy, okay?
Great atmosphere, good prices. I love my new Danelectro Dead-​On 67 and I’ll be back here to buy new strings and a tuner very soon.

Okay selection of books, not huge but lesson books are overpriced. I’m a music teacher and I paid $ 29 for a piano lesson book I get for $ 16 at Rossi Music.

I absolutely LOVE this place. i’ve bought my violin there, my strings, and tuner. OH and two music books! They are soooo friendly, very instrument savvy (People keep saying «knowledgeable» so I had to switch it up) and just great to talk to. the atmosphere is so warm and inviting. No snobby pretentious people here folks! Just some wonderful people who are willing to give you the attention you need no matter how big or small the question is! :)
I plan to head there again while signing up for lessons :)

All kinds of instruments in here. Rentals for classes are nice. The hours aren’t great but then again they probably don’t see a whole lot of walk-​ins. I like how you can actually walk right up to all the different strings they have and not having them behind the counter (I like to know the materials and string widths).

OK, you’re only going to buy stuff here if you’re going to buy stuff here anyway. You’re not going to happen in off the street and find something for Aunt Marge. You’re going to go to this place with Aunt Marge in mind, and you’re going to find something for her.
Now, having said that, places like that can get away with murder. They can sell lesser quality stuff trading on their name. Or they can sell more expensive stuff trading on their name. Or they can sell lesser quality more expensive stuff. Because, really, it’s the Old Town School. And while I’d hate to give a great review based on the fact that you don’t get screwed, that’s largely what I’m doing.
Except they have a remarkable selection.
So, if Aunt Marge who needs a new acoustic banjo, you know where to go!

Are you in the market for a dulcimer, steel guitar or ukelele? Trying to find a good tongue drum and coming up with zilch? Did you smash your banjo at the last bluegrass fest trying to become the Pete Townshend of Folk and now find yourself in need? Different Strummer can provide for all of these musical desires, and more.
The walls are lined with so many types of instruments that I, as a musical novice (I can play a lap harp by ear, that’s it), do not feel qualified to even try to extrapolate them all. Lots o’ guitars and other stringed things ring the room — acoustic and electric guitars, mandolins, dulcimers, banjos, fiddles, and ukes, plus amps. There’s also an assortment of percussion, flutes, and keyboards. They do rentals as well, & repairs and tunings on your instruments.
There is also an abundance of CDs, including a local section, lots of Putumayo, etc. The Old Town School has 4 of their own albums out too.
I brought my visiting brother here (he used to play violin and now plays guitar) just to check it out (I also wanted to see if there was an Old Town School album that I didn’t have, but they still have the 4). It’s an impressive selection, but of course rather specialized. The one staff member we interacted with was friendly and knowledgable, a departure from the typical attitude one gets from the music «intelligentsia». How refreshingly Different.

I picked up a ukulele at another giant music chain, and not only did they not know what they were talking about, the instrument was a P.O.S. Frustrated I went to a Different Strummer, and the staff is so helpful, and know a lot about various intruments.
The prices are very good to. If you are looking to start or have been playing awhile, you should definetly go here.
Plus being part of Old Town School of Folk Music, they are right there if you are taking classes.
Hooray!

I was pretty disappointed with this place. They carry lots of really nice instruments made by the top manufacturers and some really good music, but I was always unhappy with the staff. I was just recently in the market for a new acoustic guitar (because I had just recently moved and the movers stole my old one) and I was relatively certain that I wanted to buy one from a smaller, more local shop. Every time I went into this shop, I would ask them if they had a «best bang for your buck» type guitar within my price range (they had many guitars within my price range) and they would try to sell me something $ 200-​$ 300 more than I was willing to spend. This happened on four separate occasions. I finally got frustrated with these guys and I bought a guitar elsewhere. They do have a lot of nice stuff. .. perhaps the trick is not to ask any questions while shopping here. I would give them 2.5 stars if I could.
Update —
I think I gave these guys a bum review my first time around. I’ve visited this place on a few other occasions and I found the staff to be rather knowledgeable and friendly. I’m sorry Different Strummer. I underestimated your friendliness.

What? A music store without pretentious sales guys? Only in Lincoln Square.
I feel mildly guilty in saying that every time I’ve purchased an instrument at – AHEM – a certain discount-​priced, nationwide superstore chain, I always take it to the folks here to troubleshoot and inspect it. And there’s always something to be improved upon or corrected (action set too high, etc).
It’s not that the fine folks at Different Strummer don’t have a great selection. It’s just more targeted to the acoustic or folk audience, which is perfect considering they’re housed within the Old Town School of Folk. But I tend to like flashier instruments, and I tend to make music more experimental, maybe. But the guys here always turn my deep-​discount chain-​store guitars into quality, highly playable instruments.
I buy all other gear here, though. And it’s really hard to walk in here and not try to convince yourself that maybe your music needs more djembe, conga or ukele. A wide selection of interesting items.
I basically love these folks and try to support them when I can.

Different Strummer has many instruments and instrument accessories as well. Not only that, but they give lessons for certain instruments for a lower price than many other places. Also, their employees are well trained and they have answers to all your questions.