Musicians Toy Store — Local services in Jacksonville

I purchased a capo and a pack of Elixir phosphorus bronze strings. 3 days later, my high E broke. (I've been playing for ten years and only had that happen one other time). I drove out there again with my broken string and told them what happened. They got another string of the same gage, and said it would be 1.42. I was a little taken aback because I've had really good experiences with most music stores, but pulled out my wallet to pay. The younger fellow asked if I had cash because it was a 5$ minimum for card. I did not have cash. So we stood there awkwardly until I suggested that good customer service would probably just give me the string and get me on my way. I ended up having a conversation with him and the older fellow, which reflected very poorly on the business and how they see their customers. I was told, "we can't guarantee that the customer didn't break it through misuse!" and "I have twenty people in here a week saying they broke a string that they just bought!"

First: yes you can't guarantee that the customer didn't break it through misuse, but you can still return dysfunctional items at any retail store for a refund. Your premise should be "Trust your Customer" not "Assume your customer is dishonest" Its just good policy, and most businesses see that as a pretty basic rule of thumb for customer service.

Second: if you have 20 people a week coming into your store with broken strings that are brand new, maybe you should check your stock. I am really glad I did not buy a guitar and have to find that it was defective, and then have them say "tough luck". I am happy I found out their policies of customer service over $1.42, which I ended paying after finding an ATM and paying the 4.00$ ATM Fee. .

Terrible...

We come here often because all 3 of my daughters have played musical instruments, 2 are members of school band/orchestra. Tony has always been incredibly friendly and helpful with selecting reeds. Their repair prices were reasonable when I brought in an acoustic guitar for fixing, and they communicated everything that was going to be done and the timeframe in which to expect it back (no surprises or added fees that weren't discussed up front). Today, we brought in a violin to be tuned that hasn't been touched in years, and Tony took care of us right on the spot.

I am not very knowledgeable on musical instrument terminology and parts, so when my daughters tell me what they need, I am able to relay it to the staff here and they immediately know what I'm looking for, and I never feel at a loss if I'm not completely certain.

They do rental programs here for band and orchestra too, so for anyone looking into getting an instrument, I highly recommend...

The folks at Musician's Toy Store are always and have always been super friendly and helpful. Tony helped me today by measuring some strings that I really liked from a guitar that I bought used and helped me find some in store to match! The prices are fair for a Brick & Mortar store, and honestly it's really nice to just walk into a shop and be able to look around and try a few things out without feeling pressured into buying something immediately and leaving. You just don't get that Online. Also to note, I had an Ibanez Mikro that was badly neglected, dirty, dusty & rusty, and when I picked it up a few days later it hardly looked like it had ever been played! Definitely swing by Musician's Toy Store if you're in the Jacksonville area and say hey, I'm sure you'll see a friendly face and a few nice...