Downtown Sounds — Local services in Northampton

DS has nice space and a very large selection of guitars, drum gear and a few keyboards. It's an excellent shop for guitarists from beginner to pro. At least two of the staff I've talked with were gigging musicians. There's a separate room for trying out guitars in a partially sound-reduced space. Staff lend customers accessories for a nice experience.

But, there's been a shift recently. Two visits ago, the keyboards were in the center space set up to give access to every one. All had sustain pedals. The staff allowed me to run test pieces & we chatted about the differences. They seemed to genuinely enjoy this on a quiet rainy New England day. A few customers stopped in and also positive feedback, and the atmosphere seemed to encourage this very social and music-sharing experience.

My last visit in July '22, the center space was occupied by a large drum kit, but not set up for comfortable play (my wife is a drummer). A few keyboards were on the perimeter of this space, faced OUTWARD, so that a person had to sit in the aisle (by moving the one bench available) to try them & several were stacked vertically & offset to give access to lower keyboards. Tho common in stage setups, they would be on a rack designed for the purpose, with proper angle and setback. These were on stands set at progressively higher heights, but not consistent or at proper heights or angles for a stage performer. Only a few powered & had to change adapters myself. The staffer (didn't introduce himself), saw me but didn't offer help, seemed more interested in talking to his fan at the counter. Remaining keyboards jammed into a back corner, again only a few powered. None set up for real playing. Only one had a WORKING pedal. Lack of brand variety, most being Yamaha (I'm a Yamaha fan my acoustic grand and electric are Yamaha, but it's nice to try different ones). One surprise, an original Wurlitzer electric piano. Alas, the staff I asked about it (who had been talking with his fan), knew nothing other than it came from a staffer's family member's estate. He did offer to help me with it, but didn't seem to know how to turn it on anyway. It would be a showpiece in some shops; with retro sounds being hot right now it seems kind of tone-deaf, ba-dum-bum.

It seems that DS has decided that they're mostly a guitarists' shop and maybe a drummers' shop (the other half of the front of shop is filled with drums, cymbals, etc. but no practice / test space) but that keyboardists / pianists should look elsewhere.

Be aware, if they hadn't had a very different arrangement our previous two visits, I wouldn't even bring it up. As a very amateur dabbler in bass and guitar, this shop would be a go-to anytime I would think about new guitar gear, it's a great space with supportive staff.

I think it's fine to focus, and maybe DS should just jettison keyboards entirely, and they could build a little drum test "chamber" out of those cool sound isolating transparent take-down panels or even a real drum room that customers could really bang away and try things out in. My wife wanted to try on the set they had set up but felt it would be unwelcome noise in the middle of the shop.

As a pianist / keyboard enthusiast, I just felt like a very 3rd class customer for the first time here. Keyboards and synths are hard to shop for in general so it's nice when they are given a little TLC once in a while. If DS wants to be Downtown Drums and Guitars, that's fine by me. It's almost worse to see categories get "garage-sale" treatment in a...

I have a terminally ill young son. He wanted to be a guitarist when he grew up. But, he's not going to get that chance. He wanted a guitar. I figured a Tenor Guitar would be perfect, because they are small, light-weight, and have very narrow necks for his small hands.

I attempted to purchase him one online from a music store. It turned out to be a nightmare. They sent me their used garbage, instead of the new guitar I had ordered. I'm still trying to get my money back.

Then, I ordered one from this music venue. After my initial anger at not having been sent the exact guitar pictured, I realized that they are doing the best they can at working within the limitations of selling through Reverb. The pictures they show can only be representative of what they are selling, not the exact instrument you'll be getting. I wasn't being ripped-off again. They don't have full control of the process, so they can't always guarantee the outcome.

But, what they do have full control of, they do well. They sent me the new guitar I ordered. It was in pristine condition. It arrived on time. They packed it for shipment very well. I have never seen a guitar packed for shipment so well before. It literally would have survived an airdrop.

My son loves it, and I thank you for...

I recently bought a used bass at Downtown Sounds. The staff was extremely helpful, set me up in a room to try out the instrument, didn’t bother me the whole time. When I was done I was asked how I liked it and the guy answered my questions with thoughtful and knowledgeable answers. I was able to make an offer online and texted back and forth to agree on a price. All in all a most pleasurable experience. Buying an instrument, for me, can be stressful. The price, do I really need it, all the second guessing myself. So having calm knowledgeable non-pushy assistance was great. I’ve been coming to Downtown Sounds since the early 70’s, and am so glad the business is still in existence. Thank you for a positive experience. Also I was told I have 2 months to get it set up to my liking if needed. But it’s pretty well...