Ellsworth Music Supply & Repair — Local services in Ranson

I gave them 2 star instead of 1 because I can say that the clarinet I had serviced there was great! They did a great job on it and I was very impressed with the service that go around.

BUT I am very disappointed in them otherwise. I was a big fan. I thought they were a little high priced, but that it was a local company. But two things happened and I will never return again.

1. I dropped off a used trumpet I purchased elsewhere for servicing. They told me it would take 2-3 weeks, which I was fine with. After 3 weeks I stopped in to check on it and they said it wasn't done. It would be done in 3-4 days. I waited a week and returned and they told me the same thing. This went on for 2 months. I finally asked them to return the trumpet I would take it somewhere else because they were just so busy and I needed it. That's when they told me they broke it. At this point I was upset because they had been lying to me, so they offered to let me borrow one for free until they could fix mine. I accepted that and I just really wished they had just been honest with me in the beginning. Once they repaired my trumpet and returned it, they changed me over $80 for the repair! I was upset, but I figured that it was old and may have broken anyway, so I let it go.

I decided to give them another chance:

2. I next brought a saxophone in for servicing. My son changed his mind on what he wanted to play. Someone gave me the saxophone and I brought it in, paid for servicing and it was returned. It didn't look much different, but I was fine with it. That year 3 pads fell off while my son was using it. I would bring it in and they would repair them cheaply and I was ok. I'd had it serviced with them, but I figured this couldn't be helped. After a year (this was the second year he was playing it) the 3rd pad fell off and when I brought it in, they said it needed to be serviced. I told them they had already serviced it and they told me it didn't look like it. I asked them to just repair the pad, because I wasn't sure if my son was going to continue playing. I left the instrument with them. They called a couple days later and informed me that it was going to be over a hundred dollars for all the repairs they said it needed. Now note that the instrument worked when we dropped it off, it only need the pad replaced. I told them not to do any of the other work AGAIN, I just needed the pad replaced. They got a little huffy with me on the phone. I picked it up that day, brought it home, and my son took it out to play it. It would no longer play. I brought it back the very next day. They informed me that the instrument worked when it left the store and that my son dropped the instrument, that's why it no longer worked. He didn't even take it to school! He opened it when I took it home and tried to play it in front of me! I was livid that they would say that and wouldn't honor their work. These are not the only instruments we have and I have spent money on all sorts of things at their store from band shoes to band books to reeds to guitar accessories and even violin accessories.

I have since taken my instruments elsewhere and I will never return to them. It's a shame too, because I have a lot of kids in band that have different instruments and servicing and accessories and I really want them to work out and I really enjoy supporting...

Jordan, who offers lessons at Ellsworth, provides excellent guidance for songwriters preparing for performance! I am an adult songwriter with songs I want to learn to perform well. He has displayed great skill in being able to help me on my terms -- with the song projects I am working on -- to get me performance ready.

Piano/keyboard is not my primary instrument; yet, some of the songs I've written are best suited for the piano/keyboard. He has helped me bring my piano/keyboard playing alive, specific to the task at hand: each song I have brought to him. I bring chords and lyrics. He's gotten me to do things I have avoided, like creating melodic instrumental interludes. He's shown me ways to add variety and richness to the way I play chords for various stylist effects, shown me nuance in chord selection, and offered solid advice about song structure. So, he's helped me improve my songs and my delivery.

He has musical talent, good instructional skills, and a friendly, unassuming manner that creates an optimal, comfortable learning environment. He knows his stuff -- musical knowledge, piano/keyboards playing, songwriting, performance, recording, and more -- as he is an active songwriter and active performer himself who has brought many songs to professional fruition. He's performed in many venues and has many recordings online. I, therefore, strongly recommend Jordan, not only for piano/keyboard players, but also, definitely, for songwriters aiming to prepare songs for...

Brian Elsworth runs a wonderful music store, and is a lifetime musician as well. He is not only highly knowledgeable, but generous with his time and service. I was in a guitar center on black Friday looking for a guitar, and the whole experience felt a bit lacking. I called Ellsworth music to see if they were running any deals, and he said: "Tell me what you're looking for, and I'll see what I can do." That told me everything I needed to hear. He didn't treat me like a number, and he took a genuine interest in my questions and concerns when I came in. He also said: "I'll do anything I can to keep you from buying a guitar at guitar center." And he didn't say it in a mean spirited fashion. He said it in a way that simply indicated he would give me a better customer experience. He kept his word and did just that. I walked out with a beautiful Alvarez for a great price, and learned a lot while I was there. Highly recommend. But make sure Brian is working...