I took ukulele classes here (also got an ukulele at this store). The Owner JOE is the most condescending and despicable person I ever met! He yelled at me over the phone because I didn’t understand what he was saying. And I guess it was too difficult for him to explained to me one more time, so instead he decided to cursed me and yell, making me feel inadequate. I am never going back to this place!!! He should learn how to deal with costumers, at the end of the day his store wouldn’t do business without every single one of us. (Costumer service). It was very sad the way I was treated after going every week (all summer) to this store.As for the classes, Ron is an amazing teacher and a genuine soul, I wish he work somewhere else because I would definitely keep taking classes with him. Also, I never had the chance to thank him! Ron you rock!!!!

I brought in an older guitar I had that wasnt properly taken care of and in rough shape. I got it back in tip top shape and appreciate their attention to detail. Great work and staff!

Awesome staff and one of the only places around that seems to stock G&L basses and guitars. Joe explained every knob and switch on the L2500, which resemble flight controls - not an easy feat!Ill definitely be doing business with Performance Music Center in the future.

I came here to look at reviews as we consider guitar lessons. We called to inquire and were told we could come in and speak with someone and try out a ukulele or guitar. We walked in and up to the counter and were helped immediately. My son had to wash his hands (great as there is a pandemic), and Ron helped him hold it and play. He gave lots of positive reinforcement. While we were being helped, someone else came in and he politely said, Please dont touch. I can understand why they tell people this. It may be startling but what do you expect? I wouldnt have even thought about touching or picking up a guitar on my own without asking for assistance. Thats entitlement.Im glad I had a chance to read through because I wasnt sure if there were other complaints that brought the score down, but its sad that people felt the need to comment when they were asked to not play without permission.

Excellent shop in comparison to the local competition! Don’t even consider a place like Guitar Center, you’ll get better service and value here without question.

If I could give it a 0 I would. Rude owner who is incredibly pretentious and unwilling to help new and unknowledgable players. Also scumbagged me really bad on the price of a guitar I sold to them. My fault but definitely will never return. Yikes lol

This is why amazon exists. I’d rather talk to my computer.Good luckPs many people told me not to go since this dude has poor for decadesPs I went back for some reason and yes these people are the worst. Guitar Center in Nashua will suit you better.The worst

Not a friendly store. The owner was condescending and rude to my teenage son who was spending his own money and looking for something not too expensive to start out with. We ended up walking out and going to Mr. Music in Allston instead where they encouraged his interest even though he was inexperienced, letting him play and try out some of the equipment. Id say its definitely worth driving further to get better service than here if you are not someone they take a liking to. As an aside, my son has since spent thousands of dollars on equipment but none of it at this store. In a way our experience was lucky because it forced us to find a better place.

Went to this store with my musician friend to look at guitars. My friend is visiting the US and was looking for a small travel but budget guitar. He is far from being a beginner and is very good; has been playing for many many years.The gentleman at front desk was quite condescending to us, basically to paraphrase he insulted my friend who was looking for a good but cheaper guitar, and hinted at that you must not any good (musician), that you are a beginner if you are not willing to spend couple of hundreds of dollars, even thousands of US dollars on a guitar.Like really man. Like really. I was polite but I wish I would have just told him how incredibly rude he is to us as his customers.So I have to give one star purely due to the incredibly negative experience with this employee. I am almost ashamed in from of my European friend how someone from around this area can stoop so low as to say such things. A customer whether or not they want to spend $100 or $1000 should be treated equally.

I bought a guitar from Joe 20 years ago & he spent time with me explaining the different brands & types of guitars, & encouraged me to get the best value for my money. I actually bought one & then returned it a week later. He wasnt thrilled about it, but he could tell I had my heart set on the other guitar.The one I returned was was a 1996 Kurt Cobain signature Jag-Stang that is now worth several thousands of dollars.Turns out Joe was right. But I love my 96 Fender Mexican Strat just the same.Chris is an excellent employee there as well.They are knowledgeable & competent. They can make repairs & do lessons. Joe did years worth of free setups & intonations for me as well, since I purchased my guitar at his shop.Nobody is perfect. Maybe some negative review people caught Joe at an irritable moment, but there are worse things than feeling like you got a slight rudeness. At least you can see the owner face to face here, unlike a big corporation.I think Joe just has the confidence to tell you the truth & stand by it, rather than just tell you what you want to hear to make a sale. & like I said, he let me return a guitar a week later, as a teenage kid, he didnt bully me, he let me exchange it for the one my heart was set on.

Great shop

They have everything a guitarist needs, even lessons.

I bought a ukulele here as a Christmas present for a family member. I know nothing about music, but a very nice man helped me pick out a great uke in my price range. It was a big hit and gets a lot of play. I would definitely recommend this place.

Nice place to visit. They have quality instruments and also a variety. Friendly as well..

Yes it is a small shop, but has the best quality and Joe along with his staff are the best!! I have been a customer for 20+ yrs and own several guitars from there. This is not a chain store and the quality of guitars is outstanding. This is why they have a clearly noted policy as to not touch guitars without assistance. Its like mommas fine china....Hands off!! Nothing but love for Joe and his staff!!

Extremely helpful and knowledgeable staff, with fabulous merchandise. This is a really neat shop to stop into to browse, shop, and learn if youre in their neighborhood!Especially on a beautiful day in the neighborhood.Wont you be their neighbor?

Performance Music Center in Woburn is great. The owner, Joe Mullens, is a solid guy with a strong knowledge of the music industry and the products he sells. I have bought several things from him over the years and have always found his prices to be competitive. And he does not sell junk instruments or equipment—so while you will find an impressive variety of middle to higher end items for a small privately owned store, you always know you are getting equipment that he hand-picked for performance and build quality. They also have reasonably priced individual lessons for guitar, bass, and drums, which they teach with a philosophy of trying to keep it fun for the kids. My younger son has been taking drum lessons for over a year now and is really enjoying it. Lastly, a good story about Joe—and the reason I am writing this review—is that my wife purchased a heavy vintage amplifier for me for Christmas that I had been eyeing/drooling over for some time. Joe offered to hand deliver it to my house so it could be a surprise without my wife having to carry it. Thanks, Joe!--Mike Zimmer, Wilmington

Great selection with some great deals. Well-established, knowledgeable, accessible. Great place.

Great all around selection of items.they have all the accessories you could need. my only problem is with the staff. they constantly follow you around everywhere you go and even if you want to try something out they seem to be standing over your shoulder every 5 seconds making sure you want to buy it.Not a bad place though

God forbid you can check out a guitar without someone breathing down your neck checking if your done yet. I know many other folks who have also had similar experiences with this shop and a few others who refuse to spend money here because of a few “particular” employees. Some employees are actually great but a few particular ones make the shopping experience very uncomfortable. I would highly recommend the place across the streetThis is a direct quote from the owner “must have been a misunderstanding. In no way was I rude or condescending to your friend. We talked about and played a number of instruments and he decided that we did not have what he was looking for. I thought we had a good conversion. I hope that next time if you feel you are not being treated in a professional manner you express those thoughts at the time.”The reason we do not express it at the time is because you are so condescending and so passive aggressive that we do not feel like we need to start an argument in your store where you think you cannot be wrong. There is a reason there is more than singular 1 star review

Ive been shopping at Performance Music Center for more than 20 years and have nothing but positives to say about Joe Mullen and his staff. The store has remained relevant by seeking out excellent quality instruments from many fine makers that you wont find in a chain-store.Its also great to deal with people who have been in the industry for decades. I value their advice and recommend them to my friends.

Well furnished and friendly stuff.

Joe runs a fine shop with quality product at fair prices

Nothing but great things to say. Long-time customer.Regarding those who have given bad reviews due to being scolded or followed... I can totally understand your feeling in this matter, but ask you to try to view it through a different perspective.I have been going there for DECADES now, and I have PERSONALLY WITNESSED many-times over the years; people coming-in to the store and (even though the signs everywhere politely ask for you to NOT handle the guitars) reach for a guitar to take down, and in the process, HIT the adjacent guitar(s) in doing-so. This is something they deal with numerous times a day/week - people ignoring the rules and causing dings/damage without assistance.The store is small in square-footage but packs a lot of great gear into that small space, hence the guitars on the wall are hung at a slight angle from the wall and much closer together to get as much use of the wall space. This means there is little-to-no-room at ALL to hang or retrieve the guitars without a degree of potential contact with the others - hence them wanting to do that FOR you.Unlike the larger chains, Joe and staff METICULOUSLY setup and maintain EACH and EVERY guitar on that wall. There is a staff member during open-hours who (when not helping customers) goes and gets a guitar one-by-one every hour of every day to re-tune/intonate, replace it and grab the next one. ANY guitar you try off the wall is already in-tune and VERY playable. They really DO care for each and every one.Joe and staff are SUPER-Nice... and like every human being on this planet, might have an off-moment if you do not follow the rules or damage their merchandise.Im not saying to ignore the negative reviews, but to just UNDERSTAND how those interactions may have evolved. If you respect the merchandise and the wishes of the store, you will ABSOLUTELY be treated well and be pleased with the amount of experience, knowledge and service you will get from them.

Great shop. The only music store I shop at anymore. Everyone is knowledgeable and always willing to help find a solution for your music needs. Friendly owner and staff with experience in the industry and an extremely well keep shop.

Great prices and friendly knowledgeable staff.

Has all the day to day stuff a musician needs, solid selection of guitars, amps, effects, etc. Staff is very friendly and helpful. If youre thinking of driving to Guitar Center, go here instead and support a great local business.

My son and I visited the area on March 2014 and went inside this store. We can validate all the other negative reviews such as being followed, being scolded or being yelled at even before we were getting close to a guitar etc as 100% correct. We dont know the name of that only person inside the store. But after reading all other reviews, we believe that was the owner as his bad attitude was exactly as described by other reviewers. I own 10 guitars with some expensive ones and I respect each and every single one. But his attitude of You are guilty when you walk towards my guitars! is totally unacceptable. We spent less than 2 minutes inside and the experience was an unforgettably and overwhelming negative one. I usually let things slide and will not write negative review for a bad customer service experience, but this time was exceptionally bad. I could have spent thousands on another guitar. He lost a customer and gained another negative review due to his own art.

Wow, shocked at how bad of an experience I had. Tried stopping to look for a great telecaster and was made to feel very unwelcome. Left after 5 minutes. Hopefully my experience is a rare one, but I probably won’t visit again.

I went into this shop to buy a guitar for a friend. I picked one out and started to play it when the owner jumped out of nowhere and grabbed it out of my hand. He said to ask next time before I played so I went to another shop where they let me play and bought a nice guitar.

Good selection of G&L guitars; Chris was very helpful with selection and setting up the instrument. Got a great guitar at a great price!

Great Guitar Service at a reasonable price!

The owner is a jerk. He scolded my 23 year old son for touching his precious guitars. Once he saw I was only buying a strap he told him not to touch the guitars, because then he would have to re-polish them all again. I told him what I thought of him and then rather than apologize he started in on me for telling him what I thought of him. If they dont want you touching their precious guitars then they should have a sign that says so, or put them behind glass. What a jerk!

Great lessons and friendly staff.

I needed some help and spoke with them on the phone...They couldnt have been nicer and extremely knowledgable....Cool people..

Small shop but very helpful employees. Cool gear in a nice clean shop.

Great locally owned music store.

The clerk was most helpful and informed.. Might be taking guitar lessons soon.

Rude owner! I recommend going anywhere else for your needs, its barely an average music store (a little small), and its run by a bully. Joe made it clear that he thought we were a couple of dumb girls. Im tired of being treated like a second-rate customer by music stores, and this store was one of the worst examples of this I have experienced.

Helpful call around ordering a G&L bass guitar. I plan to visit soon.

Great, knowledgeable staff. Im visiting from Mississippi for business, and was impressed to feel that Southern hospitality vibe when I walked in.

Paul is the man you want to see. I have spent a lot of time in this store and it has always been a pleasure. Feel bad for the bad reviews. This is a great little music store.

First of all, let me address reviewers who are complaining about the owners at Performance Music Center: my experience and takeaways couldnt be more different.Consider this: Target locks any and all electronics over $30 in glass cases. You can look but you cant touch. If I sold guitars for a living, and had, say, $40,000 worth of them hanging unprotected on a wall, you can bet your ass Id be paying attention to who was handling the merch. Im guessing if they had a problem with this guy or his adult son touching the guitars, there was a very good reason.As for me, I couldnt be happier with the way I was treated as a first-time customer. I had contacted them via email because they are one of two G&L dealers in the Boston area. I had several questions about a custom build that Joe and Paul were kind enough to answer - we probably emailed 5-6 times, and they were always quick to reply.When I finally made my way out there, Joe gave me a quick tour of the different models he had in stock so that I could be sure about the features I wanted on my guitar. From there I proceeded to demo 4 different guitars - amplified, with no complaint - for about an 40 minutes.After that, I had more questions. Not only was Joe extremely knowledgeable about his products, he made some critical recommendations that had a big impact on the build. Furthermore, hes got a generous personality; the guys an enthusiast and thats clearly why hes in the business.Ill be going back to PMC any time I want to try before I buy...and Ill buy from them again. And if youre in the market for a custom shop G&L, you couldnt pick a better place to go. Joe happened to be at the G&L shop during NAMM week, and he hunted my axe down and posted pictures on site! My guitar was ready ahead of schedule, and I couldnt be happier with it.If youre a real customer, dont hesitate or listen to the complaints of random mental defectives. Im a real customer who spent real money - and these guys were great to work with. Highly recommend.

Knowledgeable, friendly and good selection of equipment and accessories. Ive brought three guitars there to be restrung and took lessons.

Good selection across a wide range of prices, friendly service.

My go to music store!! Joe and staff always helpful and knowledgeable!!!

The store carries a few hard-to-find instruments but unfortunately some of the staff are quite rude, not really worth it in my opinion.

Friendly and knowledgeable state when me and my fiancee went in

Decent instrument selection. They are quite nice and fast with repairs.

Great selection, good lessons, good repairs.

Very friendly

I got a really nice wah which he let me test and he got found a custom shop patch cable which actually fits in my crybaby!

The guys at performance music know their stuff, I wouldnt trust my gear to any body else!!

PRS & G&L dealer.

Good people, always helpful

Great store!

Nice place

Quick stop

Talk down to there students