Elderly Instruments Review

I brought in two guitars last night for service, an older Martin and new Tele model. Although there were other patrons ahead of me, the wait time for a guitar tech was less than 5 minutes. The seasonal adjustments, one of which was WAY overdue, were performed on the spot and I left the store w/ both guitars playing like new within 30-35 minutes of my arrival. Nowhere else can I get such prompt, talented service. I'm beyond fortunate to have such a resource so close to my home. I've been to a lot of music/guitar shops, Elderly is by far the best in regards to both selection and customer service. Thank you!

Very detailed staff, accurate description of instrument and condition. Shipment was painless with regular updates and very well packed.

Play it before you buy it! You can do that at Elderly. GREAT selection of QUALITY instruments. Love this store!

Drove an hour to get there and we'll worth it. They had my hard to find auto harp strings. Even though it was very busy I got great customer service. I will definitely come back.

I live in Chicago, but I have family in the area, and Elderly is so good I wait to do all my guitar stuff until I come up to visit! Especially their repair shop.

Elderly is a national treasure, right here in Lansing.

Once I got my driver's license at 17, I made it a habit to drive from my then-home in Grand Rapids to Lansing every week, just to browse Elderly's (vast) selection. Eventually I moved to Lansing, and I still try to make it in when I can. The staff don't hassle you and generally let you do your thing, yet are willing to help if you ask -- I like that approach.

In addition, their guitar techs are some of the best in the nation, and charge a reasonable fee for their work. I recently had Steve Olson overhaul my 1996 Fender Stratocaster Standard -- my first real guitar, purchased new in 1996 -- with new pickups, tremolo assembly, a fret job and more. He made the guitar play and sound so nicely that it's made me want to play much more.

No one rushed me. Knowledgeable staff. Private spaces available to try out instruments. Excellent selection.

Not worth visiting until after they figure out Covid. You're better off finding another place to go for music. They just can't handle the whole Covid thing and make if WAY more painful than is necessary.

Great selection of beautiful stringed instruments with a knowledgeable staff and a repair shop.

If you are a musician, you already know about Elderly. Staff is made up of musicians, so they know what they are doing. Great selection too, great service department.

Excellent service
Very kids friendly, even during COVID. On our last trip here my 8yr and LD son just started playing the electric guitar. Not only did they help us find all of our supply's they let him explore all the different instruments. Bless their hearts they also we're very patient and answered all of his questions.

Absolutely the best place to buy an instrument in Michigan. Highly recommend them for their knowledgeable and friendly staff, great inventory selection, and consistently consumer-friendlly policies and practices. A+

Great vintage feel to the store, a hidden gem in Old Town. Friendly staff.

I traveled from Sault Ste. Marie Canada for my first visit to the store and was blown away by the amount of instruments and music gear this store holds! It was about 5years ago but l will be returning soon for another visit! I spent about 3hrs in the store and purchased a Gretsch acoustic guitar and an Acoustisonic Amp which I still have! Great service and pleasant staff

Finest acoustic music store on the planet ! Hands down. Knowledgeable staff, excellent stock of instruments, just a great place to go. I rate it 5 stars plus !

Largest selection of guitars in mid Michigan, great staff too.

Elderly is a gem in the city of Lansing. We're so lucky to have it. Professional musicians from all over the country (and beyond) know about Elderly and many of them buy from them. You won't find a more knowledgeable staff.

Very impressed with Elderly Instruments!! I made my first online purchase from Elderly on Sunday and received my new guitar on Wednesday! Packaged nicely and in perfect condition. Highly recommend!

Staff is great. I've have had great experiences with the service and sales. Everyone needs to stop by!

Shopped here online because I couldn't come in person. I'm very pleased with the result. Online shopping for musical instruments involves the risk of hit and miss.
But I was not disappointed, and I am now in possession of a gorgeous and superbly crafted instrument which was not even that expensive, in comparison to other resellers. What I also loved is how quickly and accurately my inquiry and order was handled by Dimitrios. Big thanks to him for putting the customer first, dealing with special requests and expediting the order so it arrived in an almost unbelievably prompt way.

Greatly enjoyabe. To be able to play awesome instruments and friendly service is a blessing. I always enjoy my visits. You are my favorite store. BTW I played a D-28 custom it was sweet. Thanks again. Milan Campbell

Always a great place to find anything musical. Would be nice though if you could get someone to help you when there. I wanted help in picking out a guitar.

Outstanding selection of guitars. Very traditional and very clean. I love this place for guitars and instruments from blue grass to classic rock. Not much for metal heads like myself but regardless it's a sight to behold.

Elderly Instruments is a good music store that provides a wide selection quality instruments, old and new. However, I was very underwhelmed by the staff during my most recent visits. They have a habit of not acknowledging your presence and talking down to you and being a bit "snobby" for a lack of a better word. If you don't look important, you aren't. I walked in with intention to buy and walked up empty-handed because of how rude the staff was. With that being said, the store itself is a nice place. It's a shame that the employees of a great store are so curt and short. Won't be coming back.

I purchased a used Peavey bass guitar case over the phone that i saw for sale. I dont recall who I dealt with but the individual was friendly & very nice. The product arrived as advertised & in very good condition quickly via FedEx. I would definitely purchase again from this music store, it was a pleasure doing business with this place.

Perfect! Beautiful Banjo Ukulele! Great experience start to finish!

I brought in a Warren May lap dulcimer with the thought of consignment sale. After their review, I was told that the instrument was valued at $149.29 but required work to bring it up to their "standards" costing "almost as much as it's work". They outlined the repairs as leveling uneven frets and making a new ebony saddle. I was offered $50 or the option of taking it back. Trusting their reviews, I took the $50 and assumed I knew nothing about dulcimers. Imagine my surprise when I saw my dulcimer (it had a very unique design) on their website offered as is for $400. The needed repairs were outlined just as they had been described to me. $400 for an outlay of $50. Not a bad profit margin. Maybe they sell good instruments but they don't treat their customers with honesty or respect. Be careful.
AN ADDENDUM - I was contacted by the owner who reviewed the transaction and offered me a fair price for my dulcimer. I am now satisfied with my experience with Elderly Instruments. I learned a lesson - if unhappy, speak up. I hope the employee involved also learned that it is important to treat customers with honesty.

Been shopping happily here for 40 years. There us no better guitar store on this planet. Thank you Stan and crew for always keeping me pickin!

Customer service over the phone is terrible. Just called and tried to get some guidance and was treated very poorly. Such a legendary place with very poor real world results! Staff seems very rude just as other reviewers have stated!!

Bought a great Weber mandolin there at a great price. And had multiple repairs done on many instruments. Can t recommend them enough!

I've been coming to Elderlys since I was 16(I'm 27 now so you do the math). I've bought 4 guitars from them and I've never been let down. The staff is passionate about music and they are always very helpful. Above all else the guitars I've purchased from them have been meticulously set up and taken care of. Don't give guitar center 5 minutes of your time, do yourself a favor and go to Elderlys.

Side Note- They also have an *as is section for used guitars that Id recommend if you're on a budget or want a guitar to work on. They keep them hidden so you're going to have to ask to see them. These guitars have not been set up or repaired so it's always a gamble on if it's worth it or not but I just found a 2001 mim strat in dang near perfect condition for 270 and a 77 Ibanez "lawsuit" Les paul for 485 and they both play perfectly.

Just bought my first Martin today from Elderly Instruments. Dan and staff are incredible! Super laid back atmosphere and so much to try . You won t go wrong with these guys

I bought a ukulele that I sent back within a week. Elderly received and signed for my return on May 20 at 10:56am. After four phone calls I finally got my refund processed today, May 28. Though the uke was free shipping from Elderly to me, I paid return and then Elderly refunded my money but charged me for the original 'free' shipping. Won't be shopping there again.

Love this place. Only place in town I will let do repair work on any of my instruments.

Simply great! Have been a customer for over 15 years, bought multiple instruments here, and have used their guitar repair shop a lot. They treat their customers phenomenally well. I can't recommend highly enough!

I buy every single ukulele I can from Elderly, they take care of every facet of the setup and the price is always fair. I love that place.

This is the absolute best stringed instrument shop in Michigan.
However, if you're getting repair work done, you need to be very specific about what is needed because they are absolutely to-the-letter.
I had an acoustic in for binding repairs and they only repaired the cracks specifically listed on the invoice, and left other nearby binding damage completely untouched. My mistake I guess. I didn't know I had to list each spot, item-by-item, for general binding repair. I thought it was clear that all of the damage was to be repaired, but if there was any confusion, they could have taken a minute out of the day and called me to ask.

I love this place! Friendly helpful staff and their Luthiers are second to none! I took in a Les Paul for some work recently and they did an amazing job for a price that I thought was next to nothing! I received the guitar set up perfectly, clean and playing better than ever. They always have an amazing selection of instruments and everything that you could ever need or want. They will always have me as a customer!

Ordered ukulele strings to my 8 string uke ship to Sweden, though they come from Italy (Aquila), I found them at the Elderly. Great service, easy online shop, so I'm thrilled. Translated with Google

Elderly has a friendly atmosphere, and very nice and professional staff. When you go in you will come out very pleased. And you will go back. Try them you'll like them.

Purchased a Farida OT 25 suburst from Elderly today. Salesman Rich was great. He brought out two other brand new models from the back and tuned them up for me so I could compare them with the floor model. I stuck with the floor model. Rich gave me a great deal on the guitar and a guardian case. Just a good experience. Other reviewers have complained about not being approached. I would rather not be hounded. I would rather be free to brouse until I have a question. Rich was personable which is hard to find nowadays Nice vintage atmosphere and a lot of nice gutars that you can freely play. My next purchase will definitely be from Elderly.

Great place. You will not find a better instrument store anywhere! The staff is extremely helpful and knowledgeable and the prices are fair.

What can I say? This place is legendary. People travel (and order) from all over the country, if not the world, to check out this music store. Famous musicians do business here. I feel really fortunate to live just a few minutes away. I primarily play ukulele and the guy who heads the ukulele department is super knowledgeable and not elitist at all. I've had many good chats with him. Their ukulele selection is also the best I'm aware of in the entire Midwest, even rivaling Uke Republic. Plus, of course, they have tons of other top-notch and hard to find instruments and accessories. Many times what I'm looking for isn't available at Guitar Center or Marshall Music, like my preferred uke strings and finger picks. Elderly has it all. Thanks for being awesome.

I have always loved this store. A good friend of mine Derrick Smith worked here for years. Unfortunately, he moved far away. Normally it would be him who I would ask, but he is not here. Does Elderly buy instruments? I have a Cordoba Ukulele I would like to sell. I bought it two years ago and it's still in the box. Lol. I never actually played it.

I can't speak to their electric instruments, but as an acoustic musician, Elderly has everything you could want from a music store. I love to hang out here for hours at a time. The staff is super cool and knowledgable. The repair shop is spot on. The folks that frequent this store are always great. I get into a jam session with a random player everytime I'm here. Don't bother with GC or any of the chain stores. Elderly is truly a gem.

This is the destination for instruments. Andy spent close to 30 minutes talking with me about a few different instruments and encouraged me to try different ones. Very low pressure to buy anything. All of their instruments are set up when you buy them so they play AMAZING.

I bought a rare guitar online from Elderly ... at least I thought I did, got an email confirmation and everything. I was very excited so a few days later I emailed them to ask when it would ship and was told that it would ship that day and that I would receive a tracking number by email that evening. Didn't hear anything for nearly a week so I emailed them again to check the status. A short while later I got a phone call and was told that there had been a glitch in their new computer system and the guitar had been sold. It wasn't much of an explanation but since the guitar was gone, I let it go at that. They did offer me a "good deal" on any other guitar but I specifically wanted this rare, out-of-production model. To add insult to injury, later that day I got an automated email asking if I was still interested in that guitar. This was also explained as a computer glitch. I hate to leave a bad review, they seem nice enough, but they clearly do not have their act together when it comes to online sales.

Elderly Instruments is a national treasure. There is always something going on or someone playing something. The staff is great and the selection of instruments excellent. Plus the building, though old, has terrific character.

Very helpful staff and nice selection of bass guitars and amps.

Can't say enough good things about purchasing with Elderly. Unlike quite a few reviewers, I used their online portal to purchase a new Pisgah banjo as an upgrade, as well as a new hard case. Elderly made sure to setup the banjo properly, and then took the extra time to pack it tightly within the hard case ... and then used even more packaging to secure the package within a box. Shipping was quick, and I doubt the banjo moved more than 1/8" during shipment. Will use again, thank you Elderly Instruments!

I ordered a power adaptor for a Vox amp. The adaptor they sent me did not work at all for my amp. I sent an email requesting a return authorization, but received no response. I called and was told to send it back. Return shipping cost me another $7.15, they did not offer to send a label. I would not buy anything from them again.

They were the only place I could find a specific sized banjo head. The shipment was fast and well packaged. They'll now be the place I go to for parts.

Absolutely amazing customer service with my online order. I could not be happier. Thank you!

Have always loved Elderly Instruments. It is like comfort food for the soul...

Great selection of instruments, but we felt a condescending attitude from our salesman Rod, I guess we just aren't the pro he wants to deal with.

I truly enjoy Elderly Instruments but my latest visit was only for a repair pickup. It was a curb-side pickup only. The gentleman was very pleasant to talk with but wanted to see the guitar and wanted to head back into the building. After that we just went over to the river for 15 minutes before heading back home for a 90 minute drive.

Amazing place, wonderful and knowledgeable staff, love love love my new ukulele!!!!!!!!

What a great place to lose your afternoon it is absolutely perfect just walk down the street listen to the music and the artist in the area. One time I even met Willie Nelson there! If you re in the guitars and anything that plays beautiful music it s at the store! If you stay at Rogerray s Airbnb it s a walking distance to it. As I say I live right down the street from it.

Had an incredible experience picking out my new Martin here. Staff left me alone to play as much as I wanted, but was incredibly helpful when I bombarded them with questions. Highly recommend!

There is NO other place to go for stringed instruments. Elderlys repair took a junk piece of wood and turned it into a functioning, well sounding mandolin. Their repair of a Martin was seamless and perfect. The counter staff is excellent, knowledgeable and professional.

Wow, finally got to the mother ship ! Great place. More Acoustic guitars than anybody. Great staff and service.

What if there was a place where at every turn, in every room, there was beautiful stringed instruments? All the accessories at the best prices that you could ever need for your passion? There is. Right in the middle of Lansing Michigan! Thank you Elderly Instruments. Forever grateful!

Great service, and lots of products to choose from. Knowledgeable sales staff!

Great inventory and range of selection at the store. Use to go all the time, but the last couple times I have visited have convinced me to not go back. The staff is rude, condescending, snarky and jerk-ish. The only sales reps that can make you feel you are wasting their time while giving them hundreds of dollars. 5 star store, 1 star staff. Buy online and get a great instrument without dealing with the staff.

This is a great place to go for a wide selection of guitars, amps, violins and other instruments. The staff was friendly. I took my three year old and they were welcoming to him and took time to show him a few things. I would recommend going to here if you're interested in any musical instruments. I didn't see any drums there.

Fantastic place with helpful knowledgeable staff and great selection. A+

Drove from Philly just for the banjos. Was not disappointed. They have everything listed online. If you don't see it, ask. They will bring it out of the vault for you. Great staff, lots of room, overall great place. If I lived in the area, I'd be there every weekend.

Don't bother trying consignment sales. They'll rake you for unnecessary repairs and percentage of sales. And that's with an instrument purchased there.

Excellent store with friendly, curteous, humorous staff. I've been going here since I was young, and have always felt welcome!

I write this as I am leaving the store. I came in today from out of town to look at a few higher-end Fender guitars. While I was here I was not once greeted or even acknowledged by a single person, despite the fact that there appeared to be several people working the sales floor. As a professional adult male, dressed in casual business attire, I expected at least the possibility of someone acknowledging my presence. Unfortunately that did not happen. That being said, I casually inspected a few guitars and promptly left the store... With cash in pocket. Apparently this is the sign of the times. Even the privately owned retailers can't take the time to acknowledge legitimate customers.

I have successfully purchased different items long distance from them. I enjoyed their paper catalog before the internet, which was very detailed. I am not sure if they still have it.

They have always been very pleasant on the phone. I loved and miss Mandolin Brothers and am happy that a place like Elderly still exist.

One of the greatest places in the country for musical instruments. Phenomenal repair shop, inventory (although I wish they still sold new Gibsons), and layout.

The staff is knowledgeable but can sometimes come off as pompous depending on the associate. Staff in the repair shop can range from incredibly nice and helpful to rude and disinterested. Aside from these, I have no gripes

Hands down best musical instrument store in the central Michigan area!

Music instrument heaven. Andy was a huge help with finding the right ukulele. Couldn't be happier with solid wood Kala as my first uke.

While in Lancing for a basketball tournament for my daughter, I visited Elderly Instruments. What an awesome store! I spent some time browsing what seemed to be an endless inventory of acoustic guitars, some of which I played in utter bliss. The staff was very knowledgeable and friendly and encouraged me to play any instrument I wanted to, some of which were vintage and valuable. I was like a kid in a candy store. If you appreciate acoustic guitars and their place in musical history, you'll love this place. It's was well worth the drive.

Mike from Canada

I needed a specific case that I was struggling to find other places. After I ordered it, it came SO fast. Unfortunately it was the wrong case. I needed a bowlback mandolin case and was sent an A-style case that was marked as a bowlback but obviously was not. Obviously I was flustered and called right away. I was able to ship it back to them, get my shipping refunded, and received the correct case within a few days. I would definitely order from them again but maybe next time go to the store in person.

What a cool store! Every musician should check it out! Old Town Lansing.

Always friendly, always helpful. The go-to place for stringed instruments and accessories.

This is a beautiful store! Don't miss the experience.