Prices aren't as low as Guitar Center, but it's less clamorous, and the staff is regular enough that you'll get to know most of them. Lots of expertise with all instruments, new gear, used gear, lessons, you name it, you can't beat Bill's.
Worst customer service I ever had. I will drive farther to another music store before I ever go back there
Absolutely love Bill's. Solid selection, personable and knowledgeable staff and techs. New or used, you'll find everything from Lutes to xylophones.
Nino's service was exceptionally great. My husband picked out a guitar for me for a Christmas gift and it just wasn't quite the one for me. I came into the store in person to exchange it. I fell in love at first sight with a retro Alvarez and didn't want to go too much over the budget of what my husband had purchased for me. Nino's kindness, attentiveness and appreciation for what I was trying to accomplish really was quite extraordinary. And never anywhere have I seen such a vast selection of amazing guitars. I walked out in love with my new acoustic. i'm highly satisfied with my purchase.
Lou was a great help!!!!. I will keep in touch with you guys at Bills music.
Mr. Ernesto was great! Our son decided he wanted to play the bass guitar, at the last minute, and we needed to purchase one ASAP and the first place his music teacher suggested was your store. Mr.Ernesto helped us right away and now our son is ready to ROCK! Not only was Mr. Ernesto very helpful, everyone that worked that day was VERY willing to help us. From the time we stepped in the store until we left, if Mr. Ernesto wasn't near us someone would ask us if we needed help! Thank you for having such a great store and most importantly a great team of folks working with you. We will definitely be back. We are a music family and now our daughter is trying to figure out what instrument she would like to play... So we will see you soon!
The store is nice looking but the prices are really high. I was shocked at how little the sales staff knew about recording mics. They had no selection and tried to talk me into an MXL mic that was way below my needs. Was told a lot of made up B.S. Don't recommend at all.
Once again PJ provided excellent customer service and help on the sale of my JunoDS61....and set me up with a payment program that I can afford. Thanks PJ
Such kind and helpful staff. Extremely understanding of first time strings parents
I am afraid I never told you, but I was at your store in September 18th with three good friends of mine and, yes, I did buy a Hofner "Beatle" bass from you that day.
It was a present to my daughter and she is now learning how to play it. She also plays acoustic guitar, violin and flute.
I had a very disappointing experience with Mariner Finance at Bill's Music. I made my payment on time every single week and was treated horribly. Although the customer service at Bill's is top notch and place is great, if you are going to buy a large purchase, make sure you ask them to use Lendmark Financial instead of the money hungry Mariner Finance.
I went to Bill s and bought a new Celestion speaker for my Marshall 1x12 cab, then had the guys in the shop install it. Turnaround time was less than 24 hours(!) in my own experience. The crew is friendly, and the store has a really cool vibe about it. Also, my amp now plays like a dream with the new speaker. I couldn t have asked for a better experience.
Extremely rude over the phone and very unknowledgeable about everything I ever ask. They've also sold me two defective instruments in the past. Don't reccomend this place at all. Not to mention they are ridiculously overpriced for what they actually have.
They took care of us by tuning our daughter's saxophone.
I always wanted to learn how to play the guitar. Through a recommendation I called Bills to inquire about music lessons. I spoke with Mary Ann who was the coordinator. I explained that because of my schedule I could only take classes in the morning during the week. They didn't have any instructors in the morning so I was about to settle for Sunday lessons which wouldn't have been ideal for me. After looking at the schedule she came up with the idea of asking an instructor to come in 30 minutes before one of his scheduled lessons. I told her that would be perfect, she made the call and the next thing you know I have the perfect time slot for me. Mary Ann really went out of her way and I couldn't be happier. Thanks Mary Ann.
I drove in shortly after and signed the registration paperwork. I then needed to get a guitar. I had an electric that I had broken the strings on because I didn't know what I was doing. PJ, who was one of the salesmen there asked me what I was looking for and how much I wanted to spend. He showed me an great black finish Fender acoustic that came with a case ($200). It was a perfect starter for me. When he brought it upstairs and opened it up. It was actually the Starburst finish model that he didn't have on display. It worked out perfectly because I love the way that guitar looks and sounds. My instructor even complimented it. Great buying experience. Thanks PJ.
The day after my first lesson, I was really excited and decided that I wanted to get that electric guitar restrung. I went in right when they opened and spoke with Matt. He advised that it would cost $40 to restring the guitar. I had no problem with that since I didn't know how to do it. He said that it's something I should learn. I agreed but I've only had one lesson and figured that it was something that I would just learn down the line. He was about to write up the ticket and then asked me if I was in a rush. I told him no and then he said that for half the price, he would string it and show me how to do it. THAT WAS AWESOME of him. He showed me how to string it and afterwards showed me how to tune it. Even though I bought a tuner when I got my acoustic, the tuner that he used was sweet (a Snarky I think). So sweet that I bought one along with the tools that I would need if I needed to restring a guitar again. I was expecting to not get the electric back until the next day or so. Instead, I walked out with it that day, was taught how to string and tune a guitar and he was even nice enough to write the notes of each string on one of his cards so I knew what notes to hit when tuning. I paid for a tuner, a peg winder, the strings and 20 dollars for him to show me how to do it. I spent about the same money than I would have if I had just sent it to the shop. Thanks Matt!!
Looking forward to the rest of my lessons.
Every time I go to Bill's music store I'm all always treated with excellent customer service they always have what I need at that time.
Great Selection. Decent prices, but not bottom dollar.
I have ben going to Bill's with my Dad since I was a Kid. My First Guitar came from Bill's
And my First Drum set as well I have all ways loved going to Bill's Music all the time PJ. Mikey and Nino are awesome Mikey has helped out my dad all the time as PJ helped me I highly recommend these guys all the way.
I all ways wanted a Synthesizer Bill's EZ Pay plan
Help me get it. My latest purchased was my Fender Squire mini Strat Guitar and Case Thanks to Nino he
helped me out with I got both Guitar and Case for a vary good Price I highly recommend Nino as well. many Thanks go's to Bill and his Crew for providing
Excellent helping knowledge and 100% customer Satisfaction on every visit bills prices are Good that's why I keep coming back. If you want to Find a good old fashioned music store
Bill's Music is the best place to go check them out.
Bill's is just the best local music store. You will not find a more friendly helpful staff. There are no high-pressure sales tactics. I love going there. Their repair center is also terrific. I feel so fortunate to have a store like this near me.
I have taken piano lessons at Bills. Instructor, Craig Sparks, is professional, patient and a fine instructor. I have also had an instrument repaired. Lee was also friendly, professional and capable.
Has great lessons they give and really cheap on used guitars I bought a used one that i am still using after 20 years! They also have plenty of new ones and they allow you to play the guitar in the store
Food was absolutely delicious and great customer service during this pandemic.
I've been coming to Bill's for years. Great selection, friendly staff, and reasonable prices.
Their are 2 animatronics from the PTT days in there!
Marc took time to answer every question I had, and I had A LOT of them. He was completely interested and involved in what we were discussing and the product solution he recommended for me to purchase was right ON and reasonably priced. I'm very please with my Bill's Music House experience.
I've been to dozens of music stores all over the country, and Bill's Music has continuously been one of the most unsatisfying and frustrating stores I've ever visited.
I've been to Bill's music a number of times, and experienced the same thing every time, so this is what your experience at Bill's will be like: you'll walk in and see the tall ceilings and mass of instruments and it looks pretty nice. They have a fair amount of good gear, but almost everything is overpriced, and all the guitars are locked up in glass cases. There isn't anything wrong with that, but the lengths to track down an employee to unlock a case and pay attention to you, even when you're a serious buying customer, is extreme. Its almost like there's no employees in the store, or they're hiding out in a corner talking. So if you can manage to track down an employee to get a guitar out for you before you just walk out, good luck finding another employee to put it back for you.
The customer service here is probably one of the worst I've experienced. During my last visit here, I was interested in buying some pedals, and after the 10+ minutes it took me to find an employee to get a pedal out for me, I told him there were a couple I was interested in and he said, "okay man, I'll leave the case unlocked for you so you can try out whatever you want." so when I went to put a pedal back and try out another, a different employee came up behind me and said "you're not allowed to touch those, you need to grab an employee if you want to try something out." So I just walked out and I will never be back.
If you're thinking about going to Bill's Music, don't waste your time. Drive just a little farther and go to a music store with far better service and selection, like Garrett Park Guitars in Annapolis, or Atomic Music in Beltsville.
Before ordering, I called to inquire about a few things. The staff was tops! They were extremely helpful, polite, knowledgeable, and down to earth.
I received my Rickenbacker 4003 Jet Glow super fast! It is my first time buying a Rickenbacker, and buying from Bill's Music House, and I am impressed all the way around with both!
I WILL be buying from Bill's again and would definitely recommend them to EVERYONE!
The Rickenbacker is as you would expect.... AWESOME, especially brand new out of the box! Just wow! It screams quality just sitting there. It is so high end, it was even in tune right out of the case! That's amazing! It plays and sounds like a dream. The neck is so fast and inviting to the fingers, it's hard to put it down. It's worth every penny I paid, and then some. If you haven't played one, you are missing out!
Thanks so much to Bill's Music, and Leni for the great treatment and making a childhood dream come true!
PJ was very helpful with my trade in gear. I Love the bass guitar and amp. I'm glad I came to Bill's because I walked out very pleased with my purchases. He showed me a Fender rumble 350 bass amp that Fender does not make anymore. I walked out of Bill's with gear that is getting hard to find.
Too many Guitars to count, Payment plans for your instrument of choice Huge selection of music related accessories. Plenty of Friendly Salesmen with Experience ready to help any way they can. Never know who might be there, trying out a variety of instruments
Very nice place with good musical instruments and accessories. I was helped by a guy named Brian who was very nice and not pushy or weird.
I'm super happy with my new Bass which I am enjoying learning.
I would 100 percent recommend buying from Bills Music over any online store like Amazon.
As I said before, I have always loved shopping at Bill's. You, Tracy, and Bill made myself and Beth feel as we are a part of your family. I will always be a customer at Bill's. Thank you for treating myself and Beth the way you did. Beth said she now knows why I come to you and Tracy for my needs. Thank you again my long distance friend.
They're paticient, n helpful n will answer all your questions. If you're trying to get your music straighten out, they're there to help you make it so when you're ready to go out on stage in front a million people you'll have what it takes. If eat sleep n sing or play music n need help go to bills music store the musicians there will give you what you need to succeed they will even help you find n pick the right instrument for you n make sure your finger will fit n you are comfortable with your new or used instrument
I've been shopping at Bill's for more than 30 years since my dad started taking me there as a kid. I've bought several guitars, amps, cables, pedals, etc.
Recently, I went in to shop for a new pedal where I goofed around with their pedal station but didn't fall in love with any of the pedals. I decided to think on it.
I got home, decided I knew which pedal I wanted, called and spoke to Mikey. He was great. Pulled the pedal aside, I picked it up, had a little trouble with a basic detail, and he helped me out over the phone.
Mikey didn't make me feel foolish, or inexperienced, or out of my depth like a lot of folks in music stores tend to do sometimes without realizing it. The experience was one of the most pleasant I've had at Bill's and I will definitely be back.
Came in to sell my acoustic guitar that I wasn't using and was taking up space.
Bill himself looked it over and offered pretty much what I'd expected to get for it.
Great experience. Definitely would recommend checking out Bill's Music.
Bill s is simply a great place to shop. They have an extensive inventory, and more importantly, you ll find instruments here that you won t find at the chain music stores. The sales staff is friendly and the store is just really cool place to visit if you re a musician. I don t get to the Baltimore area too often, but when I do, a stop at Bills is always on the list.
Not sure who they paid to build up their positive reviews but it has got to be fake. There can t possibly be 200+ people visiting and taking the time to review this dinky place. Terrible experience with this merchant. If you are planning to check them out from out of town don t waste your time. I had a terrible experience with rudeness. There s just no room for that period.
So far everythings been great, always a pleasure at bills music.
Friendly service with all sorts music instruments available to buy and play!
I actually had a very positive experience with Mick. He was super knowledgable and very helpful and assisted me with choosing the right sized guitar for my son's birthday present. It was perfect and my son loved it!
Drove all the way from Poconos for other reasons. My experiences in past with Bill's Music has always been exceptional. So during an outing we stopped in store as my daughter has expressed interest in learning guitar. I wanted to show her this store as they offer such a wide variety of quality instruments and services. She was blown away! Came in to buy a beginner's book..walked out with it and a new guitar. Thank you guys! You made a little girl and her parents day. Friendly, caring and top notch service!
Honesty, expertise in teaching, customer service and repair as well as extremely helpful.
It was my first time in your store and I enjoyed myself. You have a good range of Keyboards, ready to sample, and I played a dozen without someone hovering over me, very refreshing. Then I made a purchase, in the price range I was looking for and good quality. Thanks and I hope to return soon.
I was very impressed with your store; selection, inventory etcetera.
Nino was very friendly and helpful. I have not paid as much attention
To my guitar as I should for some time and am planning to fix that.
I m sure you will see me again.
MATT! Dude, thanks so much for all of your help and expertise when selecting a guitar... The Yamaha sounds great!! Hey let me know if you guys ever come across a Cordoba GK Guitar or a used Boss RC-2 Looper station... I would be very interested in either of those items. Bills is the BEST!!!!!!
Great place no matter what you came to look for - a guitar, an amp, pedals, strings or just new picks. And I visit the place pretty often. More often probably that I should. But I do believe in supporting local businesses where I live At Bill's I always get to work with supremely knowledgeable and friendly staff. Cole was simply awesome! Thank you again, Cole! And Brian Lis who helped me too is absolutely great! Thank you, Brian! You guys are fantastic! Pleasure to work with!
Good service expensive and not expensive ... Great deals too.
Ron and Gib in the service department are top notch. They do superior work at a reasonable price. I've never been disappointed. I've done business with Bill's for many years; buying guitars, amps, strings, stands, and electronics. The staff at Bill's are great to work with it. I am very lucky that Bill's is in Catonsville, and I hope they're there for many years to come.
First time shopper and was mightily impressed. From the warm greeting upon entering to the super service by PJ. I had searched for the 4 things I needed online first, but ended up buying everything at Bill's. I'm coming back for sure.
This is a generous 2 stars because i used to shop there years ago... I called twice to see if they had parts i needed to repair a marching snare, the first call was to see if they had a specific head, they transferred me to the drum section and then the drum section put me on hold while he checked with the "drum guy." He returned a minute later and said they did not have the head i wanted and they only had one head in the size i needed. so i took my business elsewhere... Later in the day I called again to see if they had a strap bridge and leg rest... After another transfer and check with the "drum guy," I was told that they did not have the bridge because they did not know what it was. So i asked about the leg rest an i was told... "we were both puzzled about that because if you are marching, why would you need a leg rest?" At this point, i am convinced that they had now idea what was going on so i decided to take a trip across town and see for myself. First thing i saw when i got to the percussion section was the heads I origionally called about... Not only was it the head I was looking for, but they had at least twenty heads that fit the drum size i needed. As i walked around a bit more, I found a drum with a leg rest on it.. so I asked an employee if they had more. After four employees came over and had no idea about the section, finally one guy came ove and found a WHOLE BOX of leg rests! i could have saved a whole days running around and shopping and got almost everything i needed in one place. My friend who knows alomst erverything there is to knoe about drums offered to work part time in the store and they said they dont need any help. Sorry Bill, but you need to hire people that know their section.
I recently purchased a new Paul Reed Smith Special Semi-Hollow Limited Edition (PRS Experience Guitar) from Bill's. The sales staff and sales manager patiently worked with me and took the time to show me all possible options and finishes. I live out of state and was in town visiting and Bill's carefully packed shipped the guitar to my home address (at no extra cost), arranging it to arrive around the same time I returned.
If I find myself in the area again while guitar shopping, I would make another purchase.
Lots of used equipment and what seems like decent prices. I like that of the 2 times I have been during the last couple months, no one has really tried to talk to me. It's personal preference, but I prefer to be left alone to browse the store.
I was in town visiting my fiance's family on thursday. I stopped in your store and was in awe at how enormous it was! Immediately i was greeted by several smiling employees. When the need to ask a question arose, most of the associates were busy, so i patiently waited until a young man named Logan approached me with a smile. He had seemed to be rather busy with putting away merchandise so i refused his help, but he insisted. I had questions regarding the Bauhaus Tenor Sax and he provided excellent answers and recommendations. I noticed the phrase "stage helper" or something to that effect under the name on his shirt and i asked what it meant. He explained his job description and how he isnt a salesmen, yet he provided EXCELLENT customer service. A young man named Nino (i believe) was also very courteous. When im ready to purchase, Bills is where im going!
Bill, Enjoyed being at your shop the other day. Service was great, and I will be back. Thanks.
Had a fantastic experience working with Bill's Music staff. PJ specifically helped coordinate a live sound rental for a friend's wedding. PJ was very professional and through. He helped spec the right system and ensure the proper accessories were provisioned. A very positive experience with competitive rates to other companies. I can not speak highly enough of the process and would strongly recommend it to anyone else looking to rent professional gear.
I have been buying sound and lighting equipment from Bill's Music for almost twenty years. It's always been a positive experience.
Thank you so much bills music my experience is always amazing at your store it's like a baby walking into Toys R Us but on the grown man tip so really thank you so much and your service is always impeccable everyone I encountered is so helpful and delightful
I took my American Deluxe Tele in and they replaced the jack housing with a cross threaded piece and then screwed on the jack plate covering the incredibly poor quality and workmanship. I will never take another guitar to Bills.
I had a wonderful experience at Bill s Music as I always do!! I can t thank Brian Lis enough for taking the time to get me the right mixer at the right price. He explained everything to me. Your store and staff are amazing!!! If you love music, you need to visit Bill s Music in Catonsville.
I was just enjoying sometime in my playground of sorts and luckily saw this golden guitar that caught my eye. I had to put my hands on and after inspection have it! As usual, my experience with the staff at Bill's was pleasant! It's great to support a local staple!
Great selection, especially of quality used gear. This is the kind of place where you can see and play those cool guitars and basses you've only ever seen online.
Great customer service good people know that music on point
Been dealing with Bill's since 1970. Have had some great experiences and some less than perfect but always left satisfied. My last 2 visits where entertained by BA who was totally professional, didn't fast talk me or rush me out to get to the next customer. I'll be back!
We had a great experience. Great help and the sales rep knew how to play slide which was way cool cause I was buying a resonator. Again thanks. We will return !
very solid stock of inventory and knowledgeable staff.
I came in to buy a Bugera bass head and cabinet. Matt the sales rep set it up and let me experiment with some sounds. I asked if there was something that sounded "better", he showed me a few others and I settled on the fender. Really nice guy, no pressure. I'll see you guys soon. A truly pleasant experience.
The staff is honest. They carry quality products and 99% of the time, what I need is in stock!! The only thing I can't stand is that nobody calls when serviced equipment is ready for pick up.
Bill's is great. Ron's super tune is the best setup anywhere. I won't have anyone else setup my guitars. He really works the magic. Highly recommend. Also great gear selection! Great place to satisfy your gear acquisition syndrome.
Courteous, knowledgeable, friendly, reasonably priced. Your friendly neighborhood music store!
Hi bill. Thanks for the email re quality of service. I had a great experience the other evening. I believe it was Mikey that help me with my banjo-guitar. He was helpful showing me what was wrong with the setup and provided some tips on how to play my mando (been sitting it it's case for years). Overall great experience and I will recommend your business as the opportunity arises.
My fiance Sam and I have visited Bills Music House a few times and have received impeccable service.from the entire staff. Music of all genres brings us all together.
GOD BLESS US ALL; Allah; Budda or whomever we pray to.
Sincerely,
Gretchen Hendricks and Sam Walker
Christian was great to work with and was helpful. He is an asset to Bill's Music.
This is the best guitar store in Baltimore, no wonder why it sells interments since the 60s.
It has a lot of variety in guitars and other instruments as well, attention was amazing, the guy was very patient when I was choosing my guitar letting me try all the guitars I wanted and also explaining the differences between one and the others and giving me information about materials, circuits and the place the manufacturer makes it in a few words a amazing customer service.
They always got what I need ! They always know what I need!
polkaudio.com
