Do you repair instruments?
Given the sheer number of instruments that pass through our door, it has become necessary to limit our repair services to only those instruments that we have sold or instruments from brands we currently represent. If you’re a past client with a guitar you purchased from us 20 years ago, or a more recent owner, we’re here to service your instrument. Just reach out and let us know the nature of your problem, and if we can’t service it in house, we have some of the best luthiers in the business at our disposal.
If you'd like to schedule service, we ask that you fill out a Repair Request form before bringing any instruments to the store. We'll follow up with a work order number and arrange a time for you to drop off your repair.
For those instruments that weren’t purchased at The Music Emporium, we invite you to reach out to any of the following local techs. Their services have been vetted and they all have a long history of quality repair work.
Steve Morrill @ Steve Morrill Guitar Repair in Boxboro, MA - Electrics and Acoustics
Dan Armstrong @ Armstrong Guitars in Natick, MA - Electrics and Acoustics
Do you inspect or check instrument setups before shipping?
Yes. We always check instruments before shipping and if we determine they'd benefit from a setup, minor adjustment, or new strings, we happily perform this work before sending you the instrument. There's nothing worse than excitedly opening a new case to find an instrument that's not in play-ready condition!
Do you offer an approval period for instruments purchased online?
Yes. We offer a 48-hour approval period on instruments we ship.
Approval period exclusions:
- Shipments that are changed to "hold for pickup" once in transit do not qualify for the 48-hour approval period without prior approval from TME
- Our 48-hour approval period is not applicable to instruments that were played in our showroom and later purchased online
- Transactions involving trade-ins are considered final sales and not eligible for our approval period
Please click here for instructions on how to return your instrument should it not meet your expectations or if damage was incurred during shipping.
I noticed some instruments listed on your site say "Sale Pending". What does this mean?
Instruments that are listed as "Sale Pending" on our site have been purchased and shipped out for approval. If the instrument is returned to the shop after the 48 hour approval period, the "Sale Pending" designation will be removed and it will be available for purchase.
Can I reserve an instrument that you have on order?
Yes. We simply require a 20% non-refundable deposit to reserve any instrument that we have on order.
Do you offer layaways?
Yes. Our typical layaway starts with a 20% deposit and lasts for 30 to 45 days.
Do you accept trade-ins?
Yes. We consider trade-ins on a case-by-case basis, so let us know what you've got and what instrument you're interested in trading towards.
Please note that all sales involving trades are considered final.
Do you consign instruments?
Yes. Our standard consignment fee is 20%.
How it works:
- Qualifying consignments have a retail value of $2K or above. If your instrument will retail for less than $2K, let's discuss other options such as a trade-in or purchase of your instrument
- Consignment fees may be negotiable for higher value instruments
- Ready to consign? Click here to get the process started
Do you buy instruments outright?
Yes. We buy instruments of comparable quality to the instruments we stock. If we're not the right buyer, we'd be happy to recommend other quality shops that may be able to help.
Beatles or Stones?
Ooooh, no! We're not going there.
(Besides, everyone knows the correct answer is Led Zeppelin.)