Reviews The Musical Forest Cafe

Okay, here's the straight skinny. I called, asking about Classical (nylon strings) guitars...they asked if I was asking high-end or more normal...being a rank (as in stinky) beginner, I said more normal. We were driving by anyway, so my wife and I decided to stop by. The other music stores were okay...and I was able to try different guitars (but the choices were far more limited with Classical than with other guitars, and the price points were a bit higher than I was willing to comfortably spend). I walked in, and immediately I was greeted. The store itself seemed a bit crowded and it took me a moment to get my bearings. My initial impression wasn't super great but their immediate greeting of me made me want to come in and check it out anyway. I started looking around and once again, the guitars were mostly acoustic or electric. I found a few made by Austin (and realized they were all the same model) that were in my price range. I figured I would give it a go, since I was already there. They were very gracious and allowed me to play for as long as I liked. While playing this instrument, The owner came by and started chatting. My wife really liked the tone of the guitar (which is more about the guitar than the store), but the owner was extremely gracious while waiting for me to decide (and continued playing). As we chatted, I was asking questions and he was answering them all off the top of his head...my BS meter didn't even ping once! When I mentioned that it seemed like I was talking myself into buying the guitar, he responded saying that he wasn't there to talk anyone into anything. Talk about a cool guy! Talk about integrity! Compared to ALL of the other music stores I went to, this guy's place was head and shoulders above the rest! I decided (after discussing with my wife, of course) that this was the guitar for me, and this was the store I wanted to get it from. I'm already looking to have him do some other things to the guitar I already have, as well as take a look at my kid sized guitar I had when I was about 8...RUN, don't walk, to this store. These guys are great.

What an amazing place. My daughter takes voice lessons with Lia, who knows how to connect with her students and keep them engaged and interested in learning. Owners Mark and Mary will quickly make you feel at home in this family-oriented environment. We just completed our first Music Fest, which was a wonderful experience. Not like your typical recitals; very laid back, informal atmosphere which focuses on the children and their talent. We left with such a feeling of pride at seeing our daughter perform and witnessing first hand her growth in such a short period of time. We are very excited about continuing our journey with Music Center of North Haven and look forward to what’s to come!

I walked into the store on a mission to see if any ukulele sheet music was there, to give to a friend of mine. I walked out with a brand new LUNA acoustical guitar. Jared (?) at the register gave me much advice. Part of the purchase was a sort of "tune up" given by the owner. The owner was not there on the day of purchase but gladly accommodated me a few days later. He tweaked the neck a little which gave the guitar some unbelievable action. Nothing but great service at this place!

We've been going to the Music Center for years, and the owners are consistently great people. They also have incredibly trained and talented teachers.