Marsh Woodwinds

Very disappointing. We left our daughters instrument for a week and they didn’t even touch it. She was without her instrument in class for a week. We will have to find somewhere else to go now. And it was very out of our way to go to.

My wife recently got a hankering to learn the clarinet. After reading the mostly positive reviews here, we decided to visit Marsh Woodwinds to see about buying something used.
Neither of us had any knowledge of what to look for so we asked a guy behind the counter, whose name we later learned was Hugh, for help. He recommended starting with a plastic clarinet and he set one up with a new reed for my wife to try, but she really struggled to get any sound out of the thing.
Hugh then suggested that she try a recorder. He also told us that in his experience it’s easier to start out on the saxophone rather than the clarinet. That wasn’t really what my wife had in mind so she played a couple of recorders next. They sounded pretty enough but didn’t seem to inspire her very much.
That’s when I asked Hugh whether he would mind setting up a sax. No problem. He pulled a 20+ year old Alto off the rack, explained a few things about playing it, and handed it over to my wife. As soon as she started blowing, there was sound. Not exactly mellifluous, but loud and clear enough that she got lost in it, eyes closed and hips swaying. After a couple of minutes, Hugh said that she seemed to be taking to it like a natural. I thought so too and after channeling Coltrane for another 10 or 12 minutes, she was smitten.
Hugh worked out a fair price and included all sorts of extra stuff to sweeten the deal. We left the store feeling good about the entire experience, especially Hugh’s patience while we asked a load of questions and tried out different instruments.
That was yesterday. Since we got home, my wife has logged at least three or four hours on her new (old) sax, so Hugh’s instinct must have been right.
Highly recommended.

I went to Marsh Woodwinds to get my French Horn stringing redone. They did an excellent job, for a good price. They also did it very quickly (I was able to pick it up a couple of days later)! I highly recommend Marsh Woodwinds for anyone who needs an instrument repair.

I haven’t ever used Marsh Woodwinds as a store, either. Just played here as a venue and attended a few friend’s concerts. If you are in a teenage punk band, or a closeted guitar playing shoe gazer, or a bluesgrasscountryjam band ages 40 and up, you can probably play here. There’s funky stuff on the walls and a nice spread. There is a cat you can pet. It’s a sweet little venue. Like visiting a nice home with rock n roll involved.

What can I say about Marsh… Hm.
Since I have never actually utilized their retail function as a store, I will say that this review is for the repair work that they have done on my instruments.
First time going I had an issue with a clarinet. No note could be produced except for G (for those of you who don’t know, to make that note, all you have to do is blow air into the horn. No fingerings or anything special like that). Took the instrument to Marsh expecting to have to pay money out the wazoo to have the clarinet repaired. Guy took one look at the instrument and adjusted a screw. Suddenly, it worked again as if it was never «broken.» Since it was such a small thing, there was no charge, which I thought was really awesome.
For the second visit, we brought in an old C Melody saxophone that could be dated to just about one hundred years. I had tried to produce notes on it before with little success. Nothing could be done about the aesthetics, but after the guys at Marsh were through with it, they had the instrument working again properly, all notes produced and everything. They even threw in a new mouthpiece and reeds so it could be fiddled with (that is, in the right hands).
Last week, we brought a used (but new to me) Yamaha tenor sax in just to see if there was anything that needed to be done. A couple of the pads were replaced, but for the sake of making the instrument «easier to play.» Most other places I have gone to would have claimed that if all notes could come out, then nothing needed to be done. They gave up some lacquer polish, and the instrument sounds great.
I am always proud of the work that Marsh does. I have been told for years that it’s the place to go. So if you’re looking for a woodwind repair shop, look no further than this fantastic shop.

This place is, hands down, the coolest place on Earth. I got married here. That’s how cool I think it is.
Yes, the customer service can be a little snarky, but that’s just the owner trying to get a rise out of people. Perhaps not everyone’s cup of tea, but trust me when I say that he is a deeply kind person, as are the other employees.
I would NEVER trust my instrument in the hands of anyone else, and I’ve had my instrument worked on by the «best.» In my humble opinion, this is the finest place for flute repair in this region of the country.
Check out Marsh Woodwinds Upstairs for great local and regional live music. And beer. And snacks.
I love Marsh Woodwinds!!!

If you’re rusty and aren’t exactly sure what you need, don’t go here until you figure it out. Marsh is a decent store with obvious professionals, but they aren’t so stellar on the retail customer service.
Reeds. I needed reeds for my saxophone. I stopped by Marsh hoping to restock. Typically, I buy several boxes at a time, a relatively expensive venture. No typical purchase this time, though.
For some reason the store was diverting customers for the retail side through the repair shop. With instruments in various stages of repair, and sheet music crowding the small aisle, navigating to the retail side is a bit confusing to a first-​time customer like me. So, I waited for one of the two repair shop employees to wave me past. While I waited, I overheard one of them explaining to another customer the best repair technique to use for his trumpet and why the option the customer wanted wouldn’t work. I was impressed enough with how well he explained it, that I may keep Marsh in mind for an upcoming repair.
The retail side? Totally different. Because I buy so many boxes of reeds at a time, it’d been a while. I was a bit rusty on the brands available, and I noticed they didn’t carry the one I wanted. The gentleman available to help — didn’t. I could have dealt with his rote indifference in the questions he asked, except when he started to laugh. Wow. Nothing like laughing at a customer who’s expecting you to be a bit more forthcoming with information. Total turnoff. I ended up buying only one box of whatever brand he mentioned just so I could get out before I lost my temper.
Admittedly, the question I led with was similar to going into a bookstore and asking for the «book with the soft cover and having a picture of some sort» on the cover. Total doofus move. But still, the condescension in his voice from then on, was unnecessary.
Customer service on the retail side: 1 star.
Because I was partly to blame for not being prepared, I’ll give it 2 stars. Repair side: 4 stars.