Set up in storeAcoustic guitar, solid spruce top
Mahogany back and sides, set up on our bench
$489
Guitars set up right and keys you can try
Fret and Key Music sells acoustic and electric guitars, digital pianos, ukuleles and every string, cable and reed in between. Each guitar is set up on our bench before it leaves, and repairs and lessons start with a short enquiry.
- Every guitar set up before sale
- A quiet room to try anything
- Strings, reeds and cables in stock
- Repairs and lessons by enquiry
Off the wall and out of the keyboard room
New instruments, each checked and adjusted here before it is sold. Prices include the first setup.
Set up in store
Electric guitar, double cutaway
Two single coil pickups, bolt on maple neck
$649
88 key digital piano
Weighted hammer action, with stand and pedal
$899
Ukulele starter pack
Ukulele, padded bag, clip on tuner, spare strings
$119
Guitar strings, three sets
Fresh stock, sealed against the air
$24
Checkout adds the delivery fee, and guitars travel boxed with a fresh set of strings. Upright pianos are quoted with carriage and a first tuning once you enquire.
Bench work and what it costs
Guitars, basses and keyboards come to the bench whether or not they were bought here. Most jobs are finished within a week.
| Job | What is done | From |
|---|---|---|
| Full setup | Neck relief, action and intonation adjusted, a clean and new strings fitted | $65 |
| Restring | Old strings off, fretboard cleaned and oiled, new strings stretched and tuned | $20 |
| Fret level and dress | High frets levelled, crowned and polished to cure buzzing | $180 |
| Electronics | Crackling jacks, pots and switches cleaned or replaced | $45 |
| Nut or saddle | A new bone nut or saddle shaped by hand to suit the strings | $70 |
| Keyboard key repair | Sticking or silent keys opened up and put right | $60 |
Every price is confirmed before work starts, once the instrument has been seen.
A quiet room to try before you buy
Behind the shop floor is a small room with soft walls, a stool, a piano bench and a pair of amplifiers. Take any guitar or keyboard in there and play it for as long as you need, without an audience.
Neck shape, weight and the feel of the keys matter more than any photograph can show. Staff will sit in if you want a second pair of ears, and step out if you would rather play alone.
- Any instrument off the wall, for as long as you like
- Amplifiers and headphones to plug into
- Left handed models ordered in on request
Lessons in the back rooms
Guitar, bass, piano and ukulele, taught one to one by working musicians to players aged eight and up. Every first lesson starts with the music you want to play.
Single lesson
30 minutes$34
One lesson to fix a habit, learn a song or see whether lessons suit you.
- Any of the four instruments
- Weekday afternoons and Saturdays
Term of ten
ten lessons$310
Ten weekly half hours at a fixed time, with a practice plan between each.
- The same teacher every week
- One lesson moved with a day's notice
Starter group
a class$18
Six beginners on ukulele or guitar, one evening a week for six weeks.
- Instruments lent for the first class
- For ages twelve and over
Lessons are arranged through the form below and paid at the shop. Teachers are matched to your instrument, your level and the music you like.
Around the shop floor
The guitar wall, the keyboard room, the repair bench and the drawers of strings.
Played, fixed and taught (example reviews)
A secondhand electric that buzzed on every fret came back after one setup playing better than guitars twice its price.
Forty minutes in the quiet room choosing between two acoustics. Nobody hovered, and the advice, once asked for, was straight.
Our daughter joined the starter group at twelve and moved on to weekly lessons. Now she practises without being asked.
Questions from the shop floor
What does a setup include?
Neck relief, string height, intonation, a clean and fresh strings. Every new guitar we sell has one before it leaves, and a second check within six months is part of the price.
Do you repair instruments bought elsewhere?
Yes. Bring it in or describe the fault in the form, and you get a price before any work starts. Most jobs are done within a week.
Can instruments be tried before buying?
Always. Anything on the wall or in the keyboard room can be played in the quiet room, with amplifiers and headphones to hand.
How are pianos delivered?
Digital pianos go out boxed with a courier. Upright pianos travel with specialist movers, quoted with the price, and are tuned in your home about three weeks later, once they have settled.
How young can lessons start?
One to one lessons start at eight and the starter groups at twelve. Adults who have never played are among our most regular students.
Can an instrument be returned?
Unplayed instruments in their original boxes can come back within 14 days. Strings, reeds and anything adjusted to your own request cannot be returned once fitted.
Ask about a repair, a lesson or a piano
Tell us the instrument and what it needs, the lessons you are after or the piano you have in mind. Describe faults in words, such as where a string buzzes or which key sticks. A price or a time comes back to you inside two working days.
- Repair prices given before work starts
- Lessons matched to your music and level
- Payment arranged directly with the shop
Come in and play something
The shop stands on the corner of the arts quarter, opposite the community theatre, with level access to the shop floor and the quiet room.
Call the shop
Corner of the arts quarter, opposite the community theatre
Shop and bench hours
| Tuesday to Friday | 10:00 to 19:00 |
| Saturday | 9:30 to 18:00 |
| Sunday and Monday | Closed, lessons by arrangement |
Trading up
Ready for a better instrument? Bring the old one in and we make an offer against the new one, in writing and good for a week.