Why Buy From The Pied Piper Music Store

Look, you've got options. Amazon, Guitar Center, Sweetwater. They're all real and they all work fine for certain things. So we're not going to pretend the competition doesn't exist or talk you out of shopping around. What we will do is tell you what we actually offer, and let you decide.

Who we are

The Pied Piper Music Store is the online home of a family business that has been around since 1967. Chuck and Larry Levine started it in Huntington, West Virginia. At its peak the company ran five locations across West Virginia and Kentucky. In 1991, Music Trades Magazine ranked The Pied Piper the third largest full-line music retailer in the United States. Started from scratch, in Huntington, West Virginia.

Today the company operates as The Pied Piper Music Store online, with two physical locations: The Pied Piper of Charleston, a 10,000 square foot store on Corridor G in Charleston, WV that has been open since the early 1980s, and The Pied Piper of New Albany, a hands-on showroom at 3 South High Street in New Albany, Ohio serving the Columbus area. Chuck Levine's daughter Amy runs both. Same family, same standards, same accountability.

We've been at this since 1967

Nearly 60 years in this business means we know it at a level that a newer operation simply can't replicate. Our relationships with manufacturers run deep. When you call us, you're talking to people who have spent years in music retail, not someone who started last month and is reading specs off a manufacturer sheet.

Our staff actually plays

This should be the baseline for any music store, but honestly it isn't always. Our people play guitar, bass, keys, drums. They gig. Some teach. They've formed opinions about gear through actual use, not marketing materials.

Ask one of us whether the Takamine GD51CE is worth stepping up from the GD20CE. You'll get a real answer, not a comparison chart. That's the difference between talking to a musician and talking to a retail associate.

You can pick it up and play it

Every instrument we have in stock can be played before you buy it. Plug in the amp. Strum the guitar unplugged and through a speaker back to back. Sit at the piano and feel whether the weighted action is actually what you want.

Nobody buys a guitar they've never touched without some risk. We take that risk off the table. For anything over a few hundred dollars, that matters a lot. Come into Charleston or New Albany and spend some time on the floor.

We're an authorized dealer

Fender, Yamaha, Taylor, Takamine, D'Addario. We're authorized for the brands that matter to most players. That means the instruments are genuine, warranties are valid, and if something goes sideways after the sale, you have a real dealer to call. The Pied Piper of Charleston has been the only authorized Fender dealer in the Charleston market for decades. That's not a small thing.

Free shipping on orders over $49

Orders over $49 ship free. That covers guitars, accessories, strings, pedals, keyboards, and the vast majority of what we carry. Large or bulky items like full drum kits and certain amps may not qualify due to carrier size and weight restrictions. Those are clearly noted and shipping is calculated at checkout so there are no surprises.

And unlike the big box sites, when your order ships from us it's packed by the same people you'd talk to if you called. Not a warehouse picker who has never touched a guitar.

We answer the phone

Call Charleston at 304-744-0500 or New Albany at 614-259-7611 and a person picks up. You can ask what we have in stock, get a straight answer on whether a piece of gear is right for what you're doing, or set up a time to come in. We can also do shopping by appointment if that works better for your schedule.

You can also reach us at alevine@thepiedpipermusicstore.com.

What you order online is what we actually have

When you order from our site, it ships from our store. Not a fulfillment center we've never seen. We pack it ourselves. If there's a problem with your order, you call us directly. No ticket system, no hold music, no explaining your situation to someone who has no idea who you are.

We're not trying to be everything to everyone

We're a family-owned music store with nearly 60 years behind us and two physical locations where you can come in and actually play something before you buy it. We give honest advice, we stand behind what we sell, and we pick up the phone. That's the whole thing. If that's what you're looking for, we think you'll be glad you came to us.

Come see us or shop online:

Have something to say about your experience?

We've been selling instruments since 1967 — not because it's a business, but because music is genuinely what this family loves. When you take the time to share your experience, it helps other musicians find the right gear, and it means a lot to a store like ours.

 

If you've bought from us — online or in person — we'd be grateful if you left a review. It takes two minutes and it makes a real difference.