I bought a Fipple recorder as part of my campaign to keep arthritic fingers moving. It’s great. Makes a good sound but best of all the holes at the foot of the instrument are perfectly placed for my... See more
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Review summary
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Reviews shaping this summary
They carry more obscure parts and instruments that are hard to get from other places. The delivery took a bit longer than expected, but that might be just because of the current global crises, so can'... See more
Company replied
I got in contact with The Early Music Shop and was put through to the Snape Maltings branch. The member of staff (I think her name was Esther) was fantastic! She went above and beyond to check the rec... See more
Company replied
The recorder bag I bought was exactly as described and fits all my recorders snugly. Shipping from the UK was reasonable, and the package arrived quickly. I would buy from this company again. I... See more
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Company details
- Music Store
- Musical Instrument Rental Service
- Musical Instrument Repair Shop
- Musical Instrument Store
- Sheet Music Store
- Used Musical Instrument Store
Written by the company
The Early Music Shop is the largest source of historical musical instruments worldwide. We are an independent music shop specialising in Early Music instruments, accessories and printed music. Our expert staff have years of experience helping you to find the perfect instrument for you!
Contact info
The Early Music Shop, Salts Mill, Victoria Road, BD18 3LA, Shipley, United Kingdom
- +44 1274 288100
- hello@earlymusicshop.com
- earlymusicshop.com
4.7
Excellent
1K reviews
Asks customers to review
This company invites their customers to review, whether positive or negative
Replied to 78% of negative reviews
Typically replies within 1 month
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The staff were very helpful
The staff were very helpful, very clear about the product and the transporting of it and I was very happy when it arrived safely and on time. Thank you
29 May 2026
Reply from The Early Music Shop
Thanks for letting us know, this is great feedback which will be shared with our team.
Reply from The Early Music Shop
Thank you for your review. It's much appreciated.
Reply from The Early Music Shop
Thank you for your review, we're pleased to hear all is well.
Very efficient and swift response.
27 May 2026
Reply from The Early Music Shop
Thank you, good to hear.
Everything was delivered OK, however...
Everything was delivered in expected amount of time. Nothing was damaged, but the package had been ripped and the Royal Mail had to wrap it in a separate bag. One item was very small and could have fallen through the rip easily. More robust packaging should be considered.
26 May 2026
Reply from The Early Music Shop
Thank you for your helpful feedback, which we will pass on to our packaging department. We will certainly look at our packaging to see if we can improve it.
Great Service
I'm very pleased with the recorder I received. Shipped from the UK to the USA, it arrived very quickly and in perfect shape. I'm considering a couple other instruments now!
26 May 2026
Reply from The Early Music Shop
So glad to hear it arrived safely and you're happy with your purchase! Do be in touch if there is anything else we can help you with.
Happy Satisfied Customer
Shipping was immediate and the recorder arrived safely and in a timely manner. Very happy overall.
26 May 2026
Reply from The Early Music Shop
This is good to hear, thank you so much for your feedback.
Prompt delivery; good communication
I really like the communication emails ( even though automatically generated) related to my purchase. The Sigo recorder arrived in perfect condition.
I may like to suggest all the packaging be more environmentally friendly.
Would definitely buy from this company again.
22 May 2026
Reply from The Early Music Shop
Thank you for your review. We're pleased to hear that all is well, and that your SIGO arrived safely.
We also appreciate your suggestion regarding environmentally friendly packaging. Sustainability is something we continue to review, and customer feedback like yours helps us identify areas where we can improve while still ensuring instruments are well protected during transit.
Thank you for choosing The Early Music Shop.
Truly beautiful musical instruments of…
Truly beautiful musical instruments of great quality. Also appreciate the maintenance advice cards.
3 March 2026
Reply from The Early Music Shop
Thank you for your feedback, great to hear that the maintenance cards are a helpful addition. Enjoy playing!
Excellent selection at various price ranges
I really enjoyed the website. There were plentiful choices of my preferred instrument, and a excellent selection in various price ranges. I was able to find an entry level maple recorder at an excellent price. My instrument arrived safely despite being sent internationally.
18 May 2026
Reply from The Early Music Shop
Thank you for your review. We're delighted to hear that you found our range of recorders easy to browse and that you were able to find the right instrument at a price that suited you.
We hope you enjoy many happy hours of music-making with your new recorder, and we look forward to serving you again in the future.
My experience was great with Early…
My experience was great with Early Music Shop but I was surprised to have to pay 17€ for the customs !
The Brexit made it Esther more expansive !
22 May 2026
Reply from The Early Music Shop
Sorry to hear you had customs fees to pay. Unfortunately this is out of our control. But glad to hear that you have had a good experience nonetheless. Enjoy your purchase!
A very well made gut A string …
A very well made gut A string for my baroque cello. Easy to fit and settled in tune quite quickly. All at a reasonable price.
19 May 2026
Reply from The Early Music Shop
Thank you, we appreciate your feedback.
Great experience
Fast shipping, well packaged (box got beat up but the recorder was in perfect shape), and the recorder sounds fantastic. I really appreciate the recordings so I can hear the differences between the various models and woods. What I heard when I got it was exactly what I expected.
19 May 2026
Reply from The Early Music Shop
This is good to know, thank you. Especially pleased that the recorders helped inform your decision. Enjoy your new instrument!
The EMS responded quickly and were…
The EMS responded quickly and were helpful and polite in explaining the approval service.
18 May 2026
Reply from The Early Music Shop
Great, thank you for your feedback.
Reply from The Early Music Shop
Lovely, thank you for letting us know!
Instrument arrived in US quickly
Instrument arrived in US quickly. Questions answered efficiently.
18 May 2026
Reply from The Early Music Shop
Glad it arrived with you quickly. Enjoy playing your new instrument!
Book packaging needs improvement
The book quality is excellent, however the packaging needs to be improved. The hardcover book was shipped loose in a cardboard envelope mailer with no padding. This resulted in the book corners being dented and a page getting crinkled when the invoice was wedged into the book, which ruined a lovely Rembrandt illustration on that page :(
I recommend using a padded mailing envelope for shipping hard cover books. The book should be wrapped or sealed to prevent moisture during mailing and placed between two pieces of cardboard to protect the cover. The printed invoice can be taped to the cardboard so it doesn't slide around and cause the crinkled page.
5 May 2026
Reply from The Early Music Shop
Thank you for your feedback. We’re so pleased to hear that you were happy with the quality of the book itself, but we’re very sorry to hear that it arrived with damaged corners and a crinkled page - especially affecting such a beautiful illustration.
We really appreciate the time you have taken to outline your packaging suggestions in such detail. Your comments are extremely helpful, and we will certainly review our packing process for hardcover books to help prevent this happening in future.
Please do feel free to contact us directly at hello@earlymusicshop.com, as we would be very happy to help resolve this for you.
Reply from The Early Music Shop
Well, thank you very much. We appreciate your feedback.
Excellent service
Excellent service. Very quick delivery. Peter was able to give advice on choice of instrument and in my case the recorder specialist was on the shop and sfo tapped onto his expertise
14 May 2026
Reply from The Early Music Shop
Thank you for letting us know, we'll pass your comments on to Peter and Barry. Glad they were able to help you out. Enjoy your new instrument!
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