This store is great for the novice as well as the pro. They have a friendly,knowledgeable staff. Protective of merchandise? They are located right on the street and theft is a fact of life. Most people handling instruments do need instruction. (My daughter doesn't even let me handle her instruments.)

My children have gotten excellent instruction and instruments there as had their mom. We've heard some wonderful concerts by performers we'd have never heard of otherwise and discovered great talents behind the counter.

When I visited middle c music I was on vacation in DC. I wanted to go to a really good guitar store and I had found middle c on google maps. It was my last stop before going home.

The moment I walked in, It felt like I went in the back door. Only about 1/5 of the store had guitars. The guitars were the standard fare (Fenders, Squires, Grestches, Daisy rock) but one guitar did catch my eye; a danelectro 65 copy. I was amazed that they had this oddball guitar, so I picked it up and played it. About one second after I touched the thing, the stores manager came over and asked me as if I was an eight year old holding the guitar wrong "young man, did you read the sign". I didn't noctice that there was a plastic clamp on all of the guitars that read "ask before handling". I had to ask to pick up the guitar, ask to plug it in, ask to play it, ask to unplug it, and ask to put it back. The whole time I played it I felt eyes on me. The guitars were nothing special other than the oddball dano, even the squires and daisy rock guitars had signs on them. The most expensive was a $1000 dollar grescth which technically speaking in guitar terms is "a bit high" not "Oh my god put that down, its worth your more than your house." I quickly left and hope to never return again. They made me feel like some brat messing with their precious guitars. I've never been to a guitar where I had to ask to play their cheapest model. If they wan't my buisness ever again, then they ought to visit another guitar store and take some notes.

If I could i'd give them half a star.