McNeela Instruments Reviews 

I purchased a new concertina for my wife prior to the Christmas holidays. When she opened it, much to our surprise, one of the high notes would not play. We were past the 30 days return window and I thought there could be problems sending it back to Dublin, Ireland for service. The folks at McNeela really came through and told us precisely how to fix the problem ourselves, which turned out to be fairly easy! The instrument now plays beautifully, and my wife is having a great time with it! Communication between us in the states and McNeela in Ireland was great! The response time was very quick! All in all, I would recommend this company to anyone wanting to buy genuine Irish musical instruments!

Ordered and received without issue and received promptly. Item very well packaged. Thanks

I had problems with the CD attached to Conal O Grada's flute tutor and was during several conversations perfectly supported by the helpdesk, in person by Sean, who gave me the practical hints to solve the problem. The format of the CD can not be opened by every PC or CD-player. But after all it came out great!

I got a tin wistle & I have to say it's the best one I've ever played. So thank you mcneelys music ill definitely be shopping with yous again. I'll be recommending yous to all my musical friends.

I had been looking to get an instrument to begin learning Irish traditional music for a couple years and my focus had most recently turned to the Irish tenor banjo. When I first came across “The Celt” from McNeela, it appeared to check all the boxes for affordable price and moderate quality—but it was out of stock. I kept looking at alternatives, but hadn’t settled on another brand or model that interested me enough to make the purchase.
Fortunately in November 2024, “The Celt” became available and it was offered a sale price that made my decision for me. The online purchase process was simple and secure, and the banjo arrived about two weeks later in Northwest Ohio, USA. Careful attention to packaging and shipping was evident, and I am impressed with fit and finish of the banjo—exceeding my expectations.
I have played “The Celt” 2-4 hours daily since it arrived, and, for a beginner instrument, it has met my needs completely. I’m learning session tunes as fast as I can add to my repertoire and playing in some slower sessions to start out, but am satisfied that this beautiful tenor banjo will serve me well for quite a while.
I heartily recommend this banjo and McNeela Music.

I had a spontaneous notion to buy a concertina, whilst I'd bought online before McNeela was new to me, but they delivered in spades both with keeping in touch and the incredibly well packaged item.
First class!

I bought a Low D Whistle in the run-up to Christmas and was more than pleasantly surprised at how quickly it reached me in Spain. This is my first whistle, so can't compare it to others, and I based my purchase on the other reviews on site. It has a beautiful tone and as time goes by, I'm coming to appreciate the quality of the workmanship. Beautiful product and excellent service. Thank you.

Instrument is exactly as advertised. Took a few weeks for delivery due to Christmas ordering but was still within time frame given.

Love the bodhran case I purchased through McNeela! Super protective, (which was the main goal), and beautiful as well! I couldn’t find anything in the US that looked this good and offered this much protection. And I really appreciate all of the informative and educational articles and videos you send. Thank you McNeela!

Bought a whistle from these guys - it's lovely and signed up for the beginner's course - absolutely brilliant - great pace and explanation...

I recently bought an electro acoustic guitar (Rathbone no. 3) from McNeela music and all I can say is that the guitar, price, customer service and the packaging that it arrived in was superb. I would have no hesitation buying from them again, thank you McNeela Music!

Gerald Casey

I ordered 'Strum Together: Celtic Songs' as a Christmas gift. The online ordering process was as you would expect. No issues and the confirmation came through quickly.

It was only when I was checking my bank statement a week or two later that I noticed McNeela had refunded the amount of the purchase. I took this to mean that the book was not available but received no communication to clarify either way.

This recent order was for tippers and it went smoothly.

I bought a violin/viola gig stand as a gift. It was delivered promptly and the recipient was very pleased with it.

Great instrument (low G whistle) at the price point and several positive comments from the Morris Dancers at practice too! Well packaged and delivering times within published terms. Thanks.

I recently bought a Wild Irish Whistle and shipped it to Singapore. The service was fast even in the holiday period. The whistle exceeded expectations and the after service support with offers of lessons etc. was inspired....now if I can just play it well enough...

Great communication and a swift delivery of a quality product. Well packaged

I made my order on November 23rd. I chose standard delivery, which I don't usually do, but at that time it was during Black Friday sale on their website, and on my checkout page it was stated above the delivery section that during the sale, express delivery is free, while below they still gave 2 options: Standard (free) and Express (EUR50) -- hence why I chose standard, thinking it's supposed to be sent with express delivery.

I even made a note on the purchase asking them to contact me if I should have chosen the express delivery and pay for it.

As stated on An Post tracking, my order was processed on November 28, then the parcel was sent from Dublin on December 10th, and that was the last update on their website.

Nearing the end of December, I sent a couple messages to McNeela to confirm the whereabouts, until they finally replied after almost a week, to let me know that they are not able to track the parcel and the parcel was sent using standard delivery, so I'll just have to wait.

I thought, oh that's not what the checkout page said, but ok I guess it's fine, I'd just have to wait a bit longer.

I waited until January 31st then I contacted An Post, which then told me that my parcel was already returned from London to Dublin on December 17th!

I sent messages and emails to McNeela, but received no response. I don't know if they check their mailbox rarely or they just feel that this issue is not important. I am the buyer yet I am the one who has to flip the table upside down to even get information. Ironically, they send me emails every day about discounts and promotions.

Plus, An Post customer service is atrocious without even displaying the intention to help.

Currently still waiting for McNeela's action to track my parcel and resend it, or just refund my money. EUR778 is not a small amount for me so I am not going to let this go easily.

I have sent three emails to their customer service over the past month, inquiring about an instrument I was very interested in purchasing. In my messages, I also expressed great appreciation for their work and craftsmanship, which I still admire. However, despite multiple attempts to reach them, I only received a response after my third email (over a month later). Their reply simply stated "Please allow more time for response."

With all due respect, how can I trust a customer service like this, especially when considering a purchase of over €1,000?

Ironically, they send me automated emails almost every day, offering discounts and suggesting products to add to my cart.

I am truly disappointed, especially considering the many positive reviews highlighting their great customer service experience.

I frequently buy from McNeela instruments and have never had any issues. On my lat purchase the envelope was damaged and an item was missing. I emailed the company and received a replacement within a week. Id recommend them for instruments, tutorials, accessories and books.