Steve Maxwell Vintage and Custom Drums

Let me start by saying that although much of the stock was a bit pricey, there was a lot of good vintage equipment that you generally can’t find in the retail music stores. This is a shop that most likely is going to cater to folks like me who spent a good deal of their lives professionally gigging and or studio work.
I’m originally from North Hollywood California just visiting New York, and whenever I travel I look for vintage equipment. I have been haunting drum shops since I was 8 years old and this one is a real jewel. I was trained by jazz musicians and drummers Arnie Frank and Irv Kluger (Google Irv Kluger if you don’t know who he is) at Drum City in North Hollywood in the fifties and early sixties and as a drummer, you can’t have enough snare drums, right? So I picked up this little custom made snare that wasn’t the greatest build but had a fantastic sound. As far as over price goes, all you have to do is make an offer, right? I made an offer and we came to an understanding so I don’t feel I was overcharged at all.
I read some other reviews that complained about the staff, come on folks they’re busy. But I found that when I had a question I had their full attention. I actually like the fact that nobody followed me around trying to sell me equipment. They had several practice rooms and allowed me to take snares into the rooms to test them out without any questions. I can’t say that for the retail stores.
Bottom line this is a Pros drum shop with pretty cool vintage and «high quality» new equipment. All I know is I’m stuffing a cool little snare into my carry on luggage and taking it back to LA where is hard to find shops like this anymore. Highly recommend this shop to gigging and pro musicians looking for the next great drum or drum cymbal for their kit.

Overall, a good experience. This shop caters to the gigging musician, jazzers and studio guys from the look of the selection. Lots of cool high end and vintage stuff. Staff is friendly, but the real star is Willie Martinez, who customized me a set of Gretsch back in the Modern Drum Shop days. He repearled my old Slingerland Radio KIng, cut the batter side bearing edge, and now the thing is a dream.
Worth the trip.

The guys at Maxwell’s have, time and again, bent over backwards to help me out. The level of knowledge the employees exhibit is nearly unparalleled in the business. The prices on vintage gear can be relatively high, but accurately reflect the market. The prices on new and non-​vintage used gear are extremely competitive.
I honestly don’t know where the bad reviews come from. The store is not huge, and when it gets busy, things can be rather frantic. I’ve been there many times when it’s like this, and the employees try their best to be helpful to every customer. I’ve had nothing but great experiences there.

It astounds me that the staff is so unfriendly to the point of almost being rude. They are trying to be an independently owned business in an environment where two mega chain stores dominate the market. I wonder if the owner (Steve) is aware of this? I am reluctant to shop there.

One of the best stores in NYC of any kind, and the best pro drum shop I’ve ever been to. An incredible selection of cymbals, custom and vintage drums, and a wonderful expert staff, patient and helpful, who go above and beyond with individualized assistance, headed by Steve himself. If you are a jazz drummer visiting or living in New York, this is nirvana.

Not to play the female card in the first sentence of this review, but as a woman it’s hard to find a music shop that isn’t full of men who either try to bone you on arrival or roll their eyes and ask what you’re buying for your boyfriend.
Everyone in Maxwell’s was kind and certainly not condescending or sleazy. I’m definitely going to look into scheduling some time to practice in their space.
Also, everything was reasonably priced considering other shops in Midtown.

Love this store… great setup for trying out drums. Staff was cool to me, I enjoyed buying my drums there!

Nice place — kind of hidden (no signs outside), but they stocked what I needed! I’d go back (and plan to).

Been there a number of times now, can’t say I’m really a fan. Nobody has ever been especially friendly, not that they have to be, but to me, quality customer service still counts for something. I won’t deny that they have a wonderful selection of over-​priced kits and really nice cymbals, I’d just rather dump my hard-​earned bread into a shop I feel I’ll have a more lasting relationship with. Each time I go in, I long for Drummer’s World.
I really wish I could feel differently about this place, I’m just not feeling the love…

Excellent shop specializing in high-​quality gear for jazz drummers and other’s who like vintage, rare, or high quality drums/​cymbals. A specialty of theirs is to craft portable, lightweight setups for city drummers or those without a huge SUV or even a car.
Special perk: go see their ‘museum’ of stunning drum kits once owned and played by the greatest drummers ever, literally, right there on display. It’s got to be seen to be believed: drums owned by Bellson, Kenny Clark, Elvin Jones, and others are on display – a mindblowing experience for the serious student or professional.