Review: 42653 Music Shop & Apartment
Posted by MeganL,
Heartlake City has an ever increasing number of stores, and the team continues to find new niche businesses that we haven't seen before. One of the offerings in this wave is 42653 Music Shop & Apartment.
I don't remember seeing a music store in Heartlake City before, and I like that the store includes another residence.
Summary
42653 Music Shop & Apartment, 483 pieces.
£44.99 / $49.99 / €49.99 | 9.3p/10.3c/10.3c per piece.
Buy at LEGO.com »
Another fun business to add to the Heartlake City downtown
- Lots of instruments
- Elsa D's fabulous hair
- Excellent brick built eighth notes
- Piano staircase
- A little on the expensive side
The set was provided for review by LEGO. All opinions expressed are those of the author.
Inside the box there are four numbered bags, two instruction books, two 8x16 plates, and of course, a sticker sheet.
Minidolls and animals
There are four minidolls in this set. First up is Zac wearing the yellow and white vest we've seen in a few other sets this year. Next up is Elsa D, the employee of the store. She's dressed in a side-tied shirt with block patterns and some very bright green pants. Finally, there's Paisley, also dressed in an outfit seen elsewhere.
Not to be forgotten, the cute Friends animal in this set is another corgi! In this case, the corgi has the best name for a pet yet - Marimba. Quite appropriate for a dog hanging around a music shop!
I took the rear view just so you could get a look at Elsa D's fabulous hair. It's also worth noting that Marimba is not the same as the corgis in 42641 Surfing Dogs and Scooter Adventure - Marimba looks like they're enjoying themselves a bit more.
The completed model
There's a small side build of a street piano - I'm guessing it was meant to Paisley, but when taking pictures, I clearly missed the meaning for the other stud on the piano - that would be a great perch for Marimba (or perhaps, a sloth).
The front of the building shows that the building has a beige and purple colour scheme. I like the flowers that are featured in the windows on the upper floors.
The rear view of the building shows the music shop on the first floor, with a small living space upstairs. I'm very happy to see discernible means of getting from one floor to another in this set.
Access to the upstairs apartment is provided by steps along the side of the building. It's nice to see that there's a doggie door for Marimba. I love that the designer has made the stairs look like piano keys!
The other side of the building shows that Liann has been by and graced the building with her handiwork. It makes sense that the mural has a musical theme.
The front of the music store is decorated with stickers. A box in front of the store offers some albums for sale.
However, the most eye-catching part of the facade are the brick built eighth notes! They're cleverly built. The pair of eighth notes on the side (also kitted out with shoes) is removable, keeping in line with several other Friends businesses this year that have had mascots.
The music store itself is packed with merchandise. An acoustic guitar, synthesizer, saxophone and headphones are all found in this section. Some framed album covers adorn the wall.
The other side of the store features more album covers on the wall, plus an electric guitar and a vintage record player can be found here.
The drum kit featured in the window can be easily removed for play.
The upstairs apartment includes the basics - a compact kitchenette with a small sink, tiny hob, and a half fridge. Marimba's needs will be met by the dog dish and the dog bed that takes up as much space as the kitchenette!
Elas D has sacrificed all other space for the mix room, which also has a ladder leading to her sleeping quarters. It looks like it's all music, all the time for her, as she has some old cassette tapes unspooled on her bed.
A close look at the mix room shows that there may be room for an occasional visitor.
(Note: music mixing sloth not included in this set.)
Overall thoughts
This is another fun Heartlake City set! I like seeing all the different kinds of shops that the Friends team is bringing to populate the downtown. I love the brick built notes on the building, and having another mascot for the business. The piano key staircase leading to the apartment is such a fun touch.
This set brings two great additional characters, with Elsa D and her fabulous hair, and her fun loving corgi, Marimba.
My only quibble with this set is the price. While not quite as expensive as others in the wave this year, I do think this set is priced a little on the high side, considering there are not a lot of large/special parts. Though another corgi for your collection might be worth it.
64 likes
18 comments on this article
Playing piano seems pretty difficult when your hands can't reach the keys....or can she play with her toes?
I like the piano keys! A music note its shoes is, er, interesting. It should definitely come with a sloth for $50. Also, there are a lot of stickers in this set. There are way too many clashing colors, but you know what? It’s Friends. Finally, the roof technique is nice.
This is one of my favourites of the year, I think, a little expensive potentially, but it looks really fun and has a lot of detail. The color scheme reminds me of what is now "classic" friends. Plus, corgi!
I like the set, I like the review, but I find that image with the roof not quite pressed down, DEEPLY UNSETTLING. I'm genuinely upset.
I may need to lie down.
The cymbals in tan is odd choice, certainly after all the lovely details
Oh! This is a set that’s coming only in august here. And the corgi is nowhere to be found: not in the Brickset part list, nor Rebrickable or Bricklink. I don’t think it is in pick-a-brick either. Just one option left!
@Romaclego60 said:
"Oh! This is a set that’s coming only in august here. And the corgi is nowhere to be found: not in the Brickset part list, nor Rebrickable or Bricklink. I don’t think it is in pick-a-brick either. Just one option left!"
It just has a new face see the battlepack 42641 for the difference
Shame that they ran out of Billie Eilish records...
@watcher21 said:
"The cymbals in tan is odd choice, certainly after all the lovely details
"
Agreed. Why not drum-lacquered gold? It's in current sets. Another great friends set otherwise.
Four minidolls, I only see three? Did Nova get to this fourth minidoll? Perhaps that is why the Corgi is smiling so happily...
Even a nondescript Friends set can’t break 10.0 cpp. Sigh.
@yellowcastle said:
"Even a nondescript Friends set can’t break 10.0 cpp. Sigh."
I mean, the theme does pretty regularly, and there's a fairly even distribution of sets above and below that number. This set is one of the ones above, as is 42673 and 42661 from this same wave, but then there's sets like 42659 and 42654 which are both below. I don't really see this theme as one that's notably cheap or expensive (in terms of cpp/ppp).
@Darth_Dee said:
" @watcher21 said:
"The cymbals in tan is odd choice, certainly after all the lovely details
"
Agreed. Why not drum-lacquered gold? It's in current sets. Another great friends set otherwise."
The only drum-lacquered piece still in production is the One Ring piece. All other metallic-looking pieces are just molded out of metallic plastic.
@TheOtherMike said:
" @Darth_Dee said:
" @watcher21 said:
"The cymbals in tan is odd choice, certainly after all the lovely details
"
Agreed. Why not drum-lacquered gold? It's in current sets. Another great friends set otherwise."
The only drum-lacquered piece still in production is the One Ring piece. All other metallic-looking pieces are just molded out of metallic plastic."
Are you confusing drum-lacquered (metallic) with chrome? There seem to be lots of drum-lacquered gold elements in current sets.
Missed opportunity to show us a corgi butt in the photo of the minidolls’ backs!
How can you deny us some corgi butt?!
@PDelahanty said:
"Missed opportunity to show us a corgi butt in the photo of the minidolls’ backs!
How can you deny us some corgi butt?!"
Cruel injustice! Just another reason to buy the set.
@AlfredHitchcock said:
" @TheOtherMike said:
" @Darth_Dee said:
" @watcher21 said:
"The cymbals in tan is odd choice, certainly after all the lovely details
"
Agreed. Why not drum-lacquered gold? It's in current sets. Another great friends set otherwise."
The only drum-lacquered piece still in production is the One Ring piece. All other metallic-looking pieces are just molded out of metallic plastic."
Are you confusing drum-lacquered (metallic) with chrome? There seem to be lots of drum-lacquered gold elements in current sets. "
I was confusing the two, but Lego does make pieces out of metallic plastic that aren't drum-lacquered.
Great set! As well as the review.