I have brought 3 guitars to have them set up. 1st my Gibson Hummingbird. Went from playing like a…read moretree to better than my electric. absolutely astounding! second a Jackson mini that kept going out of tune. Solid as a rock afterwards. Last I asked them to fix a 12 string Yamaha, the fret board was so worn out I didn't think it was ever going to be playable again. The team did a fantastic job restoring it to its former glory. I currently have a Shecter Diamond series in for a neck job and I can't wait to see how it turns out. Couldn't be happier. Thank you to Bernard and his team!

A very "neat" place decorated with old guitars and various memorabilia…read more Their acoustic inventory is quite sparse .On occasion you may find a very decent vintage guitar. One thing: there are "regular" "shredders" who come into the shop and start playing every guitar in stock both acoustic and electric, at full volume for 2 hours. I wish the manager would limit that activity, so those of us with less skills could audition potential purchases properly. Their turnover time for basic repairs is somewhat long...

A renowned man of ancient times once uttered the the famous proverb: "If someone compels you into…read moreservice for a mile, go with him two miles." I have to give a shoutout to a specific employ at this GC location that wonderfully represents the truth in those words. Ben (the Guru) time and time again, has proved to go above in beyond, and go an extra SEVEN miles in helping me. Never for a second does it seem as if he is trying to sell me something for selling's sake. He is truly a walking encyclopedia coupled with a passion for music, gear, sound, etc., and clearly desires to help others in understanding what they need by whatever means necessary. His ability to teach and break down the most complex issues of your needs is astounding. The rest of the staff, bless their hearts, they are great also. Very helpful. But Ben, that dude is righteous in a musical sense. Go there, ask for Ben the Guru and you shall receive(if he's on the clock.)

Guitar tech threatened to " kick my ass out" If I didn't turn down the volume and said Nothing to…read morethe other people that played at an higher volume

Great service and very reasonable prices. The staff is incredibly knowledgeable too…read more Highly recommend.

Since I moved nearby, I've visited Hugo Helmer several times and have been impressed by the…read moreselection of acoustic guitars and the knowledgeability of the staff. Guitars I've looked at were priced competitively and ranged from beginner instruments to high-end Taylors, Gibsons and the like. I brought my Taylor in for service and was really pleased with the cost, turnaround and quality. These guys clearly know what they're doing, and that's a rare treasure these days. In an age when brick-and-mortar stores are being choked out by online conglomerates and franchises, Helmer's obvious competitive advantage is that you can walk in and get expertise, quality products and service, and the ability to see, touch and hear before you buy.

The place has moved- to a strip mall somewhere off of Bakerview. I have to say I was very…read moreunderwhelmed. The place looks...well, looks like a music store in a strip mall...not as charming as the Holly locale. I bought my first guitar from Manna- in 1992, a black MIM Stratocaster, so I go way back. However, the staff has always seemed annoyed you are there- that hasn't changed. I like their selection of G&Ls the SC-2 was fun to play, but I had to ask for a patch cable to plug it in and the guy really seemed irked that I interrupted his conversation with his fellow employee. Poor effects selection and I don't really remember the acoustics. 1 for the G&Ls and another for nostalgia- even though it's just the name and not the same place.

I loved the crew here. Easy to schedule and everyone was super kind. I love the homey feel of the…read morewaiting room and little things they added for the kids.

Extremely disappointed!…read more Called them January 24th about renting an instrument for 5th grade strings. They told me to come in to rent a violin and to try and bring my child with me since we needed to get the correct size. January 26, I bring my kid in. We arrived later than planned because I got lost (my bad) trying to find the store. We arrived at 4:45pm. Despite the store being empty, the guy there was apparently too busy to help us and handed us a paper to order online so it could be shipped to us. He didn't offer a sizing suggestion. I called back again yesterday afternoon because I realized strings starts next week and I wasn't sure if the shipped instrument would get here in time. The guy told me it would take a few days but they had some in stock. I told him I was confused because I was given a paper and told to have it shipped. He said they had multiple sizes in stock, including a size that should work for her given her age (10). We drove all the way back downtown again today and guess what - they don't have any in stock. What a joke and a waste of our time. Will not go to this store again.

I take ukulele lessons with John Henry. John has helped me take my playing to the next level. He's…read morevery good at breaking down challenging songs and music concepts into manageable pieces. He's knowledgeable about music theory and has helped me understand concepts with explanations that I could not find in my books or online. He's supportive, patient and most importantly makes learning fun. He's always ends the lesson with a clear goal for the week. Kind, easygoing, knowledgeable and skilled at teaching, I could not ask for a better ukulele teacher.

I can't say enough good things about Nick and Bellinghome!! I went there once to record a special…read moremusic project for my wife. I ended up going back another time for another project, and since, I've just given in that Bellinghome is a part of my life now. I've made some projects with my son at 3 and 4 years old. I know Nick is a great teacher because of how he works with my son (patient, the right amount of silly, always laid back). The equipment is all top notch and all of the recordings I've made there are crisp and clean. I've also done some video stuff with Nick. He's helped hugely with a music video I'm working on, giving us incredible footage and lots of pointers along the way. Nick is a bit of a creative Renaissance man. He's very well rounded, but humble and hospitable. It's just a great place, really. I've decided that supporting Bellinghome is as much a no brainer for me as supporting the grocery store--its nourishment. I'm thrilled to have this space be a part of my kids' lives as they grow. Whatever your needs, call Nick!!

My ukulele teacher recommended I visit this music shop to have my G-string restrung to a low G, and…read morejust for the record, I'm NOT talking about undergarments. I was pleasantly surprised to find that the store was open Labor Day weekend, including the Monday holiday. The shop has been moved into the same building as Checkmate Pawn. When you enter the store, take a hard right and head to the very back to find the music section and Checkmate Music counter. Henry assisted me with my request, and provided me with several options. I could buy just the low G string or an entire set of strings. Thankfully, he gave me an honest assessment, and said that my current Aquila strings were in very good condition and didn't need to be replaced at this time. However, he suggested I could buy the whole set and keep the strings as backup. I opted for the single string replacement, which he was kind enough to place on my instrument. He even took the time to show me how it was done. He also recommended I hold onto my existing high G string in case I want to put it back on my instrument at a later date. In general, I don't like to patronage pawn shops because I think they enable thieves to unload stolen goods, but since I didn't know the music store was now tucked into the pawn shop, I ended up doing business there. Fortunately, I had great service which cost me less than $5 and 10 minutes of my time.

Rather rude & online inventory isn't kept up to date with what's actually available. If that's the…read morekind of costumer service you're looking for then by all means this is the place for you.Not a place I would spend my cash.

Diventi is a wonderful, nurturing place. Whether you are a novice or professional musician you will…read morelove this place.. The business was formerly Piper Music and has recently changed its name to Diventi Music Conservatory. Dr. William Brooke is the Director owner and an extremely talented professional musician. I stumbled upon the business last year when I was trying to find a place to rent piano studio time. I was welcomed right away by William and come here as often as I can when we are in Bellingham. He has Knabe, Steinway, Kawai and Yamaha pianos in several of the Conservatory studios. If you are looking to take vocal or piano lessons in Whatcom County, or rent a studio for practice, you will truly love Diventi Conservatory.

After graduating from Western, I got a job in CA, which meant either needing to haul everything I…read moreknow or selling most of it. I chose to get rid of most of my stuff, including my beautiful guitar. It's always been a little too large for me, so I thought of selling it to a local shop and getting a new one more my size with the funds. The guitar is valued at over $1,200. I gave Musician's Center my guitar in June of 2012. It's nearly August 2013 and they still haven't sold it, or they have and won't get back to me. I have called their business almost every week, at different times of the day, different days of the week for over 10 months now. I used to leave message, but no one ever got back to me. Once during December 2012, I got someone to pick up the phone (finally!). They told me someone was interested in buying it. So I stated they were allowed to sell it for $600 at the lowest, just to get it sold since it had already been over 6 months. Now, I haven't heard back from them in any way. I understand if it's still in stock, but they need to at least either pick up the phone or return calls. Please don't sell your instrument here!!!!!! I wish I had just given it away to someone who have appreciated it rather than let some store steal it.

took them a long time to do a short service, they quoted me 4 days later and I dropped by, they…read moreweren't done by then said to drop by the next day so I did, they still weren't done. I went to pick up the guitar on my next available day off from work and they WEREN'T EVEN OPEN!! their hours on the door say 11:30-6:30 on the weekends so I waited for two hours in town for them to show up and nothing. they didn't actually answer their phone either. I was getting pretty sketched out until I got my guitar nearly two weeks after I dropped it off. they fixed it. but wayyy after they said they would. hard to get a hold of, not open on scheduled hours. Have fun getting your guitar back if you drop it off.

Very friendly staff and they're very knowledgeable on Brass instruments. Great service techs! Every…read morewind musician in Bellingham needs to frequent this wonderful shop!

We've hired this store to perform our flute maintenance year after year and cannot say enough…read morewonderful comments about their service, friendliness and utmost honesty. Thank you Ed and staff.