We had a Gibson ES-125T that had a really bad broken neck. My son had inherited it from his godfather so it held a lot of sentimental value. my husband and I decided to work with his girlfriend to sneak it out of his apartment and have it repaired as a Christmas surprise. After calling around, I was told to take it to C. B. Perkins and "if they can't fix it, nobody can." This place is amazing! In addition to knowing all there is about guitars and guitar repair, these guys have so much history to tell about the music scene in the Bay Area. They were very upfront about what the cost to repair it would be and whether or not they could even repair it in the first place. They explained that this would take a while to get fixed because of the work involved, but that didn't bother us because again this is a family heirloom and we really wanted it repaired. They did an incredible job. I think all in all it took about 2 to 3 months to repair it. My husband and son went to go pick it up and they were in the shop for probably three hours just talking about the guitar, its history, and music in general. I can't thank them enough for such great experience! If you're looking for a quick fix or don't want to spend a lot of money, this is not the shop for you. But if you are serious about music, serious about guitars and stringed instruments, you won't find a better shop to go to. We have a sitar that needs repair and I'm hoping that they will do work on it but if they don't, I know that they will know the right place to take it to. read more

C.B. Perkins Co - Gibson ES-125T pre-repair (broken neck) - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - San Jose, California

See all

Very happy with the service I received here from Kent and Josh - really couldn't be happier. CB Perkins is the living embodiment of a mom and pop (and son) family business. Nobody tries to sell you anything you don't need. When he asks you what the trouble is, Kent listens to your answer. A small business owner myself, I appreciate everything about how they do things here. This place is a gem. read more

Did my research before coming here and made the right choice. Most relaxed, detail-oriented and personal customer service I've received in recent memory. This is how you run a service-based small business. read more

I went to CB Perkins for a finish issue on my brand new AVII Jazzmaster. Kent was incredibly empathetic and helped get the flaw covered under warranty. He was articulate and went beyond what I would have expected him to do. I highly recommend this shop. I loved chatting with Kent and he was so understanding. Thank you CB Perkins for helping me with my Fender warranty issue. Love the guitar. read more

All the folks here are great! Chris the guitar instructor is amazing and so patient with students! Fantastic place! read more

So sad when you see people who have been around for a long time treat their customers poorly. Kent should be retired and rest on the many good jobs he has accomplished and the many people he has pleased by fixing their musical instrument. But alas he has chosen to become an irritable version of his self. I brought him my Strat to have setup and had a complaint about a fret buzz. He played all the strings and said he could find no buzz. I proceeded to show him some of the frets that buzzed. That seemed to enrage him and he then said he could not help me. A supreme waste of my time. I am sure in his day he was a great technician but trust me those days are over. Do not waste your money. Let me add I would usually not complain but his arrogance and belittlement cannot go without documentation. JM read more

This mom and pop shop is a Gem. Kent took me In and out less than 20 min. He made sure he gets all the information regarding my concern (Fret leveling and crown plus setup) This gentleman got some good sense of humor. That alone will keep me coming back to this place. One day later they called me and to my surprised his son Josh is done with my guitar. Came to pick up my acoustic guitar and played it to make sure everything is on point. Man, Never in my life to be amazed how well Josh performed his skills making these guitars sings so well. It was Nice to meet really kind and awesome people! read more

See all

Great service, Kent does quality work. He asks all the right questions, and he makes for great conversation. Highly recommend for anyone who cares about their instrument being taken care of. read more

My son enrolled in a guitar class in school so i wanted to pass on to him my 40+ yr old Harmony guitar. So we went to CB Perkins to have it restrung and perform some minor cleaning and maintenance. Two days later I picked it up and I couldn't be more pleased with outcome! Kent, the owner, did a wonderful job! He was very patient and knowledgeable and his prices are very reasonable. Highly recommend him for your guitar needs. read more

I came to this place because it was highly recommended by a family member. I have no idea about guitars. I just wanted to surprise my partner by getting the buzzing issue of her guitar fixed. I am very pleased with the customer service! Marian was very friendly and professional both over the phone and in person. The facility is clean and organized. Ken was simply amazing! He was accommodating, very knowledgeable about guitars and he took the time to explain what needed to be done. I am not musically inclined but I could tell the quality of sound was remarkable after the work was done. The price of their service is also very reasonable. Highly recommended and I would give them more than 5 stars! read more

C.B. Perkins Co - Seagull strings replaced. So clean and well done! - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - San Jose, California

See all

Old business with a modern website and great customer service. I emailed inquiring about bass guitar lessons and they replied very quickly. My friend and I dropped by their shop which was more of a workshop with rooms for lessons. There is a reason why they are in business for so long: They know what they are talking about and they care about customers. read more

C.B. Perkins Co - They also provide lessons and workshops. - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - San Jose, California

Had this shop restore a classic guitar 12 years ago. Today we just needed Uke strings. Of course they had a selection of tenor uke strings. As always, great advice. This is the local luthier you've been looking for. read more

First time here. Brought in 2 guitars for set up. So incredibly nice and thoughtful owner. Guitars turned out amazing!

If 6 stars were an option they deserve it! Small business where the owner is incredibly knowledgeable and friendly. I will be back here!

Ive had my guitars set up by them before and they were amazing. Definitely recommended. Only issue is I've emailed them several times throughout the years about modifications to guitars and I have never had a message responded to. Probably once a year for the past 5 and nothing. read more

The old guy Kent did not listen to a word I said, he is totally rude and he acts like you're wasting his time. I brought two guitars in; I wanted a volume pot replaced on a Strat, and a set up for an acoustic. After three months, the guitars were still not ready, even though Kent called me a week before and asked me if I could pay in cash because their credit card machine was broken. He called me a week later and asked for my credit card number. I said I thought your machine was broken and he hung up. After almost 4 months I picked up the guitars. They charged $400 for the Strat and yet put the wrong pot on it. They charged $200 for the acoustic set up and it didn't even look like they had done anything to it. They never gave me a receipt that indicated what I was charged for. I had a friend who had an identical experience, paying $200 for a set up that looks like all they did was put a new set of strings on, and even though he left them a set of strings they still charged him for strings (and used his strings). Needless to say, I wouldn't take anything to this place and I won't be coming back. I recently had a guitar set up by another Luthier in San Jose and he replaced the saddle and the nut with bone materials, lowered the action, set the intonation, filed the frets, and put on a new set of strings and charged me $75, and the guitar was ready in a day. read more

I have been taking guitar lessons with Mr. Don Balistreri for almost a year and a half. Prior to that, I took guitar lessons with Mr.  Kent Perkins. A few years ago, I walked into Kent's shop to inquire about guitar rentals for my children. I walked out really happy after I signed up for lessons for myself. Kent taught me for about a year and a half. I had learned a little classical guitar before. Kent taught me how to play bass notes using my thumb (p) to establish the beat and rhythm and to play the melody using my index, middle, and ring fingers (i, m, a). Kent eventually became very busy at his shop with his customers. He referred me to Don Balistreri. Don helped me to review the picking techniques using p, i, m, a. Don started me out with short, classical pieces to get reacquainted with playing melodies and chords.  Don later introduced me to patterns of the G major scale to move around the fretboard. He let me choose next what I wanted to play. I wanted to learn about blues music. We spent some time on short pieces.  Don is now teaching me about jazz. It takes me quite awhile to learn how to play the music, but Don is very patient. The teachers at C.B. Perkins teach music from different genres, including blues, rock, swing and rockabilly, metal, jazz, classical, and flamenco. They also teach students how to play piano, ukelele, and bass. The learning environment is relaxed and supportive of the students. read more

See all

Great expertise, professionalism, typical old school, friendly service, highly recommended!

Dropped my guitar and the not only repaired it but set it up! Very satisfied! Highly recommend these skillful luthiers!

Found this gem of a shop from a referral through Fender. Their an authorized service center, been around since 1923. Great reviews on yelp. I had to bring my Fender strat because i was having some issues with the pickup, it sucks that i just got the guitar. Spoke with Kent the luthier and he took my guitar to be fixed. They had a lot of workload so he told me it might take a week or two but turns out that it was done in a few days. I came and check my guitar out and everything work flawlessly, sounds great and they even put new string on the guitar can't thank Kent and co. enough for the excellent job. If i ever need guitar work i go see Kent. read more

Great shop, been going there for decades! Very quick turnaround and quality craftsmanship.

First, I have to let it be known that I didn't not actually go into the shop and have any official transaction yet. My experience is over the phone, and I'll let anyone know, Kent knows what he's doing, and what he's talking about. I had a problem with my tuning lockers and tuning, right after a string change. And I'm only a year in, so I hadn't thought about the strings and stretching. But Kent explained to me that the strings really need to be stretched, before we could say that there's a problem with the tuners. Sure as hell, I followed his advice, and gave them some tug (not pulling too hard) to stretch them. I pulled out my tuner and tuned it up. Left it there for 5 minutes, then checked the tuning. The problem has been solved, and I thank Kent for having the patience to break it down for me over the phone. Super polite, super professional, and super knowledgeable. Any future work I might need done, I'm going to keep Kent in mind. So the review is mostly for him. And other reviews seem happy with the overall business. So I gotta pay my respects. Thank you very much Kent! read more

Review for private guitar lessons: My 14 year old son wanted to learn how to play and tried YouTube but that didn't really work for him. Then we found Josh at CB Perkins and my son initially learned how to play acoustic then transitioned to electric guitar in just a few sessions! He teaches him different rock songs every week and helps my son teaching him technique. My son walks out of there confident and ready to amp it up at home. We've been coming weekly for months and I'm just impressed with the quality of lessons my son receives because it shows. Also my son asked for his first electric guitar for Christmas 2017. I started looking online then I thought why not ask Josh and Kent? They packaged up a whole deal for me with an electric guitar, amp, straps, cords, pics, etc. Way better than buying somewhere else! HIGHLY RECOMMEND them! They're super nice there too!!!! read more

I brought two guitars here to replace the original factory nuts. The replacement nuts should probably be in a textbook on how to do it perfectly. I received the guitars back cleaner than they were when they were new, and the price was reasonable given the labor and skill required. Extremely pleasant staff. They've got a nice selection of strings, picks, and straps, and a small number of guitars for sale. Basically, this is the place to go for maintenance. Bringing a guitar here is like arriving at baseball practice and finding out that the trainer is Nolan Ryan. read more

This place is legit. They are so thorough. He helped me when I was in a bind and worked late to finish my guitar so it was ready for easter sunday. Won't take my guitars anywhere else. Excellent communication and execution. Highly recommend! read more

I needed to take a moment to both thank and recommend the folks at CB Perkins guitar shop.They are a multigenerational family business. Over the years they have done the majority of work on my guitar and bass gear. I have taken friends gear there, sometimes delivering it hundreds of miles each way. They are proffesional, skilled and most importantly honest. While catering to my sometimes eccentric whims (ask me about the Jazzmaster wiring I had done, or how they saved the day with an Eastwood Mandocello), they have talked me out of spending excessive amounts of money on modifications or work that was just not needed. They a ton of patience (like I said they deal with me a lot), and work with their customers. They are never condescending and actually listen to all their customers. They aren't the cheapest of the fastest game in town, but they are dedicated to getting the work done right. I have taken my gear to other very well known and highly regarded luthiers and repair shops in the area, and almost every time I have regretted it. They really have done me the ultimate favor of taking instruments I was unsure of or fell out of love with and gave them new life. If you need guitar/bass work and are in the Bay Area and willing to make the drive to Almaden Valley in San Jose, I am sure you will be pleased with their work. read more

Hidden gem in Almaden valley. I've taken my guitar here a few times to have it spruced up. They do an amazing job and really care about the instruments and customers. They cleaned and oiled the fretboard, fixed the broken nut, action tune up and fixed the pickup too. And the charges? Super reasonable! Guitar never sounds as good as when back from CB Perkins. read more

I brought in my Seagull S6 to have a tuning peg repaired and they turned it around in a short time for a fair price. I would definitely recommend going with C.B. Perkins Co. for all guitar repair needs. Very professional staff. Great service all around. If you are looking for new or used guitars, too, they have a good selection of top brands, as well as all the key components you'll need. read more

Great place to take all your guitars! Although I don't own a Fender yet, they are an authorized Fender service center. I've taken several of my guitars here for a paint chip cover up on a bass and for a few guitar setups, which included things like neck/action/bridge adjustment, re-stringing, fretboard polishing, adding an additional spring to my Floyd Rose tremolo system, and intonation. The 1980 Music Man stingray bass that had a noticeable paint chip on the body looks like new; you cannot tell that the chip even existed. They did a great job with the adjustments on my Gibson SG and Schecter guitars, and they feel and play great now. You can be assured that the C.B. Perkins Co will take great care of all your guitars! The guitars I own are not cheap, so it's important for me to take them to a reliable place with people whom I know will perform quality work on them. I'll be taking my PRS McCarty 594 and Gibson HP 635w acoustic here when they need adjustments! read more

I'm an advanced guitar player and was looking for some coaching for my songwriting. More interested in theory than performance I had stopped into CB Perkins to get my guitars serviced. I noticed a couple of studio rooms in the shop and I inquired into lessons. Chris was recommended to me as a music teacher and that was one year ago. Chris began by breaking down modal jazz in a deep dive that was tailored to me as a long time student of music. We talked the history of jazz as well as the history of music which gave great context as we dissected jazz standard after jazz standard to understand what intervals and substitutions made the greats great. Thank you Chris your instruction was outstanding. 5 stars! read more

nice little guitar shop. I've heard a lot about this place, and about their great customer service. I visited the store the other day, and for a small family owned business that prides themselves on their customer service, the seem rude in a know it all way. I recommend skipping this place and heading over to starving musician, they're always friendly there. I unfortunately took my business elsewhere. read more

This is a TINY shop. The selection of guitars is scarce. The location is tucked away on some lot away from the main road. That said, I enjoyed my time here. I came on a Wednesday at about 2pm and there was only one customer. That's good because there isn't enough space for more than 2 people in the playing space. Seriously. There were about 20 steel string acoustic guitars, classical guitars, and electric guitars each. That's a very, very low selection and a few of them are used. But here's the thing: these guitars are quality guitars that range from $350 to $1,000. Most of them are Seagulls and Simon and Patrick which are part of the Godin family. You can't find S&P ones at Guitar Center and larger stores. Godin guitars are better than half of the guitars at larger chain stores so this place is definitely worth checking out if you want the best bang for your buck. I was able to play for about 45 minutes without much interruption from the owner/employees. The owner and his sons are very nice and welcoming. I sat in the room no larger than a living room, but I immediately felt comfortable because there was at most one other customer around so I could browse unobstructed. If you're looking for a guitar in the aforementioned priced range, I highly suggest you check out the Godin guitars at C.B. Perkins. They are set up better than Guitar Center and other mass market guitar stores. read more

I have played guitar for 35 years and have been playing professionally for over 20 years. To the discerning guitarist or bass player who knows what they want all the way down to the serious beginner, I simply cannot say enough good about CB Perkins. The staff: CB Perkins is indeed a family business. It is run by Kent and Erik Perkins. if you are looking for the hard sell this is not the place for you. Approaching the counter you will see craftsman in their sawdusted work aprons with tools sticking out of the pockets. They are friendly, conversational and supremely knowledgeable in their craft. The beginner need not fear that they will be pushed an instrument out of their range and too high-end. You are not simply a customer here. You are a lifelong client. They also offer lessons in a variety of styles. In speaking to the students constantly walking in and out of the place I hear only good things. If they don't have what you need on the spot they will order it for you. If the guitar you purchased there is having issues they will take care of you. Their repair work is A-list Selection: As has been mentioned by many a reviewer, CB Perkins is small. They don't have the room nor the need to have a Guitar Center or Guitar Showcase selection. What they lack in quantity they most certainly make up for in quality. Having said that, they don't ONLY carry the artisan boutique brands that the big places won't stock. They have a great selection from the fantastic Canadian guitar maker Godin, and all of their lines. They also stock guitars and basses from the magnificent G&L company. They also have a decent selection of affordable beginner guitars and bases which, to my experience, are all easily good enough as performance instruments. Prices: Having shopped at CB Perkins for a number of years now I have come to the conclusion that they are most definitely not out to get rich. They do what they do, for generations now, because they love it. The very high quality instruments in the shop are expensive, of course, but no more expensive than the chains. The professional musician will be totally understanding of this.The beginner is in equally good hands. Prices for beginner instruments, which as mentioned are very good, are quite reasonable, and, again, as inexpensive as the chain stores. Check CB Perkins out. You will be glad you did and you will be a customer for life read more

Hidden gem. Bought my first 12-string S&P here eleven years ago, and loved it ever since. Their selection here is very small, but its the service and care that they take with the customers that really impresses me. Their service department is top notch. You can't find better luthiers around San Jose, I guarantee it. If you need work done on your instrument, they will take great care of it and do it at a great price. No jokes this time, I respect them too much. Knowledge, experience, attention to detail, honest dealing and sound advice make this my go to for important purchases. read more

C.B. Perkins is the real deal. I took a new (to me) guitar in for some setup work. Rather than just dropping it off, staff wanted to understand more about what and how I played, and made some recommendations. I just picked my guitar up today, and I could not possibly be happier! Quality work, great attention to detail, and awesome customer service -- everything you need in a guitar shop. read more

The first time I went into the shop I spoke with Kent (the dad), and he was friendly and helpful. I left with a free G&L catalog and a business card for Val King in case I needed to get my tube amp repaired. I came back and spoke with Eric about getting my LP set up. He was friendly and knowledgeable. The price was a little high for me at the time, but I decided to head back a couple of weeks later and get it done. I dropped off the guitar on a Thursday for recrowning the frets and the other usual set up work. Eric told me it would probably be ready early the next week (which was disappointing), but he would try to get it done sooner. I got a phone call early Saturday morning. My axe was ready! I went to pick it up, and while I was eyeballing the frets and everything else, Kent came out and told me about the work he did on it and that if anything went out after playing for a little while to bring it back and they'd take care of it for free. I was very impressed. When I got home, I plugged in and played for a while. The frets felt great, and Kent had given the fingerboard a good oiling (which I admit I had not done in years). He had even cleaned up the head stock and pickups. It was almost like a new axe. I recommend this business based on my experience. read more

I went to CB Perkins today to get the pickup repaired on my Ibanez, because they're an authorized repair center. The guy took it in the back and repaired it in 10 minutes. Free because it was under warranty. In the meantime, my boyfriend & I started asking Kent for advice on . He was extremely helpful, super patient, funny and answered everything. I mentioned that I had a hard time playing bar chords and he sat me down with my guitar and showed me a few tricks on the spot. Needless to say, I signed up for lessons with him. They've also got some beautiful guitars & Uke's in the store. Prices seem very reasonable - even a tuner that's listed online for $30 sells for $20 there. Seems like a great family owned business. read more

I bought my dream guitar online during COVID without a chance to play it. It came in and was a bit lackluster. Wanted to get a setup before letting it go and Kent made my $700 Telecaster sound like a $1500 USA made guitar. I can't put it down and I'm SO grateful for how helpful and welcoming he was! I will be coming only here for my guitar repair/setup needs. read more

I brought two guitars in for work. After three months the work still wasn't done and he stopped returning my calls. I won't go back.

I purchased my daughter's first guitar from a private party on Craigslist. It needed a new string. I googled "guitar" and found that this business was very close by where we picked up the guitar. Decided to just drop in to get what I needed. Kent offered to install the new set of strings for a reasonable service charge and have it ready in a couple days. During the discussion of the work that could be done on the guitar, there were many places where I could have been sold something I didn't need or been overcharged because I didn't know how things worked. I was impressed with his honesty and willingness to teach me so I understood only what was needed. The guitar was ready the next day. When we went to pick it up, not only did it have the new strings, as contracted, but he had also cleaned it up and made it very nice. He told me he wanted my daughter to be pleased with her first guitar. Overall, I was very happy with their service. Their location is not close to my house, but if I need any service, I'll find my way back there again to support an honest, small business. read more