Love this shop! Came in to check out a used amp I was considering buying. Tried it, noticed it was not really what I needed (but wanted) and they had a smaller version (Vox VT120+ vs VOX VT40+) for the same price. I decided to go for the smaller version (my family probably is thanking me) and they gave me an even better deal. Definitely coming back and will be my go to guitar shop from now on. read more

My favorite guitar store and the one I've bought the most instruments from. I'm a casual musician who travels for work so I can look and buy when and where I want...I always look to Dan when I have a new interest. Come in, play a few, leave with at least one. read more

Great people and service! The best guitar shop in Hawaii. Been coming here since the '80s! Thanks! read more

Dan is the man!!! Eric has been so helpful to me in getting reasonably priced premium stuff!

I needed my ukulele strings changed out. Service was fast. I ran out to do an errand, and within that time my old strings were replaced. I have gone to Dan's before to buy picks for my strumming on my ukulele. Location is convenient on Beretania Street. Price to replace strings was reasonable. read more

I had Dan do some work on my 2003 feder strat, California made. The action and truss rod were all messed up because I don't know how to work on guitars, and worked on my guitar. Anyway, Dan recognized that my instrument was salvageable, and not nearly as bad as I thought. He got the action perfect and intonation is spot on. All cleaned up and it sounds amazing! Thank you Dan, I'm gonna practice now! -Scott read more

Dan's Guitars - Cali fender strat fixed by Dan - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I took my Schecter guitar to Dan's guitar shop to have new strings and new Grover tuners and they did an excellent job and the month before that to work on my Gretsch guitar and soulmate excellent guitar case for it read more

See all

Service was excellent and Dan is very knowledgeable to help get the right guitar. Prices are very reasonable. Great selection for both electric and acoustic guitars. I would highly recommend to everyone to check it out. read more

Love this place The only ones that were able to fix my Ovation guitar and allowed me to play it once again after many years sitting in the case aging. So awesome to checkout the many amazing guitar and amps too! A candy store for the guitar player enthusiasts! read more

I've been a customer of Dans for over 20 yrs and he's never let me down. Whether it was amps and cabinets,or guitar work,Dan and his team have always come through and that's what keeps people coming back. I recently had a Floyd Rose R2 nut installed there, and after assembly of guitar,it was noticed that the locking nut had to be lowered by 1-2/1000ths of an inch. Dan and his team happily rectified the situation, and now my Hellecaster is playing like a dream. Just gotta 880 grit and 1400 grit the back of the neck to give it a worn in feeling and not "grippy" because of the high gloss finish. All in all,I recommend Dan's Guitars for all of your needs. read more

Dan's Guitars - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

My son wanted to learn to play guitar and buy one to use and learn on. The band he does sound for recommended Dan's as the place to go. He told me he was assisted with not only getting the right guitar for him but at a very good price. They even discounted some of the accessories he wanted and he left very pleased. We went back a month or so after he bought the guitar to get it restrung as the strings were already corroding. Dan recognized him as a customer and offered to show him how he can restring his own guitar and saving the $30 fee after talking with him about various string options and what fits him best. This I see as great customer service and when he not only waived the $30 restringing fee, as Dan appreciated loyal costumers, he showed my son how to do it himself, he found a loyal customer in us both. Great local business and owner who shows aloha to all his customers with great service and reasonable prices. Highly recommend this business! read more

I brought in my Taylor GS Mini to Dan a couple weeks ago to get my bridge re-glued because it was peeling up at the corners and the action was very high and needed to have it fixed. I chose to go with Dan because it's a small business and have read incredible reviews about his knowledge and customer service. Dan said it would take about 2 weeks for it to be repaired which I didn't mind, as long as it was fixed. 2 days later Dan called me and told me it was ready and I was impressed on how quick they did the repair. After I got home I was playing the guitar and noticed that the bridge was still peeling up and honestly was very upset because I spent a good amount of money to have it fixed. Not only that, as I was looking at the guitar I noticed that there was little pieces of wood inside of the body of the guitar. I immediately called Dan and addressed my issue and he was genuinely upset that I was not satisfied and told me to bring the guitar back in and he will make everything right for me. I brought the guitar back in but Dan wasn't there so I just dropped it off and left. The next day Dan personally called me and told me that he inspected the entire inside of the guitar with a mirror and flashlight and said there was 0 damage which was a huge relief and since I have a full wood guitar, I use humidity packs for when I store my guitar in the case and the packs are stored in a felt pack. Dan did some investigating and determined that when he took the felt packs out, it must have collected the wood chips that was in his shop. But Dan went above and beyond and called his Taylor rep and did a lot of research about the gs mini and learned that they don't glue the entire bridge on and leave a 1/8th gap of glue from the edge to account for swelling which is bound to happen to anyone. Dan also said that he wanted to make my guitar better than when I brought it back in and offered to lower the saddle to lower the action to make it play and sound better. Dan did all of this and wanted to give me a full refund because he knew how upset I was and just wanted to make it right and make sure he had another satisfied customer. The very next day he called me again and told me it was ready for pick up. I picked up my guitar and it was better than ever and Dan was so apologetic for what I had to go through to get it fixed. But because Dan was just awesome and he genuinely cared about me and my guitar and how satisfied I was with his work, I told him to to keep the refund because I was impressed with his customer service. If you have to bring in your guitar for anything, I highly HIGHLY recommend using Dan. He is fair, professional, and cares so much about his customers and treats you like you are his family. I will definitely be coming back to Dan with any future guitar needs and highly suggest that you do too!! read more

-Dan's Guitars is the best, most personal local instrument store in Hawaii ! Dan + staff are totally up to date on everything old and new (including all new effects) ...and so great it is a locally owned business in Honolulu for decades. Easy working also! My #1 go-to store in Hawaii for my recording and touring needs! ***** read more

Gotta give it up for a great local music shop with a great vibe, and solid customer service. Can't believe it took me this long to go, but finally went today. As a 35+ year guitar player, and world traveler, I've seen my share of music stores. I have always been less impressed with local music stores, compared to big brand music stores. My reasoning is simple: more variety, less mark up. The one place local music stores typically shine at, is customer service but I can deal without that. When you walk into Dan's Guitars, it's loaded from wall to wall with guitars, amps, pedals, and accessories. It's visual guitar overload, and I love it. There was an extensive variety of not just guitars and basses, but some REALLY nice guitars and basses. And.. the prices were very reasonable. He also had an assortment of amps, new and used. I didn't spend much time in the acoustic section but plan to my next visit. This time around I just bought a few packs of strings, but next time....I see me carrying home another guitar to add to the collection. read more

See all

Having spent a long time walking the pawn shops of downtown Honolulu to no avail, I went to Dan's to look at used guitars. I was happy to find maybe 15 options from $50 to $1,100. I was looking under 5 beans, and had several decent choices. The staff was great. Of course they also showed me new instruments under or near $500, which was appreciated. Great help!!! I bought an Ovation Celebrity for $295 and they threw on new strings for nothing. Best service, good selection of used boxes, wide price/quality range. Definitely buying more stuff here!! Just moved to town this week... read more

Dan's Guitars - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

I could spend hours in this wonderful store! They have a beautiful selection of acoustic guitars, electric guitars, ukuleles, and other instruments. They also have plenty of straps, picks, pedals, amps, and other accessories. I'm used to visiting Guitar Center in the mainland, but this store has a much more personal feel. The store has a great vibe with space to sit down and try out some of the guitars hanging on the wall. I highly recommend paying a visit. Mahalo! read more

Dan is wonderfully considerate, thoughtful and reliable and takes great care of his customers and their instruments. Highly recommended.

A story of great customer service and satisfaction. Long short, 3 years ago I bought a composite acoustic from Dan's Guitars. I struggled with keeping it In Tune and tried all kinds of ways to fix the problem. I recently sold that guitar and went looking for another mini guitar. I walked into Dans guitars and he remembered the problems that I had with that composite. Dan says let me help you get into another guitar slashing prices In half bending over backwards for me. I told him he didn't have to do that. Finally I told him I had a guitar I wanted to sell on consignment at his shop, without hesitation he says bring it in and pick what you want. I picked this baby GUILD he installed the pick up for free and I played it on a gig last night. Now that's customer service with a focus on customer satisfaction. Taylor Guitars, get a clue from this small businessman. I will never buy anything musical from anywhere else and I recommend Dan's Guitars to anyone looking to purchase a fine instrument. Mahalo Brada Dan read more

Dan's Guitars - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

My favorite stringed instrument and guitar amp and effects retailer in the state! Honest, informative, friendly.

The staff here are really friendly and knowledgeable. I was looking for a guitar as a Christmas gift for my boyfriend. I have no knowledge of guitars other than the fact that I love the flying V. I'm pretty sure I looked lost because I was immediately asked if I needed help. So I let them know what I was looking for and my budget. The man that helped me immediately pointed out there used guitars. After having a slight panic attack that I couldn't afford a nice used one, I settled for one that was only $100. Plus, he said it was perfect for someone just learning. I was sold. I bought the guitar and a little amp that day. Even better, the owner himself, tuned the guitar for me for free and readjusted the neck even though they normally charge. I felt like a valued customer and will definitely go back for anything guitar related. read more

Dan's Guitars - My boyfriend trying out the guitar I bought him. - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Honolulu, Hawaii

These people are so super nice!! And very helpful. They also have lots of ukuleles. We went looking for a beginner level electric guitar (which unfortunately they were out) but they still spent a lot of time with us explaining what to look for and where else we could go to look. One of these days, when I have lots of time to play ukulele, I'm coming back here to get an 8-string. read more

Another example of Dan's Guitars stellar service is dropping off my new Fender Telecaster here last Wed for another guitar pick up purchase (Seymour Duncan Vintage Stack, $72) and installation ($25). I had mentioned to them that it would be grand if everything would be done the next day for my band's show in downtown. Dave, one of their sales and tech dudes said, "We'll try but please remember we have a lot of axes to look at before yours." "Dang" I thought, cause I REALLY wanted to show off...errr, hammer that axe at the show but wishful thinking I guess. Low and behold, 12 hours and a call later, it was ready! They tech was even cool enough to stay back a bit after hours (my drive from work in Kapolei, all the way into town, with a few stops in between) so I could pick up my Telecaster. Here we were at sound check before our set and mannn was that guitar tone sweet. NICE! 5 nugs, 5 pints and 5 shots of Crown for next time I see you Dave! and 5 stars for Dan's Guitars on Beretania, once again! Chee hu! BTW Photo of my new telecaster. Check out that insane woodcut: http://static2.px.yelpcdn.com/photo/D8Bi_fwmCD2VTcMI_n-0Wg/l read more

Very helpful and friendly. Very knowledgeable about instruments. Was able to find the perfect ukulele for my uncle. read more

I sold and shipped a vintage guitar to a swell fella named Jeff McKeef or something like that. Before he even got it he was contacting me about how it was "unplayable" with a "bowed neck" and he wanted "at least $400 to fix it." Unfortunately for him I've built guitars for decades and I know how to use tools, my eyes and Fedex tracking to see he didn't even have the instrument and doubly unfortunately for him I set up this guitar as I do all the instruments I sell and actually measure things like neck relief with real actual tools. Basically he was trying to use eBays awful rules to extort money from me. Enter the "certified luthier" at Dans guitars. At my request, he took the guitar into Dans and this "luthier" "immediately confirmed" the neck was twisted by looking at the guitar for less than a minute. What I requested was to have the tech call me when he had the instrument in hand, at which point I would request specific measurements. What he got instead was a "official report" printed out on a piece of paper stating the neck had major relief on one side and a major back bow on the other. Again unfortunately for Dans and their buddy Jeff, I understand how neck defects work and what the result of various twists on a 60 year old guitar look and act like. When I called, the person who answered the phone confirmed they knew Jeff and that he had never even been into the shop, but did call and request that if I called to talk to me. Oops. Long story short because of eBay's rules I had to pay $300 in shipping to get my guitar back as well as having to file a police report to get Jeff to ship it back. Dan's helped Jeff try and extort the money from me and helped steal my $300. Don't know if the whole shop operates this way or it's just one employee. Regardless, take note. Feel free to look at the pics of the "unplayable majorly bowed" neck as measured with an actual revolutionary tool called a "straight edge" which many people believe is used to measure if something is straight. read more

See all

Nice people, very helpful. Demo'd the $60 amp for me like I was buying a Cadillac. Recommend for music lovers.

These guys do great work at a fare price. The tech did an awesome job setting up my 1985 Fender MIJ Jazz Bass. I also noticed that they had a pretty decent collection of guitars, some of which are hard to find. read more

Dan and his staff are awesome! Hi'i, Reed and Bin embodies Dan's pledge to his customer. Read the caption "From this business ". It is all true, "personalized, one on one service." The "passion for helping you." Words by themselves are meaningless without the actions to back them. Here the actions are as loud as the words. My wife needed to change one string. She called a music store that quoted $30. They also told her she needed to leave the ukulele that she would have to pay an expedited fee of $15 since they have "things" to do. She went to Dan's and Dan himself helped her. He did right it there and when it came to pay she had her charge card out only to find it was less than $3. She was so shocked she had to verify the fee. So AWESOME! Thank you! read more

Best shop on the island hands down. Staff is friendly, gear selection is 2nd to none, and the owner is a pleasure to work with. Whether it's sales, or service on something you already have this is the place. read more

"My microphone smells like vomit." That was what I exclaimed to my friend John while setting up for a gig last month. Thankfully he had a microphone in his gear bag and I didn't have to use the house microphone. I thought about how many musicians must have used that microphone and the germaphobe in me almost threw up. After this "vomit" flavored incident, I decided that I would buy my own mic to use at future gigs. After reading a slew of fantastic reviews on Yelp, I decided to visit Dan's Guitars to buy my new microphone. Dan's is located on the corner of McCully & Beretania across from the Shell station and KFC, and is next door to Connie Gayle's. The parking lot is small and I waited awhile for someone to vacate a spot. The store itself is small but a musician's dream. Guitars line the walls and it's stuffed with gear and accessories. I stood there waiting for someone to help me but everyone was with other customers. A musician I had met through a friend, who happened to also work there, came over to see what I needed and I told him I wanted a mic. He took me over to a small glass case and showed me my options which were two exactly. He told me the differences and I decided on a Sure mic which had been marked down from $120 to $99. Sweet! It felt good knowing that the guy making the recommendation knows his stuff because he plays live around town a few times a week. I'm going to reserve my last star for the next time I visit Dan's Guitar and get to talk to Dan himself. I'm ready to get a new guitar this Summer and hopefully I'll be able to find it here at this awesome little neighborhood music haven! Yelp 365 Challenge: #224/365 (The Musician's Friend) read more

Go here if you're looking for your music things because if they don't have it, they are very helpful to where you can go to find it, which I did. I would come back here again even though they didn't have exactly what I needed on this visit. They are friendly and will help lead you to where you may find what you want. Just an honest and helpful place to want to shop for your music needs. read more

the good -Nice little home grown place with a more local feel -They have an assortment of used guitars here (not just new stuff) -The staff is polite and very helpful The bad -Much like many local music shops, the selection is limited. -Also like smaller shops, the prices don't quite seem as competitive. Perhaps maintenance prices are, but prices for the actual gear didn't impress me. Somewhere between average and pricey. This place isn't terrible at all. If you play guitar I'd advise you to check this place out when you need something on the way to easy music. That way you can keep current and perhaps every once in a while you may catch something here you like or that may be priced better than something at easy music. Otherwise, your typical cramped local music shop with plenty of goodies and prices that are usually a miss. read more

See all

Dan's has the hot licks for customer service and the pandora box for guitars. Truly. I've been in Dan's Guitars many times since hooking up with my guitar collecting hubs. My first visit was to surprise my shredder with a full detailing of his two favorite guitars. I wanted to reciprocate his thoughtful detailing of my car. Mission accomplished. Hubs was stoked and I was happy because the guys at Dan's were cheerful, super nice and patient with me. Dan's has become an essential component of my gift list for Hubs and has shined and straightened all of Hubs' axes. Dan is fair and has a really good heart. I was recently tasked with purchasing a PA system for work. I didn't know where to start so I hightailed my tush to Dan's. I learned that Dan's price matches with online businesses. Dan showed me a bunch of options then let me take the top pick to work so we could see if it would meet our needs. System was perfect and the deal was closed! Dan is a smart businessman. So far my business consists of servicing, stands, pedals, sound stuff and pics. While I was in this past Christmas I asked Dan how much I'd need to save to buy Hubs a PRS. Clearly understanding I know squat about guitars he asked his assistant to cover the floor and gave me a lesson on electric guitars. He showed me the beauty of different guitars and was patient and excited about his topic. Never once did he make me feel dumb or that I was taking up his time. You can bet that when I buy Hubs a guitar it will be from Dan's! Venue; 5 cool stars Selection: 5 stars Staff service: 5 stars Musician sighting: 5 stars TOTAL; 5 stars! read more

Dan is a great guy. He knows so much about guitars, and he's not the kind of guy that will try to dupe you to make a sale. You gotta have respect for a guy like that. I've known Dan since he was at Hot Licks way back in the 80s, when Howard ran the shop. In addition to being a gear guru, he's also a really great gigging guitar player, so he knows what works and what doesn't. Dan's is the only true boutique electric guitar shop in Hawaii, with brands like Bogner, Suhr, PRS, Anderson, etc. But he always has great prices, and like everyone mentioned, great service. read more

The customer service is the best I've ever seen ... period. Dan and his staff are truly down to earth and extremely knowledgeable on all gear, equipment, and stuff. They can fix almost anything. You gotta like the selection of guitars and amps that Dan has at the store. PRS Guitars and Bogner Amps... awesome. Dan even sold my stuff on consignment. If you're a first time guitar buyer, now worries... Dan and his staff can help you pick your first guitar ... the one that is right for you. read more

Best Customer Service ever!! Staff is incredibly friendly and Helpful. They carry a lot of essential equipment and accessories, rare and popular. My personal experience, they had everything i needed and wanted for my Bass. i recommend. read more

Best place ever for guitars and all kinds of musical gear. Husband gigs A LOT and this is his go-to shop.

I took two of my guitars in for repair, an Ibanez JSM100 and a Takamine Hirade THC-5. The Ibanez' front pickup was cutting in and out and the pickup on the Takamine seemed dead as a doornail. I really expected a big repair bill because I just "knew" the problems were serious. Well, Sanford checked all of the connections, cleaned all the contacts on both guitars, put a fresh set of batteries in the Takamine (yeah, I'm embarrassed about that, lol), and guess what - both guitars good to go. $46. Absolutely awesome! They couldn't have been more helpful at Dan's and I couldn't have been happier. Thanks guys! Oh, and by the way, I tested my Takamine though an AER amp they had there, and ended up bringing the amp home with me. But that's another story. read more

Straight up this place is excellent with customer service. My friend purchased a used Marshall Amp head from here but found out a day later that there was a problem with one of the tubes. We showed up the following weekend to do an exchange but in rare form we forgot the receipt. No problem. The dude working there (I apologize it's been more than half a year and I forget his name, I hope it wasn't Dan though haha) made us an exchange without the receipt and we were on our way. Small place but excellent selection of vintage guitars and tube amps. It felt more like a hangout than a store if anything. I prefer Dan's over Island Guitars and Easy Music anyday (for guitars atleast). Parking here can be a bit of a drag on weekends and during commute hours. Very easy store to miss too. Oh yea another great reason to come here- ANALOG PEDALS. read more

Good vibes felt passing through the door. Even better at the counter. A large selection of desirable vintage tube amps in remarkably good shape. Short on time today. I'll be back. read more

Friendly staff who were ready to help and assist with no pressure to make a purchase. Came here looking for a ukulele case and landed up spending more time checking out their very interesting variety of new and used ukuleles despite having just purchased a new Kamaka Deluxe Tenor. They have some real ukulele gems that a collector would love to add to their arsenal of music. Small space, but jam packed with treasures. Will definitely be back! read more