Be prepared for a wait -- guy working behind the counter deserves a raise , I was there offhandedly…read morebecause my old flatmate left a ukulele when he moved out, which I decided to restring and learn to play from zero ukulele experience Arrived to the shop on Potrero Hill promptly at my 11:30am appt to 3 others outside and then more came ( lots of professional people with fancy pants Fender guitars , and I was there with my pineapple red ukulele ) , an hour later got my ukulele in and told to collect at 2:30 pm. Which was great to offer same day service , I appreciated that. Went back at 2:30pm and greeted by another 3-4 folk waiting with Fender guitars- when it was my turn to collect my ukulele after 3pm , the guy had already been inundated by guitars , he rushed to get mine restringed in 4 minutes, was very patient and attentive but was quite rushed understandably ---- 5 stars for the solo guy working who deserves to have at least 1-2 other people work, he was confident, professional and a total sound guy ......, but all I'm saying is be prepared for a wait on a Saturday !! Also , had no idea so many people have guitar issues --- it was a constant stream of people showing up with very fancy guitars , who knew , what an experience.

Be prepared for a wait -- guy working behind the counter deserves a raise , I was there…read moreoffhandedly because my old flatmate left a ukulele when he moved out, which I decided to restring and learn to play from zero ukulele experience Arrived to the shop on Potrero Hill promptly at my 11:30am appt to 3 others outside and then more came ( lots of professional people with fancy pants Fender guitars , and I was there with my pineapple red ukulele ) , an hour later got my ukulele in and told to collect at 2:30 pm. Which was great to offer same day service , I appreciated that. Went back at 2:30pm and greeted by another 3-4 folk waiting with Fender guitars- when it was my turn to collect my ukulele after 3pm , the guy had already been inundated by guitars , he rushed to get mine restringed in 4 minutes, was very patient and attentive but was quite rushed understandably ---- 5 stars for the solo guy working who deserves to have at least 1-2 other people work, he was confident, professional and a total sound guy ......, but all I'm saying is be prepared for a wait on a Saturday !! Also , had no idea so many people have guitar issues --- it was a constant stream of people showing up with very fancy guitars , who knew , what an experience.

Mark Newstetter, who runs Balboa Guitars at Balboa and 41st Avenue in San Francisco, is a wonderful…read moreguitar teacher with an amazing grasp of theory and an eclectic effective approach to learning the entire fretboard, rather than focusing on first position. Also a really kind person.

I took lessons as a beginner from Mark for almost 2 years, and he also setup my guitar/bass during…read morethat time. A great teacher (especially for getting proficient with theory on the fretboard), a knowledgeable and skilled luthier, with very fair prices!

They have sheet Music from entry to intermediate level for different instruments, including pops,…read morejazz and classical music. They also have instrument supplies. Everything is well-organized. Super friendly stuff, too!!

Sweet store..Jerry Thomas ran the store and then Evelyn M runs this store..and I asked to work here…read more20 years ago haha..I am a music teacher that would a good use of time and then I moved to Japan too..hahahahaah so I got some sheet music like Burt Bacharach, Evita(Andrew Lloyd Webber), and I also picked I left my heart in San Francisco because I left my Heart in Joe DiMaggio haha I got another metronome because it's missing and it belongs to the family and the guy who could figure out how to use it tick tock tick tock tick tock metronomes are fascinating..from Germany hahah There are ukeleles and guitar..and gifts stickers and shakers..old-fashioned store ..because it's my job too Yelp Back to the Future edition

Love these guys! I've bought two beautiful instruments from them and the experience both times was…read morefantastic. They are very chill, supportive, and helpful. It's a beautiful place to find just the right guitar :) And they have a fantastic selection of ukulele's and baritone ukulele's as well!

Got my guitar restrung here. The service was excellent and fast. They have a wide range of guitars,…read moreincluding less expensive ones. I appreciated that considering where we live.

I own a Greenwood bow and have also taken various french/german bows to John for repair and rehair…read more He knows what he's doing, and his passion for the craft shows. He also plays the violin quite well and can help demonstrate/ compare bows, which I found to be helpful. I highly recommend John if you're looking for a bow upgrade or need some work done on your bows. Visiting his workshop is always an experience in itself, with walls adorn with posters of some violin greats. Always a wonderful experience. Thank you!

I have a fine French bow that has been in a state of disrepair. It needed a new screw, slide,…read moreeyelet, grip, rehair, and a good cleaning. I contacted John after reading his amazing endorsements. He picked up the phone immediately and we got our repair set up for a time within two days. The turnaround time was only a few days and John's workmanship was absolutely first class. The bow looked beautiful and performed perfectly. I am so glad I made the decision to have John do the work! I highly recommend John--he is a real artist right here in SF.

Great experience with this shop. The staff is always helpful, and Jeff has taken care of a few of…read moremy instruments now. He previously swapped out a bridge on a student instrument for me and checked over a 5-string pochette violin to inspect a potential rib crack and assess the setup. Recently, I brought in an unfinished 5-string violin project. He set the nut, bridge, and sound post properly, and his work made the whole project completely worth it.

Be Warned. I also had an extremely rude experience as another Yelper posted. I took my Vito alto…read moresax in to have the low C fixed and to get an estimate for pad replacements. The serial number places it from the Yamaha factory in Japan in the early 70s. They said that it would be inspected and I would get a phone call about an estimate. They did not review the horn with me. It should have been my first red flag. A few days later I get a call informing me that 'the instrument needs a complete overhaul and that when they put a light in it it was just full of leaks everywhere and would cost $1500 in labor and $200 in parts and that it wasn't worth it because of the value of the instrument' in an arrogant judgmental tone. When I picked up the horn, I was again told about leaks. This told me everything I needed to know because I too have put a light down my instrument to find the leaks and know exactly where a 1972 vintage alto that's never had it's pad replaced is leaking. And it wasn't were he was pointing to. I don't know who hurt you or which horn you're confusing mine with but I felt like I was being lied to. If you didn't want to do the work, simply let me know. Telling me my instrument isn't worth fixing is unacceptable. I determine the value of my horn, not you. And being rude about it is even more unacceptable. I guess with the closing of AG Music in Oakland and abundant USD student rentals, there's no space for the community musician in their shop. Be warned when you cross their handyman-grade aluminum threshold.

I bought my violin from Dolce Violins and had such a great experience shopping here. There is a…read morehuge selection of quality instruments at the shop at a very reasonable and competitive price. This was a big purchase for me, so I wanted to take my time and try a lot of instruments over the course of a few months. Moses was very patient with me and never applied any pressure to make a decision. Once he got a sense of what I liked, he became really good at narrowing things down and bringing out violins that fit what I was looking for. And like most violin shops, he lets you take instruments home to try in your own space which was really nice. In the end, I found an instrument that feels like a perfect fit! I would recommend scheduling an appointment through the website. My first visit was very last minute, and Moses kindly fit me in while another customer was finishing up, but made it a little harder to hear the instruments clearly. Normally he only has one appointment at a time, so I do not think that would be an issue otherwise. Street parking can sometimes be a hit or miss in SF, but it's in a nice area of town and I always found parking within a block or two, sometimes with paid meters and sometimes free, depending on the street. Overall I appreciated that Moses genuinely seemed invested in helping me find the right violin, and I really appreciated how much time and care he put into the process. I don't review on Yelp often but Dolce Violins definitely deserves the shout out!

Went there to rent a cello and viola. Super helpful and high quality instruments. The person who…read morehelped us with renting the instruments was also very nice and knowledgeable

Very helpful and professional helping me find a banjo instructor. Sent him a text and he responded…read morein 5min with contacts, helping me find that last minute Christmas gift. Thank you, James for connecting me to your musical network! Much appreciated.

I just finished my first guitar lesson with Jimmy and I can't wait to go back! I was a bit nervous…read moregoing in, but he made me feel at ease right away. He showed a few things about technique and chord voicing and we were already playing tunes together by the end of the hour. I had a good time, learned new things, and now have a list of things to work on at home. What more could a girl want from her first lesson? 2-thumbs way up :)