The staff is very knowledgeable , and they have a variety quality used instruments at good prices.read more

Love this place! Great personal service. They always do an amazing job efficiently and with very…read morereasonable prices. Bonus, the place has a great vibe but maybe because it's filled with beautiful instruments

It's about time I write a review for Forrests!…read more After years of buying sub-par student oboe reeds from the neighborhood music store I started buying professionally made reeds. For a few years I was ordering online from a conservatory musician who had great reeds but was unreliable with delivery dates -- the last straw was a missed delivery before an important gig. So I drove out to Forrests to see if they could help. I've been going to Forrests since for the last 3 years and EVERYone at Forrests is so knowledgeable and so helpful! Justin usually helps me and he definitely goes above-and-beyond to adjust my reeds and make sure I'm taking care of. But, really, EVERYONE here has been so great to me and it's such a joy to go in! My husband is a classical guitarist and he loves going with me because, even though they are mostly a double-reed shop, it's a great little music shop with a community of musicians and it's always a fantastic experience! Thanks, Forrests!

Very poor customer service experience as a first time customer!…read more I was told to buy a specific reed that I guess only this store sells. I am not local to this store so I reached out to them via email because I had questions regarding the item. Unfortunately, even after patiently waiting for a week I never got any response! If they are so busy and/or don't care about the emails then why they even have that option available to the customers? I called them during their business hours and finally had a luck on the second time. Phone was picked up by what sounded like an old, Caucasian, male. It also sounded like he was the owner and/or manager. From the beginning this person was not welcoming! He was rude, unfriendly and unprofessional for no reasons! Clearly I felt like he doesn't care about the customers or getting any new businesses. Even if I was asking dumb questions because I am new, does it mean he can be sarcastic, frustrated, and shows attitude? I really didn't want to give them any business after my phone interaction, but since I had to get a specific reed and had no other options available, I just reluctantly continued with the transactions. I also noticed that they charge heavy shipping fees and don't have any free shipping option regardless of the purchase amount like other competitors provides. I really wish I don't have to deal with them again. If I do, I hope this male have learned what a customer service is and how it should be provided.

We were referred to Lark in the morning by another music shop. We had an old autoharp we needed…read moretuned and possibly repaired. Thorn the manager put us in touch with Steve. We brought the autoharp and a guitar in for repair. Steve examined both carefully. He explained what he discovered and what work he would do. He was friendly and very informative. We left the autoharp and guitar with him to repair. The price he quoted us seemed reasonable and fair.

I called to get some information about a drum skin for a homemade drum. I got great advice that…read moresolved the problem!

I started as a mere novice musician turned happy customer who brought in a used guitar to be…read morerestrung and worked on a bit. However, I called back to ask about vocal/instrument lessons and so am here to rave about the Magical Marzuki, who I would love to believe is a strong representation of the quality of instructors Mountain Music is lucky to host. (The staff have been lovely to work with too.) Specific to my experience, Marzuki G is magical. He is empathetic, personable, and has been wonderfully able to communicate his expertise in both the body as an instrument (vocals) and music making as a whole.

Excellent service and fair pricing. What's not to love about sales folks who give you an honest…read moreopinion.

amazing experienc! I had them do complete strings and repairs to vintage sitar and Sarood, bother…read morewe're in shambles. turn around was quick and work was fantastic, besides the work I got a case for the sitar and some pads for my tablas, all super fair prices including the repairs, Jordan even opened up the shop annhoir early for me as I was heading out of town asap. Jordan did the repairs and took his time with me in the shop, guiding me on tuning videos to check out and musicians making music with these instruments. also, I forget her name but the woman working the front desk was also very personable and à please to work with, hands down one of the best retail experiences I've had in a long time, highly recommended!!!

purchased this SOMNATH tabla 2 &1/2 years ago. The head looked used but it still sounded good…read more I Just found the head cracked in the case and when straps were removed, I discovered a huge crack in the wood that I hadn't noticed because it was under a strap. It has always been well protected in a hard case and the crack may have happened from wood being wet when shipped from India. It is a nice drum but it needed an expensive repair that I did not expect so soon after purchase.

Buying an oud has been a longtime dream of mine, and I finally decided to take the first step…read more After some research, I came across Timbre Folk & Baroque and visited the store yesterday. From the moment I walked in, I felt welcomed. I had the pleasure of meeting Mark and his daughter -- both were incredibly kind, knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate about what they do. They took the time to patiently answer all of my questions, without ever making me feel rushed or pressured to buy anything. That level of honesty and respect is rare these days, especially in retail. It was clear to me that they care more about helping people find the right instrument than just making a sale. If you're looking for a place where you can trust the people behind the counter, this is it. I'm truly grateful places like this still exist. Thank you, Mark!

Easy to work with, responsive, knowledgeable. Convenient location. Fixed my husband's old guitar…read moreand also will be taking lessons with Pete!

ELVIS IS BACK BABY!…read more Drum specialist Elvis Katic spent serious time with me trying to procure a small niche item. He took the lead on problem solving issues with the manufacturer/distributor, then ended up going beyond above-and-beyond to make sure I got what I was looking for. It's great to find someone who genuinely wants to see people thrive and do their thing musically. If you're ever in Emeryville come through and visit a legend.

outstanding outstanding selection get your guitar set up at guitar well worth the did an…read moreexcellent job Eduardo management there is five star first

I studied clawhammer banjo with Tim for six months, when I was just starting off. Now, a year…read morelater, I play actual gigs in a string band! I first reached out to Tim when my wife was interested in starting mandolin. She had no experience with string instruments and Tim was a warm and patient teacher for her. Her experience was so good, I picked up a banjo and headed to Tim's myself! Tim is a Bay Area treasure. Growing up in West Virginia and having played throughout the states, he brings a wealth of knowledge about the history of bluegrass and oldtime music, grounding his lessons in storytelling, the oldtimey way. This helps students develop a deep appreciation for the music and turned me on to players and styles I hadn't heard and might not otherwise have come across. He helped me develop a strong foundation and technique that has carried me through to today. We spent a lot of time honing in on my right hand technique and I still remind myself of his notes when I'm playing. Get on over to Tim's!

I started from scratch on the Mandolin 2 years ago, and Tim has been great to work with. In the…read morebeginning, he gave me very clear and motivational direction on how to play specific tunes. Then, as I progressed and developed my own style, Tim was very supportive of showing me how to express my own authentic voice on the Mandolin. Really, a dream come true - I have always wanted to express myself musically, and Tim has helped me do that more than anyone ... Thanks Tim! I highly recommend him for developing your own style and technique!

I'm so happy that Beats Antique store "Shadow Box" is open-! They have Beats antique merchants and…read moredesigners jewelries. All jewelries are one of kind and just beautiful-!!

Walked in for the 1st time not knowing it was there. Purchased some really cool leggings . With…read morekiller bee on the but haha. Very nice lady named Jenny working there. They have a small bit of clothing from local designers.

I have had my tubas repaired and cleaned by Sean and his crew a few times now and I really love his…read morework and completely trust his shop. He modified the my F tuba to reduce the valve throw using a pretty creative solution which worked great. The thing I was most impressed by though is I came in complaining about a sticking valve on a relatively new tuba. This was clearly a manufacturing defect, and I need the value to work well for an upcoming concert. He was there on a weekend when the shop was closed and spent an hour meticulously going over the value to identify the problem and got it working perfectly while I waited for the repair. I highly recommend his shop for brass instrument repairs.

Always excellent service on wind instruments…read moreWe have been here throughout students years in band.