I purchased an instrument this week from Randy, paid in full. But before he shipped it he got a better offer and refunded my money, without comment. I will not be doing business with him again. read more

I came here today to buy a violin after almost 10 years of not playing. When I walked in, Randy was playing a guitar. He is straight to business, asking how he can help me. He asked me some questions to assess what grade of violin I need (how long has it been since I played, how long did I play when I was playing, and what's my price range). Since I played the violin for 9 years I knew I wanted a moderately priced one and was prepared to spend at least $500. I had quality issues with cheaper violins in the past, and I came to the right place. He didn't have any super cheapies, and only one to offer at my price point. After I researched the violin I was happy to find that it was a higher end model for a lower end brand (Palatino is not a bad brand, per se, just not for professionals from what I have heard). I think it is in better shape than a Palatino from another store, because it was set up really well with a nice bridge. He included a case and some rosin and recommended a teacher for me after we spoke about how I want to get back to playing. He asked if he can share my contact information with the teacher and I was happy for the recommendation. I found the experience very informative and straight forward. He let me know about the 100% trade in policy, which is very attractive and I plan to use in a couple years to upgrade to a fancier German / Czech violin. read more

Fine Fretted String Instruments - Violin I bought - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Campbell, California

See all

Pros: -Incredible selection of artisan handmade guitars, violins, etc -Great location Cons: -Racist, rude, arrogant store owner -Store is a complete disaster -Prices are astronomical read more

Highly recommended! I am an adult beginner guitar player and went here looking for a beginner classical guitar. Randy was very generous with his time and helped me sort through the pros and cons of about 7 guitars in my price range. He really knows his stuff and has great variety, especially if you are looking for something other than the big-box name brands. He sold me a guitar that I absolutely love, and picking it out in his shop was a true pleasure. read more

I recently decided to purchase an upgrade to my extensively used 36yr old Yamaha CG-160s beater. I did quite a bit of research on upgrading my instrument, what do I want? I decided that there are so many machine made classical guitars from all the major distributors out there that I decided to invest in a custom limited production hand made American luthier guitar. So I went to FFSI which is local to me. It really was an educational experience talking and listening to Randy the owner of FFSI. He showed me a number of guitars and he freely gave his opinion against my level of elementary talent and his extensive experience in my interest to upgrade myself and my instrument. Some people have posted a negative review and experience. FFSI is not Guitar Center. Randy is an exceptionally knowledgeable man. Extensive expertise in stringed instruments. He is more than helpful in giving you a solid direction with your level of training, the instrument you want and price range. I really found my buying experience to be more of an education than a corporate sale. Randy, finally recommended an American made master luthier. l am so happy with my new classical guitar that sings honey when played. Thank you Randy. read more

Randy's store has many great violin selections. He recently hired a very experienced luthier to adjust many violins and they sound amazing after the adjustments. Randy is also very honest telling me if a violin has a fake label, rather than trying to sell me a violin that he knows is fake. I took my 11-year-old daughter to 6 local violin shops in Bay Area to select violins, and she said Randy's shop is one of the best shops. Not because of the store setup, but because of the conversations she had with Randy. He inspired my daughter to practice more! How amazing! Although the store is not fancy, no classical European decorations, and not much room to walk in the store (because he has so many selections), it's clean, bright, organized, and conveniently located. Unlike what other reviews said, he doesn't charge us anything to borrow the violins for home trial. Randy has many violin, cello, and guitar selections from beginner to professional level. He also responds to the texts very quickly. I highly recommend his store to families who are looking to buy a violin, cello, or guitar. read more

I tried to bring my son's electric violin to be tuned as a gift. The owner was extremely rude and unprofessional. Don't waste your time and money here. read more

Nope. Didn't even get in the door. It's grossly cluttered enough for me to not feel like the instruments are quality. Store owner a little full of himself and don't go here if you're a woman. He will talk down to you. read more

All you have to do is read the reviews and look at the signs on the door to see that this guy really needs to retire or start an online business so he doesn't have to interact with humans in person. read more

Interestingly unique experience... It was a trip to multiple literary characters at once within a span of less than 10 minutes. The concept of "prove to me that you are worthy" from various books and also a picture of "The Businessman" from the book 'The Little Prince' come to mind. Anyways, without further digressing, here's what happened. I cannot speak to Randy's expertise or skill as the store owner, instructor, or musician as I did not get a chance to see any of this. Looking at reviews and the website, I saw a unique musical store with an owner passionate for what he does. The word "purist" in one of the reviews got my attention. The comments brought me in to inquire about lessons. When I told Randy why I was there, he immediately directed me to a sign posted to the right of the door. The sign basically re-iterated how amazing he is, and stated that I'd have to pay him $10 just to hear what his lessons might entail. When I asked what it is I'm paying for, he said "15 minutes for me to tell you what I can do for you as an educator." It was supposedly to ensure that I don't waste his time. I guess as in the above mentioned literary concept it would be the beginning of some self-discovery journey where I'd come out a much better and wiser person after proving myself to Randy and being fortunate to become a student of a guitar god. In reality I am an adult, I love playing guitar, I want to improve, I'm willing to work hard for it, but I'm not willing to act unworthy of speaking to my potential teacher. Onward... Despite the interesting start of the conversation I still saw Randy as a professional capable of having a normal human conversation, so I proceeded to tell that I am self taught to this point but want to learn theory, harmony, reading music, things that would really progress my skill further to be able to improvise. That I want to understand if he'd be willing to work with me given no previous training, but some experience. As I spoke, I was given a couple invitations to seek other instructors in the area every time I paused for some sensible feedback, the comment that got me to walk away was an unwarranted: "I don't make puppets, I make musicians." Sorry, what does that even mean? In some attempt to decipher that, the only translation I can come up with is unwillingness to teach how to play specific pieces / songs, which I never mentioned. Bottom line is I came in with full respect for Randy because of his listed accomplishments and a few reviews, I walked away with an impression of a very bitter, arrogant, self-absorbed man who is unable to listen. He made assumptions about me wanting to learn a few songs and be done, wanting to waste his time, etc... Those assumptions were so strong that they prevented him from hearing what I was saying. These are not traits that a good teacher would possess. Having said that, I have some compassion as I write this, because I cannot imagine a person acting like this for no reason. I feel sorry for whatever happened to him to become like this. As I gathered from his comments it was students who did not take the lessons seriously, but to assume that about any person who walks through the door is quite unfair and offensive. read more

This place is not for the faint of heart. The owner is very knowledgeable and quite a bit arrogant...to the point where it's hard to get him to listen to what you're really telling him because he seems to enjoy the sound of his own voice. The shop is very small and absolutely CRAMMED with various string instruments. Although it was hard to get to much of the gear that which I could get too was good quality and for the most part fairly priced. There are two rooms off of the main room which I imagine might have been used for lessons at one time, but I don't for sure. But when I got there I found a little boy sitting in midst of this chaos in front of a music stand waiting for the teacher, who was also the owner, to return to him to conclude the lesson. It was like a music instrument story from some dystopian future. If you go to Fine Fretted Strings be prepared to be very patient. If you ask for a specific instrument (as I did) you may find yourself hiding in a corner while the owner digs through his piled up inventory trying to get to it. Now, I'm an adventurous type and I know it takes all kinds to make the world go round. I would NOT recommend this place for a novice musician or parent of one. However if you're experienced and have a very good idea of what you're looking for and know how much it should cost you might very well find a gem here...If you're patient enough. read more

I came for a specific flamenco guitar he had advertised. He sat me down and let me play it. I had wanted to spend half of what that exquisite instrument cost so he brought me many others to try. Some of the others had elements similar to the qualities I needed (I am a professional) but we all came to the same conclusion - the Conde Hermanos had everything (feel, tone, balance, intonation, clarity, volume, character...)! A life changer for me - because I finally now have the tool I need to bring out what I have in me musically (by the way, this is guitar number 10). He stayed more than an hour past his closing time, patiently (and expertly) helping me come to my own conclusion, then gave me a good deal. I absolutely recommend this man and his business. This is the gold standard. read more

Don't waste your time. ...I called to see about current inventory. Spoke with Randy, the owner, but unfortunately I couldn't get a word (question) in edge wise with him. He just blabbed on and on in a rude tone and manner- a real piece of work. At the end of my 2 minute call with Randy I felt insulted... Like another commenter said, 'he needs to retire'. read more

I should have read the reviews before bringing my cello here to be assessed by Randy. He is a singularly unpleasant human being who has no people skills whatsoever. He trashed my cello and it's maker, referring to the company with a disparaging euphemism before telling me he was going to "pass" on helping me get the repairs I needed. I am a nurse who decided to take up cello to help me bring some music and light to my life during this challenging time, and I was frankly quite surprised how rude Randy was to me. He was honest, I will give him that, but you should never make a customer feel stupid or discourage them from pursuing something as beautiful as music. After telling him how rude I thought he was, He informed me that he was charging me $15 "for his valuable time." He did not tell me at the beginning of our business that there was a charge to look at the instrument. I was dumb enough to pay the man because I didn't want any further drama, but I guarantee you I will never set foot in that store again. I suppose if I came in and shelled out 20k for one of his high-end instruments he probably would have been more gracious and affable, but as it stands he struck a very bad chord with me. I will give him this: he did recommend I speak with Cao violins. I ended up taking my cello there and the people who operate that store were incredibly friendly and happy to help me with the needed repairs at a fraction of the cost quoted by Randy. Do yourself a favor and skip fine fretted strings. Randy is a total snob. I don't care how nice your instruments are. Kindness goes much further in my book. This guy really ruined my day, and if I ever treated a patient the way that I was treated by Randy today, I would not be working for very long. If I could give zero stars, that's what I would give him. read more

Worst experience I've ever had! (This place deserve 0 star but I had to select at least one star to be able to post it) I was very excited to go and buy a violin and enjoy playing it. Stepped into this shope with a smile on my face and said hello to him. He barely turned up his head and said "how can I help you?" like someone who doesn't want to talk! "I want a violin please." Was my answer. He asked my budget, when I told him how much is my budget he said "go try Goodwill" I was shocked for few seconds, and told him "oh, I didn't know they sell violin!" I'm a fan of physical purchase but now I understand why online businesses could take over the market. When I was getting out, he asked me how did you find here? That I said "internet, but I didn't know I'll have such an experience" and he showed off his attitude once again, "ok, now let me get back to my job again". When was the last time he had a customer? I asked myself, not him, because I didn't want to talk with him even a word! read more

I discovered this shop almost by accident not too long ago, but I'm sure glad I did. When you walk into this unassuming guitar shop, the first thing you'll notice is the vast selection of premium classical guitars. These are top quality classical guitars, which are handmade in Spain by premier luthiers and then improved upon by the shop owner, Randy, who makes a number of adjustments to insure that each guitar he sells achieves its fullest potential. And more remarkable, he stands behind his products in a way no other guitar shop does, offering a trade in policy on guitars that is extraordinary. I've also been fortunate enough to take lessons with Randy and the thing I am most grateful for is that he requires his students learn the proper technique right from the start. Guitar students can often get away with never learning how to read music, poor posture and poor muscle development, which makes progressing beyond a certain point impossible. You won't find that sort of thing with Randy, he's a purist and you'll be much better for it. Learning how to read music is an investment with enormous rewards for any aspiring musician and Randy's instruction can help you achieve that goal and more in record time (with dedicated practice on your part, of course). Oh, and if that wasn't enough, he offers music instruction on 26 different instruments. If you're in the market for a classical guitar or looking for top quality instruction, definitely make sure you visit this shop. read more

Highly recommend this shop for the serious, or beginning, classical or flamenco guitar player. I went into the shop wanting to learn about high-end guitars, and was shown many beautiful pieces, from several makers. The owner, Randy Osborne, is friendly, knowledgeable, and patient. I ended up purchasing a Diego Robles guitar, which I LOVE. A lifetime piece. Thank you, Randy! read more

A wonderful teacher. He probably has Aspergers. He plays beautifully. The instruments in his store are fabulous. He is a grand student of Segovia. He was great to me as a woman learning classical guitar.' read more

You have to pay $30 upfront to be able to try on the classical guitars...and there is no space for you to sit down and try...

This shop specializes in unique, one of a kind instruments from all over the world.... but specifically from Latin America. The owner is knowledgeable and a serious musician. It is unfortunate that the shop is almost completely unknown... it is worth a look if you like obscure stringed instruments. read more

I discovered this shop about two years ago and am extremely grateful that I did. Randy is an expert in his field and it is very clear from the start that he has a genuine passion for classical guitar and flamenco. He sold me my first guitar and became my first guitar teacher. His attention to detail and technique is absolute - which only makes you better player by teaching you what to look out for. He's an excellent teacher with a deep level of knowledge on not only how to play but the history and development of guitars and guitar music over the last many generations. His guitar selection is also second to none! Definitely worth the drive for those that don't live in the area! read more

An amazing place to go for high end European instruments , the owner Randy is try passionate about his craft and was a pleasure to with with! There were 30+ cellos it was a great collection , definitely the best place to go if you are looking for a professional level instrument at a good price read more

Randy is extremely passionate about his work. His 100% trade back system is excellent for those to wish to upgrade. After purchasing my guitar, he noticed the neck shrank and offered to file the frets free of charge cause he's proud of what he sells. read more

Fine Fretted String Instruments - Randy filing the fret burrs - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Campbell, California

See all

Found this place while visiting local friends, hoping to shop for a higher end classical guitar. Unfortunately, the shop owner will never know whether I may have purchased an instrument or not, since he seemed annoyed at being disturbed, and wanted $30 before ever even looking at an instrument, much less playing one. Even after enduring the third degree about whether I might actually know the first thing about guitars, he couldn't be bothered to do anything but direct my attention to the paper taped on the wall stating above policy. Thanks, but no thanks. I'll invest elsewhere. read more

Fine fretted string instruments provided a wonderful quality instrument in the new location, a highly competitive trade-in value, good service on the cello - lowering the action on request (didn't even ask for pay). They through in free extras after purchase just to be kind - a hard case, nice strings (Thomastic), and some rosin. Randy wrote the book (literally; a thousands of pages series of tomes available in the shop) on classical guitar. Overall all staff was plenty kind and friendly, if you just provide some basic kindness yourself, and provided an easy-going experience with purchasing a very high quality instrument (in this case a beautiful Cello). read more

the owner is completely unaccommodating and inappropriate. After I wrote the review, I looked at Yelp and saw that he had several other 1 star review. I called and asked him one question about a guitar he had on his website. I have never been in his store or ever called. He answered by saying that "You can come in and I will ring it up as a sale." I told him that I would appreciate knowing the answer to the question that I asked. He became very rude and indignant and began lecturing about the problems he has had 20 years of business. He then reprimanded me for calling him and not coming into his store. He was completely inappropriate and out of line. I can't imagine spending money with someone that difficult and clearly disturbed. read more

This is one of the worst store I have visited. I went there to get a violin and as soon I went in he started asking me all kinds of questions. I felt like I was being cross-examined in a trial for entering this place. When he found out I may not buy a violin that day he told me to go somewhere else where the workers make $10 an hour. I could easily afford a $10000 violin but I certainly would not buy it from him. read more

One of the best Classical Guitar stores every. Randy has some of the best knowledge of classical guitar music

I have purchased music and guitar accessories for classical guitar from Randy over the years and have never found anyone more knowledgeable about the craft than Randy. Last weekend I purchased my first serious classical guitar from him and was pleased with his guidance and expertise in discussing the difference in woods and construction. read more

Owner Randy O is a self described expert and multi lingual expert on everything musical, and a legend in his own mind. After trying a few instruments and feeling a bit overwhelmed by the incredible clutter I stated that I needed to think about my choices when he got mad and accused me of wasting his precious time, shocking me to the point of wishing I had never gone in to his shop. The whole time he whined about not being able to afford his lease payment and blaming the whole world for his problems. His demonstrations of his guitar playing on youtube are pathetic student level and rather poor considering he bills himself as a superb teacher (of many instruments). I have spoken to several other people who have had the same experience, don't waste your time with him. read more

The store is OK if you need some guitar accessory locally. Guitar selection is poor and overprice. Do not attempt to bring your guitar in for adjustment. The owner knows nothing about it, and even worse, he might damage your guitar along the way. read more

His shop has a fantastic selection of classical and flamenco guitars, rare sheet music,dvd's,cd's,and accesories. Randy carries quality guitars at all price levels and really cares about his customers. I highly recommend this store for selection,price,and service. Do yourself a favor and visit this store. You won't be disapointed! read more

Just got back from Randy's shop and thought I would post a review. I am somewhat dumbfounded by the negative reviews. A couple years ago I purchased a student violin from Randy for my daughters music class, he spent time explaining his suggestions and effort, setting it up the violin for her. A year later when it suffered a structural failure, Randy took it back and sold me another nicer violin at a discounted price. All maintenance with both violins, Randy has taken care of without charge. I try to pay him and he refuses each time. He takes as much care with the student instruments he sells as with the instruments he has that cost as much as a luxury car. The man is a master at what he does and a gentleman as well. He has always treated me politely. During this visit he was able to recall who I was and what I had purchased even though I visit his shop intermittently. Oh, and he refused payment for his work once again. He and his shop are a rare breed and a treasure. read more

Great traditional instruments and instruction! When I was shopping for a Flamenco guitar a couple of years ago, an employee at one of the bigger retail chains actually recommended this store. It turned out to be a great benefit to me since I also was looking for private lessons. read more