I want to like Gryphon they are local and sort of simple and not slicked out, but these guys have memories like sieves. If they turn around they will get you the wrong thing, charge you the wrong price or tell you some story that is complete. Much of the time though these is not much going on in the store you have to ask them for help. There is just something off about going in there, or maybe you just have to look like a musician or have the secret handshake. I have been there for minor things and I really do not like their arrogant or above it all disinterested attitude. Sorry I am not Eddie Van Halen or Andres Segovia, but my simple purchase of a string, or capo, or guitar strap is important to me. Why do they have behave like I am not worthy of shopping at their store over some simple purchase? I went to Gryphon because I thought here would be experts who knew what they are talking about. Instead they seem to be uninterested losers that just want to pick up a paycheck. I mean these little unpleasantries make me want to rip them and given them a 1 or 0 ... but they are not that terrible, in fact this kind of service is right in line with stores like Fry's right down the block. I can go there and get ignored and condescended to by losers too ... but I think at Fry's maybe they don't smoke so much pot and have slightly better memories. read more

When you think Gryphon, think pricey acoustic guitars. That is what they are good at. That is what they do. If you are a regular, chances are you cleared 250K last year, you drive a BMW, and you like bluegrass music. The people at Gryphon are perfectly nice to you because you have money burning a hole in your pocket and you don't know what to do with it. Go ahead. Plop down some big money and buy yourself a pre-war Martin. You deserve it! But, for the rest of us. This collection of elitist snobs with their overpriced everything should have you going somewhere else. Everything from capos to strings can be had cheaper at just about any music store in the area. Their repair people are knowledgeable, but again overpriced. They are also not very creative. They have one way of doing things and they I find the sales people not to be knowledgeable. Sure, they know the history of stuff, but history seems to overshadow any discussion of the sound of their instruments. Novel concept. Sound of an instrument being important. If you are a musician without tons of cash, go somewhere else. If you are musician who doesn't want to play bluegrass, go somewhere else. If you want to buy very expensive flat top acoustic guitars, you might want to stop by. But, there are better shops in the Bay Area with better selection, better prices and more knowledgeable sales staff. read more

In about 2001, I was having problems with a knob on my Tennessee Rose Gretsch, so I brought it in to Gryphon to have them look at it. One of the employees walked by on his way to the backroom and made a loud snide remark: "Get a real guitar." Screw this place... read more

They have a wonderful selection of fine-quality guitars, particularly steel-stringed acoustics, and amplifiers. I wish this alone would be enough to give a highly favorable review. Recently, I came to the store for the first time to check out some amplifiers and look at some acoustic steel-string guitars. The initial salesman was relatively young, very responsive, and congenial. He set me up quickly and said to take my time trying out the amplifiers. Shortly after deciding on which amplifier to purchase, an older boorish man entered the room and told me they were closing soon. Normally, this is totally fine; however, the impression from his demeanor and tone was, "Hey, do me a favor and don't be a drag. Wrap it up so I can get out of here." To add insult to injury, not even the slightest effort was made to ask me about my reaction to the amplifiers or to follow up with any questions. As much as I do not want to be treated by an obsequious employee, being made to feel like a persona non grata was enough to destroy my patronage. An MBA is not exactly required to know that alienating a potential customer is not exactly a good way to sell merchandise. Seems like a lot of stores do not seem to grasp this simple concept. read more

Gryphon is a great shop for the professional player, high quality amplifiers, the rooms sound nice, amazing string selection, every guitar is set up to play as well as it can, and Amazing Consignment Instruments! I found a D'Angelico II New Yorker at a great price there, it plays like a dream and the staff seems to care about instruments going to a good home. I just read through some reviews and I can see what some of the naysayers are saying, the place is expensive, some of the salesmen are a touch salty. but they care about their product and unlike many other shops that sell acoustic instruments, they are not primarily in the business of selling you your first crappy guitar. They want to sell you your first GOOD guitar, if you want to save money and buy a budget guitar, that's fine, go somewhere else. People complain about the prices, but you may not realize that all their instruments get time on the bench beyond what gets done at the factory. I don't have a lot of money myself, but I care about quality, and I don't mind scrimping and saving to get something that goes the distance. This place is great, I will be returning as soon as I can for an AER compact 60 to go with the New Yorker! read more

Giving my money to Gryphon makes me feel like I'm doing something good in this life. In the age of internet everything, Gryphon is thriving. It is well worth the drive from Oakland to Palo Alto to spend time in this store and purchase an instrument I have played, rather than ordering one online, sight unseen. And I'd much rather give my money to Gryphon than the similar store in Berkeley. I''ve purchased a Flatiron mandolin and a Bart Reiter banjo from Gryphon, with almost ten years in between. I've never been happier with instrument purchases in my life. Makes me want to take back the Martin guitar I got at Guitar Center and buy one from Gryphon, instead. Forgive me Gryphon, for I have sinned. I couldn't afford the guitar from you, but the stain my cheating has left on my heart is only slightly lessened knowing that you are thriving. If you weren't, I don't think I could forgive myself. Here's my only beef with Gryphon. Repairs, even tiny ones, take a week. I'm sure this is totally normal, but still, it sure would make my life easier if I could make an appointment, then bring it in and take it home. I want some spike capos put into my banjo. Surely it's no more than a 10-minute job. I really don't want to have to drive down there twice, and be without my banjo for a week. And I don't want to try it myself at the risk of damaging my pristine ebony fretboard. And so I complain, but not enough to detract from those 5 stars. Gryphon, I love you. read more

Marc M. and Bruce K's reviews are accurate. Based on one of my last experiences, I might not go here as often or get work done because one employee was very unfriendly, almost condescending, and short with me. If that's his personality, I apologize, but he made me not want to have the store operate on my guitar. I didn't get much help from him at all and that's very troubling as a customer when I'm bringing a semi-expensive instrument in for work and want to have all my bases covered. Anyway, they made my guitar more playable. Good setup for the money. But it's a setup that other places could have done - and done with friendlier staff. Go to this place when Paul or Matt is working. Otherwise, go to Guitar Center in Santa Clara which actually has decent customer service. read more

Nice store and good selection of acoustics. Half of the staff is very friendly, though you'll hear a few snickers and comments when playing from the other half. At least I did. Big turn off there, but I knew what I was about when testing out my options. Ultimately, though, when I was ready to purchase a few weeks back and had cash in my pocket, they wouldn't negotiate price with me. After about thirty minutes, they offered $50 off a $3k guitar. That's it. No more and no freebies like strings, etc. I was pretty disappointed. Wouldn't listen to my counter so I just said thank you and walked out. I understand that they may not be able to go as deep as a bigger shop but it seemed ridiculous to not budge at all considering I had cash on hand. Drove to GC and bought a higher end acoustic for considerably less than what I'd have paid at Gryphon for the lower model. Considerably. So much so that I ended up buying 2 guitars through GC that week. I'll probably take a few into Gryphon for setup as they seem to do a really great job, but I can't see myself buying any gear there after this experience. read more

I have had nothing but great experiences every time I visited this amazing store. Some of my most prized guitars were purchase at Gryphon. I have had repairs done to 2 of my guitars, and these were complex repairs...the results were perfect. Great People, Great Inventory and the Best Stringed Instrument repair in the Country! read more

I treasure going to Gryphon for all of my guitar wants and needs. The staff is friendly, knowledgeable, and very helpful. I have had numerous repairs and set-ups done there and I wouldn't consider going anywhere else. A special acknowledgement to Brian, who has taken really good care of me through the years. Thanks, Gryphon! read more

I decided to take up the banjo, and luckily a friend had one I could borrow. As I know nothing about stringed instruments, I often come in here with questions when I arrive for lessons. My lesson room is tiny, but you don't really need a lot of space. Their banjo selection seems pretty good - ranging from the starter banjos to some of the fancier varieties. I did notice a few brands missing that I've heard talking about on the boards, so if you're looking for something in particular, check if it's a brand they carry. Their website is pretty up-to-date. The staff has also been helpful in ordering certain accessories for me, helping me put on my banjo strap, or getting it in tune before a lesson (before I knew what I was doing). This is my go-to, banjo resource. read more

Purchased my first Ukulele here, no pressure, great selection and as much help as you want. You may need to ask as they do let you browse without bothering you. Major plus! Sat and strummed a few, got pointers and picked a great pineapple ukulele. Have had my second ukulele restring-ed there fairly inexpensive and good selection of strings. Great atmosphere and very welcoming. Starter to high end they have lots of options. Big thumbs up to Paul for taking the time to help me choose the right first instrument for me. Well worth a visit! read more

I went to Gryphon Stringed Instruments on two separate occasions. One experience was good, another not so good. First, the good: I'd bought a guitar on eBay and it came with a saddle that was in pretty bad shape. Took it in, and in about three weeks' time walked out with a really nice looking, well polished compensated bone saddle. Was told at the time of consultation that they would not use anything except bone for the saddle. I wish they'd have allowed Tusq as an option as it would've saved some money. The not so good: I'd bought another guitar on eBay, and it was an older solid body Guild (FS46CE) that looks like an acoustic. It has a really outdated pickup system under a 1/4" wide saddle. I took the guitar in (this was back when I was still working in the tech industry and the money was good) and asked about the possibility of filling in the 1/4" slot and cutting a new saddle, and the possiblity of installing a new UST in there. The person I spoke to didn't really seem interested in the job at all, I guess since it wasn't standard work, and even though I tried asking for an estimate, he kept on saying that it'd be a pretty involved job and didn't want to give me a quote. I guess I'd have to look for a less established shop that would be interested in helping a customer do non-standard work. Would I go back to Gryphon again? I think so, but only for run-of-the-mill work, because the quality is good. But if I ever come across another non-standard project, I know where not to go. read more

Gryphon! More fun than a pillow fight as I always say. I used to be in a band once, back when I could still shake my moneymaker, but then I found Jesus, aka drugs, and fell off of the wagon and into a heaping pile of the smelly stuff. But that cool. As for Gryphon, it's great, there's guitars and meTAR's, but don't expect any sitars, cause this ain't your India's Gryphon. Rock me Amadeus till Gryphon, cause that where you find the lades. Prices are what you'd expect from a mythical beast, and it's got that real "small building behind Fry's" sort of vibe going on. Top Drawer! read more

First-rate stringed instrument store. I've been a customer for many years and have bought several instruments from them and used their repair services many times. Richard is an acknowledged expert on vintage guitars, and Frank is a national treasure in his knowledge of repair techniques (and willingness to share them - see frets.com). Most recently I worked with James and Brian to have a pickup installed in my Collings guitar. James was very knowledgeable on the available options, and I ended up with an Trance Amulet M, which sounds incredible, thanks to a spot-on installation. Gryphon is still knocking it out of the park after all these years! read more

I bought a guitar here over the weekend and this was the best guitar buying experience I've had, ever (also, I bought the best guitar I've played). My experience was outstanding because: 1. The sales people were very knowledgable and gave me both information and also weighed in their opinion on what they liked without sounding judgmental. 2. They let me play the guitars without hovering like a vulture. This is huge! 3. Most importantly: They did not pressure me into a sale! I took a long time in deciding if the guitar was the right fit for me and they just let me basically sit in their amp room like The Thinker (but with clothes) for a good 15 minutes without attending to me. On top of that, I had a few discussions with their repair team over the phone regarding ways to modify the guitar and the effect of different types of modification. Gryphon is the standard in how I think a guitar shop should be run. The level of expertise here is very, very high, without pretension. Overall, this is the 50s Les Paul Standard of the guitar buying experience. read more

These guys took great care with my 1958 Martin. The neck needed to be reset, which is quite a delicate process. I am not an expert, but was lucky to have been willed a great instrument. They were extremely patient with my questions and treated my guitar like it was their own. I would recommend them to anybody. read more

Occasionally you find a business that is simply wonderful to visit. Not often. Gryphon is one of those. It is the one of the best selections of acoustic guitars in the entire US, which means the world. If you are even close to being a serious musician, you respect this place immensely. The selection is scary good particularly for harder to find stuff. The care and expertise in fixing and setting up guitars is phenomenal. The staff are great, and the owners Richars and Frank focus on what matters. If you can find it, you might save a few bucks at Guitar Center but need I I say more? Do you want to support Walmart or a local business that really serves you well? read more

Do not go to Gryphon if you are looking for your first cheapie acoustic guitar (Yamaha, Fender, etc.) in your quest to learn to play the latest top 40 power ballad. Do go to Gryphon if you are looking for a high-quality acoustic instrument and are willing to spend a few bucks. The emphasis is definitely on steel-string acoustic guitars. They have a good selection of high-end instruments, ranging from quality large brands (Martin, Taylor, Gibson) to boutique brands (Santa Cruz, Huss & Dalton). They also have some decent starter instruments, along with a helpful staff that will try to find you an instrument that suits you. They also have smaller but good selections of mandolins, fiddles, ukeleles, banjos, nylon-string guitars, electric guitars, and amps. There is also the odd harp or other random instrument. The music / book / video section is biased towards bluegrass, folk, and jazz music (which fits in with the overall direction of the store towards acoustic Americana). The repair shop is top-notch. If you've got an instrument which is in serious need of help and you want the best, this is the place to go. They can handle anything from simple restorations to the hardcore stuff like neck resets. read more

Having been back a few more times, I realized this is a place where if you need help you need to ask for it and once you do they are pretty helpful. Otherwise they just leave you uninterrupted to play the guitars. They really do have a great guitar selection that are all well maintained and set up nicely. My 2 cents - if you're looking for a friendly & pleasant customer service experience, talk to Matt or Paul. I don't think they mean any harm but the other workers there can be quite frank and blunt when answering questions. I think people interpret this as off putting or elitist. Overall 4 stars mainly for their guitar selection, customer service is hit or miss. read more

These folks are wonderful! Matt sold a guitar of mine and gave me a great deal on a Martin. Alfred the guitar tech is awesome. He fixed an issue on my Gibson SG in a matter of minutes. All of them are really nice people and we need to support local businesses like Gryphon instead of sending cash out of the community through Guitar Center! read more

We love Gryphon. Always an extensive collection of beautiful and unique instruments, which changes every time we visit. But you can take any of them off the wall and play, unlike some other places that are stingier or make you feel like you have to prove your worthiness to actually try an instrument. But the best part is their luthier and repair services; they are experts and we come here for any repair we've got. Kind people and for the quality of work they do we always feel like they are owed more than they charge. read more

I got my guitar here for probably way cheaper than what it should have cost - it is a 1995 Taylor acoustic. The staff is incredibly knowledgeable and worked with me to choose the right instrument. They even gave me a deal with an extra set of strings and a case. I also used to take guitar lessons here and Greg was a great teacher! We would choose any song each week and even if he didn't know it he would work to write the chords down. Gryphon just has a magic to it that you have to see to understand. read more

I enjoyed window shopping there. I was looking to get a nice ukulele and it was great to have 10 ukuleles to play and compare. I didn't really ask for help, so I don't know how the service is. They did ask me if I needed help, and were courteous to not go "sales pitch" when I said no. It did seem like the staff was on top of stuff and willing to help if you needed it. I thought there website is a good place to start. I think they keep their inventory current on their website, so you can check there first. . read more

I had a problem with a uke gig bag I purchased from them. The bag had what seemed like a manufacturing defect and developed a tear along one of the zippers. Despite the fact that it was two months after I bought the thing, I showed them the problem and they swapped it out with a new bag, with no whining or bitching. Based on this customer service experience, I'm glad I did business with Gryphon. read more

Went in here quite a while ago, but the experience left a terrible taste in my mouth and I can't stop thinking about it. I overheard someone (who turned out to be one of the owners, pictured on their website) trash talking someone loud enough for any customer to hear, as this place is quiet as a morgue. It's dinosaur places like this one that make online shopping the way to go. read more

Gryphon String Instruments has excellent luthiers, a great selection of guitars, and friendly customer service. I got my Martin DCX1E repaired / adjusted by Brian. Before the repair, the pick-up underneath the saddle needed to be adjusted since the same note played on different strings would have different volumes. Brian easily fixed this, so the guitar is well balanced when plugged into an amp or other speaker system. Brian also lowered the action for me. In the first two weeks of playing the guitar again, I noticed some fret buzz on the guitar. I called Brian at Gryphon Stringed Instruments, and he was willing to readjust the action for me for free. Normally, it takes a few days for the repair to get done. I told Brian beforehand that I was coming from Berkeley, and it'd be ideal if I could pick up the fixed guitar the same day. He kindly adjusted the action to my playing style that same day. The store has many great Taylors, Martins, and other guitars. The staff are knowledgeable and friendly! This is currently my favorite guitar store to visit! read more

Nothing like a little guitar snobbery and rescinding a previous offer to convince me to permanently unsubscribe from this shop. I brought in four fine, collectible instruments, one of which had a previous offer on it, and they not only passed on that offer, which I thought was standing, but they nosed down the other three Guitars, one of which was a brand new boutique guitar. The other two were a Fender Stratocaster MIJ '54 RI in great condition and a handmade French archtop from 1960 of which a museum exhibit exists around the very makers, visited by tens of thousands/year in Europe. "God Bless 'Merica and no place else!" George W. Bush. Next time you say you have too many of a fairly common guitar, make sure you have at least ONE of those guitars in stock. You had NONE of the four guitars I brought by. If you aren't buying due to over-shopping at XMas and the check book is empty, just let us know prior to inviting someone down to your shack by the tracks. read more

Awesome store with a good fiddle section. The staff are really friendly and very helpful. And if you ask them a question they don't know the answer to, they'll gladly find someone who does. I've spoken to at least 4 different staff members and have never felt pressured to buy anything. They seem to be very welcoming to the casual window shopper. Every visit to Gryphon has been wonderful so far! Parking is not a problem whatsoever. I don't think I've ever had to walk more than 50 feet to get to the front door. read more

This place is musical instrument connoisseur heaven ! The staff is very friendly and can answer any of your questions. Beautiful guitars are hung and displayed. My father takes guitar lessons here and absolutely loves the instructors. Went in today to get a gift certificate and t-shirt for my dad's birthday. T-shirt design is actually cool and only costs $10 bucks. Street parking only. Great service and selection. If I ever take up guitar in my free time...Gryphon Stringed Instruments is where I will go. read more

brought in a vintage Kramer Stagemaster with the Floyd Rose all taken apart in a plastic bag. Less than one week later I got it back set up exactly as I hoped for. And they were able to not have to order a new Floyd Rose, as I was suspecting. Total paid $90 and for the quality of the work, that's a steal. Will bring my other guitars here when they need string changing. So Gryphons not only good for acoustic but at least Brian there knows how to work and setup electrics too. read more

Mostly high-end ($3k+) steel-string acoustic guitars. Brands with most selection are Martin, Taylor and Collings. It's always fun to guitar shop and check out what's new. This would be 5 stars except a few issues. One is because it's a high-end shop, the staff is by default, snooty. There are glass cases and velvet ropes around half the inventory. I was looking at the wall display of some $5k+ Collings guitars and the store manager asked if I needed help and I said I was just looking. He said "Ah, you recognize your limitations." actually I am not in the market for an archtop, but thanks anyway. The other problem is I seem to always go when a mandolin player decides to spend an hour practicing/performing in the shop. This is annoying if you are spending time really trying to find a guitar for purchase. they do very excellent repair work, but they can be busy. tip: check the website for current inventory. they usually have a nice selection of high-quality used instruments. read more

I've known Gryphon for a lot more years than I'd like to admit. Bought guitars (Taylor 6 and 12-string and a limited edition Martin) and amps (Carr, Schertler) there. Bought the Martin book co-authored by RIchard Johnston there which includes the story of my guitar. Had several guitars set-up to perfection. Saw a Martin Simpson concert there. Attended workshops with luminaries of the fingerstyle guitar world: Laurence Juber, Rick Ruskin, Duck Baker, Woody Mann. I perform locally (http://www.jr-guitar.com/) and consider Gryphon an essential part of the fabic woven into my music. read more

Went in with a friend on lunch break to check out some electrics and amps, staff made it pretty clear that we were not welcome. Between us we probably own 20 guitars and are always looking for new sounds. Not sure what the problem was. We drove 20 miles to go there, next time we'll drive in another direction. read more

As a relative newbie who can't rock out on 16th note riffs as other patrons, this place can be intimidating. Yet they've been courteous and helpful every time. They even turned down money they could take from me, when I asked whether it's worth it to swap out from a Tusq to a bone nut on my Taylor. I was expecting snide reluctance when asking to play some of the guitars behind the roped-off areas, but they gladly let me plink my chords on them. Although they have an impressive array of high-end guitars, they also have a nice set of more entry-level Martin guitars, which is nice. read more

Walked in hoping to get a guitar setup without knowing I needed an appointment. They accommodated me anyways, and all the staff I talked to were friendly. read more

Amazing. Old school customer service and just amazingly helpful and not pushy staff. I visited 3 times to try out guitars and learned something new every time. They genuinely want you to get a guitar that you are happy with not push some expensive guitar or sell you on something. I ended up really happy with the Martin I bought because I'd tried out so many others with great input and education from the staff. The biggest benefit is that if you don't know much about guitars, like me, they don't talk down to you or ignore you. Great place. read more

Another guitar heaven in the south bay. Much more so on the acoustic end than the electric and other stringed instruments. Heavy on the high end; Taylor, Gibson, Martin and Collings are amongst the standouts as far as selection goes. They also offer lessons and a repair shop. So many nice guitars, so little money. read more

I love to pluck. And Gryphon is a pluckers paradise. First I must slobber on each and every mandolin in the store. This takes about a half hour, as they carry aout 2 dozen at any given time and not some crap from Korea, these are the real deal like Collings and Weber and Summit and Breedlove. Then I waste another 1/2 hour looking at all the instructional books and videos. Then, I will play some guitars. Then I did deep into my pocket and spend $1.50 on some picks. So I can go home and pluck with my wife. (She likes to pluck too, but without a plectrum). My only complaints: not open Sundays and a long way from Berkeley! read more

I visited non peak Wed 11am, I was greeted and directed to the back of the store where the repair shop is located. Brian helped me out for a string change and setup and fret cleaning was $75. The quality was top notch, they adjusted the action to my specifics 75%strum 25%fingerpicking. Approx 4 days until pickup but this is just my first time so may vary. Highly trusted and worth the drive! read more