I can't believe it's taken me this long to write Heaney Violins a review! I've been going to Heaney since 2010 and most of all my students rent violins or purchase violins from them. Patrick and his team are super knowledgeable, professional, and friendly. The store is lovely and they have a beautiful salon for you to try out instruments and/bows. Ben has handled a lot of my student requests - he's amazing! Thanks Heaney Violins! read more

I rented a cello for 3 months, amazing experience. I will rent again soon after a short break. The staff was patient and knowledgeable with my beginner questions and helped me identify the best cello for me, trying out the different rental options as well as hearing them play the different options. I learned a lot practicing on the one they gave me and now will be able to select my second cello rental soon! read more

So I was restringing my daughter's violin, which required me to change all 4 strings. When you do this, the bridge, and even possibly the sound post may move or be displaced. So while I was on my last string, the bridge moved, and in the process I cracked it. Way to go, me! I looked up a violin place ASAP and contacted them. They promptly responded via email and I got an appointment the next day. They took my violin and made a new bridge. They also pointed out some problems with the violin, but I honestly don't want to shell out more money on a violin we're borrowing. I just hope it does it job until my daughter grows into a full size. I asked them various questions about different violin products and they were really helpful. I can't speak much about pricing bc I have nothing to compare it to, but they def had a steady stream of business. read more

Heaney Violins - Left side of store - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Mountain View, California

I was helped by Vikram yesterday and he was just awesome to work with. Very friendly and knowledgeable. Overall good experience at the shop.

Professional! I am planning to purchase a violin. I just drive by on Sat and didn't make an appointment. They are very accommodating and let us use their big room to test different violins. We also brought home the one we choose and compare around. I love their price and their prices include bow, case and violin. I shop also at 3 other violin shops. The one in San Jose J town does not include anything plus they those violin are very old, used plus in bad condition. When I ask them if the violin include bow and case, they are very fussy about it and will not tell me if they include or not. I should have read that as a red flag. The bow they let me test there are very old pretend to be new and sold at new price. And they I talked to them about price, they did not honor the price they told me earlier which is very frustrating. I end up has to haggle with those folks. Violin here (Heaney) are clearly new and in good condition. Sounds are comparable. I did not end up picking violin at this shop because I was not the one playing so it was not my choice, my job was just get the sale done. I would come again if I need to get another violin or bow. read more

Excellent service. I had my daughters cello restrung. I would go back. Everybody was very helpful.

This store is amazing! I have been playing violin for a while and have wanted to purchase my own. I purchased one of their packages which came with a violin, bow, and case, and give it a 10/10. The violin had a very clear and warm tone which I enjoy. The store is very clean and organized, and the staff is very knowledgeable and friendly. The prices are great as well. I will definitely come back here for any repairs and upgrades. Shoutout to one of the staff, Ben, for helping me throughout the purchase! He was friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable. I love having a violin shop I can trust! read more

Helped me out with questions about a new Cello. Courteous and professional. Would highly recommend working with them.

They are very friendly and helpful. They are very honest and won't overcharge you like other places I've been to. I will definitely come back here for any and all violin repairs or questions. read more

Had a need to update a tail stock on a violin that we bought from them about 2 years ago. For Covid, running basically by appointment only, using their Contact Me link off the main site to give my contact and work that needed done. Got back to me in less than 24hr and set the appointment. Filled out payment info online after got details in email. Went in, dropped (not literally) the violin and case, said it would be about 1 hr to be ready. I came back later and violin was done. Very convenient! Glad they are still operating and servicing instruments. Not sure but I think they may only be servicing violins they sold originally. You'd need to call them and check. read more

These guys are solid. Been there a few times to get strings and as a cellist of 25 years I can say they know their stuff.

I really wish I could give this place more than five stars. This isn't just my go-to violin shop, everyone in this shop feels like a friend of mine! I bought my violin here and I bring it in for check-ups pretty frequently. Every time I come in, the staff are super friendly and go out of their way to help me, feeling personally invested in my instrument and me as a musician. Some highlights: 1. While I was shopping for my violin, Mark helped me try out violins and gave me feedback on how he thought each one sounded and would try them out himself and add his input on how the instrument felt to him. I play fiddle music and he was super interested in that and asked me about how to chop on the fiddle. 2. After I selected my violin, Patrick (of Heaney Violins fame) dug out three giant encyclopedias and we went through them together to find out more about the luthier. Once we found it, he copied the pages and gave them to me. (My fiddle has a fire brand in it and everybody was very excited about that.) 3. When my violin developed an odd buzz, Ben, Jake and especially the wonderful repairman Jim stayed twenty minutes after hours working on repairs for me because I had an event the next day. So far, it sings out better than it has in months. Jim also let me watch the repair process and explained what he was doing, which I love. 4. When my best friend visits for music camp, he doesn't want to haul his cello cross-country. Heaney always lets him rent a cello for a week free of charge. Honestly, I would just come here to hang out with the staff and talk and learn about violins. These people are amazing. I would apply to work here in another life. Thank you for everything, Heaney Violins! read more

Nice and friendly. Odd working hours and it's common that they don't always have a specialist that knows details about inventory, even when you schedule an appointment. They are well wishing, but could be better organized. read more

My son's violin had an issue with E string - they changed the string, and the issue is gone! They even changed the finger location stickers. My son is excited and appreciated very much to see the new stickers. I was ready to pay for the labor (and a little scared how much that would be..) and was charged only for the string. What a nice surprise now days Thank you for the great service! read more

I recently started playing violin again and needed some repairs on my old violin. I got my stings replaced and my bridge straightened by Heaney Viiolins. They quoted me a reasonable cost and a reasonable amount of time to fix it. They did everything as they said they would. They even called me to tell me when they were done. The staff there is very nice. Since then I've bought a shoulder rest and polishing cloth from them. Very knowledgeable staff. read more

My daughter dropped her violin and the fingerboard came apart. Heaney did a very professional repair job at a reasonable price. Due to COVID, I'd suggest making an appointment early to get your preferred time slot since the are open at reduced hours and service by appointment only. read more

I bought my first cello from Heaney violins and had a great experience. They are taking covid very seriously! I made an appointment online, played in store for an hour, brought my two favorites home and then returned one. What a great experience. Everyone was polite, kind and clearly loves music read more

Heaney Violins - Studio space - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Mountain View, California

My electric cello was in need of some repairs. When I called Heaney Violins I was under the impression that the pegs were slipping. When I arrived I met Patrick. He was very kind and knowledgable. In only 5 minutes he was able to distinguish the true repair. Turns out it needed to have a new tail piece put on. Amazingly, he charged me only $20 for labor and the piece itself. I was amazed and blessed by his help. Patrick also provided me information about other shops that might be better suited to take care of an electric cello and he also had suggestions on good teachers in the area and who to go to for what musical interest. I am very grateful to Heaney Violins for their classy and topnotch services. Thank you! read more

A warm thank you to everyone at Heaney Violins. 1. I got a rental violin from Heaney. Great sound. Definitely recommend anyone who's thinking about renting to try theirs. 2. In week three or so during the renting, the violin accidentally hit something and its corner cracked... oh Noooooooo... Then I knew what horror felt like. I went to the store terribly nervous. The owner (Patrick Heaney) looked at it while smiling, and told me it's fine. He thanked me for bringing it right away, and fixed it in 15 minutes. No charge. 3. I decided that I need to buy a violin and I started looking around. I booked an appointment with Heaney and they let me try many violins. I spent about 2 hours there trying all the violins that interested me. No one rushed me or anything. Thank you, again! read more

I had been playing the violin for a while now and had finally reached a point at which I felt ready to remove the fine tuners. I brought in my instrument to have the tuners/screws removed. They looked at it and told me that in order to remove the tuners, I would need to replace the tailpiece, as the original one did not have slits/openings wide enough to accommodate the strings. So they removed my tuners and put in a new tailpiece while I waited, and it didn't take long at all! After the work was done, they even waited patiently while I tested out the pegs to make sure I could tune easily. My violin now sounds so much better without the tuners. Although it was a minor adjustment, Heaney Violins truly showed exceptional customer service (and the work was free of charge!), and I'm so grateful that they were able to have the work done right away, as they had other customers to attend to while I was there. Thank you, Heaney Violins, for the great work! I will definitely be back for any other violin-related needs. read more

A few months after my needlessly unpleasant experience at Sono Strings (https://www.yelp.com/biz/sono-strings-mountain-view?hrid=RcXPRBx-AnnY8fAjezYtew) I went across the way to Heaney, where Kody really just knocked it out of the park. I brought my Internet Violin™ and said I hadn't ever played a nice violin. I got to play a low-end professional-grade instrument, then the bottom two rental tiers. I had lots of time with the instruments (more than I needed, really, since I only know scales and 2 songs), and Kody took the time to answer my questions about the spectrum of differences in violin quality. I walked out, renting a nicer violin, and happier than when I went in. read more

Wow! Just WOW! The customer service is AMAZING! It took me a long time to choose an instrument, but the process here is SOO easy. The violins here sound great! The price is very fair! The shop is very peaceful and has an antique feel to it. The testing rooms are BIG. They gave me a whole giant room to test violins. They take their time with you and do not hesitate when you ask them to bring you violins CONSTANTLY! They leave you 100% satisfied. Come here if you are ready to buy a new violin! read more

Heaney Violins - GIANT ROOM TO TEST VIOLINS - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Mountain View, California

I needed a new bow for an advancing Viola player who was ready to switch from carbon fiber to a wood bow. I was ready to spend enough money to get a decent bow, but needed to keep a budget at the same time. Heaney had just what I needed. Another shop offered three bows that were all the same. She had trouble controlling them because they were all too springy. At Heaney, we got a selection of 4 distinctly different bows. Each had its own unique properties and playing qualities. All were very controllable and well suited to the Viola. Best of all the selection was in the price range that I wanted. Since all of the bows were very playable and good quality, I was confident that whichever bow she picked would work out for her. Because the four bows had different designs and characteristics, she was able to choose one that was perfect for what she needs now. In a couple of years she may need another bow for a different style and level of playing; however, I am sure that the bow we purchased will still remain serviceable and useful to her well in the future. We will go back to Heaney when the time comes. read more

I've not bought any violin from this place. The first time I came was to get new string as my daughter's string was broken an hour before her exam. The gentleman who helped me there was so nice. He prioritize me even though the shop was relatively busy. Today, I had another issue with my daughter's Scroll and the a string was loose. I was looking into renting or buying. But instead of getting me into buying, they fix the broken part with no charge. She said to use it and only to come back for rental or buying again when it's no longer working. There were so nice throughout the whole process. 4 stars because I can't comment on the quality (yet) but 5 stars for customer service. read more

Great service and great instruments! The musicians at the store are knowledgeable and were patient with my novice questions :) As a parent of young kids who are attending string classes in school, I appreciate having Heaney Violins to go to for rentals and other musical essentials. read more

Patrick Heaney is by far the best luthier I've met, and I've had repairs and maintenance done by many different workshops from Cincinnati, Chicago, and Austin. As a professional violinist, I would recommend his craft to anyone of any experience and proficiency. My modern Italian was in pretty poor shape after 6-8 hours of hard playing every day, and he made it look and sound better than I can remember. As a teacher, I also had a chance to test out their student rentals of each level, and I have to say that the Bay area should count itself lucky. Their student instruments are a much higher quality than anything available in Austin, my home town, and it costs around half as much to rent from Heaney than it does from Austin's shops. Given the cost of living difference between SF and Austin, that is pretty substantial. On top of that, he is the only shop that I know of that puts Vision strings on student rentals, whereas most other shops use the cheapest steel strings available. I myself use Vision titanium solos. The instruments themselves have a focused, balanced tone and have facility across all registers. Beginners and serious advanced students should consider renting from him, for both the quality and the value. Whenever I fly out to SF, I plan on having work done at the shop of this master craftsman and artist. read more

We have a few musicians in the family so we are always utilizing their services weather it be a simple phone call to actually needing to visit the store the employees are very friendly. I first discovered them when I was looking for someone to help fix a Violin that my great grandfather had made. My great grand father was a Violin maker. He made each member in the family, including the grandchildren, a special Violin all their own. It was a very nice gesturer, from a man whose life passion was making wine and Violins, that we now have to remember him by. When he passed it was very sad but we have the Violins to keep his memory alive. My sister's daughter, who plays one of those Violins he crafted, seems to always break off the handle. At first we didn't know who to call but I called around to some music stores and everyone recommend Heaney. When I called they were very supportive and willing to take a look at what we had to see what they could do. When we found out they would be able to fix it was music to our ears because we didn't know, since we are not experienced in making instruments, how difficult of a job it would have been. To our surprise they did a magnificent job and the Violin looks like the day it was made! Thank you for helping perserve our memory! I was very interested in the rentals when my son first expressed an interest in playing the Cello I wanted to make sure this was really something he was interested in. They were very friendly about the rentals, and although it does come with a contract, it gives you the time you need to see if this is something that you are interested in perusing further. All in all they are a great little shop to have in your bag of resources. read more

Actually I'd like to give it 4.5 stars but I'll round up. -.5 star because of the wait. I waited at least 30mins just to have someone help me. However, this became quite understandable when they started helping me because they are EXTREMELY helpful and patient! Also, they are a bit expensive (not one $), assume you are paying for the great service and it's not bad. I am a complete beginner so, if you have no idea what you want or what you're doing, this is definitely a good place to find help. Unlike some places, they do not talk down to you. I was able to say that I didn't like XYZ without really describing why (again, I'm a complete beginner so I didn't know). They took it from there and brainstormed the possible causes and how to let you try out different solutions. If you want to buy something "simple" and know exactly what you are looking for, this may not be the place since you can probably find it elsewhere for cheaper and quicker. If you need the personal touch, help, or want to try out things, this is the place to go. Just make sure you leave yourself room for the long wait. read more

We checked out every violin store between Palo Alto and San Jose looking for a violin for my son. Heaney had the best service and a great selection of instruments at a reasonable price. They let us take home a bunch of violins every week to try them out, told us that it might take months for us to make up our minds and that was fine with them, and went out of their way to help us figure out which violin to buy. Really nice people. No attitude. They were just as happy to sell us a cheap violin as an expensive one, and not even a hint of a snarky commet about my musical ability. read more

I meant to write a review a few weeks back when I had my violin serviced by Heaney; string replacement and alignment of the bridge. Superior service and super friendly staff-- all musicians and very talented. As a student to the violin, I had many questions and they graciously answered anything I asked. They're very kind and thoughtful. Heaney is my new go-to for all my violin needs. Thanks so much! read more

Patrick understands that musicians take time to make a decision. His staff has always been friendly. All of my students that have rented or repaired from him have been satisfied. I can't say I've ever bought anything from the shoppe, for I just like going there to talk to Patrick, though vicariously I've sold the good number of cellos and rentals through his shop by way of my private studio. In this business, reputation's everything. Classical music is a small world and takes a certain type of person to understand consuming behavior of musicians. Patrick and staff shine in all those aspects. read more

I came here when the button of my bow fell off the screw and made it impossible to tighten my bow. Patrick -- the owner, I think? -- took my bow immediately when I brought it in and started working on it right away, saying he'd have it fixed shortly. I waited about 10 minutes, during which time the two other guys working there briefly chatted with me. Everyone here is super nice and helpful! It's always fun talking to fellow musicians. In about 10 minutes Patrick came out and told me he had reattached the button using a trade secret (heh) and he had also cleaned off some buildup between the frog and stick which was making it hard to tighten my bow and eventually had led to this happening. He said the way he reattached the button should ensure it will never fall off again. He also applied some lubricant to the screw to make it easier for me to tighten the bow (I had complained it was getting difficult). He then said there was no charge at all. Amazing! He had fixed my bow and made it better, all of free! I'll definitely be coming back here for my other violin needs. read more

Benito is da bomb! He was amazing when I brought in my old French violin for some maintenance. Very professional, and clearly an expert! We had a good discussion about what changes and adjustments to make, as well as which to hold off on and consider at a later time so we weren't changing too many things at once. He also gave me excellent advice about a pickup to install for amplified playing, a great preamp that modulates the pickup sound to approximate a mic'd sound (waaaaay better), and an acoustic amp. Not only that, but he went above and beyond to finish my violin in time for a gig, and help me set up the preamp so I would be gig-ready when I left the shop. Very glad to have found Heaney Violins and Benito!!! read more

I usually don't bother with reviews but I wish I could give them more stars. Amazing product selection, spectacular customer service, I was helped by Ben, Andrew, and Terra. They went out of their way to make the purchasing experience great. Very knowledgeable and helped me find what would work best for me. Everybody was extremely helpful. They got very busy shortly after I arrived and I was really impressed with how they handled the rush of other customers coming in for different needs and making sure everybody was helped in order. They have a nice large space to try different violins to choose the one that felt right to me. They were great and they've gained a customer for life. I highly recommend them. read more

I've been to Heaney's 4 or 5 times over the past year, and I"ve never felt so comfortable with a shop. The most recent time I went in with a nasty buzzing sound in my new violin and Patrick fixed right then. As soon as he heard the sound he knew that it was my fine tuner and within minutes he had replaced my fine tuner and sent me on my way. He also made a small adjustment to my bridge which really opened up the sound, no charge! A couple times before I went in to have my bow re-haired and they did a great job. Sometimes the shop gets busy and there is a wait but its always worth it for the good service. read more

An example, rare these days, of someone following their passion and making it work. These guys are the best! I do not seem to be destined to play the violin, but my short period of contact with them was wonderful. I think I reached my apogee when a lady laid down this pretty cool jam on a cello and I asked, "Wow that was cool, was that noodling around?" and I was told, "That was Dvorak". If yer gonna play the fiddle, you need a place you can count on for a rental, a loaner, a repair, a rehair, etc. It's a relationship. These guys don't need my recommendation but I'm giving it anyway. read more

The staff are very welcoming, knowledgeable, and helpful. It's difficult to find a local luthier in the SF South Bay area and I came here per a friend's recommendation for a routine bow rehair. They also offer a wide selection of strings. I've also learn that they barely make any profits off of strings; they will even help order strings for you as a courtesy. Don't forget: they're closed on Sundays for lessons. read more

We rent my son's cello from this lovely shop. Great instrument and great professional service. After a string broke they fixed it for free with a smile, and looked over the entire instrument again. read more

I stopped into Heaney Violins to inquire about selling a violin I've had since grade school, to see what they thought. Even though Heaney does not purchase used violins, Chris spent almost an hour looking over my violin, researching its linage, and finally suggesting a price he considered fair to sell it for. He consulted his repair department and discovered the fingerboard needing adjusting, and pointed out a repair that had been made that he considered to sub par, something I hadn't been aware of. All in all, it was apparent that the folks at this shop are deep expertise in stringed instruments, and I was absolutely amazed at the attention and service they provided at no charge. I can't imagine finding this level of customer service anywhere else, and it made my day. Highly recommend this ship if you're looking to buy, rent, or repair. read more

In June I went shopping for intermediate level (~$800) cello bows to upgrade my reliable beginner bow, so that I could play the more advanced material my teacher was assigning me. It was time! I brought my cello with me, of course, to test the bows, and I thought it would also be a good time to try out the customer service of other string shops in the SF area, as up until then I had only gone to my local shop, Ifshin. At both south bay stores I asked their luthier to look at my cello due to a slight buzz, to see if anything needed to be adjusted. (Soundpost, bridge, etc.) Both shops commented that the bridge was slightly warped and made small adjustments during my drop-in visit, but props to Patrick Heaney who took the time to explain WHAT that meant, why it was OK to not do anything about it quite yet other then make sure it was as straight as possible with the bridge feet still being in the correct footing, and what to watch for in it to know if things were going south quick. (I was about to leave for cello/string camp and the store was an hour away from where I lived.) I also had a nice long time to try out all the bows in their intermediate tray in their cello room, and I took 2 beautiful wood bows home from each store to trial for a week and show my teacher. I fell in love with one of the Heaney bows and purchased it the following Saturday. Fast forward to post-string camp, I was nearby visiting a craft fair so called to drop off the cello for the bridge work. Luckily, I called first! Patrick explained that since it was mid-July, their repair room was full of school rentals awaiting repairs and they couldn't take new customer repairs that week, but then Patrick remembered our conversation and let me bring it by since their cello-repair guy was in and the stars aligned or something. :D Well, they discovered a seam had opened in an easily fixed spot, AND the bridge had magically corrected itself and was no longer warped. (Taking a wood cello to a hot summer camp has its upsides and downsides, it seems.) My lucky day, Patrick called me to get approval to fix the seam, they fixed it the same day (!), did a small filing request on the bridge, and i picked it up at 6pm on my way back home. Fantastic! This shop is great! read more