I have never met anyone like Mr. Jordan -- he is truly a gem . Not only is he incredibly…read moreknowledgeable about music and instruments, but he is also a gifted artist and a genuinely kind human being who treats everyone with respect and integrity. He is someone you can completely trust. His shop is fascinating, but what truly makes it magical is the passion he pours into his work. Whether he's crafting instruments, carefully helping you choose the perfect one, repairing a beloved piece, or patiently answering a thousand questions from an 8-year-old, his dedication and love for music shine through. Places like this are rare. We came to pick up a violin for my daughter, and thanks to this wonderful experience, she continues to love playing. A poor instrument can discourage a child from learning, but a good instrument can inspire confidence and a lifelong passion for music. I feel so grateful for the opportunity to support his business, and I truly hope more musicians will visit to see his amazing work and show their support. Don't order your instrument from Amazon -- go see Mr. Jordan first. You won't regret it!

I went to see John for to get some new strings for my banjo. While I was there he was also able to…read morereplace one of the tuner buttons that had cracked. Very nice guy and good experience!

Amazing knowledge and attention to detail on the many guitars hes worked on for me! All of them…read morehave great setups, improved things like the pots, fretwork, restrings, new batteries in the preamps etc are all standard.

Got a new guitar that needs a setup? (Let's face it, they all pretty much do, these days!). Or an…read moreolder one that needs some work? Or any other customization you might want or need? Bob's your guy! He's extremely knowledgeable, meticulous about his work and care of your guitar, and a really professional person to work with. I took a new Strat to him to get it dialed in, and he did a wonderful job for a very reasonable price. Turnaround was quick, too--and it was finished before the date he promised, even. Very glad to have such a skilled luthier nearby, and I highly recommend him!

I came in after getting curious about buying some piano sheet music, and a quick search online said…read moreC&L was an option. I figured it wouldn't hurt to come by, since I had to go to Costco for something else. After I was done with Costco, I stopped by and waited for them to open. Mark, one of the owners, helped walk me through what I was looking for, and he was really kind and helpful. He said that they don't have a whole lot of sheet music and stuff with the advent of the internet, but I did find some good deals and music. I told Mark that after several years away from playing, I wanted to get back into the piano and was looking for technique books to help with my playing form. He walked me through their selection, between Faber and Alfred, so that was really wonderful. This place was a truly wonderful experience, and I'm found them. I would definitely come back.

Good people in a changing business climate. I was impressed with their throwing us and helpfulness…read moreeven if they didn't have exactly what I needed. They weren't hesitant to recommend others for work they didn't do

I can't say enough good things about my experience with Langley at Chasing Tone. Incredibly…read moregracious with his time. I had some fret buzzing on a higher end acoustic. He made time for me same day. Walked me through all his suggestions to fix the issue and factored those to my playing style. Price was absolutely fair and he had it dialed in and ready for pick up the next day. Beyond fixing the guitar his willingness to let me pick his brain on all things guitar was a value in itself. Having a resource like Langley with a wealth of experience and a willingness to share his knowledge is invaluable for guitar enthusiasts!

Langley helped me with my Taylor gs mini guitar. He walked me through his thoughts and gave me a…read morefew options and the rationale behind his suggestions when I requested intonation and action to be adjusted. Overall really happy with Langley's professionalism. My guitar sounds much better and is much easier to do bar chords now that the action is optimal.

Our so take lessons here. He's always excited to go and the energy is always positive .read more

After talking at length with a sales person on the phone, my blind music partner and I were assured…read morethat the guitar and amplifier we inquired about was in stock. I did not mention that we travel with her Guide Dog (Ferguson) from Guide Dogs For The Blind in San Raphael. We arrived, having traveled an hour from El Cerrito, fully prepared to spend ~$4000, and see if they could order another $4000 worth of gear. While attempting to seat my Blind partner with her pup, a short, young, bespeckled man rushed over and said "No dogs allowed in here." I quickly informed of the "Guide Dog" status, to which he replied "Doesn't matter- you can't have a dog in here". I gently informed him of the law, via ADA, and he repeated, "Doesn't matter, you cant have him in here". At that point, the man behind the counter shouted, over a few customers' heads, that he had allergies and we need to get the dog out. I told him we'll be leaving, but that he should familiarize himself with possible exemptions of ADA rules. My feeling is, that if we had been treated more politely and professionally, we would have been happy to return later, when he was not present, to consummate a win-win deal with a different sales person. Seriously rude treatment from both staff members. This is not a misinterpretation of the exchange; these guys were crude. I am neither vindictive nor litigious by nature, nor is my Blind partner. But in this case, she is seriously considering action.

Larry is simply the best there ever was. No other compares. He handled my fender telecaster plus…read moreand was very helpful

I met Larry in the 1970s when I was a guitar tech for Elvin Bishop. I brought him all the guitars…read moreand basses for the band and some had literally been through car wrecks. He restored them to fine playing instruments. He has been working his magic on my guitars since then as well. Gibson, Fender, Taylor are some of the brands I have taken to Larry and his work is the best.

I know negative about guitars. I have a nephew graduating from high school this spring and I…read morewanted to get him something meaningful and useful. He plays bass in one of those School of Rock type places and is passionate about it. I called my sister to see if there was anything he could use and she sent me a blurry photo of some kind of board he uses and told me he needs a carrying case. I went to Bananas at Large because of their reputation for being kind and knowledgeable. Their reputation is well deserved. I was greeted right when I walked in, I decided to look around a bit before asking for help because while I don't know anything about guitars, some of the instruments they had on the wall were works of art and I enjoy looking at art. When I was ready, I found the first employee, showed him the photo and explained the situation. He knew exactly what it was and where to find what I was looking for. He then took the case over to where they had the exact thing in the photo to show me how well it fit and other features of the case. He explained the 14-day return policy if it turned out to be the wrong thing and let me decide what I wanted to do. I wound up purchasing the case. I loved that I was nicely greeted when I walked in but left alone to browse. I loved that I didn't have to hunt down someone to help me when I was ready. I loved the general vibe of the place. I loved that they had what I needed and clearly a ton of things I might need if I ever decide to get into playing. I loved that parking was easy. I loved that they were excited to help someone who had no idea what they were doing in a guitar shop, were in no hurry to get me out of the store and patient enough to answer all my questions. I even loved that they accept Venmo for payments. Great place to go if you don't know anything about guitars but love someone who does.

This place is everything a music store should be. Yes they have great selection, and yes their…read moreprices match anything you can find online (even Reverb, often) but it's their service and relationships they build with you that's special. True stories of what they've done for me even in just the last month: My guitar needed some repairs before a gig, and they fast tracked the service and ordered an uber to bring the guitar to my house! I wanted a tuner pedal that was out of stock basically everywhere in the country, and they took their last one from Santa Rosa and shipped it to San Rafael store for free for me to pick up the next day. Best of all, I was unhappy with my guitar tone and Dan spent nearly 2 hours sitting with me trying different pedals and setups, before settling on showing me some different settings on my own amp, some different plectrums and swapping a pedal I'd bought recently for only a $10 difference! It would have been so easy to have sold me another pedal or 2 that I didn't really need, but the fact he didn't builds complete trust and makes me a customer for life!

I was a bit nervous about taking my guitar to have repaired here due to unfortunately bad…read moreexperience at another location years ago, but I have to tell you from the first conversation with Andrew the guitar wizard I was put to ease. From the moment he answered the phone I knew that I had found the right place. Andrew kept me in the loop through the entire process and he was very nice and helpful. My repair was done in a timely manner and he did a fantastic job! Don't look any further for a repair shop for your beloved guitar, go see Andrew and know that you are in great hands. A job well done!!

This location has been around for a very long time! As a matter of fact, I believe this was the…read morelocation where I purchased my first (acoustic) guitar...and that was a couple of decades ago. Compared to some other locations, I don't think this particular store has a huge footprint, but it seems like there is still a great selection of many types of instruments. We came here to pick up a cord for my nephew since he just got a new amp. So we didn't need a lot of help on this visit, but for the limited interaction we did have, the folks here were super friendly and helpful. I'm guessing the parking lot was a little more busy than usual since it was around the holidays, but there is a devoted lot to the stores in this area and parking was pretty easy.

Great, honest music shop! The owner(?) gave is a few different options when quoting a guitar fix…read moreand was very clear about what we needed to have done.

If you want your guitar set up correctly then this is the place. Dan is the man. I really…read moreappreciate his knowledge of guitars and how easy it is to work with him. Thank you!