Richard, July 24, 2026: Fantastic Musical Instruments in Pasadena, CA is a real "bass shop". Tom…read moreKerr was very gracious to me when I was trying out basses a few years ago, even after I returned a fine bass I had on trial. I ended up buying a Pollmann Bass from another store. However, when I needed a set-up, , cleaning, and sound adjustment, I took my Pollmann to Tom. My bass now sounds better than ever, and he had a solid string recommendation. Also, just this week I bought a Kay Bass, circ, 1940 from Tom, for my bluegrass, gigs. It was reasonably priced and he did some work I requested for a minimal charge, adjustments to the bridge curvature, and a replacement tailpiece cable (I wanted a new Teflon version). I kept the original metal piece since it was part of the original bass. Thanks, Tom, for your expertise and gracious manner with me as a customer who needed some guidance.

What an absolute gem of an instrument shop that I feel so fortunate to have come across. I went in…read morebecause I'm potentially on the market for an upright bass, and I cannot express how glad I am I stopped by here. Not only do they have an incredible selection of beautiful instruments, but owners there are such phenomenal, down-to-earth, compassionate people. Nicky was in the store helping me out, and they spent so much time allowing me to try all the different instruments and talking me through them and answering my questions. The shop also has a rental option as well where 50% of the rent goes towards an instrument of your choice (doesn't have to be the rental). If you're looking for a high quality instrument with amazing service, this is the place to go. Could not recommend them more highly!

Came here to buy a black folder for choral music after being referred by the Pasadena Conservatory…read more I called in advance to ask if they had any in stock and staff were prompt and professional in picking up to answer my request. Good variety of inventory from what I could see. Found out later my mom buys all her violin + piano sheet music here. It's tucked inside a strip mall off an out-of -the-way portion of Foothill. Would have loved to have seen this store in Old Town, but the current location is very convenient for quick in-and-out errands - and a short distance from the Conservatory. If I need to use something for music practice, I hate to buy online without knowing if it will work for me or not. Brick and mortar music stores like this are essential, and I'm glad Bertrands is so close by!

Very friendly and quick service. As soon as I stepped in to fix my daughter rented instrument, I…read moregot warm welcoming atmosphere and got the job done quickly Thank you all especially Gerard and Iris

This is a music conservatory where the high caliber teaching faculty is deadly serious about…read moreproducing high level musicians. It is a well run, efficient organization, and as the parent of a child who receives instruction there, I couldn't be happier with every aspect of the experience. The teaching is inspired, the environment is stimulating, performance opportunities are terrific, and the prices are very reasonable. What more can I say?!

A truly dedicated venue (as opposed to casual mom n me classes) for learning and appreciating…read moremusic. The overall experience was a step up from other local programs. For children closer to the 3 and a half year old range, in our experience one teacher was a miss (summer 2026)... While enthusiastic (but almost aggressively so), she had a very low threshold/low frustration tolerance if a child got off track in the slightest way. She would promptly single them out and suggest they sit in the "viewing area" (aka time out), effectively shaming the child and their parent by highlighting their inattentiveness etc. She may be a school teacher suitable for older kids, but also had an outdated style of excessively "managing" behavior which is not her domain, so long as the child is not majorly disrupting or in some way hurting others. I would also say she (not surprisingly) would play music too loudly and then claim some children are just more sensitive to noise without openness to her own contribution to the music volume. In sum, way too brusque to be teaching 3.5 year olds! Our care provider (who was herself a former preschool director) made the very same observations about this teacher that I had as a parent. Thank goodness this teacher left for vacation and her substitute was day/night more suitable for younger kids. So the experience can be rather teacher dependent...

I took weekly lessons from Hillary for a year remotely. She's great! She was always well organized…read moreand quick to respond to any questions I had outside of lessons. I was always impressed by how she managed to hear any mistakes I made playing a piece over Zoom. She did a great job of balancing adding new material to keep things interesting with focusing on specific pieces as needed. I suspect that starting piano as an adult has unique challenges; Hillary got me off to a great start and helped me to really embrace the instrument.

I can't say enough good things about the top-tier piano instruction my son has received over the…read morepast five years. The level of detail and rigor in every lesson is remarkable - scales, sight-reading, and challenging repertoire are all taught with such precision. My son's technique and musicality have skyrocketed, allowing him to confidently tackle advanced pieces that many students his age haven't even heard of. What really sets this studio apart is the blend of professional expertise with genuine warmth and encouragement. If you're looking for serious, high-level piano education, Hillary is the person to study with.

The business model is not good. While their teachers are fun and great, the business is run like a…read morescam. They stole 300 dollars from my card that was on file after all of our lessons had been completed and they refused to give it back. They are a scam of a business do not trust them ever. There are plenty of freelance piano teachers in the area, hell even contact their teachers directly but the Altadena Academy of Music is willing to steal from their customer base. BEWARE.

3 years ago I decided to look into a music class for my 5 yr old daughter. She loves to sing. In my…read moresearch, I uncovered a gem of a place, Altadena Academy of Music. My daughter was paired with a great teacher, Peter. Since day one he has helped Mia flourish and unleash her potential. He is a great teacher. During the same 30 mins she's singing, I'm practicing piano with Tyson. He's has been a great help in uncovering my passion for the ivories.

Walked into Guitar Center Pasadena with my brother, our unleashed service animal, and a budget that…read moreclearly needed adult supervision. Things got off to a rocky start when there was some confusion about the dog, but Evan checked with his manager, got it sorted, and we all survived the great leash controversy of 2026. From there, Evan was awesome. Super cool, patient, and actually knew DJ gear because he DJs himself -- which is always better than someone confidently explaining equipment they've only met that morning. By the end, we were joking with him: "You really did everything you could to not sell to us... and somehow we still bought anyway." Funny start, great ending, and Evan helped us leave with a new DJ setup and speakers. Guitar Center almost fumbled the bag, but Evan recovered the sale like a pro. Shoutout Evan.

I get that they're understaffed and busy, but you have to try hard to be as unhelpful as they are…read more One gentleman kept rolling his eyes when I approached to ask a question. I made a purchase of a couple strings and an accessory that required me to take out my inhole sound pickup, so I asked if I could borrow a screwdriver (to literally turn the screws to the left a grand total of two times). He tells me "sorry, we don't usually loan tools out for use," which is totally understandable! So I ask if he can then just help me out and turn the screws himself if I'm not allowed to touch the screwdriver -- he audibly groans and looks at me, then finally turns, practically dragging his feet as he grabs the screwdriver to help me out. I was starting to be pretty stunned by this point. Then, when I was about to leave and putting my purchases in my gig bag outside pocket, the other guitar technician, Mike, starts staring daggers at me across the floor, then tells me to show my receipt to the guy at the door-- he thought I was stealing. After I'd been walking around the store for 2 hours and making multiple purchases. My jaw literally dropped. I don't know what's going on at this store, or if they treat every customer this way, or just me. I would speculate that because I dress quite basically (like a skateboarder, roughed up clothes, maybe?) they assumed I had no money/was poor to justify how they decided to interact with me. No matter who I am or what I might look like, staff should treat EVERY customer the same. I was considering buying a guitar from this store, the Yamaha AC1R specifically that they have in the acoustic guitar room, but now I don't ever want to come back.

I highly recommend School of Rock of Pasadena for your children or as an older adult like me. After…read moremany years saying I was going to learn guitar on my own, it did not happen until I signed up with School of Rock. The weekly one-on-one guitar lessons and band rehearsals kept me learning and ready for the performance. At the end of the season, you get to perform with your band mates, have great friendships, and have loads of fun too. The customer service is great. You get greeted by Johnnie, the Assistant General Manager, who memorizes your name. Don't know how he does it, because there are so many students. LOL

My daughter, 14 loves this school of rock. She has been there for two - 3 month sessions and loves…read moreall the kids and teachers. She enjoys going there very much. The experience of getting up on a real rock stage and exploring being in a band is a huge value to her life. She will always remember this. They just played at the Troubadour!! Incredible

Krys, Subject:…read more"While You Wait" Clarinet Repair Thank you, thank you. You save me a lot of travel time, by offering an afternoon repair. 1.What is amazing is the clearer, brighter tones I get, particularly in the throat tones and the Bb (thumb and forefinger) and highest register. 2.Wobble is gone. I have greased the cork and am being carefull as I put it together. 3.Low register C# key/high G# works smoothly, the "catch" is gone. 4.Most important - the low E to F# (left little finger to right little finger) now works perfectly, the delay and muddled tones as I changed notes are gone. New pads and the small spacer pad seem to have soved my problem. My original pads looked terrible and changing them made the difference. The dirt between the keys was absolutely surprising. Jay

My saxophone needed an alignment after a couple years and I wanted to sell it in excellent…read morecondition. Kris was such a professional and a gentleman, he knew how to do the job quickly and gave me a discount because I was expecting my firstborn son very soon. I was unsure at first of how to hire a saxophone technician since this was my first time, but Kris handled our business very well and was kind enough to help me. He also identified my extra neck piece's value to help with the sale, and adjusted it to my saxophone for free!! He went above and beyond to help a new customer. Thank you Kris!!!