Los Angeles Classical Guitar

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.

Wild West Guitars

4.3

(56 reviews)

Top notch (top shelf) choice of guitars, not another "Made in China" showroom with 100's of crappy…read moreguitars... This is where you need to go to shop for the high end stuff.. As a business they are VERY honest.. I made them an offer on a $15999MSRP PRS Private Stock guitar... of course the offer was above their threshold and they accepted. Later the next day, the same guitar (which I was also tracking on Reverb) was sent to me on Reveb (an automated feature they do when you're watching a guitar sometimes)... for $12799... I was of course a bit upset that I didn't offer them that amount instead.. a $1200 difference. Well, instead of being dicks about it, they said "no problem, since Reverb send the offer, we'll match it" and they refunded $1200 on the purchase. They then packaged it perfectly and set it Priority overnight Fedex to me. That is FIRST CLASS service.

The tech did some decent work but boy was he awful awful with deadlines and phone calls. He wired…read morethe guitar wrong the first time and didn't double check, then, he said it would be done within 10 days. Took like 3 weeks, forgot to call back and when we would call, he would say "oh was about to you call you" . Don't pizz on my back and tell me it's raining . They greet you well . I would take your repair work to SIS in Arcadia instead for the $$$ . Nice on the phone tho

Marzz Guitarzz

(50 reviews)

Marzz completely revived my Taylor 224-CE K DLX. He cleaned it off, polished the wood beautifully,…read morefixed the high action, changed the strings, and made it sound beautiful. Very fast turnaround. I would recommend Marzz to all guitar owners.

Punctual! Great service! Quality luthier! Marzz will get you right! I've always been picky about…read morewho works on my basses and this guy knocked it out of the park. With the friendly enthusiastic service and quality expertise to back it up. Marzz exceeded my expectations! Give this dude your guitars and money oh and make sure you tip him well ;)

Bertrands Old Town Music

(39 reviews)

•$$$

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

Lombardi Guitar

(6 reviews)

Amazing teacher. We have been learning from Vince for the last 4 yrs. Great style and we have 10…read moresongs under our belt!

I have taken guitar lessons with Vince for two years now. He is always patient and finds ways to…read moremake lessons interesting. He does the best he can to bring out the guitarist in you and guide you when you have trouble understanding how to play a certain song. The helpfulness and personality of Vince make it a great guitar lesson experience!

Grayson's Tune Town

4.8

(137 reviews)

Grayson is an excellent neighborhood music shop with top quality gear, a wide variety of brands and…read moremodels to choose from, and most importantly, a knowledgeable, helpful, and service-oriented staff. Plus, my preferred guitar tech works here. His name is Sal. He is the only man I trust to work on my instruments. Grayson's is a fantastic option to shop and definitely a worthy place to spend your money in. Can't recommend them enough.

Just brought my headless 8 string guitar in to have new pickups installed and setup for a very low,…read morealternative tuning. The staff were super friendly and helpful. They went above and beyond to get my guitar setup exactly how I wanted it. They're very fairly priced as well. A good friend recommended them to me. I'll be a regular customer for all my guitar needs.

Sierra Madre Music

(24 reviews)

Sierra Madre Music is the ideal place for music lessons. Jessica and her husband are the owners and…read moreare awesome musicians. They have a great staff of instructors that are equally as talented but also know how to teach. What brought me to them was how Jessica quickly responded to my inquires for scheduling lessons for my son. She's friendly, organized and her willingness to help match your child with the right instructor. We appreciate all their efforts!

They've absolutely changed my son's life - he absolutely loves his lessons and has gained self…read moreesteem and confidence that will continue to serve him as he gets older. I love SMM! Highly recommend.

Fantastic Musical Instruments

4.8

(52 reviews)

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!

Tom and his daughter put a new tuning knob and plate on my 1948 Kay. They did an excellent job and…read morepainted it to match the others. Lowered the action as well. This is the go to place for Upright Bass repairs in the area. Thanks.

Pasadena Woodwind Repair

(28 reviews)

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!!!

Marzz Guitarzz

(50 reviews)

Nori's Piano Service

(102 reviews)

Nori is great at what he does and spends the time to do it right…read more I got my used piano from a dealer / technician thinking I was getting a great deal because the technician should be able to get a used piano in top shape, right? After 3+ visits, the technician could not address my problems and basically said that's the way it is, unless I spend more money for a better piano. Enter Nori, who made multiple trips to get the piano into a playable shape, and since then, he's come back six months later for a piano tuning. I would wholeheartedly trust him to tune up your piano because you can really tell he spends the time and care to make sure your piano is taken care of.

Easy and straightforward to book, clear communication, transparent pricing. Nori is very…read moreknowledgeable about all sorts of pianos, not just Yamaha. He gave a very thorough rundown of the different brands on the market today and their strengths and weaknesses. Friendly and willing to chat.

Paloma Vocals

(58 reviews)

I cannot recommend Paloma enough. I started working with her for muscle tension dysphonia, and she…read morehas been such a gift in this process. She's incredibly knowledgeable, patient, and thorough. The laryngeal massages and targeted vocal exercises she's guided me through have made such a difference in helping me understand my voice and reduce tension. What I appreciate most is how supported I feel during our sessions. She truly listens and tailors everything to what my voice needs that day. If you're struggling with vocal tension or MTD, Paloma is someone you absolutely want on your team.

I'm not surprised that Paloma has perfect. Five star review on yelp - I'm so glad I went based on…read morethese recommendations when I reached out to her for lessons I had not sung in decades when I began working with Paloma in October, with one very meaningful goal: to prepare Ave Maria for my mother's 80th birthday Mass. Paloma is a seasoned professional with an absolutely beautiful voice, and she made the entire process approachable, easy to digest, and genuinely fun. She taught me how the voice truly works--breath support, diaphragm use, vocal anatomy, resonance, tongue placement, and effective exercises that rebuilt my voice with care and intention. Her depth of knowledge is exceptional, yet she explains everything in a way that feels clear and accessible. Most importantly, I felt extremely comfortable and supported every step of the way. Thanks to Paloma's expertise, patience, and encouragement, I was able to deliver a heartfelt and beautiful tribute to my mother. If you are returning to singing after time away or preparing for something truly meaningful, I cannot recommend Paloma highly enough.

Aleks's Piano Movers