What a great experience I had working with Henry Bischofberger to purchase a very nice violin…read more(fiddle, for me)! The shop was super accommodating of me to try anything I wanted in the price range I had available to me, and let me try out at least a dozen different ones. I got to take my time, was offered the opportunity to take it home for a while to make sure I liked it (but I decided to purchase it on the spot), and didn't feel the slightest bit rushed on any of it. Since purchasing my fiddle, I've continued to find Henry a very friendly and helpful source for any follow-up questions I've had. I would absolutely go here again if the need arose.

Their team is always great! They have so much knowledge and pay lots of attention to detail. Quick…read moreand thorough with repairs, tuneups and string changes. If you want advice or input, they'll give you educated answers and go above and beyond to make sure you get the most out of your visit.

I needed to rent an upright bass for a music video shoot with my band in Seattle. I live in San…read moreFrancisco so all communication was done online and over the phone. The sign-up process was super easy, and every staff member I talked to was extremely friendly and helpful. I explained what I was going for, and they were able to pick out a bass that suited my needs perfectly. With this being a short-term rental (3 days), the pick-up and drop-off process was very easy and convenient. Thank you Hammond Ashley for the beautiful instrument! Besides looking great on camera, it sounded amazing and was a dream to play. Highly recommend if you need to rent a classical instrument!

Worth the drive to Issaquah for string instrument rentals! Hammond Ashley has been around for…read moreawhile and while they carry a full range of stringed instruments, they do particularly well with cello and string bass. As a cellist, I appreciate the focus an when I needed a half-sized instrument for my daughter, they had quite a selection. While some stores may carry mass-produced instruments, the ones I tried here were a notch above, and after trying 3 instruments, it was difficult to pick one as all three had good qualities. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable and the store was spacious and well set up for trying out instruments. Highly recommended!

Only five stars available here. I'd give them 10 stars if that was possible. Lovely people! Clean…read morebright shop, extraordinarily helpful and with a level of knowledge that I've not seen anywhere! I had bought a violin with the intent of relearning the instrument after nearly 60 years of absence of playing. The "well regarded" violin shop in my little town raved about at local teacher, who was said to be an expert in helping former players. Seemed all she wanted to do was sell me an expensive "custom made" chin rest - it wasn't "custom made' and an expensive shoulder rest while suggesting that the violin I had wans't all that good and that I should buy one from her. After three visits and $300 without any lessions, and a violin that hurt to put on my shoulder - wonder if this was her way of shaking my confidence in my instrument and buying one from her? Anyway. I gave up! Enter discovering Olson's. In 20 minutes and a little fine turning I've got a new shoulder rest and chin rest for about 1/4 of what I spent at "Brand X" and a violin that I can now nearly effortlessly hold on my shoulder. I drove a 50 mile round trip for a first visit. WELL worth the time ! Like I said - 10 stars!! Laurence Lance

Went here to get a violin for my 5 year old. They were so helpful and it was very reasonable for…read morethe rental.

I went in to find an instrument for my daughter, an acoustic guitar. I wasnt sure what I was…read morelooking and a little nervous being a woman with 2 sales guys and no knowkedge of guitars. They were both funny and really nice. Kyle seemed to know the most about the instruments and I left with a great deal on a guitar that is perfect for my beginner. When her instructor saw the guitar he was impressed with the quality, sound and price we paid for it. Last week we went to Guitar Center to buy a case, not finding in the price range we wanted, we headed back here once again. This time they were great to my daughter and worked with her on the price for the case she wanted. Very pleased.

The staff seems to be universally willing help and they just about have it all, new or used.read more

This is a tough store to review. Absolutely horrible location placement? Check…read more Terrible parking? Check. An acoustic guitar room overflowing with Martins, Taylor's and janky used guitars not fit for kindling? Check check and check! However in the midst of this dumpster fire I did find that one special guitar I was looking for, with incredible action, at a decent price. So yay for me, but this just won't be my go to Guitar Store ... ever.

This is my favorite violin shop. They are very friendly and accommodating and always make me feel…read moreat home. They have worked on my violins and I have always been satisfied. It's also wonderful that they have a female luthier, Jessica.. and the shop represents 4 generations of the family now, I think that's pretty incredible

We used this shop for a school violin rental and had a frustrating experience overall…read more Over the course of the rental, we ended up paying around $1,500 for an instrument with an approximate value of $800. I understand rentals can cost more over time, but there didn't seem to be a clear or meaningful path toward ownership, which made the value feel questionable in hindsight. The bigger issue came at return, when we were charged an additional $150 for a bridge replacement that had to be done for my son to play it after it broke during orchestra class upon normal use (confirmed by orchestra teacher). For a student instrument used by a child, this felt more like normal wear and tear than something that should result in a significant extra charge. Not to mention they didn't offer to give us the replacement bridge back but demanded we wait for the new one. Customer service also felt fairly rigid and not particularly accommodating, especially for families navigating school music programs. Overall, the experience felt expensive and lacking transparency. We went out of our way for this ship and sure wish we hadn't! I'm sure they are great for those that live in this world, but I would highly recommend other families look closely at rental terms and consider alternatives that are more straightforward and family-friendly.

These folks are amazing whether you are brand new or experienced. We drove several hours to get to…read morethe store and Hal spent many hours with us, low pressure and very informative. We did buy a consignment instrument and next time around we will have a D'aigle. As a result we having been playing for several months and based on continued support we remain enthusiastic.

Sloppy work, poor customer service. Work was regularly very late and when I called repeatedly to…read moreinquire, they couldn't find records for the repairs and one time they also had a difficult time even finding the instrument! New chord bars were not cut correctly causing dead strings. I had to remove all of them and recut myself. Another time, at my request, they were to test an older bar-type pickup and install, or if the pickup didn't work, install a new one. The autoharp arrived late, just barely in time for a number of performances, with the older pickup installed, but i couldn't get ANY sound from it at all despite the fact there was obviously no damage from shipping. When I called to discuss this I was told they don't keep records on any repairs and would take no responsibility for their work saying "I'm sure we tested the pickup"; But since they don't keep records on any repairs they had no way to confirm to confirm that and were unable to refer me to the person who'd done the work. Contrary to most business models, it would appear their motto is 'the customer is never right.' I will not do business with them again and would not recommend them to anyone!!

I had a truly excellent experience with Classic Pianos and recommend them without reservation. I…read morecame in search of a rehearsal piano with very specific requirements: something suitable for a rental situation, capable of silent practice with headphones, yet--above all--an instrument with genuinely good action. As a pianist returning to conservatory-level study after years of gigging, proper action is not a luxury for me; it is the foundation upon which all serious work is built. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the hybrid pianos offered at Classic Pianos. The hammer action is responsive, musical, and deeply satisfying--impressively close to an acoustic experience. While nothing replaces a grand, this instrument is an outstanding solution for a renter needing rigorous daily practice and keeping one's technique in shape. Hui was a pleasure to work with throughout the process: knowledgeable, patient, and genuinely attentive. She made everything easy and stress-free from start to finish. Since the piano arrived, I've been playing far more than I intended--which may be the clearest sign that the right choice was made. Classic Pianos did such a good job that my neighbors may soon need to leave them a review as well.

Bought my first and likely last piano. Great experience. Excellent customer service. Would highly…read morerecommend them. Plus they shipped my piano to my home much quicker than expected.