To Potential Buyers: I know there have been many rave reviews for this store about the positive experiences from the customers who got their piano(s) at this store. I was one of them who gave a very positive review of my purchase from this store. I also received two free tuning vouchers as part of the package of my new purchase. The tuning services and tuners were assigned to me through the store as part of the process. I love my beautiful brand new piano, Yamaha U1 Silent model. The first tuning went well without any issues. However, for the second tuning, things went terribly wrong when a different tuner (Randy Chastain) used her impact tool during the tuning service which marred all of my piano keys. I noticed it the same day and was devastated by the damage to my piano keys from the tuning service. I tried to contact Randy via email and phone immediately on the same day leaving her messages about the problem and requested her to call me back. She never returned my messages. I escalated this issue to the store manager (Ron McCracken) on multiple occasions and to this day nothing has come to an acceptable solution. While Randy, the tuner, eventually came by my house about a month later to assess the problem and also tried to fix the scratches with her buffing/polishing agents to no avail. Nothing worked to restore my piano keys to their original flawless state. She eventually accepted the responsibility for the problem and agreed to provide a new keytop set as replacement and would also absorb the costs for the removal and installation of the keys as part of the solution. However, I later learned that she had no intention to replace the keytops with Yamaha parts and that the job would not be done at a Yamaha certified center. Instead, she formulated a plan to save costs by using non-Yamaha parts and asked her friend colleague to work on the keytop replacement. I raised my serious concerns with Ron, the store manager, but he did not seem to hear or care and at the same time continued to push Randy to me to do whatever she pleased per her plan to rectify the problem. Since her effort was to cut cost which undermined the integrity of the piano and wouldn't rectify the problem, I told Ron that I would not work with her any longer because she could not be trusted. I refused to let her take my keys and reiterated the concerns I have with Ron. Yet, he has not done anything or tried to ascertain whether genuine parts would be used and where Randy planned to take my keys for replacement work. He said he would follow up with me on at least three separate occasions. So far, he neglected to follow up per his promises. Three months went by since the start of the problem that resulted from the 2nd tuning, I am very upset and frustrated. I lost a lot of sleep over this. If I could take back my positive evaluation about this store, I would. I am posting this message to let potential customers know that the store is quite horrible on customer service when things go wrong. They don't take ownership and follow through to address and fix the problem that they are responsible for. They hired the tuner and sent the tuner to me. I did not pick this person, Randy, randomly out to do the tuning for my piano. At the end of the day, if this tuner didn't do a proper job, it is the store's responsibility to step up and fix the problem properly and in a timely manner. Instead, I have to deal with this ongoing headache and the unnecessary stress for months. If you invested in an expensive instrument like this, would you be happy to have the very same store who sold you the instrument also be responsible for the wrecking of your instrument. On top of that, they are not doing much to rectify the situation to an acceptable solution. I would give this store a zero star if I could. Therefore, beware if you decide to purchase a piano at this store. Also, please do not let this tuner, Randy, anywhere near your piano. I learned a hard lesson but I didn't have the benefit of any warnings. read more

A couple months ago, my partner and I decided to finally take that leap and commit to purchasing, housing and caring for a piano. We sought out advisement from our closest, most trusted pianist sources and the recurring recommendation based on quality and reputation was Music Exchange. So on Sunday, 5/29/2016, my mother (who has owned several pianos and is a classically trained pianist of 30+ years) accompanied us to find the piano that would best suit us. Alex greeted us promptly and made an astute observation of us as the customer(s); he could tell we were browsing but that we didn't require direction or unsolicited sales pitches so he let us know that he was available if we had any questions and was non-invasive while we browsed. My mother made some very wise recommendations such as "sit down and play it/feel it by/for yourself" and "have someone else play (it) for you as well so you can hear how it sounds to others." Also, never feel rushed to buy something that will be/is so personal. Also, she had encouraged a lease-to-own idea which encouraged my partner to take one home, live with it, get to know it and see if it's what;s right for him. I thought these were some exceptional, insightful points to consider when shopping for a piano. We ultimately decided on the Yamaha Hybrid Piano NU1. It combines the feel of an upright with the sound of a Grand and has digital capability to both enhance the sound in a performance scenario or personalize it with audio-inputs designed for studio headphones. We purchased it on Sunday, it arrived at our home, first thing Tuesday morning and we couldn't be happier. Alex made the entire process super easy, provided financing operations, he was super engaging, patient and understanding throughout the entire process of our deciding which piano we wanted to take home and he made it a truly enjoyable, memorable experience. read more

We had been searching for a piano for a few months before we contacted Music Exchange. We didn't want to buy a brand new one initially, as we just don't want to spend too much money on the piano if our children don't really like to play. After a while we also found it was quite hard to find a used piano with good price and quality combination. It was in November 2013 we got an piano sale invitation from Music Exchange in San Francisco. There were both used and new models for sale. That was the first time we met Jeff. He gave us a tour for all the pianos (upright models), showed us the various brands and models, and played on them to demonstrate the sound quality. Jeff was very patient and knowledgable, he knew both piano and our requirement and concerns very well. More importantly, He didn't push us to buy at the shop, and even we left without buying anything from him, Jeff gave us a very reasonable quote and tried hard to help us to get the better price. After a week, we called Jeff again and told him we would like to purchase a new Yamaha U1 model. Jeff responded promptly, and soon we met at his shop in downtown Dublin. Jeff and his wife operate the store and we had a excellent experience at their store. eventually we ordered the new U1 model from Jeff's store. The delivery and tuning process were also pleasant. We like the service received from Jeff's store. All in all, buying piano from Jeff's Music Exchange at Dublin was very pleasant. There was a saying that buying a piano is like buying a car, but I feel it is much more enjoyable to deal with Jeff and Music Exchange than to deal with most of the car dealers. read more

So I'm at work and I get a call in the afternoon from my wife. She tells me she is at the Music Exchange in Dublin with my 2 boys (7 and 5 yo) and wants me to come over to look at a piano (an entry level acoustic). When I arrive I am warmly greeted by Gary and he is amusing my 2 boys. Long story short, we ended up leaving over 2 hours later having purchased a professional grade Yamaha and couldn't be happier. Gary was very patient with us, not pushy at all. He explained the pros and cons of all the models in our price range and gave us the time we needed to make our decision (it was totally our decision to get the professional model over the entry level based on the unbiased information Gary provided and looking at our own situation; Gary did not guide us to the more expensive model at all). The delivery went smoothly. Chris was our delivery man and he is a pro. He gave us a few tips on maintenance which we appreciated. TIP: If you have hardwood floors, I would strongly recommend you purchase piano casters prior to the delivery date from Amazon (little cups made of wood/plastic/rubber that you put under the wheels to protect your floors since the piano weighs 500 lbs, cost between $10-$20 for a set of 4). Do it while the delivery guy can help you; I imagine it would be very difficult to do it without a very strong dude lifting one end. If our kids continue to play and require an upgrade, I would definitely purchase again from Music Exchange (since they have a great upgrade policy) and hopefully Gary is still around, he's one of the good guys. Thank you Gary!! read more

This is my honest review.One family maybe only need one piano,so it's not like cars you can find so many information and reviews. I wrote this because I want to tell people my shopping experience and find the short cut to get your favorite piano. This year we want to buy a piano for my daughter,but we don't know that much about it.My friend suggested us to go to Dublin music exchange to see Gary Finkelstein,first time we met him,we felt his is such a nice person,like a friend more than a salesman,good talking and he was very patient explain different models new and pre owned Yamaha's pianos and the prices of course.At the end after he played a song ,I feel I will be the next pianist :). But,we didn't make a deal with him this time,after that we spent one month and gas went to almost all the piano stores different bands in the bay area and we decided go for new Yamaha's u3.But so many places selling that we finally went back to Gary after we got a warm welcome back email from him,because it's not only the price,and we seen the person whom love pianos and want to treat you as a good piano player,that's what our feelings.Of course pianos are like iphones ,you never can buy it at the lowest price but we got our favorite one,service,upgrade program,faster shipping setup and the long term parts repair.I highly recommend you buy a band new Yamaha's with Gary at his Yamaha's retail store,the Music Exchange at Dublin,I definitely come back here if we need to upgrade to a baby grand piano,thank you Gary the recommendation for the piano teachers too. read more

A week ago, we set out to purchase a refurbished/used acoustic piano for our two budding learners, and things turned out so well that we landed up purchasing a new hybrid piano. Music Exchange was the first place we visited on Dublin Blvd, Dublin, CA. We were nicely greeted by the store manager, Mr. Gillespie, who very graciously went over all the different brands they carry and the display models, educating us thoroughly before we could make a decision. He patiently went over the different choices we had between a Digital, acoustic (grand/upright), and the latest hybrid model from Yamaha. He also very patiently went over the different payment options - financing, credit card, check or cash, and the benefits of choosing, based on your financial situation. He at no point was pushy on us making a decision then and there. On visiting one more piano dealer in the area, we thought what Mr. Gillespie offered us on the Yamaha hybrid was the best, and he was nice enough to reduce the price even further, than what he had initially quoted. The piano was delivered right on schedule. The two gentlemen that delivered the piano were also friendly and quick to setup and cleanup behind them, as the new piano came in a cardboard packing. OVERALL, A GREAT EXPERIENCE WITH THE WHOLE TEAM THAT MADE OUR PURCHASE VERY PLEASANT AND FAST!!. Thank you, Mr. Gillespie and your team! Based on our recent experience, I would highly recommend this store to anyone looking to purchasing a new, refurbished or basically, trade in a piano that was purchased from here. read more

My wife and I recently walked in to Dublin Music Exchange to begin our first piano-buying journey. We were greeted by Jeff Gillespie, who was an extremely knowledgeable piano professional with a low-pressure sales approach. We had previously shopped around in a few piano stores in San Jose, and those salesmen made us feel like we were on a used car lot. Definitely not the case at Music Exchange! We were torn between buying an acoustic vs digital, and Jeff graciously let us play and test all the various models in our price range. We actually went back to the store several times to test out different pianos, and Jeff was there every step of the way to answer our questions and guide us in the right direction. We never felt like he was giving us mis-information just to make a sale. Every answer was honest and sincere, and helpful to our final decision. In the end, we decided we wanted something that sounds exactly like a real acoustic grand, but has volume control and a smaller footprint, so the Yamaha N3 was the perfect answer to our prayers. From the time we made the in-store purchase, it arrived at our house within 48 hours. The delivery and set up was quick and painless. Bottom line... We couldn't be happier. It looks like a piece of art in our home, and it sounds amazing! Every time we sit down at the piano, we can't stop playing it because it just sounds too good. We would highly recommend Dublin Music Exchange for anyone in the bay area looking to buy an acoustic or digital piano. read more

We visited Music Exchange in Dublin couple weeks ago to get some information about piano for our 4-year old daughter. We didn't know much about piano and weren't sure if our daughter would be ready to start piano lessons. Just because she has been expressing great interests in piano lately, we thought we just wanted to check it out. The store manage, Jeff, was very helpful and informative. He spent time to show us different options and how to choose an appropriate piano for beginners. He demonstrated for us on different models of upright pianos and recommended us to go with Yamaha T118 for the quality, performance, and budget. Based on the knowledge that we gathered at Music Exchange, we went home and did some more research from the internet as well as from our colleagues and friends . Finally, we decided on the Yamaha U1. Jeff was able to give us a fair price on the U1 model, including a free tuning and four private lessons with piano teacher at the studio. We were also able to take advantage of the rebate program from Yamaha for the purchase as well. The brand new piano U1 was delivered 2 days after the purchase. Our daughter is very excited about the piano. She sits on the piano and pretends to play and sing her songs everyday since we got the piano. We hope that she could enjoy the piano for years to come and develop the love and appreciations for music. Thank you Jeff and Music Exchange for the great experience. We would recommend our friends to Music Exchange in Dublin. read more

Very happy with our purchase of a used piano from Jeff. My daughter started with an electronic keyboard until we knew for certain that she was going to stick with the piano. For our first real upright piano purchase, I didn't want to spend a lot. Jeff listed to my concerns and gave us several pianos to consider, from an older Baldwin piano he had on consignment, all the way up to a new digital Yamaha. He took the time to walk us through the pros and cons and gave my daughter lots of time to play each one to determine which one "felt" the best to her. He also pointed out differences in tone and advised us on what to listen for and think about in terms of the location it will be going in to our home. I was very pleased by the warranty offered, even on the used piano. What sealed the deal was the trade-up policy. He made sure to point out the policy on our receipt so that there are no misunderstandings about how long it is good for (10 years for new or used pianos, you get 100% credit provided that you upgrade to a piano twice the price of what you paid.) We actually ended up buying the LEAST expensive piano we tried and never felt any pressure to buy more. The piano was delivered three days after we bought it. We will be taking advantage of the offer for a free piano tuning, though the piano sounds just fine. Very pleasant experience all around. read more

We bought a Knabe "baby" grand piano from Music Exchange in Dublin last week. We were assisted by the manager, Jeff Gillespie. Overall, it was a very pleasant experience. Jeff was friendly, honest and professional. Jeff gave us a very nice deal on the piano and there was no pressure to buy. (We would have left the store pretty quickly once we felt there was any kind of pressure to buy.) We were not familiar with the Knabe brand and were in the market for a Yamaha or a Young Chang. Jeff introduced us to the Knabe. After my wife and I tried it out we were hooked - it sounded so beautiful in the store. Since we were not familiar with the Knabe brand, we were really trusting/relying on Jeff's input when we decided to buy it. However, after we purchased it, we read online reviews for the Knabe. The Knabe brand is a very underrated and under-appreciated piano. It's just as good as a Yamaha, but doesn't have the same recognition. The piano was delivered to our home about a week after we purchased. The deliverymen were very friendly as well. In addition to delivering the piano, they helped us rearrange our living room furniture to accommodate the piano. Overall, we highly recommend visiting Music Exchange and Jeff Gillespie (Dublin, CA) for those in the market for new (and used) pianos. read more

I have played the piano for 35 years. Due to many moves within and oustide of the country, I have been playing on a portable, digital piano for the last 17 years. We have just moved into our permanent home and I was ready to shop for a piano. My husband and I met with Ron at Music Exchange in Dublin. I had many questions, and Ron was very patient in explaining all of the differences among the pianos in the store. He was not pushy and wanted to make sure that I played all of the pianos we were interested in, so I could feel and understand the difference. When we were ready to make a decision, Ron was there to help us and even kept the store open late to wait for us to come and sign the paperwork. Our piano just arrived yesterday and I am already in love. I look forward to going back to talk with Ron to have him teach me everything about our Yamaha Baby Grand. He wants to make sure that I understand it's capabilities and learn what it can do so I can utilize it's full potential. Thank you, Ron! My kids and I are already LOVING our piano. I found my daughter playing late into the night with the piano on silent. My son can't get enough of it, and I am having to try to find time to squeeze in time to play, because they don't want to stop practicing. Haha! I am so grateful! read more

My wife is a 25-year veteran private piano instructor with nearly 60 full-time students. With FIVE children of our own, we needed another instrument to allow more playing time for them. We went to the Music Exchange and met Jeff. He's a pro's pro. Jeff spent as much time as we wanted showing us different pianos and we chose a digital Yamaha Clavinova, which I play every day. BUT, as we were playing around with their BEAUTIFUL inventory, we stumbled across a 6-foot Yamaha Grand that was on sale for an awesome price. This piece was stunning to view and play. We had an old Baldwin that needed a new home, so The Music Exchange offered us a very strong price for our Baldwin to trade in for the Yamaha. We were thrilled with the purchase as this beautiful new piece looks stunning in our studio and most importantly, sounds awesome! The best part of this relationship is when Jeff offered to host our annual recital. We used The Music Exchange as the venue and it was our best recital ever. We will be using The Music Exchange for our annual recitals exclusively going forward. If you are serious about a piano and don't want to waste your time or money on this important investment, go to The Music Exchange and let Master Jeff do what he does best! read more