The staff is very knowledgeable , and they have a variety quality used instruments at good prices.read more

Love this place! Great personal service. They always do an amazing job efficiently and with very…read morereasonable prices. Bonus, the place has a great vibe but maybe because it's filled with beautiful instruments

Very cute little music store in Berkeley. Looks like they have everything you could possibly need…read more My dad had dropped off a trumpet to get fixed awhile back but they weren't able to fix it so we came in to pick it up. The very nice manager gave us a recommendation of a guy in Albany who may be able to help. My dad just wants to donate it so it may not be worthy getting it fixed first, but we'll see. Anyway if you need reeds, strings, music stand - this looks like a great non-chain place to spend your money!

Forrests Music was a great place to rent and get Oboes! They specialize in Oboes. My family made…read morethe 45 minute drive to get to this place, and it was totally worth it. Justin, the worker who helped me pick out and rent the oboe was extremely kind and welcoming. He was nice enough to teach me a couple notes with the oboe I had just rented! There rates are extremely reasonable for our rent per month for my beginner oboe. I would definitely recommend this place.

We were referred to Lark in the morning by another music shop. We had an old autoharp we needed…read moretuned and possibly repaired. Thorn the manager put us in touch with Steve. We brought the autoharp and a guitar in for repair. Steve examined both carefully. He explained what he discovered and what work he would do. He was friendly and very informative. We left the autoharp and guitar with him to repair. The price he quoted us seemed reasonable and fair.

Excelente store!! So many instruments from different parts of the world. A true gem! From a tres…read morecubano - to native flutes and world percussion.

I'm so pleased with the service I've received from this wonderful local shop. Adam ( the owner )…read moreset up my new Stratocaster and fixed my Martin so perfectly. I feel like I can play so much better now. It's nice to practice without the stress of knowing the guitar is just not right. Extremely happy!! The entire staff is friendly and very helpful. Definitely getting my next guitar from Mountain Music!! I know they will help me get the perfect guitar.

Craig and Gregory both so lovely and kind as I walked in and quickly bought a guitar to learn on,…read morenot even remembering which way to hold it ("are you left handed?" - Craig) Gently mentioning lessons, picks, etc... yes, please, and I promise I'll be back. A very cool space run by nice people who help, don't push, and don't make you feel dumb for not knowing anything. Love a local business too.

Wonderful people work here. I needed help with some of my tablas and these staff very friendly and…read moreaccommodating. Highly recommend...

I've been a musician my entire life and worked in the music industry in Nashville for many years. I…read morenow live in UT. I play many instruments and I have always wanted to pick up the Sitar since childhood and obsession over George Harrison. For whatever reason I waited many years and moved through many other instruments but now the time has come to explore sitar. I made a trip out to Berkeley specifically to get guidance in choosing a sitar and perhaps even deciding if the instrument was right for me. Upon visiting MM we met Ben who was more than happy to make introductions to the instrument and even an impromptu first lesson with a student sitar. There are a handful of places where one could obtain a Sitar online but I knew this instrument demanded a bit more care. Ben and the other folks at MM provided exactly that. Once we knew we were bringing a sitar home Ben helped us make the better choice of shipping the sitar instead of driving back with it. We also decided we needed a set of Tablas and Ben sifted through a surplus of them until we found the ones that spoke to us. He tuned them up and once again provided a level of care and expertise that IMO is just required for sophisticated nuanced instruments like sitar and tabla. This morning two giant boxes showed up at my door back home. I blew off work and spent the day getting more acquainted with our new instruments. By the end of the day I was actually making some sounds that qualified as "musical". After 30ish years of guitar, bass, piano, cello, synth, etc. etc. and feeling a bit uninspired I have to say that the sitar has me pretty excited about creating some new things that are really unique. By end of day I was mustering my way through some obvious pop sitar tunes (Paint it Black, Lebonese Blonde, Norwegian Wood). There's clearly a great deal to learn about this esoteric instrument but I was actually quite surprised and relieved to find that it wasn't quite as intimidating as I expected. I attribute this once again to Ben for spending the time to teach me proper posture for the instrument. Holding the sitar in a way that your left hand is free to move about the fretboard is a bit tricky to the uninitiated. Thanks to Bens instruction, I had this figured out pretty quickly. I could imagine wrestling with the sitar for days trying to figure out how to handle it. In addition to Bens help, the various tutorials on the MM website were also super helpful. I'm really really excited to see where the sitar takes us both in our kirtan music and in western pop music. Such a cool texture. I knew that the sitar would be really special and I wanted to make informed decisions and make sure I was getting a quality instrument and the knowledge to do it right. I purchased a harmonium for my girlfriend a couple years ago through an Amazon store. I won't go into all the details but suffice it to say the experience was subpar, I received a damaged used instrument that was supposed to be new and the store was unresponsive to my questions. Harmoniums, like sitars and tablas are delicate, nuanced instruments. You might save a few dollars rolling the dice on Amazon or similar but if you're serious at all about your instruments, just reach out to MM and get the right instrument, the right setup, and the right information. MM surpassed my expectations and as best I can tell is likely the most reputable source within the US for these special types of instruments. Truly a very special and super cool business with a genuine passion for eastern instruments. I just wish I lived closer so I could drop in there more often and maybe take some individual lessons. I'm sure we'll be back soon for more toys and maybe even that beautiful black pro sitar once I'm worthy of it ;). I highly recommend MM to anyone in the market for Indian/Eastern instruments, supplies, and education. Many thanks!

Buying an oud has been a longtime dream of mine, and I finally decided to take the first step…read more After some research, I came across Timbre Folk & Baroque and visited the store yesterday. From the moment I walked in, I felt welcomed. I had the pleasure of meeting Mark and his daughter -- both were incredibly kind, knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate about what they do. They took the time to patiently answer all of my questions, without ever making me feel rushed or pressured to buy anything. That level of honesty and respect is rare these days, especially in retail. It was clear to me that they care more about helping people find the right instrument than just making a sale. If you're looking for a place where you can trust the people behind the counter, this is it. I'm truly grateful places like this still exist. Thank you, Mark!

Easy to work with, responsive, knowledgeable. Convenient location. Fixed my husband's old guitar…read moreand also will be taking lessons with Pete!

ELVIS IS BACK BABY!…read more Drum specialist Elvis Katic spent serious time with me trying to procure a small niche item. He took the lead on problem solving issues with the manufacturer/distributor, then ended up going beyond above-and-beyond to make sure I got what I was looking for. It's great to find someone who genuinely wants to see people thrive and do their thing musically. If you're ever in Emeryville come through and visit a legend.

Love the variety of instruments ( not just guitars) and especially love the ability to play…read moreinstruments to your hearts content.... including some higher priced models without even asking salesperson! On the other hand; if you need knowledgeable and attentive personal help.... I am not so sure ( eg. I told salesperson I really enjoyed the sound of the new Taylor designed Circa 74 acoustic amp; he said "Oh yeah.. that is because it is a tube amp." He is wrong... it is not a tube amp; it is solid state.

I started from scratch on the Mandolin 2 years ago, and Tim has been great to work with. In the…read morebeginning, he gave me very clear and motivational direction on how to play specific tunes. Then, as I progressed and developed my own style, Tim was very supportive of showing me how to express my own authentic voice on the Mandolin. Really, a dream come true - I have always wanted to express myself musically, and Tim has helped me do that more than anyone ... Thanks Tim! I highly recommend him for developing your own style and technique!

I studied clawhammer banjo with Tim for six months, when I was just starting off. Now, a year…read morelater, I play actual gigs in a string band! I first reached out to Tim when my wife was interested in starting mandolin. She had no experience with string instruments and Tim was a warm and patient teacher for her. Her experience was so good, I picked up a banjo and headed to Tim's myself! Tim is a Bay Area treasure. Growing up in West Virginia and having played throughout the states, he brings a wealth of knowledge about the history of bluegrass and oldtime music, grounding his lessons in storytelling, the oldtimey way. This helps students develop a deep appreciation for the music and turned me on to players and styles I hadn't heard and might not otherwise have come across. He helped me develop a strong foundation and technique that has carried me through to today. We spent a lot of time honing in on my right hand technique and I still remind myself of his notes when I'm playing. Get on over to Tim's!

I'm so happy that Beats Antique store "Shadow Box" is open-! They have Beats antique merchants and…read moredesigners jewelries. All jewelries are one of kind and just beautiful-!!

Walked in for the 1st time not knowing it was there. Purchased some really cool leggings . With…read morekiller bee on the but haha. Very nice lady named Jenny working there. They have a small bit of clothing from local designers.

Honestly, I can't believe places like this still exist. In this economy...?…read more Knowledgeable, prompt and affordable. A beautifully kept shop space. I brought my silver flute in for a tune up and walked out with it playing better for less money than I imagined. All my blessings to the folks that make this shop what it is.

Brought in my bari sax to be repaired - several tone holes were damaged when my student knocked my…read morehorn over. Shawn and I inspected the horn together and he assured me he could fix it but he sounded a little reticent. I called the next day to make sure he was up to the job - he said he was. We talked about a tool which would make the job easier but the repair was not contingent on that. A week goes by and Shawn calls me to say he can't repair my horn. Apparently he felt he needed this tool after all. Ok, I'm not dinging him for not being able to fix it. I am dinging him for not recognizing his limitations and being honest about what he can and can't do. And it would have saved me an additional trip, gas, bridge fare and my time.