I know negative about guitars. I have a nephew graduating from high school this spring and I…read morewanted to get him something meaningful and useful. He plays bass in one of those School of Rock type places and is passionate about it. I called my sister to see if there was anything he could use and she sent me a blurry photo of some kind of board he uses and told me he needs a carrying case. I went to Bananas at Large because of their reputation for being kind and knowledgeable. Their reputation is well deserved. I was greeted right when I walked in, I decided to look around a bit before asking for help because while I don't know anything about guitars, some of the instruments they had on the wall were works of art and I enjoy looking at art. When I was ready, I found the first employee, showed him the photo and explained the situation. He knew exactly what it was and where to find what I was looking for. He then took the case over to where they had the exact thing in the photo to show me how well it fit and other features of the case. He explained the 14-day return policy if it turned out to be the wrong thing and let me decide what I wanted to do. I wound up purchasing the case. I loved that I was nicely greeted when I walked in but left alone to browse. I loved that I didn't have to hunt down someone to help me when I was ready. I loved the general vibe of the place. I loved that they had what I needed and clearly a ton of things I might need if I ever decide to get into playing. I loved that parking was easy. I loved that they were excited to help someone who had no idea what they were doing in a guitar shop, were in no hurry to get me out of the store and patient enough to answer all my questions. I even loved that they accept Venmo for payments. Great place to go if you don't know anything about guitars but love someone who does.

This place is everything a music store should be. Yes they have great selection, and yes their…read moreprices match anything you can find online (even Reverb, often) but it's their service and relationships they build with you that's special. True stories of what they've done for me even in just the last month: My guitar needed some repairs before a gig, and they fast tracked the service and ordered an uber to bring the guitar to my house! I wanted a tuner pedal that was out of stock basically everywhere in the country, and they took their last one from Santa Rosa and shipped it to San Rafael store for free for me to pick up the next day. Best of all, I was unhappy with my guitar tone and Dan spent nearly 2 hours sitting with me trying different pedals and setups, before settling on showing me some different settings on my own amp, some different plectrums and swapping a pedal I'd bought recently for only a $10 difference! It would have been so easy to have sold me another pedal or 2 that I didn't really need, but the fact he didn't builds complete trust and makes me a customer for life!

The Magic Flute has been providing solid instruction for a myriad of instruments for decades…read more Currently, Chris Collins is an insanely talented musician who is a wonderful piano teacher. He is able to tailor his lessons so the material is relevant and age-appropriate and engaging. His ability to not only play music by ear but to create sheet music from that is brilliant. Highly recommend!

A hub for learning! Violin teacher Sharron Drake is outstanding! HIghly recommend for beginner or…read moreexperienced. Great vibes, private lesson rooms, Ezra Palmer-Person is an exceptional trumpet teacher as well. Recommend both teachers without reservation.

John has a wealth of experience and some beautiful instruments. I highly recommend this shop,…read moreespecially if you are looking for high end vintage instruments.

In summary: best of the best and highly recommended!!!!…read more My unusual string instrument arrived from overseas with a broken headstock. I contacted various other stores and luthiers for repair but to no avail. They either don't work on unfamiliar instrument, they can only do a partial repair, the wait is too long, or the cost is too high. Very thankful to Schoenberg Guitars for referring me to Amazing Grace as a trusted store that can deal with all sorts of string instruments. Sure enough, the owner (John) recognized the instrument right away (I was very impressed) and done a great job repairing it in a reasonable time and cost. I couldn't be any happier with the results. As an extra bonus, the store has very interesting instruments that made it fun to browse around.

This was my first experience with Mermet and it left me disappointed and annoyed. I brought in a…read morenice/expensive guitar that needed a new nut (I use heavy gauge strings) and had a few tall frets. I specifically asked for an unbleached nut (to match the original). What I got back was a Tusq nut (or something similar) that wasn't seated very well and wasn't flush with the ends of the fretboard. And the fall frets were still there. This cost me $100. :-\ I suspect that had I mentioned the problems, he would have tried to correct them, but 1) I'm annoyed, 2) I don't necessarily trust that it would be done well the second time if it wasn't done well the first time, and 3) I'd rather just take the guitar somewhere else.

If you are looking for a completely custom built guitar, or just need a basic setup to have your…read moreexisting guitar play at its best Mermet Guitars is the simply the best. He is always up front on the timing and cost of any progress and is easily accessible for updates or question. You can trust him with all of your repair needs, and when you are ready there is simply no one better to build you the guitar of your dreams.

This store is a treasure. A small business with people who care deeply about guitars. I got to try…read moremany older guitars, and was helped by a very patient and kind person. Unfortunately the model I had come in to try was not in stock, so I did not end up purchasing a guitar, despite wanting to support their business. I hope others support this shop - we are lucky to have them in our region.

It's a great store with tons of vintage acoustic guitars. Also, the owners are super friendly. Was…read moregreeted by Nicolas and had a great conversation about the guitars they have in stock as well as the custom Schoenberg acoustic Definitely coming back!

Larry is simply the best there ever was. No other compares. He handled my fender telecaster plus…read moreand was very helpful

I met Larry in the 1970s when I was a guitar tech for Elvin Bishop. I brought him all the guitars…read moreand basses for the band and some had literally been through car wrecks. He restored them to fine playing instruments. He has been working his magic on my guitars since then as well. Gibson, Fender, Taylor are some of the brands I have taken to Larry and his work is the best.

Pollyanna is a great talent and educator. Her classes are a joy. She offers many formats. Soar…read moreSong is great fun and very e pressure. Her workshops are top notch individual training

I've been taking private voice lessons with Pollyanna for the last six months and recently a group…read moreharmony class. I've taken voice lessons from other teachers but none compare to Pollyanna's focus and expertise in making me a better singer. Her technique is a huge success in Europe but only recently catching on in the US. I highly recommend Pollyanna to anyone looking to improve their vocals. The harmony class is the best class I've taken as far as useful content and technique. I've taken over 10 classes from various Bay Area teachers and by far Pollyanna's is the best. Her energy and love of music are infectious.

Sam has been teaching guitar to my 8yo for 6 months. He's a kind, patient teacher and is able to…read morefind songs of interest to keep my son motivated to learn at his weekly lessons. He's been progressing well and is proud to be able to play (and does so whenever his relatives visit). In my son's words, he's "encouraging, flexible, and a good musician." I'd highly recommend him as a teacher for children or adults!

From the owner: Sam Sohmer offers private guitar lessons in the comfort of your own home! Lessons are designed to…read morehelp you tap into the source of your creativity and innate gifts and talents by inviting both your mind and heart into your music. Additionally, Sam provides music shows for children ages 0-6 yrs. Venues include elementary schools, home-daycares, and birthday parties. Contact Sam for more details!

Got my guitar restrung here. The service was excellent and fast. They have a wide range of guitars,…read moreincluding less expensive ones. I appreciated that considering where we live.

Love these guys! I've bought two beautiful instruments from them and the experience both times was…read morefantastic. They are very chill, supportive, and helpful. It's a beautiful place to find just the right guitar :) And they have a fantastic selection of ukulele's and baritone ukulele's as well!

There are a lot of great music classes for kids, however none of them have the extra special touch…read morethat Music Makers offers--exposure to guest musicians, music theory and opportunities to play on "real" kids sized instruments. Have you ever seen a kid-sized cello? My toddler was completely amazed by the opportunity to play on this tiny instrument. He sat in the chair, grabbed the bow and began to "play" and sing Twinkle Little Star. There is a different instrument each week, for my son to "check out." Where else can you have a rich experience like this? Music Makers gives us a delightful exposure to music, movement and singing AND is an excellent primer for my child to learn more advanced study of music when the time comes. Cindy has been teaching for over 25 years, and has all kinds of tricks/gifts to keep the kids focused and engaged. I always learn something too! Check out her free preview class and see for yourself!

Awesome music class for kids (1.5-6 years old)! My 3-yr-olds attended the Music Makers summer class…read moreseries and absolutely loved it. The class CD is their music of choice for the car, and they keep asking about 'their' class over and over, despite that the series is now over. We signed up for the upcoming fall session and can't wait for it to start. Cindy, who teaches all the classes (together with a piano accompanist), is excellent in keeping all the kids engaged. She uses all kinds of clever interactive approaches that even the most distracted kids get intrigued, and want to participate. I like that she emphasizes the learning aspect - so kids, while having fun, also get to learn about music and try a variety of different instruments. I am not easily impressed with classes, but this one is a really good one. If you want to get a taste before committing, Music Makers offer free preview classes.