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!

Saved By The Magic Flute!…read more My newish Nord Electro 6 took a major tumble and several of the lower keys were mangled, ugh..I thought I needed to plan a keyboard funeral. Needless to say, I was DEVASTATED when I discovered my baby at the beginning of a gig.. The Magic Flute repair rep didn't guarantee a successful fix, BUT TOTALLY DELIVERED IN LESS THAN ONE WEEK!! My keyboard funeral was canceled. THANKS MAGIC FLUTE!

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!

Excellent, unique and personal shop for all things stringed, with a master luthier at the helm and…read moresome beautiful instruments and many happy clients. This shop epitomizes what I love about Marin county, the vibe, the personality and the specialness....

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.

Hugo built me a guitar a few years ago and I really liked it. I ordered another custom guitar in…read moreMay 2025 and put down a deposit of several thousand dollars. The guitar was to be delivered in 6 - 9 months. I understand life happens and delays are inevitable, but I have not received even one photo of the build that is supposedly almost done. I had received nothing but the runaround and promises to send photos within a week. Now I haven't even gotten the courtesy of a reply after several weeks. 15 months later and still not a single photo. Now I'm going to have to file in small claims to get my deposit back. Fuck this.

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.

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!

I feel lucky to have found Larry. He did a set up on my new mustang, and I couldn't believe the…read moredifference his work made. The guitar sounds 1000 times better. You can read all of the reviews, he's a legend in his own right. I can't recommend him enough.

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

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!

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!

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.

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!