A few months back, I was recommended to go to this place by one of the top WW players in town - to have one of my Yamaha flutes repaired. I dropped it off and they did an excellent job, it was a little pricey, but I was happy to pay it for the work that was done. A few months later, I came over with a student Flute that had broken off its foot joint. The gentleman doing the evaluation, pushed it away and said "I'm gonna decline on this one." and then went on to tell me that they only worked with "professional musicians" (I've been an orchestrator in this town for 30 years, I've performed with Lenard Bernstein at Carnegie Hall, Ricardo Muti in Philadelphia, and, Zubin Mehta and the New York Philharmonic. I've also had numerous works performed at Disney Hall here in Los Angeles. I am a professorial Musician). He then went onto berate and humiliate me even more. I've never been so embarrassed in my life, and I just kind of grabbed my stuff and left. So if you have a $10,000 Armstrong Flute, they're happy to help you with it, but anything else isn't good enough for them work on. Which is pretty disappointing in this town with a very small music scene. read more

Note: There is parking in the back if you approach with RDG on the right side... otherwise there's easy residential parking (free), too. - - - - - - After recommendation from a local oboist, I quickly drove to RDG for my oboe needs, renting one of their Loree Royal's. My first ever experience was too long ago, but picking up a professional instrument and fresh reeds (student and burgundy professional) was a game changer. For starters, the quality of sound produced form this oboe was pure love. I called in to ask about oboes and was directed to submit a form online, to which JP responded to within a few days. My only disappointment was having to wait a few weeks for the instrument, but once I had the instrument in hand... ooh I've never felt such joy in a while! Being able to produce quality sound from an oboe... once it's in tune? One of the best feelings ever for a returning beginner! (iykyk) The rental forms were fairly straightforward and clear, and so was payment. While I came 20 minutes before close, I was thankful that Justin was available to address my needs despite having an event literally in the next hour. Returning? Yes! Potentially to purchase a future instrument. RDG- quality you can trust! Scared to know if it's the right fit? They even allow trials, and I highly encourage taking advantage of that! read more

Absolutely awesome, genuinely nice people - they know their stuff and take the time to explain everything.

Bought new clarinet and had to take in several times for adjustments but still leaking...... so dissatisfied

RDG has been my go-to for new clarinet purchase, resale, reeds, repairs, and total overhauls for many many years. They take such care of my instruments that I am always sure that the best has been done. They are popular, however, so best to think ahead, though they do do quick repairs very graciously. Thank you, RDG! read more

This is not the store it once was....Very arrogant staff....Refused to fix instrument and they speak to you like they are some higher up god! read more

I feel a bit silly writing this review, because if you are a serious woodwind musician, you most likely already go to RDG. This place is great and the people are so helpful. When we were looking for a new bassoon, they let us borrow two and bring them home for a generous trial period. Also, when my daughter got a cleaning cloth stuck, they fixed it for no charge - it only took them 60 seconds, but still, a gracious thing to do. Feels like they do it all for the love of the instrument - it's not just a business. Please note new location in Pasadena! read more

Refused to repair my instrument. Never experienced such snobbery in my life. Do you hate money?

I took my clarinet here for a tune up based on the recommendation of my oboist-fiancee. After explaining the condition of my instrument, my budget for repairs, and what I'd like done, Levi (one of their servicemen) gave me an appointment a little later in the month. This makes perfect sense to me. Rather than have a backlog of instruments waiting for their turn, the instruments wait with their owner so they can still be used. And then you get your instrument back in a matter of days, not weeks. The price of repair work here is a bit more than your neighborhood instrument shop (but not much more). But the actual quality of their work is significantly higher. If you're a woodwind player, you'll know that when there's a real good seal, you can FEEL the difference each time you put a finger down. I love that pop, and RDG gives it to you. I also had an issue with a spring that tended to pop free, and they replaced the entire mechanism to guarantee it won't happen again (and this wasn't even one of the issues I mentioned). Everything on my clarinet is phenomenal, and I cannot recommend this place enough. Regarding the only other review for this company, I had a completely different experience. There was no air of snobbery. My clarinet is worth maybe $1k, and they gave it the same quality work they'd give anyone. read more

This is pretty much one of the best places to inquire if you are in the market for a new oboe, English horn, bassoon, and clarinets! They usually have many in stock for you to come try them out and pick out the one you want! They also do woodwind repairs and the people here are phenomenal! They usually do emergency repairs for basic patchwork if you call in advance! Although if you do need a bit more lengthy work that may take a day or two, I would call to schedule an appointment. They're usually backed up and when you do schedule an appointment, they dedicate that day and time to repair your instrument! read more

I enjoyed my first visit to RDG. I play clarinet and it was nice to be in a store that is dedicated to your instrument, instead of the typical store with one or two clarinets and a bunch of guitars. RDG also sells oboes and bassoons. The store doesn't have the typical layout, it is in a converted office space, there is no front counter. There are repair facilities on site and testing rooms for those trying out instruments to purchase or have been repaired. I wasn't in the market for a new instrument, I was only there to browse through the sheet music and purchase some accessories. I did not feel unwelcome or rushed, staff was friendly and helpful. The sheet music available was for the more popular solo works and method books. The accessories were of the better quality available on the market, instead of the token items you would find in most other stores. There was also a large selection of reeds and mouthpieces. I haven't priced check everything but I did see that they were selling a box of reeds (Vandoren Traditional) for less than what I paid at my more local store. I should have come to RDG first. I don't know what they charge for repairs, but I'll be bringing my clarinet here when it's needed. If I'd known about this store when I was learning in high school, I'd have brought my generic plastic clarinet here too. I think you can reasonably assume that the repair people know the instrument and will do a good job. If you bought a used instrument at a pawn shop, I'd say bring it here to be checked out. You don't need a top of the line instrument to play well, it just needs to play correctly. And learning on an instrument that plays out of tune or with pads that don't seal lends itself to bad playing habits. read more

I took in a French clarinet that I bought years ago from an used instrument shop. They looked at it for free and gave me their honest opinion on it. I ended up buying another one someone else because I wasnt looking for a professional hornbut I love the group of people, great customer service read more

We went to this shop on Saturday to get the Ton Kooiman thumbrest for my daughter because she has developed "clarinet thumb". Justin was so nice and helpful. He talked to us at length about her issue and suggested that she should try a neck strap instead. He helped her to adjust it and she was very happy with it. I really appreciate the time he spent with us and his knowledge. I will definitely go back whenever we need stuff for her clarinet. read more

This place is a clarinetist's dream! We came here to see the Martin Frost concert and the LA Phil with my son. His teacher recommended we stop by to check out the a wide array of clarinets. I agree that it is so nice and refreshing to go to a specific music store for your particular instrument. James was super friendly and showed us to a private room to sample whatever instruments my son asked to try and that they had. He was a wealth of information on clarinets! He made our trip super memorable and my son was on cloud nine. read more

They only sell and service high end instruments. Everything in the store is priced at a premium. It IS the shop to go to if you're ready to buy a top of the line oboe, English horn, bassoon, or clarinet. However, if you just want reeds, a case, stand or other accessories, you're better off buying online. If you don't have a top of the line instrument, they won't service it. When Robert was still alive and they were located on La Cienega, the place had a much more friendly atmosphere. Now there a definite air of snobbery - unless you have a $4k oboe or can drop the name of a well known composer, teacher, conductor, etc. that you're associated with. read more

This is a great store. I bought my first oboe here and it served me well for many years. I always order my cane from them and have experienced consistent quality and customer concern. Several times when ordering English horn reeds, they have not had the one I needed in stock, but this has really been my only frustration. Over all, the best double-reed shop in LA. read more

It's true what they say. You get what you pay for. In this case, a high end clarinet for my son. They took the time and gave him many to try. Excellent customer service and helpful in all aspects. Highly recommended. read more

Brilliant find! Searched everywhere for clarinet repair shop with screws for a broken ligature. John was fantastic - couldn't be more polite, professional and helpful. Highly recommend! :) read more

This is an amazing store for oboe players! They have everything from reeds to new instruments. The people here are very nice and helpful. This store also carries bassoon and clarinet supplies. I highly recommend this store! read more