I hired David and his friend to play jazz music at my party, and they truly made the event special…read more David's playing was beautiful, professional, and added a smooth, elegant vibe that everyone appreciated. He's very talented and easy to work with, and I've already had several guests ask me about him. I highly recommend David for anyone looking for exceptional live jazz music!

I heard David play jazz with his group at The Lobster in Santa Monica, it was the perfect music for…read moresuch a beautiful setting. Their music has many different emotions, it's an experience. Highly recommend!

I took my guitar in for a little tuneup on my fret board. He was very nice as professional. Had it…read moredone the same day. Only a couple of hours. Came back exactly how I wanted it. You can tell they take pride in their work. Definitely coming back for any future guitar needs

I can't believe that customer service like this still exists. George is absolutely the best…read more Incredibly knowledgeable, kind, professional and clearly a true craftsman. I feel very lucky to have stumbled on this hidden treasure of a place when I brought my Gibson guitar in for a set up. If I could give more than 5 stars, I would. Highly recommend!

Avoid. This review has nothing to do with the quality of their products or lessons, but rather the…read moresecurity staff. I was accosted by the security guard, George, as I attempted to enter the building. He inquired if I needed any help, and I said no. He approached closer and asked my reason for being on the premises, to which I replied, "I'm here to inquire about guitar lessons, is that okay with him?" Rather than engage him further, I chose to de-escalate by entering through a different door. I was in a conversation with the young lady at the front desk about guitar lessons for my son when George came in the other door and confronted me, again, interrupting my conversation with her. There were at least half a dozen other people on the premises. If I were a threat in any way, I'm confident any one of them would have advised George accordingly. They did not. Yet, George persisted, interrupting an active conversation I had with the lady who was answering my questions about guitar lessons -- he persisted as if I were a thug or common criminal. George replied that he was there to see if there was anything I needed. Isn't that what the lady at the front desk is for? To address any concerns or questions I or any visitors may have? If I needed anything, she was capable of addressing anything I would have required, or she wouldn't be there as the business's forward-facing staff member. I asked him if there was anything about guitars that he could assist me with that the young lady could not? He replied no. Then I said, There's no reason for us to have a conversation. Another person (staff member?) stood up for him, saying that George was their "goodwill ambassador" and it's not what it looks like. (He was ostensibly referring to the fact that I'm a black man.) To which I replied, "That explanation is Sophism and, even if true, your 'ambassador' failed miserably... This is exactly what it looks like." The scientific principle of Occam's Razor states that, "When faced with a problem, all things being equal, the simple and obvious explanation is usually the correct explanation." I own a business. I have security on staff. It's there for the protection of my clientele, property, and staff. My security also knows that their job is to be visible as a deterrent, yet not interact unless there is a potential issue. The fact that George interacted with me twice, interrupting a conversation with the front desk staff whose sole purpose was to help, is proof, ipso facto, that his intention was not to see if I needed help; it was because, in his capacity as a security guard, he saw me as a potential problem. Again, Ocam's Razor. I will admit that I surrendered the moral high ground when he wouldn't leave me alone and kept persisting: I held up my wrist and showed my $12,000 Rolex and said, I'm not here to steal. To which he used profanity, saying, "I don't give an F how much money you have." My frustration comes from a lifetime of being profiled as a black man. I'm not proud of myself for how I reacted and pulling the wealth card after not being left alone, but that was only after a humiliating five-minute interaction that wouldn't end, and it's nowhere near an equivalency of how I was treated and profiled based on my appearance (George knew nothing about me, my appearance is the only criterion that could have possibly judged me on). Had I been a soccer mom, this would have never happened, and you wouldn't be reading this post.

The worst experience of my life and client approach My…read moredaughter is 7 years old, and she attends various classes: ballet, group music lessons, and gymnastics. Everything was amazing in all of this places. In Silverlake conservatory we signed up and paid for a month 150$, plus an additional $50 fee. My daughter was scared of the teacher and didn't want to attend the class with her. We asked if I could attend the class with her, as she is in a new environment and needs time to adjust, and also requested to try a different teacher. They said I can't do it. The response we received was that we could try a different teacher at the end of the month, after paying for the next month in advance. I believe that schools working with children should be more flexible with their rules, understanding that a new place can be intimidating for kids, or that a teacher might not be a good fit for every child.

Glixor Bwee likes performance guitar! I bought a strat neck thats perfect.....i will be heading…read moreback there soon to buy more parts and accessories!

I first went to Performance Guitar when I was a teenager back in the early 1980s. They were on…read moreYucca Street in Hollywood at the time. Even back then, Kenny already had big name clients like Frank Zappa, Steve Vai, and Warren De Martini. Later, he would do custom work for Joe Walsh and Warren Cuccurullo, among many others. In 2021, I brought in my Fender American Deluxe Stratocaster for a setup and fret dress and my Fender American Fretless Jazz Bass for its first setup. Kenny did a great job with both guitars. His attention to detail is unmatched. There is nobody else who works on Fenders like Kenny. He worked alongside Leo Fender at Fender for many years back in the day, so he knows his stuff. Kenny's own line of hand-made custom guitars are highly regarded. Highly recommended.

Came here for a simple repair on my Les Paul and got it back perfectly! Zack was friendly and got…read morethe job done quickly.

I've gone to this guitar center a few times…read more.. You have to be aware of some rules. You need to bring your own headphones or otherwise have a way to listen to music you play without bugging people because it's not like where I used to go in Orange County where no one cared what you did.... It's also the flagship store and you might encounter some really weird things that have nothing to do with the people that worked there like I did. Some random middle-aged dude started popping off at one of the workers had to be escorted out while he cussed out about something that really made no sense. But the employer did a good job and the guy left and was probably yelling at other people later on.... In the end, I ended up with a wonderful piece of gear for a decent price. I love Roland instruments so that's what I got. I loaded it up in an Uber black with help from Josh with the guy to talk to on keyboards and probably all sorts of other stuff that I don't play like guitars.... And it just was one of those days where things aligned and I really felt good about everything... Anyway, you should check it out. ‍

Nothing comes close in terms of a store that provides legitimate value. Doing whatever i can to…read moremake sure any money going toward new equipment is spent at Big City Music.

After reading some forums online and watching various YouTube videos to see what modulars were all…read moreabout, Big City Music was considered one of the best in the nation. I stopped by on the way home to explore modular synths for the first time, hoping I'd get that "feeling" like this is a perfect fit for me. Thanks to seeing Big City Music here on Yelp, I drove to their address but had trouble finding the building because there were no signs anywhere. From Ventura, it looked like there was an abandoned building at the address listed. So, I called and talked to Roger. He was great to talk to and said they usually ask customers to make an appointment to stop by. Lucky for me they were available at that time and I could stop in. He gave me better directions, since the entrance was actually off Ventura Blvd. Big City Music is unlike any other music store I've been to. It feels like I'm entering a "secret club" where you go enter through back door and walk into a room-sized warehouse full of boxes and supplies everywhere. Roger was glad to see me and introduced himself right away. He then pointed me to the demo room, where there are several large modular synths, some (very nice) keyboards, guitar pedals, vintage gear and a couple people (Stephi and Morgan) ready to help out. I mentioned I was new to modular synths and wanted to mess around a bit to get a feel for what they can do. Stephi cleared off a module and handed me some patch cables to mess around as much as I wanted. I never felt rushed the entire time I was there. At first, I was clueless. Just clueless. I started having doubts immediately. What the F was I doing here? Rather than allowing them to hear my embarrassingly-awful sounds I'd be making, I popped on some headphones and patched on the fly. After a half-hour, I felt comfortable enough to ask Morgan a few questions about the basics. He jumped right in on their massive modular and started patching like a mad scientist, showing me what all the modules can do. I was very impressed with his knowledge and passion. I instantly felt at ease, even though I had very little knowledge of what was going on. The way he explained things were super helpful. Since my first visit, I decided to take the dive into modular and have returned. I bought a Monorocket case, some patch cables and a few modules to get me started. I'll definitely be coming back here to fill up my case over the coming months and ask for a couple more tutorials. I'm very lucky to live so close to this great store and to learn from awesome people. Cheers--

This place ROCKS (pun intended). My son came here for summer camp from August 18 - 22 for the…read moreClassic Rock Rewind. He had an extra week before he started school, and I was looking for a camp to keep him busy while I worked. Honestly, I had heard about the movie starring Jack Black, but had never seriously looked into enrolling my son at the school. I'm so glad they have a location in Burbank. Not only was everyone there professional musicians who also know how to teach, but the hours were great, and my son said the instruction was second to none. You get to choose your instrument (which they supply and have on site), they "rock" between 9 a.m. and 3 p.m., and end the week with a performance of two classic rock songs. My son was on drums, and relished being able to tap his sticks over his head while shouting, "One, Two, Three, let's rock!" before jamming out on percussion. The kids did an amazing job on both songs, and the parents got to see what they had been learning all week. Bonus: after they complete the summer camp, they're eligible to enroll in Rock 101 to deepen their knowledge of their chosen instrument or learn another. I cannot say enough good about this place. We'll definitely be back next year.

I heard great things about School of Rock Burbank's Little Wings class from a friend so I decided…read moreto take my three year old. He had other plans, but luckily Beth was working behind the counter and has the patience of an angel. Wow! I am just so stunned by her kindness and patience with my son and I as we tried to encourage him to go to class. Thank you, Beth, for making us feel so welcome. We are looking forward to our next class!

This shop is a legend & has been around since June of 1959 & has so much history surrounding it…read more Being in Hollywood, this shop has seen many professional drummers visit & buy drums, hardware, drumsticks, drum kits, & anything associated with drumming & music. The gentlemen who own & run this shop are very nice guys who know their trade well & if they don't have what you seek, they will go above & beyond to get it for you. Their merchandise is well worth its value, especially to those of us who are drummers. You never know who you may run into there either being it's Hollywood!

Talk about amazing customer service... It's hard to find nowadays... I ordered this awesome…read morehardware pack and I thought I would have to wait several days before receiving it... It was shipped quickly! And of course with this style and groove that only Pro Drum Shop can do! I live close enough, but I'm getting lazy, the last time I was there I bought some great gear while 'Dice' entertained the few of us that were there! Long live Jerry, Stan and Pro Drum Shop!

David is an absolute angel, he has a real passion for what he does. He's very knowledgeable,…read morepractical, and fast. What a blessing to find this place! BRING YOUR GUITARS HERE

Truly a class act. Came in with a vintage guitar and thought it needed a restring. Instead of going…read morealong with a full restring, he fixed it on the spot free of charge. I insisted on tipping, because the conversation was a delight. Sounds good as new! Highly recommend.

Other luthier from another city told me I would have to take the instrument apart, etc. But once I…read moretook it to Mr. Cauer, the problem was solved in under 30 min. Highly recommend.

If you live in LA and need a string instrument, this is the place to come. When our daughter was…read moreready for a 3/4-size cello, her cello teacher recommended that we shop at Robert Cauer because she trusts the people here. Because we had a great experience the first time and because of the trade-in policy, of course we came back when it was time to look for a full-size cello and had another great experience. If you're wondering about the trade-in policy, it is as good as it sounds. I wasn't sure if it was too good to be true, but the people here honor their word. It is incredible in this day and age. Everyone who works here is kind and extremely knowledgeable. Make an appointment ahead of time if you can, and be patient. They are very well known and they do get very busy at times, but they will get to you and give you the attention you need. If you have never shopped for a string instrument and bow before, it is a bit like shopping at Ollivander's for a wand. What works for other people may not work for you. To some extent, the instrument chooses you (I mean, not really, but your playing style may suit some instruments better than others). You tell the staff what you're looking for and give them a price range, and they will put you in a room and give you a selection of instruments to try in your price range. They will not try to upsell you or force you to make a decision before you're ready. They will not tell you the exact price of an instrument unless you ask, and really, as long as you have given them a range you're comfortable with, there's no point in finding out unless you're serious enough to want to take an instrument home. Price does not necessarily correlate to what will work best for you. Be prepared to spend an hour or longer assessing your choices. Kids will do best if they're already fed and watered. Robert Cauer came into our room at one point and advised that we could weed out instruments very quickly by just playing an 8-note scale across 2 strings and deciding what we didn't like before spending any more time evaluating the instruments that passed that cut. After that, we had our daughter play scales across all 4 strings (some instruments sound better in the lower register and some in the upper) and then a few bars of music from some of her pieces. Once you've selected an instrument or instruments that you want to borrow (and you should borrow some to take home and practice on for at least a week to get a better feel for whether they will work for you and have your child's teacher evaluate them as well), then you can ask for a selection of bows to try within a price range (they generally recommend 10-20% of the purchase price of the instrument). Then the process repeats :) It can be exhausting for the kiddos. I think we evaluated 12-15 cellos and maybe 15-20 bows each time we came. When I was growing up, I would guess that I only ever tried out 3 violins at one time, so it was a lot for our daughter. The staff really go out of their way to be helpful, and I mean above and beyond. At one point, one noticed that our tire was flat, and another offered to let us use his air compressor. We had a very long drive home so were incredibly grateful to them for preventing what could have been a very rough experience. This place is 100% worth the drive, but to sweeten the deal you could follow our example and top off your time here with a visit to Ululani's (best shave ice in the world, IMO), which is only an 8-minute drive away ;)