Great facility! Great people! Loads of talent. Jeff and crew…read moremake your best plan the best reality. Love it here!

Having had a terrible experience with Gaz from "that british place", I was impressed with Deanna's…read moreprofessional manner. While using the aforementioned studio I couldn't help but feel Gaz's eyes were constantly undressing me. At least with Deanna I didn't feel like I was being eye-raped the whole time.

The Valley is the soul of LA youth culture and rock and rolls roots that ID this city. No place…read morebetter defines the core of LA's music authenticity than Gerard and his talented wife's awesome shop full of vintage guitars and me. Operated from a passion for Beatles and classic standards, old school quality customer service & lessons that inspire talent you didn't know you had - this place deserves your business I'm posting about a year since my original post to Yelp with an update on this incredible gem of a guitar store to simply say: Yes!! Everything I said above is absolutely true and more! If you're reading this post to consider music lessons or to purchase an instrument, look no further. Instead find a friend for life in these two and discover something wonderful within the joys of sharing music along the journey. Happy strumming!

I started taking guitar lessons with Teri in January of this year. I played piano and french horn…read moregrowing up so I already knew how to read music, but I always wanted to play guitar and didn't have the discipline to learn it when I was younger. In the ~6 months I've been with Teri & Gerard, I've begun to learn how and why music works the way it does, and not just how to read what's written on the page. My lessons are completely customized based on what I want to learn. I have learned everything from scales and arpeggios to classical Spanish songs to improvising blues riffs. I can bring in a song, let Teri listen to it a bit, and then she'll teach me how to play it. It's amazing! They are honest and generous people and I really enjoy my weekly lesson. I've only bought one guitar from them when I started, but I wouldn't bother going anywhere else if I wanted another. I think their prices are more than reasonable and they've always been straightforward about how the lesson scheduling and prices work. Teri and Gerard have always been kind enough to give me free extra time on my lesson whenever it works out that way with scheduling, and they've given me great prices on any merchandise I've picked up. I highly recommend Teri and Gerard!

Alpaca is a great music studio! Jonah is generous, patient, and amazing in all that he does ! My…read moreexperience was great! The setting of the studio is amazing, I was extremely impressed with the sound quality, and the overall service is amazing! I highly recommend alpaca music studio for anyone looking for piano lessons and or a professional recording experience!

From the owner: Alpaca Music Studios helps artists turn ideas into polished, professional records through…read morerecording, mixing, and mastering. We focus on clear communication, modern sound, and protecting your creative vision from first take to final master. Whether it’s your first single or next project, we’re here to bring your music to life. Book your session today.

My first time here and it won't be my last! Loved the intimate space while watching one of my all…read moretime favorite female singers, Jonatha Brooke. The room is normally set up for sales but when a show is on the calendar the staff quickly clears it to set up the chairs for the audience. Since their first impromptu show back in 1968, McCabe's has been hosting the finest in folk, bluegrass, Americana, world music and more. It can accommodate 150-seats and is one of the best listening rooms in the world. The sound engineer was spot at this performance. Most of performers will play one of the guitars for sale here which helps keep this amazing shop going. *Located just off the 405 freeway @Centinela on Pico Blvd *Plenty of street parking (meters) *A few restaurants within walking distance if you want to grab a bite to eat before or after a show. *Guitar lessons available *FYI purchase show tickets online. You will get receive a confirmation email telling you that your name will be on a list at the door (you will not get physical tickets)

I want to be fair here, because this is really a story about two very different visits…read more The first time I came in, I worked with Barry, and he was fantastic. I had never bought a guitar in my life and barely knew what questions to ask. He sat down with me, pulled close to ten guitars off the wall, and played every single one so I could actually hear the differences for myself. He never once rushed me or made me feel like a clueless beginner taking up his time (great player btw!) By the time I walked out I had fallen for the shop and found the exact guitar I wanted, a Taylor 114ce. I was so excited that I could not wait to come back the next day to buy it. I had also planned to sign up for lessons there. The next day is why I'm writing this. Barry wasn't in, and the guy working the guitar repair counter helped me instead. He acted like I was a massive inconvenience from the second I walked up. The store was nearly empty at the time, just one woman trying out a guitar in the back and another customer making conversation up front, both of whom were perfectly friendly when I chatted with them for a minute. The guitar I wanted was a floor model with two deep scratches gouged into the front, the kind that do not buff out, plus a pickguard worn down from being played constantly. It was still priced like it was brand new. When I asked if anything could be done about the price, he went to check and came back offering fifty dollars off. I asked if he could come down to seven hundred and he flatly said no, though he said he could throw in strings. All of it came wrapped in the same cold attitude, like I was lucky he was even bothering with me. I decided to leave and went to another shop that had the exact same guitar, brand new and so pristine it clearly had never been played. I did not even think to ask for a discount because it was in perfect condition, but they gave me one anyway and knocked ten percent off without me saying a word. On top of that they set me up with a stand, a tuner, a capo, a handful of picks, strings, and even a hat, and discounted those accessories too. They were thrilled to help the entire time. I bought my first guitar there and booked my first lesson there too, and I walked out feeling exactly the way you should feel buying your first instrument. So if you go to McCabe's and you get Barry, you will understand why this place has the reputation it does. He was the reason I almost became a customer for life. There was also a gentleman there both days who I believe may have been the manager. The second day he gave me a quick hello and then stepped into the back right as I pulled the guitar down to start the process. I have no idea whether he picked up on how that interaction was going, but I really wish he had been out front for it, because a ready and excited first-time buyer walking out empty handed could have been saved. If this somehow gets back to Barry, thank you for helping me find my first guitar.

Brian agreed to work on a 30-year old guitar that no one else would even look at and did a bang up…read morejob of fixing the active electronics. He also leveled the frets and did a setup and now playing that guitar feels smooth as silk with low action, perfect intonation, and no fret buzz even when playing hard.

I took my custom built, $10,000 acoustic Koa cutaway for minor surface repair and this guy did a…read morebotch job, I was horrified, it was worse when I went to pick it up. He handed me my guitar, I was speechless! I looked at him, , trurned around and left. He knew better that to even ask me to pay him. He might be good repairing amps, but I don't think he's really a "luthier", he's not even set up to do finish work.

Mike did a fantastic job tuning my parents' old Schumann grand piano that hadn't been tuned in 30…read moreyears. I never knew this piano could sound so good! He was very thorough in tuning every key, and then I had him come back to replace three broken strings that he had come across. On the second visit, he retuned everything because the piano had fallen slightly out of pitch. That's the level of attention we all need! Mike was an all-around great guy to work with. Responsive communication, reliability, and fair pricing are what you'll get when you hire him. Two other tuners I had reached out to were unable to help me, but Mike really came through!

Mike is tops. He fixed and tuned our upright piano. It's been nearly 8 years since it was tuned…read more His knowledge, expertise, and overall passion for music and pianos is evident. 5 stars! Thanks Mike!