I was in a ...DESPERATE need of repairing my Kamaka 'ukulele. The bridge that holds the..."A"…read morestring was damaged; therefore, the string couldn't stay on. When I mentioned this to my manager at work, he suggested I visit...WESTSIDE MUSIC. I was contemplating on going to Kamaka, but I was too lazy to make the drive to town. Also, I was thinking that this repair could be costly. Therefore, I decided to take my manager's advice and visit WM. I couldn't wait any longer so I called WM to see if they could assist me with my situation. Uncle Ron (owner) answered the phone and he told me to bring my 'ukulele in. So, I headed down to Waipahu the next day. Uncle Ron was nice enough to look at the damage and figure out a way to repair it. Well, it took him less than 5 minutes to repair it! Wow, he is a ...GENIUS! The buggah knows his stuff...I tell you! He also helped me tune the new "A" string that he replaced as well as the other strings by using a tuner. Then, he helped me figure out the 'ukulele chords to a song that I've been wanting to play. I let him listen to the song , and then he figured it out by ear. You da' man...You da' 'Ukulele Man...Uncle Ron! You are so talented...so helpful...so kind to help me. You are truly...Mr. Aloha! Mahalo nui loa (Thank you very much) Uncle Ron! So, if you are looking to repair your 'ukulele, come check out WESTSIDE MUSIC in Waipahu next to Time's Supermarket. You'll thank me for that!

I needed new strings for my ukulele and didn't know what type I should buy since I haven't played…read morein a long time. I brought in my ukulele and the store owner was able to help. So glad I found this place - close to Rocky's. Prices are reasonable and am love to support a small business.

Music heals even the most painful wounds. Chuck James studios have been a huge part in my…read morechildren's lives. My son is very shy but playing the guitar is an escape from the social anxiety he experiences. Ms Sonia treats him like family and it means so much to us. My daughter took piano lessons for a year then stopped. She's back at chuck james in voice lessons and she is so happy. It's amazing to bring her to her voice lesson as an angsty teen and have her come out of her lesson bubbly and smiling. Thank you so much for enriching our lives!! Worth every dollar spent!!

The lady at the front desk at the Kaimuki location is very rude and her communication is horrible…read more They put my kid on the schedule without even asking me and they expect us to show up. The school also did credit card withdrawals on our credit card without our approval.

It has been a dream of mine since I was a kid to take voice lessons. The closest training I ever…read moregot was high school chorus and a couple music classes while in college. But even after taking these classes, I've always wanted to do more. But when life got busy, I ended up putting this passion on hold. As I got older (and hopefully wiser lol), I realized there will never be a right time to do the things we love until we make time for them. So I did a quick Google search and found Grammy award winning soprano, Audrey Luna. And this is where I started my beautiful musical journey. To be honest, I really was a bit scared and anxious to reach out to her knowing I had no real musical background. But I took a leap of faith and sent her an email to let her know I was interested in private voice lessons. She responded promptly and inquired about the reason for wanting voice lessons. And I told her for personal development. She quoted me a reasonable price for a trial session. And before I knew it, I was attending my 1st private voice lesson :) Although she is a world renowned singer AND Grammy award winning soprano, she truly is a humble and kind person. During my lesson, she taught me how to do some vocal-warm ups and improvements with my singing technique. I was able to immediately notice a difference in my singing ability, which really surprised me. She helped me to determine what my range was. All my life I thought I was an alto because I was told this in my high school chorus class. But with Audrey's guidance doing vocal-warm ups and help with technique, she was able to reveal the soprano in me to my great delight :) If you are looking for a friendly, supportive, patient, kind, knowledgeable, vocal coach who has solid technique and the voice like an angel, look no further. Audrey is everything stated above and so much more! For one whole hour, you will have access to a vocal coach with over 15 years of experience who teaches any level (including beginners like me), who is able to sing and teach in all genres and multiple languages. For all the years of experience and knowledge Audrey has, you would think her voice lessons would cost an arm and a leg. But her prices are so affordable, she has students ranging from young to old and even internationally. Audrey has helped me achieve a personal goal, and this has meant so much to me. I feel so lucky and privileged to have a vocal coach of this magnitude guide and support me in this wonderful musical journey. I highly recommend her. You won't be disappointed.

First of all: Audrey is a wonderful colleague and a great teacher!…read more I am an opera and concert singer (working mainly in Germany and Europe) and have worked with many teachers and coaches. When I had the opportunity to sing the extremely difficult coloratura part of "Ariel" from Thomas Adès' "The Tempest," I became aware of Audrey. She has successfully sung this supernatural part at the world's greatest opera houses (MET, La Scala, Vienna, etc.)! I felt very honored when she immediately agreed to help me. And all of this online (due to the great distance between us). Her singing technique is so experienced and stable that she can master the most demanding parts with a healthy voice, and she can also teach this technique. Not many teachers are able to listen to or see their students online and correct them so precisely and effectively. Audrey does this very well, and I firmly believe that live lessons with her would be even more brilliant! She also attaches particular importance to the development of musical colors, dynamics, phrasing, and expression/acting. I was able to successfully perform "Ariel" with her and haven't wanted to stop working with her since. Now she advises and helps me with classical repertoire such as Queen of the Night, Olympia, Blonde, etc. I would also like to emphasize that Audrey supports me with repertoire questions, career planning, and mental training, which is essential in this business. I can recommend her to every singer (whether beginner, advanced or professional)!

Music Center of Hawaii is very small but the amount of instruments and service far exceeds their…read moreshop size. They are one of the only shops that repairs saxophones, violins, and standup bass's. They have a huge selection of violins, flutes, saxophones just to name a few. The staff is absolutely top notch any thing you need for your bowed instrument is there.

Best experience I've ever had in a music store. My son was freaking out because his saxophone…read moreneeded some repairs, and the employees did an amazing job helping me a getting his saxophone up to par. they were extremely knowledgeable and knew exactly what they were talking about and helped me find exactly what I needed. We will definitely be back and be doing all of our music store needs right here.

Husband has taken up a new hobby and I was glad it wasn't acoustic drums this time…read more We came here to shop as he had received a gift card for his birthday and the staff was super attentive and he found what he needed. I was stunned at the size of this place, they have all kinds of stuff - I am not a musician so i was duly impressed; they even had the bongos I wanted a long, long time ago (long story). Drumsticks of all shapes, sizes and weight; guitars on the walls, sound systems, a room you can practice in (nice to listen to other players trying it out), accessories, albums, gifts, and more. A place well stocked like this makes me want to take up playing some kind of instrument. My husband will probably not like it.

Awesome customer service at this location. They are very knowledgeable and helped restring my…read moreguitar

Unacceptable Service & Zero Priority I am beyond frustrated…read morewith the service I received today, and I ended up walking out. My wife, my two kids, and I walked into this establishment around 4:35 PM on March 25th. We were greeted at the front by Ted, who told us he'd be over to help us "real soon" and instructed us to head back to the electronic drums. Couple other staff asked if we needed help which we did, and was told they couldn't really help us because they weren't the 'drum guy' and to wait for Ted. We waited. For 25 to 30 minutes. When Ted finally decided to show up, he gave us maybe five minutes of his time. Instead of actually helping us make a decision, he left us with more questions than answers. He told us he'd be "right back," and then disappeared for another 10 minutes. From where I was standing, I could see him at the front of the store helping people who walked in long after we did. The breaking point was when he finally came back to our area...but not to help us. He started assisting another person who had just arrived. At that point, I was losing my cool. He knew we had been waiting patiently for a long time, yet he continued to treat us like we weren't a priority. Once he finally finished with the latecomers, I had to confront him with the facts. I told him exactly how long we'd been sitting there while he ignored us for newer customers. Instead of offering a solution or taking accountability, he just hit me with excuses. Then, he actually had the nerve to ask if I had "more questions." I told him flat out: I was ready to check out 30 minutes ago, but he left us hanging high and dry. I was literally about to tell him which set we were buying, but after that experience, I decided right then and there that we wouldn't be supporting this business. We walked out. Bottom line: You need to get your priorities straight. UPDATE: I'm updating my previous 1-star review to 5 stars because of one person... Senior Manager Anju (I hope I spelled that correctly). After that initial visit yesterday which left us feeling disregarded and unimportant... Anju reached out to me personally to make it right during our phone call. It takes a true leader to own up to a mistake and honestly she did so with such grace. Took full accountability for her store and them some. When we returned today, we weren't just 'customers' we were felt like actual guests. Anju provided the kind of high-touch and personalized support that made the store feel more like a community. She was patient, informative, answered all my questions and incredibly kind to our 5-year-old. She made sure we walked out happy and we left with the perfect Roland TD-07DMK Electronic Drum Kit and a matching V-Drum Amp. I felt Anju made it her mission to make sure every detail was handled perfectly so we could focus on the excitement of our daughter's musical journey instead of the issues we faced previously. It's easy to be a good store when things go right, but how you handle things when they go wrong is the true test... Anju passed with flying colors. From here on out we'll be supporting this business under her leadership. Mahalo for turning this around for our family!

They have such an extensive variety of musical instruments! I went on a Black Friday sale day but…read moreI still received top notch customer service. I was never forgotten and was constantly being asked if I "needed anything" while I tried out a new guitar that I purchased that morning. Prices seem comparable to other local music stores. I almost forgot to mention that their website provided me with much more information about the guitar that I was looking at than I could find on my own via Google! I should've started my research there first!

Took a vintage audio amp in to be checked out. George took a quick look at it and told me what was…read morewrong literally while I was there. He seemed very knowledgeable about the gear and pointed out how certain parts were not original or spec. I left it with them to complete the repair and bring it up to specs. So far so good. I have other vintage gear to be done so I am waiting to see how this first amp goes then will have others to bring in.

From the owner: Specialized in service of the full range of professional audio equipment along with restoration of…read morevintage tube amplifiers and radios. Services are also provided for classic guitar amps, effect pedals, mixers and electronic keyboards. Expert level fault isolation, component-level repair and tweaking to restore optimal performance.

I highly recommend this place for all your guitar needs. Chris, the owner is extremely…read moreknowledgeable, professional, and honest.

I'm a musician and instructor with 2 master's degrees in music and over 25 years teaching…read moreexperience and the owner of Honolulu Music Lessons Workshop and I not only have all my instruments worked on by Chris Davis at BR Fretshop and his crew, but I send all of my students there as well. I trust them with my most precious instruments and the work they do is outstanding. They have done tremendous work on my Martin OM-21 resetting the neck, installing a pickup, making a custom camel bone nut and doing annual maintenance on it. The work Chris did on my Gibson ES-335 and 1974 Fender Strat was even more impressive. The Gibson was having major tuning issues and after doing a lot of work over a few months on it, custom camel bone nut, rollers on the saddle, putting in the PLEK machine, it's like a different instrument. It's amazing and even better than before. I had almost given up on playing it and now it's just incredible. The vintage strat had all the pots, the input and the channel selector replaced and after being in the PLEK, it's just a dream to play and they say to come back to have it adjusted for free. . Chris also repaired a crack in the top of my Kamaka Deluxe Tenor Ukulele and I swear, if you didn't know where the crack was originally, you would never know it was ever there. They are amazing. I highly recommend!

Incredibly thorough, clearly experienced, and a genuinely good guy. Highly recommended.read more

Excellent! Very thorough and seemingly "quick " Would…read morehighly recommend Glen For his expertise again!!! GFR