Sono Strings

(87 reviews)

I can't believe it's taken me this long to write Heaney Violins a review! I've been going to Heaney…read moresince 2010 and most of all my students rent violins or purchase violins from them. Patrick and his team are super knowledgeable, professional, and friendly. The store is lovely and they have a beautiful salon for you to try out instruments and/bows. Ben has handled a lot of my student requests - he's amazing! Thanks Heaney Violins!

I rented a cello for 3 months, amazing experience. I will rent again soon after a short break…read more The staff was patient and knowledgeable with my beginner questions and helped me identify the best cello for me, trying out the different rental options as well as hearing them play the different options. I learned a lot practicing on the one they gave me and now will be able to select my second cello rental soon!

West Valley Music

4.2

(92 reviews)

Great service and selection of sheet music is extensive…read more One of the few music stores left.

Used to visit when store was on 262 Castro, about 1 mile from new location. Bought my first…read moreelectric guitar and Pignose amp here. Helpful staff and fair prices. So rare to have a local music store nowadays. I have to go here or Allegro in Fremont, both about 11 or 12 miles away, but a lot more traffic getting to Mountain view.

Opus 1 Music Studio

(55 reviews)

My daughter has been learning violin with Teacher Luis for 1.5 years. Teacher Luis is great. He…read moretaught very well and laid a solid foundation for my daughter. He is very patient, didn't put too much pressure on students, which is very important for my daughter as a beginner. Communications are smoothly, too. After each lesson, we receive a summary of the class. And our emails to him are always answered in a timely manner. Highly recommended!

We have been a long term customer to Opus 1, multiple lessons subscriptions for two kids. Spent…read moreloads of money with the studio. Have had great experiences with the admins who have been there for a long time, and some of the teachers, but also terrible customer service with the new staff and other teachers. The school has been expanding too fast and lose sight of the music education and what matters for kids and parents when we pursue music education. Very very disappointed!!!

Quicksilver Music Repair

(23 reviews)

Finding a good musical instrument repair shop is an art…read more Quicksilver Music came recommended and I was delighted at the outcome. Bob Zacher is an experienced technician. He quickly diagnosed the reason my clarinet wasn't sounding. Not only did he repair the problem- the same day! - but he replaced or reseated some of the pads and gave the instrument a thorough "tune-up"; such that the clarinet plays and feels like a new instrument. In fact I don't believe it's ever played like this up to this point. This all at what I would consider a very reasonable price. In fact it was slightly under the estimate given when I dropped it off. Bravo Bob!

Haven't written a 5-star review in quite a while, but Quicksilver absolutely deserves it…read more My high school alma mater from back in the day was having an alumni concert in dedication and homage to the band director there who plans to retire at the close of the school year in a few weeks. Given that I played under him back in high school and enjoyed my time in band, I knew I had to be there. So I took out my trusty ol' tenor saxophone that hadn't been played in ages. It didn't take too long for muscle memory to kick in and for me to remember how to read music and play the instrument itself. BUT I still had a problem. Whenever I'd blow into it, I'd hardly get any sound unless I blowed very hard. I figured that, after all these years, the pads inside were worn out. Back in high school, for any work needed on my sax, I'd go to World of Music in Cupertino and West Valley Music in Los Altos. WoM ended up closing, but WVM was still nearby. However, I found Quicksilver from a simple Yelp search and read almost all great reviews, so off I went. Facts: * They're located in a small building on Imperial Ave in Cupertino. The only available parking is street parking, but you shouldn't have too much trouble finding a place to park. * It's a bit dirty and cluttered inside, but don't let that dissuade you. The guy who runs the business knows what's he's doing. * They , from what I could tell, don't accept appointments. I believe they're pretty much walk-in only. * The owner, Robert, is really nice and will look at your instrument on the spot. In my case, he looked at my saxophone and determined right then and there what was needed, how much it would cost, and how long it would take to be ready to be picked up. He did warn me that he, admittedly, isn't the best at calling customers when their instruments are fixed so to call him instead. I left my sax there for roughly one week. After the week had passed, I called and Robert said it was ready to go. All in all, I paid $196.15 for replacing worn out pads and a few other things that needed, but it was well worth it. The sax sounded so much better, and I was able to partake in the concert. Overall, if you need your woodwind or brass instrument to be repaired, this is the place. Robert is a G. SUPPORT LOCAL AND/OR SMALL BUSINESSES. 5 stars all the way

Voice Lessons by Tracy Jerant

(21 reviews)

Tracy is an absolutely stellar teacher who's bottom line is to bring out the best in her students…read more She's exceedingly patient and excels at being able to motivate w/ her professional and insightful critique. I've been unsuccessful with voice teachers in the past due to my nerves, but Tracy's inviting nature did not fail to wash that away! Her ability to bring about genuine enjoyment into something I've struggled with for so long is such a rare quality that cannot be matched :) Even if you're apprehensive, do give her a shot! You won't regret it

Tracy is a phenomenal teacher who does a great job customizing her lessons to the needs of the…read morestudent. She has helped me make amazing progress with my voice, and just as importantly has helped me gain the confidence to be able to sign. Her lessons are fun, effective, and very positive. All of which help the student learn more and get more out of the lesson. I highly recommend Tracy as a teacher to anyone (at any level) who is interested in becoming a better signer.

Norcal Music & Arts Center

4.7

(34 reviews)

We started at NCMAC with piano and voice classes for my children and myself, with Ms. Georgianna…read more It is rare to find a teacher like her-- not only is she passionate about teaching piano and encouraging her pupils to make the most of their potential, she makes it so much fun that we look forward all week to our classes! What I appreciate most of all is that she genuinely has our best interests at heart and we learn in the right way, and in a manner best suited to our individual personality and ability. I also believe that Ms. Mary and Ms. Trisha, who run NCMAC have a similar philosophy where the children and their interests are at the center of all their decisions. Recitals at NCMAC are about doing your very best, but finding true pleasure in it, and that's how they run NCMAC too. Genuinely thrilled to have found this place and these teachers!

My son goes to NorCal Music for clarinet lessons, and he really enjoys the experience. The owners…read moreand team are so helpful and very flexible offering makeup lessons when there are openings. Highly recommend.

Peninsula Music & Repair

4.1

(56 reviews)

Simply: the best. Performed an excellent & timely repair of my high-end clarinet needle spring.read more

Eteri is a wonderful nice, kind and patient piano teacher. I always dreamed about taking piano…read moreclasses and my dream finally came true after I finished college. She taught me the basics within couple months or so and started preparing me for the next recital quickly. It was fun! I now have 2 children who I plan to sign up for piano classes as soon as they are ready I think it's at 4?). My youngest one (2) is already sitting down at the piano and pretending to play almost every day! :) Anyways, Eteri is a great teacher. I had a pleasant experience working with her

Music Village

4.3

(117 reviews)

Reviewing as a total music novice family. We needed to rent a violin for my 5th grader for…read moreorchestra. We could not have been more helpful, patient and kind helping us set up a rental. Similarly, when we made the return at the end of the school year, the process was seamless! Highly recommend!

Just bought a ukelele from here to keep practicing as a beginner, they have good intro/beginner…read morepieces up to more expensive and studier pieces. The range I saw was from sale items at 49.99 up to 200+, they have a good, moderate amount of choices at each level, with different brands and accompanying acessories! My ukelele is a soprano, a great beginner ukelele I was practicing with, got it for $75 with tax and a carrying bag included in my purchase, if I remember correctly, tag price was $69.99 I did ask if there was something similar to a brand/type of ukelele I started my practice with but I was then getting sold onto the more expensive pieces that I didn't have experience with and didn't ask for so that was a miss for me. Wish I got more of a relevant recommendation but the workers were sweet, they let us browse by ourselves for a good amount of time before stepping in (which good for me because I needed time to think, compare, and browse). When we went, there were a handful of other customers inside the store, it's located in a small shopping center but the store is bigger inside than it appears on the outside. The parking situation was just okay, not bad, could use a tad bit more space, we went ~1p the parking lot was full minus 2-3 spots but I noticed cars came and went from the time we got there until we left so it seems like there's a couple spots free at any given time due to the traffic coming in and out for small errands. Lots of instruments and accessories to be found inside and the workers seem to be happy to help find what is needed! Pretty well organized inside to find what you need on your own though, I was able to find the ukeleles quickly.

Joann C Chang Studios

(42 reviews)

I took singing lessons with Joann for over a year. I know she offers group classes too, but I did…read morethe 1:1 45 minute individualized lessons. I was a complete novice, and loved the fact that I could bring whatever songs I wanted to sing, and she'll figure out how to help me achieve my goals, giving me homework like "practice your meows!". I improved a lot over the time with her, and figured out how to find different positions to produce different types of sounds. She's also flexible, I travel a lot, and she offers Zoom lessons or async lessons (you send videos to her, she send videos back of her feedback). She also formed a great community with her students, and we do group karaoke, dinners/outings etc, so the connection goes beyond lessons. I know she offers different packages (e.g. group classes) based on your time commitment and cost expectations, so I definitely suggest going over the options and figuring out what works for you.

I've been taking singing lessons with Joann for about 8 months, after moving from the East Coast…read morewhere I had 6 months of prior vocal training. As a beginner, I was worried about how long it would take to move from just trying not to hurt my voice (using falsetto or straining my cords) to actually sounding good and creating art as a singer. Coming from a South Chinese background, my speaking habits lean more toward head mix rather than chest voice, which made me wonder if that would hold me back. But Joann completely changed that perspective. She helped me not only build a healthy foundation in chest voice but also understand how to transition smoothly into mix and head voice. With her guidance, I've learned how to achieve vocal closure, find placement, navigate my passaggio, and use subtle changes in facial expression, tongue, jaw, and core strength to shape my sound. Every month, I notice real progress. Joann doesn't just teach technique--she teaches how to design a song thoughtfully, using the right tools for each section to create dynamics and artistry. My personal goal is to be able to perform confidently in public within 3 years, and for the first time, I feel that's truly achievable thanks to her. On a personal note, vocal training with Joann has been more than just music lessons. My work environment has often been stressful, and her supportive teaching and positive feedback have been a huge source of motivation and joy in my life. Singing, like any physical training, gives you direct positive results when you put in the effort--and Joann makes that journey exciting and fulfilling. I would wholeheartedly recommend Joann to anyone interested in singing--whether your dream is to perform professionally, shine at karaoke, or simply feel more confident in your own voice. She's an incredible teacher and truly brings out the best in her students.

SF Guitar Tech

(113 reviews)

Quick communication. Fixed my bass on the spot, cleaned it up a bit! Works good as new!…read more Thanks for saving karaoke night!

Dynamite high-quality work with a rapid turnaround-- I could not ask for any more. This time, on…read morethe second gold bass guitar, Jeremy managed to get it completed on the same day. Simply incredible that he is able to do a complete fret job with nut and string retainer installation this quickly and accurately. I am in utter disbelief and will be returning to Jeremy for the next several units as they are built. Thanks again, Jeremy!

Voice Lessons by Tracy Jerant

(21 reviews)

Tracy is an absolutely stellar teacher who's bottom line is to bring out the best in her students…read more She's exceedingly patient and excels at being able to motivate w/ her professional and insightful critique. I've been unsuccessful with voice teachers in the past due to my nerves, but Tracy's inviting nature did not fail to wash that away! Her ability to bring about genuine enjoyment into something I've struggled with for so long is such a rare quality that cannot be matched :) Even if you're apprehensive, do give her a shot! You won't regret it

Tracy is a phenomenal teacher who does a great job customizing her lessons to the needs of the…read morestudent. She has helped me make amazing progress with my voice, and just as importantly has helped me gain the confidence to be able to sign. Her lessons are fun, effective, and very positive. All of which help the student learn more and get more out of the lesson. I highly recommend Tracy as a teacher to anyone (at any level) who is interested in becoming a better signer.

Kat Parra Vocal Studio

(13 reviews)

•$

I would highly recommend taking lessons at Kat Parra Voice Studio…read more I've had a great experience working with Kat the past 2 years. She really knows her stuff and is always learning more! I have found that the longer I've worked with her, the more she learns about my voice and teaches me how to get the most out of it in a healthy way. Prior to taking lessons, my voice would always feel hoarse from improper singing technique. Now it feels stronger and healthier than it's ever been. Kat also does a great job of making her students feel comfortable when practicing/performing. Not easy to do, especially for singing! Her dog Fiona is also a great buddy to have for lessons :) My only complaint is that because I've improved so much under Kat, my family makes me sing for them as much as possible! Sometimes I need a break!

Going to Kat's since 2017 - I can confidently say I'm a totally different singer than I was when I…read morefirst started and she was a key figure in making that happen. I went from sounding like I smoked way too many newports to being able to sing a wide variety of genres from jazz to soul to ballads and musical theatre stuff My voice and self perception of myself and what is possible has greatly benefited from working with Kat! 5 stars all around

California Loyal Movers

(355 reviews)

Fonse and colleague arrived Monday morning and promptly got to work. The two of them were amazing…read more Professional, experienced and super strong. We had many large heavy items, some of them with glass panels. Everything was packaged and moved with care. Marcos arranged everything. Price is competitive. Don't hesitate to arrange your move with California Loyal Movers.

This is my 3rd move in five years with California Loyal Movers. Marco and team always go above and…read morebeyond with packing and unpacking artwork, kitchen items, and furniture. Everything arrives and is reassembled in perfect condition. For both local moves and in-state moves California Loyal movers is the best premium choice in the Bay Area.

Opus 1 Music Studio

(55 reviews)

My daughter has been learning violin with Teacher Luis for 1.5 years. Teacher Luis is great. He…read moretaught very well and laid a solid foundation for my daughter. He is very patient, didn't put too much pressure on students, which is very important for my daughter as a beginner. Communications are smoothly, too. After each lesson, we receive a summary of the class. And our emails to him are always answered in a timely manner. Highly recommended!

We have been a long term customer to Opus 1, multiple lessons subscriptions for two kids. Spent…read moreloads of money with the studio. Have had great experiences with the admins who have been there for a long time, and some of the teachers, but also terrible customer service with the new staff and other teachers. The school has been expanding too fast and lose sight of the music education and what matters for kids and parents when we pursue music education. Very very disappointed!!!

Affordable Piano Tuning

(112 reviews)

Jian Min was responsive and professional. He showed up on time and did a good job…read more As my piano hadn't been tuned in a long time, he provided the option of a longer one time tuning or two separate tuning sessions one month apart. Given that the price difference was minimal and that it would have been easier for him to do a single session instead of coming here twice, I appreciate that he recommended the separate sessions to give the piano time to settle before subsequent fine tuning. He also recommended an in-piano dehumidifier as my location is very humid (which is true) and there are visible signs of moisture damage inside the piano. I appreciate that he informed me of this, but without being pushy about it.

We acquired a well-aged but well-kept Baldwin baby grand (likely built in the 1940-50s!) Last…read moretuning was supposedly 2-3 years ago? After having it professionally disassembled and moved from Walnut Creek to Dublin, up a flight of stairs, & adjusted to a new environment, it needed some tuning. Found Jian on Yelp, who was responsive through text for an appointment. He serviced Baldy to optimal pitch at a very reasonable rate (compared to other quotes). Daughter's piano teacher is pleased, and my "wide, dark, & handsome" plays wonderfully in tune! (FYI, my cello is my "tall, dark, & handsome" lol)

Burton and Wilson The Piano Craftsmen

See more unrecommended reviews

(87 reviews)

Huge thanks to Karl and John for their top quality work on our old Yamaha piano that hadn't been…read moreserviced in years. It sounds AMAZING - night and day from before. Thanks as well to Dawn for her easy and clear communication in setting it all up. Very kind folks, and experts at their craft. I can't recommend them enough.

Great on all fronts. They moved and tuned our piano and did a wonderful professional job. Can't…read morerecommend highly enough.

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Rodrigo G.

0

1

0

8 years ago

I recently bought a cello at Sono Strings and it was a wonderful experience altogether. It was supposed to be a complicated buy, because I had to select the best option for my price range (2k - 2.5K) and then I had to ship the cello (by plane) to Chile, so I needed a sturdy/inexpensive case that endure the rough treatment by the baggage handling system. Ideally both the cello and the case should arrive in good shape to my destination. That logistics was perfectly handled by Abraham and Jason at Sonostrings. Abraham volunteered to play himself the whole set (many) of cellos in my price range and offer comments about each one. Jason helped me with the packing recommendations and logistics (he unassembled the cello for travelling). They gave me a big cardboard box plus foam pellets and paper to cover the case for free and help me to put all that stuff in the car. Both the cello and case arrived safe and in perfect condition! Thanks a lot for the whole buying experience. read more

Irene C.

0

1

0

9 years ago

Great experiences with Sono Strings! The staff are always helpful and friendly. When we were looking to buy a cello, we rented one from Sono. They were open and honest with the price and quality of the instrument and never pushed to sell the cello to us; instead they encouraged us to shop around more before making decision. They were also flexible with applying the rental fees to the purchase. My daughter also enjoys taking cello lesson there. We always go to Sono Strings whenever we need to buy parts or need help with for my children's violin and cello. Highly recommended Sono Strings to all strings players. read more

Renee B.

0

2

0

4 years ago

We took cello lesson with teacher Abraham for the past 3 months. It has been a great experience. Teacher abraham is a great teacher and more. his lessons are fun, engaging with plenty of techniques drills. He also creates a space where the student takes the responsibility and ownership of ones learning. After being with more than 10 teachers in the bay area (piano, violine, etc), teacher Abraham is the absolutely the best amongst them all, in terms of both teaching techniques and philosophy. Our family is really lucky to get to know him through these classes. read more

Wow Z.

0

1

0

9 years ago

Great place to get help with instruments and great classes! Connie and her staff are very resourceful in explaining how instruments work and how to take care of them. They even offer extra helps in tuning and fixing here and there! They have professional musicians teaching string instruments. My child started to learn Cello a few months back. His progress is quite impressive. The most important difference is he started to enjoy playing, which is a huge difference we got from Sono Strings. read more

Andrew K.

284

12

7

5 years ago

Friendly, informative, no pressure, low prices, & fast service! Bought two new sets of violin strings, and new violin case, and a new violin tail piece. They replaced the strings on both of my violins, adjusted both bridges, and replaced my damaged tail piece, all within 20mins! I'm new to the Contra Costa area, so I'm glad I found such a wonderful place for my violin needs. THANK YOU Connie & Jason for your great advice, friendly spirit, and fast service. See you next time! ;) read more

Yoomi V.

0

1

0

10 years ago

Sono Strings is a gem for any string player. Amazing staff (super knowledgeable and friendly), great locations and reasonable pricing. I believe their rental rate is the lowest in the area. My daughter (10) started taking cello lessons from Abraham and it has been a wonderful experience for her. He is a fantastic cellist and a teacher. He is friendly but firm, and able to get my daughter to practice somehow. I would highly recommend any string player to check them out. read more

Ari B.

0

1

0

10 years ago

I have had the pleasure of knowing both Abraham and Connie for slightly over a decade; they are consummate professionals, two of the kindest, most intelligent, and most dedicated people in the industry. From the moment you enter the store to the moment you leave, they will be incredibly warm, welcoming, helpful, supportive, and patient, providing you with excellent service and even better instruments. I strongly recommend Sono Strings. read more

Jacky T.

74

1

0

10 years ago

I recently brought in my violin bow to Sono Strings for a rehair. The services is fantastic. I got my bow back less than a week. They not only do rehair but other repairs. They also have great selection on instrument. They have great price. The people are very knowledgeable. There is also a studio where you can take lesson there. You should go there and check out the selection if you are looking for an instrument. read more

Jacky C.

144

4

1

10 years ago

I have been to different places to learn cello and this has been the best one I have gone to yet. My instructor is very skilled and professional, not to mention the customer service is helpful and friendly. I have recommended a few friends of mine to try out their violins and lessons, and they all returned very positive feedback. In overall, you cannot find a better strings shop in the whole north Cal. read more

M J.

0

1

0

9 years ago

Went there to rent a cello (I've been playing for a couple years now) and I am new to the area. Called them on the phone first and they were patient and super nice. Once I got there - they were friendly. Ended up chatting with Abraham who also plays cello and super helpful. Gave me lots of great suggestions about how to get more in the area. I would totally go to them in the future for my cello needs. read more

Thomas D.

0

1

0

10 years ago

Went to Sono Strings to buy some affordable violin strings for my daughter. We are from out of state so our visit was supposed to be rather quick. I must say the owners are extremely nice and fun to talk to. We stayed for quite some time learning about instrument repairs and violin maintenance. One of the owners even played the cello for us! They are extremely welcoming. Thank you Sono Strings. read more

Amber I.

0

2

0

9 years ago

Amazing customer service! I stopped by because the bridge on my cello needed adjustment. They immediately took a look and were able to make adjustments. They also checked the sound post at my request, and made some adjustments that really brightened the sound of my cello. And they did all this for no charge! I will absolutely come back to Sono Strings the next time I need anything for my cello! read more

Christopher M.

0

1

10 years ago

Sono Strings is my favorite music store. The staff is very competent and friendly, and have been great in addressing any needs or inquiries. The store is elegant and spacious and even has adequately sized teaching rooms available. I strongly recommend to anyone to visit Sono Strings for anything (string instruments) related. They host concerts as well. read more

Mark H.

0

1

0

4 years ago

I can't recommend Sono Strings enough! I arrived from NYC and needed a cello for a recital of the Bach Solo Suites. They outfitted me with a great professional quality cello and bow at a more than reasonable rate for the week. They are now my go to string shop on the west coast. Mark H. read more

Cecilia B.

0

2

0

9 years ago

Had a wonderful and educational trial lesson with one of the violin teachers. The staff is very helpful and very nice. As a beginner I felt a bit intimidated but they made me feel so comfortable. Highly recommend this shop, even if you are an adult beginner! read more

Lindsey H.

0

5

1

10 years ago

While attempting to tune his cello, my son broke one of the strings. The friendly and knowledgeable staff at Sono fixed it as soon as we walked in and took the time to teach him how to tune his cello properly to prevent future breaks. They were great! read more

Benjamin W.

0

1

0

5 years ago

Had my instrument repaired here, bought and rented, and my child has lessons here. It's always a pleasure to come in and speak to luthier. I've come back for all my needs because of their professionalism, outstanding attitude, and great service. read more

Mark L.

0

4

9

10 years ago

This company and it's people are beyond great! I've found everyone working here talented, friendly and extraordinarily knowledgeable. It's a bit of a drive from Cupertino but I'll only shop here forward for all our sting related needs! read more

T N.

0

1

0

9 years ago

I had my bow re-haired here. The turn around time was excellent and I'm very happy with the workmanship. I was also helped by the staff regarding the purchase of spare strings and they were informative and knowledgeable. Thanks! read more

Randy C.

566

66

34

10 years ago

Great looking store near the 85 entrance in Mountain View. They are very friendly and its good to be able to ask questions when you are a parent that doesn't know much about the music instrument industry. A local gem! read more

Sono Strings - musicinstrumentservices - Updated August 2026

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Heaney Violins

(87 reviews)

I can't believe it's taken me this long to write Heaney Violins a review! I've been going to Heaney…read moresince 2010 and most of all my students rent violins or purchase violins from them. Patrick and his team are super knowledgeable, professional, and friendly. The store is lovely and they have a beautiful salon for you to try out instruments and/bows. Ben has handled a lot of my student requests - he's amazing! Thanks Heaney Violins!

I rented a cello for 3 months, amazing experience. I will rent again soon after a short break…read more The staff was patient and knowledgeable with my beginner questions and helped me identify the best cello for me, trying out the different rental options as well as hearing them play the different options. I learned a lot practicing on the one they gave me and now will be able to select my second cello rental soon!

West Valley Music

4.2

(92 reviews)

Great service and selection of sheet music is extensive…read more One of the few music stores left.

Used to visit when store was on 262 Castro, about 1 mile from new location. Bought my first…read moreelectric guitar and Pignose amp here. Helpful staff and fair prices. So rare to have a local music store nowadays. I have to go here or Allegro in Fremont, both about 11 or 12 miles away, but a lot more traffic getting to Mountain view.

Peninsula Music & Repair

4.1

(56 reviews)

Simply: the best. Performed an excellent & timely repair of my high-end clarinet needle spring.read more

Eteri is a wonderful nice, kind and patient piano teacher. I always dreamed about taking piano…read moreclasses and my dream finally came true after I finished college. She taught me the basics within couple months or so and started preparing me for the next recital quickly. It was fun! I now have 2 children who I plan to sign up for piano classes as soon as they are ready I think it's at 4?). My youngest one (2) is already sitting down at the piano and pretending to play almost every day! :) Anyways, Eteri is a great teacher. I had a pleasant experience working with her

Music Exchange

4.7

(441 reviews)

We bought our digital piano from Music Exchange. My wife visited on a weekday morning (easy to get…read morean appointment), and Armand was very helpful and patient (brought a rambunctious toddler). Very knowledgeable and played pieces on multiple pianos for comparisons. He didn't push any specific model; he was most interested in finding what suited our needs. Later when we ordered the piano from them, it was delivered 2 days later without any issue (the delivery team were professional piano movers, and assembled the piano in their truck before carefully bringing it into our home).

I popped in on a whim (I'd just dropped off my computer at Mobile Kangaroo across the street)…read morebecause, hey, music store! Ann was incredibly helpful. I had (at the time) a piano I was trying to sell, or even give away, because we're trying to get ready to move, and we couldn't justify hanging on to it any more. Despite the fact that I absolutely was not going to buy anything, she went out of her way to help me figure out how much our piano was worth, and gave me some suggestions on piano movers too.

Palo Alto Violins

(41 reviews)

Great! My son's cello of 8 years broke during a concert at UCSC. Three years later before buying a…read morenew one we took it to Larry at Palo Alto Violins. He was able to fix it! I don't know he did it but he did! Magic. Larry is really nice to work with and has a gift for caring for instruments..He charged us a very reasonable price for all his work.

I've visited this establishment two times, 1) to fix a violin and 2) fix a cello. The owner who…read morehappens to also be the technician was diligent, attentive, friendly, extremely competent regarding his craft and reasonably priced. I can't thank him enough for his willingness to repair issues big and small. I highly recommend this establishment over ANY in the Bay Area hands down.

Music Village

4.3

(117 reviews)

Reviewing as a total music novice family. We needed to rent a violin for my 5th grader for…read moreorchestra. We could not have been more helpful, patient and kind helping us set up a rental. Similarly, when we made the return at the end of the school year, the process was seamless! Highly recommend!

Just bought a ukelele from here to keep practicing as a beginner, they have good intro/beginner…read morepieces up to more expensive and studier pieces. The range I saw was from sale items at 49.99 up to 200+, they have a good, moderate amount of choices at each level, with different brands and accompanying acessories! My ukelele is a soprano, a great beginner ukelele I was practicing with, got it for $75 with tax and a carrying bag included in my purchase, if I remember correctly, tag price was $69.99 I did ask if there was something similar to a brand/type of ukelele I started my practice with but I was then getting sold onto the more expensive pieces that I didn't have experience with and didn't ask for so that was a miss for me. Wish I got more of a relevant recommendation but the workers were sweet, they let us browse by ourselves for a good amount of time before stepping in (which good for me because I needed time to think, compare, and browse). When we went, there were a handful of other customers inside the store, it's located in a small shopping center but the store is bigger inside than it appears on the outside. The parking situation was just okay, not bad, could use a tad bit more space, we went ~1p the parking lot was full minus 2-3 spots but I noticed cars came and went from the time we got there until we left so it seems like there's a couple spots free at any given time due to the traffic coming in and out for small errands. Lots of instruments and accessories to be found inside and the workers seem to be happy to help find what is needed! Pretty well organized inside to find what you need on your own though, I was able to find the ukeleles quickly.

Kamimoto String Instruments

3.8

(67 reviews)

Expert repair, sales, selection. I have found my archetier!…read more And next to delicious food in Japantown.

WARNING: DO NOT let the older lady touch your instrument case! She will just open it, touching your…read moreinstrument, and making (not needed) adjustments without asking. She doesn't know what she's doing (maybe she can do basic things like changing strings and tuning, but nothing more) and tried to move my bridge but obviously had no plans to move my soundpost or make my bridge higher which would have been needed with her move. She does not stop when you tell her to stop numerous times. I had to start yelling... The luthier found issues with my instruments which other shops were not able to diagnose, yay! However, my instruments were left scratched up (!) and very dirty after the work. They needed to be shaved/sanded and the dust was left all over the bridge, fingerboard, peg box, and instrument surface. One was damaged (chipped); they made no fuss when brought to their attention, immediately apologized, and fixed it. This shop came recommended by multiple professionals. Maybe they figured I wasn't a professional and thus treated my instruments poorly? On the plus side, the price for all work done were very reasonable. They also have parking in the back.

Quicksilver Music Repair

(23 reviews)

Finding a good musical instrument repair shop is an art…read more Quicksilver Music came recommended and I was delighted at the outcome. Bob Zacher is an experienced technician. He quickly diagnosed the reason my clarinet wasn't sounding. Not only did he repair the problem- the same day! - but he replaced or reseated some of the pads and gave the instrument a thorough "tune-up"; such that the clarinet plays and feels like a new instrument. In fact I don't believe it's ever played like this up to this point. This all at what I would consider a very reasonable price. In fact it was slightly under the estimate given when I dropped it off. Bravo Bob!

Haven't written a 5-star review in quite a while, but Quicksilver absolutely deserves it…read more My high school alma mater from back in the day was having an alumni concert in dedication and homage to the band director there who plans to retire at the close of the school year in a few weeks. Given that I played under him back in high school and enjoyed my time in band, I knew I had to be there. So I took out my trusty ol' tenor saxophone that hadn't been played in ages. It didn't take too long for muscle memory to kick in and for me to remember how to read music and play the instrument itself. BUT I still had a problem. Whenever I'd blow into it, I'd hardly get any sound unless I blowed very hard. I figured that, after all these years, the pads inside were worn out. Back in high school, for any work needed on my sax, I'd go to World of Music in Cupertino and West Valley Music in Los Altos. WoM ended up closing, but WVM was still nearby. However, I found Quicksilver from a simple Yelp search and read almost all great reviews, so off I went. Facts: * They're located in a small building on Imperial Ave in Cupertino. The only available parking is street parking, but you shouldn't have too much trouble finding a place to park. * It's a bit dirty and cluttered inside, but don't let that dissuade you. The guy who runs the business knows what's he's doing. * They , from what I could tell, don't accept appointments. I believe they're pretty much walk-in only. * The owner, Robert, is really nice and will look at your instrument on the spot. In my case, he looked at my saxophone and determined right then and there what was needed, how much it would cost, and how long it would take to be ready to be picked up. He did warn me that he, admittedly, isn't the best at calling customers when their instruments are fixed so to call him instead. I left my sax there for roughly one week. After the week had passed, I called and Robert said it was ready to go. All in all, I paid $196.15 for replacing worn out pads and a few other things that needed, but it was well worth it. The sax sounded so much better, and I was able to partake in the concert. Overall, if you need your woodwind or brass instrument to be repaired, this is the place. Robert is a G. SUPPORT LOCAL AND/OR SMALL BUSINESSES. 5 stars all the way

Colton Piano Gallery

4.6

(69 reviews)

I don't play piano and I should decide among digital Yamaha, Kawai or Roland for my wife. So I…read morestarted reading, watching videos and comparing models according my budget. My decision was clarified after watch Merrian Music review and visit Cotton Piano Gallery. In despite my lack of knowledge Jon attended me in a such professional and nicely way. The price for the Roland HP704 was almost $200 less than in other places. I received headphones as a gift. Roland offers 10 years warranty. Colton Gallery has a deserved prestige.

I cannot recommend this place enough!! They are so warm and genuine here, incredibly helpful with…read morewhat I needed even though it wasn't purchasing a piano. I will definitely be coming back for any future piano needs :)

Scott Cao Violins

3.6

(33 reviews)