After neglecting it for at least10 years (I got absorbed in my piano, ) Tall Toad restrung and cleaned up my beautiful Martin guitar. Now I'm back to playing both! Kind and very knowledgeable service! read more

We went in today with my 10 year old son who is learning how to play the electric guitar. The gentlemen were sweet and kind and set him up with everything he needed. We will definitely be back to support this local business! read more

I went to Tall Toad with my Daughters looking for a higher end acoustic that I could play for a few years and then pass down to my Daughter who also plays. I explained to Chris that I was looking for a short scale acoustic that was either 24-3/4 or 25 since I am primarily an electric player and I was leaning towards Gibson. Chris took the time and pulled down all of the higher end short scale guitars he had in stock such as a Martin, Collings j45 style, Gibson j45, Southern Jumbo, a new Hummingbird and a used 2024 Hummingbird. I walked out with the new Hummingbird and a new favorite guitar store. It is probably a good thing I live in the Roseville/Rocklin area and had to drive two hours to get to the store otherwise I would probably end up broke. I highly recommend Tall Toad, it is always best to support local businesses. They also provided a decent trade in price for my old acoustic and a great overall deal for me that includes a free set up in a few months. read more

Chris really take care of his customers above and beyond what you could expect. He knows his products and their history well, and the personal touch in how he helped me pick my instrument is what compelled me to write this review. Happy to support this local business! read more

I brought my Yamaha nylon guitar to find a replacement saddle that would fit perfectly before a gig I had that night. The guy working gladly took the guitar and after 5 minutes returned it to me sounding like a million bucks. After I asked him how much it was, he told me, "nothing, it's just plastic." After that, I have never taken my business anywhere else. Bought two pairs of strings off of them and went on my way. These guys are the best. read more

Went back in December 2024. This time, I found the Gibson sound I was after. Wish they were closer to me, but it's closer than shopping in Nashville! read more

Such an excellent guitar store and Chris and his staff could not have been more accommodating and helpful. Totally the opposite of the few negative reviews. Super selection of instruments range from well chosen, quality entry level guitars to very high end stellar guitars such as Collings. I purchased an older used instrument at a very good price, which was cleaned up and set up with new strings when I came to pick it up. The Tall Toad crew kindly allowed me to play some exceptional (and quite expensive) instruments without any pressure to buy. read more

Best guitar store in the Bay Area by far. Great customer service and knowledgeable help. LS

Being a BEGINNER "musician"as a Senior ( and I don't mean a level in high school!), I was nervous about entering a music store. I was greeted warmly, and was helped by an expert named Alex. He was both helpful and made the experience fun! read more

Chris and John and entire staff are polite and very knowledgeable about all musical instruments.

Great shop. They're real enthusiasts and do a great job of providing guidance without hovering. I felt at home and welcome to try any instrument within reach. They gave great advice and I ended up with an instrument I wasn't even considering but ended up being the perfect fit. Pricing was reasonable and after sale support seems superb. read more

Great selection, fabulous customer service, oh and the best part, no waiting for a shipping company to mail it out. LOCAL IS THE BEST! Shop here first, last, and everything in between. read more

Tall Toad Music - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Petaluma, California

Been going to this store since the 90's, used to have a good selection and a friendly helpful staff. Not anymore. Went in recently to ask about ordering a new Guild f55E was basically blown off and told I "could not get one for 2 years , maybe". Then shown an inferior model Guild WITH a poorly done headstock break repair for $3800. Have since bought the f55E from Sweetwater (6months later) for $4200. All information given regarding ordering was false. Won't shop here again. To owners of Tall toad, in times like these, when ordering online is so easy, and brick and mortars and dropping like flies, you have to provide something more than one can get electronically. Stock, friendly HELPFUL service, and truthful answers could save you. read more

After reading some of the negative reviews I thought these guys would be jerks. I went to the store to look at a few guitars. The guy behind the counter might not have been overly friendly, but he was appropriately nice. I asked to see a guitar, and he brought the guitar over, got out of my way, and let me play. I returned the guitar to him, and he brought me another guitar and I played. No problems. My experience was a good one and their guitars are quite nice. I like Collings guitars and they have some good ones. In summary: the service was fine and they have the best selection of high-end acoustics in the area. If I end up buying another Collings I'll try and stay local and buy from these guys. read more

Unique Shop with great gear and fantastic people. Always a good experience. Below is an example of one of the fine instruments that can be purchased at this establishment! Charlie, Chris, and their staff always make me feel welcome and do their best to give me a fine, personable experience. Top-notch professional service!! Highly recommend! I will be back! 5/5 stars!!! read more

Tall Toad Music - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Petaluma, California

The people working in this store were very friendly and helpful to my son looking at buying a guitar. We needed up buying a Fender from Tall Toad and will be return customers for sure. read more

This is not really a music store, in the general sense. It's a guitar and bass store with a limited selection of literature and accessories for other instruments. I live in Petaluma and so have gone here a few times to support local businesses, rather than buying from Sweetwater or Amazon. Half the time, the experience is OK (not great, but OK). The other half of the time, I feel like I'm inconveniencing the staff by being a customer. The sales person won't engage and doesn't say thank you. And I feel like I'm loitering if I don't immediately leave the store. I've decided after my last visit, which was disappointing, that I don't need to go there on the off-chance someone will treat me like anything but a vagrant. I'll buy my supplies and literature online. And for instruments, go to Santa Rosa or San Rafael, where I've had good experiences with thoughtful salespeople. read more

I've been playing guitar for several decades and while only possessing moderate skill level, I consider myself fairly knowledgeable about various guitars and amplification devices:) I live in San Jose and frequent several guitar stores down in the south bay, but I've also heard good things about Tall Toad Music and decided to make a road trip to check out a small vintage Fender amp they had listed online for a reasonable price. Dave was the one at Tall Toad who assisted me while I spent about 2 hrs there. I really enjoyed talking with Dave and he was a big help, but he never got in the way or made me feel hurried and let me do my thing so I could give the amp I was looking at a decent test drive. I brought in one of my own small Fender combos to compare. First let me say that the shop space itself has a very sonic liveliness and sounded great! I've never heard my 1979 Fender Vibrochamp sound so good. The right room can make all the difference. Dave explained that the shop used to have wall to wall carpet and several years ago they stripped it away and re-finished the 100+ year old original hardwood floors. That, combined with the vaulted ceilings sounded amazing. So not only did Dave set me up in an out-of-the way corner of their store for my demo, he also brought out 2 other similar fender amps for me to compare for fun. It really opened my eyes to some of the tonal variations I was comparing. Dave also tried out my amp while I walked over to the far end of the shop to see how it sounded from 20 feet away. Dave was a great player and coaxed some great mojo out of my amp. It really helped my purchase decision when comparing to the amp they had in the store. In the end, I walked out the same day with the amp they had in the store on consignment. Dave was very approachable, super helpful, zero ego, and showed a lot of interest in my quest for tone. When I got home and relayed this to my 2 guitar buddies, one of them told me he bought his long time Fender Concert amp there and loves that place. Looks like another winner with my purchase. Parking is on the street and free for the first 2 hrs. I found a spot a block and a half away on a weekday around noon. Thanks Dave and Tall Toad Music. Can't wait to stop by for another visit. read more

I'm a Martin guitar guy, and in my 53 years of life this is easily the best guitar shop I've ever been to! I grew up down in LA and visited McCabe's Guitar Shop countless times over the years. Since living in the bay area, I've visited the two other top stores in the area but none come even close to Tall Toad. If you look at the photo I shared, there are two rows of Martins, each row has 21 guitars...that's 42 mid to high-end models! What?? And many of them are CUSTOM SHOP. The whole custom shop thing is new to me, to be honest. Chris had me play a 0000 model. Dang! I couldn't believe a large guitar could feel so comfortable, it's the narrow depth that gives it the comfort. It sounded and played AMAZING. I was really loving that 00 custom one too. That could be my next guitar. Every single guitar I tried sounded amazing. I also tried a Collings guitar of which they had many, but those are a little out of my price range so I didn't spend much time on those. Two years ago I bought a brand new D-28 Sunburst & 000-18 at a different store. I know for a fact if I had visited Tall Toad beforehand, I would have left with two guitars from there instead. On the left side wall they had a selection of more affordable models like the Martin Jr. etc, and upstairs were some really special custom shop models. Those ones were just out of this world. This store was like a dream for me, I can't wait to get my next guitar there. Thanks for the welcoming spirit Chris, I was seriously blown away by my visit there! read more

Tall Toad Music - Two long rows of Martins! - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Petaluma, California

This review is split into 2 parts. For purchasing a guitar it's a great place. The selection is pretty good and the pricing is fair. If I had just purchased a new Martin here I would probably have considered it a 4 or 5-star transaction. However, the manager Chris (who was easy to work with) said the guitar came with a free pro setup and that I should bring it back in a few weeks. Flash forward a few weeks. I've played the guitar extensively and have a pretty clear idea of how I (the person who will use the guitar) want it set up. I take it in and start describing my ideal setup and the guy behind the counter gives me a pretty blank stare. He picks up the guitar, sights down the neck (not with a gauge or anything like that) and says the neck has some relief. I think...it's an acoustic guitar and yes it ideally has some relief. He writes down "straighten neck" (perhaps the truss rod needs adjustment or perhaps not but it seems like something the tech should sort out once on the bench). I then say "I'd like the guitar to have medium-low action as that works well with my playing style". He looks at me and says "If we straighten the neck and lower the action the frets will buzz". I blink and think this guy seems confused (I've been playing for 30 years and understand the basic steps that should be followed when setting up a guitar). He then asks "Do you want it set up to our standard shop specs"? I muttered "I guess..." and then I asked if they could replace the .012 strings it came with, with a set of .011-052 I'd brought in. He looked at me again and said, "The frets will probably buzz". I knew at this point the guy had no clue as to what he was talking about as this is the INITIAL setup for this particular guitar and the .01 difference should be a non-issue. I grabbed the guitar (I grabbed another guitar I had there on consignment) and headed over to Sonoma County Guitar Works (about 10 minutes away) for an actual pro setup to my desired specs. No problems, no drama, and no arrogant BS from a clueless employee. 4 stars for purchase plus zero stars for service equals 2 stars overall. read more

I like to support local independent businesses. Went in here to get my husband's guitar repaired. Not a hard repair and wanted to get it checked off my to do list. The person behind the counter could not have cared less. Him "You'll have to buy an entire set of tuners because we don't sell just one." Me: OK. Him: it will cost you $100. Me: OK. Him: It will take over a month. Me: OK. Him: I just went and checked with my manager and you need to bring it back next week because we have too many repairs. Me (rolling my eyes) OK. Him (now yelling at me): Don't get mad at me!! Me: Leaves store with instrument. Bottom line: I took it to Stanroy in Santa Rosa. $35. Done in 3 days. This looks like a cool place. Too bad it doesn't have the customer service to go with the vibe. Go to Santa Rosa. read more

Shopping at the local stores is a fine thing and all, but I've been to this store numerous times and still get treated like a stranger. At times even an unwelcome stranger. What cash paying customer is unwelcome? So I go along with Ryan H's well written review. Friends I know had the same experience as well. Semi-grumpy, passive-aggressive customer service. One of my friends and I both bought guitars there this year, each costing north of $1,000. Probably the last time that will happen. If you need to use their restroom, it's upstairs. Depending on who's working that day, they might flip out. So now you've been alerted. read more

I don't live in the area but I play music nearby about 6-7 times a month and always make it a point to stop by tall toads and see what they've got. I purchased a nice Eastman Mandolin from them. Very happy with my purchase. Pros: A lot of gear, mainly guitars and amps. Some other stringed instruments. Cool location and most of the staff seem to be knowledgeable. Cons: Super passive aggressive employees (not all of them) but I've gone in there several times with intent of spending some serious money (other than the Mandolin which was $1400) but it doesn't have that welcoming charm you'd expect from a small business. It's more of a "don't touch anything" "don't look at anything too hard" I get it, music shops are known for having the kids who have no intention of buying anything just sit there and noodle around with their grimy little fingers on these nice vintage guitars. Some of the younger employees don't seem as knowledgeable as one should for working in a guitar shop. The place overall seems like a nice music shop for the area but the customer service doesn't hold a candle to the online conglomerates. Part of the reason why I bought the mandolin from them was one of the employees who couldn't be bothered with helping me, and probably figured that I was just windowshopping...little did he know. read more

I am new to the mandolin and went to Tall Toad Music to check out their selection. Dave was very kind and patient and helpful and played many different mandos for me so that I could hear the nuances. He never made me feel that I was taking up too much of his time and I never felt intimidated because of my lack of experience or knowledge. There was no hard sell, no pressure to buy. I returned the next day to buy a mandolin and the other staff members were also kind and patient. Their prices are very competitive so if you're thinking you'll get a better deal online, you won't. And it is worth cultivating a relationship with this store. I have always had a good experience at Tall Toad, even when it is really busy. Why would you shop anywhere else? Thanks Dave! read more

This is such a cool place. Incredible selection of string instruments coupled with kind and helpful staff leave me with nothing bad to say about this place. Go check it out, it's like a museum. read more

I've only ever had uncomfortable and awkward experiences here. They have a really fantastic selection of guitars, but the staff make me feel unwelcome. It feels as though I'm inconveniencing them by wanting to spend money here. read more

I knew I wanted a Les Paul so I went to my local (deep East Bay) Guitar Center. Had to show the salesperson which of the guitars on the wall were Les Pauls. All guitars were set up horribly, rusty strings, etc. I've purchased all 11 of my guitars from small stores and wasn't about to order a guitar online. I called Tall Toad and told them I was interested and would be out in a few hours drive time from my house. I had visited the store years before when I lived in Petaluma but had not made a purchase there yet. When I arrived, the guys were super friendly and knowledgeable. They had a great selection and the guitars were all set up, tuned, and played great. Very low pressure, I took a lot of time until the right guitar chose me. The price was also extremely competitive. I love my new 50's Standard, and the shopping experience was well worth the 100 mile + round trip. Before you buy online or at a "big box" store, stop in and check this place out! read more

Over the past 5 years I've purchased 3 guitars from Tall Toad. And I'm a former musical instrument retailer that can get most instruments at wholesale prices. Tall Toad stocks mostly string instruments, and 90% are guitars at that. Though there are a few banjos, mandolins, bouzouki, violins, ukuleles and other stringed animals in there as well. Some used items, but mostly new. Sells the good brands like Martin, Taylor, Gibson acoustics. Gibson and G & L authorized dealer for electrics. Also, has lower priced import lines for beginners. BIG selection of music books. Nice staff. Family owned. Guitar Players: This shop is worth a special visit when you're in downtown Petaluma. read more

Just stopped in to check out the shop. Super nice guys, good selection of guitars. Bought a book. COVID protocols were solid. Will definitely be back! read more

What an arrogant bunch of guys who work here. Also, charged me $150 to change strings on a Floyd Rose after quoting me $75. The manager is unnecessarily rude and they have an unbelievable elitist mentality. Wish I hadn't bought that classical guitar from them either. Please don't shop here. read more

Since moving to Petaluma 7 years ago. I found about about Tall Toad. Best music store ever been too. I have bought two great guitars a Bass guitar and 5 amps and ton of gear and pedals. Everyone there is amazing and very helpful. Chris is Awesome and and my sons friend has been taking lessons for years there and just can't stress enough there is not enough music stores like this anymore. Guitar center is a joke in comparison. read more

I would have given 0 stars! My wife and I took her guitar in to be restrung. "No problem," said whomever I spoke to when I called earlier in the day. We arrive and went to the counter and explained why we were there. Not just the counter guy, but his side kick in the peanut gallery off to the side both make sarcastic remarks about the guitar. The counter guy then starts jamming a piece of paper in the guitar and says I don't know if we can do this...he proceeds to check a few more things then gets his associate to do it as well. Says "I'm not sure I'll ask Chris," and he goes to find him. We see Chris take one look and say "No we won't do it, sell them some strings for 5 bucks." He then hands it back and says we have some strings for sale for $5 and ignores the fact we were there because we needed their help. So not only did they offer 0 explanation we were met with sarcasm and terrible service. How dare you blow my wife and I off and then try to sell us your "discounted" crappy strings with nothing more said. No one had the decency to explain anything and they went back to their circle of just talking. We were so eager to try this shop after seeing the almost all positive reviews but definitely will never go back. Never been to a music shop where no one is friendly or willing to try to help or just even talk to you read more

I was in the store years ago and I thought it was pretty cool and they welcomed me and let me play a bunch instruments treated me like I was a seasoned musician of equal value to the store regardless of my experience So now I come back to visit friends and I come by here and they act as if their instruments are too precious to smell They even have a dumb sign that says "practice at home " like they don't want us touching the instruments What a bunch of crap I had a friend who traveled through on his motorcycle to Nashville walked into Carter Guitar's and they invited him to grab anything you wanted they had nice chairs and stools all over the place and he played 20 different instruments and they encouraged it.. and I'll bet they sell a lot of stuff and people continue to come back I remember from being a teenager even if you were not a really good musician the good stores made you feel welcome even if you were a beginner Isn't that the idea of a music store to promote music and people playing promoting different kinds of music? TallToad music reminded me of when I was young and Only the Beatles were allowed to touch the instruments Maybe Eric Clapton Bummer Tall Toad read more

i was in search of buying my first bass guitar and set about my day going to all the various shops around sonoma county. tall toad was definitely the best experience i had. the younger employee was very available and fast to help. after playing a half dozen or so the owner who was helping another customer came over to chat about what kind of music i wanted to play, what bass might suit that style etc. he was very nice and after a few pieces of advice he suggested i go to the other shops and find the perfect bass for me. i ended up buying a used bass at different shop but tall toad was a great shop that i wanted to recognize them after reading some other reviews. read more

I've been going here for years, but not sure why I keep coming back. The people who work here are often rude and don't seem to care at all. Not a fan of the prices either. I think it's the only music shop in town and has a good location, perhaps that's why they are still around. read more

In an effort to complete a very small and selective hobby guitar collection, I visited Tall Toad. Without even a hint of anything but graciousness, the sales staff stepped up to put as many target guitars in my hands as requested and answer some of the most redundant and probing questions that can be posed. I had been frequenting the guitar shop for months with an eye on a custom-made guitar on the rack. My hopes were that the guitar would come down in price and I might get in on a sale. Finally, an exceptable price was volunteered to me verbally over the counter and I made up my mind to put away the funds to come back and get that guitar. I came back to actually play the guitar and make an offer. To start the process, I came in and asked to try one of the least expensive guitars in this manufacturer's series and work my way up through several guitars to get to the custom made one I wanted. After a while, I had that custom unit in my hands, had it plugged in, and played it for a little bit, I came to realize, with great surprise, that I actually preferred the feel of one of the previous less expensive guitars! How could that be? It was over half as much as the unit I was interested in. Confused, I walked away and came home to comptemplate my dilemma. To further my search, I visited the international guitar show locally, went to a couple of other local guitar shops, and, after finally making up my mind, grabbed my wife and headed to Tall Toad. I walked out with the lesser priced unit with which I had fallen in love. Staff knew I was in for the custom guitar. To their credit, they did not try to up sell me with a further deal on the custom unit because they, like me, knew that sometimes the instrument picks the owner. Great experience. Walked out very content. Thank you Tall Toad. I could not be happier. read more

This business is awful. This is a non inclusive environment. The owners are extremely rude and ignore their customers. I guess customer service isn't a priority as they preach it to be. Practice what you preach to other businesses. We all learn it in elementary school. Will never return. read more

Shockingly rude and unhelpful. I guess customer service isn't a priority. It's a miracle they stay in business.

I bought a guitar here recently. The experience was a good one. I decided to spend my money locally instead of finding a great deal online. The local music store is a vanishing thing and I'm in favor of making sure that they stay alive. While I was pretty sure that I knew what I wanted, the people at the store had me sit and play a series of guitars slowly eliminating the choices until I was left with the guitar I came for. No hype, no high-pressure. Just a lovely afternoon of playing a series of beautiful guitars. Service includes a check-in and tune up to get the action perfect after I've played the guitar for a while. read more

I had a kit on order from Amazon but decided to stop in to Tall Toad to check out what they had. They helped me figure out a package that was comparable in quality and price. However buying from them I got a guitar that had been professionally set up. After a problem with the amp I took home I brought it in same day and they made it right. Thanks for the great service guys! read more