Cool people - it feels like these local soup-to-nuts string instrument stores are harder and harder to come by. Came in to just take a look around but purchase a pedal and some sheet music. The inventory, and particular depth in certain areas (e.g. 3 upright basses ranging from $2k to $12k, 20+ dozens of vintage Martins, Collins, Gibson, etc, great selection of folks instruments). That and they have a full workshop for setup and repair, will be back. read more

Hello! Today was my birthday and after eating, my boyfriend and I decided to check out this music store while walking around. Right near by a small bridge and on a nice street. We rang a little doorbell at the door of the store and were greeted very nicely by the staff. They had told my boyfriend and I that if we had any questions to just holler. Very nice, super clean store, honestly really nice selection too. We ended up pahroozing for more minutes than we should have. And my bf asked me if I wanted anything and was like hey let's get you a guitar! uh. okay! And luckily, for the price point, cuz honestly they had some beautiful guitars of all different kinds and in beautiful condition. I got a great price for the guitar I got and a strap and some chord progression sheets (since my guy and I have other instruments at home). We got to see some cool instruction booklets, guitars, beautiful instruments like the cello, and the staff was super cool and super informative and were so nice to me and my guy. Sorry for not catching your guys names, but I'm so grateful for the help and information! Thank you so much! I hope my dude and I can come back again to fix up his electric guitar when the instrument repair guy comes back! Also, that was super cool when one of the staff was tuning a guitar and playing some notes, it sounded super pretty :D ty again! read more

We brought in my kids flute, used for school music class and passed down between the kids. After inspection they called me and suggested buying a new flute as this one would cost more to repair then it's worth. I appreciate it. They gave me some suggestions, did not charge me and I like their honesty. read more

Pros: If you want to buy a guitar, they have some. Cons: If any transaction you make here requires you to deal with one of their employees, you're unlikely to emerge from this experience satisfied. They act as though they're doing you a favor by selling you a guitar, or servicing it. I've been a customer of theirs for a few years, but recently decided that it's time to draw a line and go with a different shop in the area for my purchasing/servicing needs, based primarily on the customer service experience here. Tall Toad: Trim the fat. Lose the rockstar attitude. read more

Had a very good experience here this past Saturday. The first fellow was helping a couple ahead of me, greeted me, asked what I wanted (beginner's acoustic guitar), and directed me to the right section. Then Chris came over to help and I told him I wanted a starter guitar. He took his time with me, explained the difference between a full size and a traveler guitar, asked me what I want to play, even pulled out a stool for me and walked me through playing the chord G. We exchanged a few stories about musicians, and it was very informative. I have always loved this store, bought my son's first electric guitar there, and now I am taking up the instrument. When I am ready to buy my first guitar I will go there in a few weeks. They have a pretty good buy-back system when you want to upgrade. Lots of music books, lots of vintage electric guitars, it's like a working museum. Great place, one of Petaluma's treasures. read more

After all these years and customers, I am surprised to see only ten reviews so far. Tall Toad has been many things to me over the years and yes, not perfect, but I would do just about anything to make sure they never go away and get replaced by Best Buy. First the bad: I worry that some very sweet guitars have been hanging and collecting dust (and possibly harmful UV and low humidity) when they should be played. No practice room. Before I lay out 2-3K on a guitar, I need to plug in and turn it up. I don't want to have to think I am being judged by customers and staff while doing so. I can go to Best Buy and try a LP Standard and turn it up! Then ask for a Taylor and then a Fender. Guys, get a test room set up. Their guitar tech spend two months working on my cheap electric and after three attempts and 160 dollars it was not fixed (new nut, tune-o-matic and three setups). In fact one tone pot was disconnected, the tune-o-matic was installed backwards and I was then told ALL GUITARS BUZZ! I later took it to someone else who showed me the neck joint had come unglued near the headstock and told me whomever worked on my guitar was NOT a luthier or a legitimate tech if he missed that. The Good - and it is SO GOOD! Local store! Local, local, local! Cool selection! I wanted that Blue sparkle LP so much!!!! Seriously, best selction and some real deals on weird brands and used. Serious nice ES Gibsons, Acoustic Martins and even Taylors sold there. They don't lie. I should have put this on top. THEY DONT LIE. I asked a lot of questions the first time I went there years ago to buy my kid an electric. I did not expect a LP Custom for 300 bucks, but they listened to me and we found the perfect guitar! I bought my sweet expensive acoustic there as well. After a long discussion recently, I was advised of the costs and results of some requested work on another electric and they said it would be fine to do it myself (NOT a classic guitar!). They carry school band stuff. Instrument rentals, basic books, etc. Also have lessons via independants. I know of guitar and Bass lessons as well as KENDRICK, who is the BEST DRUM TEACHER alive. He help kids succeed and progress. They do send out brass and woodwinds to someone else for repair, but do guitar and bass work there. Not sure if they work on amps or not but are auth Fender dealer now. They are Tall Toad. Many iconoclastic businesses have come and gone (mostly gone lately) from Petaluma, but it would truly suck balls if Tall Toad were gone. GIft Certificates from here are greatly appreciated by me and many others even if only enough for a new set of strings! Stop in and buy a kazoo or a Taylor 310ce or something and support a local business. read more

I travel the country and stop at as many local music shops as I can. This place is unique and offers the vibe of a local community. They have a decent selection of everything from rock and roll gear to sheet music. The staff are as friendly as you can get for musicians. Honest working class folks with a nice selection of gear and professional upfront attitude. Thanks for being around guys read more

My boyfriend and I came here today to buy a little travel guitar for the road. Everyone who we saw working was super rude and we felt unwelcome. Probably the least friendly people we've ever met. That being said, the guitar we got is amazing and came with a nice case. But we will be going elsewhere next time. read more

Though I live within 20 minutes from two Guitar Centers, I drove an hour to buy a guitar from Tall Toad. Great customer service from Chris. Everyone was very friendly. This will be my go to store from now on. read more

I went in to have my Ukulele restrung. Unlike guitars they have to be restrung every couple of months. During the visit I mentioned that I could probably watch YouTube and do it myself. I wish I knew the guy's name, but he encouraged me to do it myself. I followed his advice; it was easy as hell. Guitar Center never had any qualms about taking my money to do something so easy. They earned a loyal customer during that visit. read more

Pros: Good selection. Local. Cons: Customer Service. Not very friendly or helpful staff. I've been in the customer service industry for over 15 yrs and it's fairly easy to equate good customer service with happy customers. I don't think these people get it. If you have a good experience you'll come back and happily spend money. I will be buying elsewhere and would recommend you do the same. read more

They are the perfect Bricks and Mortar music shop for guitarists. The fact that they carry nearly every model guitar in Martin and Taylor's lines (probably Gibson etc. also) is fantastic. If they think you can probably not hurt the instrument, they let you play them! They are extremely helpful in selecting which model fits your style of playing. They will deal fairly, support their customers, and every person I've met there loves them. read more

The staff over at Tall Toad Music go above and beyond to help their clients. I recently purchased a new Martin from them 2 weeks ago and it is the most beautiful and well setup guitar I've ever played. I've played guitar for almost my whole life, but haven't gotten a new guitar literally since I was in middle school. I saved up big time for this Martin, and went in there to demo some guitars for about 30 mins. Ernie showed me a few different ones. He instructed me to take anything sharp out of my pockets (can't be scratching the brand new guitars before their sold!!) and he allowed me to play with a pick. I demo'd a few guitars, went back later that day and made the purchase. They surprised me with some Martin merch at check out, and Chris even threw in a free pack of Martin light gauge strings. They've been on back order on their hard-shell cases for months, which is totally understandable with Covid. So he hooked it up with a gig bag! You guys seriously made a customer for life. Thank you for making my special new guitar day even specialer read more

I purchased my first acoustic guitar from Tall Toad a few years ago and have since made this my place for nearly any purchase I'm considering. An excellent, knowledgable staff with years of experience that help guide you through that all-important decision-making process without putting any pressure on you or hawking any specific brand. A couple years ago I was looking at an Epiphone Wildkat, not quite sure if it was the right choice for me and the salesperson helping me out told me about a Gretsch 5120 they just got in on consignment. I sat down, played it for a bit and was convinced without question. It was the right guitar. I felt the price was a little outside my budget, so the staff made a call to the owner and within minutes I was walking out the door with what has become one of my favorite guitars. So cool. Great selection. Helpful staff. Awesome shop. This is one of those places that helps define Petaluma as a unique town with an excellent local vibe. A must-visit place for any musician, no matter what level of experience. read more

I've been a customer for more than twenty years, and although I have bought more supplies than instruments from them, I have always found them informed and welcoming. Today I dropped in with a small problem, my Snark tuner wasn't working and the new batteries I had bought elsewhere didn't revive it. I was ready to buy a new tuner but the salesperson reached under the counter while saying, "I've been finding that about twenty-five percent of these batteries don't work." He slipped a used one into the Snark case and it lit up. "No charge", he said, smiling. read more

Took my silver flute to get refurbished and it was returned missing my silver cleaning rod. A nickel cleaning rod was put in the case in its place. Upon calling and requesting to retrieve it, I was informed that any cleaning rod will work. When I insisted I wanted mine back, the outsourced flute technician was contacted and was later told it could not be found. Flute sounds and plays fine but I'm not happy about losing my silver rod and not being taken seriously or compensated for it disappearance and for my inconvenience. This was last December. read more

Charlie has owned the store since the 1800's, it seems ! He really cares about the store. Guthrie, Dave, and Kio have worked there for years and have a good time there. I like the small town feel the store has, but most of all the service is good. Guthrie should really be a stand up comedian ! Stuart is the luthier there. That's the guy who works on guitars and basses, etc, for those who are unfamiliar with the word. He always does a good job and 95% of the time he is less expensive than anybody else around. So, if you need good work done on a budget, then have Stuart fix it. The selection is pretty good. As a bass player, I don't always find what I'm looking for, but my guitar player SWEARS that Talll Toad Music is THE BEST music store around for guitar players. Rock on ! read more

Had a wonderful experience buying an acoustic guitar here. They have a huge selection and are really knowledgeable about the instruments. Also very patient! I love this store and so appreciate having this experience versus buying online. Especially now! Their Covid protocols are super solid too... read more

Trustworthy and knowledgeable! They really know guitars and treat customers right. Great inventory of high quality new and used instruments. read more

I am tempted to give these guys a 5, but I think four is probably. Here's what I live about them - first of all they have lots of used, vintage, and odd instruments - lap steels, mandolins, banjos, arch top guitars, tenor guitars, resonator guitars. Plus an excellent selection of Martin,Taylor, National, Guild, Fender and Gibson. The only one of my favorite brands they're missing is Collings. Excellent selection of books, a little less so, pedals and accessories. They give lessons. I can't vouch for their repairs. Tall Toad is really the antidote to the corporate car showroom business model of Guitar Center, which thankfully, is far away from Tall Toad. So shop there, you don't the Toad to become extinct! read more

It's not like I know much about guitars, but the guys at Tall Toad Music do! We recently went there to buy a used Gretsch for a friend who lives out of state and who had tracked down this dream guitar in the internet. The service we got was above and beyond! If you love guitars, this place is heaven and the staff are no short of being angels :o) If Yelp would have 6 stars to give a business, this would be the place to deserve them! read more

They have a continuous tone photograph of a mug shot Hendrix in their store window where you enter the store. The vibe is solid music at The Toad. And you won't find knock off Gibsons or Fenders in here presented as authentic. Their sheet music section is best in town with books offered to teach or enjoy. Need strings? Can do. The shop does solid work and turn around was decent. read more

Thank you Charles for your quick response to my negative experience. Your caring and considerate response made me a believer in good customer service at your establishment. Looking forward to purchasing my next bass guitar from you! read more

Hands down the most pleasantly admirable music store collection in the greater Bay Area. If you love Supro, Gibson, Fender and classic. amps with character, awesome acoustic guitars there's something for everyone at Tall Toad music. This place is a true gem and you'll find what you're looking for and more guitars of your dreams here without doubt. The best of the best. read more

I used to love Tall Toad Music. I used to chat with Iris, one of the owners, when it was in the Great Mill before it moved to where it is now. But, wow, I bought a Martin guitar a while ago but the next day I stopped in for some music books and I said Hello to the guy who took my money for the Martin guitar he didn't know who I was. I reminded him I bought that 900 dollar Martin, still nothing. I used to love this music store but now I go to other music stores like in Santa Rosa. It takes so little to keep customers happy and returning and they do everything they can to make unhappy customers. Real shame, I hate to see this happening to my favorite music store. read more

First time in the store today! I was super nervous going in because I'm a beginner and a little scared of being judged for it. I was helped right away by I'm not sure of his name but he's tall and thin. I went in to buy some picks but forgot cash, I was very pleased to find out that he trusted me enough to come back the next day to get the money to him. Luckily I had a few dollars in the car so I could pay up front. I will be going back in the future for any other needs. Thank you! read more

This shop is aaaaaaaamaaaaaaazing. Holy Mary, lightyears difference from the crazy awful experience at People's Music (see my one star review). Super helpful, friendly staff, really able to be patient and help you make an educated decision about your purchase. And an amazing selection of ukulele, guitar, vintage instruments (that play!), and this crazy beautiful, and beautiful sounding instrument called the mandocello I am now obsessed with ;) Please give this local business a shot, you won't be sorry! read more

Wonderful store. Great inventory and very helpful staff. Chris spent a lot of time with me, taking some older equipment in trade and helping find a Martin custom guitar from their amazing stock. No pressure and willing to let me try several instruments to find "the perfect one". Everything one could expect from a local shop run by true enthusiasts. Marin and Sonoma's "go-to" guitar shop. They do great set-ups also. read more

Tis is a very good local shop worth supporting. They're honest and no BS. Keep it local when you purchase (no EBAY)! Great selection of many types of stringed instruments. read more

I went in to buy my first electric guitar and can't say enough good things about my experience. The staff were helpful and gave great suggestions without ever being pushy or trying to convince me to buy anything I didn't need. I always felt more than welcome to try things out and was impressed by the selection offered. The store does a great job being mindful of COVID precautions by both greatly limiting the amount of shoppers present at a time and enforcing the use of hand sanitizers. All in all, this was a great shopping experience and I'd highly recommend them over big online retail. read more

Chris and his "people" are the best! They are knowledgeable, no-pressure salespeople and give great customer service. While I was trying to decide what guitar to buy, Chris really listened to me and said, "I think I have just the guitar for you" and picked a used custom Martin off the rack for a fair price. I'mm a loyal customer! read more

I had been in the market for an electric guitar for several weeks, and finally zeroed in on an American built Telecaster. Tall Toad had a variety of them on hand, so I stopped by. They had what I was looking for, and the staff was helpful, but not pushy (I spoke to Alex and Chris). I walked out with a very nice guitar, at a price I was happy with. The guitar was set up nicely; low action, no buzz, in very fine tune, which was a nice touch. I will likely be back when I decide what new amp I'm looking for despite the long drive to get there. Very satisfied customer, I've already recommended them to a buddy who's looking for a guitar. read more

Summary: Tall Toad installed a pickup that never worked, not even once, and charged me $250 for it. I had to pay SF Guitarworks $75 to actually fix it. Save yourself the headache and ask SF Guitarworks (or anyone else really) to install your pickups. The longer story: Brought in my acoustic to get a pickup installed. Cost about $250. Took it home, sound started cutting out. Brought it back, they were a little skeptical but replaced the pickup assembly at no cost (appreciated). Picked it up, still broken, same problem. Now they start getting defensive. "We've installed hundreds of K&K pickups and never had this problem." "Maybe it's the way you play it." Sorry gentlemen, but it's a piece of wood, not a BMW. Now they replace the input jack (still at no cost, credit where credit's due). Pick it up, play one note in the store, still broken. Same problem. Now the threats come. "This is the last time we're going to try and fix it." "If this doesn't work, then we don't know what to do." They take it back (4th time now), and call me to say: "we can't reproduce the problem and we don't know what's going on. Sorry. Good luck." No refund, no other recommendation, nothing. Here's your guitar, thanks for the money, and goodbye. Pretty frustrated that I've paid $250 for a broken piece of plastic in my guitar, I sit it down myself and figure out what's going on. Less than TEN minutes of poking around, I clearly find the problem is the wire connecting the pickup to the volume knob. They supposedly spent hours trying to reproduce it, but it took an amateur less time than Stairway to Heaven. I take it into SF Guitarworks, they hardwire the faulty jack that Tall Toad installed, one day turnaround, and now it works like a charm. $75. Done. Honestly, the most frustrating part is not that it took months to get a pickup installed correctly in an acoustic guitar. (Though that's pretty impressive.) It's that their staff were extremely rude, defensive, and threatening throughout the entire experience. Like another reviewer said, Tall Toad needs to lose the rockstar attitude. Go to SF Guitarworks if you actually need something done correctly. Don't waste your time or money here. read more

I have coming in to Tall Toad for well over 20 years. Pretty much any time I'm in the area. They always have a great selection of guitars and amps. I've bought a few things there and was always happy with the transactions. This week I came in and noticed that there are obnoxious signs everywhere say "please ask" and "practice at home" and things of that ilk. I understand why they don't want to have their store be like Guitar Center on a Saturday afternoon but don't insult my intelligence. A sign or two should suffice. Anyhow, I went there because I am interested in buying a Gerz Mendocino guitar, which runs in the neighborhood of $3k. They are one of a few stores in the country that have them. I asked the sales guy if I could try it out. He obliged by pulling it off the stand and handing it to me. Uh, it is an electric guitar...I'm surrounded by amps but he went back to reading the paper. I played it unplugged for a couple of minutes and made him get up and put it back on its stand. If I can't plug it in I might as well buy one online. As a working musician I am a huge advocate of local music stores but these guys need to make some serious attitude adjustments. read more

I've gone into Tall Toad Music for all kinds of reasons - to buy gear - they have good prices and super customer service; to sell on consignment - they will outright buy or sell it for you and help you get the best price; to get expert advice; and to price and sample instruments. They've had theft so I get the watchful eyes and cool attitude at times. Some staff are more seasoned than others. Four stars only because I still look at other shops from time to time. Otherwise they are worth a visit. If you are not a musician you still might get a kick out of seeing some phenomenal guitars up close. read more

Went here after being referred by my child's school. Rude, rude customer service. Not sure if it is because I don't look like a guitar person? Almost like they were put out by us stopping in to do business. Disappointing that they don't have repair service on site, or even consultation on it. Won't be back. Place in Cotati will be our music store. If I could figure out how to put NO stars I would. read more

STAY AWAY!... Seriously I've been a Petaluma resident for over 40 years. I started playing guitar when I was 6 years old. Just awhile ago I walked in to Tall Toad Music with over $2500.00 bucks in my pocket CASH. to purchase a guitar. The thing is I like customer service. You see you dont get that here. These people think they are cool or something? not sure they just sit and talk to themselves, ignoring you. It really is like Junior High School in the cafeteria. I will never go there again. See yah Tall Toad Music. Oh I bought a guitar from Loud & Clear in Cotati. At least they are friendly. read more

Not kid friendly...meaning my son is 8 1/2 and so excited about guitars and had questions...we were there to buy...one guy didn't want to bother with my sons questions....we left...gave a 3 only based on the great selection they had read more

Sorry to give Tall Toads Music only a three, but my experience was being impressed and depressed in the same visit. Let me say the PRO's first. Though I didn't have a chance to speak with any of the shop people I would imagine they are professionals with a good amount of guitar knowledge. I would imagine they are friendly and helpful as well, when you had an opportunity to speak with one. But as I mentioned they weren't available due to their helping other customers. The selection was great! They can sure pack a lot of quality guitars into a small store. Con's: 1) Location - They are in a cutesie area of Petaluma, CA, but the traffic in that area is horrendous, and trying to find parking the same, and I went on a weekday. 2) Ambience - Like any other guitar store I've been in, upon entering I browsed a bit and picked up a guitar to play, then noticed in big bold letters signs all over saying, "Ask for assistance before handling," or something to that effect. I obediently replaced the guitar. Since nobody was available to help, and I didn't want to interrupt anybody being helped, I merely continued to browse. I also noticed a lot of signs that said (also in bold letters), "Practice At Home." I entered the store, browsed the inventory (very impressive), and left without anyone seeking to help me. For someone that knows exactly what you're looking for, and are ready to buy, this would be an excellent shop to go to. You might want to set up an appointment first though. But for a guitar enthusiast like me (I own 2.5 high end guitars), who simply wants to drop in and try out some nice guitars (not being rude with volume, etc), with the possibility of buying at a later time this is not a good place to go. read more

Tall toad music is a destination shop. Tons of killer guitars, great knowledgeable staff, cool, funky old building. This is the type of place that you buy a guitar from. read more