I want to go on record saying this is a full-hearted endorsement for Manny and his shop. I went in looking for a new alto. Manny showed me a brand new silver Yamaha, fresh out of the box. Absolutely beautiful horn. His shop was my first stop shopping, and I didn't want to buy the first thing I tried. So I went around the corner to Sam Ash. I tried a few other axes and was convinced to purchase a Gerald Albright edition Cannonball. The salesman there assured me I could return it within 30 days. So a couple days later, I returned to Manny's to compare the Cannonball to the Yamaha he had. He was super gracious about it. I secretly wished I had made a mistake getting the Cannonball, but it did feel like a better horn than the Yamaha. So I opted to keep it. I write this review because I was so taken and impressed with Manny's professionalism, that he has earned me as a repeat customer. I've seen other negative reviews about Manny and his shop. My experience was SUPER POSITIVE. I'm sure it's very hard keeping a shop like this open with all the big guns right around the corner. I want to do my part making sure everyone knows this is a GREAT place to buy a horn. Manny is a fantastic and ultra knowledgeable pro. I will be returning to his shop any chance I get. He is a treasure to the Los Angeles saxophone community. read more

A real connection with an authentic technician. He saw what other repairmen couldn't see about my horn and he fixed it right away. A true blessing for a musician. read more

Everything always goes well with many.He's a true artist/craftsman. He has repaired all of my woodwinds through the years.

The service was awful. I was made to feel like a second class citizen and was quoted an exorbitant price for a repair. I have been a gigging musician for over two decades but this store has an environment that there is a club and you are NOT in it. read more

Getting back into playing after a 20+ year stoppage. I wanted to get to know some local sax shops and found Horn Connection and Manny. On my first trip in he gave me some good advice with a dose of tough love. This man has forgotten more about saxophones than I'll ever learn. He encouraged me and watched me finger a sax off the wall (he's always hustling for a sale) and could tell I had played before. He wouldn't let me make bad decisions. Got me into the right neck strap. When I asked for reeds, knowing I played before, he steered me to a better selection than I asked for. Seriously, Manny is gruff, always working for a sale, and he is a lovely master of sax knowledge. He also connected me with a sax teacher (who is awesome!). Since then, he's tweaked my cheap, starter sax for me (which he disapproves of for the right reasons). Manny is a gem and I trust his advice. read more

Manny. is the real deal. He made a mediocre sax player like me sound passable. Beautiful work.

Heard about this location from a friend & decided to take in my Alto Sax in which I've had since high school. I had this sax quoted for repair 2 years ago with a total of $175. This sax plays but some seals are deteriorated and it jumps octaves. Keep in mind, He has only visually inspected the base of the instrument for maybe 15 seconds Upon entering the shop and showing the gentleman the sax, he stated the instrument was not worth repairing. I told him it is sentimental to me and wish to make it play but that I was not interested in fixing dents and scratches. He stated that he will NOT do minor fixes and will only do a full overhaul of the instrument at a price of $900!!! I did not waste anymore of his time. I thanked him and left. Why won't he do minor fixes? I have two other quotes for the repairs, non totaling over $200. Happy to provide receipts read more

Manny is the best! He is very helpful, friendly, and informative. He repaired my Yamaha flute and gave it new life. It sounds amazing now and is back in great shape. He shows you whatever needs to be fixed on the instrument in detail and does an excellent job. He is honest, knowledgeable and a true expert professional. Great experience look no further for all your instrument needs. Happy customer- highly recommend. read more

Manny is the number one. If you need any service on your sax, he is the go to man. Very competent and honest. read more

See all

The sax doctor. He fixed it in minutes. Very knowledgeable. Honest! Won't take my axes anywhere else!!

I started going to Manny around 1998. He steered me in the right direction getting a student model horn and a few years later when I moved up to my King Super 20 tenor he overhauled it and has been keeping that horn in great shape ever since. He doesn't hold back his opinion on things, is very honest, doesn't dink around fixing one little thing after another but rather let's you know what needs to be done to have a horn that plays at an optimal level so you get the most out of it, and he lets you know it. That isn't to say when I've needed a pad replaced or spring adjusted he won't do it, of course he does but if your horn is in bad shape he's not going to just put band aids on it. He's always answering my questions, pointing out pitfalls to look out for and he's even given me advice on horns I've considered buying on Craigslist or eBay. Good guy, he isn't cheap but you get what you pay for when it comes to techs, I also own a recording studio so I know what it's like to have reliable people who know what they are worth taking care of your gear. read more

Manny fixed my Mark VI tenor the day I called when I needed an emergency repair before a gig. He was able to identify what was causing the problem almost immediately and performed a few extra adjustments (along with replacing corks and adjusting bent springs) while I waited. Then he fixed the lazy spring on the upper stack of my alto and showed me why I wasn't able to bend it back onstage without removing a few of the rods first. He also replaced a screw that was used by my last repair guy (a Yamaha screw of the wrong length) with the original screw for my horn that he had on hand and showed me why the one he removed was not functional. Super friendly, really informative, and very honest and enjoyable to visit. The charge for the repairs on both my horns were more than reasonable and he was very thorough, plus the amount of information I left with gave me peace of mind that the work was done well. There is also a collection of horns for sale on the wall like I haven't seen in any city I've lived in. I lost count of the Mark VIs he had. Good place to pick up reeds (if you use Rico, Vandoren, La Voz) and there were a lot of great method books (Greg Fishman, etc.) that you don't find in most music stores. Thanks Manny! Halfway hoping something else breaks so I have an excuse to come back. read more

Being new to southern California, "SoCal", I needed to find a good store with that "ma-pop" feel to it. I stumbled upon this gem of a store in Hollywood and was thoroughly impressed with not only the store, but the owner as well. I had a very nice horn that I needed to sell (Selmer Series II Super Action 80), and Manny offered me a good price from the start. We didn't haggle or fuss. I thought he was very fair and direct. He also took a look at my current Mark VI for free and tweaked it a bit. He has an awesome collection of used horns and accessories. I highly recommend his store and repair services to anyone looking for a solid place. read more

I have been bringing my horns to Manny at the Horn Connection for 25+ years. He always does first rate work. He has restored one of my horns from the dead and turned it into a first rate player. He has always been kind and generous to me. I highly recommend the Horn Connection if you need work done. You won't be sorry. read more

Part of settling here was finding the right sax repair man. Manny from the Horn Connection in Hollywood is the best. Every time he works on one of my horns they always sound better than before. He's had his shop for almost 30 years. If you are a woodwind player, you know these things break down and I wouldn't trust anyone else on the West Coast than this guy! read more

The Horn Connection - The best woodwind repair man on the West Coast! - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Manny is a rude grump. I took my Artley flute in for a pad job; he refused to repair it,and abruptly said,"It has a lot of problems,and I don't have the time." The thing is,he never even opened the case to look at it!!! read more

The owner,Manny is a grump,and full of anger.Nice selection of overpriced saxes,but not worth putting up with this guy,his rude tone,or condescending demeanor. I bought a soprano sax from the guy,and he was nice and grumpy then. Recently,he refused to even open the case of my beautiful Artley flute,stating "There's a lot of things wrong with,and I don't have time." How would he know when he refused to even open up case??? Terrible experience;I won't ever subject myself to this business owner's extreme lack of character. read more

Manny may be the "greatest" but when I brought in my '54 mark iv he refused to do any minor work on it. Only a full overhaul. $1500. So it's hard to deal with a guy who only wants big jobs or sell you a horn or nothing. And I am a working Pro. Not impressed with his attitude. Don't care how good you are. I will find someone else. Tired of the prima donnas in La. read more

This is Vince Meghrouni, and I've been bringing my horns to Manny for over a decade (and a half?). Manny performs flawless work and keeps my Mark VI tenor, balanced action alto and Pearl silver flute in perfect shape. He's overhauled all those axes for me. Manny has saved my bacon many times when a horn has been damaged at a gig (I do some wild gigs) and needed it to work pronto for another gig. I recently did a lot of flying gigs and unfortunately had to check the tenor in as baggage and it came back terribly damaged and Manny brought it back to life and playing better than ever. I bought my flute from Manny and I love it. Manny is the man. read more

Manny fixed my Clarinet in just a few minutes but the best thing was that he is a great person and really nice! Highly recommended!

Manny is an excellent repairman & he knows all about every kind of sax. He's the guy for important repairs. The thing that sets him apart is that he truly cares about your horn. He really cares about my playing experience & my relationship with my horn !! Yes he is a 5 star repairman, but his heart makes him 6 star !! Thanks Manny !!! read more

Manny is the man!... He lives up to his legend... The pros entrust him with their valuable horns... Even though I'm not a pro musician, and my sax and trumpet are not pro quality, he tinkered and performed minor repairs with terrific knowledge, precision & care, and for a reasonable remuneration... His shop full of brass instruments is a comfy throwback to more innocent times, located in the heart of Sunset Strip's music-store district, where he's reigned supreme for decades -- may he thrive for many more ... Thanks, Manny!... read more

I have a snotty teenager who probably doesn't deserve the type of professional level service that is provided here. However, I think when he comes here and see all the professional clients hang out and take care of their instruments he goes home with a new level of respect for his instrument and the craft. That's why we come here. read more

Manny is a legend and the absolute best woodwind repair man in the business. His knowledge of saxophones is unmatched from a technical repair point of view. Personally, he has kept my saxophones playing in top condition for over 25 years. My saxes have a hard life. They are on the road with me throughout the year normally playing in small jazz dives internationally where stage room is at a premium. They get dented and damaged because they work hard for me, and Manny keeps them in top playing condition. Manny is honest and a good friend. He is needed, respected and cherished here in Los Angeles by ALL us sax cats! ~ Tim Mayo read more

What a store. Reminded me of 48th street in the 70's High quality stock and technical skills. Nice private vibe.

I had Manny repair my Mark VI Tenor. The low Bb, B, and C# got out of line. I also mentioned there was a leak in two pads on the A key. He said he would take care of these as well. After it was completed, I went back and tried it to make sure the horn felt good and the low notes were playing well. It felt OK and I trusted the repairs were done well. When I got home, I played it again and noticed the 2nd G was not right. It was very weak. The last thing I want to do after a repair is put my light in the horn to see what is wrong, but I did. The G# key was open about 1/8 inch. (it is supposed to be totally closed). I also noticed the two leaks were still present. He didn't fix these. The next morning I called and mentioned to him the problem with the G# key and he immediately took a defensive tone and blamed me. He said "you tried the horn." Yes, but I was concerned with the low notes and they were fine. These notes aren't affected by the G# remaining open. All I said was I would like to come back so he could fix it. He told me over the phone what key to bend to correct this. He said I probably did something to the horn. He wouldn't say that maybe he overlooked something. He cursed at me and ended up hanging up on me. I will share my story with everyone I come in contact with from the Los Angeles saxophone community so they are aware. Also, beware of his posted 50% off on reeds. I paid more than that. I thought this was going to be a repairman I could give my business to for many years to come with the many saxophones I own. Instead, in one phone call, he showed his true colors and I will never step foot in his shop ever again. read more

My tenor (ref 54) fell from its stand a couple of days ago. A ding in the upper tube and five keys not closing properly... I took it this morning to Manny (my first visit). After taking care of another customer, Manny welcomed me and walked me to his work room to examine the horn. He showed me in detail each of the keys that were not operating properly and the ding in the tube. He then said I could come by in the afternoon to pick it. I stopped by at 5.00 pm, Manny had fixed everything, and also performed a full tune-up. The horn sounds better than before I took it to him, the price was very reasonable, and the service fantastic. I warmly recommend the Horn Connection for repairs / accessories / reeds, etc. read more

Nobody does it Better! The Horn Connection is the place to go . The top Pro's have been seen coming and going when I've been there. The rebuilds of my 50 year old Mk 6 alto and tenor have never played better. I tried other places only to find that you don't have to look any further. Even when in NYC no store has a better or bigger selection of vintage horns. Repairs are many times done on the spot. Manny is fair with his repairs and his many years experience really make the difference. He also has many new horns and accessories in stock as well. read more

i just had my tenor repaired by Manny. First time I've been to his shop and I have to say, in addition to his incredible knowledge of horns, he's a hell of a nice guy. read more

Great service, I walked in with my Yamaha horn needed some TLC. Manny took one look at it and knew exactly what to do, I waited just a little bit and boom, done. Coming again for all needs! read more

Haven't played my alto sax in decades, but needed some tweaks for a performance next week. The owner thoroughly covered the entire instrument and fixed all the issues (pads not completely closing, etc). Had a nice talk as well. A+. Will definitely visit again if I continue playing. read more

Hi - This is bobby writing about my many experiences with Manny & The Horn Connection at 1507 N Gardner St, Los Angeles, CA 90046 / (323) 876-9662. I am unaware of any superlatives that can capture Manny's uncanny brilliance both in horn repair & maintenance & his horn sales department. I recently purchased a mid 1960's Paris Selmer tenor sax from him & he's serviced both my tenor & my mid 1950's Paris Selmer Alto for years. He is unbelievably knowledgeable and skilled regarding all things woodwind & brass. His honesty, courtesy, warm rapport & professionalism all rate 10,000+ on a scale of 1-10. Whatever your horn needs, Manny is THE BEST EVER!!! i can also confess that I am a bit star struck & love the fact that Manny has performed tenor maintenance & repairs for Stan Getz long ago & currently looks after Don Menza's tenors. If you're lucky enough to spend some time with Manny your life will be infinitely improved, & that's no exaggeration. bobby read more