Awesome store with a great selection at fair prices. The dudes that work there are knowledgable and very cool.

Very helpful staff, great pricing on all the used items, lots of gems and rarities. It's all the things you love about a record store like Amoeba without having to fight for parking of through a crowd of pretentious hipsters to get the record you want. Don't have it in the store? They'll order it for you! Don't know what you're looking for exactly? The employees all know their music, their musicals, their movies, --whatever! This place, like other reviews have said, is dangerous, because you can EASILY drop $80+ dollars. But you can also complete an entire discography of any given artist in a single blow. read more

aaahhh...Viynl Solution. one of my favoriate record stores! I have been going here for about 10 years, however have recently stopped since moving to SF. This store has a lot to offer, they have a lot of records, cd's and tapes (wow!). The prices on records are pretty good, i do not feel like they are that expensive or out of the ordinary. The records are in good shape. The owner is also a big Cure fan, knows his stuff! read more

Please don't shop here. I want all the great used $5 and $7 records for myself.

This place is a very pleasant find. They gave a very good selection of both new and used pop and rock cd's. Too bad it seems they don't have a classical section unless I totally missed it. I gues the real treat is the selection of LP records for those who are still into those (and it does appear they're making a small comeback). Even the cassette selection (for those still into them) seem pretty good. read more

Wow -- it's TOTALLY Championship Vinyl!! So awesome -- I felt completely unworthy, just because I walked past the vinyl to the cd section. Didn't find anything to buy, but saw some interesting stuff, and had a great time. Absolutely worth a visit. read more

I really like this place. I've been to a fair amount of record stores now and this place definitely comes close to the top. Bads first since there aren't that many. Their metal and electronic selections are practically non existant. I have found some metal and electronic stuff here, but it is really rare to see, so don't count on it still being there next time if you don't buy it. Also, I bought a record for priced at 17.99 for 17 flat since the corner was a bit messed up, and then saw the same record in perfect condition for 16 the next time I went. That was lame. I would say that some records are a bit over priced but I haven't tried bargaining with them. Goods. Their selection of rock is spectacular. You can find a new copy of many rock albums that I haven't seen in other places. In addition, they have used copies and box sets of a ton of bands. They get most of the newly released albums on record and they are the same price as if you were buying it on CD. They have some great rare records that I've never seen anywhere else. They have tons of stuff for storing your records, including cardboard boxes, plastic crates, and once I saw plastic tubs. They also have plastic sleeves, paper sleeves, and plastic dividers for your collection to look a bit neater. The staff is all very friendly. I've had conversations with about all of them, and they will often comment on records you are looking at. Great place. If you like a friendly neighborhood record store, check this one out. read more

No attitude, friendly staff. I have found clean used vinyl for $3. New and audiophile pressing recording I could never find at Amoeba. my favorite in the bay area. read more

This place rocks. Please look here for the CD you want, before going to Tower or Borders. The staff is amazingly helpful, and I always spend far too much time perusing the records. Great selection of imports and rarities. read more

Fun store! I make it a necessity to stop here if I'm crossing the Bay. They have some very cool records in the indie/punk vein and prices are excellent! I'm still crying over the original Jawbreaker "Unfun" LP that I didn't buy from here.... It's got a really nice layout and clerks are cool and chill folk. I'm not too enthralled with the used CDs, but the records are the main draw here anyhow. read more

I called before I drove 45 minutes to this place to make sure they accepted trades, which they assured me they did. Fast forward 45 minutes later, I approach the counter to tell them I have some records I would like to trade in. This is when they decide to tell me that maybe I should come back during the week when their boss is around. They showed no remorse and offered no help when I explained the situation. This location gives the Orange County location a bad name (If you ever get the chance to go to the Orange County location you should do so, that place is great). read more

I love this store, I've made a habit out of visiting is every time I'm in the area. In reality I have no negative things to say about the store itself or the collection of records they have. My problem is with one of the cashiers who refused to sell a Black Flag vinyl to one of my friends. It blew my mind that someone would be either that much of a "punk" elitist or a total hater of Black Flag and probably other punk bands. It makes me sick to see them having such a pretentious douche as a cashier. Besides that, the store is great. Be careful of what you buy though, you might have that jerk refusing you're hard earned money. read more

Awesome store to shop for vinyl. Owner knows his music and is extremely helpful and kind. Have found some great bargains as well as regular priced vinyl. A place I will continue to visit monthly. read more

When I worked on The Peninsula, I'd visit Vinyl Solution once a week to rifle through the New Arrivals section of the used vinyl album bins; it was a nice way to kill a lunch hour. I'd always finish my visit with a quick sprint through the $1.00 vinyl album bin to find some cheesy 60's or 70's album that I would buy simply for the cover art. Every once in awhile I'd find a used CD, but I really only visited for the easy vinyl fix. I'd often end up having a conversation with the owner since he's old school and *knows* music; his knowledge and awareness of new bands always impressed me. I still try to visit the place as often as possible; cool that it's still around. read more

Unfair prices and trade value. I wrote a review before and the clown Tommy attacked me and had it removed. I'll spend the extra time and shop at Amoeba instead where my business is wanted. read more

This place is cool because it offers a good selection of vintage vinyl records at fair prices. The bargain bin also contains some worn if hidden gems that can be picked up for really cheap. It's a great way to sample some random music you've been wanting to check out at a very nominal price. This place is all about the music. They also have a ton of 45s, and a bit of vintage musical instruments and used stereo equipment for sale. Overall, a cool place. It's sad that Tower Records is gone, but it's good to know that Vinyl Solution is still there. read more

Nice, well-organized record store with fair prices. The selection is pretty heavy on the reissues. If you can find some used records, you can get some good deals. Also, cheap tapes if you happen to want those. read more

I'd like to support this local store and buy my CDs here, but I can't. I've been in three different times over the past couple years, and each time the music playing was so thunderous and ear-piercing I had to walk out. Looks like they may have a great selection, but I'll never know. Back to ebay. read more

friendly staff, listening stations, decent prices, and a so-so collection of vinyl. pretty solid record store all around. read more

I had the chance to stop in here yesterday. What a cool little place. Everyone there was really friendly and helpful. The selection of various media is really diverse and I could easily see spending more than an hour flipping through everything. Can't wait to come back. read more

I just found out of this place this year... I'm only looking for Records & Cassette's..Some new LP's are expensive..But fair I'm going back again to look..Have to save up to get new stuff read more

Don't come here expecting to find a lot of classic used vinyl. The vast majority of the vinyl in the rock section are reissues or for contemporary bands, which is pretty disappointing for a classic rock fan. I cannot justify shelling 20+ for a new pressing of a classic album, it just isn't the same. However, the very few used records they do have are reasonably priced. If you're looking for new vinyl this may be the place for you but otherwise look elsewhere. read more

CED: Okay store that has a lot of music in vinyls, cassettes, cds, etc. Not so many movies, but i was lucky enough to find a cool dvd set. The deal of buy 2 get 1 free was awesome. Didnt get to look around much, but it was an alright experience. Quick and simple. read more

okay, i misjudged you, vinyl solution. the first time i ever visited you, you were under construction and half your inventory was gone! little did I know. i came back, months later, today. and today, i browsed an inventory that was incredibly non-lame, as i had first thought it to be. i asked the dude behind the counter for some recommendations, and he provided me with them. and i enjoyed. and i am enjoying as i write this review. i sampled his advice, and i found that the listening station uses the very same headphones that had as a kid. nostalgic? for sure. am i coming back on another lazy sunday? absolutely. the prices are certainly a few bucks more than amoeba, but give 'em a break -- they're out here in freakin' san mateo. read more

Great used records and turntables for cheap!!! This music store has been a staple of the San Mateo community since the 80's is what I hear, but it certainly still is today. They have a great collection of new and used records, though if you want good used records you gotta come in regularly. They're priced low so they move fast. A few instruments and amps and effects pedals. Lots of audio equipment, amps, tuners, cassette players, and especially turntables. The used turntables here are crazy cheaply priced and badass. I love that vintage shit. The kids working there can be dumb sometimes, but overall they're knowledgeable about music in general and helpful when looking for things. The owner Tommy is a very cool, old-school kinda man and every time I've met him I respect him a bit more for his knowledge and stories about music. If you get a few records or CD's or whatever that you want, ask him for recommendations based on those. You will not be disappointed. read more

Friendly and knowledgeable staff. They participate in Record Store Day. They have a large selection of used CDs at extremely good prices. They have a bunch of music paraphernalia they sell, like promo material, band stickers, posters, 8"x10" band photos and postcards that are pretty fun to browse through. They carry CDs from local artists. They have a listening station for previewing the used discs. Their shelves are in order. They've got some rare and import vinyl and CDs and DVDs. Shopping here is FUN, and you'd better set a budget limit before you walk through the door. Newer stuff usually costs more than you'd find it online, but hey, you get it in you hands instantly. read more

We make a weekly stop here and always find great new things. My CD collection has been upgraded so many times and I can keep getting the old stuff too. We also like to get the posters or promo slicks for decorating my son's garage. Awesome store and the people that work there are great!!! read more

Maybe the best place in Bay to find used, decent, cheap 70's/80's AOR vinyl and in excellent condition. Not much else otherwise.... new vinyl is expensive read more

Great place to kill some time between appointments or meetings when I'm in San Mateo. Not only is it a fun place to browse but their repair work on turntables is excellent, speedy and affordable. Always a pleasure to deal with people who know what they're doing, and these guys do. read more

They have cheap used CD's and a large selection of vinyl. I have already gone here several times and bought many CD's. The only reason I didn't give this 5 stars is because their CD selection is kind of small but you're bound to find stuff you like and for cheap. read more

I'm not sure how to indicate my great pleasure in finding this store. I am so sick and tired of the incompetent, unknowing, underpaid "specialists" at stores like Lowes, or Fry's, or Target--etc etc etc, that when I find a store with people in it who know their product, bend over backwards to help, and ask very little in return, I am overwhelmed. The details are unnecessary, suffice it to say that I had an equipment problem, took it in (although equipment repair is not their raison d'etre) and Tommy spent half an hour fixing it--telling me information about it that I hadn't known before, and charged me very little for the work. I will happily go there again, this time to buy some records, of which they have many, fairly priced, well arranged, and sample-able. Some stores do their best to reduce their costs by giving the minimum service possible, others like what they do, and enjoy helping. This was a great find. read more

The last real record store in San Mateo. They also do a small business in used guitars, which is actually the main reason I go there. Most of the time the guitars are low-end models, probably traded in by local kids who are ready to move up to something a little better, but every once in a while I find a real gem. Guitars tend to be priced pretty moderately. read more

Some great finds at this place. Random and not so random. On Record Store day I skip the bigger shops and go straight here with my list. I usually skip the bigger shops anyway but definitely on Record Store day I will most likely find what I'm looking for here. read more

I wish that I lived closer to Vinyl Solution, because it would earn a weekly visit just to see what's new. It has a very good selection of used vinyl, all at reasonable prices, with lots new every time I stop by. The CD selection is smaller, but generally well priced, so I always find something from both formats. They also have movies, 45s, bootlegs, and all sorts of stuff in this good-sized store but I'll have to admit I rarely have time to peruse everything. Suffice to say that I have found dozens of titles on my wish list here plus quite a few releases that I had never seen anywhere before. If you ever find yourself bemoaning the fate of the record store, stop whining and visit Vinyl Solution. I'll be amazed if you don't find something that you want or something that you didn't even know you wanted. read more

This place is all about what music CDs, vinyl records, and tapes are for music fans. They know about real music, indies and local bands. Unlike other music stores that just know only about mainstream garbage pop music like Taylor swift, Katy perry, and Ariana grande. They know obscure bands that aren't as popular, they sell music that are exclusive to either vinyl or tape, the reason that old analog formats have been revived. There are hidden gems of CDs that aren't available digitally and movies that aren't even available on Netflix or download. But the only downside is used vinyl records and CDs that are scratched, are sometimes unplayable, if you buy used discs, make sure before you buy, they are playable on a turntable without scratches. Support local businesses like this store. read more

Dat cashier sure knows his shit

This place is great if you're looking for sealed albums. However, I find half the charm of buying vinyl being able to dig through a nice selection of old, used stuff too. This place left me feeling a little like, "oh, that's it?" There's also no punk section, it's all included in pop/rock, so that was disappointing as well. I did find a couple albums I ended up purchasing, which brings me to the next point: prices. You're gonna pay in here what you'd pay for it on eBay with a little added "local business" inflation in there. So it's fair considering, but I still came across quite a few albums that would be a noticeable chunk of change less elsewhere. Overall, this place had good service from the down to earth, younger guys up front, and if you're looking for a specific "lesser-known" band, you'll probably find a sealed album or two of theirs here. I'd come here again if there's a specific newer album I want on vinyl and don't want to have to wait for online shipping. Rather support a local business anyway! read more

Love this place. Staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. Prices are very fair.

Pretty good selection of vinyl, lots of tapes, 45's. Doesn't hold a candle to some of the places in SF but that's a whole different story. Still love this place. read more

owned, and ruled by a little rich boy named tommy, whose previous claim to fame was being the pd/dj at kfjc, hitting on impressed little high school girls. lots of over priced common stuff, but also lots of obscure stuff.......plan to spend a great deal of time there, almost museum like!!!!!!! a hit or miss situation....... read more