I know negative about guitars. I have a nephew graduating from high school this spring and I…read morewanted to get him something meaningful and useful. He plays bass in one of those School of Rock type places and is passionate about it. I called my sister to see if there was anything he could use and she sent me a blurry photo of some kind of board he uses and told me he needs a carrying case. I went to Bananas at Large because of their reputation for being kind and knowledgeable. Their reputation is well deserved. I was greeted right when I walked in, I decided to look around a bit before asking for help because while I don't know anything about guitars, some of the instruments they had on the wall were works of art and I enjoy looking at art. When I was ready, I found the first employee, showed him the photo and explained the situation. He knew exactly what it was and where to find what I was looking for. He then took the case over to where they had the exact thing in the photo to show me how well it fit and other features of the case. He explained the 14-day return policy if it turned out to be the wrong thing and let me decide what I wanted to do. I wound up purchasing the case. I loved that I was nicely greeted when I walked in but left alone to browse. I loved that I didn't have to hunt down someone to help me when I was ready. I loved the general vibe of the place. I loved that they had what I needed and clearly a ton of things I might need if I ever decide to get into playing. I loved that parking was easy. I loved that they were excited to help someone who had no idea what they were doing in a guitar shop, were in no hurry to get me out of the store and patient enough to answer all my questions. I even loved that they accept Venmo for payments. Great place to go if you don't know anything about guitars but love someone who does.

This place is everything a music store should be. Yes they have great selection, and yes their…read moreprices match anything you can find online (even Reverb, often) but it's their service and relationships they build with you that's special. True stories of what they've done for me even in just the last month: My guitar needed some repairs before a gig, and they fast tracked the service and ordered an uber to bring the guitar to my house! I wanted a tuner pedal that was out of stock basically everywhere in the country, and they took their last one from Santa Rosa and shipped it to San Rafael store for free for me to pick up the next day. Best of all, I was unhappy with my guitar tone and Dan spent nearly 2 hours sitting with me trying different pedals and setups, before settling on showing me some different settings on my own amp, some different plectrums and swapping a pedal I'd bought recently for only a $10 difference! It would have been so easy to have sold me another pedal or 2 that I didn't really need, but the fact he didn't builds complete trust and makes me a customer for life!

Today I drove to their store to get my Ukelele button built from my instructor Gloria who highly…read morerecommended this honest music store. I am so glad to get my Ukelele strap, extra pack of the strings, beginner book, rechargeable tuner, etc. Everyone is so friendly & nice to answer any question & fee is reasonable, book is cheaper than Guitar Store in San Mateo. Thank you for your excellent service & I know where to go next time for my music supplies.

Be Warned. I also had an extremely rude experience as another Yelper posted. I took my Vito alto…read moresax in to have the low C fixed and to get an estimate for pad replacements. The serial number places it from the Yamaha factory in Japan in the early 70s. They said that it would be inspected and I would get a phone call about an estimate. They did not review the horn with me. It should have been my first red flag. A few days later I get a call informing me that 'the instrument needs a complete overhaul and that when they put a light in it it was just full of leaks everywhere and would cost $1500 in labor and $200 in parts and that it wasn't worth it because of the value of the instrument' in an arrogant judgmental tone. When I picked up the horn, I was again told about leaks. This told me everything I needed to know because I too have put a light down my instrument to find the leaks and know exactly where a 1972 vintage alto that's never had it's pad replaced is leaking. And it wasn't were he was pointing to. I don't know who hurt you or which horn you're confusing mine with but I felt like I was being lied to. If you didn't want to do the work, simply let me know. Telling me my instrument isn't worth fixing is unacceptable. I determine the value of my horn, not you. And being rude about it is even more unacceptable. I guess with the closing of AG Music in Oakland and abundant USD student rentals, there's no space for the community musician in their shop. Be warned when you cross their handyman-grade aluminum threshold.

Amazing knowledge and attention to detail on the many guitars hes worked on for me! All of them…read morehave great setups, improved things like the pots, fretwork, restrings, new batteries in the preamps etc are all standard.

Got a new guitar that needs a setup? (Let's face it, they all pretty much do, these days!). Or an…read moreolder one that needs some work? Or any other customization you might want or need? Bob's your guy! He's extremely knowledgeable, meticulous about his work and care of your guitar, and a really professional person to work with. I took a new Strat to him to get it dialed in, and he did a wonderful job for a very reasonable price. Turnaround was quick, too--and it was finished before the date he promised, even. Very glad to have such a skilled luthier nearby, and I highly recommend him!

I started as a mere novice musician turned happy customer who brought in a used guitar to be…read morerestrung and worked on a bit. However, I called back to ask about vocal/instrument lessons and so am here to rave about the Magical Marzuki, who I would love to believe is a strong representation of the quality of instructors Mountain Music is lucky to host. (The staff have been lovely to work with too.) Specific to my experience, Marzuki G is magical. He is empathetic, personable, and has been wonderfully able to communicate his expertise in both the body as an instrument (vocals) and music making as a whole.

Excellent service and fair pricing. What's not to love about sales folks who give you an honest…read moreopinion.

I have had my tubas repaired and cleaned by Sean and his crew a few times now and I really love his…read morework and completely trust his shop. He modified the my F tuba to reduce the valve throw using a pretty creative solution which worked great. The thing I was most impressed by though is I came in complaining about a sticking valve on a relatively new tuba. This was clearly a manufacturing defect, and I need the value to work well for an upcoming concert. He was there on a weekend when the shop was closed and spent an hour meticulously going over the value to identify the problem and got it working perfectly while I waited for the repair. I highly recommend his shop for brass instrument repairs.

Always excellent service on wind instruments…read moreWe have been here throughout students years in band.

Music depot is the best store in the east bay!! They got great deals and their guitar selection is…read moremassive!! I been coming here since 2012 and it's amazing to see how far they have come as a store and as a business. You cannot go wrong with visiting this store and browsing without leaving out with something to buy! 5 star customer service. You will not regret it

Best music store in the area. ABC is Ok and Music unlimited is still around,…read morebut Music Depot is my spot. Just bought some cables, prices are good.... I've stopped buying music stuff from Amazon, Sweetwater, etc. and have opted instead to support local businesses like Music Depot. Matthew is a great guy, so's his Dad. If you haven't been to Music Depot, head on down to B Street and check it out. I guarantee you're going to like it.

This dude rules. He fixed my zero sound issue in 5 minutes and is just a great guy!…read more Ok why the frick do they make you type 85 characters la de da de da.

Gary has done excellent work on my Ibanez Prestige guitar and my 74 Les paul. Literally the only…read moreperson I trust with those. I mean, if the top Pros in the business trust him I'd be a fool not to. Always does top notch work .

Awesome workmanship Speedy turnaround on shipping repaired…read moredevices...I would recommend The Amp lab for repairs on all amplifiers and most electronics...These fellows are on the top of my repair companies! Thanks guys!!!

Keith resurrected my late dad in law's 1952 Gibson GA-40. He kept it as original as possible and…read moretook exactly to where I wanted it to be. Very knowledgeable, to the point, honest and kind. There is a wait because he's that good.

I will be starting this review by saying I have bought 5 Taylor's from this place. Each and every…read moreone of them is unique in styling ,quality and performance. I can honestly say the service knowledge and generous allowance of time I was given by the sales people here have been unmatched by anyone else. You can go to Guitar Center or any other warehouse guitar shop and be treated like cattle by limited information from the sales people there or you can go to a place like this and receive the knowledge and know how from those who really do know about the guitars they're selling. The only fear I have here is I tend to buy another guitar with each visit. Lol However, that's simply because everything they have is good quality with equal value.

Best in the bay !!!! Service with a smile.... And the best showroom for PRS ever ! I don't go…read moreanywhere else !!!

Super nice and honest guy. Not gonna seek you services you don't need. Would use again.read more

My tele is playing great, and I'll be bringing Jeremy the rest of my guitars shortly. Great deal…read more Super cool dood.