I have been a customer at Benning Violins since 1980. I've always been pleased with their excellent and friendly service...none better! The family owned (four generations) provides personal service to all customers.....something rarely seen these days. Most importantly, they are honest and trustworthy in all their business practices. I know that anytime I need any kind of work done on my own violins and bows I can count on their expert craftsmanship and speedy service, As a teacher, my students are fortunate to find such quality (and fairly priced) rental instruments (and for purchase), Eric Benning is a truly master luthier. Superb instruments.....violins, violas, and cellos Bravo to Benning! Sincerely, Vincent H. read more

Benning took my cheap cello and viola and made them sound so amazing and they did it super fast. They were amazing all around , will only ever use them now. read more

I love this place. They are a quality string shop, with knowledgeable family members running the place. I'm a violin teacher myself and I always send my students here. read more

My son plays the cello and my daughter the violin, and our family has been a customer of Benning Violins for over five years now. We have visited them for advice, repairs, strings, maintenance, appraisals, bow re-hairs, and bow, case and instrument purchases. We have always had wonderful experiences, no matter what the reason for our visit. Their prices are extremely competitive, the customer service is professional and personal, and the shop is beautiful and immaculate. Everyone in the shop offers honest, well-thought-out opinions, and multiple recommendations depending on what you are looking for. Each person in the shop also has their own area of expertise. The purchase process is second-to-none. Whether we are shopping for a bow or instrument, they ask our price range and have everything laid out and ready when we arrive. They even provide a private room for you to experiment in. If you are looking for a string instrument, or are looking for anything associated with one, Benning Violins is the place to go! read more

Excellent instruments, excellent people, excellent service. My 6 year old has been playing on a violin from there for almost a year. It was the best investment possible: she really responds to the quality of the instrument and she enjoys playing more and more. And BV has a great trade-up policy where they give you the value of the violin towards the next size up. They are a great choice. read more

I had an amazing experience shopping for cello bows at Benning Violins, having just purchased a 2010 Matthew Wehling bow yesterday. Laura provided a personal level of customer experience and made the shipping and selection process for a home trial so smooth. Communication was prompt, consistent, and always friendly. I was impressed with their collection of fine bows and instruments and it was helpful to be able to try as many as six bows (many shops send three at a time). The quality of the bows was impeccable and the prices were very fair, compared to my experiences at several other shops at the same price point. I'm happy to support this family business and couldn't recommend them more! read more

I have been a patron of Benning Violins for 18 years. They have always provided me with the highest quality service and instruments. Over the years I have purchased and sold many instruments for myself and for my students through the Bennings. All of us have been beyond satisfied with the experience. I love and trust the family and feel it is important to support true luthiers and family owned businesses in our community. read more

Highly recommend them for all of your string playing needs. While they certainly cater to the highest level professionals, they also give a lot of care to students and teachers (like me) who need less expensive gear that sounds good. They have my respect because they truly care about the quality of their repairs. They won't do a repair that they aren't proud of. Many of my students come to school with student level Benning instruments, and they are some of the best you can find for the price. There are some great people behind the counter who really care about their customers and musical community. 6/5 stars read more

Called the nearest violin service shop near me to do an emergency tune on my son's violin. Confirmed with Paige, the front desk, that I'd be there in less than 15 minutes. Upon arrival Paige greeted me with such kindness. On the spot Mr. Hans Benning took my son's violin and tuned it immediately--minutes before the shop closed. Service like this is rare, and it's refreshing to know that this shop cares for people and their instruments. In addition to finding out its convenient proximity, it also turns out that this shop is definitely an A-1 class act--both in fine instruments, and exceptional service! This will be my go-to shop from now on. Thank you, Mr. Hans Benning for caring! read more

Honest I would recommend Good location No appointment was necessary in my case String got it Good price Case good The store is convenient read more

I just had the most wonderful experience at Benning! A bunch of colleagues decided to get together Tuesday PM to play some chamber music. I hadn't played since my days with Sacramento Symphony, etc more than 15 years ago. So I took out my viola the previous Sunday to tune it, and the G string broke! I couldn't find a shop open in time to make it to play chamber music. My Amazon shipment wasn't going to arrive until late Tuesday. But I noticed that Benning opened at 8 AM on Tuesday! The owner told me he gets to the shop a half hour after his dad, at 5 AM, and was happy to greet me. He put my new string on for me and tuned my viola. And I was so happy with my success, I bought a new folding music stand on sale to replace my aging stand and help the business. What a great gem of a find! I will return here again and again. read more

I have been going to Benning Violins for the last 6 years. I have had nothing but very friendly service. Thank you Bennings!

Benning Violins is my shop of choice both for myself and my students. The shop itself is goregous and takes me back to my days in Chicago at Carl Becker. The work that they do is stellar which is why I trust them with my instrument as well as sending my students there to rent or purchase a violin. The people that work there are so nice, caring and full of expertise that I often find myself just wanting to hang around the shop even when business is done. read more

I am so thankful for this shop. My son damaged the fingerboard on his cello and needed a fix but he needed his cello back for an important practice the next day. Mr. Benning met us at the door and fixed the problem in 2 hours. And on a Saturday. When it is time to buy his next cello, we are heading over here. Wonderful people. read more

What a terrible experience! We came in to have our new cello looked at and was greeted by the grumpiest old man we have ever encountered... to start off, there was a nice young lady behind the counter and as soon as the phone rang the old man scolded her... "GET THE PHONE!" He insulted our instrument which Innoway is insulting our investment and we left feeling just disgusted with the entire experience... there are many great places in Los Angeles to bring your instrument for eight week... Go to a place that will actually take care of you.. read more

They helped us pick up a violin for my son and really gave us guidance on care and storage. Also they give a credit for your rental fees!

This is a followup on my previous posting. He did a fantastic job on my violin, and it sounds and looks better than I thought it would after a major repair of violin top crack and varnish damage. I waited a half a year to confirm how I felt, and am comfortable writing this. Mr. Benning's manner was fairly cool (formal) towards myself, but I've heard from friends that he is quite warm towards them. His staff was helpful and friendly when I talked to them. I gather that they are family members, reception and repair staff included. I left violin with him for about a week, and he gave me an estimate for the total price and timeframe of what my violin needed. He finished within that timeframe and again, result was better than I expected. I know two musicians that play his cellos and they sound and look fantastic. I recommend this shop for anybody with a nice instrument that needs repairs. read more

This place is amazing. I'm so sorry that I haven't written a review sooner I have been coming to Bennings Violin since late 2015 when my friend who was a luthier, moved away. I asked him if he could recommend a good place for me to take my violin for repairs and he said "Bennings violin in studio city." My life was changed after that. Bennings violin a small family owned violin shop in studio city that has been around since the 1950s, and it is run my nicest people you will ever meet. My first time at Bennings Violin, I was lucky enough to meet Mrs Nancy Bennings who is the sweetest person ever. She gave me the grand tour and showed me all around the shop, and even showed me a cello that she made herself. Then the next time I came in I met Mr. Hanz Benning. He is a very nice man and someone who you'd like to hear a story from. He was telling me about his trips to Mexico with his wife to help the poor of Mexico. Mrs Bennings teaches violin and Mr Bennings teachers kids and adults how to craft things to sell and make a living for their families. They every built a music hall in a Mexican prison so they can teach the youth how to play. These are truly amazing people. Bennings is a family owned business, Hanz has his son Eric and his grandson who are also a luthiers, his niece Laura who is amazing. She helped us with all of our purchases for our after school program Esperanza Azteca and made sure we had everything when we went to pick up. They are affordable and they won't try to sell you something you don't need. They are an amazing company and an amazing group of people. I will be coming here for a long time and I will recommend this violin shop to my students and colleagues. read more

I love visiting this shop. The Benning family members are all so professional, classy, warm and helpful. They are truly specialists in strings. The atmosphere in the shop is so inviting and warm. Aside from the fabulous instruments--violins, violas and cellos, they have sheet music, CDs and beautiful miniatures. We have rented one violin and purchased 3. We were allowed to borrow 3 or 4 violins for teacher approval. All of the family members take pride in the business and they are even Gold sponsors of my daughter's elementary school, Colfax Charter, supporting our Suzuki and Orchestra programs. Check out Benning Violins, formerly studio city music. You will enjoy a quiet and serene experience :) and a little escape from stress. read more

Great string shop. We rented a cello for our 9-year old- good instrument, very reasonable price. Highly recommended.

Honest, knowledgeable and not snooty at all. Big thanks to Eric at Benning Violins for his guidance!

I have been going to these guys for YEARS! My old professors at the Colburn School don't go anywhere else. I bought my french viola bow there in 2012 and it has been a dream. The Bennings are lovely people and it is always a pleasure to visit the shop. Whether you are purchasing or having something repaired or improved, the experience will be a great one. Eric and Hans are amazing craftsmen and will knowledgeably answer any possible questions you might have. They have never tried to up-sell me and have always demonstrated fine work. I could not recommend anyone better for any of your string instrument needs. read more

Great all around experience. Highest quality craftsmanship and service. Wish every store I went to had such integrity.

My friend told me about this place and I was not disappointed! It was amazing! My daughter bought her first violin for $60.00 online. For her 16th birthday my Husband Jeff and I surprised our daughter by taking her to this place to pick out a brand new violin. We were asked about our price range so they could help and stay within our budget. They took several violins to a nice closed off room for our daughter to play and test out. Everyone was so helpful, patient and amazing to work with! read more

Asked Eric in 2010 if he had any good violin bows on consignment that were going for below market value. He showed me a Fetique that I ended up purchasing for $9000. His cut was 20 percent so the seller got $7200. Around 2016 I put the bow on sale on consignment with him since I did not like it anymore and was not using it. Fast forward to 2018 when he calls and says he has a buyer for $9000, of which he takes his 20 percent cut and offers me $7200. Nice business model to take a cut coming and going...needless to say I did not sell it. A used car dealership in hand crafted wood goods. Highly recommend you avoid. read more

Everyone at Benning Violins was extremely helpful and accommodating throughout my search for a new bow. Their inventory was fantastic and I ended up finding exactly what I needed. There was no pressure to speed through the process or even make a purchase. They allowed me time to do my due diligence. I'm grateful to have found the shop! I highly recommend visiting their shop when you're in LA! read more

What a beautiful family run business! I brought in an old violin that was found in a safe and they were kind enough to give me information on it free of charge. Thank you again for your help. read more

I love this place. Best violin shop I've ever been to. What dedicated professionals!

Amazing violin shop - they did a great job on my violin, love the rehair and the prices were very good too. The shop itself is incredibly cute, the atmosphere is so friendly and all of the staff people are wonderful. I will definitely come back when I'm in the area again. So far best violin shop experience in LA!! read more

One of the best experiences I've ever had in a strings shop, hands down :) the people at Benning are informed, honest and incredibly kind. I rented a cello from them for performing 10 days in LA. They gave me a great cello that did the job beautifully. What a relief! I'm very grateful to Benning for making my stay and work in LA a positive experience and for making me feel at home far away from home. Highly recommended. read more

Very cool family owned multi generation luthier shop. My daughter's violin teacher recommended we come here when it was time to upgrade her student model, so we made the drive out from Culver City and it was well worth it. We ended up coming back for an upgraded bow and then for an oops repair. The entire staff is very kind, patient, knowledgeable, and have a ton of beautiful instruments to try from beginner to collector investment grade. read more

Benning's is a great violin shop! Very personable, I trust their repairs, and they are truly honest! They have an array of good instruments and bows, reasonably priced. read more

Benning violins shop is a truly unique and excellent violin shop. I know the place for almost 25 years. One of the very few best violin shops in the country. They are really great! read more

This family owned and operated business has been around for 65 years and it is clear as to why. They are so sweet, kind, friendly, and helpful. It's impossible not to want to do business with them. We rented a violin for two months, and my daughter decided she didn't really want to play. I wanted to start playing the violin so I could continue to visit with these people. So lovely! read more

Disclaimer: Been playing viola since a child, but not very diligently, I'm still quite the amateur. I went here a few years ago and still remember the bad time I had. Had lent my instrument to my friend while I was off at college and got it back it back with a pretty worn down bow (needed to be replaced when I lent it and was worse now) and missing a bridge inexplicably. The guy there was trying to sell me a bridge for $120, which okay, at a high end store, whatever, I'm not going pay it as a casual player but his insistence that that was just "what they cost' was annoying as well as his condescending attitude and outright lies with some of the other things he insisted. Constantly berating my instrument as if it was a cheap piece of shit- had the thing for over 10 years and knew it was quality for the price- I've played on cheap pieces of shit and this has a great sound comparably. By his standards I'm sure it was, but surely he should know that musicians can carry some attachment to their things, and that doesn't seem like a good way to make a sale- especially since I had used it long enough to know it works well. I bought a new bow for 50 bucks, it's good. But he also tried to sell me a new case assuring me that some kind of bug had eaten through my old one and he assured me they would eat through the new one- yeah, nah, it hadn't been well taken care of for a decade and was pretty crappy to being with, whatever. 3 years later and everything is peachy with my case and bow. To me I think he read me as an amateur(true) and just tried to exploit me, selling me a bunch of stuff without actually paying any attention to what I was looking for. Ended up popping to a general music store down ventura and getting a bridge for under 10 bucks. It's worked fine. As a professional I'm sure this store is great, but I was pissed enough to remember this exchange for a few years, so just don't let them upsell you. I got my bow at a pretty good price there and I'm pretty happy with it, at least. read more

Love this shop. I have gotten repairs, purchased bows and gotten 2 cases here. Everyone is really nice and attentive and the instruments are amazing quality. I see why this place is rated so high read more

Phenomenal, old world charm and attentive service. I went in to buy a violin bow and told the clerk my budget. She indicated that it would take a minute and disappeared. She reappeared and ushered me into a sound buffered room where she had laid out more than twenty excellent bows, told me the pros and cons of different types, answered all my questions, and invited me to take my time trying them all out. After about twenty minutes of fiddling around, I selected one. When I returned to the counter, the clerk was busy being very attentive to a young violinist who could not have been more than ten. She gave him the same level of service she had provided me. A different clerk rang up my purchase and made me a gift of some very nice, quality rosin for my new bow. I was so delighted that I gave him my old bow to be re-haired, which they did beautifully. Now I have two sweet, mellow bows and some great rosin. It makes practicing a joy. By the way, I looked up my new bow on Amazon, and it was exactly the same price. read more

Amazing instruments and the people there are incredibly nice. I got my cello there a few months ago, and it has a wonderful sound. I am very pleased with that purchase. Overall the best place to get instruments! read more

I am a local public school music teacher, and I highly recommend this vendor, not only to beginning string playres, but players of all levels. They are 100% famiily owned and operated. They are highly knowledgable, friendly and helpful. Their motivation is not to upsell anyone, but rather to maintain the outstanding they have earned themselves in the musical community. If you are the parent of a child learning a string instrument, I strongly recommend you avoid any of the "big box" music stores, and stick with an orchestral strings specialist. read more

I have always had excellent experiences at Benning Violins. I find them to be incredibly professional and knowledgeable, as well as caring human beings. Walking into their shop, one immediately senses the tradition of world-class expertise, excellent customer service, and absolute integrity. Recently, I took my newly acquired cello in for an adjustment, and Eric did a terrific job making a new soundpost, fitting it expertly, and providing very sound advice. I was also able to find a wonderful French bow for a very fair price. Whether you are a professional soloist or a beginning student, it is critical to find someone you trust intuitively, and that's how I feel about Benning Violins. read more