How have I not reviewed this place before?? This is, hands down, the best music shop in town! While I was a musician in my former life, my son is the reason why we keep coming back to Blue Note B's. Blue Note B's was originally recommended to us by my son's trumpet player as THE place to get his horn serviced. They were able to get his antique horn (which once belonged to my late grandfather, a jazz musician from St. Louis, and which sat on a shelf for decades before my son came along) into great playing shape - including straightening out a bend in the lead pipe and getting slides and valves to not stick. My son still plays this special trumpet in a jazz band but also now plays bass in another jazz band. We have been to Blue Note B's for several repairs on his bass instruments - and I have been so impressed with how Wesley has handled many different issues and his expert advice. He has "saved the day" on more than one occasion (thank you, Wesley!!) and has been very patient with my perfectionist son. We have also found other staff to be knowledgeable and accommodating, too. No doubt, this will always be our "go-to" place for all of our musical needs. We are lucky to have Blue Note B's here in Reno! read more

Blue Note B's Horn Shop - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

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I had a terrible experience with Blue Note B's. When I signed a contract in March 2022 it was for a rent to own trumpet. (Their rental program has since changed.) I was told I'd be charged 30 equal payments and the instrument would be paid off. They charged me 46 payments, an overcharge of nearly $500. As I was dealing with cancer treatment at the time, I didn't catch this until 2025. When I asked for a refund (based on original agreement) I was denied and told I could apply it toward an upgraded instrument (current policy). I'd give 0 stars for a deceptive trade practice if I could. read more

Nice hometown music shop with good people and service! Highly recommended! And close to Boulevard Pizza and Bizarre Guitar!! read more

Had to wait 13 days for Caleb to fix a pad and give a flute the once over. It also cost $65 for that ridiculous, the communication between whoever is in front and Caleb is non-existent. I will be going to somewhere else, if you know the schools start is busy then hire some more people or explain it's going to take two weeks. read more

I have been visiting this place for question, repairs and buying, They always answer my question and give me advice that proof that is not just money make their satisfaction. I like places like that. I used to go to the place in Reno but that one is closed now but is the same owner. Unfortunately due to the COVID there is not more way to walk around inside the place but they still treat you nicely and kindly. read more

Blue Note B's Horn Shop - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Sparks, Nevada

I am here from Utah to play with Reno Chamber Orchestra and Reno Philharmonic and had an emergency repair come up on both my flute and piccolo. Caleb did an amazing job getting both instruments in good playing condition for my rehearsals and concerts this week...he was a total lifesaver! Then my Uber driver was running late to pick me up and Freddie offered to give me a ride to my rehearsal at UNR! Unbelievable service here! They all went above and beyond to take care of me! I appreciate their work and their kindness very much! read more

Always very helpful.. They guys know what they are doing and are honest. Did not want to sell my daughter the flute until she knew how to play it. read more

This place was wonderful! Customer service is excellent! I had multiple violins that needed servicing (tuning, etc.) for my children's orchestra classes. I preferred to have them ready before school started if possible. Freddie, who is the sales manager immediately went to work to tune the instruments. I couldn't believe how immediate the service was. He found an issue with one of the violins that needed more time to repair, but it took less than a week and everything was good to go in time before school started! Selection of musical supplies and service was excellent! Highly recommend! read more

I am a little indecisive of whether this should a 2 star review or a 3. When I walked into Blue Note B's Horn Shop there is only one word that came to mind..... Laziness! Every direction you look is just pure laziness. The place looks like they are in the process of moving into a new location BUT that is not the case. The building is small and there is potential for them to make the place a little bit more business like, but I doubt there is any ambition to clean up at all. There is boxes of junk on top of tables, a dirty fish tank, and stuff just laying around everywhere with no type of order to mess at all. On one wall they took the time to make a neat looking instrument rack that resembled music notes. Instead of using the rack for nice instruments, they chose to hang dirty rags on it. I went in for two items. I needed a music stand and trumpet music book. They had the stand but had run out of the books. At first when I heard that they did not have the book in stock, I was completely understanding. The man working then told me that every sixth grader in Washoe County is using that book and that is why they ran out. If you are a business owner and know that every sixth grader in the area is going to be flooding the door looking for a simple book, why did you not stock you inventory to accommodate the new school year? Upon check out the guy behind the desk asked me if I would like a receipt. I paid with my card and the place didn't exactly scream reputable so I thought it was a good idea. The cashier then told me that I would have to wait for them to go get the receipt book out of their truck. I was not the first person into the shop that day and it had been open for several hours. What were doing all this time without being able to give people receipts and why are they taking documents like that home? Overall it wasn't an absolute miserable experience. The people working were nice and knowledgeable. I just wish that they would take a little more pride in their music store. If I ever return and they clean the place up a little, I would be happy to write an updated review. read more

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Still the best music store in town. Brandon and Joanna go out of their way personally to help individuals and schools. Support local. read more

Excellent horn shop. Owner is super awesome!! Highly recommended for repair and purchase/rental.

Kent is helping my daughter learn the violin. He is very nice and attentive. My 5yr old is very comfortable with him. We've been taking lessons online and she has learned so much with Kent in the first session then she did in a couple of sessions on line. I new this would be best because of the positioning of the hands, the position of the violin/bow, and the techniques. This is an awesome place and recommend. Could be cleaned a little but we aren't here for neatness. read more

Brandon came highly reccomended after I played a horn at a festival he had recently overhauled. A text/phone conversation later and he picked me up on his way to work at the place the band was staying and we went in for a sax tuneup. By mid tour in a hot van my pads has adjusted a bit and he took care of everything from top to bottom while I waited. A few replacements and tweaks later I was back on the road and playing a happy horn again. Prices were reasonable and it was a great shop from storefront to tech bench. Thanks again! read more

I rented a violin for my daughter at the Instrument Rental Night for school. It was steady with business and they weren't able to fully explain everything involved in the rent-to-own process. The next day, I called with lots of questions and concerns. Joanna (??) really listened and took the time to help me find the best option for my family. Fantastic customer service! read more

Blue Note B is a fantastic addition to the musical life of this area. Brandon is a qualified and gifted repairman who is also a great musician. As such he knows and understands both the instruments and the clientele who owns them. He is supportive of young musicians, and is dedicated to creating a space for them to learn from some great instructors. He is also maintaining a fleet of instruments for rental. We are pleased to see this new shop and really like how it is shaping up! Heartily recommend! read more

I went into several music shops before landing at Blue Note B's to get some info on the violin, rent one & ask about lessons for myself. I got so much more than that. The customer service was wonderful, all 10+ times I've walked in! The guys in the shop all seem to care deeply about music & are excited to help others share their passion. I took lessons from Kent Irwin at the shop. He's super patient, knowledgeable and friendly. I imagine he'd be a great teacher for kids as well. My work schedule often changes or I get sent out of town last minute, and he was flexible & communicative through my needs. I very highly recommend this shop over the others I went to in town. read more

Love Blue Note! They are knowledgeable and their service is outstanding. They have worked on my daughter's clarinet several times. They have really come through for us in a pinch during marching season. They are the best! read more

This is the place to go! I love the fact that Brandon not only will fix your instruments but he has such a sincerity in his customers you'll always leave happy! So excited for whats to come with the Blue Note B's and for everyone to have someone you can trust with your instrument! read more

I am a mother of twin band players. I had 5 days to rent two instruments for their Summer Band practice. Blue Note was highly recommended to me. The wife of the owner helped me every step of the way. She was very knowledgeable, kind, and prompt. With in 20 minutes I walked out with two Instruments, a cleaning kit, payment plan set up, and all repairs for only $20, repairs done promptly. I highly recommend Blue Note to anyone looking for instruments to rent. After renting these instruments for 20-24 months, we will own them. read more

My daughter recently found her father in laws clarinet that he learned on. It was missing pieces and was in really bad shape, (she wanted it repaired as her father in law passed away last year). Lou replaced the parts and gave it a complete overhaul, he even found a case for it. Now my grandson is learning to play on his grandfather's clarinet. What a legacy. Thank you Blue Note B's read more

This Shop is awesome!!!! I had two small problems on my flute, a cork was missing on the G# key and the cork/crown was too far out; the technician fixed both problems while I waited!! I am so pleased I to have these two small problems fixed. read more

Wow, what a cool place. It is rare to see music stores actually owned by real musicians.. I will be referring my business here for repairs, new instrument, and of course music lessons. I'm a hard sell and they do great. keep Reno going stay local ! read more

If your looking to rent an instrument,not pay too much,and get great customer service,you should look elsewhere. Lazy,rude,and unprofessional! read more

Great new location! Wanted to rent an instrument,so went to the Oddie location. OMG! You can't get there from Oddie! You have to drive around the block,and then cut through an alley to reach them. The whole area is old and run down,so we decided to not even get out of the car. It just wasn't worth the risk. No thanks! Worse than their other place,if you can believe it. read more

Wow what a difference in this place. After a not stellar first time experience, I was very impressed when the owner reached out and apologized so I decided to give this place a second chance. They have expanded and it's very open inside, plus I can go to one place for everything I need instrument related. The customer service was outstanding and they explained to me all my options when it came to price point and what would be best for my daughter at her skill level. So impressed. I have four kids and I will be coming back for all my music needs. read more

Reno is so lucky to have a music store and repair shop of this caliber. We have had two instruments overhauled by Brandon, and he's made several smaller repairs to our instruments. They're knowledgeable, friendly, and honest. We are customers for life! read more

This local, family-owned business is absolutely awesome! I rented a cello for my 6th grader and the experience was fantastic! Easy to work with, friendly, and knowledgeable. Would definitely use this shop again! read more

I took my tenor sax to Blue Note B's needing a full overhaul the day after it was taken out of its case and dropped by an airport employee at some point during a "routine baggage check". I was only in Reno for a few days but I really needed that sax back in playable condition both because of the sentimental value of this horn and because my entire trip basically centered around playing it. I was hearing great things about the technicians at this shop and I was excited to have my horn in their hands. Brandon was the one who took on my repair and he was completely awesome. He worked on my horn non stop and had it ready at the end of the next day. He was also super friendly and helpful, calling me at the end of the first day with updates on how my horn was coming along, and taking photos and writing a report to help me try and get a refund from the airline responsible for the damage. Not only was my horn back in playing condition once he was finished, but it was better than its ever been before. The pads he installed on the horn were all new hand crafted and super responsive. The lowest notes on the horn pop out easier than ever and the whole horn just feels like butter. These guys really know what they're doing when it comes to saxophones. I'm lucky to have had this happened on a flight to Reno so that I had this amazing opportunity to get a practically all new saxophone from the amazing work at Blue Note B's. I will definitely be coming back here the next time I find myself in Reno. read more

I took my daughter in yesterday to rent a viola and all the accessories for 6th grade strings. Joanna was AMAZING- friendly, helpful, knowledgeable, and efficient. I really appreciate great customer service- and that is exactly what we got. I will definitely recommend this great store to anyone and everyone!! Thank you!! read more

I purchased a used trumpet online and when it arrives it was in worse condition than I expected. I took the horn to Blue Note Bs for the work to bring it to a usable instrument. when I got it back I was amazed. The horn was beautiful and some follow-up work discovered after I played the horn a bit were done quickly and perfectly. I would recommend them to anyone who needs any instrument repair, minor or major. They Are Great! read more