They will work on your violin for a reasonable price. Call to set up an appointment for best service.

Hi We are grandparents. We used Brobst for our daughter when she was growing up, and always found the staff helpful and bought a violin from them when our daughter was playing a full size. Now when our granddaughters visit in the summer from Minnesota we rent a cello for one of our granddaughters, so she can practice. We haven't found any difference in the courtesy of the staff or the reliability of the instruments. We love Brobst! read more

I bought a violin today from Brobst Violin Shop, and I truly appreciated the help Sharon provided. She laid out a few violins for my Instructor and I to try out, and she helped us through the process. Sharon is very knowledgeable about violins and really cares about her work. I'd definitely recommend working with her. Thank you so much again!! read more

Excellent service! I came here looking to buy a Violin for my middle schooler son and we had a very good experience. Sharon was extremely helpful & knowledgeable. She gave us different violins to try out, patiently walked us through the types, and helped us choose the best one for my son. It was overall a great experience. read more

We rented for a few years. It was nice to have the option of getting a bigger size if necessary. We had a great experience with this shop. Would absolutely recommend them. read more

Brobst Violin Shop - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

I was ready to buy an instrument. I needed to pick out the right one. But I regret coming here. What a shame! Wasted an hour and half for nothing. First of all, the place was hard to find enough. On top of that, I was standing in front of the counter for 5 minutes just for someone to say hello, then I was left alone for another 15-20 minutes for someone to do a demo. I did some research before going there, the video/pictures looked great. Then the big contrast, the salesperson was not knowledgeable about the instrument, there was no intro or sanitizing measures(COVID). Wasted my time driving all the way there. I bought my instrument the same day at Potter's right after I left. What a difference! For the same price ranges. read more

Excellent selection and service! This is by far the most comprehensive and professional violin shop I have ever visited and the repair work on my Hill bow was flawless. Everyone I have met here is professional, knowledgeable , and caring. Thank you for making my visits something to look forward to! read more

I don't really know what to compare this to, as I am a fledgling cellist (read: I squawk out "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star" at this point) and the last time I was in a non-electric music store was decades ago when my mom dragged me kicking and screaming to sign me up for some lame music lesson or other. The place was pretty busy. I was hot around the collar as I was clearly out of my element and had no game plan to stand around looking cool. I felt like if I made a sudden move, strings would pop in my face and years of hand-crafted beauty would come crashing down around me. I finally got some help; the guy signed me up and sent me out with a cello, a case and a wave of his hand. This unnerved the shit out of me as I didn't even know how to carry it, much less play it. The service was sparse and intimidating; perhaps my sales meistro assumed that I had some experience because, seriously, what kind of weirdo takes cello lessons in her 30s? Excuse me sir, I do. read more

I came here yesterday upon the advice of my new music instructor. It's been years since I've played the violin and really wanted to get back into it. I'm 27 now and felt a little nervous about starting it up again so late in life. But then I met people who started it up in their late 30's and even later, so honestly, WHO CARES how old you are! Anyway, I didn't want to outright buy just any violin. I was advised to rent one first. So I walked into Brobst Music Store and was immediately helped by this wonderful woman. She was extremely knowledgeable about music and the violin. She spent her time in showing me the different models and played them each for me so I can compare the different sounds. She then let me go into the studio to play them myself. She was very patient with me and answered all of my questions. I ended up renting a beautiful German violin. I absolutely love their rental/purchase policy. It's very simple and transparent. The monthly rental cost of $24 applies towards the purchase price, should you choose to purchase it later, AND you can always upgrade to an even nice violin. Best part about that is that the full value of your current violin is applied towards the upgrade. This is perfect because I am seriously considering upgrading at some point to a nicer violin (my current violin costs around $1200, so it's comforting to know that I won't be losing any of that value). I also upgraded my strings for a one time fee of $33. The new thicker strings give me that deeper sound versus those strings on student quality violins, which I am not a fan of. Overall, this is a fantastic place for beginners and experienced musicians. I am beyond happy and can't wait to come back! read more

Brobst Violin Shop - My beautiful new German violin. - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Alexandria, Virginia

The Worst Place Ever I'll keep it short. I'm a bass player that was playing with the Manassas Symphony and because of my job will be moving to the island of Guam. Before moving, my bass needed a "facelift" - lots of scratches on the surface between my bow and my fingernails. I brought it in for needed repairs on 11 May and was given a ticket for pick up 25 May. No probs. came to pick it up on 1 June (thinking I would give them some time). It had not been touched. I was told to come back on 6 June which I did. The same. They told me to come back on "Saturday". Knowing that even if it would have been done by then I feel it would have been a rush job. I picked my bass up and left. I cannot express how upset I am. read more

Brobst staff are so knowledgeable and provide excellent customer service. Purchased a cello there several years ago. So happy with it!

The worst customer service-no greeting or "thank you" The young owner was not friendly at all. I drove 30 miles to get there with traffic and I felt like he didn't even want to wait on me. He thinks everyone comes his store and he is too good to work there. He needs to be humble and smiles. read more

Oh My Goodness Gracious!!!!! Brobst Violin shop is now one of my favorite store. I am a violin player and I need to get a full violin. They were so proffessional at this. My sis reccomended me to go to this shop. The person who helped me was really patient and cool. BROBST VIOLIN SHOP IS AWESOME!!!!!!!! i reccomended it to anyone who plays a violin, viola, cello,and the bass. read more

Would not recommend at all! Took my daughters violin for a simple finger board repair and they made it sound like it was a piece of junk with so much wrong with it. I told them to just glue in the board and I'll worry about the other stuff later. When I returned to pick it up the next day it was missing a string. They said it came that way. I said no it didn't! It had 4 strings. They said well we can add an old string but not a new one because the strings are so old. As she's putting on the strings she went on to say well when the strings are so old they start to disintegrate! Huh? Ok but they won't magically disappear! Got my violin and left. Will not be returning here and I informed my daughters teacher never to recommend this place to anyone! read more

An extremely friendly family-owned shop with hundreds of violins and violas, dozens of cellos, a few dozen basses, and file cabinets full of sheet music and books. Sharon is the best (and friendliest) one to show you violins, violas, cellos, and bows. Brayden is the bass expert. We bought three instruments and two bows from the store. Initial set up was free. read more

Great shop with a huge sheet music selection. I'm never disappointed when I go in there, they always have what I'm looking for!

I was sent to this store by my son's violin teacher to check into having a bridge refit done. When I took the violin out of the case and handed it to the man, you would have thought I had handed him a dirty diaper. The level of condescension and disdain was amazing to witness. As I stood there while he proceeded to tell me everything wrong with the piece of trash violin that I had dared to bring into his shop, the old man that worked there walked by and paused just long enough to give a snort of laughter and then walked away shaking his head. I stood there and let him go through his speech on their prices and products and then took my violin back and walked out of the store. I then took it to another violin shop because guess what, there is more than one violin shop in the DC, Virginia, Maryland area and they were a pleasure to work with and were happy to work on my little violin. If you play in the National Symphony Orchestra and need the air of snobbery while spending lots of your hard earned money, then this is the place for you. However, if you are just trying to expose your child to the joys of music or are playing for pleasure, then I implore you to look elsewhere so that your love of music will not be tarnished by these music curmudgeons. read more

I had an extremely negative experience at this shop but by describing what exactly happened, I don't want to revisit such a horrible memory and give any more life to it by leaving a trace. Instead, I decided to write a more constructive review to empower and help fellow musicians and parents of string players by sharing what I learned. I know how hard it is to shop for a fine instrument. At the end of the day, money is money, you might be okay paying a little more or a little less, but when you as a human being are treated without dignity, that is the time to say "it is not what it is." To forgive and forget is one thing, if you don't speak up, someone else might be treated the same way, and of course that's why we write reviews to stop the perpetuation. This is what I learned after dealing with this shop on many visits and several purchases, but I have also visited other shops as well so my review is a result of comparative analysis. I hope it can serve as a helpful guide to buying a fine instrument. (disclaimer: I have no experience with rentals) 1. Customer service: I think generally it doesn't really matter if you are at the shop to pick up minor things like rosin or strings, etc. or although you can often get those on the internet for better prices. Some of us can tolerate poor customer services once in a while but under no circumstance should there be a denigrating way to treat customer, i.e. yelling and intimidating a customer, such a dehumanizing treatment has left an indelible mark with me--haunted me for days; I suffered from a lack of appetite and waking up several times in the middle of night. This is how the owner treats a customer who made several costly purchases and returning for another business. Come to think of it, I tried to ignore my gut feelings. I would literally feel sick to my stomach driving to the shop (because of the way I was often treated) that I even had to pray on my way to the shop. Something always tells me that I didn't want to go there but because this was the closest shop I could find, I just went there out of sheer convenience. But boy was I wrong. Finally, when the lines were crossed, there was no turning back. That was it for me. Some family shops have excellent customer service, but some shops don't, because you don't really get "quality control" with customer service. Will they side with the customer if a customer brings up an issue after things like this happen? Normally, I would file a complaint letter, but because they are all related, so there was no point of doing that. Also, once you buy the instrument, you will need to deal with them during a warranty period. 2. Negotiate: In my opinion, it is important to negotiate the price in a violin shop. I think they seem to expect this anyhow so many shops (not just this one) might probably price it that way. Compare the discount you are getting from this shop to another shop nearby. Another shop nearby offers 10% from time to time and you don't really have to ask for it. But what is the "discount" they are giving you, or are there really any? If you don't mind paying whatever the label says without any discounts on expensive instruments, it might be okay for you. Even if you can afford to pay a higher price, my suggestion to negotiate is so that you can discern the shop's underlying attitude towards customers. 3. Perks or Offers: Some shops offer to help you save on the instruments. For instance, they would give suggestions, i.e. if you live out of town, I can save you on tax by shipping it to you, etc. or if you don't use credit card, I can save you on xyz. It might be helpful to ask these questions and see what they are willing to do for you. 4. Understand their policy: read all the written policies, and if you run into a discrepancy, mention it, and ask why. They said I am supposed to pay for shipping when the website says it's free under a certain amount. 5. Price: If there is a price tag, you might think it's the retail price, I paid exactly what's on the price tag, later I learned that it was priced a few hundred dollars less on their actual website. Hmmm, isn't that weird? And no it's not because it was on sale or anything. We are not talking about Walmart or Michaels here where you would often see a fluctuation of price due to sales. 6. If you make an appointment to check out instruments, some shops would engage with you the whole time while giving you the space/time to check out the instruments. In this shop, you pretty much have to beg for their attention to help you or ask questions. Maybe your experience is different, but this was my experience. I wish you the best of luck and success in finding the instrument you love, and most of all, be treated with respect and dignity that you deserve. read more

I am relatively new to the area, and have just starting trying to find a place to take my viola to be repaired. The first time I went to Brobst, it was only because I was looking for locations near my home in Alexandria. I don't remember why, but I do remember being ambivalent about the service and thinking I should go elsewhere the next time I needed repairs. I should have listened to myself because this time the service left a lot to be desired. When I entered the shop, there were a few people waiting to be helped, and I realized it was because the lady, I believe the matriarch of the family owned business, was so friendly she engaged each customer before me in nearly 20 minute conversations. Luckily, another man, dark hair, probably in his 40s came out and said "Who's next?". I quickly discovered why he normally isn't the one helping with customer service. I asked for a few repairs, which were completely quickly, but no attention was put toward asking if I was happy with the work that had been done ( for example, he didn't ask me if I was happy with the sound post readjustment until AFTER I had paid and said thank you). I felt, unlike the service the other customers were getting with the woman who was almost TOO friendly, he wanted me out of there as quickly as possible. I also purchased a few music books, a shoulder rest, and a dampit. For the items that were behind the counter, he would get and then slam down on the counter with a brusque "here you go". It was quite bizarre. One of the items had to be retrieved from the back, and upon discovering this, the man let out a huge "this is such a hassle" sigh. I'm very sorry that I inconvenienced their shop by patronizing it, and in the future I definitely don't plan on going to pay for their overpriced service and products. If you are looking for strings, sheet music, and basically any other product, go elsewhere or buy online at shops like shar.com. I guarantee the prices are much better without the crappy customer service. read more

I have been coming here for my cello-ing needs for probably 15 years. I love the family - the owner and his wife are just great. I have had so many good experiences with this shop. I bought (well my dad bought) a student cello here for me in 2000 which was just a great cello. I still play it today. I have bought a couple of bows, strings, and had bows rehaired so many times. The prices have gone up a little over the years, but compare well in the area. I believe it's $50 bucks for a cello bow rehair now. They do a string special - i'm not sure what time of the year, but I always seem to get there when they do it. Buy one string, normal price, get a second for a buck. One experience that stands out for me was a time one of my friends was in the market for a new cello. It felt like the scene out of harry potter where he tried all of the wands. they asked him what his price range was. He replied $50 thousand, which was way above my personal range, so very exciting for me! They took us to a room, brought us a few bows, and started bringing cellos. We sampled for about two hours. I think my friend wound up purchasing at a different store when he found the perfect cello, but I will never forget that. They treated us very thoughtfully and I loved it. read more

I went in on a weekend morning looking for a rental violin, and had an easy, pleasant experience with all the staff. I read some previous reviews about being treated condescendingly by them based on your ability, and I didn't experience that at all. I explained that I hadn't played in a few years, and wanted to get back into it. They set me up with a practice room with different violin outfits and sheet music to try out. The staff were encouraging and suggested community orchestras for adults that I might join. I'm definitely not someone with thousands of dollars to spend on an instrument, but they were very helpful, knowledgable, and it seems like they provide reasonable service for maintenance. read more

I too am a fledgling cellist, but at 41. It has been a 20+ year dream to play the cello, and I purchased one 10 years ago while living overseas and never got around to lessons or getting the strings on - until this past year. I went to the store in need of new strings. After 10 years of non-use, the strings sounded tinny and scratchy - though I guess that could have been just me... but my teacher and I decided new strings were in order and with her recommendation, I found myself at Brobst Violin Shop. I could not have been more pleased with my experience. I had no clue what I was doing - just what I needed to have done with my cello. The shop is currently undergoing renovation to enlarge their space. While waiting for my turn, a violinist was getting some work done on his violin and then tried out another violin. The music was beautiful! I too am on Suzuki Book 1 (and "Twinkle, Twinkle") and was impressed listening to the results of decades of practice. Mr. (Gerald) Brobst was the one helping out the violinist, and he very pleasant and apologized for my wait. I told him I was in no hurry and happy to listen to the music. When it was my turn, I told him what I needed and the strings that I was to change to. He queried if I wanted to spend that much money, and we discussed options. In the end, I still went with the original ones I requested, but it was nice to know he was not just trying to sell me a pair of strings. It was a thoughtful process. After he strung the cello, he tweaked other things - markings for where the strings should go on the nut and then balanced the strings for better sound. Sorry there's probably different terminology to represent better what he did, but that was how I best understood what he explained to me. Then he played my cello to test out the strings, and those strings sounded amazing. And he says he's not a cellist, but a violinist. Well, you could have fooled me. Then because I spent a fair amount of change on strings, especially compared to the cost of the cello, I asked his advice about cellos in general. He talked to me as if he had all the time in the world, and even played another cello for me so that I could hear the difference (even accounting for strings). I had a wonderful experience at this establishment on 11/30/12. I knew I was a beginner-cellist. Even the questions and statements I made show I really don't know what I'm talking about yet. The violinist who was the customer knew I was a beginner. Mr. Brobst knew I was a beginner. But never once, did I feel or was I made to feel like I was anything other than a peer. As I left, I introduced myself so that perhaps the next time I visit, he'll remember me... because there is no doubt of where I'll go for my cello needs. read more

Went here to get a new violin. I was luckily given the chance to try many out until I found the one I wanted. They took us to a separate room which was very large. Provided bows as well! Staff is very friendly. Also very nice inside! read more

Love their work. Having been to some of the other shops in the area I have to say ... if it's _your_ violin or viola, then get your work done here. These people know what they are doing and do it very well. There's a reason the strings teachers and orchestra directors in the area recommend them. ***** 5+ stars on the work! BUT ... My God are they snobs. Bring any of the "rent-to-own" school grade instruments in for service and you will get your share of sneers and jeers. Those programs let you start with small-size instruments for little money, trade up in size as time goes on, and cover you with insurance against drop and other damage ... read here, free repairs when the 6th grader knocks the violin of his chair onto the floor. It's an awesome way to expose children to playing strings that MANY parents couldn't afford orchestra otherwise. Sorry, Brobst, but not all parents can afford an expensive new junior size instrument for their 4th grader ... or drop 2 grand on new viola for high-school ... especially if orchestra music is a child's hobby/fun not passion/future. * 1 star on the attitude. Since I'm pretty thick skinned and value quality work over snobby commentary ... I'll keep going back. Paraphrasing the pompous words of Charles Emerson Winchester III - they do one thing at a time (sting instruments), they do it well, and they move on. And that's why I give them an overall 4 stars. read more

I have been coming here for six years and trust the people at Brobst with my violin over other people that I have visited in the northern Virginia area. They always know what is needed to help maintain my violin and for the most part customer service is amazing. Some of the times that I have gone, the people their have not been as friendly however other times I have gone and they have been more than cheerful and pleasant - everyone is allowed a bad day and the most important thing is that they do amazing work no matter what and have the highest care towards the instruments. The instruments there are beautiful and of the highest quality - I purchased my violin four years ago and I still love it. It is obvious the amount of care and effort they put into the instruments. read more

They are truly the place to go to purchase a violin, have repairs done, or to have questions answered. I am new to violins but wanted one with excellent tone quality. The were so very patient and brought out some beautiful instruments. I finally purchased the one that sounded best to me and it was an excellent buy. Even if you are just starting having the right instrument can make all the difference. They were recommended by my violin teacher and he has been playing professionally for over 40 years. In today's world of internet look them up and then go there. It is well worth your time. read more

The man at the desk today was kind and knowledgable. He helped me exchange my spouse's rental viola for a nicer model. We are very pleased with their rent-to-own program, which is much better than the rental program offered by shar.com read more

I have had 2 experiences with Brobst Violin Shop on separate occasions with different employees. First experience was repairing a violin. After looking over the violin, David suggested a few minor repairs were and they were agreed upon. The instrument was ready when promised and charged the estimated cost without any additional repairs needed. On a return visit with the new owner of said violin, an 11 year old girl accompanied me to Brobst to select a bow. Sharon came out front, asked how she could help and immediately took the violin out of its case. She proceeded to grab a bow and play for a couple of minutes. Sharon asked what price range we were looking for and gathered several bows and tested them. Sharon then led us to a room to try out each bow and determine which best suited the young player in both comfort and sound. Looking at how the violin was being held she suggested a better chin rest and a shoulder rest to suite her body frame. This is when the young girl felt comfortable with the violin as it became her own. After checking in on us a few times and bringing additional bows to test a decision was narrowed down. Sharon played the violin with the bows in contention for purchase and gave her recommendations and a purchase was made. Although the shop was busy we in no way felt rushed or abandoned. Kudos to Brobst for making a young girl feel important and special. read more