Great service, huge selection of ukulele's, guitars and accessories, picks, tuners gig bags. Sales…read moreand great service. I had several of my Kamaka ukuleles repaired and the job they did was awesome. Totally restored! 5 Stars!!

When I moved to Hilo from the mainland I immediately needed a sofa and loveseat, and got a very…read morenice and reasonably priced set here, after looking at other stores. A year later I needed to replace a bed that had not fared well in my move, and again found the best deal here, after looking at literally every place that sells beds in the vicinity of Hilo. This is a homegrown, mom-and-pop operation run by folks who are really sweet and helpful. Next time I need furniture, this will definitely be the first place I look. They also carry musical instruments, but I'm not qualified to comment on those.

Although Hilo is home to one of the largest and most diverse music communities, musicians are…read morelimited to only a handful of small music shops. Big Island Guitars has arrived in town with goals and dreams larger then your average shop. Big Island Guitars hopes to expand their services to provide a place for musicians to meet and jam. The products. Big Island Guitars is an official dealer for Ibanez guitars. They carry a variety of guitars ukuleles and music products from brands such as Line 6, Seagull, Jasmine, Tama, Quantum Audio, Dunlop and more. Big Island guitars offers new, used and consignment items. I I am a garage sale picker, tire kicker and all-around scamp when it comes to buying things. The terms "consignment" and "used" means two things to me: the possibility of rare items and great prices. The service. The service here is professional, experienced and comes from individuals who care about the music community. They offer equipment rentals and minor repair services. They can also refer out heavier repairs such as neck work or body refurbishment. In addition they also have classes available for new musicians. Another item worth mentioning, under certain circumstances the shop is willing to offer trade in credit or even pay cash for instruments and equipment. I have not seen any other music shop in town offer this. There are so many times where I would have jumped at the chance to "upgrade" my guitar rather than have to sell it privately just to buy a guitar I really want. The location. This is probably my only critique point of this shop. It is too small, in a traffic heavy area with limited parking. Can't fault them on this too much though, every other music shop in Hilo has this same problem. The shops are too small for the amount of products they carry and it is a nightmare to find parking. If I need to turn sideways to get through rows of products that is not ok, neither is having to wait 5 min behind a twit driver that is failing at parallel parking. The prices. In all honesty it will almost always be cheaper to purchase instruments and equipment from amazon.com or musician's friend. But trust me on this one, It is a pain to have to deal with shipping bulky items to Hawaii. The savings is hardly worth it in the end. You will either lose the savings to shipping prices or have to wait forever for your items to arrive. You also do not get the benefit of trying out the items before purchase. This being said, Big Island Guitars provides prices that are more then fair and are readily available for sampling before you buy. Truth be told, I know Spencer and I am giving him a shining review because I hope his shop does well. This does not go without merit however, the products and service are rock solid and Spencer's enthusiasm is apparent the second you step inside. A shop like this is a refreshing change as it strives to grow and be part of the community around it. The business is new and the space is small but with support of local musicans like you and I, it could turn into a place where music lives.

I'm glad I stopped by to pick up a tuner and new strings. He asked what kind of sound I prefer, and…read moreI could choose for tender fingers. What a great little shop. I definitely support this local musician owned store. The family run business has a musician ancestry. Carry on, kanikapila

Horrible place to take anything too. Will rip you off. Plus they are not even knowledgeable about…read moreinstruments. Will never return. Go elsewhere.

There are two older guys that work there. One is Mike, the owner, and the other is Richard, who in…read moremy opinion is not to be trusted. I just went in today to pay the finance charge on one of the items I pawned. I owed $46, I gave Richard $106 and he only gave me $50 back, two twenties and a ten. I admit, I was at fault because I was signing the paperwork and put the money away in my wallet without properly counting it. When I called to let Richard know he short-changed me he got loud and tried to talk over me, so I let him talk. He then said I only gave him $100. I stopped him there and corrected him it was actually $106, and he kept shouting at me to LISTEN, because apparently I didn't know what I was saying. And hung up on me. But even if I gave $100 and the payment was for $46 aren't I already short-changed by $4??? How am I at ALL in the wrong? I finally got in touch with Mike and he too said I should stop talking and just listen...some service right. After I finally got Mike to listen, I explained to him I gave Richard $106, the finance charge was $46 and I was only given $50. Mike asked when I could come in to get the rest of my money back, but to get to that point was a bit ridiculous. My advice, beware of Richard he will short-change you, do your research, know what your things are worth, and double and triple check any money you receive, especially if Richard gives it to you.

I found this business online and sent an email to express interest in lessons for my grandson. I…read moregot a reply less than an hour later. We signed up for lessons once a week. I'm impressed with how knowledgeable Jason, the instructor, is. He provides very well-rounded lessons complete with handouts for reference and practice. My grandson is a brand new beginner who just received his first (left-handed electric) guitar days before starting lessons. He is learning so much, including how to take care of his instrument, how to tune it, and is already playing a couple songs he likes. Lessons are individualized and geared towards the student's interests and goals. You sign up for 4 lessons at a time and pre-pay. Reasonable rates and worth every penny. I highly recommend Hampton Roads Guitar lessons!

From the owner: All ages and skill levels learn fast and have fun playing electric, acoustic and bass guitar. Ask…read moreabout ukulele, voice, piano/synth and drums lessons starting soon.

I find myself needing to leave a review because of a negative review I read here today. I always…read moretell tourists this is an awesome spot if they want to get a feel of the real parts of the island, albeit not fancy, not expensive, not anything like you would expect. The first time I went here I was like, "wow, this is different." It really is and if you like jazz, you must try the Monday night jazz jam. There is no cover, although there should be. Bub the owner runs this jam every single Monday night no matter what the holiday or what's happening in town. Yes, he is different than maybe you and certainly me, but he is a loving, wonderful, caring individual even though he's against masking and has a different viewpoint on covid. So what, many people do. The sax player who was disrespectful was indeed kicked out of the joint and that guy hasn't been seen since. Its a shame too, cause he was at one time in his life a good sax player. Alas, the dude cannot handle his liquor. Anyway, I just wanted to say that despite what you read from a couple people about this place, it's a GEM and a real treat to experience a Monday night there. I don't partake in any other events that he throws in there but a lot of people do and it's a safe space. I'll support Bub always.

My friend and I got harassed by the older sax player that frequents jazz night. Many people stood…read moreby and watched this happen. After speaking out about it, other women of Hilo reported that he had also harassed and even unconsensually kissed them. None of the "regulars" confronted him or held him accountable. We also watched him call other fem presenting people "hot" and "sexy" from up on stage. Shared my story on fb and the owner, Bub, was tagged. He commented on the post sharing his sincere apologies for our experience. He stated this goes against kukuau studio values and shared that this man would be completely banned from the studio!

Drew is an absolutely fantastic guitar teacher. I've been taking one-on-one lessons with him for…read moreabout 6 months and my skill set and understanding of the guitar have grown tremendously. Drew is friendly and patient and will tailor your lessons to meet your goals. His lessons will give your guitar practice the focus you need to continue improving, and he often sends you home with a worksheet or a video recap of the lesson for you to reference later. And his lessons are fun and affordable! Whether you are a total guitar newbie or an advanced player, Drew can help you improve as a guitarist. Do yourself a favor and book a lesson today, you'll be very happy you did.

From the owner: All Ages, All styles! Affordable and fun, sign up today! Located at Big Island Guitars. Learn from…read morea working professional with a degree