Owner is kind and patient. Take time to help customers to select the right instrument. Price is reasonable. Have been going there for many years to rent, buy, service, lease-to-purchase, for my grandchildren's instruments according to their growing needs. Best in this area. Honesty and professionalism and not to oversell. Thank you, Cruz and to wife, Diana. read more

Experienced Dependable and knowledgeable! This is what you get when you go to Mr. Cruz's Luthier shop. you get the best service and professionalism at his place. This is a place for professionals, but also for people who are starting out Mr. Cruz has a lot of patience and will help you find what you need. Mr. Cruz adjusted my high-end violin's sound post in a matter of minutes. He did expertly and now the violin sounds perfectly balanced! Also, his price to do this was very reasonable! Mr. Cruz is a consummate performer of the violin as well as knowledgeable enough to build a violin from scratch, he has been in business for many years and is very dependable! If you want to go to a trustworthy, professional to take care of your violin needs and not have to over pay for it. See Cruz Violins!!! read more

Cruz Violins & More - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Riverside, California

Cruz and Diana have been of great service, the shop has the greatest value the same as quality. It attracts the best people who take interest in such a beautiful inspring instruments that is useful to those music lovers!! read more

Variety of beautiful quality violins. Very excellent guitarrones and Vihuela's too. Strings tuners and accessories on deck. Very nice customer service. read more

I love this place! It's a musician's Disneyland!!! I'm a guitar/Vihuela player. I had a custom Vihuela made here; I LOVE IT read more

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I cannot thank you enough for fixing my cello so quickly and beautifully!! My cello neck snapped in shipping and he made it look like it never happened!! Thank you so much! read more

Cruz Violins & More - Cello - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Riverside, California

I would NOT recommend this shop for anything. He ruined a Coda bow I had rehaired. He drilled a hole in the frog & inserted a nail to attach the hair to. He also ruined a good violin of a friend of mine. He is NOT a real luthier. It is too late for me to dispute the charge. But I'll definitely warn anyone I know to not use him. I would send a photo but I do not want to take the bow apart. How I discovered the damage was when I took the bow to a real luthier & he called me to tell me. read more

Came here to come to restring a bow, but once arriving they told me the bow I had is a student bow so it'll be cheaper to buy a new one because they only rehair high quality bows with horsehair. I appreciated the tip and bought a new student bow instead for about $40. The man there restrung one of the strings on the violin I'm trying to sell for free also! Super sweet couple. I highly recommend this place for your string instrument needs read more

Cruz Violins & More - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Riverside, California

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I found Cruz Violins & More through my teacher Anna Rose, who teaches in Murrieta, CA. On my birthday, I decided it was time to upgrade my violin since I was serious about starting lessons as an adult after several years of being self taught. I tried about 6 or more violins in the shop before picking my current violin. The violin I chose didn't have a label, but it was a custom violin with a beautiful one piece back.I always get compliments from other students on how beautiful it sounds. I was able to purchase strings at the shop the same day and Mr. Cruz installed them for me! A year later I purchased my Pernambuco bow here! The original video I took of the shop is 40 seconds, but this is a little preview of my last experience there, having a few adjustments made to my pegs and bow! Please come here first instead of shopping online for a violin! There are plenty of violins in stock for beginner and advanced violinists. read more

I went to Epifanio's shop last year when I helped a friend in Japan pick out a professional vihuela. All of my vihuela-playing friends recommended him! I'm a violinist, so I also tried out some of the violins, which were great for playing sones. It was slow so we chatted a bit and played some music to test out the vihuelas we liked. Epifanio was also extremely helpful and welcoming for one of my students who's interested in luthier work. I recommend his shop to all of my students who are based in the IE and Riverside areas. read more

I am very satisfied with the work that was done on my violin! I had it cleaned, a new bridge and a new tailpiece installed. I had my bow hairs cleaned too. My violin looks and sounds great. I would highly recommend taking your violin to this shop for any repairs or maintenance. This is a highly professional shop with a friendly environment . Very honest and reasonable prices. I even got fantastic help selecting my new strings. 5 stars read more

Had a new to me violin checked out. Needed the bridge and sound post adjustment. Had time in schedule to fix while I waited. I had great conversation with Diane while I waited. Love that it's is closer to home than an other Luthier that I have found. read more

Came in here to talk to someone knowledgeable about getting my young daughter into violin. Cruz was very patient, gave me a lot of free information, and runs a really nice shop. He makes me want to take up violin personally just to give him some business. He's a great guy who clearly loves his craft. read more

I came here because I needed to rent a violin for my daughter, also a few people had mentioned I wouldn't have to go all the way to LA. Mr. Cruz is passionate and extremely knowledgeable. He loves music and he loves his customers. Thank you for providing a place where I can go and I know I can trust you, your instruments and your prices. They also have an amazing selection of Kala Ukuleles. If you can't find a specific one, you can just order from them as well. read more

When I drove up, I wasn't sure if it was even open. The door is solid steel, and it was hard to look in the window. I guess it's to protect the instruments inside. But the sign with the hours said it was open, so I went in. I was looking to find a violin case and found myself talking to a very kind and knowledgeable gentleman (Mr Cruz?). Another customer came in while we were talking and, with a quick apology, he continued to answer my questions until I was able to find something in my price range that met my needs. The shop is not very large, but they had just about everything you would need for violins -a few rows of violins and bows on every wall, music stands, a display case of shoulder rests and humidifiers, a small hallway of books, and a dresser of cleaner/polish, mutes... it's surprising what they could fit in there. I even saw a cello and some cello items. And there was a cute mini wooden violin magnet. I was tempted. The store has a nice "violin" smell, and I would guess that the whole back section is for violin repairs (that's what the other customer was there for). Being from Corona, none of the the music stores I went to had much for violins. I'm so happy I found a great place close to home. Highly recommended! read more

What a gem of a shop. My daughter needed a new violin bow and knowing nothing about music myself, I went here assuming a small business owner would know more than a 20 something at Guitar Center. The owner did not disappoint. He was incredibly polite and absolutely knowledge. He took the time to educate my daughter and myself on the different bows, why one material is greater than the other, and where the values lie in each bow he showed us. He let her play her instrument with a few different ones so she could hear the difference in each. He definitely knew his stuff and was eager to share his wealth of knowledge with us for which I am grateful. Also noteworthy, the shop pup sleeping contently on the couch made the atmosphere of the store all the more warm. read more

My sister needed a new violin and he took the time to educate me, my mom, and my sister on what we need to look for when we think about buying her new violins. He showed us the different ones and explained to us the difference and what the quality is for the violins. Amazing service. read more

Excellent customer service. Honest and helpful howner. Great place for a repair or just to get knowledge about violins.

Great staff. Excellent Customer Service. Got educated more on my violin. And was provided me with all the information I needed. I recommend this place for sure. read more

An excellent violin shop. Mr Cruz knows his stuff and won't set you wrong whether you're looking for a new instrument, repairs, or just looking for an accessory. read more

I've had countless good experiences and things to say about this business, but last weekend and today I must recognize outstanding service. I was involved in a severe car accident and my cello was ruined since it was in the car and had only a soft case protecting it. My dad went in for me (since I was ill) and was busy with repairs so it would have taken a few days to get to my cello to repair. My father told him about the accident and showed him pictures, telling him that my recital for school was only 2 days away. He sympathized and had it repaired and ready that same day with what he could manage. The fingerboard was touching the strings so it was very playable but had some rattling, I called a few days later asking how long it would take to fix and how much. He was extremely kind, making sure I was okay and said its a quick and easy fix, so he could have it ready in an hour and that he would not charge because it is such an easy fix. These folks are really kind, good people. They are not looking to make easy money, but rather to run a legitimate business to help musicians. I cannot recommend them enough, and after several visits over the years, I have had nothing but good experiences. Thank you Cruz violins!! read more

I came for a bow rehair and consultation on two violins. The price and quality for the rehair were as good as anything in LA. The owner is very knowledgeable and detail-oriented and perceptively pointed out some small discrepancies in the measurements of both instruments that I hadn't noticed, without trying to pressure me into further sales. He's studied with luthiers of good repute and makes some very good violins himself that he sells - I tried two. Now that I'm finished studying at Juilliard and living in socal, I will definitely plan on visiting him regularly. read more

As a violin instructor, I send all my students to rent/purchase their violins from here. Instruments are excellent quality with rich tones and owner is very knowledgeable. Prices are reasonable and my students all agree. Love this small personable mom and pop shop! read more

For my daughters birthday, we are getting her a full size violin. Her music teacher recommended this place. The people are very knowledgeable and friendly. It feels like a private purchasing session with the amount of attention they give to make sure you are getting what is right for you. read more

I love this place. I will be buying my violin supplies here for now on. Great customer service!

My daughter need an upgrade in her violin and Mr. Cruz took time to help us find the right one. We never felt pressured or rushed till we eventually found the perfect violin for my daughter. He even gave my son and daughter a chance to try his hand made violin that took him 200 hours to make. It was a beautiful violin with the intricate little details but the sound was magnificent and heavenly. A very wonderful and pleasant experience. read more

This is the best violin shop I've been to!!! Mr.Cruz is EXTREMELY PROFESSIONAL when it comes to violins. He is extremely knowledgeable too. I had bought a Chinese made Strad copy on ebay and it came in such terrible condition so, I took it to Mr.Cruz and he was wonderful! He had on his coat, gloves, mask, and goggles like he was a doctor! It was so cute and funny. He fixed the violin and made it a joy to play! He has REALLY GOOD PRICES TOO!!! He's not greedy either! He won't push you to buy things you don't need. Mr.Cruz cares about you and what's best for your instrument. You should visit his shop, you won't be disappointed! I guarantee it! read more

I'm a hardcore amateur violist in the area. About 3 weeks ago I had a "tune-up" and bow re-hair on my viola. If you don't know what that means, you should. Anyway, they were responsive to my all my needs. Judged locally, I would give them 5 stars. It definitely beats the drive and in-convience of going into LA or the OC for string instrument needs. Hope the shop has a long run! They are very polite sweet people. The shop is also very nice. read more

I've been a patron of this location for over two years now. All of the employees are always friendly and helpful. They never make you feel embarrassed or uncomfortable to be using this type of establishment. There are two individuals that recently went above and beyond the great customer service that Im accostomed to and thats Kevin and Armando. Thanks guys for helping to make my 7 year old daughters Hawaiian vacation even more enjoyable with her iPhone! read more

I play violin so it's hard to find a really reliable and useful shop for anything violin related. I bought a beginner's violin a while ago from here (rent-to-own) and now that I've been playing for over six years I can say that it was very well set-up and suited all of my needs. I bought a bow a few moths ago from Mr.Cruz and it was the best experience. He showed me a large variety of bows and gave pointers on what to look for, in addition to everything that I already know from playing for so long. I was in there for a few hours trying out bows and he was so friendly and gave me all the time I needed to decide what felt great and which bow met all of my needs. I'll be starting a search for an "advanced" violin in a few months and I feel confident that Cruz's is the best place to start (and possibly) finish my search for a "new" violin. I've also bought a shoulder rest and rosin from here and there was a very nice selection to choose from. I've also seen quite a few violin cases and music books available. Best customer service I've experienced in the inland empire when dealing with violin items, I would recommend this place to anyone who doesn't want to drive all the way to LA (but wants similar or even better service) for any repairs, bow rehairs, violins, and accessories (I've also seen a few violas and cellos in there!). read more

I haven't even been here (hence only 4 stars - I'd love to go!), but as a teacher, I have a couple of violin and viola students who have bought or rented WONDERFUL instruments from here! One of my beginners, who had prior experience before her first lesson, came in with a beautiful, well-made violin. I couldn't help but ask where she got it, and she told me about this shop! Another new student of mine wanted to know where to get a viola nearby, and I told her of a couple shops -- one a bit farther (in LA county), but also this one, since I had heard good things about it. She went and rented a viola that has a wonderful tone, and at a very reasonable price too! I look forward to stopping by when I have a free Saturday, and I can't wait to see the selection of instruments they have here. It's a blessing to not have to drive for hours or send students (or their parents) on a long journey to get a decent string instrument in the Inland Empire. read more