Harold, the owner of Virtuoso Resources, clearly seeks the adolation he was hoping to get as a…read moreperformer from his customers, and his ego is certainly a lot bigger than his shop. This means that his preferred clientele are eager Suzuki moms who are in awe of his professed expertise and Juillard credentials. After making an appointment to look at viola cases that typically run anywhere from $300 to $1200, I was surprised to see two other customers ahead of me who needed help with basic tasks like threading strings and securing pegs. After standing in the tight space with my heavy backpack (I'm pushing 70) I calmly asked if he would be available the following day as it had been a long day for me already. He told me proudly that he would be in Istanbul and that I could just leave. Given that my business was so clearly not needed or wanted, I did just that.

Working with Harold at Virtuoso Resources is a dream. His shop is a charming treasure trove of…read morebeautiful instruments and fun memorabilia. You walk down from the street into a warm and magical place like no other. Harold is thoughtful, musically smart, and wonderful to work with. The shop is a piece of old New York and definitely worth supporting. The quality of instruments is also higher than at another prominent rental company we have worked with, and the prices better.

This store must have the best customer service hands down. Aislyn was very knowledgeable and she…read morereally listened to what we wanted and our budget. She showed us variety of pianos and we found something we really liked, all at our price point. We ended up buying a piano somewhere else but it was incredibly close call to buying it here. We loved how Aisyln was not pushy or stuck up (as some people in previous places). She also taught us a few things about pianos that we didn't know before. Really really enjoyed the customer service here. The pianos here were also really nice, they had a great selection and great prices! Rick was also very nice and very easy to talk to. Thanks to the worldwide piano team for a pleasant experience! We will definitely be coming here again when we want to buy another piano or upgrade it!

Love the people at this store. So helpful. Plus they have the best selection of pianos around…read more Try them out. You will be glad you did!

Bruno has been a great help in my quest to find a cello. He really analyzes all the factors…read more involved and applies his extensive knowledge and experience to come up with solid recommendations that are focused on your individual situation. I highly recommend Rare Violins of New York!

I visited Rare Violins of New York on my most recent trip to NY. The store is kind of hidden in a…read morebuilding located close to Carnegie Hall and Central Park. I called ahead to make an appointment to try out a few violins. The employee, Alexis, was more than helpful. Upon arriving, I was met by the glorious sound of another violinist playing Paganini's 5th Caprice. The store is cozy and their windows overlooked the streets on one side. I tried out 3 violins and was instantly drawn to one of them, which had a very solo-istic sound. I was given an hour to try them out. The violins were around 15k. In the future, if I decide to upgrade my violin, I'll be sure to revisit this shop.

I've waited several weeks before writing this post so I could devote the time and care to it that…read morethis excellent company deserves. This has been -- bar none -- the best purchasing experience of any product I have ever had. Before committing to purchasing a piano, I did years of research comparing brand new pianos from Steinway, used pianos from Steinway, rebuilt pianos from Steinway, as well as the handful of companies out there rebuilding Steinways in their own facilities. I have personally visited several different places, and no one compared to Lindeblad, not even Steinway themselves. Lindeblad is 110% committed to rebuilding pianos to their original specs with the same suppliers as Steinway, and in many cases, what I believe to be better craftsmen to work on those supplies. As a small company, they can retain excellent craftsmen for decades, and the clients get to know that every person working on every detail of the piano (and they rebuild every single detail) has truly dozens of years of experience at that one particular section of the piano. I got the pleasure of going to Lindeblad and witnessing these talented technicians doing things "the old way" -- A more impressive lot of tradespeople I have never met. So, after believing I had found the right company, I went a little deeper with them, asking about my dream piano: I wanted a very specific one -- a 1920s Steinway model A-III -- and I wanted some very specific custom elements to it (e.g. logos, colors, etc), and Lindeblad was not only willing to work with me on those elements, they were excited to carry out my vision, getting my feedback every step of the way. Because I was doing a custom piano, and the delivery date was going to be months into the future, they sent me one of their already built models to play while I waited ... I didn't ask for this, I just got to play on a beautiful model L for free. They even sent a local tuner to come to my house to tune this loaner model and the tuner said, "wow if this is their loaner piano, I can't wait to see the real thing." As my A-III went through the process at Lindeblad, they reached out to me every week to tell me where it was in the rebuild, and what was happening each week. They thoughtfully answered my questions, and even sent photos. When the red letter day came for my delivery, I couldn't wait to see the work they had done. When I played just the first note -- without exaggeration -- I cried at how beautiful it was. The keys perfectly balanced, the sound so crisp and even, the bass so powerful, the treble so light ... I didn't know a piano could sound like this. When they paid for the local tuner to come back to my house, he tuned it and then I noticed from the other room he was just playing it. Something he hadn't ever done in all the other times he tuned the piano I had even before the loaner from Lindeblad. He was just playing my new piano, for fun. After 20 minutes of him playing, I rejoined him and he was a little choked up when he said, "You know, there's a lot of people in this industry that will work and strive their whole lives for perfection and never achieve it ... but this piano is the closest I've ever heard." I can't think of a better endorsement than this. I write all this in the hopes that there are other people out there like me who have an interest in restoring pianos from the golden era. And for those of you like me, I truly hope you'll consider Lindeblad, as the people there deserve your business and will treat you like the VIP client you are, because just to be considering something like this, you deserve the utmost care and respect. Lindeblad will give it to you.

If you are seeking a high quality amazing legacy purchase for a vintage or new piano the best…read morechoice I have found nationwide is Lindeblad Piano, why because they are truly the experts. Not only are they highly personable, quick to respond and easy to discuss your considerations, but they also take fastideous care about the delivery of the piano and ensuring that you know what to do to maintain it through the years. I purchased a 1896 Steinway Grand from Lindeblad Piano and have had it for over a decade. Everyone who comes to play it says it is the best sounding piano they have ever encountered. My own piano tuner who has tuned pianos for several universities around Virginia said he had not heard another piano its equal in all his years of service. My conclusion: You will not be disappointed, you will be flabergasted.

This man is the real deal. He fixes what needs fixing and advises you on things that don't. A one…read moreman shop, he has quick turn around and takes appointments.

Actually, Greg Wylie is now located at 119 west 57th Street, 10th floor. He may have moved, but his…read moreservice is fast and really good. I recently had a new sound post installed in my cello. Greg did a great job - fast too.

Sometimes you stumble upon a gem of place that is world famous and you don't even realize it. Here…read moreI am 5 years on and realize just how amazing this store is! 2019 Was traveling around the 50 states and hopped into this place as I was passing by... Just blown away by the instruments they had! Not sure how long I was in there, but everything from droolworthy original D'Angelicos, original Epiphones and more... So much of music's history of the past to the present. After I get home and watching guitar videos I keep seeing this store pop up. Keep saying 'Hey, I was there!'... Do. yourself a favor and stop by. See the amazing selection of instruments they have on hand / display. The staff was super friendly and always willing to help when I asked. Thanks guys! Look forward to seeing you again!

Sometimes you stumble upon a gem of place that is world famous and you don't even realize it. Here…read moreI am 5 years on and realize just how amazing this store is! 2019 Was traveling around the 50 states and hopped into this place as I was passing by... Just blown away by the instruments they had! Not sure how long I was in there, but everything from droolworthy original D'Angelicos, original Epiphones and more... So much of music's history of the past to the present. After I get home and watching guitar videos I keep seeing this store pop up. Keep saying 'Hey, I was there!'... Do. yourself a favor and stop by. See the amazing selection of instruments they have on hand / display. The staff was super friendly and always willing to help when I asked. Thanks guys! Look forward to seeing you again!

We love City Strings. Our 7-year-old daughter has been learning violin from Dominic and then Hannah…read moresince February 2016. She's grown tremendously skill-wise but is also so much more confident than before. She continues to love lessons and the twice a year recitals give her great exposure to playing for others. I'd highly recommend them. Also, we rent our violin from them so when it was time for our daughter to change sizes -- they brought the new violin and picked up the smaller one. Aside from being convenient, the teachers I have met are warm and welcoming.

My daughter has been learning to play the violin from City Strings for about 6 weeks now. Her…read moreteacher, Hannah, is wonderful. She is patient, gentle and very encouraging! The teacher comes to our place and teaches her in our home. A nice bonus is that we are able to rent a violin from them, instead of having to invest in one that she may our grow in the future. Recently they had a recital for all their students. It was great because all the kids played, no matter their age or skill, and I think it really gave the kids a goal to work towards and display how far they have come!

This review is long overdue. I've been working with Jimmy for 4.5 years and he is an incredibly…read morededicated and thoughtful teacher. Brilliant musically, deeply committed to his craft, plans carefully customized repertoires for each student, meeting you where you are, not just in general as a musician, but each week, each moment. He takes the long-term partnership approach to musical development. Kind of like a great shrink, but for guitar. Patient, empathetic. Oh and he's pretty funny too (he thinks he's funnier than he is, but he's actually hilarious). He's pretty strict on spots so it's near impossible to get in, but if this aligns with your approach to learning, and you can get a spot, I couldn't recommend anyone more highly.

Jimmy Rose is an outstanding teacher. He is committed to teaching guitar as his profession and is…read morepassionate that his students become the best musicians possible. My experience has been learning from scratch, but Jimmy has students at every level including professional musicians. I decided in January 2012, to try guitar lessons. I was almost fifty-five at the time and could not play an instrument or read music. I searched the internet for guitar instructors in Manhattan. One particular review said Jimmy Rose insisted that you learn music and not just the guitar. I called to see if he could give me lessons, but he wanted to meet me before committing. He came by the apartment and somehow a fifty-five year old conservative accountant from Texas met his approval. (Jimmy most definitely has none of these characteristics in common with me.) All he cared about was whether I really wanted to learn guitar. Since then I have had a lesson with Jimmy every week, including an eight-month period that I took by skype. My daughter and one of her friends now take lessons from him. My granddaughter takes piano lessons from another of his students. Everyone at work knows who he is. My doormen and our friends know him. He is a great friend to our family. Jimmy has a music degree from Eastman School of Music, and his exceptional knowledge of music and guitar will become apparent over your first few lessons. He starts with the basics of reading music and playing the guitar from the music. (Listen when he tells you to play slow and to tap your foot to keep the beat. I still struggle with those after almost six years.) He assigns you increasingly complex pieces picked to teach new skills. He will laugh when he reads this, but for a while I thought I might one day see the limits of Jimmy's music knowledge. That will never happen. He is extremely professional in his approach and arrives prepared for each lesson. After a while he may even bring sheet music that he has scored specifically for you. There have been numerous times over the years when my work conflicted with my scheduled lesson. He is always far more concerned than I am that we find an alternative time in the week. I give him a hard time that he should take a vacation every few years. If you want to learn about music and become the best guitarist you can be, then Jimmy is your guy. I don't play the guitar well. A little bit of talent would help, but I am hooked on learning about music and guitar from Jimmy. He believes in his ability to make me into a musician. His confidence has been really important when I have struggled or felt discouraged. He just doesn't accept anything other than moving forward. I have no defined end goal. This January will make six years that I have studied with Jimmy, and I plan to stay with him as long as I can. If you are lucky enough to find an opening in his schedule, you will learn why all of his students give him five stars. And by the way, I believe he under prices is services.