John and Stan are always eager to help and answer any and all questions. I traded 1 uke in that was my Dad's, they gave me a good price and I turned it into a nice Kala tenor. Can't wait to see their new store. read more

A really nice place to browse and buy a new ukulele or a used guitar, amp, etc. aland lots of strings and other accessories. Support your local businesses like this one! read more

Great craftmanship on all repairs. Brought my 30 year old Carvin for work. Very satisfied. Also...bought a couple used instruments. Very happy! read more

The only music store you need to go to. Great selection. Knowledgeable people. Staff is amazing. A+ everything.

What a great experience! Brought an old acoustic guitar in to get checked out. Super helpful. Got new strings and tuned up while I waited. Very friendly service. Will return in future. Highly recommend. read more

NEW UKE update!--John set me up with an "octave uke" (mine is a baritone uke with GCEA tuning an octave below tenor) -- a lot of fun with some folk, gospel, and country songs. If intrigued, try it, you'll like it! Play on! read more

I have a bass with a bridge pickup with a weak signal. I tried what I could and was ready to pull out the pickup to get it rewound by a boutique pickup maker. I decided to let a pro take a look in case I was missing something obvious. I made the decision to give Fan Guitar and Uke a try based on proximity and what I've seen on their socials. When I walked in, I was short on time, which was a shame because there was a lot to see. They have an enormous stock of ukuleles on the walls, lots of effects pedals in the display case. I could also see an acoustic room and some electrics on the wall. Everything seemed to be really reasonably priced. Stu was super helpful. Walked me through what they'd try when they go over the guitar. As we talked, it came out that I was wanted them to take the pickup out so I could get it rewound. Stu informed me they could rewind it too and the estimate was nearly half of what it would have cost had I gone to the boutique shop. Less than a week goes by when Stu calls to tell me that it would need a rewound and the estimate was still good. John called a day or two later to let me know that the bass was ready. When I went to pick it up, it was perfect. The pickup was working and balanced with the neck. The experience was topnotch, and I have another guitar that I'm going to bring for them to help. This is my go-to from now on. read more

I purchased a gorgeous ukulele from this awesome music store recently, but I had to wait to post a review because I didn't want to my husband to see it and spoil his anniversary surprise! What a Fan-tastic shop! I was blown away by the selection and the quality of the instruments. And if that wasn't enough to draw you in, the service I received was phenomenal!! No need to fret, Stu has got your back (or should I say, your neck?) Stu assisted me and he was one of the most helpful people I have ever dealt with, which is saying a lot because I'm an avid shopper! He showed me numerous ukuleles, answered all of my questions with patience, detailed the pros and cons for each one, played them for me, shared their history, knew their manufacturers, described their various finishes, explained their care and storage, and expounded on their different sizes. No sales pressure, just an easy, cool, laid back, informative experience. Stu eventually guided me to the perfect ukulele for my own music man! My husband loved his gift and plays it often! Thanks Stu! The owners are lucky to have you!! I have recommended this quaint Fan music store to oodles of people! No strings attached, this guitar and uke shop is top notch!! read more

I love this store. A nice shop with friendly staff and nicely organized sections, so you can easily find what you are looking for. There's lessons here for kids, and I've seen wonderful staff interact genuinely and with kindness to both adults and children in the shop. There's some beautiful instruments here, which some I can only dream about. I have bought song books, capos and ukulele cases. The shop also sells some amazing custom made guitars. read more

Fan Guitar and Ukulele - Yay! - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

This is a wonderful store - especially excellent selection of ukuleles. Everyone on the staff is helpful. They did a great job installing a pickup on my acoustic guitar - faster than promised. Very friendly and welcoming. Always a treat to visit this store! read more

I brought in my Grandmother's ukulele from circa 1946 and Stu was so incredibly helpful! It had a broken peg and he immediately went to work to see if it could be fixed. It was clear that the folks at Fan not only work there, but are passionate about what they do, the instruments, and the people walking through the door. I am now setup with my Grandma's ukulele, a book to learn how to play () , and excitement for the process. I worked with John and Stu - who were both amazing - and have no doubt the other folks in the Fan family are equally as passionate, understanding, and knowledgeable! Thanks again! read more

Went in to purchase my DD a birthday ukelele. She has been wanting one for a while. I knew that this was just the place to go. I had been in many years before for guitar strings and remember the staff being really helpful. She was blown away by their wall of ukes. All sizes and woods, as well as price points. They have plenty available at any price point and in all the colors of the rainbow, as well as some beautiful rare woods. They asked lots of questions to get an idea of what size and style my daughter was looking for. My daughter is a little scattered and they were very patient with her as she slowly perused everything from uke, to case, to strap, and finally books to start off with. They gave us plenty of time and attention, but also the space to talk it over. You cannot go wrong here. Please buy locally when you can, you cannot duplicate the quality or service when you are talking about musical instruments. It's important to hear what you are buying and having it set up properly. Will definitely go back in the future without hesitation! read more

Fan Guitar and Ukulele - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Richmond, Virginia

Really great independent shop. Amazing selection of Ukes. Biggest I've ever seen. Other really cool things were that they carried a few customer guitars from a local luthier and also some custom drive pedals from a local builder. Most of their stock is in the affordable range other than the custom gear. Definitely recommend stopping in. It's a memorable store. read more

Guitars. Ukuleles. Basses. Mandolins. If you hold it and strum it, they sell it here. I picked up the ukulele last year before I moved to VA, so I strolled on in to see what kind of goods they have. Best as I can tell, they have all of them. There were all shades of ukuleles, to include some interesting shapes that I hadn't seen before. They have everything from $40 ukes to high-end ukes that I probably shouldn't even look at much less touch. Prices are good, compared to what I've seen elsewhere around the country. They also provide lessons, and have all the various accoutrements you need to play your stringed instrument of choice. Strings, tuners, cases, slides, fancy do-dads that I didn't recognize but wanted to buy anyways, all of it. This place is the East Coast answer to Kaye's Music in LA. 3000 miles apart, but friendly folks and ukuleles aplenty. Not to mention this is a locally owned store, not a big box chain. SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL STORES, PEOPLE! One note: Parking is in back, in a private lot. You have to go into the store to get a parking pass AFTER you park. Don't park out front. That way lies tickets, towing and tears. read more

Great local shop with awesome instructors. My daughter takes lessons & they have been so patient & positive.

Just want to send a shout out to John and Stew. Great job on my DC 79 guitar the Wiz pick ups sound fantastic. The wiring is obviously outstanding. I couldn't be any more satisfied truly, and at the rate you did it I couldn't be happier. thanks again for excellent work a delivery way ahead of schedule, when I thought it might take two weeks even with other guitars as I love that guitars so much I was truly going to miss it and you turned it around less than a week and I know it wasn't easy. Thank you again truly, you guys are my go to store and I think you both know it, you've helped me a lot along with my music journey and I'm quite sure we will be doing a lot more wiring soon lol other guitars to wire and a trip to get ready for. Thanks for the support from you guys and thanks for the impact on my tone, it's made all the difference I can already tell, as I have only picked up the guitar a few hours ago and have not stopped playing since a little afternoon. Truly, thanks guys great five star review peace. read more

I stopped at another music store before giving this one a try, and I am so glad I chose to do business here! As soon as my daughter and I walked in the door, we were met with a friendly smile (from Stu, I believe), and given excellent customer service the whole time. My daughter is a very beginner guitar player, and we were given a few great recommendations and pieces of advice before deciding on our final purchase. Overall a wonderful experience, and we will definitely be back again! I highly recommend them to all novice and seasoned musicians alike. read more

Came in for some strings and a pick. Was pretty cool, will come back when I upgrade my current uke!

It's cool man. I usually get my strings here since it saves me a trip across town to guitar center/Sam ash. Locally owned with very intelligible, nice people in the store. Thankful for this place. read more

I really like this place, and I'm glad they are here. Richmond needed a shop like this, and it's always good to see a small business making a real go of it. So far I have bought myself, my daughter and my son ukes here, and I also sold them one of my own ukes. It's also a good place to stop by in the Fan if you need picks, cables, misc guitar stuff that you'd normally have to go all the way out to the West End, or Carytown for. Their prices are pretty good, the selection is my biggest complaint. It has probably gotten better- as I frequented the shop more when it was newer. But I would definitely like to see more instruments for the serious player. Ukes in the $500-$1500 range. That's where we have a huge gap in this city- if you want a quality solid wood instrument, you almost always are stuck either traveling or ordering it sight unseen from an online dealer. Even if they had just a few Big Island, Martin, Kanile 'a, Mele, Pono, Mya Moe, Keli'i.... You get the idea. Even a couple of those, with the option to order. Richmond is kind of a uke wasteland, but this is a fantastic start. I hope they grow and prosper. Nice folks too. read more

I live in the L.A. area, and had run across this store online when I was searching for a particular uke I wanted to buy. Months later when I had a chance to visit the Richmond area, I dropped in to see the store.... what a great place! Good selection of guitars and ukuleles, and John and Genie really know what they're talking about. When I returned to CA, I ordered three ukuleles from them for my classroom. Even though I could have ordered those ukuleles from a lot of other places, I felt such a connection Fan Guitar and Ukulele and wanted to give them the support. To make things even better, even though I purchased fairly inexpensive "classroom" ukuleles, John took the time to set up each instrument at no additional charge before shipping them out to me. Looking forward to ordering more from these guys, and hoping to have another chance to go to Richmond to drop in on them again. read more

The go to place in Virginia for ukuleles. Super people. I took a Córdoba tear that I bought elsewhere and had it adjusted. I can't believe the difference. Thanks bunches. read more

John and Genie are the best. Great little shop in the fan. I've taken several guitars and pedals to John to be set up or repaired. He is always fair and does really great work. I would trust him with any piece of gear - as he truly shows love to each piece the same way one would their own instrument. Get your guitars set up, take lessons, buy gear - whatever you need music related, goto fan guitar and ukelele - because I need this shop to survive. Because I love them. And so will you. read more

So unlike my husband I am absolutely NOT a musician. But I want to be...so I went to Fan Guitar and Ukulele to start my journey of being a totally B.A. Ukulele player. The girl who helped us out was super awesome. Not only did she give me a brief lesson on the different types of ukes but she also taught we a couple different chords so I could try them out myself! She also taught me how to tune it and was just generally a very pleasant human being. I highly suggest this place to anyone interested in ukulele! They have many different types including some that were locally made and the people working there have a good knowledge and are pleasant, helpful, and friendly! Fan guitar and ukulele rocks! read more

Without question the best place in Richmond and most likely in all of Virginia, to get an ukulele. They have an eye for unique and indapendant brands you can not easily find elsewhere. They carry Moku which I highly recommend. Low end, high end and everything in-between in a multitude of brands. Great deals on used items as well. Impeccable setup of instruments and loads of knowledge about both ukulele and guitar. Lots of traffic from people stopping by to have older instruments repaired of maintaned. Its all around fantastic and the owners are great people, and don't forget to say hi to the shop dog when you stop by! read more

I contacted Fan Guitar & Ukulele on Yelp with a question about repairing a guitar that needed some serious TLC. I received an email back within a day not only answering my question, but with when would be the best time to bring it by. The next week, I dropped the guitar off thinking it would take a few days to fix-- imagine my surprise when I received a call a few hours later telling me the guitar was ready! Amazing customer service, extremely reasonable prices. I am so grateful to have found this place, and look forward to many more visits! read more

Just visiting Richmond and driving around found this amazing store by chance. I love it! Wish it were in my area! The staff is very friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. Will definitely visit again next time I am in town! read more

I came in earlier today searching for a specific model tuning peg, as one of mine has broken recently. I was instantly greeted at the door by an employee. He helped me throughout the whole process. From finding the correct item, to giving me good recommendations, etc. Definitely would recommend this place. Everyone seems very knowledgeable and caring. read more

This place deserves your business. It's pretty much the only remaining music store in Richmond that treats you well and genuinely cares about your reasons for dropping by. It reminds me very much of the late Candyland Music on Main, but obviously much cleaner : ) I dropped off a guitar on Saturday for a routine setup and had a call Tues morning that it was ready to be picked up. That's a pretty quick turnaround time, and yes, this is the best and most thorough setup I've ever received. I had a feeling it would be, because John walked me through his plans for it. He made sure to ask how I like my action set, what tuning I prefer it to be in (i drop a whole step), and a few other small but important details. I'm sure setups can range depending on how much needs to be done and what sort of instrument is in question, but providing the strings myself my setup was a very reasonable $35. Hard to beat. Plus you're dealing with calm and friendly folks that seem to really love their little shop. We Richmonders NEED this shop, so I'm begging you to check them out. They have a fine assortment of used gear available at great prices (pedals, amps, guitars) as well as virtually any accessory you'd need. I don't know much about ukeleles, but this is a fine guitar shop in it's own right. When I had initially walked in John was dealing with a customer and made time for the both of us - got me in and out while having all my questions answered. After missing Todd at Candyland Music for so long i can at least rest knowing there's another guitar shop in town that treats you like gold and truly appreciates your business. I love this place and I'll be back many, many times. read more

Took my daughter in to purchase her first "real" ukulele. The guy behind the counter was very kind indeed and helpful, gently leading her to a group of suitable instruments and encouraging her to try as many as she liked. Just a really nice experience at a particularly sensitive and critical juncture in my daughter's musical education. Got a nice uke that my daughter just loves. Thanks, FG&U. read more

LOVE this place. As everyone knows, the uke is trending big time ( or "ook" as Hawaiians say it) because it is handy and easy to sound like you sort of know how to play. But if you want to stop pretending and start learning, I would highly recommend lessons with John. He has a great way of teaching and is very patient and encouraging. Plus, it's clear he knows his way around a guitar, too, and truly loves what he's doing. read more

Took my daughter to look at a few electric guitars and John was patient, knowledgeable and helpful. My daughter ended up getting a used fender Squier and amp and couldn't be happier. John also stands behind what he sells. We'll be back to support our local businesses! read more

Wonderful spot with excellent service-- seriously, nothing but good vibes from this place. Great service really goes a long way, especially with so many other music shops with rude/unwelcoming owners. Really felt right at home here. read more

Super helpful staff. I played at The National last night and my pedalboard was lost by the airline. I called this store 15 minutes before they closed for emergency help. John (who answered the phone) sold me pedals over the phone then delivered them to me at the National. A clutch rescue indeed. read more

My wife and I are both elementary school music teachers. We came in looking to get outfitted with classroom sets of ukes and they were wonderful to work with. The owners were very patient with our never ending questions giving us a lot of help and advice on getting our programs up and running with the kids in our classroom. I would highly recommend this place to any and all teachers. Very knowledgeable and helpful! read more

Purchased my first ukulele here. Extremely helpful and knowledgable staff. Love my new uke and had a great experience picking it out. Highly recommend supporting this local business! read more

This guy is awesome. Answered all my questions, gave me everything I needed, and even offered to take parts off a personal instrument to help me out. This is my first ever yelp review because I work in restaurants and typically hate them. But this business deserves a shout out. Definitely going back for all my guitar and ukulele needs. read more

Excellent on every level! This is the quintessential 'Richmond Fan' business - a place that you want to stay and hang out. Whether you're a beginner or a seasoned musician, you can find and get anything you're looking for. John, Genie and Scruffy are so welcoming and knowledgeable - if they don't have it, they'll get it, or build it, or help you build it! If you're looking for lessons - John is amazing! Whether you're just starting out or you're really good but want to learn more. He quickly figures out the way that you learn and takes you further on your journey. Whether you're in Richmond or not, this is the guitar/ukulele store that you want to get to know. read more

My daughter wanted to pick out her own uke, but we couldn't find a place that offered much of a selection in Fredericksburg, VA. After doing some searching around the internet, I found a few forums where people highly recommended the 'Fan Guitar and Ukulele' shop due to John's knowledge of ukulele's. It was a hour drive for us, but we were not disappointed. It was great working with John. He was NOT a pushy salesman. He is laid back, easy to talk to. He made my daughter feel comfortable in his shop. He has a nice selection of ukuleles. They were not overpriced for a retail shop. I did some research on some models before I drove down there, so I had an idea what the price was on some models. Of course you can find stuff cheaper on the internet, but you get what you pay for. I'd rather support the local businessman than buy off the internet. I look forward to going back to his shop to buy my next ukulele. We did get to meet his wife who also works in the shop. She was also a pleasure to work with. I can't say anything bad about this place. read more