Unacceptable Service & Zero Priority I am beyond frustrated…read morewith the service I received today, and I ended up walking out. My wife, my two kids, and I walked into this establishment around 4:35 PM on March 25th. We were greeted at the front by Ted, who told us he'd be over to help us "real soon" and instructed us to head back to the electronic drums. Couple other staff asked if we needed help which we did, and was told they couldn't really help us because they weren't the 'drum guy' and to wait for Ted. We waited. For 25 to 30 minutes. When Ted finally decided to show up, he gave us maybe five minutes of his time. Instead of actually helping us make a decision, he left us with more questions than answers. He told us he'd be "right back," and then disappeared for another 10 minutes. From where I was standing, I could see him at the front of the store helping people who walked in long after we did. The breaking point was when he finally came back to our area...but not to help us. He started assisting another person who had just arrived. At that point, I was losing my cool. He knew we had been waiting patiently for a long time, yet he continued to treat us like we weren't a priority. Once he finally finished with the latecomers, I had to confront him with the facts. I told him exactly how long we'd been sitting there while he ignored us for newer customers. Instead of offering a solution or taking accountability, he just hit me with excuses. Then, he actually had the nerve to ask if I had "more questions." I told him flat out: I was ready to check out 30 minutes ago, but he left us hanging high and dry. I was literally about to tell him which set we were buying, but after that experience, I decided right then and there that we wouldn't be supporting this business. We walked out. Bottom line: You need to get your priorities straight. UPDATE: I'm updating my previous 1-star review to 5 stars because of one person... Senior Manager Anju (I hope I spelled that correctly). After that initial visit yesterday which left us feeling disregarded and unimportant... Anju reached out to me personally to make it right during our phone call. It takes a true leader to own up to a mistake and honestly she did so with such grace. Took full accountability for her store and them some. When we returned today, we weren't just 'customers' we were felt like actual guests. Anju provided the kind of high-touch and personalized support that made the store feel more like a community. She was patient, informative, answered all my questions and incredibly kind to our 5-year-old. She made sure we walked out happy and we left with the perfect Roland TD-07DMK Electronic Drum Kit and a matching V-Drum Amp. I felt Anju made it her mission to make sure every detail was handled perfectly so we could focus on the excitement of our daughter's musical journey instead of the issues we faced previously. It's easy to be a good store when things go right, but how you handle things when they go wrong is the true test... Anju passed with flying colors. From here on out we'll be supporting this business under her leadership. Mahalo for turning this around for our family!

I live in Virginia and purchased an Epiphone Les Paul Tribute Plus guitar From Easy Music Center,…read moreHonolulu. They sent me photos of the guitar before I purchased it. I bought the guitar and they packaged it to perfection. I received it via FEDEX in excellent condition. When I got the guitar out of the box it was beautiful, not a spot of dust. The inspection and adjustments they made were nothing less than professional. The friendlyness of the entire staff was way more than 10+ stars. The guitar played perfect way better guitar than the price. Byron

I needed my ukulele strings changed out. Service was fast. I ran out to do an errand, and within…read morethat time my old strings were replaced. I have gone to Dan's before to buy picks for my strumming on my ukulele. Location is convenient on Beretania Street. Price to replace strings was reasonable.

My favorite guitar store and the one I've bought the most instruments from…read more I'm a casual musician who travels for work so I can look and buy when and where I want...I always look to Dan when I have a new interest. Come in, play a few, leave with at least one.

Jimmy taught all 3 of my kids and me, too! He is a consummate professional teacher, with many years…read moreexperience, great musical, and teaching ability, but also lots of patience and desire to impart his love of music to his students.

Jimmy is a very dedicated, knowledgeable, and supportive music teacher. Over the years we have had…read morea number of music teachers for our kids. Jimmy has been the best by far. He really goes out of his way to make it interesting and fun for his students. With Jimmy's help our daughter was able to get into both the Berklee College of Music and the Clive Davis Music Institute at NYU. Thank you so much Jimmy!

So great to have Peter round to help me create my crazy ideas for guitars, or to take on the work I…read moredon't or am unable to do. Thank you Peter for all you do, and have done over the decades! Call him, share what you want done and make a new friend!

So glad I found Peter--not only is he an incredible luthier, but he's also an absolute gentleman…read more I brought my Fender Strat in for some intonation issues, and Peter knew exactly what to do--and then went above and beyond. He did a full fret dress and worked out a slight heel kick so the notes wouldn't fret out. He fine-tuned the intonation, deepened the nut slots to make the first fret easier to play, cleaned out all the pots, and straightened the neck. He also adjusted the whammy bar and corrected the bridge, which had been pulling up too far. It now sits closer to the body with a gentler angle--still allows a half-step pull-up, but with better stability and improved tuning. The guitar plays so much better now--and Peter even promised I'd sound just like Stevie Ray Vaughan. I'm pretty sure by "now" he meant in about a million years. Peter works out of his home in Aina Haina. It's a little tucked away at the end of a driveway , but if you follow his texted directions, you'll find it. Although I did drive past said driveway the 1st time around LOL. Happy Shredding!!

Music Center of Hawaii is very small but the amount of instruments and service far exceeds their…read moreshop size. They are one of the only shops that repairs saxophones, violins, and standup bass's. They have a huge selection of violins, flutes, saxophones just to name a few. The staff is absolutely top notch any thing you need for your bowed instrument is there.

Best experience I've ever had in a music store. My son was freaking out because his saxophone…read moreneeded some repairs, and the employees did an amazing job helping me a getting his saxophone up to par. they were extremely knowledgeable and knew exactly what they were talking about and helped me find exactly what I needed. We will definitely be back and be doing all of our music store needs right here.

Simply the best. Gary is the only one who I would even consider trusting with my instruments…read more He's done work on my vintage 1976 Ibanez Artist, set up my Ibanez GB10, repaired my 1960's Martin Baritone ukulele (a family heirloom I wouldn't let anyone touch except Gary) and recently set up and worked on my Kala ukulele. Excellent work. I've been a musician for 60 years, I do know what I'm talking about, and my musician friends, all of them pros, feel the same way about Gary.

I have brought my guitars to most of the repair people on the island since I moved here, and…read moresearched around quite a bit with unsatisfactory results previously. I've been playing 50+yrs and have some pretty nice vintage and new guitars. Gary does top notch work. His workshop is well set up and organized, and is probably better tooled than the other workshops where you can't see what is going on. I've been to a few backrooms to watch people at work and Gary's setup is fine. It being in his garage, which another reviewer subtracts points for, is irrelevant. What is relevant is skill, and Gary is tied with one other person on the island in my estimation, but the other person is generally hard to get a hold of and takes forever. These two are the only people on the island who I would trust with my guitars (1961 Gibson lg-1, 1962 Fender Jaguar, 1965 Fender Coronado II, 1972 Gibson SG, 2009 Godin xTSA, 2015 Gibson Hummingbird Pro, 2020 Danelectro "1959" 12 string, 2024 PRS SE20e parlor guitar). I say this not to show off -- the vintage ones became vintage from me taking care of them and playing them, not collecting. I got them relatively cheap back in the day. Gary has done fine work on all of them, and I play at least one of them every day. I would not bring them to any of the others I have tried or interviewed, and I really checked around. Let me give an example to bring things home. I have a very nice Gibson Hummingbird Pro acoustic that had a particular neck problem that I just plain would not entrust to other island luthiers and such. Basically, there is a common problem of a little buckle in the neck that was causing one string to buzz on one or two frets, I tried another luthier I had read about, and they wanted to sell me a case, a humidity controller and talked a bunch of nonsense in general about the specific problem. They really talked a good game and they wanted me to buy a bunch of stuff, lock my guitar in the case, and blah blah before they would even look at it. They understood the problem to be me. When I asked what they would do if the problem persisted after getting all the gadgets, the other luthier shop was into defretting, planing the neck and resetting it, which would have cost a small fortune. The correct solution, which I knew from another guitar, is to not worry about planing the neck and adjust the frets instead, since we are talking a miniscule buckle. I played the other guitar that had had this problem for thirty years without a problem after the fret adjustment, and have had no problems with the Gibson's playability since Gary adjusted it five or six years ago. It took a couple of tries to get it there, but Gary worked with me, and we had to close in on it because of my playing style, not because he missed anything, so he did the first adjustment conservatively since he would have to replace the fret if he went too far. The more radical steps were available if the less invasive one failed, but Gary approached the problem as only someone with skills, wisdom, and years of experience could do. I could go on about the meticulous and knowledgeable work he did on my other guitars, but suffice it to say, he is where I have taken them for the past decade and where I'll keep bringing them. He's not the cheapest, but he is the all-around best if you care about your instruments AND play them.

I have always wanted to learn how to play the ukulele. When i was a kid, Roy Sakuma was the gold…read morestandard for ukulele lessons, and a few of my friends actually took lessons from Mr. Sakuma. While my parents supported my music aspirations by signing me up for piano, chorus, dance, and clarinet (total geek I know) lessons, adding one more instrument was too much. For the past few years, every time I'd return home I'd go to different ukulele stores, try a few and give up. Too many options, not the right time, or too much to carry back was always my excuse for not buying a ukulele. Visiting Kanile'a Ukulele in Windward Mall, felt different. The huge store was empty and one sales person was at the register. He was a no pressure sales and just so nice. He played the ukulele so effortlessly, natural, and I was SOLD! Since I had never owned or played the ukulele I was thinking of getting just a starter uke ($150-$200/ea). But the wood and manufacturing was in China. That did not feel too authentic. On the other end of the spectrum is all Hawaii made with local wood (koa) at $3000 and up. That seemed too expensive for a beginner ukulele. I ended up with koa wood locally sourced, and the ukulele made in China but verified for quality standards in Hawaii. ($800-$1000). The ukulele comes with a standard case. I ended up liking the custom Kanile'a case because it's waterproof, sturdier, and had a K logo. I also got the moisture control packs that sit in the case to maintain proper moisture levels (not too humid/ dry). And finally I got a tuner. I cant wait to bring this piece of home back with me to the mainland. I have already taken an online class and loved it! I'm so glad I visited Kanile'a! Start to finish the experience was superb! Highly recommended! LOCATION: 4/5 SERVICE: 5/5 VALUE: 4/5 AMBIANCE: 4/5 PET FRIENDLY: yes CLEANLINESS: 4/5 PARKING: 5/5

This store was great and the staff was particularly amazing! I visited last month with 2 young kids…read morewith em, just trying to find my dream Ukulele. Originally just window shopping, but after meeting the helpful staff and getting to see how amazing the Ukulele's they make are, I am now saving up for one of the Ukes from this store. They were so patient with me and never made me feel bad when I was not able to buy the uke that day, or because my kids were running around. Mahalo!

Our family has had a wonderful experience at Kailua Music School. The instructors are incredibly…read moretalented, patient, and genuinely know how to make learning music fun. They have a dynamic teaching style that keeps kids engaged while helping them build confidence and real musical skills. What really stands out is the welcoming, eclectic atmosphere. It's a place where students of all ages and abilities can explore music without feeling pressured. The teachers clearly love what they do, and that enthusiasm is contagious. Most importantly, our kids look forward to every lesson. They've developed a genuine excitement for music, and it's been a joy to watch their confidence and abilities grow. If you're looking for a music school that combines excellent instruction with a fun, encouraging environment, I highly recommend Kailua Music School.

Our son has absolutely loved KMS and all of his teachers. When he first started, we weren't sure…read morewhich instrument would be the best fit, but the KMS team encouraged him to explore different options and try several instruments. Giving him the freedom to choose for himself was such a wonderful experience--it helped build his confidence and excitement for learning. In such a short time, we've seen tremendous growth, both musically and personally. On a personal level, our experience with the KMS team has been exceptional. During difficult times, including my medical issues and car troubles, they consistently went above and beyond to support our family. They didn't just care about our son's musical education--they genuinely cared about us as people, checking in and offering kindness and support when we needed it most. I wholeheartedly recommend KMS to any family looking for a welcoming, supportive, and encouraging environment. In addition to outstanding music instruction, they also offer classes in sewing and acting, making it a wonderful place for kids to discover and grow their creative talents.