Renting from Thomas was such a pleasure and so much fun! As a violinist trying out the viola, I…read morewasn't sure what size would work best for me. He thoughtfully prepared several options in advance and let me try everything at my own pace. The whole process was relaxing and low-pressure, and he even brought out some fun bows and higher-end violas for me to try! Super easy to work with and Thomas clearly really cares about musicians at all levels. Highly recommend!

Thomas is a master and truly offers so much knowledge and experience in his craft. I was able to…read moremake an appointment and bring in my cello and bow which he deftly advised me to a number of repairs, re-haired my bow, and set me up with a better end pin with a rubber tip. Not only did Thomas appreciate and had experience with my cello maker, but he was able to complete repairs within days. His prices are completely fair for his high quality of work. I look forward to having him care for my cello in the future.

I own a Greenwood bow and have also taken various french/german bows to John for repair and rehair…read more He knows what he's doing, and his passion for the craft shows. He also plays the violin quite well and can help demonstrate/ compare bows, which I found to be helpful. I highly recommend John if you're looking for a bow upgrade or need some work done on your bows. Visiting his workshop is always an experience in itself, with walls adorn with posters of some violin greats. Always a wonderful experience. Thank you!

I have a fine French bow that has been in a state of disrepair. It needed a new screw, slide,…read moreeyelet, grip, rehair, and a good cleaning. I contacted John after reading his amazing endorsements. He picked up the phone immediately and we got our repair set up for a time within two days. The turnaround time was only a few days and John's workmanship was absolutely first class. The bow looked beautiful and performed perfectly. I am so glad I made the decision to have John do the work! I highly recommend John--he is a real artist right here in SF.

Super cute music store! They have way more than what you think. I went in on a whim to see if they…read morehad harmonicas, and they had three different types to choose from! I didn't even know there were that many options, but the employee was very knowledgeable, helpful, and nice! Will be back once I've mastered the C-scale harmonica

Overdue review. Started my daughter at their yamaha group with Ms Nicole, and shes fantastic, just…read moreenough firmness and still fun. My daughter completed 2 recitals. Now she is in drums with Henry, another ever so patient instructor, he is also teaching my other daughter who was only 5yrs old when she started.

Amazing staff, supporting and welcoming. When you walk in Lee and the staff give you a sense that…read moreyou are in a magical workshop. I have been there several times to have my cheap saxophone serviced and it receives the care of a fine and precious instrument. Lee has an aura of patience and kindness visible the minute you walk in.

Extremely knowledgeable, helpful and patient. This shop offers old school services that you don't…read morefind often nowadays.

I had a great experience taking my violin to Jesse Maschmeyer. The last time I had my violin fine…read moretuned was 2022. I had a luthier I trusted who retired so was nervous about finding another luthier. Mr. Maschmeyer did not disappoint. He inspected my violin and gave me a quote to plane my fingerboard and shave my bridge (due to a pick-up). I also asked for a polish. He was able to do all the work within 24 hours! The best part was that he provided a high quality of work at a reasonable price. I'm thrilled to have found Mr. Maschmeyer.

I just got bullied by this guy, Jesse. It happened around 8pm last night, I kindly asked if I could…read morego with one of my friends because my friend told me he made an appointment. But he accused me of lacking integrity and compared my request to an "ambush." I had great time there to buy my previous violin ~2 years ago, I understand he could prefer a strict one-person policy and don't want a rush appointment, but accusing a customer of lacking integrity and calling it an "ambush" is completely unprofessional. I don't know what happened to him but now I don't trust this person, and I highly NOT recommend you visiting his shop and become his customer.

Andrew is an incredible teacher. I've grown more as a musician in the last few months of working…read morewith him than I did in the previous year at community music studio and in the entirety of my childhood lessons. He has endless patience, excellent communication skills and his knowledge and passion for music is unparalleled in my experience. He's been open pretty much all Covid 19 and his sense of humor and gentle pushing of me out of my comfort zone has gotten me through this pandemic.

My son takes piano lessons here with Andrew and I can highly recommend this music studio…read more All 3 of my children have taken music lessons so I've seen a lot of different teachers and instructional approaches. Andrew's methodology is very approachable and encouraging for the young learner. He really wants to develop a life long love of music for the child and create a solid foundation on which they can build. He is super patient which is great. I really like Andrew's approach to recitals as well. He holds recitals on a near monthly basis but keeps them very casual. This gives the learner a great opportunity to practice performing in front of people with good frequency but in slightly lower pressure situations than normal (this is coming from an adult who was subjected to "scary" recitals as a child!).

Mark Newstetter, who runs Balboa Guitars at Balboa and 41st Avenue in San Francisco, is a wonderful…read moreguitar teacher with an amazing grasp of theory and an eclectic effective approach to learning the entire fretboard, rather than focusing on first position. Also a really kind person.

I took lessons as a beginner from Mark for almost 2 years, and he also setup my guitar/bass during…read morethat time. A great teacher (especially for getting proficient with theory on the fretboard), a knowledgeable and skilled luthier, with very fair prices!

This is a great spot in Noe Valley to study music. I have been taking 30-minute piano lessons once…read morea week with Oliver Levy since January. For the previous two years, I had been relearning piano on my own after a couple decade hiatus. But getting back into study mode with a teacher launched my playing further than I ever expected. Oliver put challenging pieces in front of me to learn that I probably wouldn't have sought out on my own. In particular, he turned me onto Chopin's Nocturnes, and helped me go from "there's no way I'll ever be able to play this" to "is it considered obsessive to play this seven times a day because I'm addicted to the way it gives me chills every time?" 5/5, would recommend. PS: There are some pretty harsh reviews for this business, but I never once experienced any negative vibes. All around great experience for this guy, a happy customer excited to continue growing into the best musician I can be.

Please be aware of the ongoing fraudulent activity from Russo Music School. They have deducted…read moremoney constantly and I Have lodged an official Better Business Complaint. Next step: Complaint with Consumer Affairs California to Shut your business down permanently. For all those who have had ratings like mine do not hesitate to act on the spot and take legal action as you see fit. Thieving behavior that was reported as fraudulently changing the business information and retaining financial information to deduct money long after the cessation of classes is called Theft in broad daylight. This is in addition to her persistent efforts to disparage my son not that she's anything worth paying for! She failed at her job as a music teacher the only skill set she has she cannot perform properly and cannot inspire students to learn. What she is good at however as are the remainder of the chosen music teachers is to act uptight and rude and baseless and change their identity to commit financial theft. This is despite the blocks I put on my bank end and they advised me that Nicole Russo mostly changed a few details so that the information she had saved about my card she deducted on an erratic basis in exorbitant disproportionate amounts. Please refer to the files or evidence to support my review. I am sure those of you out there who experienced this can relate to me. Also, be sure to collaboratively issue complaints with BBB and Consumer Affairs California and I am sure if they see a red flag, Russo Music School Should be permanentlY SHUT DOWN for theft, misrepresentation, identity tampering, abusive work environment, and the barrage of violations that are being committed. Looks more like the Russo School of Theft to me! I Have the evidence to back that up (attached) and more! NOTE TO OWNER: ANY REPEAT OFFENSE AT ATTEMPTING TO STEAL MONEY WILL BE MET WITH ME ISSUING A POLICE COMPLAINT OF THEFT.