I just wanted to thank Long Beach Woodwind and Brass for the great quality work and fast turnaround and particularly wanted to single out one of your specialist (Mike Compagna) for brass repair. He did an excellent job on both my trumpet and flugel horn. I will continue to recommend your shop. read more

I love this place! Owned and operated by my friend and great woodwind player Rusty Higgins and his wife Georgia, and located in a very cool area in Long Beach called Lakewood Village, you couldn't ask for a more comfortable place for expert advice on equipment and the lessons to go along with them. They also have a great repair room in the back led by Bryan Whitaker with his crew of Fermin Chavez and Edgar, who did some excellent work on my alto and clarinet... Highly recommended! read more

Long Beach Woodwinds - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Long Beach, California

I've been really impressed with this shop. Bryan in the back is a top notch repair guru with some serious old fashioned customer service. We've been going to this shop over 2 years and it's a gem. read more

I have been in the shop several times. Rusty and Georgia are amazing! I went in last week to rent 2 saxophones for and upcoming event. They were able to provide the saxes in a matter of minutes. I could see that they were determined to find the right instruments for my son and myself! If you are ever in need of any woodwind instruments, mouth pieces, reeds, or anything else they are the people to see! Thank you Rusty and Georgia for you commitment, knowledge, and service! read more

Long Beach Woodwinds - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Long Beach, California

Great staff, the owners are wonderful and so helpful. They just want you to be able find what you're looking for, the instrument repair staff are all amazing! And not to mention for horns (especially saxophones) they have the biggest selection in town of vintage instruments. read more

I needed an emergency repair of my sons saxophone, twice. Both times, I was accommodated without any hesitation. Both times, I waited for the repairs that took less than 30 minutes. They are very nice and accommodating and friendly people. Good quality repairs. I would definitely recommend this place. read more

Very nice shop with lots of inventory, a reputable repair department and a very knowledgeable staff. Their selection of used high end horns and mouthpieces really stood out. We're lucky to have such a great resource for pros and students alike in our area read more

My new favorite music store. So nice to find a "real" specialty store that knows what they're talking about. They clearly do! I'm going to take all of my horns here from now on! read more

Michael Campagna is absolutely amazing! My trumpet has so many things wrong with it, there's more wrong than right, and Michael fixed all of those things in 4 days. I can't say enough how much I appreciate him, his craft, and how great and fast he fixed my trumpet. HE IS THE BEST!!!! read more

Stopped by and had some work done on my horn and highly recommend this place. Everyone that works here from Rusty (who plays a mean horn) to Bryan, Edgar, and Fermin are all great and helpful. You almost hate to leave. As to the horn and mouthpiece selection available, its definately worth the trip from wherever you are. Go by and you will be glad you did. Javier Medina read more

TL;DR Long Beach Woodwinds & Brass is an exceptional music store and repair shop specializing in these instruments. They are operated by very friendly, approachable and knowledgeable staff who helped us with the repair of my son's saxophones as well as having a wonderful store dedicated to these instruments. I feel that they are a very important resource for the community that should be supported. We went there on a Saturday with the plan to have my son's saxophones - a tenor and an alto, looked at and possibly repaired. His primary instrument, the tenor sax, needed to have the neck piece recorked. We also brought the alto to get a quote on repairing a link on one of the keys as my son claimed that a particular key was unplayable. Bryan assessed the tenor sax and gave us an affordable price to replace the cork, fix some leaks, and straighten something, all within an hours' time. Done! With the alto, Edgar also gave us a very reasonable estimate but we decided against having the repair performed as this was not my son's primary instrument and my son felt that he could wait. I want to share that there was not one moment during our conversation that I felt any pressure to proceed with any of the repairs. They were very open and transparent. I want to convey this, especially to other parents, because I feel it is a very important distinction to share. We chose to stay at the store and wait for the repair to be completed because the store is truly a "candy" store for a woodwind and brass instrument player. They had most of the supplies that my son has dreamed of owning. For most of the items there, especially the vintage mouthpieces, my son has only read about them and seen them on the interweb. So, to see them first-hand, feel them, and learn of their history can't be replicated by the web. Blake is the front-of-store salesperson/musician, and he is so easygoing and likeable. He shared all his knowledge with us and he never made us feel that we were obliged to buy something. During Blake's explanation of a brand of mouthpieces, for example, Otto Link (?), I think, he shared that the shop also had a specialist who custom modified mouthpieces to suit an individual's sound preferences. Good to know. Amazon, and the big box, brick-and-mortar music stores, may offer a slight price advantage on some items but they can't offer a full-service shop like this place. I am very grateful to have a music resource in the community like Long Beach Woodwinds & Brass. We were treated like how I would like to be treated. I wish that it were closer to my home, yet the sacrifice to drive one hour to get to the store is a small sacrifice than not having them at all. We must thank Bryan and Edgar with my son's repair and Blake for the positive shopping experience. They made us feel welcome. We will definitely support them. read more

We love coming here even though it is a drive for us. The owner is very knowledgeable and talented, and cares passionately about sharing music. We purchased a clarinet here and he took the time to find a right fit for my son with the price range we were looking for. Recently, we went to Bryan to have him redo the pads on his keys. Very quick and professional! Would recommend for anyone looking to buy/repair an instrument! read more

This review is specifically about the repair department: Bryan W went out of his way to make my clarinet play as good as possible within a very fair budget. I play professionally and am pretty picky about my setup. I can't say enough about Bryan's work and positive attitude. Highly recommended. read more

I was in the market for an alto sax mouthpiece so I stopped by the store to see what they had. I was very pleased to find out they carried a wide variety of mouthpieces and allowed me to try them until I found one that suited the sound I was looking for. Rusty and Georgia warmly welcome you into their store like you are a part of their family. Also, they seem to have anything you can think of in stock which is handy if you need something in a pinch. read more

My little brother has taken many saxophone lessons at this location with a great instructor. When I decided to resume my music as a hobby, I needed to of course (after sever years since high school) to clean out my trumpet instrument first off, which needed intense cleaning. Luckily, my brother informed me that they do indeed clean brass instruments, not just woodwinds. They did a really professional job, and had a few professional tips for the exterior, which they assured was not entirely necessary, but they could resolve if need be. I will be using this location for all my instruments needs in the near future. read more

I always call here and ask for what I am looking for before going online to look for it, I have gotten really great prices, very good tips and generous time and help trying things out, mouthpieces and even synthetic reeds. Never had a bad experience. Support small businesses like this one with real people who care about their work, and keep the community healthy. read more

Long Beach Woodwinds is AWESOME! They are a small owner operated business selling woodwinds (obviously!) and all the accessories for the instruments. In addition to the regular front of the store business, they also do amazing repairs in the back and teach lessons.My daughter has taken lessons from both Georgia and Rusty. Their ability to reach and inspire their students is worth noting; especially with most being teenagers (a generally touchy group to deal with). We purchased both her her alto and her (second) tenor saxophone from them. They are very honest and fair with their prices. So fair that musicians from all over the city come to buy Rigotti reeds from them (including a sales rep from another reed company and businesses from out of state!) If you are looking for the real deal, Long Beach Woodwinds is that place. read more

I love Long Beach Woodwinds. Rusty and Georgia are friendly and focused on the improvement of their students.

This store reminds me of the late 60's & 70's when you got real service and you could try reeds without breaking the bank. The repair staff is top notch and very friendly. I travel quite a distance to patronize this store with no hesitation. I have recommended this store to my friends and they had the same comments. If you're a horn player do your self a favor and check this store out. read more

The service here is old school fantastic. When discussing something with anyone that works here you never feel rushed. Georgia, one of the instructors, is wonderful and very patient. read more

Just want to give a shout out to Long Beach Woodwinds. Rusty and Georgia are always very welcoming at the store and giving to their students. They have a wonderful selection of vintage saxophones along with flutes and clarinets. The reed selection is insane!!! Always have what I need on any instrument. The repair department is always there to guide and assist you in whatever issue you may have. Our instruments are an extension of ourselves and they handle every need in a personal way. I've been seeing Bryan for the last several years and he has always been a conscientious, A+ work, straight shooter. My biggest problem is that most of them want "to do their thing" on your horn. Bryan always works with you on a personal level and is more than fair about pricing considering he's an ARTIST too!!!! Thanks for keeping all of my horns in great shape for any situation. A wonderful gem in Long Beach, Ca!!! read more

I called ahead to see what kind of mouthpieces they had (I'm a sax player), as I was in the market for a new mouthpiece, and a specific one at that. The person that I spoke with sounded very knowledgeable and was super accommodating, and I gathered he was one of the repair guys there, and clearly plays as well. While they didn't have the mouthpiece I was really looking for, the guy mentioned some options that sounded intriguing, so I decided it was worth the 1.5 hour drive. Went there with a friend, also a sax player, and we each tried our about five or six mouthpieces apiece. He liked one but it wasn't quite what he was looking for, and I liked one but not enough to forego the one I was initially looking for. Also showed my horn to the repair guy and he was, again, super accommodating and really had some good tips about how my horn might be able to play a little better. So why only three stars? Because after I left, my friend and I got in my car, and as I was putting my seat belt on and starting the car, the owner came out of the store and approached the car. Rolling down my windows, he proceeded to scold my friend and I for coming in there and trying stuff when we had no intention to buy anything. "You really shouldn't do that." First of all, not true. My friend and I would have bought something if we had liked it enough. Second, I'm a professional musician, not some band kid with his mom looking to get some cheap reeds and an Omnibook. The store sells vintage mouthpieces and horns. People like me are his exact market, and it really bugs me to be treated like that. Seriously, who else is going to buy an SBA alto or a refaced Meyer 5M? If I didn't like the piece I wanted to try, I was very interested in going back to buy the one there that I did like, but now I don't think I'll ever go back there. Good luck selling the Mark VIs to a marching band, man. read more

My brother plays brass and he was in a nearby shop. My daughter wants to start learning an instrument and I passed by this shop on my way to my car and popped. Initial response was pretty friendly. The person running the shop was in the middle of a lesson and gave me a brief tour before returning to the lesson. I asked if I could pick up a clarinet, and I showed some of the fingerings I remember to my daughter and told her I barely remember much of what any of those notes were. I was told the instrument was expensive. I expect these kind of responses since I dress like a broke college kid since I just graduated with my masters and am now a brokeish graduate. I made an offhand remark about how I could probably play a piece of sheet music and show her how to play it, but probably wouldn't know what any of the notes were, essentially saying I'm rusty and mostly terrible. I'm assuming what was the other owner of the shop appeared and challenged me by saying I can leave with the $3k clarinet if I can play a piece of sheet music he selects, and when I told him it'd be a bit above my skill level since I haven't touched a clarinet in over a decade, he said that he's giving me a basic piece to play. Came off a bit arrogant and insulting. Not really a good way to leave a good impression or make a kid want to learn an instrument or make a sale. I guess he was offended thinking I meant that anyone can just pick it up and play, but that wasn't the case. My daughter said she'd do brass now instead. They got another one... read more

Rusty is one of the best in the business when it comes to woodwinds. Call first to make sure they are open. You can try instruments and mouthpieces before you buy, and he will make sure anything you need for repairs is done right. I love hearing him play test instruments before they send them out. Very easy to work with and generous with his time. Come here for classic and high-end horns. read more

Long Beach Woodwinds is definitely one of the shops around. I've been coming to the shop since I began my undergrad in music at CSU, Long Beach 5 years ago. They have some of the best stuff in stock as well as a super friendly and knowledgable staff. Just in the last few months they've gone through some major changes for the better. I saw in previous reviews that people had been disappointed by the store hours, repair man, store front, etc. They've since hired a full time repair man as well as a part time employee to work the front desk while still being able to offer the great lessons from Rusty and Georgia. In the past I've definitely had to call in ahead to make sure they were open but nowadays they are definitely a lot more consistent with their schedule. All the staff members are very active musicians in the area. I definitely would want to go to a store where the employees are also knowledgable players instead of a shop where someone who doesn't even play woodwinds is trying to sell me stuff. 10/10 would recommend this shop. Friendly people, great products, and great advice. read more