We purchased our very first piano from here at the beginning of the pandemic. We figured that…read moresince we'd be staying home more often, why not purchase a real piano!? We made an appointment to come in and Ulysses helped us out. He was friendly, knowledgeable, and helped us through the process. He didn't rush us or pressure us to buy a piano, and he was patient in answering all our questions. We went home that same day to think about which piano we wanted to get and returned a week later to purchase a Yamaha upright piano. Overall, it was a great experience and we now have a beautiful piano!

Update: Gary responded to this review... and then deleted his response a day later…read more After reading it, I actually understand and respect the appointment-only business model. If customers want a private showroom experience, that's completely reasonable. Plenty of luxury businesses operate that way. The problem was never the appointment policy. The problem was how a potential customer was treated. I live next door and have been curious about this store for a long time. I finally saw you at the business and thought I'd ask about purchasing a piano. Instead of a simple, "We're appointment-only, but here's my card--I'd be happy to schedule you," I was dismissed while you waited for your DoorDash order. As someone who works in marketing and customer experience, this felt like a textbook example of turning a warm lead into a lost customer. Your original response then spent paragraphs explaining why I shouldn't have expected service, but not one sentence expressing regret that a genuinely interested buyer walked away with a bad experience. That said, I'm adjusting this to a 2-star rating because I did see some effort to acknowledge my post, even if it ultimately fell short. Businesses don't earn loyal customers by proving they're technically correct. They earn them by making people feel welcome. A 30-second conversation could have turned me into a customer. Instead, it turned me into someone who will be buying a piano elsewhere. If you already have an appointment, I'm sure the experience may be perfectly fine. But if you're hoping to stop in, ask a question, or get a feel for the place before committing, don't expect much hospitality. That's ultimately why I'm leaving this review--not because the business is appointment-only, but because customer service begins long before the appointment ever does.

What a fun, amazing find Clarion Music Center was - they really do have instruments from all around…read morethe world! Last month, I was wandering aimlessly around Chinatown and stumbled upon Clarion's recessed door on the corner of Sacramento and Waverly Place. I almost walked by it but then could hear some interesting music so, I decided to peek inside... Wow, it was a treasure trove of unique instruments and wonders that I had no idea what to do with! There were 2 employees - 1 said hello as I walked in and the other was playing a melodic flute thing... it was nice. Later, I watched them sound the Tibetan singing bowl also which was a treat. I musta walked around for over 30 min. I saw unique gongs, ukuleles, tong and taiko drums, wind instruments from all over the world and and and... I could go on. The only thing I should probably mention is please don't 'experiment' with instruments unless you know what you're dealing with. The employees must get so frustrated with people coming in a banging on stuff. In my 30 min, I saw them have to ask more than a couple of people not to bang on the singing bowls because it ruins the tone of the bowl (fyi - you run the wooden part around the outside of them). All in all, I'd definitely like to get back to this shop someday. I loved the little fun things they had for children and the learning aids they offered. One lil kid was going crazy for an inexpensive African shaker. Also, they had a basement set-up for music lessons, which is probably nice for instructors or students who don't have space. Definitely check out their shop... and website!! http://www.clarionmusic.com/ See ya there!

This place is in SF Chinatown. My friend wanted to visit it & I got to see this place for the…read morefirst time. It's full of instruments, especially Chinese ones & music of many cultures. They have Lion Dance Equipment, Chinese Instruments like the erhu, gong cymbals, taikos & didjeridus, world instruments, books, cds & videos. They also have Saturday Music Classes to learn to play the Chinese erhu (two string fiddle), guzheng (zither), dizi (flute), & yangqin (dulcimer). Classes meet on Saturdays from 5-6:30pm. Good for beginners: adults & children welcome. Hrs: M-F 11am-6pm; Sat 9am-5pm

I went to this Guitar Center on my visit to San Francisco, and the staff was really great and…read morehelpful. Specially Linda, she had a great attitude, answering questions and helping me to define which guitar to purchase. She was key in my decision to get a Fender Telecaster Deluxe, and her service was oustanding. Thanks Linda!

Quick and easy stop for me today at the guitar Center on Van Ness in San Francisco …read more Just came to return a cable. It was an extra after an event last week. Brought the cable in with the receipt. In this case the cable had been purchased from the Hillsdale store. But I was in the area so I thought I'd return it to the San Francisco store. I stand for super helpful. Return was quick and easy. Well, guitar may not have the lowest prices they are super convenient. And their staff has been helpful in every case that I went in there. The guitar Center on Venice. It's no different. Give them a shot for your needs.

Love these guys! I've bought two beautiful instruments from them and the experience both times was…read morefantastic. They are very chill, supportive, and helpful. It's a beautiful place to find just the right guitar :) And they have a fantastic selection of ukulele's and baritone ukulele's as well!

Got my guitar restrung here. The service was excellent and fast. They have a wide range of guitars,…read moreincluding less expensive ones. I appreciated that considering where we live.

Brought an inexpensive alto sax in to see if it needed work. Katia was so helpful. We chatted and…read moreshe did a diagnostic on my sax and found some leaks. Wouldn't take my money. I'd go back here again!!

I called this morning to inquire about finding a cable for my standup bass (to hook up to an amp)…read moreand for some reason, the buy who spoke to me was very impatient and annoyed with me when I asked him a couple questions. I know this is a good store, but it was very off-putting to be spoken to like that.

Songbird is a great place to learn singing!…read more Leora is a fantastic teacher. I just started singing, and after 2 months, I already see dramatic improvements. My friends have complimented me on my new singing skills and are amazed that I just started lessons recently. It's great working with Leora since she's very patient and thoughtful. She personalizes every lesson to what I need to progress based on my voice and my current blockers. I look forward to taking lessons for a long time to come and to improving even more!

I've been coming to Songbird Studios at the start of this year as it was my New Year's resolution…read moreto finally take singing lessons that I've always wanted to take... and I'm so glad I finally did it! My goal was to be better at singing which was always something I enjoyed doing at amateur karaoke with my friends and though I have no other musical talent whatsoever, my vocal coach Christina Stogsdill makes these lessons so fun and easy to learn for a music newbie like me. She encourages me to let loose and though I always enter a lesson a bit nervous, I always leave it relaxed, refreshed, and confident, as if I've let my inner "singing diva" out and am now singing in ways I didn't know was possible for me. If you're looking to get the same feeling, I would highly recommend Christina and this studio!

Great teacher, Lane, who also the owner of school. I took ukulele lessons. Explain basic music…read moretheory so can understand. Very helpful to guide in learning finger playing.

Great place! Expert musicians, AV-skilled artists, recording equipment and studios, fantastic…read morekids' summer camps, and very friendly folks! It's great to have such a resource for creativity in the community. Check out them out!

Be prepared for a wait -- guy working behind the counter deserves a raise , I was there offhandedly…read morebecause my old flatmate left a ukulele when he moved out, which I decided to restring and learn to play from zero ukulele experience Arrived to the shop on Potrero Hill promptly at my 11:30am appt to 3 others outside and then more came ( lots of professional people with fancy pants Fender guitars , and I was there with my pineapple red ukulele ) , an hour later got my ukulele in and told to collect at 2:30 pm. Which was great to offer same day service , I appreciated that. Went back at 2:30pm and greeted by another 3-4 folk waiting with Fender guitars- when it was my turn to collect my ukulele after 3pm , the guy had already been inundated by guitars , he rushed to get mine restringed in 4 minutes, was very patient and attentive but was quite rushed understandably ---- 5 stars for the solo guy working who deserves to have at least 1-2 other people work, he was confident, professional and a total sound guy ......, but all I'm saying is be prepared for a wait on a Saturday !! Also , had no idea so many people have guitar issues --- it was a constant stream of people showing up with very fancy guitars , who knew , what an experience.

Be prepared for a wait -- guy working behind the counter deserves a raise , I was there…read moreoffhandedly because my old flatmate left a ukulele when he moved out, which I decided to restring and learn to play from zero ukulele experience Arrived to the shop on Potrero Hill promptly at my 11:30am appt to 3 others outside and then more came ( lots of professional people with fancy pants Fender guitars , and I was there with my pineapple red ukulele ) , an hour later got my ukulele in and told to collect at 2:30 pm. Which was great to offer same day service , I appreciated that. Went back at 2:30pm and greeted by another 3-4 folk waiting with Fender guitars- when it was my turn to collect my ukulele after 3pm , the guy had already been inundated by guitars , he rushed to get mine restringed in 4 minutes, was very patient and attentive but was quite rushed understandably ---- 5 stars for the solo guy working who deserves to have at least 1-2 other people work, he was confident, professional and a total sound guy ......, but all I'm saying is be prepared for a wait on a Saturday !! Also , had no idea so many people have guitar issues --- it was a constant stream of people showing up with very fancy guitars , who knew , what an experience.