They have the best prices of any shop and a friendly, knowledgeable staff. I also love their new location at the Vandalia Tower.

I recently ordered a set of Innovation double bass strings online from Quinn Violins. I love the strings except one of them is a dud. I emailed customer service to arrange mailing back the string for a new one, and was told it's not their problem and i can try emailing the string company directly if i wish to attempt to exchange for a useable string. It's hard for me to imagine that this is somebody's idea of customer service for people who pay a lot of money for expensive strings. Maybe i just got unlucky with the person i was emailing. Either way i won't be ordering from them again. Will skip the middle man and order directly from a string manufacturer, or at least try to find a distributer that is helpful if there is a problem. read more

I'm a big supporter of small businesses. However, I have been disappointed with customer service of some small stores. Quinn Violins as one of them. Their string prices are decent, but it is a gamble since they will not hold any responsibility if package is lost during the shipping process. Strings I ordered was lost in the mail and asked for their help as the seller would usually take responsibility when things get lost during the shipping process. A person named Liz provided no help with a cold response 'not our responsibility.' I'm sorry, but as a long time customer of yours, I'm dissapointed and will not return. The recommendations I made to my fellow musicians will be no longer as well. read more

This is for an online purchase. I bought a fiberglass bobelock violin bow case, but the drop shipper didn't adequately protect the case (just paper wrap and packing peanuts), and it showed up with a crack. I guess getting shipped all the way across the country can be pretty traumatic. :( I emailed Quinn and a very nice representative got back to me quickly and told me the vendor was going to send me a new one. The new one came wrapped in bubble wrap along with paper and packing peanuts. I will have no qualms or worries in ordering online with Quinn in the future. There was a reddit thread of what online violin retailers are trustworthy and Quinn was one of the few sites on that list. read more

Do not use if you either want the best price or need your item in a timely fashion. Needed strings and ordered about mid day central time on a Monday. Paid for priority mail since I needed them asap. Come to find out on Tuesday that they do not work Mondays, and that they may not get my strings in the mail Tuesday. So I emailed them asking if they could do it since I obviously paid extra for the shipping. The person there Liz said she sent them Tuesday and gave me a usps tracking no. Then on Wednesday I find out that although she printed a label, the item did not ship Tuesday. Then to make matters worse, I happened to do a search for the same item on Amazon and found out that Quinn Violins sells the same thing for 10 percent less on Amazon. Luckily I had scrounged around for a coupon code. Also the Shar price was the same as the Quinn Amazon price. So: if you want to avoid the hassle of finding a coupon code, not getting your item in a timely fashion, then just go to Shar. read more

My old violin was relatively low quality, as it was a 'beginner' instrument. After looking into Quinn Violins, I decided to purchase a student-level instrument from them. It was shipped quickly, and properly packaged; no damage was made to the violin during shipping. The instrument itself is sturdily built and makes a lovely sound. I have had it for a year now, and harbor no complaints. I would definitely recommend Quinn Violins to those who are searching for well-made instruments at a reasonable cost. (Written via my mother's Yelp) read more

This place has such a great vibe and the BEST customer service I've ever received! They work hard to give you the best deal possible, as well as allow you the time to test trial instruments to find THE one. The owner is such a great guy......big heart. Quinn Violin is a 40 minute drive for us. We pass 3 different violin shops to get to his. That is what his service and loyalty means to me. I would drive even further to give him my business. If you are looking for top quality instruments, great customer service, and a friendly smile and humor, you will feel good about shopping here. I'm a customer for life. read more

I stopped in for strings. Very nice, helpful and acknowledges when you're standing around waiting to be helped. Did not judge me or felt like they had high ego. Even recommended to fix my double if I ever need in the future. will go back for bass setups and repairs. read more

This review is in reference to an order I placed online with Quinn Violins in October 2005. I was in desperate need of a new case for my bass. Quinn was one of the only places I could find that sold a relatively inexpensive, high-quality soft case with wheels built in. I placed the order online and waited. After waiting a month for my case to arrive, I asked Quinn Violins what was going on. They told me that they hadn't processed the order because my credit card did not go through. They made no effort to enlighten me to this mishap. They put the order through again and it still took two and a half weeks to reach me (I lived in Manhattan at the time). I received the box, which was oddly small for a bass bag. I opened it up to find that they had given me a cello bag instead. I immediately called them (on a weekday, during business hours) and was sent to a voice mailbox. I left a message and received an apologetic email response (isn't it standard to return a phone call with a phone call?) the next day. To Quinn's credit, they offered me the option of a full refund with reimbursement for the cost of shipping it back to them. They also offered to 'try again' and sell me the bass case for one third of its original price. I took them up on their offer and received the case promptly after that last email exchange. It took a total of two months and change to fulfill my order. However, It's a great case and has held up very well over the last 5 years. That said this is - to this day - by far the worst experience I have ever had shopping online. That's why I remember it, and that's why I'm writing about it in 2010. read more

Quinn has some great sounding string instruments for relatively little $, but you have to pick & choose by trying at least 10-15 different ones. There is such a huge variation in sound independent of price. Don't pay too much attention to various makers' models as they increase in price as though you were shopping for a new car with more options. There is an often mistaken impression that jumping up in price automatically gives better sound. Here's the thing: You can often find a less expensive "diamond in the rough" string instrument by carefully trying many instruments. Since with string instruments there's often [and surprisingly] really no accounting for sound vs price, all shoppers for string instruments must try them first, preferably with a friend with a good ear and without looking at the price first. I have played string basses old and new all the way from $1500 to $20,000 from various vendors over the years. I eventually settled on a $3,000 bass from Quinn that has a tremendous full sound as good as much costlier ones I played. Quinn staff know how to help bracket the player into the correct range of string instrument -- depending on the skill level and degree of involvement of the player. You will get knowledgeable guidance this way, but there's no substitute for listening testing many instruments first. If you are doing the playing, bring a friend with a good ear to help. Don't peek at the price first. There is a somewhat faulty pecking order of perceived string instruments' quality based on cost and origin alone. This is partly caused by collectors and a mentality among string players associating a special cachet to -- for instance -- violins by master European makers ancient and modern too-- assuming these are superior to everything else, and moving down the ladder from there to Chinese instruments at the bottom. The problem with that is there are many bad sounding high-priced instruments made by reputable makers mixed in unpredictably with the instruments that sound wonderful--I have heard them with my own ears. It reminds me of the blind taste tests of French vs. [far less expensive] California wines a few years back and you know what happened there. By not buying into that mind-set you can get a much better deal on a great string instrument! read more

I had been looking for a Bobelock fiberglass violin case. Had a really bad experience with an eBay seller in CA, so I was somewhat worried about trying again with a shop I was unfamiliar with. Have to say, this was a great experience. The price was great and the communication was perfect. They understood I was a bit nervous because of my eBay experience and made sure I was comfortable with my purchase. I would recommend this shop to everyone! read more

Great shop as long as you go in person. I have always had good experience when I have gone into the shop. They have done repairs for me as well. Staff is always friendly and helpful. The online purchasing is another story. They dont always communicate well with what is going on. Items in my order were out of stock and I didnt find out until I contacted them 10 days later to ask about where my stuff was. Another time one string was out of stock so they said they would ship it separately and 2 weeks later I had nothing. As if I hadnt learned, my 3rd order I hear nothing for 11 days, they already charged my card and no idea where my stuff is. I had to contact them again only to find out the item was backordered. On the bright side they have really good deals on strings if you make your own set you basically get a free E or A string (depending on instrument). Just make sure you are not in a big hurry to get your whole set. read more

I honestly can't say enough good things about Quinn Violin. Brought my daughter there to pick up her first violin. We were greeted warmly, someone helped us right away, and the terms and advantages of the rental program were thoroughly explained. They were very patient with questions, and made sure she had a good fit and understood the basics of caring for the instrument--without talking down to her. They also took the time to explain the cool history of their building... a former General Mills product testing facility! Great experience, can't recommend them highly enough. read more

I found Quinn Violins via Yelp and decided to try it out. Milo discovered that my violin that was sold to me as a full size was indeed not full size and the neck was in need of some serious repair. He was honest with me and not at all pushy. I wanted a violin so I was ready to just purchase another after my frustrating experience elsewhere, so he gave me a week trial to take it home and try it before I buy it. I brought it home and just played it and it's absolutely beautiful. I would definitely recommend going here, they know what they're doing and they check every detail. read more

They have a nice website. I have ordered strings a few times. Last time, the shipment was late. This time, my credit card was charged on the 9th, they said they shipped my strings on the 15th. Why? Today is the 17th, I really need these strings. I have contacted Quinn Violin, in phone and email. But no one has helped me. I will not order from the Quinn Violins again. read more

If you have reason to do business with Quinn--you're renting an instrument, buying an instrument or bow, need a case, strings or accessories--do not hesitate. In addition to high quality merchandise (though I can only speak for their cellos), they are the most lovely people: generous with time and energy and committed to customer satisfaction. This, I might add, is in stark contrast to House of Note in St. Louis Park. That store is far more convenient for me, but the staff is so consistently and jaw-droppingly rude that I would never go back. Vote with your dollar, people! Go to Quinn!! read more

Thank you for showing me not EVER to buy strings on the internet again! -Slow shipment (I only expected two days for them to ship at the most) -You shipped 3 strings, not 4. And charged me 16 dollars EXTRA -WRONG GAUGE. I FREAKING hate it when someone messes up the gauges, as it makes the strings all slimy from time to time, Just, no DON'T EVER BUY FROM THEM I had to play with 3 strings on my concert, - which was postponed due to late shipment (A WEEK LATER). Jeez, way to ruin my Tchaik Concerto, Quinn Violins. read more

Quinn Violin is the place to go for your string instruments. The staff is really nice, knowledgeable and helpful. We purchased my daughters cello there recently and the whole experience was fantastic. They set her up with a variety of cellos to play in their music room; she took her favorite home for a week. Once we decided this was the one, they polished it and did any adjustments needed before it came home. The staff continued to ask questions through the whole process to make sure we had everything we needed to take good care of our new instrument. I had to second thoughts about making this big of a purchase. I was confident that if we have any issues in the future Quinn Violin will there for us. Kathy R. read more

I had a very good experience here. I brought a violin in to Milo that had not been played in many years. He gave it the once over and I was good to go. I have also bought cases from them and am happy to support a local business. read more

We were referred to Quinn Violins by our violin teacher when my daughter was finally ready to move up to a full size violin. This was both an overwhelming and exciting time for us as we've only had experience with mostly beginner violins. The staff at Quinn were very friendly and helpful. Several violins had been selected for my daughter to try out in a bright and spacious performance room. More violins would be brought out whenever my daughter decided against one and by the end of the hour, we took one home with us for about a week for in-home-trial. Chris Quinn, the owner, took the time to ask about our criteria and preferences in a violin, told us about the construction/make of the violin we were borrowing, gave us good advice on searching for the right violin, and followed up with us appropriately. I really appreciated his patient, gentle, and kind personality. Although we eventually did not purchase a violin from Quinn Violins, we had a very good experience with Chris and his staff and I do not hesitate to recommend this business to others. read more

We've been dealing with Quinn for years as my younger daughter is a violinist & all of her instruments have come from Quinn. They are reasonably priced, very expert & professional, and only carry quality instruments. Their rent-to-own program is great, as is the very generous trade in allowance. My older daughter just took up the cello, and we got her instrument at Quinn. We are just as happy with it as we've been with Quinn's violins. We've recommended Quinn to many people & they've all had too experiences too. read more

I just purchased online a Gewa cello case from Quinn Violins. The product was offered at an excellent sale price with free shipping. While there was initially some communication snags the owner of Quinn Violins, Chris, responded in a timely manner via email to solve the problem regarding shipping. Because of his sale pricing I was able to afford to buy this wonderful cello case. JHawk, Mt Shasta, California read more