Went in as a first time customer on a very busy Saturday with an impatient four year old and everyone I dealt with was super friendly and patient. They got me in and out as fast as possible. I'll definitely be renting from them again. Their pricing is incredibly reasonable and it lets a hobbyist like myself get my hands on gear that I'd never be able to afford. For anyone complaining about the "complicated rental process" , the requirements are CLEARLY spelled out on their website and what they ask for is completely reasonable. If you're an illiterate hobo without internet access, renting a $4000 microphone might be a problem, so consider yourself warned, hobos! P.S. No one was a dick to me, which is rare for an Austin music-related business. ( South Austin Music is also a great, dick-free place to shop. ) read more

Craig thank you for helping me out. Your team was very knowledgeable and helpful. Great customer service Thanks!!

I can not speak highly enough of Rene and Rock N Roll audio. We put on an event in Austin for SXSW and I was pleased with all aspects of Rene and company. - Accommodated last minute needs - GREAT pricing - Great communication - Timely set up and take done - overall great guys I will use them for any event we host in the Austin area, customer for life. read more

I'm a performer and had a busy rehearsal schedule the week I was having a backyard party that I was preparing for and just like most days got stuck in Austin traffic on my way to the Oltorf location to rent a set of speakers. When I arrived it was 6:45PM and I was told that I wouldn't be able to actually complete the rental because the staff "walked out the door at 7." I was frustrated because I knew if I didn't get them today, I wasn't going to be able to get them due to my rehearsal and performance schedule. Camden, (whom I would like to start calling "Jersey" :)) was assisting me, and I have to admit that I was just a bit of a douche saying, "Well, I'm here now, so and your hours are to 7 so..." He didn't argue, he just jumped into high gear after I completed my application and got the process done. He helped me take the equipment out to my car and it was 7:08. He was the consummate professional and went above and beyond to accommodate me. I thanked him and upon my return, I apologized and thanked him again. I would rent from these guys again and again. Their prices are reasonable and there customer service is top notch!! Thanks again, Jersey! read more

Rock N' Roll Rentals is a great idea and the prices are sure hard to beat, but... Some of the staff (ie: Craig) are just aholes. I have used them a lot in the past but I won't be going back. Don't give them your money. There are other places in town to rent gear from. read more

I recently rented a sound system for my small wedding and was absolutely pleased with the service! My email inquiry was responded to quickly and I was offered the opportunity to take care of everything over email which was great but I still chose to walk in and set up the service in person. Friendly staff helped me and I was set in minutes. I had the system delivered and it was so worth it! Awesome delivery gal Sierra who emailed me the day before to confirm. Having her Setup and take down took so much stress off of us on our wedding day. The system was easy to use, the staff know what they are doing. I will definitely use Rock n Roll for any future sound needs! read more

WORST RENTAL PLACE I HAVE EVER DEALT WITH. All of these reviews either got extremely lucky or are false. My band rented monitors, speakers, mics, XLRs, and quarter-inch cables (which some did not even work). Little did I know that this place nickel and dimes you and makes you rent power cords as well. Not only that, but they expect you to ask for them and do not tell you they are not included. When I called to ask about this, they showed me some of the worst customer service I have ever experienced. They said, "This is your fault, so there's nothing we can do." Needless to say, I will NEVER use this place ever again. There is a reason this place is cheap, and that's because they are the lowest of the low! read more

I have done business with RnR since the very early days before it was even RnR rentals and they have supported me in my business in so many ways. Their team is always friendly and in service and ready to assist me in figuring out any audio or lighting challenges I need help with. I love these guys! read more

I've used Rock and Roll Rentals since the '90s, and they've always been one of my favorite local businesses. Hell, I've lived in Chicago and LA and never found a place as cool and helpful to musicians as it. I don't understand some less than favorable reviews I've read. Yes, if it's your first time renting it's gonna take a minute to get your account and references established. And they are often busy because they offer fantastic gear at great prices. Don't go there in a hurry. Do go there and use the staff as a resource. They've made some very helpful recommendations to me on gear I needed for various contexts. I love Rock and Roll (Rentals). read more

Jim the owner has done boat loads for the austin music industry. Craig runs a tight ship and they are a great partner for my school. Band Aid School of Music. read more

I rented a dozen microphones from Rock & Roll for a SXSW Interactive weekend event. The staff were extremely helpful and the mics were unbelievably inexpensive. Great service. Great value! read more

I had a great experience renting a mixer from Rock n Roll Rentals for my recent Mohawk gig. The entire staff was incredibly friendly and helpful. Ive rented a ton of equipment in the past, as a talent buyer for a club in Baltimore, and was typically treated like a second class citizen as a woman dealing with sound equipment. I encountered none of these prejudices with the staff at Rock n Roll. I will DEFINITELY be back and would recommend to anyone looking for a great rental experience in the Austin area. Thanks guys. read more

Just rented an AC15 from them. Outstanding prices for renting high-end gear.

A great place to rent audio or some visual equipment, even faster if you do it frequently.

Friendly and communicative. Has a lot of good stuff for sale and rent. Will buy again.

Rented out a DJM 900 nexus and Cdj 2000s nexus. Upgraded me to the 900 nexus 2 without an additional cost. Very friendly staff and super cool! read more

Super disappointed this time around. I had always rented lighting equipment and went to rent their camera equipment. The staff at the time upsaled me on my SD card, I put the SD card in the camera and it wouldn't let me format the card. I have worked 10 years with camera's and every setting reset and reformatting the card it wasn't working. I called the office on W. Oltorf and they couldn't help me out over the phone, i stated I could get there around 7pm but due to traffic, I couldn't get there before 7pm. Still unable to help me. I understand these things happen, but what made it worse, was I came back on Saturday to return the equipment and the guy at the store did something to the camera and it started to work. He started to mansplan the situation and started to flaunt the 'working camera' around and video record me without consistent and then they told me I would get the full return of the equipment. I just got off the phone with my bank and I was charged twice and now I have to wait for $150 to hit my bank account within the next 10 business days. I called the store and wanted to speak to someone and the employee was rude and blandly asked "well what do you want". Nothing by manplanning and flat out horrible customer services if something goes wrong. read more

I'm a recent first time client. I've been in the music business for a really long time and own all the gear I ever needed but I don't have lights. Never needed them before but had an unlit patio to deal with. I read complaining reviews about the first time form filling. It was a bit of a surprise but I understood immediately the reason. Problem was I have plenty of reference phone numbers but not addresses. I explained that I have five figure limits on several credit cards and they offered me the option of a hold for the value of the gear. But then they offered to look up the addresses for me. The first reference I gave the staff guy immediately recognized the name and as it happened he knew him. He jumped on the computer and within seconds, bang, there's the address. Dived into a second one and job was done in under 3 minutes. Yeah, it was a little fiddly but was handled very efficiently and I'm not the most patient man in the world. BTW, this was on a Friday and it was pretty busy as one would expect. The return process was even quicker. Brought the gear in. Member of staff who had run the check came over, remembered my first name, had my info instantly, checked off the gear, handed me over to another guy who gave me my receipt and I was out the door in about 5 minutes total. I think the folks who complain are either nitpicking, natural born complainers, or have no comprehension of what is involved with a business of this type. And as for the guy who complained about waits pre-SXSW. Seriously? SXSW? You're not from around here are you. If you don't want to wait around, go in earlier than 15 minutes before closing, have the common sense to give yourself some time to pick up what you need and get to the gig, realize that during SXSW you're gonna have to stand in line for everything from hot dogs to parking let alone gear rental. And by the way there are other rental companies in Austin. Go to them the day before SXSW and see how fast you get served. I don't write reviews often but I would recommend Rock and Roll Rentals to anyone, pro and amateur alike. Good brands of gear. Super Affordable. Really efficient. read more

Great selection, great prices, but a strange rental application. I brought my ID, proof of residence, landlord reference, and references from an employer and former employer, but was told that I had to supply home addresses for my references, which (as a courtesy to them) I wouldn't normally do without asking permission. My one-year-old was with me, and he wasn't going to patiently wait for people to call me back with permission to give out their home addresses. Most rental companies take deposits, but (maybe because I'm local?) I wasn't offered the option of leaving a deposit. One employee said the reference policy is on their website, but I double-checked and the website doesn't specify that references must be home addresses. So I called my husband at work, where he quickly got home addresses from two co-workers. These were accepted, although they didn't call either one. Maybe if I had kept the equipment too long, they would have used the references to find me? I can understand why a rental facility might accept a personal home address when a professional reference is unavailable, since musicians can be self-employed. But to require ONLY a home address produces illogical results: A local school where I taught for years? Unacceptable. My husband's co-worker (whom I've met maybe twice)? A-OK! This probably doesn't need mentioning, but it seems like an unscrupulous customer could invent phony personal references (or obtain references from criminally-minded buddies), whereas professional references are better suited for verification. I'd be curious to learn the business rationale for requiring home addresses. read more

I have only praise for R&R. Their rental rates are as good as they get. The staff is cool af and are all extremely knowledgeable and helpful. And unlike other rental places, they don't try and upsell you or rip you off-- they'll only give an honest recommendation on what's best for your given situation. They're also thorough. I rented a shitton of gear for a pretty involved show, and I totally forgot to check that I had all the correct cables before leaving. However, right before I was about to leave, one of the R&R dudes ran over to triple check all of my gear. We realized that the XLR snake I had wasn't long enough for my setup, nor did I have extra cables to go from the main to my subs so I could rig them together. He saved the day, and my party. These dudes are seriously the best. 10/10 would recommend. read more

I have rented from Rock'n'Roll Rentals once or twice a year for the past 4 years and I am always impressed with the service and help the staff gives me. I agree with other reviewers that their paper system is frustrating, inefficient, and why I need to provide references when they have my credit card and information from previous years is hard to understand but if you can get over that they offer a great service. read more

Great people, very helpful and they have everything you need (and stuff you didn't know you need). I don't know anything about sound systems. I told them what I was doing and they customized a system that worked perfectly. Great prices for weekend and monthly rentals. read more

RnR Rentals offers super low rates for good, quality stuff. (item condition is all over the map, however). I don't mind the laid back attitudes except when it's the Tuesday before Halloween weekend and I would like them to hurry up and take my money so I can go back to work. Understandable tho. I don't like the paper-based system they use (its really slow) nor the way I'm always grilled about why I'm renting what I'm renting (does it matter?) and how I plan to use it (again, does it matter?). I would prefer a query such as "do you have any questions about how to use these items". I've done the math and yes I do need 5,000 lumens... These guys always seem to have what I need. Thanks! read more

Fill out the rental form (in full), get amazing deals on rental equipment. End of story! I've done business with Rock n' Roll Rentals for years. Jim and his crew are top notch guys. They have it all, recording equipment, PA equipment, guitars, amps, drums, lighting, even karaoke systems. If I were you I'd give them a chance. You'll be glad you did. read more

Updated review- A bad experience at first with a rude employee, but a manager made it good in the end.

These guys go above and beyond. What a service they provide to this community. Imagine how many shows and small studios would never have happened without them. For all of us little guys, Rock and Roll makes it possible to try out world class gear, get the gig, and keep a whole way of life going in this town. Yes. read more

I've rented from here for 5 years, and always had a good experience. I've never even had equipment crap out on me when I rented it. I also bought some used monitors about 4 years ago from Rock N Roll, after I had rented and tested them. The monitors are still working great, and they were much cheaper than they are new. read more

If I could give negative stars I would.I am absolutely amazed at how poor the customer service is. I'm not sure how employees are trained, but I was helped by someone who had absolutely no idea what he was talking about. I sent 2 people to pick up a very specific list of items because we need them for a concert we are having TOMORROW, and was totally screwed over by your company. After 2 HOURS of working around y'all and waiting around for y'all, they were told that you were closing at 6:30 and got sent home, which is 30 MINUTES EARLIER THAN YOU CLOSE. I am so frustrated and will never use them again after 3 years of being a customer. All we wanted was to rent a few XLR cables, a mixer, a few mics, and 2 monitors, and they were trying to charge us $4000, when I was told $600-800 over the phone. ABSOLUTELY AMAZING. I have never had customer service as bad as you guys, and I am leaving reviews everywhere I can find. We have bought all the same equipment for under $1000 before from you guys. Shame on your company. read more

First off, I'm not a major music producer or road show magnate. Every few months I have a need to throw some sound around, so once a month it's a banquet lunch and the next it's an outside event for my daughter's little league softball park for open day ceremonies. I've done events with as few as 15 people with a small PA and as large as 1000 people at an outdoor event at the state capitol with stuff from R&R Rentals. The guys at R&R Rentals have always taken time to help me select what I need based on what I'm doing. Sure, from time to time you get the "but I'm not a sound design technician" answer to a question, but it's usually based on the ignorance of my question rather than their willingness to answer it. Plus the price is always good. I recently needed a small sound system for my parents 60th wedding anniversary in Oklahoma City. So, being the resourceful sort that I am, I went on the Internet and tried to find a place like R&R Rentals in Oklahoma City. NO LUCK! I was quoted prices upwards of $1000 for a system that I could get at R&R Rentals for about $75. Are you kidding me! I'm not stupid. Fat maybe, but not stupid. Look, we've got a great thing going here in Austin with Rock and Roll Rentals. Their hours are limited and they often have to block for huge events like SxSW, but maybe that's why their prices are affordable and the stiff is accessible even for a a guy like me who does little events every so often. They get a big thumbs up from me!!! read more

Excellent rental place! I rented a PA from them for my wedding, everything worked fine and I was able to keep the equipment for 6 days, all for a very affordable price. read more

This venue made it extremely difficult to rent equipment for a wedding, they are absolutely miserable with customer service. An address was provided to them in Austin on a driver's license but that wasn't enough, they wanted references and more information. I didn't think I was renting an apartment just some lighting! They told us they didn't need our business, and would not provide us any other information. I can't believe people can still get away with treating customers like this. I work for a small business and do not treat my customers this way. read more

Similar to the one star posts below, we rented a machine from them and were confronted with a rental procedure that required not only references, financial documents, and multiple credit cards, but also questions/comments that were very personal and disrespectful. I have never heard of a rental procedure that's like this for equipment that we ultimately even offered to pay the full cost of the equipment and then credit back upon returning, which apparently was still not "credible" enough read more

So they're snarky sometimes... Who gives a shit! They've got great gear, (including class A tube pre-amps: hello $2000-3000 a pop), and they know what they're talking about. I've never had a hard time renting after giving them the required information. If you have a hard time giving up a place of employment and a phone number at which they can reach you... well, it seems like common sense to me that you probably shouldn't be renting expensive equipment. AND let me add, I'm no angel. I've been late on several occasions, and trust me, they have duly noted that on my account. Hell, they don't let me rent without renting by the month... and do I whine about it? NO! Because (mostly) they're right. They have gone out of their way to accommodate my gear needs on several occasions, and were quite understanding when I bailed on a scheduled return for a week or so when I had to leave town on a family emergency. Bottom line: great gear, knowledgeable staff, and as friendly as should be expected with as many douche bags as they have to deal with on a regular basis. read more

Forgot our mic stands at home in Dallas on the way south to a show, so we swung by and bought new ones from the RnR guys. They even threw in some mic clips for free! Cool folks, great gear. Will be stopping by next time we're rolling through town. read more

I have been a customer of Rock n Roll for almost 17 years. Craig is by far the nicest and easy going guy I have ever dealt with in the business. These guys always offer super competitive pricing on used equipment and very affordable rates on rental stuff. When you are looking for a great music equipment rental company I can tell you, you don't need to look any further than these guys. Take it from someone who has been through all of them in Austin. I won't go anyplace else. Great job guys! Keep rock'n on!!! -JT read more

This review has been long overdue. Let me just say that, for more than 10 years, Rock and Roll Rentals has been completely integral in empowering my business working in a wide array of production endeavors from studio production to live multi-media as well as the essential live mixing for bands. Through thier one stop shop nature, my clients think of my business as a one stop service making me a first call when my people need something done. The main elements, other than the variety of production tools, are reliability and pricing. Every endeavor must be within a budget and operate without equipment failure and I have never had these problems with Rock and Roll. 5 stars all the way and thanks, guys!! read more

We used Rene and the Rock n Roll Rentals team for a five day conference and awards ceremony at at downtown hotel in January and they were amazing to work with. Not only were their prices much better than the hotel A/V, they also provided a staff member to stay onsite through the entire thing to make sure each presenter had what they needed and that there weren't any problems. Very professional, yet down to earth. I will definitely be using them again for future conferences and events! read more

This is what happens when you are very nearly the only game in town- you become arrogant, unhelpful, then go further downhill from there, all because you CAN. The wait outside on the Tuesday before SXSW was expected, but the way RnR Rentals set things up that day was absurd. Even locals with already existing accounts (you know, the ones who give you money ALL year long and keep you in business?) had to wait along with the out-of-towners, all of which had to have their credit scrutinized etc. before being allowed to rent- standard procedure for RnR Rentals and totally understandable. What wa sless understandable was why they did not have locals who already had existing, verified acounts be able to go ahead into the store, QUICKLY and easily get what they needed, then proceed from there. they were letting two or three people in at the same time when they calle dout the numbers, they might have easily made sure that each time they called a number at least one of the numbers called was a local, getting rid if those people quickly, thereby freeing up more space (parking and body-wise) for the out-of-towners. It would not have been "unfair" to out-of-towners (and who cares anyway) as overall they would have been seen sooner?! Was I the only one who thought of that method of handling the avoidable chaos that occurred that day? No, I wasn't- each and every "local" doomed to wait in that line had similar ideas and all felt slighted by not being recognized as regulars who should have been given SOME precedence over outties! But when you are the only game in town you can laugh at your regular customers and gloat over the power you wield, as was noticeable by the smirks on all the holier-than-thou employees working that day. Add to this the fact that RnR rentals regularly and routinely turns away people who even live a few miles out of the Austin city limits (saw this with my own eyes whilst in there one day, sent a family away with no other options as the employee chuckled at their misfortune) yet they let any Tom, Dick, and Harriett who could supply a working, chargeable credit card number rent anything they could haul off in a taxi-cab, regardless of what part of the world they crawled came here from thinking they would become the "next big schwing". RnR rentals does not treat the people who gave then their start correctly, and there was no better example of their "We got your money now so screw you" attitude than what went down that day. read more

Wonderful local business catering to Austin's music community. While there is the occasional paperwork to update, one can't help but sympathize due to the nature of the business. The selection has continually grown, and the prices have always been very reasonable. They fill a vital niche in town, and they do it very well.:) read more

Terrible service...would not rent due to not being able to prove Austin residence even though we owned a home in Austin. In fact, told us that they would not do business with us without a $150 deposit per light! AVOID AT ALL COSTS. read more