I'm a local client of the St. Petersburg shop. After a fine first experience (Ron responded promptly to my voicemail, and then quickly replaced my violin's tailpiece and adjusted my soundpost and bridge), my 2nd and 3rd outreaches to him were utter fails. I mean, no response to my phone calls at all. I left another voicemail a week later, and an assistant whom I'd not seen or heard of before, responded (but was unaware and unconcerned about the previous lost call). Ironically, the about-face in Ron came after my expressing an interest in working for him as office manager or assistant there, after seeing how challenged he was overseeing multiple shops, and more, across the Southeast. After all, I'd just left behind lifelong close relationships with a couple violin shops back in California, being a lifelong professional violinist and also a retired financial client manager, who specialized in delivering customer service, including to difficult or high net worth clients. I'm unpleasantly surprised that this shop, so promising at first and so convenient for my needs (as it's only a 6-7 minute drive from home) won't work for me, after all. I'll drive all the way to another violin shop in Tampa for my future violin needs, as they have been responsive, helpful and even proactive in serving me thus far. read more

Great treatment from all luthiers. I'm very happy with the advice I got and the purchase. I was nervous to buy a new violin at first, but it was a wonderful experience at Ronald Sachs. read more

This establishment provided my daughter's violin from 1/10 to full size for 10 years, and my son's cello from 1/10 to 3/4 size which we just upgraded today. There are few better values in Atlmat these days than investing in a student instrument from Ronald Sachs. The dividends of mysical education and a commitment to learning an instrument for years is an affordable investment. I received excellent services from Westin and will see if my son wants to upgrade his 3/4 student cello to a more professional cello. read more

It's great to support local! The staff and service here is outstanding! I purchased a violin here last year for my 7th grader and we've been back to fix broken parts or pick up other accessories. They are super easy to find. Look for the "violin shop" sign by the street. read more

Ronald Sachs Violins - Very nice inside - Performing Arts Near Me - Lilburn, Georgia

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I had gone to the one in Avondale and they always treated me with kindness and courtesy. I purchased there a fabulous cello case. They do have some good cellos. read more

i have been playing my viola with heavy usage for three years with little wear and tear at all. great for rentals and the customer care is great. will need to upgrade my viola soon to a bigger size however will probably purchase from the same brand. have played a gig with this viola and it stayed in tune for hours. very high quality read more

This is by far the best shop for stringed instruments in the United States. The quality of the craftsmanship on repairs and restorations is the best that money can buy. Whether you are a beginner or a professional, this is the place to go for all you violin, viola, cello, and bass needs! I wish I could give them six stars but yelp only has five! read more

This used to be my go to violin shop/luthiers. Came to get my cello looked at, met with condescension. They didn't seem to have anything there. Asked for strings- there were none. Another lady came in asking for a 16 in viola- there were again, none. I'm glad they fixed my cello, but overall attitude/service was terrible. This store used to be so different. I'll be going to Atlanta Violins from now on. read more

I love coming here! Shopping for a cello, you run into people that act like car salesmen. Not at Ronald Sachs! Ron and his brother and pretty much every employee I've encountered there have been very nice and knowledgeable. I never feel pressured about anything and they have fantastic service. When they talk, you really feel like they know their stuff and I feel safe leaving my instruments with them. My first impression of the store was it's open bright space and nice colorful (but not tacky) rug. All of the other violin shops I've been to have been dark and tiny. Made me feel good about walking in there. It was back in 2001 or 2002. He had a great selection of cellos for every budget and I did end up buying a cello from him. Actually, Ron used to work at another shop where I bought my first cello (or maybe second, I can't remember). So glad he went off and made his own violin shop! The cello I bought was actually brand new (2001) and sounded like it was many years old! This actually says more about the maker than the seller, but the fact that RSV carried this magnificent cello is great. I was tired of shopping around, haha. I remember coming in another time to get a new bow and they gave me a few selection of bows to try but waited to see which one I liked before telling me how much it cost. Of course, the one I liked cost almost as much as my cello did! That one was thrown in for fun, I'm sure. A consignment piece from a principal cellist in Peru or Puerto Rico (somewhere, can't remember!). Anyway, just a little example of their range of selection. I settled for a bow in my price range and am very happy with it. They've got stuff for beginners and professionals, in my opinion. Unless you're a professional looking for something truly rare then this maybe isn't the place. Their accessories aren't bad either. Standard selection and they're good about helping me pick out a new rosin or something if I'm not sure what to get (since I don't buy these little extras often). They are right next to a music school too so it was nice to see that collaboration going on. I think he even did pick up/delivery of instruments to schools in the area (or even outside the area) because I remember seeing a Ronald Sach Violins van outside and may have asked what that was for. I think my primary/secondary schools could've had much better instruments if they just used RSV. I like how there's a window to their repair/workshop area, which adds to the open feeling of the store. No hiding in the back with your instrument. I could even go back there and see what they were doing if there wasn't too much going on. Before I moved out of state, I always went back here for all my cello needs. Even if I'd only come in once a year, he always remembered me. If it were financially reasonable, I'd ship my cello back for major repairs since I have yet to find another shop I like going to more than here. I'm glad Ron isn't old (at least he didn't seem old), so I don't have to worry about him passing away or retiring any time soon (fingers crossed!). Not sure if he trains other luthiers but they'd be lucky to learn from him! read more

Brought my cello in for a "spa" day. When I got it back it was even better than it had ever been before. The post was repositioned and the bridge was shaved to lower the action. The instrument literally sings. I have never been so pleased. Great, great work! read more

My son needed an instrument because his school didn't offer piano. This cello from Sachs has been a wonderful choice. It's a great instrument and sounds superb. read more

Ronald Sachs Violins - At DeKalb Honors Orchestra 3/12/2016. - Performing Arts Near Me - Lilburn, Georgia

My experience at this shop was so bad, it has spurred my first ever YELP review. Background information: I've been playing violin x 26 years now, and semi-professionally off and on, both in the US and abroad. I was seeking to have both of my bows re-haired and my instrument polished/cleaned prior to a big engagement in the Atlanta area. I had just moved here, and was suggested to the shop by a colleague. The shop person told me that it would take ~10-14 days for total turn around, as I had gone to their Avalon shop and they take the instruments to their larger work facility. Time goes by, and I called after 4 weeks (I have a spare instruments/bows to practice with) and I asked about the instrument. They told me they DID NOT KNOW where my instrument was and that I should call the repair shop. Who loses an instrument?! Over the next 2 weeks, including multiple calls to the personal cell of the owner, they finally tracked down my instrument and told me I could pick it up at the store. This is ridiculous for a number of reasons. You need to tell me immediately if you have lost the instrument. There is also absolutely no need for a bow-rehair and minor tune-up to take 4 weeks. And because the company messed up, they really should deliver the instrument to me. I go to pick up the instrument, and the man at the shop informs me that work has been done on the instrument. I asked specifically what kind of work and said that I had given no permission for this to be done. They said they had redone my bridge (which I had just had a custom job done ~6 months prior for my bridge which cost $350 at my home shop in Virginia) and possibly adjusted the sound posts (which they did not know if was actually done or not). I had NEVER given permission for this to be done. To make matters worse, they did not even save my old bridge for me to exchange myself. And sound posts should never be adjusted in the absence of the instrumentalist, as the sound of the instrument is deeply personal. At this point, I was beginning to feel incredibly violated as a customer, because not only had Ronald Sachs Violins held my instrument hostage for 6 weeks (and I could not practice on my performance instrument), had no idea where my instrument was (incredibly scary especially if you have a sentimental/valuable instrument)but they had also altered my instrument in ways that they couldn't even say (because they have no idea what they are doing). The entire experience has been the most stressful experience I have had related to my instrument and music. I will never be going back to them, and I caution any serious player about using their services. I would not trust them with anything. I hope they go out of business after they treat people and instruments like this. read more

I went to Ron Sachs - Pleasant Hill to get a violin for my child. I did not find the staff person to be courteous or helpful. I have no experience with violins and could have used some advice or suggestions on picking an instrument. The only information provided regarding the violins was the price - nothing more. Will definitely purchase elsewhere. read more

We are leasing to buy a cello from Ronald Sachs for our daughter. We have had great Customer service from them. They have also recommended a cello teacher for our daughter and he turned out to be excellent. The cello my daughter is beginning with has great sound and quality. Very happy with Ronald sax. read more

Ron has been my go-to violin shop for over a decade, even after I moved out of the Atlanta metro area and down to the Gulf Coast of Florida. As a professional orchestral violinist and private violin teacher, I have used a variety of the services he provides and have been happy with them all. His shop has done major work on my old Italian instrument, my students have purchased violins of all sizes and price ranges from him, and I myself purchased a lovely viola made by a luthier in his shop. I would recommend Ronald Sachs violins to anyone, from the entry-level player to the longtime professional. read more

My parents bought me two violins from Ron Sachs over a decade ago. Ron is very knowledgable and his instruments are beautiful and high quality. My teachers were always impressed with how the violins sound and felt so nice. read more

My daughter and I visited this shop last month to begin our search for her cello. She is an advanced student and we were looking for something that will last her through college. We chose this shop because we had met the owner a few times at events in our home state and were really impressed with his professionalism. We have even sent our bows in for re-hair to another Ronald Sachs location We were met by a sales lady who asked us our price range. She set us up with a chair and started handing my daughter cellos to play. After three cellos, she decided that she really loved the first one. The sales lady then told us it was a little over our price range of around $8,000. It was $40,000. The other two cellos were both above $28,000. After that shock, she then told us she didn't really have anything in our price range but had some that were closer. So, my daughter tried those. They sounded really closed and, for lack of better terms, cheap. The sales lady said she would take our information and get back to us after speaking to the owner. She claimed she would contact us in a week or so and have another appointment set up with instruments from the main shop in Florida. It's been a month. This experience was so weird. I couldn't tell if she was trying to humiliate us because we can't afford a $40,000 cello or if she thought it was funny. Prices are not displayed on the instruments and we didn't think to ask because we stated our price range walking in. If she just wanted to have my daughter try an expensive cello for "fun" she should have told us that it was 5x our price range. We definitely will look elsewhere for a cello. read more

I am a professional violinist and teacher and Ron Sachs is first on my list when I recommend a string shop to my students. The equipment and services that he provides are top notch and the prices are fair. As a professional performer, I trust Ronald Sachs Violins with my instruments whenever they are in need of maintenance or repair. In fact, my $14,000 violin is in his care as I write this review. read more

Ronald Sach's shop was recommended to me by a fellow professional in Valdosta GA. I brought my broken base for repair and after evaluating the options decided to go with a new base. The staff and Ronald were helpful and experienced, explaining the options and pros/cons. Most importantly they were passionate about what they do and it was a pleasure to work with them. read more

we love coming here and have been very impressed with Ron's expertise for instrument repair, rapid turnaround and super customer service, and expert advice. We keep trying to come up with reasons to go in. I have also rented and had very good service and a quality rental instrument. Looking forward to purchasing an instrument here one day. read more

My family has been doing business with Ronald Sachs for a couple of years now, and it has always been a very easy, stress-free experience. They have provided us with quality student violins and swapped them out for new sizes whenever we needed, no fuss, no muss. They're also friendly and easy to deal with. Every time I'm in the shop, the other customers seem to be much more experienced musicians, but I always get respectful, helpful service too. Great business! read more

I have a son who played violin since middle school. To me purchasing a violin is like an investment.The experience with the purchase was less stressful from other stores I have compared. I was satisfied with Ronald Sachs' price and great service. The staff are knowledgeable and my follow-up visits were productive . I save my time from worries and doubts because I know Ronald takes good care of my son's violin. I would highly recommend this store. read more

We brought my son's double bass here looking like someone had taken a baseball bat to it. I couldn't believe it was salvageable, but Ron told us that he could restore it to its original condition--and he did. It really does look and play as good as new--or at least as good as when we bought it used a few years earlier. read more

Ron, the owner, and John, an employee in the store, are as good as it gets in terms of customer service. They were both incredibly gracious and accommodating, and helped me get my hands on a beautiful bass with a gorgeous sound. I will certainly be recommending Ron's store in the future, and I will undoubtedly be back myself. read more