The man was extremely helpful. Helped us with getting a very old Chinese guzheng working again with…read morea new set of nylon strings replacing the rusted metal strings. He didn't charge us for any labor for the string's replacement which included adjusting the holes for the thicker nylon strings. Highly recommend this place.

These kind folks showed be the correct way to tie an Erhu Knot - have lots of imported instruments…read morefrom China.

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

Matt is the man! I had a tricky situation and Matt helped resolve it. Great customer service by him.read more

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.

I've worked with Kaya for several years and highly recommend her as a vocal teacher, regardless of…read moreskill level or experience. She's patient, approachable, and brings a great deal of technical expertise to help ground our lessons. We've worked through all types of genres and she has helped me gain so much confidence while having tons of fun :) thank you Kaya and Songbird!

Blake Cline was the best! My son is an aspiring singer. Blake not only helped him improve his vocal…read moreskills / musicianship but also helped him build confidence as a performer and most importantly have fun while making music. Now the kid is off to Berklee college of music. Thanks Blake! You are the best!!

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.

SF Rock Project is truly a gem of a music school. The level of instruction is really high and the…read moremy kids absolutely love it. They create a really fun vibe there and they seem to really understand preteens\teenagers. My daughter attended a summer camp there a few summers ago and I was amazed at the progress they made by the end of the week. After that, she started taking private lessons and also joined a few of their projects. Pre-Covid, she was performing with her band a lot and it was great experience for her. My younger son is also taking private lessons there now and attending the summer camps. Rock Project has helped him find a love of music too. One last thing about Rock Project: they have a seriously impressive list of musical alumni . . . A LOT of people in the Bay Area music scene, got their start at Rock Project. They are definitely doing something right.

When the SF branch of the original School of Rock was shuttered, The San Francisco Rock Project was…read moreput together as a nonprofit almost immediately to continue to provide an outlet for this incredibly talented group of kids... now headquartered in the same building as historic Maritime Hall, this group will eventually blow away any of the other legacy branches of the School of Rock