Buying an oud has been a longtime dream of mine, and I finally decided to take the first step. After some research, I came across Timbre Folk & Baroque and visited the store yesterday. From the moment I walked in, I felt welcomed. I had the pleasure of meeting Mark and his daughter -- both were incredibly kind, knowledgeable, and genuinely passionate about what they do. They took the time to patiently answer all of my questions, without ever making me feel rushed or pressured to buy anything. That level of honesty and respect is rare these days, especially in retail. It was clear to me that they care more about helping people find the right instrument than just making a sale. If you're looking for a place where you can trust the people behind the counter, this is it. I'm truly grateful places like this still exist. Thank you, Mark! read more

Easy to work with, responsive, knowledgeable. Convenient location. Fixed my husband's old guitar and also will be taking lessons with Pete!

A lovely shop with a diverse inventory, friendly staff, and reasonable prices. Definitely going to be buying my next mandolin here!

I take lessons with Pete Madsen in the office here (Pete's THE best) and have had numerous modifications to my guitar conducted by Mark, all excellent and economical. Mark finds, repairs and sells a wide array of first rate musical instruments. He's very fair on price. He's also a kind, patient and easygoing fellow, who loves playing and hosting music in this beautiful space. read more

I have visited the store twice to have my guitar repaired. Aside from enjoying all the beautiful instruments in there, Mark is always friendly, efficient, and makes space within reasonable times for repairs. His prices are fair, and it has always been a positive experience for me. I recommend this shop for repairs as well as lovely purchases or gift certificates. read more

Mark is one those delightful shop owners who make me wish I could just keep buying instruments from him. He is literally the only area source for Swedish instruments, and always has a stock of fascinatingly distinct stringed instruments of all kinds. It's far, so I'm not there much, but I love the opportunity when it arises. read more

I was able to visit Timbre Folk and Baroque last Saturday where I played a nyckelharpa for the first time. Mark, the shop owner, not only let me try playing a nyckelharpa, but his daughter also taught me a Swedish tune to play on the instrument. He was friendly and welcoming, sharing information on some of the instruments in his shop as well as information about the Bay Area Scandinavian music and dance community. The shop has everything from handmade violins to more affordable Chinese-made instruments of many varieties. I will certainly return to try out some of the other instruments in the shop, like a vielle, a baroque violin, or possibly the very old Hardanger fiddle that is hanging on the wall. Timbre does not have official weekend hours, but it is possible to arrange ahead for a weekend appointment. read more

Timbre Folk and Baroque - Hardanger fiddle and baroque violin. - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Berkeley, California

This is a beautiful shop with lots of both new and used instruments. Mark was extremely helpful and helping me look at a violin that I had inherited. He provided a little insight on the instrument as well as recommended some teachers. Definitely a shop I'll go back to. read more

I met Mark once when I was attempting to sell a Vietnamese Lute. I kept his card and recently when the bridge of my guitar just popped off, I called him. I was about to leave town and really needed a guitar to practice with and he arranged for me to have a loaner for those 3 days. He fixed the bridge and even took care of some other issues while putting on new strings. He sent me a text when it was done. Mark is very friendly and personable, and I love to support his small business. On another note :-), there are so many neat instruments in there! read more

I picked up a Mexican classical guitar and couldn't be more pleased with it. It was my second or third time in the store and I had been eyeballing the guitars there for my next purchase. If you are looking for a truly unique instrument of great quality, this is your place. I'm at a point now where I want something that can't be easily found from some big chain store. There are some truly unique instruments here besides guitars. There's a really sweet-sounding 6-string(?!) ukulele! There's some funky, Swedish violin-type instrument that has keys on it (I won't even attempt to name it) which, if you're nice enough to Mark, he might play a beautiful, traditional ditty for you right then and there. Even if you have no intention to buy, stop into this wonderful store. I miss living in Berkeley because of places like this. read more

Mark and his shop Timbre is a one-of-a-kind beautiful space. So many unusual instruments! Clearly a labor of love. And there are concerts, lessons, and music events there. The owner clearly cares about the music community, and puts energy into doing good works. Played a GREAT 12-string Guild there the other day, too! read more

This place is awesome. They have a bunch a rare, cool instruments. This is the only store where I have every seen nyckelharpa. The owner is really knowledgeable and nice. They do repairs too. They are also advertising some performances in the future, which I am excited to attend (since I have seen the owner at his shows and love his musical tastes.) read more

I had an amazing time at Timbre Folk today. I was able to hear baroque music played on organ, harpsichord, viola and nyckelharpa. Mark is so knowledgable and talented, I will definitely be coming back to start guitar lessons. read more

Wanted to give these folks a nice review because they were so kind and I even jammed with them for a sec! They have a really nice selection of stuff including some very rare instruments. I will definitely be returning here next time I'm in town. read more

Excellent selection of instruments here! They're probably the only place I can think of where you can find multiple nyckelharpor and säckpipor in the same place. In addition, they have multiple guitars and mandolin family instruments, ranging from older instruments to brand new ones. Parking is a little difficult but is totally worth it. Mark is a very nice person who's a lot of fun to talk to. I highly recommend getting his and his daughter's album while you're there, especially if you're a fan of Swedish song. read more

Visiting from Chicago. Huge collection of guitars, fiddles,and weird stuff. Mark is really knowledgeable and handy with fixing any and all musical instruments. read more

A visit to Timbre is a must when in the Bay Area. This shop is loaded with everything from unique guitars to stringed instruments that will have you asking "what on earth does that sound like?" Luckily the friendly owner is there to answer any and all questions and even provide lessons for those inclined. Been studying guitar there and love it. They also brought two of my old guitars back from neglect and got me strumming again. Thanks Timbre! read more

When 5th String closed, it left a huge gap in Berkeley's musical landscape, but this place goes a long way toward filling it. There's a huge variety of string instruments, from guitars and balalaikas to ukuleles and banjos and hybrids of all those--and I bought a harpsichord there, and Mark was working on a clavichord. So if it has strings, you can probably buy it or get it repaired there, and I wouldn't rule out wind instruments. Mark's a straight-up square-dealing guy and a competent musician himself. So glad this place is there! read more

We are very lucky to have a place like this in our tech-centric community right now. The instruments are as rare as the care that has gone into them and they have lessons and performances in shop as well. Very excited for the future of this shop. read more

I can't say enough about this store. It's a magical portal to another universe where kind people care about nerdy, wonderful things like the resonant beings (humans) who hold resonant beings (instruments) in their hands and their hearts. The owner, Mark Walstrom, is a stand-up gent and trustworthy in his care and assessments. Marvelous, bizarre assortment of instruments for sale. (I'd never before heard of a Nykelharpa, for example, let alone heard one played live.) Great place to both play and hear music, too. Check out their concerts! read more

I am a music teacher & professional musician, and this is by far my favorite instrument shop in all of the Bay Area. I am lucky to live so close by. There is an incredible selection of rare instruments from all over the world, and Mark, the owner, is always very kind, helpful, and generous with his time and knowledge. The rates are great for such beautiful and rare instruments. It is always a joy to visit Timbre! read more

A wonderful place with a very kind owner - Mark. I recently bought a guitar of which I have been debating on keeping. My guitar teacher recommended Timbre as a resource to call and check out. Mark said to come on over as soon as I rang up the shop. He evaluated my instrument, gave me honest feedback, talked guitar shop with me for quite some time, and didn't charge me a penny. Mark's customer service is 100% and his love of guitars is the same. Thank you, Mark! read more

If you are looking for a Folk or Baroque instrument, need to have an instrument repaired, or if you want to learn how to play it, then this is what you are looking for! read more