Unitone Music Studio

(117 reviews)

Reviewing as a total music novice family. We needed to rent a violin for my 5th grader for…read moreorchestra. We could not have been more helpful, patient and kind helping us set up a rental. Similarly, when we made the return at the end of the school year, the process was seamless! Highly recommend!

Got a used schecter from reverb, had their technician do a full setup. Dude killed it, guitar…read moresounds awesome.

San Jose Piano Lessons

(2 reviews)

Mr. Niko Malek (Maleksalehi) is my daughters piano teacher. We tried out another teacher, who my…read moredaughter was nervous since day 1. By day 2, she was done. She told me how this teacher, Julie interacted with her. Sounded like she was cold, impatient and not engaging. Niko Malek is the opposite. He's kind, patient and very understanding. He's very nice! My child likes him and I can see why. Every time, I listened to her played and getting instructions from him, she sounded impressive. He gives good advice on what instruments to purchase. He's very knowledgeable overall and a great teacher! If my other boys are interested in piano, I would definitely seek out Niko and don't mind commuting from a distance. I highly recommend Mr. Malek

My daughter just started going to this piano lesson last month. She had been with 2 different…read morepiano teacher and was not happy until we finally found Mr. Malek. My daughter is very much happy now. Thanks to San Jose Piano Lesson. She said, Mr Malek is awesome and very good. She is learning so much. I highly recommended San Jose Piano Lesson and Mr. Malek to everyone who loves playing piano and who wants to learn/develop to play piano. Regards, Presilla

The Amp Lab

4.6

(47 reviews)

Awesome workmanship Speedy turnaround on shipping repaired…read moredevices...I would recommend The Amp lab for repairs on all amplifiers and most electronics...These fellows are on the top of my repair companies! Thanks guys!!!

Keith resurrected my late dad in law's 1952 Gibson GA-40. He kept it as original as possible and…read moretook exactly to where I wanted it to be. Very knowledgeable, to the point, honest and kind. There is a wait because he's that good.

The Starving Musician

(286 reviews)

I went to Starving Musician (Santa Clara) in search of an electric drum amplifier and an Epiphone…read moreSheraton. I was in luck this day as I found both a brand new e-drum amplifier and a used Sheraton at fair prices. Looking the guitar over I noticed the nut for the instrument jack was loose and asked that it be tightened prior to purchasing. On a semi-hollow & hollow body guitars this can be a tedious task, hence why I asked for assistance. The guitar tech, Dimitri, stopped what he was doing and went above and beyond my expectations to remedy the problem. It was not a quick fix and he kept me updated throughout the process. Starving Musician is my first stop when looking for music gear. They have been around as long as I can remember and offer the best trade-in value for your used gear. Always a great experience.

Basically a great place for nice condition used equipment at decent prices with sales people to…read morehelp you with your selection. You can also sell some of your stuff here. However, sometimes.... ? A few days ago, I got this... I came in to sell or consign an 8 track reel to reel Tascam 38 in hardly used, pristine condition, value $800-1,000+. I was told that they do not sell this kind of thing and to go to Rasputin or Street Light. ????

Guitar Showcase

(260 reviews)

We're very lucky to still have this music shop in San Jose…read more... Very friendly knowledgeable experienced staff.... I just had the intonation set up on my old Gibson Paul and it plays great... Ask for Terry to set up your guitar... Thank you.

Pretty cool that my son & his dad earned a sticker because they said a specific word when they…read moreentered the store!

Musicians Service Center

3.4

(23 reviews)

•$$$

I had a super great experience. Before going there the reviews were very bi-modal (a lot of 5's…read moreand a some 1-2's ... not much 3 or 4) so I didn't know what to expect. I experienced great communication and documentation of the process. quick repair (it wasn't straightforward either), and reasonable price. Highly recommended.

I've been coming here for the occasional repair of pro audio equipment for over a decade. This just…read moreso happens to be one of the major repair centers in the South Bay, if not the only one. Unfortunately, since my first woofer re-cone here over 10 years ago, no much has changed. It may just be my luck, but it seems as though whenever I drop something off I get the "Peter will be out of town for a few weeks, he'll look at it when he gets back" talk from his assistant. This is perfectly fine, everyone needs a vacation! But it seems as though repairs slow to a halt when he's gone. My usual turnaround here has been 3-4 weeks. My last repair issue with him was extremely frustrating. I brought in a powered speaker that had more of a mechanical issue, which I displayed to him and his assistant multiple times. They claimed to replace the woofer but the problem persisted. On the 3rd try they replaced a random XLR connector and called it done, although the speaker still buzzes and rattles like crazy. It seems as though they gave up on solving the actual problem. Due to this failed repair attempt and overall slow turn around times, I won't be back.

Rockin Kidz

3.8

(13 reviews)

My wife and I were waiting with our 3 month old out front of this place for a table at the…read moreneighboring cafe. We were looking at their window display at the Christmas Tree and Guitars, when a nice man, possibly the owner? came out front and invited us inside to warm up and look at instruments. We gladly accepted the invitation and he picked up a ukelele and played and sang somewhere over the rainbow for our daughter. She was absolutely enamored and it was her first time hearing live music played and sang. While we didn't actually give this place any business, this is going to be a core memory for all three of us, and we were so touched by the kindness and generosity. Definitely will come back here when she's a bit older to check out their music lesson offerings.

Maybe it's too early to really rate my daughter's experience here, but I have to say it has been a…read morereally good experience so far. I took her there to sign up for some instruction and was able to find a time perfect for the crazy schedule my kids have. She loves her teacher and everyone I've worked with there has been really nice and helpful. The have lessons for just about everything there, so I definitely recommend checking it out. There is ample parking and a Nob Hill nearby, so I often do some grocery shopping during her lesson.

Scott Cao Violins

3.6

(33 reviews)

As a professional violinist and violin teacher, I was very pleased to find this shop. The luthier…read moreis very skilled and made a big improvement in the sound of my ailing violin. New bridge, sound post and fingerboard needed attention. I was traveling from out of town and the shop accommodated my travel schedule with a very quick turnaround. When all was said and done, the invoice was for a very modest price. Highly recommend for service work. If you are in need of a fine student instrument, Scott Cao violins is a leader in providing high quality string instruments that will serve an aspiring string player well for many years to come. I would recommend this shop for students of all levels.

A few years ago, before I had ever gone to Scott Cao Violins, I was a little timid about trying out…read moretheir shop, because I was more familiar with the older, more established violin shops in the area: Kamimoto Strings (my longtime go-to), Stevens Violin Shop (are they even around any more?), and Patrick Heaney Violins (a little far for me; plus, their service in one encounter was really disappointing). At some point, I became dissatisfied with the service I received at Kamimoto Strings and so I decided to give Scott Cao Violins a try the next time I needed some work done on my cello. I have to say I was really pleasantly surprised with their service, in terms of quality, price, friendliness and turnaround time. Since then, I have been going to Scott Cao Violins pretty much exclusively. I love the convenience of the location and hours for my personal situation, and I haven't been disappointed once with their service. They always deliver what they promise, and I'm really glad I finally decided to give this lovely store a try. In fact, I even bought a cello bow from them recently. Can't recommend them enough.

J&F Musician

(6 reviews)

We absolutely love this place. Our daughter really loves it here. She started less than a year and…read moreshe has progressed well. I would definitely recommend.

Disappointing experience. The owner's poor communication and attitude make it difficult to justify…read moredoing business here.

Voice Lessons by Tracy Jerant

(20 reviews)

Tracy is an absolutely stellar teacher who's bottom line is to bring out the best in her students…read more She's exceedingly patient and excels at being able to motivate w/ her professional and insightful critique. I've been unsuccessful with voice teachers in the past due to my nerves, but Tracy's inviting nature did not fail to wash that away! Her ability to bring about genuine enjoyment into something I've struggled with for so long is such a rare quality that cannot be matched :) Even if you're apprehensive, do give her a shot! You won't regret it

Tracy is a phenomenal teacher who does a great job customizing her lessons to the needs of the…read morestudent. She has helped me make amazing progress with my voice, and just as importantly has helped me gain the confidence to be able to sign. Her lessons are fun, effective, and very positive. All of which help the student learn more and get more out of the lesson. I highly recommend Tracy as a teacher to anyone (at any level) who is interested in becoming a better signer.

Kat Parra Vocal Studio

(13 reviews)

•$

I would highly recommend taking lessons at Kat Parra Voice Studio…read more I've had a great experience working with Kat the past 2 years. She really knows her stuff and is always learning more! I have found that the longer I've worked with her, the more she learns about my voice and teaches me how to get the most out of it in a healthy way. Prior to taking lessons, my voice would always feel hoarse from improper singing technique. Now it feels stronger and healthier than it's ever been. Kat also does a great job of making her students feel comfortable when practicing/performing. Not easy to do, especially for singing! Her dog Fiona is also a great buddy to have for lessons :) My only complaint is that because I've improved so much under Kat, my family makes me sing for them as much as possible! Sometimes I need a break!

Going to Kat's since 2017 - I can confidently say I'm a totally different singer than I was when I…read morefirst started and she was a key figure in making that happen. I went from sounding like I smoked way too many newports to being able to sing a wide variety of genres from jazz to soul to ballads and musical theatre stuff My voice and self perception of myself and what is possible has greatly benefited from working with Kat! 5 stars all around

Guitar Wars

4.8

(63 reviews)

This place is rad. One of my favorite spots to find parts and stuff that other shops don't usually…read morehave on hand. There's always interesting guitars, amps and pedals to check out. I like the atmosphere of the place and Carlos seems like a cool dude that is always happy to help you find what you're looking for.

Warning to anyone buying from this seller through Reverb. Please do not let what happened to me…read morehappen to you. Guitar Wars knowingly bait and switched me on a Roland JC 120 amplifier. The price seemed fair enough and the picture seemed to match the description, however, the amp I received was a far cry from either. It arrived in an unsalvageable old furniture box, poorly packed, and absolutely beat to death. The model JC 120 that was delivered was not the same amplifier as the one advertised. It was hardly functional, the cabinet was cracked and tattered, channels popping and fizzing and knobs mostly not functioning. On top of that, it was filthy. Anyone who has ever played through a JC 120 knows that these are heavy amps that require casters to move them in any reasonable fashion. While pictured with the clean amp in the listing (the one that I did not receive), the tattered and battered model that was delivered to me did not have them. So here I am, essentially stuck with a useless burned out shell of a JC 120 that's basically immovable by one person without a hand truck. See pictures below. Guitar Wars knowingly scammed me out of $800+, don't let it happen to you. Please keep in mind, this did not happen in shipping. This was very much orchestrated intentionally. The amp was listed in "Good" condition. Please find a few images of the actual listing they posted below the images of the box. **please see Google reviews for pictures mentioned above**

Affordable Piano Tuning

(109 reviews)

Jian Min was responsive and professional. He showed up on time and did a good job…read more As my piano hadn't been tuned in a long time, he provided the option of a longer one time tuning or two separate tuning sessions one month apart. Given that the price difference was minimal and that it would have been easier for him to do a single session instead of coming here twice, I appreciate that he recommended the separate sessions to give the piano time to settle before subsequent fine tuning. He also recommended an in-piano dehumidifier as my location is very humid (which is true) and there are visible signs of moisture damage inside the piano. I appreciate that he informed me of this, but without being pushy about it.

I highly recommend Jian Min. My daughter used to play piano but hasn't in years. Recently my 6 year…read moreold granddaughter started lessons and I decided to get it tuned. It's been about 20 years! Jian arrived on time, after examining he quoted me a price of $145 for medium level tuning and recommended 6 month retuning. It took him about 1 1/2 hours. He needed bright light and absolute quiet. He even had us turn off the heater. One key was stuck and he fixed that as well. I had looked around- several music teachers do this as a side job and a local person wanted more than double for the same service. If you want dependable, high quality workmanship at a reasonable price this is the place!

Rodino's Piano Tuning