If you want great customer service this is the place for you. Not only did they listen and ordered what I needed, it came in early and cost the same as the big box music chain store. If you need any music gear, please give music depot your business.
Simply the best in the area!
Great customer service
Went in for mandolin strings, probably would’ve bought em here if they had Elixir. Employee made snarky comment as I walked out w nothing in hand. Perhaps if there were better choices I would’ve supported the small business :/
Came here twice. Hate driving out this way store was closed with no signage or reason. Called and no answer either. At least update your times or put a sign up
Place is never open-at least not during the posted hours when i have tried to stop in! Not a real useful store, if i can’t go in to buy something.
3. ABC Music
Address: 3145 Castro Valley Blvd, Castro Valley, CA 94546 , Fairview , California , United States
Great small family music store that been there for decades with all the things most families need for their kids music studies, including books, reeds, strings, instruments, tuners, guitars, amps, bass, drums, horns, violins, etc. Nice staff that really tries to help.
Soon to rate
Reasonable price for fixing students’ instruments
its a great store but there’s a lot of bad stuff that happened to me when i was shopping there. The first thing was that it took almost 45 dollars to restring and tune my violin. i wasn’t too mad about that part but the thing that made me do the 3 star was that after 2 days, its out of tune. when i took my violin back from the shop, it seemed like the strings were really stiff and were extremely tight.
I have no idea how good they are because I have spent too much time sitting outside their store waiting for it to open! However, I should thank them because the last time I got fed up waiting for them, I found Music Unlimited on E. 14th Street and my music needs are now fulfilled.
The service is the only good thing about this store. The reason why its the only good thing is because when I was getting my first saxophone they said the estimate time would be 5 days. I ended up waiting 3 weeks for my saxophone, they said it was all ready to play. I could barely play it, I told my dad(a man who played saxophone for 6 years, so he had the strength to play) and he tried playing it and he could barely play a note. So we asked to store why and they said “There’s nothing wrong with it” and they screamed “NEXT” for the next person in line(It was busy). So we went to JAMS music, (Recommend joining to that place before going to ABC music) and they said they could fix it in 10 business days. 10 business days came and we get a call that the saxophone is ready! It was so good that I got into the Jazz Band in my school! Totally hate this place. (also JAMS said that they get ALL of Castro Valleys repairs) GO TO JAMS MUSIC INSTEAD OF GOING HERE
I dropped my guitar (floyd rose trem) off on a Wednesday to be re-strung, cleaned, and to have the intonation checked/fixed if needed for an upcoming show. The guy at the front desk told me they were busy, but that he would have it done by the following Monday (and said he would try to get it done even sooner). He quoted me $50-$60. All good so far.
Monday rolled around and I hadn’t heard from them, so I called myself. He said the guitar wasn’t done, but that it would definitely be done by Wednesday, and that he would call me. No call. I went in Thursday to pick it up. The guitar hadn’t been touched. The delay would have been acceptable if they just kept me updated, but after the runaround, I can’t recommend this place to anyone. Added an extra star because service was at least friendly, if anything. Go somewhere else for repairs/maintenance.
4. Ska Dog Records
Address: 946 B St, Hayward, CA 94541 , Fairview , California , United States
This place is beyond dope!!!! Found some hip hop gems!!!! Could have dropped a rack easy!!!! Shout out to E! Hands down the best hip hop shop in the bay!!!!!
Definitely coming back to buy more. The owner is so nice and the shop is also amazing
Finally checked out Stacks record shop! I have been clearing out the garage and needed to make space. I spoke to Gabe and he was kind enough to let me donate all my old vinyl. Gabe is easygoing and cool to talk to. We spoke about old mutual friends and the days of djing in the bay area. Can’t wait to come back and dig through all the vinyl! Gabe thanks again for letting me donate my records, I’m sure you’ll have a good use for them
7. JAMS Music
Address: 7282 San Ramon Rd, Dublin, CA 94568 , Fairview , California , United States
I’ve had work done on two acoustic guitars here in the past two months and am very pleased with the work done. The first was a setup for a Martin. It felt like a completely different instrument when I picked it up; much more comfortable to play. The second was the installation of a strap pin and Baggs pickup in an Atkin guitar. Not only was the installation perfect, Brian (the tech) even adjusted the action so it was easier to play. I highly recommend this place and will definitely return the next time I need work done on my instruments.
A nice bonus is that I can play any of the guitars in the shop while I visit.
Extremely helpful and very kind.
This is the absolute best place to go in the area if you own an Ernie Ball. The staff are friendly and knowledgeable. Brian had my bass fixed up in no time. I will be back for all major work on my Bongo.
Very personal helpful staff. If you like Taylor’s they have a beautiful selection
It’s helpful to have a store like this in the area, but service leaves something to be desired. Customers should be served in the order they come in, not based upon how pushy they are. A simple “who’s next” goes a long way
Very friendly and knowledgeable staff. Walked in to look at guitars, walked out with a KALA uke. Great little store. WILL definitely be back.
We’ve heard good things about this place so we thought of giving it a try. We went there to rent an instrument but they said the one they have is being repaired. We asked for a return call once it becomes available so we can get it. Five days later and still no call so we decided to call them. Then they said it’s no longer available as someone else already got it.
Brought a bass with a maxed out truss rod to see if they could put a spacer in it. Their repair guy called me a few days later telling me that the truss rod was fine, and that it just needed a proper setup. I go get it and in the shop it looked fine with the action a bit high but okay, but when I got home I discovered that it was tuned half tone down, so no wonder it was fine: less tension, less bow. When properly tuned it still had the problem. So, don’t trust your repairs or setups to this store.
8. DKS Productions
Address: 3295 Jamie Way, Hayward, CA 94541 , Fairview , California , United States
Very nice and professional Harmoniams, easy to find the shop
Riyaaz Music Shop is an amazing store. They’ve moved location to a larger space, and the new store is incredible. I’ve been in many times not only to make a purchase of a fabulous, high quality Tabla set, but also to take lessons with the owner Happy. He was kind, patient, and really generous with his time. He really wanted to make sure I left with something I loved and went above and beyond to make sure I tried every single possible Tabla. He also helped me tune up the Tabla set before I left and gave me a tuning lesson. The store is currently only by appointment, but having the one on one time helped me feel less rushed and able to focus on what I wanted to get. I highly recommend this store as they also have great quality harmoniums as well! Definitely planning on making another purchase there soon.
Wow! What an amazing shop. I booked an appointment with the owner and he really took the time help guide me through his collection of harmoniums. His tabla collection was impressive as well. Everything was very organized, it made for a great experience.
10. MUSIC TOURS / EVENTS
Address: 20283 Santa Maria Ave, Castro Valley, CA 94546 , Fairview , California , United States
Amazing place to do Photoshoots at and for my clients to record and master their music. Great place for headshots and anything creative.
The best video/photo/music studio I have had the privilege to work at in the Bay Area. The staff is extremely knowledgeable, friendly, professional and there to help content creators of all kinds produce top-quality production sets with a beautiful array of options. As a Photographer and Videographer, I was able to create pictures and films on a whole new level of production that greatly enhanced my business customer base; and for an affordable price. You will make so many connections here to people in the Media industry; this place is buzzing with beautiful models, talented artists, photographers, film teams, social media influencers, etc. etc.
Try this place out if you want to take your social media content to the next level, I promise you will love this place.
12. Perfect Timing Music Studio
Address: 30048 Mission Blvd Suite 231, Hayward, CA 94544 , Fairview , California , United States
If there is a 10 star, I will give this to PTMS without any second thought. They are voted the best music studio in Hayward for a reason. Excellence in music can be achieved by any music studio but having a “heart” is a gift….PTMS has both.
Perfect Timing Music Studio has been a part of our family’s music education for the last 5 years. Through covid season and a move out of Hayward we continued piano lessons in person and online. We have seen our son grow under the patient loving guidance of Ms. Louella. We also adore the conversations with and jovial nature of Mr. Manny. We are happy that they are not only instructors but, friends who also have our child’s wellbeing at heart.
We have had the pleasure of getting music instruction from Perfect Timing Music Studio for the past 15 years. Being taught by both Louella Martelino and Manny Tagalog. I am currently learning Voice under Manny and sing on the PTMS Chorale with direction from Louella. My son, Alexander, studied the Oboe under Louella and Bass and Drums under Manny and is quite adept at all three instruments. My daughter, Gabrielle, learned Guitar under Manny. The instructors are both very talented and knowledgeable in the Art of Music and teach students their craft with great enthusiasm at an excellent price. If a person or their children would like to learn Music, they can choose from a great assortment of instruments offered and be confident that they will Master the chosen instrument in a relatively good amount of time. I highly recommend this Studio for Music instruction.
Happy to have found a piano that fitted our budget at this place. It was the best deal. Overall great experience.
Great service!
This is a Yamaha dealership. You will get lots of Yamaha pianos and some other grand pianos as well. High end pianos mostly. Appointment has to be taken to visit this shop in these Covid times.
Gary and Mary are pleasant and helpful. Pianos are a big purchase item and it’s nice to have people who will take the time to guide through the process. Ultimately I purchased a used piano through a private owner, but wouldn’t hesitate to make a deal with Music Exchange if the circumstances warranted.
I like this store a lot. I’m from out of town but when I visit they’re nice enough to let me play on any of their pianos. They don’t sell sheet music but have a few books you can use while playing.
Nice showroom with lots of beautiful pianos. Gary was super helpful. Only complaint is they only carry Yamaha digitals, so can’t compare to their brands. That said I think Yamaha makes me of the best.
Be careful of this place, especially the after sale service. I bought a piano a year ago and it started to have quality issue, which I called the store several times to request the service under warranty. The store had many excuses and did not schedule the service or provided me updates for weeks. People there are very impatient and impolite when I called to check the service request status.
It is really sad that I have to give a 1 star review but all support ends after you have made a purchase. They say that if you buy a piano from them, the first tuning is free. We got our piano from them almost a year ago. After calling numerous times, and trying to get our piano tuned, and giving my phone number as well, I have never gotten an update or a call back. Every time, Ron, who is very nice to talk to, will say he will get someone and then nothing – no call back, no update. This has been extremely frustrating. I have been patient and understand there is some labor shortage etc due to Covid, but this takes the cake. I wish I had gone with a different business to buy our piano
15. Guitar Center
Address: 2880 Dublin Blvd, Dublin, CA 94568 , Fairview , California , United States
Beautiful store with great variety! You can try before you buy.
this place has insane stuff and guitars
Great customer service!
I love GuitarCenter in general. But truly the one in San Jose is just way better than this one in Dublin. Still fun spot to stop for some fun on instruments. A little overpriced though especially with Amazon these days.
Helpful staff and great set up. Got to try a variety of instruments.
No staff seemed to be present.
Dropped my guitar off 3 weeks ago just to get it he strings changed and neck adjusted. 3 weeks for something so simple is absolutely ridiculous. Every time I call asking when it will be ready, they say the repair guy isn’t in today, and can never give me a straight answer. If he’s never in then who’s fixing the guitars? I just want my guitar back. I’ll be making the 30 minute drive to allegro in Fremont for all my future guitar needs. They would’ve had this done in less than a week.
Snobby, pretentious salesman who sneered when I asked if they had any headphones with noise-canceling mics. When I asked where the keyboards were, he pointed to the section and walked away. Rock on, snobby Guitar Center salesman. We all look forward to being moved by your stirring talent.
Unresponsive salesperson on several occasions and store inventory in bad shape. Guitars on display give a poor idea to customers since they are in such bad condition.
16. DARKWATER STUDIOS
Address: 21010 Wilbeam Ave apt 202, Castro Valley, CA 94546 , Fairview , California , United States
Music lessons offered here, very friendly, and affordable.
I had a great experience with these guys they are very knowledgable on everything in their possession, they are friendly, and will work with you on your price range. I highly suggest working with these guys!
Everyone is so nice here and always willing to help you with any questions. Also the teachers are very nice and patient.
Nice fellas. They do need help. I sold myself a personal amp with the salesman with me, just after admitting they didn’t have what I was looking for. I said, “That. You don’t have any other of these?”
“Oh! A personal amp!”
“Yes. What is the price?”
I informed them I would be happy to help out part-time with my Ops and Logistics, Warehouse Management, Musician, and Electrician experience. Turned in my resume, but the hiring guy was absorbed with boxes as the other guy delivered the resume to him 4 feet away in an area labeled “Do not enter without salesman!” I waited for 7 or so minutes hoping he would look my way. Ah well, le sigh. We shall see if they want to mark time, or organize and do something.
Returning customer, second try, Nice store good cus.service. Knowledgeable staff ⚕️.
Amps ready to plug and play.Good place to test your product before you buy. Competitive prices.
I wasn’t able to stay long enough the last time I visited, to buy what I went in there to get. A customer at the counter was talking to a sales rep. He kept coughing and hacking Up. It disturbed me so much that I went running to the door to get out of there as fast as I could. He was coughing and hacking Up when I walked past him as he was standing at the entrance and he was coughing and hacking Up as I past by him on the way out.if a person is sick they should stay home. The sales people need to ask that person to leave and not take a chance on him spreading germs to the customer or customers.
What I wanted was there and my questions were answered.
This place is a scam
This place operates as InstrumentPro online. If you look for reviews, you will find mostly zeroes. I ordered something almost one month ago. They charged my card but I never received any confirmation of the order or shipping info. Looks like I fell for the same scam that many others have been victimized by. Don’t even think about buying anything from this place. If you have and got taken, report them to the BBB. If they continue these business practices, they need to be shut down.
Terrible experience via Amazon. I can not get them ship my purchase!
20. Dave Badilla
Address: 3056 Castro Valley Blvd #180, Castro Valley, CA 94546 , Fairview , California , United States
