The top 20 music shops in San Pasqual, United States

I am renting a violin for my son (7yr) old from B&H. The teacher agrees that this is the best small violin she has ever seen 🙂 Thank you

I’ve been taking singing lessons with Jazzmine Farol for about a year now and it’s been an incredible experience. While working with Jazzmine I’ve learned so much about myself as a singer and a performer. She’ll always make sure you leave feeling proud and confident of the work you put in. I never thought I’d improve drastically, but thanks to this talented artist, and her many ways of teaching, I can definitely say the work pays off <33

Awesome Shop! Super helpful staff and some badass toys. Fiddles , Ukes, Banjos, Mandos, You name it! Small every possible spot for the an instrument there is one there!

I bought a Fender beginner guitar with case from Joseph for a very fair price. He carries some B stock guitars which are perfectly fine quality except for some minor blemish. Perfect for a beginner.
I later bought a beginner Cordoba classical which was also B stock bargain and was what I needed for my class at Palomar College.
Good, knowledgeable people. I always like supporting the local Escondido businesses.
They also have a rent to buy plan.

Small shop with loads of customer service! I like shops where you can ask anything and not feel you need to be an expert on the subject.

Items were not priced but service was fast. Manager had to look up the price for the music stand.

not playing with a full deck here last year I had some work done on a guitar and the bald guy told me it needed a special tuner — No I am not off the boat and been doing this for 40 years any way when I checked the manufactures statistics it said any tuner would be fine…NOT PLAYING WITH A FULL DECK…

Not a good music store. They have guitars and ukuleles and those parts, but hardly anything for band instruments. I asked for replacement parts for a trumpet and they never got them. They don’t carry much for flutes either. Maybe they’re just better for stringed instruments, but they certainly shouldn’t be called a general music store if they don’t carry supplies for a variety of instruments. They have a few maintenance supplies for trumpet, but they really aren’t for band instruments.

Amazing customer service with killer setups on new guitars. I live literally across the US in NJ from Wildcat’s California location and buy exclusively from them based on experience. Ask for Scott, he’s the best.

I just made my 1st guitar purchase from WildCat, and it was excellent! I had the pleasure of working with Bo & Doug. Both were incredibly responsive and offered a pro setup free of charge. The guitar arrived safe and sound and came set up perfectly. I would never hesitate to buy a guitar sight unseen from WildCat! Thanks again, guys!

Wildcats guitars are the cats meow! If your looking for your next axe and looking for exceptional service Wildcats has you covered.

Los of great guitars. Super friendly, but never remember to call you back with info on guitars.

Wanted to pick up a new electric but door was locked during open hours on a Th?????

Love this place! All of the staff members are kind and knowledgeable and they are very laid back. All of the instruments they make are amazing! The staff truly goes above and beyond! Also Jeff, if your reading this, give Flock a raise! He is an amazing salesmen. Everyone here treats you like family, no other guitar company will do that. If you want amazing instrument for a great price, go here! I just purchased a Vader and hope to purchase another guitar from here soon!

What can I say about Kiesel that hasn’t already been said. These guys are not only amazing with customer service, but they may be building the best guitars on the planet. I’ve now owned my new Osiris for about 2 months, and it has become the best guitar in my collection bar none, and for a very affordable price. I can’t wait until I order my next build!

Excellent local quality custom shop!

When in the San Diego area, I always stop in to play the basses on display. This time I was researching which model 5 string bass I like. I liked them all! I wish they had a better selection of Kiesel shirts and hats. I really wanted a Kiesel leather bass guitar strap but still not is stock!

First time visit to the new Kiesel store.

GOOD – Receptionist at the front and the FIRST sales guy I met were very friendly and helpful. The sales guy set me up with some basses to play, answered a few questions, gave me a few extra tidbits of information, and then let me play. Very cool.

BAD – I wanted to play one specific bass I had seen on-line. After awhile I went to ask about it. Different sales guy there now. He asks if I’m going to buy it. I said just looking for now. He refused to get the bass. He told me I had a sufficient sampling of instruments. In his defense he was busy talking to a couple of his buddies. I left.

MORAL – Generally, if a customer is telling a sales guy that they saw a specific instrument on-line and they’d like to see it, they’re probably more than causally into the instrument. You should get the them the instrument. I’ve been to the old Carvin store on World Trade Dr. many times and never got treated like this. Hopefully this is a one time anomaly.

Love the guitars but the place is by appointment only plus they don’t even have a demo unit for the model I’m interested to buy

These guys don’t seem to care whether they sell a guitar or not.

Does not allow shipping to an address other than the billing address, despite giving you the option. “Solutions” provided were completely unreasonable and provided for a larger “headache” than they were purportedly mitigating with this policy. Despite complying with customer service in a change of address with my bank, they STILL could not reinitiate the transaction to facilitate the purchase. Currently awaiting a refund for the initial transaction. Insane.

My advice if you’re buying a custom finish is to at least be prepared for disappointment and stuck with an instrument you really don’t want after spending thousands of dollars. I’m attaching two pictures. One picture of the Kiesel Guitar I saw on the internet and asked them to make and a second picture of the guitar I actually got.

I immediaetly called to complain as soon as I looked at it. This is NOT the guitar I ordered nor is it what I was expecting. The response I got from Jeff was that “I have a beautiful bass”. Different lighting causes finishes to look differently is something another Kiesel employee told me. I agree that it’s a beautiful bass. But the world is filled with beautiful basses that I didn’t order, want to own and certainly didn’t spend over $3,000.00 on!!!

Making matters worse was that it took double the promised time to get the bass. This was during covid so I (and any reasonable person) can understand time delays. The problem was that I had to keep tracking them down to get updated lead times. The very basics of customer service is you contact your customer if you can’t meet a promise you made.

Also they don’t have a hardshell case for this guitar. I had to pay a ridiculous sum for what I call a padded dust cover. I just don’t see a company making an instrument costing over $3,000.00 and not offering a hardshell case to protect it. I was assured by the sales rep that the softshell padded case protects the guitar better than a hardshell case.

I waited over a year to start writing reviews because I wanted to see if it would grow on me. It hasn’t. This was supposed to be my dream guitar. I saved for a LONG time and made LOTS of sacrifices to afford this. It still makes me sick to my stomach thinking of saving and spending all that money to get what I didn’t want. I barely play it because of this. I really wish I would have just said “make me a Green or a yellow guitar and paid half the price.

I’m giving Kiesel 2 stars instead of only one because despite all of this, it plays and sounds really nice. And I’m hoping to recoup my money by going to the NFL and telling them I plan on selling them new helmets that are foam lined with a canvas shell rather than those inferior foam lined hardshell helmets they’ve been using.

Knowledgeable person who know what I need to solve my sound problem. Although he did not have the item in stock, he printed the information I can order it online.

Las cosas que necesito de electronica rapido las encuentro

Great experience as always. Robbie was super helpful and very knowledgeable. I used to be in retail myself and I know what makes someone great at their job – he’s it!!

Great place to try out electronic gear; ie keyboards, drum sets

Nice store, staff trys to be helpful, great to walk in and try put guitars and amps but don’t expect to get in and out quickly as they often slow even when not busy.

Genial

They had two left handed guitars. I bought one, the other was decrepit.

Under staffed. Went twice to have guitar serviced and no one available to do it. It’s a shame, since they used to do a pretty good job servicing/repairing guitars. Guy at front didn’t cared, just pointed me to a un-manned kiosk where repairs are supposed to be done. Just waited there for 20 mins and no one addressed me to see if they could help me or if I needed something.

The luthier, Val, is incredibly helpful and kind. He gets 5 stars, but most of the other workers(at least the ones I dealt with) are just miserable, rude, and lazy.

So far, so good. I have had them work on several of my guitars, sometimes a rush job, and they have always come through for me. Nice guys with an easy-going manner.

JHG does all of my work. Great set-ups and repairs, done with care. They appreciate the instruments they work on and treat them well.

came in to pick up strings and was totally blown away at the collection of vintage gear in the shop. some serious gems in there. everyone was super nice. shoutout to Mickey for letting me play a special heritage that he had in the back! can’t wait to spend all my time here!

What I like most about James and Nigel and his staff is if he overlooks something he will admit he’s made a mistake and then just as important..fix it. It’s hard for me to trust people who never apologize or..admit they may have made a mistake. Seems to me it would be hard to satisfy some of us picky pickers.

Good work. I had a crack filled on my classical guitar. It took 2 months. I couldn’t tell the crack was there. They also polished the guitar nicely and made the tuning machines look new. I thought they were replaced at first. It looked as if the frets/fingerboard were polished too. The only downside is Mr. Hood seemed to have a lot of projects going on at once. He seemed stressed out when calling. Other than that, nice shop. Nice presentation and instruments for purchase.

FINAL UPDATE: I returned to James Hood Guitars after being reached out via the owner. The gentleman at the front desk was extremely helpful and accommodating in correcting my previous concerns; Thank you kind sir! There wasn’t an ounce of awkwardness and I was welcomed back kindly. It’s hard to find a shop that sticks by their work but James Hood did just that and didn’t hesitate to make things right with the customer. I would most likely return to try different services should I ever need any major work done to my guitar in the future. Thank you James and the team.

UPDATE RESPONSE:
James Hood Guitars, thank you for the informational response to my review concerns. I can definitely understand if the guitar sits case less and collects dust for days while the shop waits for the customer to have time to pick up their finished product but that unfortunately wasn’t the situation here. I was waiting for my guitar completion and never received any updates claiming it was done to begin with. I only came in on a whim to see how it was going and possibly shop around when I ended up being told it was ready while I was there. So in this particular situation, my guitar wasn’t sitting there long enough to collect that much amount of dirt on it. The bridge was completely caked in dust with debris all over various areas including pick up and headstock. Along with this review were the pictures taken directly after I received my guitar, if you needed further reference of my concerns.
I appreciate the offer but have since de-strung and finished the clean up and polish process myself, so I’ll have to pass on the cleaning compensation you offered. I was hoping to pay your shop to have those stresses avoided doing it myself lol but that didn’t end up going well. Thanks though.

FIRST REVIEW:
Called ahead to get information on a full clean with polish before deciding on this location. Prices were a bit higher than competitors but I was assured they do a phenomenal job and it was well worth the price here. The wait was estimated at a week and throughout that time I never received any email or text updates. After the week was up, I called to check in on my guitar and they said they were really busy so I gave them a few more days as I wasn’t in much of a rush anyway. Those few more days go by and still no update via email, call, or text… I drove down to ask in person how everything was going and I guess it was ready? Lol! Attached to this review is the condition of my guitar upon pick up. Caked dust and debris all over it. I swiped the dust with my pinky to see if it was that difficult to clean, and it came right off. String swap and action adjustment were fine but not the main service I inquired about and was assured they’d do a grand job on so thus the dissatisfied review.

James is a wonderfully confident guy who convinced me to spend more than my guitar cost to get more out of it. Original cost for my Ibanez electric–$150. I spent another $150 with James promising to fix the scratchy pots and amplifier hum and set the guitar to play faster/better.

I was there 3 times for this. First time, the pots still scratchy. Second time, I had to wait 20 minutes, while he attended to other customers. And I regret letting him talk me into more work.

Had to leave my axe for a total of 3 weeks. Sad to say, not only is the amp hum worse, the strings buzz and the pots are not Ibanez originals, but what James had on hand. He forced the original knobs on and I can’t get them off.

Really hate what he did to my guitar. This was a nightmare.

I don’t normally write reviews. Never complain. I would never take any guitar to him. I don’t care what other people say. This was the worst experience I’ve ever had. I had to fix the guitar myself. Lesson learned. Never again.

Took in my Historic J-45 Gibson acoustic guitar. Requested a new neck nut and new bridge saddle if needed and set up. New nut was requested because of intonation problems and string slots being cut too deep. Then I specifically asked the guys in the shop if this work could be performed at the luthier level proficiency. I was charged 180 and assured of their quality of work. 3 weeks or so later I pick up my guitar am am in utter shock. Super glue dripping down the neck, guitar extremely un-intonated, buzzing strings…the list goes on. I’m informed that the new guy, who is apparently a sound guy, decided to take on the job. I left my guitar at the shop. I contacted James directly and he assured he would personally fix any issues on my guitar first thing the following day and be in touch. The next day I went by the shop to grab my guitar and most of the issues created by the “Sound Guy” were fixed, but the guitar still had string buzz and intonation issues. I just took my guitar at that point But asked James, who, no doubt knows his stuff concerning instrument repair, could let a shop sound guy/entry level guitar repair guy work on my instrument. Poor Shop management and poor quality control. Beware guys.

So I have taken at least 3 guitars to JHG repair throughout the years. My first one was an installation of a Seymour Duncan Blackout mod. When I got it back they had reversed the 3 way switch and didn’t bother telling me about it. I figured no big deal. I got used to it. The second time I used JHG, I took a my BC Rich Mockingbird that was having fret issues and got it back with the exact same fret issues. I believe that was $150 and over a week worth of work and in the end the guitar had the same exact dead frets I paid them to fix. That one really bothered me. So I didn’t use JHG for years afterwards. I used guitar center and San Diego Music exchange. Who both did great work with literally no issues. The 3rd and final guitar was a cheap 8 string Harley Benton that I wanted to upgrade. I asked them to install Tosin Abasi Fishman’s. First issue was that it took much longer than they said it would. I kept having to message to get an update. The second issue I got a call from the tech saying it was gonna be more work and they wanted to charge me up to $300 more. I had initially had them diagnose the work and charge me accordingly. So I was pretty upset they now wanted to charge me more and I had already waited longer than they said it would take. At this point I was wanting to be done with them. But the Tech to his credit “took care of me at the time.” They did not charge me extra. However when I got the guitar back the tech explained there was a 60 cycle hum coming from the voice 3 push pull pot on the bridge position. He promised to research the issue with Fishman and get back to me. Unfortunately, that never happened. He had almost made up for the bad experiences I had with JHG. He theorized it was the cheap 3 way switch that caused the issue. Turned out he was mostly wrong. I figured out it was actually the bridge ground wire that was mostly causing the buzz. JHG through their lack of communication and absent customer service inspired me to do something I always wanted to do: learn to do my own repairs and wiring. Since then, I have fixed every issue including the issue with the reversed switch with the blackout mod. I have sense done over 30 installs of pickups and push pull pots. Everything from installing an HS Fishman set with a Modern Fluence Alnico and a single width SSA into a Jackson DKAS Pro with a sustainiac (there is literally no wiring diagram for this kind of install, I had to combine wiring diagrams) to a PMT tech HCP push pull pot mixed with a Seymour Duncan Black out Mod (another impossible mod that has no diagram). Turns out feeling slighted by JHG was a motive that lead to me fixing all my guitars and upgrading them and learning to solder seemingly impossible modifications. I would thank JHG, but it was their lack of follow through and my 3 not so good experiences that gave me that final push to become my own luthier and wiring wiz. I literally write this today as I redo the wiring JHG did on my Harley Benton. Their wiring was good. It just their customer service and follow through that leaves something to be desired. I will likely never need JHG for an install, repair or modification ever again. Because I now know how to do it myself now. If I do come across a situation that requires more expertise than I have, I will use the many other guitar repair shops in the area.

I am a native of Ramona, CA and I love having a reliable music store in my home town. I love going in and being able to ask my random questions. They even know me by name. I went and lived in Europe for 2 years and when I came back, I walked in and i heard, “Hey Ethan, How are you?”. I was really impressed and love to go back whenever I’m in town. They treat you as their equal. Jon Hasz is a great guy and you can rely on him for any of your music needs.

Jon is definitely one of the best bass teachers in San Diego. I am finally learning to play bass.

This is where you get inspiration. Jon Hasz may just be the best musician I’ve ever met. Stop by and say hi

Very small shop but packed full of instruments. Just due to the size of the shop, the selection of strings and picks ect. Was limited. I will definitely be going back. I would much rather support small businesses like this one Vs. Guitar Center.

Small mom and pa shop. They have used guitars too. People working were not the friendliest here in Ramona. Prices were higher I noticed on many things.

I have been working with SD Music Studio for several years now. From the first time I walked in to rent a clarinet for 6th grade band for my daughter, to band lessons and workshops, clarinet purchase, Alto sax rental, instrument repairs, to lots of questions about anything and everything music related, EVERYONE has been amazing! Shout-outs to Jessica and David for their wonderful teaching styles and personal attention. Incredible people, superb customer service and a great music studio. Get your instrument here, you won’t be sorry!

Very good customer service, friendly employees, overall a really great experience!

Exelente for kids learn new instruments

Update 9/28 – Ryan called to apologize and made things right. In light of that I have upgraded the rating to 4 stars. Often times it’s not the mistake, but the reaction and I think Ryan did a good job resolving the issue.

The customer service for the rental is horrible. Bliss was terribly rude. I had an auto debit for a rental and I had that for a couple of years. The bank issued me a new card and it had lapsed. That happened in the past and they would call. This last time I got a new call saying it was two months past, but I never got a call for the first month, or an email, and she couldn’t do anything to waive the late fees, which were $15 for a $19 a month rental (79% of the rental cost). All because they couldn’t call or send and email. Sounds like their business model is to just make their money on the late fees rather than be reasonable.

We were looking to get a flute repaired and visited this location, having heard good experiences from others and being quoted a quick turnaround for the repair over the phone. Unfortunately, our service experience was rather disappointing. The staff present seemed inexperienced in working with customers. We were told they required a $20 for a same-day evaluation of the instrument, which we agreed to as the repair was urgent. However, the staff came back afterwards saying the instrument required “General Adjustments” (for which we were quoted a charge of $95), without explaining what was wrong with the instrument. The staff didn’t make much of an attempt to understand what was wrong with the instrument or provide clarification when we asked what exactly what was going to be fixed.

We came back a few days later when the instrument was ready for pick up, and the issue we were facing was not fixed! After this, we talked with one of the mechanics there and explained the issue, and they were able to identify the issue and repair the instrument, rather quickly in fact! Had we been able to do this from the beginning, we could have saved a lot of time and headache.

We will not be returning to this location for future repairs.

The guys were great~!

I went there with my son to purchase a tenor Sax – Aaron helped us, and was very patient. My son was able to test out a couple of saxophones, as well as a couple of mouthpieces. Aaron really helped him articulate what he should listen/look for in his mouthpieces – We were in the store for 2.5 hours, and never felt like we were taking too long. Aaron and the rest of the staff was very understanding that one has to take one’s time when choosing an instrument. Thank you guys for your help. My son is really happy with his sax.

Dale and his staff always put me first in my pursuit of my piano studies materials.

Nice vibe. Good stuff. Reasonable$$

Muy amables cuando te atienden

Very good. Lots of music. Well setup to serve the needs of the local schools.

I have them 2 months with my saxophone and they did not check it out

Excited to have a music shop in town! Very well stocked and a huge assortment of instruments.

I recently had the pleasure of visiting the All Things Music store in town, and it was an absolute delight! The moment I walked in, I was met with an atmosphere alive with musical energy. This store is genuinely a paradise for music enthusiasts. The layout is meticulously designed, ensuring effortless navigation and exploration of various sections. The staff’s passion and expertise added a personalized touch to my experience. Having All Things Music in Valley Center is truly a great addition.

All Things Music is a new musical instrument store in Valley Center. Soft opening a few weeks ago (and with a grand opening show on Sept.9) revealed something special in what was a fairly dull small town. Owners Eric and Amanda Wilcox brought in a musical ray of sunshine with a family friendly music store that caters to all levels of musicianship on a variety of instruments. Offering a nice selection of electric and acoustic guitars, they also sell mandolins, banjos, ukuleles and violins. Lessons are part of the mix too, including piano, and I even saw case full of woodwind instruments. Light luthering is available for guitars (they contract out for bigger repairs), and several amplifiers are in the showroom. Used gear is also available, and definitely worth a look if you are in the market for something nice at a bargain price. I’m a guitar person, so I noted lots of associated gear and accessories (and a nice selection of strings) and probably missed items for other instruments. One of the best things about ATM is their stage. They are in the process of putting together something like a show a week featuring local musicians, and once a month offer an open mic night for those who wish to display their musical skills. For now, I just like to go in occasionally and just try out a new guitar on their big couch by the door. I think I might not be the only semi-musician who is happy to see this great place pop up out here in north county.

I came in with the family the first week they opened to ask for information about violin and singing classes for my daughter, a man assisted us and took our information down on a piece of paper without giving us any importance and said he would call us. HE NEVER CALLED US, I decided to call a month and a half later and it turns out that he already had classes available for who knows when, offering us their left over schedules. I’m sure we were the first to inquire about the classes and expected to get first dibs.

I came the first week they opened to ask for information about violin and singing classes for my daughter, a man took care of me and wrote us down on a piece of paper without giving us any importance and said he would call us. HE NEVER CALLED US, I decided to call a month and a half later and it turns out that he already had classes available for who knows when, offering us the worst schedules that he had left over.

Krysten is so good with my 4 year old, my daughter looks forward to her piano lesson every week! Krysten is fun, energetic and keeps everything light without sacrificing substance. My daughter is learning the keys, rhythm, scales, sharps, songs with both hands and more each week!

Krysten is so great with our kids! 6 and 3 yo loving it. Creative, fun, engaging, and patient ☺️

My kids love Ms Krysten! My daughter is learning piano and my son is taking guitar lessons. They both look forward to her coming every week. She is kind, patient and fun to learn from! Would highly recommend her to anyone.

I cannot recommend this company any more highly. Approximately a year and a half ago, after returning to my church after 20+ years and now a member of the church council, I was tasked with researching the Carillon system which was not functioning. I had no idea what a carillon system even was, let alone how I might be able to figure out what was wrong with it. The system itself had a company logo, so I took a chance and performed a google search on it. I got a hit! It was Maas-Rowe. I took another chance and sent an email introducing myself and describing the system we had in our church and explained that I was attempting to assess if it would be possible to get it back into service. Not only did I receive a response to my email, but the person who wrote me back was the President of Maas-Rowe. He provided me with the complete history of the company’s relationship with our Church, and took great time and incredible care providing me with detailed instructions for identifying and testing out the various components of the system. We learned which parts of our system were still 100% functional and which parts should be upgraded. One might assume that a company would try to push the consumer to simply start over and get a whole system replacement… our original was installed over 30 years ago after all… But I never felt pressured to simply toss what we had and start over. In the end our Church Council voted to upgrade to their latest digital Carillon system ‘The Bell-weather’. Since our amplifier and speaker system was still functioning, I was able to install this new system myself in less than an hour. We debuted our new system this past weekend on Palm Sunday with a dedication and a celebratory Carillon song played for the congregation and the entire neighborhood.

This system has instantly restored a sense of life to our corner of this south Saint Louis neighborhood, where our Church has stood for 151 years…The Carondelet United Church of Christ.

You cannot go wrong with a Maas-Rowe Carillon.

Maas-Rowe Carillons, the best electronic carillon on the market. With its distinct sound, wide selection of songs, and simple interface, Maas-Rowe Carillons has installed thousands of units all over the world. Family owned, with the best customer service, & more.

Are you still in business? No one answers phone and cannot leave a message. Have tried 10-12 different times and days.

Definitivamente un fraude: les explico yo me contacte con el y se hizo llamar Efrain me dijo que si tenia teclado rojo N364 y que yo le tenia que depositar por zelle 1650 lo hice me dijo que llegaba en 2 dias fue el 01 diciembre del 2022 y le eh estado llamando y solo me mensajeo me mando una foto de un label de fedex falso pues se genero pero nunca se presento a mandar el teclado lo se porque fui a fedex con El supuesto tracking # y eso me dijeron, aparte le marco y no me contesta ademas me dijo que me lo iva a mandar y no nada por favor no usen esta compañia es un fraude les mando fotos de las pruebas hojala y tenga suficiente pantalones para regresar mi $$ porque voy a hacer lo impossible por recuperar mi dinero, lo que sigue es hacer un reporte en BBB y a la policia