Vintage music gear is awesome!! Got my son a vintage Ludwig drum snare the owner and the staff are super friendly and very knowledgeable definitely looking forward to going back soon.
Nicest store in LA! Where pros and serious players feel at home. Fine interior decorations, feels like a top notch recording studio! You’ll lose track of time there!!
Very grateful they require a vaccine to enter too! Thanks for doing your part guys!
Great shop! They have high quality hard to find gear. Purchased a used amp which they shipped across country. They did a great job packing it. The amp showed up exactly as advertised and is great. Highly recommended.
2. Ventura Music
Address: 11268 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604 , Studio City , California , United States
Such a great shop.
If you’re in the market for something vintage, you’re in the right place.
George, and Randy will both take care of your needs.
Even has a stage for live performances.
The only problem would be the parking…. either metered, or up the street in the residential areas.
All vintage
The curator is kinda wacky. But if your looking for single drums be it floor tom bass to complete a kit or build up a rat kit. This place is a good place to begin.
George and Randy have the vintage Ludwig hardware that I was looking for.
Great selection of stolen items
I found two guitars, that were stolen from my storage at this Ventura music store. They bought them from the thieves , without asking them for identification please be aware if you purchase at that store it may have been a stolen gear and you will be in a big trouble with the law.
This store doesn’t ask where the instruments Are coming from , or take information about it . Who knows they might have a connection with the thieves.
3. Crucial Music Corporation
Address: 12031 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604 , Studio City , California , United States
Tom Weir is an absolute professional. He is very energetic and loves his work.
This man is just a blast to work with!
If your in L.A., Tom Weir is the sound engineer you will want to produce your album with. He is very connected as well.
We asked Studio City Sound to do PA, lighting, and the stage setup for our Japanese Pop Culture convention. All the staff were extremely easy to work with and knew what they were doing, and most importantly the artists were very pleased. Can’t wait to work with them again! Thank you Tom Weir!
The best in town. Great rooms, amazing equipment and friendly staff. Highly recommend for any size recording project.
The equipments were old and didn’t work well, the headphone was broken, and it took 1 hour for them to find another headphone and they charged me for that one hour ,
staff had No knowledge, waist of time and money and
the owner,Tom was a rude ,selfish , crazy man ,
ZERO CUSTOMER SERVICE,
I DO NOT recommend this place
Session went wrong: No Equipment was working – plugins were deactivated, computer crashed: staff was not knowledgable on how to fix.
It has been 2 months and we are still awaiting a $500 refund from Tom the owner who has now promised it to us twice over the phone.
Studio City Sound is not worth the stay or money.
Scam Artis
5. Sound Warrior
Address: 11271 Ventura Blvd #710, Studio City, CA 91604 , Studio City , California , United States
While I’m not what one might consider a “great customer” in that the frequency with which I buy from BCM isn’t all that great (simply because not enough dollars in my account), I have dealt with them for almost 15 years now, and never had a bad transaction. I’m up in Canada, and they’ve always gotten things in my hands very quickly- and never any issues at the border, or excessive fees to pay upon arrival. But more importantly, they have always been extremely kind, encouraging, patient with my countless (no doubt annoying) questions, and willing to help me out whenever I was pursuing a less-than-common piece of gear. I also had the great fortune of getting to visit the storefront while in LA for a couple weeks in fall 2017, and had the loveliest time hanging with Stephi (and Roger!) while playing on anything I wanted in the store for a couple hours. Such cool and genuine folks. I really can’t wait for my next trip out west to visit again, or for the next time I get to buy something from them. It is a unique shop with a special aura to it, run by uniquely awesome people. Not to mention they’ve always stocked the cool, rare, and unique pieces the majority of other retailers will not roll the dice on, or don’t have the relationships to facilitate. Cannot recommend highly enough.
Johnathan is a nice guy. Thank you also Mr. C.
Absolutely great music store with people that care helping out
I initially reached out to Stephi to place an order for a module (as directed on their website) and the process was dragged out over at least a month! She would respond once then not again. Finally I called and left a message, and got no answer, then tried a different number and she immediately picked up. She asked that I email her my mailing address and said that she’d call me back, but she never did! Eventually I called again and THANKFULLY Jonathan picked up and processed my order in 10 minutes flat. He even was able to get me my preferred color, which was sold out according to Stephi. Thank you Jonathan!
The place has no signage at all and looks like it is abandoned, but it isn’t, it still exists at this address. They just keep the door locked. You have to call, or try knocking on the door. Kind of strange, but they did have what I needed.
Terrible service, really disappointed with this place and how they treated me. Bit of a rip off really. Avoid this shop, plenty of better places to buy music gear than here.
Awful customer service blaming me for their incompetence with shipping an item on time. Would definitely not do business again 🙂
Just did not have what I needed. I was being nice to this business in my review stating they just didn’t have what I needed. It was not a put down….but after their ” reply” sorry we don’t sell chicken here…..will stop recommending them for people to try. Chicken is not what I was looking for nor were my clients.
Bruce is the best at fixing MPCs and he goes out of his way to help people out.
The michael jordan of all things music machines, inventor of the machines he fixes, the only real G.O.A.T of drum machine inventions and modifications, all music from the past 40yrs has been made with machines and sounds invented by Bruce Forat! End of story! Nicest coolest human you will ever meet! Genius amongst Genius! If you dream it up and he can make it and probably already dreamed it up, only person to ever work for Michael Jackson and Prince, at the same damn time! The music term, “Programer” is literally because of him, he was the first one and still the best one. Multi-platnium man! Most humble super star in LA!
Bruce Forat is second to none when it comes to his knowledge of drum machines, samplers, keyboards and synthesizers. He has made my sp12 Turbo better as well as my MPC 60. This mans knowledge goes deep. He was doing all the Early Roger Linn work firsthand. In fact I don’t trust anyone else with any of my equipment be it vintage or new. He’s honest and has integrity. I usually call him and end up being on the phone for hours because I’m fascinated with all of the knowledge he has. Thank you sir’ I highly recommend you! A+++
9. Benning Violins
Address: 11340 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604 , Studio City , California , United States
Wonderful local business, super knowledgeable staff and great instruments. They also have donated to my kids local youth orchestra, so extra kudos for that!
Really nice kind people
Walking into this shop was like walking into the essence of what every violin shop should strive to be, a servant to music and the music makers. Eric Benning was one of the kindest, approachable, and most of all knowledgeable violin shop owners I ever met. He has a sincere desire to help the musician. He’s the real deal with a spirit excellence and great attention to detail. If you want the very best in service and quality, look no further! Their instrument selection is top!
Very helpful if you are looking to buy an instrument.
I visited the store as a teacher and received mediocre service. I then told one of my student’s parents to visit their store, and when the parent called to ask for their hours of operation, her question was neglected. The only thing the customer service agent answered repeatedly was that they are closed Saturdays and Sundays. He did not bother to give their full hours of operation. Additionally, when the parent visited the store and asked if there is anything more affordable, the sales associate said, “I have no idea what you are talking about.” Thank goodness there are many other violin stores in LA where people can receive better customer service and more options for violin shoppers.
10. Flaming Music
Address: 4950 Ethel Ave, Sherman Oaks, CA 91423 , Studio City , California , United States
One of the best studios in Hollywood. Friendly, great mics and gear – and most important, top-notch people behind the glass and working to develop whatever project comes through the door.
12. Licorice Pizza Records at Hear We Are
Address: 12230 Ventura Blvd, Studio City, CA 91604 , Studio City , California , United States
Great store, always friendly staff, incredible selection of vinyls and vintage memorabilia and one of the safest CDC standard shopping experiences I’ve had here in L.A.
Really cool and eclectic selection. Loved learning that a lot of the things in this store simply come from the home of the family that owns it. I got some great older vinyl and a book of short stories. Definitely recommend stopping by.
Went to check out this record store for an in store performance.
Truly humble spot with a little of everything.
There’s shirts for everyone and, of course, vinyl.
There is a pinball machine and posters.
Do yourself a favor and spot by and check out this awesome spot!
Parking can be tough, but don’t give up. There’s a public lot next to the bofa. Street parking is available by meter.
Selection of vinyl was mediocre at best. I know some folks whose collection is larger than the store
Great spot for vinyl
The vibe and location of this place are really cool. I’d say on average the new records are 5 bucks more than you’d see online and maybe some of that is independent record store costs and maybe some of it is the studio city location I don’t know. Nice kids work there though and it’s fun to look around. The used vinyl I’d say is average to slightly more expensive cost wise but there is a discount bin with some cool stuff too. Cheers –
Terribly overpriced, not much of a selection. Hope it gets better with time.
13. Studiopolis
Address: 4028 Colfax Ave, Studio City, CA 91604 , Studio City , California , United States
Norik does great fretwork and is a nice guy to boot.
Norik just finished another fantastic refret for me, and repaired a body crack. His clientele is made up of session/touring folk, and local music enthusiasts; everyone is welcome at his shop. His realistic pricing is surprising considering his level of expertise. Highly recommended.
Renson Guitar is that rare business you don’t see often enough. Genuine expertise, patience, uncompromising workmanship. They really know what they are doing. I can’t say enough about Renson Guitar. (I just wish I could say this about our world today where everything and everyone is watching the clock, unconcerned and uninformed and unskilled).
Great shop. Made my guitar play better than it ever has. Thank you to Norik and crew.
I realize that my low rating of Renson Guitar Shop is an outlier – and I debated for a long time whether to post a negative review – but I’m reminded of the bad experience I had with Norik every time i see the lasting effects of the shoddy work he performed on my guitar.
Renson Guitar Shop came highly recommended by 2 close friends who are both well known professional guitarists that entrust Norik with their most prized instruments. I took my vintage Gibson to him to look at what I believed to be was a top crack opening up. It was caught at a very early stage. Norik said he could fix it; that he’d humidify the guitar to close the center seam, cleat it, and smooth out the finish on top if necessary. He assured me we caught it in time and the work wouldn’t be noticeable.
He had the guitar for several months, and I checked in it every couple of weeks. When it was finally done, I picked it up, inspected it, thanked and paid him, and left. The finish looked really good. The top was indeed smooth with no apparent work.
Two weeks later the top seam separated completely – the gap was so wide you could see light through it when I put a flashlight inside the guitar. Upon inspection with a mirror, I saw that Norik never cleated the top seam. He only completed the outside, cosmetic part of the repair.
The crack was now much worse than when I first brought it to him. I returned it to him, and he only believed my claim there was no cleat when he looked inside for himself and saw the error in his work.
He had the guitar another 6 weeks and his final repairs were disappointing. The crack was more visible than ever, but at least he cleated the repair properly. At this point the only way to fix the damage left after the careless work would be a complete top refinish that would both cost $$$, and further undermine the value of the vintage instrument.
I understand that everyone make mistakes and sometimes accidents happen, but this one was really upsetting. Not only did they not complete the repair they were hired to do, their carelessness made the issue worse.
At no point did Norik ever apologize for his carelessness or the amount of time he took first, perform the work and then to rectify his mistake. He never offered to refund any of the payment for the lasting damage incurred by the shoddy work he performed on my Gibson.
I’m really disappointed with Renson Guitar Shop. I hope that my case was an anomaly and that the rest of the patrons get professional results, but I did not.
15. Broken Wave Music
Address: 11560 Moorpark St #302, North Hollywood, CA 91602 , Studio City , California , United States
Business hours:
16. Ladybug Music
Address: 12215 Ventura Blvd #114, Studio City, CA 91604 , Studio City , California , United States
Ladybug Music is absolutely amazing! It’s been such a huge blessing to our little family.
I am so grateful for the unique experience that I credit with helping us manage through the 2020/2021 pandemic. Each instructor has been incredibly talented and captivated our little one’s attention and heart. I can only begin to explain the numerous ways that Ladybug Music has grown our daughter. Hearing a 2 then 3-year-old creatively remold songs with her own lyrics is astounding to hear. I ashamedly have no musical talent whatsoever and Ladybug Music fostered such a deep love and curiosity for music and a variety of instruments in her.
Having done the classes online, especially during the height of the pandemic Ladybug Music was able to provide our toddler with some consistency and social time. She loved seeing all the other children and had something exciting to do each week and staying within the mandated restrictions for gathering! She truly enjoyed it but so did I. The music is fun and catchy without being obnoxious. That’s a huge accomplishment in the world of children’s music.
Her excitement for the world around her is another great effect from Ladybug Music. We were in a thrift store looking at books and she found one about a Blobfish and was so excited. We read it multiple times and she insisted on showing the instructor her new book during the next class because Blobfish is one of her many favorite Ladybug Music songs. She had an equally exciting time learning about plovers and crocodiles. There is so much learning every single session. We loved getting up and moving around but also have softer snuggle songs. Our little one asks for Watch the Stars song before bed/nap, that’s how impactful it has been. She also tells her friends and sometimes people we’ve just met about Ladybug Music and loves to tell our smart speaker to play the songs.
I truly appreciate the impact Ladybug Music has already been and we look forward to enjoying it again soon. <3
My daughter is obsessed! We started attending last spring when she was about 12 months old and at first she didn’t seem that into it. I was skeptical to continue especially since we commute in traffic from Woodland Hills to the studio city location. As the weeks went by, her love for the class grew and now at 20 months old, she can’t stop singing and dancing. She looks forward to going to class and you can see her face light up. I highly suggest giving it a try for at least 10 weeks.
In my opinion, I think Michelle is absolutely amazing.
I wouldn’t take a class without her. Her voice is pure magic and makes the class so much more special.
We’ve had our 3 year old in for the last year and it is BY FAR his favorite thing to do all weekend!! There is nothing that doesn’t feel very well thought out by Ladybug. We’ve had two different and equally amazing “teachers”. The music is all original, well produced and is full of endless earbugs I catch myself singing all week. We have a 3 year old boy with a typical 3 year old boy attention span and he mostly stays very involved. But when he “drifts” the atmosphere allows for him to wander and remain involved without teach and parent “evil eye”. Everyone gets it and we’re all happy to be there. I would recommend this to anyone. It’s such a positive experience and I’m grateful it was recommended to us.
Wasn’t a fan of the class before we had to switch over to zoom, but now I would definitely never recommend them to anyone BECAUSE THEY REQUIRE THE EXPERIMENTAL GENE THERAPY SHOTS. Absolute insanity.
17. Sheldon Mirowitz
Address: 12007 Laurel Terrace Dr, North Hollywood, CA 91604 , Studio City , California , United States
This studio offers a vibe that is unmatched on a professional level. Everything you need and more is here. Nick is a gem, and is by far my favorite engineer to work with. Somethings you need to just experience for yourself… this is one of those things!
Great vibe with tons of inspiration flowing. Staff is super friendly and experts in their craft. 100% private facility with plenty of space or it can be cozy and intimate.
Awesome vibes definitely my go to spot whenever. I’m in California!!!
If you’re a true artist, then this the studio you need to pull up on
