The top 20 music shops in Waldon, United States

Always a good place to find old goodies

Es un tienda muy especial dinde encontraras la mejor música y películas de todas las clases. Se las recomiendo

Always great.

Had a good time reminiscing

Okay for hard copies, except they rarely have them on the release dates.

If you love music this is the place !

The door guy we very rude & followed me & my gf around

Why do I bring my wife here?

Nice

Gloria Leiter has been my teacher and mentor for the past twenty years. She is the best educator I have ever experienced (I have a Master’s Degree in Psychology). She has an exceptional understanding of how people of all ages learn and is, herself, a brilliant musician.

Ms. Leiter runs her business with integrity and professionalism. She pays close attention to detail and she communicates her policies well to her clients. Currently, she is teaching piano classes on Zoom and that is no small task.

Ms. Leiter is loved and appreciated by all who know her. Her reputation is beyond reproach. I am baffled by Mr. Dawud’s negative comments. Nothing he said fits with the way I, and hundreds of others, know and respect her. I can only assume that Mr. Dawud was having a bad day but that is no excuse to besmirch the reputation of an innocent person. In this time of global stress and uncertainty, let us be mindful of how we treat others.

I have recommended F.A.M.E. to many people. If you are looking for the best piano instruction in the world, I suggest you contact Ms. Leiter and let her open up for you or your child the beautiful world of music.

Tips when you wanted to enroll your kids to FAME.
1. Ask for the class calendar if it’s not provided when you sign up for the lesson. We’ve been provided with class calendar after few weeks from the first day of enrollment. And be aware the tuition is monthly charge, not based on the number of classes(kids will have few holiday across the year in class calendar so some month you’ll get few classes than others)

2. Gloria is a great teacher but she is teaching so many kids which means she is so busy, most interesting thing happened to me was when we’ve been provided with private lesson as the compensation of missed classes in March due to COVID(Don’t know the reason but she offered private session for kids in Group class, one 45 minute private session was compensated for two 1hr group sessions ), she waited 45 minutes for us without sending any text or email as a reminder (because we booked this session using the online calendar and there was a few weeks of gap between the date we booked and actual class, when the day of class we totally forgot that we have zoom session with Gloria and missed it). We’ve been honest with her and told her we forgot it and asked nicely if we can reschedule it, but she refused it and said she is teaching so many kids will not have time to do so. I think with current days technology , setting up an automatic reminder for classes wouldn’t be hard and it’s actually very helpful, especially when you are taking classed which was scheduled not regularly like the one we’ve been compensated.
3. Lastly, just be aware that she is so busy and she will not spend time to listen to your problem if you have any, instead she will just ask you withdraw from the class. Yes, that’s what happened to me .

So what I did was went to online searched for piano classes( Gloria switched to zoom classes as well due to COVID) and found a new private teacher for my kids. Maybe you would want to do the same before having kids to start at FAME.

@Shirley Richard I don’t know what is your relation with Gloria but I wanted to make it clear that I’m not besmerching any ones reputation here. I’m just telling my experience , you can ask Gloria if I’m telling anything that’s not true. It’s awesome you have Master’s Degree in Psychology, and maybe Gloria good at communication with people who has degree in Psychology. One more thing that I actually didn’t mention in my previous comment Gloria charged me monthly rate for March(two classes only due to holiday), it’s been offered as private session as compensation in May as I mentioned in previous comment.I missed one and gloria asked us to withdraw from class when I nicely asked for rescheduling and the funny thing is I’ve been told I would be receive refund at hourly rate for the one lesson that I canceled. Think about it two class in March monthly charge but when refund it is calculated by hr. I’m not telling the lie here,@Shirley Richard I can share the email between gloria if you would love to see proof.I can tell she is a good teacher but don’t think she is good at math, unless you are super rich don’t care about money at all when you receive service from business, you should be fine with it.

Good, friendly and not overpriced. Will go there again to buy my daughter a new clarinet.

Great prices and variety. Staff is so kind, helpful and knowledgeable!!

The Lee family has been dealing with C&L music before I was born. They have ALWAYS taken great care of us. My sister and I rented our band equipment there as kids and I just started to play the guitar as an adult. We live in Chico, CA now, but I’d gladly drive 3 hours south to work with C&L. I wouldn’t go anywhere else!

The store was better before Covid. It was all open and had a large selection. Now they have most of the store closed off and the lights aren’t all on. Call before you go to make sure they have what your looking for. The owners are knowledgeable.

Great place for kids in school music programs and musicians beyond that age.

I was happy until the saxophone broke 3 weeks after renting it. I thought We were getting an instrument in good shape but apparently it was not the case.
Also, the lady at the store is very nice until you ask them to expedite the repair process or question them why they take so long to fix the instrument that never should have broken in first time if it was inspected and sterilized not too long ago.
She was a rude on the phone and she just think that talking to my daughter’s teacher will solve any inconvenience. It does not, because my daughter can’t practice without the saxophone so the one that they should be concern is about my girl missing practice time and getting behind. Sad moment for a middle schooler

Deserves zero stars. Can’t go in the store. All they offer are a few junky used books outside. Only good as a walk up window if all you want is a box of reeds. I won’t be returning and won’t be recommending this dive. Go anywhere else.

Cranky old man with no concept of customer service.

Complete trash, terrible sevice. They don’t have a wide selection of books that actually matter when trying to become a great musician. Over priced on everything, buy everything online. They don’t know how to properly repair instruments. I took ina saxophone that I bought from them and they didn’t fix everything. I told them the pads were sticky and they didn’t fix them. Quality of the instruments they sell is extremely low. I wouldn’t recommend to people that actually care about creating music.

We’ve been using NADY for years and never been dissapointed, amazing customer service too!

Totally unresponsive to multiple voice mails (you cannot speak to anyone live), over a half dozen emails, and several attempts to use their web page “send us a message” form.
A product is only as good as product support, and Nady offers NONE!

We purchased a grand piano from Carson and we couldn’t be happier with it. Music Exchange is the best resource for pianos for every budget. Carson has a wealth of knowledge and very informative in answering our questions.
Thank you so much!!

Good selection of traditional and electronic pianos. Friendly & helpful service.

Mike was very informative and patient with my 10 yr old granddaughter.

I try Music Xchange branch in Walnut Creek was, unfortunately, a frustrating experience. After attempting to schedule a virtual appointment, I was looking forward to getting information about pianos available within my budget. However, things did not go as expected.

Upon scheduling a virtual appointment on the store’s website, I received no response whatsoever. I decided to call the branch directly to resolve my query, but to my surprise, the lady who attended to me seemed unaware of my previously booked appointment. This initial lack of coordination left me feeling bewildered and neglected.

Finally, I received a call later on, but my hope for a more satisfying experience quickly faded. The salesperson who contacted me appeared unwilling to make any further effort or provide the information I needed. The conversation was brief and unhelpful, leaving me with more unanswered questions. I have to insist asking for the info like pushing.

What frustrated me the most was the feeling that, in order to get the information I needed about piano options within my budget, I had to go to the branch in person. Unfortunately, I do not have the time required for an in-person visit, making this limitation a disappointment.

Acquiring a piano is a significant decision that requires careful attention and good guidance. I had hoped that Music Xchange would provide me with a more positive and accessible experience. The lack of response to my virtual appointment and the salesperson’s lack of effort to assist me online left me with a negative impression.

While my experience was unsatisfactory, each individual may have a different experience, so it’s important for prospective customers to research and evaluate the store according to their own needs and expectations.

I absolutely love this place. The customer service is fantastic – everyone there is willing to talk with you about gear or anything else. They serviced my J Bass after another local shop screwed it up pretty badly with a truss rod adjustment. Great communication on the repair and my bass came back like it was brand new. Highly recommend.

Update: needed to update and confirm that this is the best guitar shop in Northern California. THE best staff

Amazing guitar shop.. 100/100 , Cameron helped me get my new HDRX 20 and was nothing short of great to work with.

Staffs there are all amazingly kind, they treat you like a friend instead of a customer. Comfortable coaches and free mocha and coffee. Great guitars there, they have A pretty big collection of PRS and G&L both high and low end guitars. Would definitely recommend this store over guitar center!

I rented an clarinet with an agreement to use the rental credit towards the purchase of instrument . The shop did honor the agreement and rater quoted higher price to cover up the rental credit

Super knowledgeable and friendly. Quick service too!

Every time I’ve been to Lamorinda Music, I’ve had a great experience. Everyone there is very helpful and friendly. I highly recommend them, and I’ll be back again and again.

Even with the current virus concerns, I felt very safe shopping there – staff members were clearly very conscientious. Masks, gloves, plexiglass barrier, plenty of sanitizer. Online shopping experience was also fine and pickup was fast and easy.

Very helpful and knowledgeable staff.

I was wonderfully helped. For a small shop it had a decent selection and decent prices

The place has helpful staff and great collection of musical instruments.

Sam has helped us out to pick right a digital piano for my girl. I know nothing about the instrument, so he put enough time to explain all the options for us.

Boo

Harps etc. is the place to get everything harp and harp related. They have a wide selection of harps, harp music and harp supplies. They are located in Downtown Walnut Creek, not exactly on the street, but down a little passageway. (Seen in picture). They also give harp lessons and do harp repairs. The staff, especially Gerry, are extremely knowledgeable and kind.

Best place to rent a harp in California!!!! Helpful staff!!! Great harps and accessories!! This place is a total gem!!!

I purchased a lovely harp from Harpsetc. Excellent service, caring and professional. My new harp arrived way across the USA in record time and mint condition.

Best guitar shop. Proprietor Stevie Coyle is a great person, patient and extremely knowledgable. Has the best collection of beautiful and unique fingerpicking guitars.

Yes, the other reviews are correct. Great selection of guitars, odd hours, but Stevie is as gracious as he is talented. If you’re in the area and you like guitars, check it out.

Agree with all previous posts – this store is a hidden gem and Stevie was both knowledgeable and patient. I spent the better part of 2 hours in his shop and I was like a kid in a candy store. He suggested a number of guitars I should try and they were all incredible. My biggest problem? Trying to pick amongst such an amazing array of instruments.

If you are an acoustic guitar lover, you will not be disappointed. Just make sure you leave yourself enough time…

@Stevie – I’m looking forward another visit very soon – will bring my own guitar as you suggested in order to better compare.

I was very pleased with Mister Mariano’s service. He helped us out on a last minute gig and I was very thankful for that! A easy going and reliable person. I would totally recommend this person to any others that need a set up for a party or at a nightlife event. Thank you again for all your help and his prices are reasonable and affordable!

Fantastic! Jay helped with everything (selection/set-up/tutorial/take-down). Amazing service. Exactly what we needed for the party. We will be using them again I am sure!

I called Jay 2 days before my event and he was beyond helpful. We rented a Karaoke machine for my daughters bday party. Jay was extremely helpful in explaining how to set up the system. Jay was also very fair in his pricing and added on some additional features at no cost. We will definately be using him again!!!!

We’ve been going to Village Music School for about a year now and have been very happy. Our piano instructor Abby is awesome – super sweet, patient, and encouraging to my little one! And recitals are always positive and fun. Love this place!

Plenty stocked, peaceful, & sweet employees!

This Kpop store is seriously underrated, you can find any k groups like stray kids, new jeans, twice and more! I recently got my new jeans light stick and i love it ! And it’s better than any store that sell Kpop items !! 10/10

nice store

Great place, great people! John is a real friendly guy. Don’t hesitate to stop by and check it out!

Geddes music was simply awesome! From the first step into the door, through the completed transaction, it was a friendly and fun experience. A great shop stocked with awesome guitars and gear. Highly recommend this store for instruments, lessons and rentals!

Awesome staff, great prices, wide selection of guitars and other instruments new and used. Go get some strings or a guitar or something. Gotta support your local music store

Nice local music shop, helpfull employees and good product

New and better location with ample parking. Very helpful staff. Will be back

The folks at West Valley Music are so helpful and knowledgeable! I’ve been in numerous times, for both trumpet and guitar reasons. It’s a bit of an all-purpose place, with retail, consignment, lessons, instrument cleaning, etc.

The best music store I have ever seen. Great staff with great attitude.

Lots of goodies, nice location

It has amazing accessories with music in the store, and the teachers are great!

Neat little music shop

Took my flute collection in for a possible tune up. Was told that all but one of the flutes were unplayable. Guess my looks or money weren’t what they accepted there. Took my ‘non playable’ flutes, and commenced to use them to busk, there in downtown Mtn View. Odd that they were declared unplayable, yet I was playing at least one of them not 30 minutes later. Care to explain West Valley Music staff ?

Family friendly, helpful staff. Feels like they care personally for your needs when you come in. They have a great selection of instruments and accessories. They have knowledgeable repair technicians that can answer most questions and fix instruments. Highly recommended for all kinds of stringed instrument needs!

I would HIGHLY recommend the Nicholson Music Co. The staff there are extremely friendly and helpful. Moreso, I come here for tech work by Andy Irish. I CANNOT highly recommend Andy enough. His work is top-notch and he is a class act. I entrusted with him quite a rare Ibanez that was in bad need of a refret and he more than exceeded my expectations. Not only that, his level of customer service and wealth of knowledge within his craft warrants me to make the drive up to Folsom just for me to have the priviledge of him working on my instruments.

If you need a great store with a friendly staff or an awesome tech, do not pass these guys up!

Folsom is lucky to have this long standing family owned music store. Bought my latest guitar there. The prices are very reasonable and the employees are super knowlegeable and friendly. I admit I initially went to the big center that sells guitars thinking I would scoop up a deal. It was a rough experience as folks were just picking up guitars and playing super loud everywhere. Had a hard time finding someone to help me and then we could not even hear each other. Decided to try my luck at Nickelsons after that. They do things different there. You are not allowed to just grab guitars off the wall and start playing. This makes such a huge difference. They care about their instruments and actually do a full set up on the guitars. This is huge and makes up for any money you might save at a big store or on line. They also have luthiers on site who are always willing to answer questions. They have a really nice selection of guitars, other instruments and accessories. If you are an acoustic guitar lover the guitars in their humidor room will blow your mind. This is what makes small business great. Special shout out to Norm who helped me choose my axe. He knows more about guitars than anyone I ever met. He was helpful without being pushy and very kind hearted.

The staff are very nice and attentive. They make sure that everyone is being help to the point of different staff asking the same person severely times. If you are in the neighborhood or you just need a friendly professional place that will take care of your stringed instrument (violin, guitar, viola, etc.) stop by to say hello.

I haven’t been to this shop in years. Came in recently to look for a specific book. The staff was friendly. The layout of the place is a bit awkward. There is a back section with sheet music but it’s not very apparent at first. Ask anyone at the desk if you need to find it. The sheet music selection is very small.

They had a good collection of guitars, bases, and other stringed instruments. I didn’t see much in the way of brass or woodwinds. Its in a small shopping complex and parking was okay.

Good staff

Wow. Walked in with 5K in my pocket ready to spend. NO customer service. NO greeting. NO help. You guys need to learn a thing or two. You’re lucky you’re in Folsom and can survive on your overpriced lessons. Headed to Guitar Center. 1 star.

I used to have my guitars worked on here; but I wouldn’t let them touch them now. Their luthiers literally talked me out of doing business with them ever again. They have a nice stock of instruments, so in that respect they are OK.

They gave me a pretty old violin when I rented out for my kid and had to pay an advance of 120$ @$30 per month+insurance. It had recurring issues and I had to return it in a month and lost my 3 months advance and deposit. Please make sure to rent only new ones from this place.

Laura is an excellent teacher for me. As an adult learner, I appreciate her patience and lessons fit to my abilities. She is very knowledgeable and makes the lessons fun.
I love that she comes to my house, as I can fit lessons into my work schedule. Thanks Laura!

Laura has been teaching piano my 8-yr-old daughter and 10-yr-old son for the past two years, coming to our home for one-on-one lessons and switching to remote instruction over skype since the shelter-in-place order. The transition to remote learning has been very smooth and we were so happy that Laura came up with a solution for the kids to keep learning without interruption.
One of the reasons for the success is that Laura has a way to connect with the kids, keeping them focused and motivated. We also appreciate that Laura has a very systematic approach to teaching piano and builds good technique skills patiently and methodically. Not only is she thorough and instructive, but she tailors the lessons to fit the students’ needs. We can see both kids progress steadily and continue to gain confidence from her encouragement.
Thank you, Laura, for making piano part of life and for instilling a lifelong appreciation of music. We highly recommend Laura!

I am one of Laura’s adult students. I have played various instruments all my life. But despite many teachers, and even a year in music school, there were basic obstacles I had never overcome. Studying with Laura has changed everything. She has a gift for listening and observing patiently, figuring out exactly what is holding a student back, and pointing out a way forward that actually works.

Since the Covid19 pandemic began, Laura has been offering lessons via Skype, which is free and works on almost any device. The virtual lessons have been going very well. Of course it’s nice to be in the same room as one’s teacher, but I haven’t noticed any difference in the content or quality of instruction or in what I get out of the lessons. Social distancing doesn’t mean an end to learning piano!

jems!! I’ve brought him both my acoustic and electric and he has fixed them up perfectly! He has gone above and beyond for me getting repairs done on short notice for me to leave town. He’s a great guy who loves what he does and knows what he’s doing. I highly recommend!!

Nice staff, very friendly. Teaches art in small group, which gives more personal time to each student. Music lessons are 1 to 1.

My daughter’s trumpet had 1 of the valves checking and sticking down. For no charge, he simply took the valve apart and adjusted the plastic piece which had rotated and it works like new. So polite and helpful and didn’t charge for his time to show me how to repair if it happens again.

Fantastic local music shop. Solid prices, helpful people, friendly environment and great selection

I rented a sax that i can’t afford anymore, but my experience was good. They have a nice rent to buy program that I want to take advantage of in the future, and the voice lessons are something I’ve always wanted to invest in and learn.

Friendly staff and very helpful.

I rented a used violin for my son from the shop. They said the price was $199. The rental was $35 per month. after two months if you want to own the violin then they said they would deduct the rental amount from the original price. But when we want to buy the used violin they said the price is $299 which is hell more than a new violin. So would recommend not to rent or buy anything from this store.