Bronstein Music

Cute little local music store with knowledgable, friendly staff.
Private lessons available as well as new and used instruments. Music and sheet music.

***In particular, this goes out to Jeff Cotton guitar repair.***
I write reviews that need to be read, whether it’s Awesome or it Sucks. This one goes in the AWE and then SOME column and for good reason.
I’ve tried all the repair shops.
I’ve taken precious instruments to famous names, to wannabe’s and everything in between, all over the Bay area. Jeff over-​delivered every time (and to date, he’s worked on close to a dozen of mine). Among the top hit list I feel deserves mention:
~ He is uncannily accurate about what an instrument needs
~ He always calls about any changes in his assessment to get my thoughts
~ He always quotes and delivers a very reasonable price
~ I always feel like I got the better deal when I play the instrument!
~ He always backs his work no unreasonable questions asked
~ The location is perfect. You can actually find parking
~ He’s a player as well and knows how guitarists think, I feel
~ His turnaround time is second to none; super quick
Give him a call and be prepared to be very satisfied with your instrument after he works on it.

My review is primarily for the lessons, but a little for the store as well.
My son has been taking piano lessons for almost 8 months. He’s 9. I should mention for a fair review that I am an experienced piano and voice teacher. I wanted my son to start lessons on a positive and fun note — not with mom bugging him. I felt this might be a good spot to learn.
8 months of lessons, every week for 30mins. The child still cannot read notes/​music. It’s all by finger number. He enjoys his teacher, but she has very little interest in talking to me — even just a hello. With so little progress, I found it necessary to pull him out. I’m disappointed with the lesson quality.
The store seems to have good service depending on who is working there. I’ve found it hit and miss.

We came for help with choosing saxophone mouthpiece and ligature as well as renting a tenor sax. Amanda was our sales person which was very fortunate because she is a sax player herself and also very professional and helpful. This was our first time at the store and it was a positive one.

As a musician I found this place was very uninviting. It’s totally lacking in customer service. Upon reading another review or two, I’m not the only person who has felt that. From the moment you walk in, the guy in the front did not greet us but just stares. It almost feels like you are being discriminated. When you go into the other area no one asked if we needed help. We had to go and ask. The three employees there look SO bored and unmotivated. One lady was just strumming her guitar and would stop occasionally. My daughter even took note how bored and totally not interested in helping a customer unless they really need to.

Through the years I have returned to Bronstein, but anything outside of a sale they are extremely difficult. I wish this was a place that would focus more on customer relations but sadly they treat you as a sale only. If you can go to a music store that you know will treat you with respect after the sale then you should definitely make the time. If Don’s business is doing well enough that keeping customers is not important then he has just lost one more, because this is the last time I’m going to deal with his I don’t care attitude. Bronsteins business ethics are terrible and their long span I could only attribute to a lack of competition. Try Sunset Music Company for a place that cares more about service then just taking your money.

I’ve brought my pair Technic 1210 turntables here for repair a couple of times now and couldn’t be happier. Jeff in the back is a great guy and and takes pride in his craftsmanship.
I realize turntables might not be the first thing you think of when it comes to instrument repair. Yet my turntables are always made to feel welcome amongst the saxophones, guitars in the shop.
Twice I’ve brought my tables in. Once for a replacement of RCA cables (including the circuit board), and recently to unfreeze the tonearm height assembly. Jeff is always a good sport about using the YouTube links I provide as reference, when I think others would only be to happy to blow off the extra information as unnecessary.
I think that is what makes me so comfortable and happy with the service here. They care and take pride in what they do.
I totally recommend !

This store has really improved in its interior design and it makes me happy to see young people from the neighborhood working there who have a good handle on accessories for my alto sax. I’m definitely proud to see this store still being active and thriving in South City.

Came here the other day to buy some Vandoren Saxophone Reeds and saw a good selection of reeds. The pricing was comparable to what you would find online which was definitely a plus.
Side Note: I used to come here in the late 90’s and since then the store has changed (smaller sales area and more focus on lessons). It looks like they still carry a good selection of woodwind necessities ranging from entry level to high end.

This is my go — to store for all my guitar string needs and repairs. Staff is very nice and will help you find what you’re looking for. Regarding lessons, I was a student of Dave Ernst for 5+ years and I could not think of a better teacher and he’s just one of the many great teachers there.

As an amateur trombone player, I as left in a bit of a lurch when Dick Akright retired – the great brass repairman at A&G in Oakland
But a trombone buddy kept mentioning a guy he called «the trombone whisperer» at Bronstein’s.
This proved to be Sergey – who has now repaired both my horns (a 15-​year-​old Yamaha tenor and a… sixty-​year-​old, probably,… Conn 88H, a symphonic horn).
Sergey did superb work on both, pretty quickly, and at reasonable prices.
Two stories.
I brought the Yamaha in, I forget for what servicing – dents in the slide, probably – and left it with him around noon. He called me at three that afternoon and said I could have the horn that evening if I was in a hurry. (When I’d left the Conn with Akright’s successor at A&G, it had taken two and a half weeks for a few small things.)
I wound up leaving it with him over that weekend, and when I picked it up, he’d done a bit more work than we had discussed at no extra expense.
That horn plays better now than when it was new.
The Conn story is even better.
The F-​attachment assembly had fallen off (ancient solder, it just fell apart).
I brought it in, he cleaned up the old solder, attached the F-​attachment assembly again, took out some dents, micro-​cleaned the slide, $ 160, and a day or two.
when I picked the horn up, though, the valve was really noisy. REALLY noisy, clanking and awful. I left it at the shop, with a note that this wasn’t acceptable.
He called a couple days later, had jury-​rigged a solution, I could come get my instrument.
Now that’s a couple extra hours of work, again.
When I went to Bronstein’s today, the valve was almost silent. He’d replaced some bumpers and charged me (total, both phases of the work) – $ 160.
Each time, he left extensive messages on my answering machine, explaining the work he would do or had done…
Sergey is a great repairman, I recommend him for trombone guys, without reservation.

This company is extremely misleading in their advertising and execution. My daughter was ushered into their «rent to own program» and told that she would own her flute at the end of the two year band term. Two days ago the band term ended and the music teachers told the kids they now own their instruments. I called Bronstein to confirm and was told that we are in month 20 of a 31 month term because she was rented a «new» flute. So far Bronstein has not been able to produce any contract signed by me that says I agreed to a 31 month term or that I agreed to a having an expensive «new» flute for a 9 year old who had never played before. The instrument was dropped off at a school band night with no choices available. Parents beware, because to me this is a scam.

I’m all for supporting local businesses, but these people don’t help. The vibe I got from my two only visits is that they have more important things to do – whatever that is: it’s not like the place is packed.
Today I went to ask an exchange for a portion of a purchase. They told me they don’t do refunds or exchanges on sheet music – not that it’s printed anywhere visible on the store or on the receipt. Besides this, have a bit of business sense: a customer asking for an exchange of just one item out of three in the receipt should tell you there’s been an honest mistake (they sold me an older edition without the accompanying CD). Second, an exchange rather than money back should signal that the customer wants to maintain a relationship with the business, not just take the money and leave.
A serious store employee should want a customer to stay and linger in the place for as long as possible, instead of saying «no, sorry» and going back to whatever he was doing on the smartphone.

My teenage son reports, «Bronstein Music was extremely helpful both times I bought instruments and mouthpieces there. They set me up with practice rooms and were a wealth of information and help with things. They also have a very good selection of woodwinds.»

My step-​daughter decided to take cello in school this year so we needed our own instrument for home practice. The folks at Bronstein were great. I had called ahead to make sure that they had instruments and got the full scoop ahead of time. Of course the place was packed when we got there. Beginning of the school year and all, I wasn’t surprised. The staff were all really helpful and patient. Very reasonable prices. We rented a full-​size cello (step-​daughter is very tall) and ended up getting a brand new instrument, fully-​tuned and ready to go. She’s thrilled and having a very good time w/​it so far. Thanks Bronstein! You made this painless.

This review is regarding viola lessons I have been taking for the past 15 months at Bronstein.
Signing up process was easy, and price very reasonable. I am an adult beginner who was inspired recently to pick up an instrument. I work week nights, and I travel a lot for work. So it was vital that I find a teacher who is 1) in tune with the needs of an adult beginner, 2) flexible with scheduling, 3) infinitely patient, and 4) knows how to communicate the musical concepts to an adult.
I found Al Bautista (violin/​viola/​cello teacher) at Bronstein, and had a great success under his tutelage. Starting with fundamentals, in every step of the way, I was challenged to improve and keep reaching for the stars. In six months, I was invited to play as part of a student quartet during a winter recital. I also had an opportunity to present a solo. In a year, I was encouraged to join a summer workshop put together by the San Francisco Civic Symphony. He keeps me motivated with my studies, and never lets me forget the fundamentals.
Earlier this year, he remembered that I have a friend who’s starting out as a concert violinist. He found a Strings magazine with her on the cover, and gave it to me as a present!
The staff at Bronstein have been both friendly and helpful. I have a chronic shoulder problem on my bowing arm due to work injury. So I like to arrive early (60 – 90 min) for my lessons so that I can warm up and practice beforehand. They have been helpful in finding a space for me to use!

My daughter’s flute was in need of repair, so we decided to pay Bronstein Music a visit. Normally, we go to Manor Music in Pacifica, since it’s close to our house. However, they don’t do in-​house repairs, and the techs that do the work only stop by for pickups once a week.
I’m glad we gave Bronstein a try because the repair people there are great. They didn’t make fun of my lack of musical knowledge. I described our problem as best I could, and they completed the repairs quickly and for a reasonable price.
It seems that on some days the shop is open but the repair staff is out, and on other days, the repair staff are in but the shop is closed. Whatever your reason for visiting, be sure to call first for days and hours.
Keep in mind, it’s sometimes difficult to find parking around Grand Avenue, and almost none of it is free. Bring lots of change for the meters!

After playing a year on my own, i wanted to take some bass lessons and get down chord shapes, scales, etc. SPECIFICALLY told the teacher i did not want to have to learn to read sheet music to play. First lesson he has me learning F# Major on sheet music. That was the last lesson i went to, and I paid in advance.
Brought my bass in to have some strings replaced. I know how to replace strings and have done so countless times, but I wanted a «professional» to do it this time. Come to pick it up 2 days later, and he tells me its going to be $ 105.00 because he had to get another B string in the right gauge, and because my pickup was shorting out so he replaced it. YEA… i get home and its still shorting out. SOLUTION = replace 9v battery for active pickups.
The only time I dont have a problem with this place is when I come in and i KNOW EXACTLY what I need… cable, strap, guitar strings.
props to arturo & melissa tho

Man, how long has this place been around? My brother used to go here for guitar strings when he was a kid, and I used to get piano books there when I was nine. Now, my own ten-​year old daughter is getting her piano books here.
I went here recently during their remodel. It looks like they are scaling down the shopping area and using the other part of the store for practice rooms (?) In any case, I like what they’ve done to the place. Some may not like the selection, but in the time that I was there, I saw a bass ukulele and a bass recorder – not exactly commonly-​found instruments. There were a number of guitars, reeds, horns, and percussion instruments. I didn’t see the keyboard instruments that I used to (due to the decreased space), but I’m not sure if they are discontinuing them or not. Oh yeah, they still have lots of music books.
Bronstein’s is different now than when it was years ago, but it’s still cool and it looks like they’ve still got the stuff you’re looking for. Support local business – shop here if you need musical supplies

Thank You Guitar Repair Man for fixing my 1^st First Guitar.
My brother gave it to me when I was 14. I have had it all these years and it was alittle beat up.
A few parts had to be made to replace some that were cracked. I paid and excellent price.
I was eying an Ovation Acoustic Electric capable guitar but it was sold by the time I came back to pick up my repair job.
Excellent place for Brass, Woodwind and Hard-​To-​Find instruments.
The music school is popular and busy.
Easy parking.