The Monterey Music Store

The owner of this shop is incredibly knowledgeable and a great guy!!! I would recommend anyone check it out even if you're just wandering around on vacation. He has some really high quality instruments in stock, stuff you usually don't see hanging on a wall.. as well as a plethora of bass and guitar amps. I walked in and he did a setup on one of my basses same day and it's playing wonderfully!

My five-year-old son is obsessed with guitars. We walked by the Monterey Music Store, noticed guitars inside, and stepped in. The owner gave my kid an electric guitar to play and asked whether he liked it. Of course my son loved it. The owner then gave it to him for free. He made the little man very happy that day.

I brought in a junk electric bass for repair to see if it was worth the trouble and cost. The employee/owner? looked at it and said sure. First, you need to buy some new strings ($30) and then I'll work on it. $100 later, he told me it was junk with an impossibly bowed neck and somebody had filed down some of the frets, probably to ameliorate buzz. The bass probably cost $60 new (a Johnson). He said he worked on it for two hours, but it was junk. To be fair, the bow was somewhat less pronounced but still really significant and not seriously playable. I feel if I had brought it in to sell he would've instantly made the determination that it was junk and not worth saving. It's not like its defects were hidden. Filed frets are (or should be) obvious to any serious repair person. I understand rents are high and trade may be light, but I feel a potentially repeat customer was gamed for a short-term payoff. I won't be back.

The owner got me in and did a setup on my acoustic taylor and only took a little over an hour reasonably priced as well

Excellent experience here. John helped me set up my bass and put new strings on. He was super knowledgeable and helpful. Overall, good prices and selection. Plus there is a really cool shop dog that hangs in the store.