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Berkeley Musical Instrument Exchange
4.8 ★★★★★ 46 Google reviews · Guitar & music store in Berkeley, California
Warm shop offering new & used instruments such as handmade guitars, drums & stands, plus repairs.
Plan your visit
- Repairs & setups a repair bench comes up in reviews and the store's own info — call ahead for turnaround, since good techs run a queue
- Buys & trades used gear they buy, trade, or consign used instruments — bring the case and any original parts, and expect trade credit to beat the cash offer
- Today see hours ·
- Phone (510) 548-7538
- Website berkeleymusic.com
Hours
| Monday | Closed |
| Tuesday | Closed |
| Wednesday | Closed |
| Thursday | Closed |
| Friday | Closed |
| Saturday | 12–5 PM |
| Sunday | Closed |
What's on the wall
“Really friendly place with lots of acoustic, classical, and flamenco guitars and other stringed instruments like ukulele, tres, Cuatro, mandolin, violin, banjo etc.”
“The are guitars, Cuban tres, a string bass, accordions, marimbulas, classical guitar, flamenco guitar, repairs, knowledge, and warm people.”
“Really friendly place with lots of acoustic, classical, and flamenco guitars and other stringed instruments like ukulele, tres, Cuatro, mandolin, violin, banjo etc.”
“Really friendly place with lots of acoustic, classical, and flamenco guitars and other stringed instruments like ukulele, tres, Cuatro, mandolin, violin, banjo etc.”
What players say again and again
“Came in for a guitar setup and had it all squared away within 15 minutes.”
“My inherited instrument is 1000x easier to play than when I brought it in, and for a reasonable price.”
From the reviews
Had the action on my guitar adjusted and strings changed - wonderful, affordable service.
Best guitar shop in the East Bay. William, the shop owner, is straightforward and goes out of his way to ensure that you find the best guitar for you. Fair prices and you can tell he isn’t just trying to sell you an instrument that isn’t the right fit.
This storefront is a legend! One of the last remaining authentic, honest guitar and repair shops around. William is one of the best in the business and a very good man. See you soon, Doug.
Really friendly place with lots of acoustic, classical, and flamenco guitars and other stringed instruments like ukulele, tres, Cuatro, mandolin, violin, banjo etc.
Selling or trading gear at Berkeley Musical Instrument Exchange
Berkeley Musical Instrument Exchange comes up for buying and trading used gear — confirmed on their own site. Two things make the trip go better. First, bring the whole package: the case or gig bag, the original tremolo arm or bridge parts, the paperwork if you have it — a complete rig is worth real money more than a bare instrument, and it saves the back-and-forth of "can you bring the case in?" Second, know that trade credit almost always beats the cash offer, usually by a healthy margin — if you're upgrading anyway, price your old gear as a trade against the new one before you take cash. Either way, expect the offer to be below what the gear sells for on the wall; the gap is the store's margin for setup, warranty, and sitting on it until the right buyer walks in.
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