San Diego County Music Exchange

Reviews

• CP

  Chris Paiva

  3 days ago
  2.0
  Normal local music shop, and the repairs portion seems to be humming, but I never directly interacted with them. My interactions were limited to purchasing an instrument here and taking several months of lessons as an adult beginner. The shop sold me a severely over-costed student instrument described by their staff as something intermediate that I could invest in, which is fine, my mistake for not doing my own homework and taking the word of the kid at the desk there. It was strung incorrectly, as my teacher there kindly pointed out after a few lessons. She kindly replaced the string with the correct one. The lessons went fine for a while, but eventually had several in a row where I literally did not play my instrument for my teacher for the entire "lesson". I could have left it in the case, or at home, because my entire lesson was....lecture? Probably fine for children, but I can't understand how anyone could expect to teach anyone anything without seeing or hearing them perform. Again, the tech and repair side seems fine but I didn't interact with them for anything.
• DC

  Duke Cylk

  Apr 18, 2026
  2.0
  They have all stuff there if you need it. But they're pricing on repairs went up and up all week on poorly formatted texts. I asked for an itemized list on an email invoice of advised necessary and nice to have repairs. They basically copy and pasted the text into an email and told me maybe I should rent it but a new instrument and hang this on the wall for decoration. Very insulting. I have copies of emails and texts if management/owners want proof. I took it to wind smith down in San Diego. No drama. Just a master craftsman with a straight up one time quote and the horn is awesome now.
• KB

  Kevin Bergeron

  Apr 4, 2026
  5.0
  I had a great experience recently working with both Dale and Caruso in valuing and selling a few musical instruments that I had stored over the years and was no longer using. I would highly recommend SD County Music Exchange.
• AA

  Aaron Linsdau Thriller Author

  Mar 26, 2026
  5.0
  As a musician and the author of The Grant Colson Thriller Series and SERA Archives thriller novels, I always enjoy visiting music stores, and San Diego County Music Exchange is a great, well-balanced shop. I also run piano, violin, and guitar YouTube channels, so places like this are part of how I stay connected to instruments and gear while I’m on the road. The store has a bright, modern feel with a layout that’s easy to move through. It’s not oversized, but it has enough space to explore without feeling tight. There’s a strong mix of instruments. Guitars, brass, and keyboards are all well represented, along with a solid selection of instructional books for different skill levels. They also have a dedicated repair area, which adds real value if you need adjustments or maintenance. The staff has always been friendly and helpful, and it’s easy to ask questions or try things out without pressure. Parking is simple, which makes stopping in easy. It’s the kind of place where you can take your time, try a few instruments, and leave with a better sense of what you want.
• II

  icewolfmaster

  Mar 13, 2026
  5.0
  They do excellent work and repairs.

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