Stein On Vine

Called to inquire about purchasing an instrument. Person answered and said "Stein's" and then I asked if they had said instrument for sale and they just simply hung up the phone. Apparently business is so good that they don't have to treat their customers with any sort of respect. I won't be supporting this business with this type of behavior.

Thank you to Gary- an "if these walls could talk" kind of shop. Stopped in unannounced, looking for a hard-to-find accessory and ended up getting to test different ones out to find what I needed. Stop in!

The shop, Stein on Vine, which Gary Chen runs with an artists's sensibility, is located in a historic setting of its own within the old Hollywood. It's right across what used to be the Musicians' Union. Gary's store, which is truly a place of pilgrimage for music lovers of every ilk, was the home of the vintage Buescher True Tone tenor saxophone I bought there some twenty years ago on the recommendation of saxophone great Buddy Collette.

The sound of the instrument Buddy handpicked for me is still a gem. Gary guides you, ushers you, tells you stories of the amazing musicians who have walked into this temple of Los Angeles classical and jazz music history. Once inside, you feel the energy! William Alexander Yankes, PhD

Nice people! Do music rentals and repairs. Covid safe and very helpful.

Gary Chen is a soul the likes you rarely find in Hollywood. Amazing, knowledgeable, fair, personable are understatements. Great ship amazing service and a decent human being. Thank you Gary. From Nigel Fregozo and I

The absolute best place for all your Double Bass needs. Gary is the most knowledgeable and helpful person I've encountered in the music biz and he remembers all his clients. He also does excellent repairs at a very reasonable price

I've been a customer on and off since 1986! Gary is one amazing virtuoso and a sincere individual when it comes to what you want or need. I've had nothing but tough love from him, and I don't regret anything that he's imparted to me. Gary has something for everyone. From deep pockets to a student on a budget. Such an amazing Luther. Gary personally did a repair on my 3/4 full, and it's just beautiful in sound! Gary won't ever steer you wrong!

Steeped in history, this music store is an institution, and Gary Chen is a treasured gatekeeper. A nicer, more knowlegeable professional, you will not find. Great store!

I feel happy to have brought my old Kay bass to Stein on Vine. Gary is very kind and professional. I fully recommend this place.

Gary always try to make sure us musicians are taken care of and ready to go! I like this place and the history/stories it holds. Glad to be a part of it being a happy customer.

I wanted to have a good experience, I love supporting local long standing shops. Maybe I just visited on an off day but a younger guy working the desk was less than friendly. I came in asking for some advice on beginners drums books to present to my drum teacher. It turned into this dry circular conversation with the guy asking me well what did your teach recommend and me saying he said to pick a few things on my own to present. Needless to say, no suggestions were given to me and the guy was more than happy to end our conversation.

I left with a bad vibe about the place and ended up just going online and reading boards to determine my own books to purchase via Amazon. Honestly I would have been happy with even a "here's our rack of beginners books". No bueno experience.

Wonderful place. Gary was very gracious with a Midwesterner returning to California.awesome place and array of basses. I might have been a kid in a candy shop. Smiled for an hour afterwards.

Amazing place! Simply amazing. There is soooo much history in this place and the owner is incredibly nice and had awesome stories. You'll definitely feel starstruck here. There are mostly upright Basses and Violins, but there seems to be tons of stuff for just about every instrument. Definitely worth checking out!

The best place on earth to buy an instrument! Gary is the most knowledgeable, most personable, most caring, and most fair person from whom to buy or sell your instrument.

While they seemed to have a decent music sheet collection, I was disappointed in their choices of instruments. I was looking for a new trombone, they had none for sale (or even rental!). If you are looking for stringed instruments, they seemed to have a good selection. If you are looking for wind instruments, I would say look elsewhere.

Stein on Vine won't feed you a line, but will be mighty fine if your instrument needs a shine. This store was last remodeled during the Eisenhower era. I have a feeling they could assemble just about any instrument from spare parts. There are some instruments mounted on the walls that are clearly "for display only". The store has been in town so long that it was open when the Musicians' Union across the street actually did something for musicians.

They also have some rehearsal rooms around back. or they did several years ago! They were, well, "weathered" even then. The piano was probably played by Frank Loesser, but these days simply is lesser. There is that classic "musician" grit to the space, and there is likely intelligent life living in the walls. Gary, the owner, is a wonderful guy, and he did a bang-up job repairing my violin. It's a cheap student model, so I can't speak to his advanced luthier skills, but I can tell you that he was very reasonable and the fiddle is fixed. The bow rehair was cheap also. He also has supplies, rosin/strings/etc. He seems to have a good selection of instruments for sale. Highly recommended!

Called a week ago to ask if they bought used instruments. The man on the phone said yes and asked what instrument it was. I said a flute and he told me to bring it by for them to see so they could price it. Brought it by and a man sitting at the register, looking totally bored, wouldn't even look at it. He said they weren't interested as their business is very slow. Wonder why it's so slow. First guess doesn't count. Never go there again.

Patina. I'm into it. Which is why most of my instruments are vintage, road-weathered and age-worn; they have stories to tell. And so it is with Stein on Vine. You can literally smell the history when you walk in. Old wood, oxidized metal, and just a hint of stale cigarette smoke remnantal of some long gone jazz club. The walls are lined with photos of the legendary musicians who've frequented the shop, a literal who's-who of the jazz golden age.

As for the service, it's top notch, fast and fairly priced. The proprietor, Gary, is about as nice as a person can be, and he knows his stuff. I brought in my patina-rich German bass on a Saturday for a set-up, new set of strings and a sound post adjustment. By Tuesday afternoon (a day earlier than Gary had originally promised) she was back in my hands playing better than she'd ever played before. Sure, there are other options in L.A. for bass repair. But I bring my old German girl to Stein on Vine. Like a favorite pair of boots or broken-in Levis, it just feels right.

I went there to get a new string for a borrowed violin. I know nothing about violins. The man was really cool. He put a couple stings on for me and tuned it at no extra cost. I was very pleased indeed! Street parking was really easy which is a huge bonus in LA.

Gary has the patience of a gnat. He speaks with forked tongue. I didn't like his manner & how he handled everything. He rushed me out of there when some other male customer came in & told me they would fix everything on a flute I brought in & I thought that meant redoing the pads etc. When he called me to tell me it was ready I asked what he did, if in fact they did the pads & cleaned it as well as the head cork assembly replacement he said yes but when I got there they only changed the head.

He didn't listen when I asked questions & was quick to shew me out of there. He acts like he's the hip cat. Saying stuff like I dig. Gimme' a break & a learn how to give Better customer service. Boo! I would go back if someone nicer were behind the desk. Bad representation.

IThis is one of the most well known instrument repair shops in Los Angeles for a reason--it's an incredible shop. Gary's service is excellent! He is friendly, his prices are more than fair and he has rare and extensive expertise of many instruments. No matter what level of a musician you are, you are treated with respect and your instrument will be taken care of with the utmost care.

I am VERY selective with where I take my instruments and this is the only place I trust and would recommend to others. Do yourself and your instrument a favor--see Gary at Stein on Vine.

That Chinese guy is a swindler! Be careful when you deal with him. I brought my saxophone to get the cork on the neck replaced. I asked him how much, he said $20. I took his word and gave me a ticket to pick up the next business day. He calls me that it was fixed and gave him my credit card and signed the transaction. I didn't bring my reading glasses but I trusted him at $20.

When I got home - voila - it was $30. What a jerk. $10 is not much of a big difference but it was my first time to deal with him and he was recommended by another friend. I wonder how many times he has done this to other clients. This will have to be my last. The jazz music industry is a small community and when word gets around, your business goes down. What a shame!

Great service, great selection, great everything. I came here to get my violin repaired, and got so much more. Gary Chen-Stein runs a wonderful shop, full of beautiful instruments. The place has been open since the 40's and is a hang-out for jazz musicians. Snapshots of their customers and friends, including Stan Getz, Ray Brown, Benny Goodman, hang all over the shop.

In addition to repair work, he sells both stringed and brass instruments, music, supplies, etc. Gary is extremely knowledgeable and helpful. While I was in the shop he managed to juggle several customers, while entertaining us all with stories and interesting information. I look forward to coming back and spending more time exploring the shop.