Thomas Musical Instruments

John knows his stuff and is one of few in the area that can do some pretty serious repair/​mod work on brass instruments, while also doing a great job on more mundane cleanings and tuneups.

So, I give John Thomas 5 stars for his repair work because he totally saved my skin! A pad fell out during a musical rehearsal, and he promptly took it in the next day and fixed it on the spot in addition to fixing another loose pad he found. So many thanks, John for being my go-​to repairman!

I’ve read countless reviews on how amazing this place is. I’m sad that my experience wasn’t the same and less than satisfactory.
I went in beginning of September to request my flute for repadding repairs. I told them that I did not need it for about another month or so, so they said that that was great because that’s plenty of time. It’s already past the middle of October and from my understanding it hasn’t even been started on yet.

These folks (shop owner John and employee Sabrina) are the greatest! They both do repairs on instruments, and they deal squarely and fairly.
They have a large selection of books and will order more.
You can get music lessons there in one of their private teaching rooms.
This is a great local business that’s worth supporting.
It’s a little out of the way, so you are unlikely to just «happen across» this place, but it is really convenient if you know where you are going. It is right across the street from New Leaf on the West side.

Good honest service! If only I could find someone equally good on this side of the Santa Cruz mountains, but it is worth the drive. If I call ahead, John takes the time to repair my sax, clarinet or husband’s horns on the spot when possible. He knows what is out there, gives conservative, honest answers, and I always feel like I’ve rec’d a lot more than I paid for — John is very generous with his knowledge and expertise.

John and his crew at Thomas Musical Instruments are a class act in the Santa Cruz area. I’ve purchased, consigned, and had repairs done in the store, and it’s a good solid entry in the local music scene. If you’re in the market for electric stuff, there are myriad other choices in the area, but if you’re after woodwinds, brass, and sheet music for any of the above, then I’ve found they’re much closer to the mark than any local store. The best part is: If they don’t have it, they can, and will, get it for you, and promptly.
There are better specialist repair folks further away, and in the new location off Fair Avenue, the store is a bit claustrophobic, and sometimes repair times are a little excessive– the store is a bit of a victim of its own success in that respect– but overall the store is a solid experience, without the effort of driving 80 miles to the city. It’s a great place to become a «regular».

I give it three stars because I haven’t done personal business there, but my wife has. If you’ve got brass or woodwinds or an orchestral stringed instrument that needs fixing, this is the place in Santa Cruz County.
They also deal in used instruments, some of which they buy and refurbish and some of which they take as is. They also trade, as when my wife swapped two soprano flutes for an alto.