I have had several opportunities to work with Nicholsons over the past few years. Purchased a guitar, had a couple of guitars set up by them, and most recently had them perform a repair on one of my guitars. In all instances, their staff has been friendly and helpful. Prices are reasonable (they matched online prices on my guitar purchase), and, it feels good to support a local business. Highly recommended.

I havent played the flute since high school. I wanted to buy a used instrument that was in good condition so that I could play for my own enjoyment at home. Well, it was my lucky day! I found a lovely used flute for just $350 and also bought a new book to reacquaint myself with easy music passages. Thank you Nicholson!

Very friendly and they know their business on setting up your guitar or repairing your guitar or whatever instrument you bring in prices are fair. Great guitar teachers also.

The best music store Ive ever been to!! Theyre very knowledgeable and nice. The best selection of all musical instruments!! They give the best deals in town. Family owned and operated theyve been open forever!! If you need your guitars worked on bring them on in theyll fix them!! Very reasonable prices and great selection!! If you want to be treated with respect when shopping for your music gear go to Nicholson music company in Folsom CA!!!

The man in the back was extremely rude to me. Totally ruined my great mood. Worst way to make a sale. Ill shop elsewhere.

My go to place for all my guitar needs. The staff is very helpful and friendly.Ive had their luthier, Andy work on my Martins and my Larrivee and sometimes, to my surprise there is no charge! Not many businesses treat you with the personal customer service and care that Nicholsons has. Their prices are competitive and I recommend them to all my friends and family. My only wish is that they would open sooner than 11:00 am.

The staff is very nice but the owner has very poor customer service skills. He does not know how to listen to customer needs nor he gives a choice. Even if you rent violin from him you do not have a choice. It will be whatever he gives you. He is very rude. I was trying to pick a violin for my child and he was very suspicious why we were looking for details on the violin. He sells violins with cracks for high prices. DO NOT SUGGEST BUYING OR RENTING VIOLIN from this place. VERY POOR CUSTOMER SERVICE FROM OWNER.

Great staff, super knowledgeable, bought 4 of my instruments from them over the years... definitely go here and get what you need!

Great local store, knowledgeable associates, great products, on site technicians, rentals, instructors. Been in business for decades and still has the feel of a mom and pop instead of the big box emptiness.

Tha output Jack on my acoustic had come partially unscrewed and there was no way I could get my hand/arm inside to hold it an tighten it. Took it to Nicholson’s and the tech had the tools and took care of it in about 5 minutes, no charge! I did buy some fret oil (F-one). Always have had a very good experience here.

Its just a great place to shop! The staff is so friendly and they really know their stuff! They also have a great selection of guitars, and their Martin selection cant be beat!

The repair guy here, Andy, is a real gem. A genuinely good technician who listens well. Cant speak highly enough about him.

These guys are always super helpful and nice. I live in the area and I always come in to play their guitars and browse around. Today I can in to look for a specific cord, didn’t find what I needed but they helped me with alternatives.I ended up needing to buy a few guitar picks, and me and the guy were just talking, and I told him how my wife is pregnant and I can play quietly during the late nights with a headset. I didn’t have any cash on hand and I knew that the cost of the picks would cost him more in credit card processing fees.Home boy gave me the picks for free, and man did it feel good because I felt like he knew what I was going through. I know it sounds silly over $1 but it was the act of what he did that just made my day, even month. These guys are kind honest and helpful. They’ll always have my business.

I bought my Grandniece a Uke for Christmas and she loves it. Thank you for being open for one. Merry Christmas ⛄🎄

This is what a local music store should be like. Andy looked into fixing my guitar instead of pushing me to buy a new one. I’ll probably buy a new one from them anyway. The other salesman was so knowledgeable about guitars my head was spinning. This is a great local business that should be supported.

I took lessons hear with Liam Irish for about 4 years. Staff is very nice and you could fine great prices. Also taking music lessons hear will help you get better at the instrument.

This is the Best Music shop in the area! Family owned, great service and the best prices.

Great service, great selection, endless choice of music.

Ive been a devoted customer since 1985. Youll be pleased with the selection, intimate setting, and, friendly, knowledgeable staff.

The staff are very nice and attentive. They make sure that everyone is being help to the point of different staff asking the same person severely times. If you are in the neighborhood or you just need a friendly professional place that will take care of your stringed instrument (violin, guitar, viola, etc.) stop by to say hello.

Just the right amount of small store customer service. I will be back!

What a great store, the staff was extremely helpful with us needing a new guitar for my daughters upcoming music class. They took the time to show us all our options, made sure to point out everything we need and we had everything ready to go. We will make sure to visit for any and all our music needs.

Great customer service!

Very accommodating and knowledgeable staff. They are helpful in providing tips to buyers; spends time with you in a one-on-one personal way. Great selection of instruments and scores. The bargain sale is good too. There are rooms for private tutoring. Owner is pleasant and down to earth. It is definitely a nice place to develop musical talent!

Great selection. Staff are very knowledgeable and helpful!

Absolutely love Nicholsons Music Store (and cafe!) The owners are amazing people, super knowledgeable and friendly folks. You can also have music lessons there, as well as get repairs done if theres any damage to your instrument. One of my favorite places in Folsom :)

Brought my brand new Warmoth build for it’s initial setup on a Wednesday. They told me they would have it ready Saturday. I called on Friday and asked if I would be able to pick it up early because I was really excited to play it for the first time. The guitar tech, Andy I believe his name was, went above and beyond and had it finished Friday for me to pick up. It played beautifully, no buzzing, low action, and sounded great. The pricing was extremely reasonable, especially for the quality and professionalism I received. I would recommend this shop to anyone. In fact, I already have.

Family friendly, helpful staff. Feels like they care personally for your needs when you come in. They have a great selection of instruments and accessories. They have knowledgeable repair technicians that can answer most questions and fix instruments. Highly recommended for all kinds of stringed instrument needs!

Ive been going to Nicholson Music store for the past 25 years plus.. I can tell you, there are none better than these people.. I am always taken good care of, and get first class service.. This is a small store with people who have professional knowledge of what they sell... Nick, the owner, is talented, as well as an accomplished guitarist, down to earth person, and is an expert in his field. His wife Nora, son Eric, Workers Dave and John are the best in the business, not to mention the instructors who work there, are absolutely outstanding. One of the reasons that signs are on the Guitars, is because they are hand picked when being purchased for the store, and many times someone has dropped one or even grabbed one off the rack, and ran out with it.. There has to be rules,to protect their property. There is always going to be someone who complains about anything and everything like i have read in some of these reviews, but as a Marine Corps Vietnam Combat Veteran, and retired police officer, this store has given me a way to release stress from my past, with the gift of music.. I cant say enough good things about these terrific people, they make life better. Thank you Nick, Nora , Eric, John And especially David for everything he has helped me with. Steven Stafford

I went to check out this place. Its a little out of my way but worth the trip. The staff was very professional, polite, and no sales pressure. It was an absolute pleasure, what a store. I highly recommend shopping here.

Very knowledgeable staff that enjoy their work and truly like serving people. I came in for just a guitar pic and I am always so impressed with a great music store. Keep it up Nicholsons!

I went shopping at Nicholson for a Martin guitar on a friends recommendation. Its a good 30 minute drive for me. Turned out to be well worth it! The first thing I noticed were signs on all of the guitars saying ask for assistance before playing ! At first I was a bit put off by this, but as I looked at guitars, I considered that to be a good thing because they werent handled (or mishandled) by everyone that walked in the door.Although it was Saturday and they were very busy, I was assisted in a reasonable amount of time. Dave was very helpful, answering my questions, and explaining the differences in the guitars I was interested in. After playing a few different guitars, I Kept going back to the one that was the perfect fit for me. I was pleasantly surprised that Dave had the guitar set up including new strings and upgraded bridge, at no extra charge, while I enjoyed a cup of coffee next door. Great customer service! Great guitar, and better price than the big box stores!

I enjoyed the experience of coffee, paired sometimes with comedy, awesome musicians to so so ones on open mike days. Fun place with friendly staff.Wish the coffee was better than just good, or maybe Im just spoilt. Haha.

Went in yesterday with my guitar, very friendly and knowledgeable😊 The gentleman gave me some tips on the ukulele I had in mind to purchase, thank you. 😊 the tech adjusted the neck on my guitar for FREE, thank you! I was very impressed with the service, employees, and atmosphere. I even went next door to their Cafe and had a mango smoothie 🥤

Great service and amazing family owned business. Always a great experience.

A local landmark. Ive been coming here for over 20 years. Excellent staff. Knowledgeable and friendly.

As far as Im concerned Nicholson Music is the best guitar store in the entire Sacramento region. Norm took great care of me and is probably one of the best sales people Ive ever encountered. He knew just how much information to give me and just how much time to give me alone with the instrument in order to make a solid decision on my next guitar.

The customer service here is phenomenal. They do excellent work and provide great lessons too.

Good selection of sheet music and methods. Wife teaches piano. Now we dont have to drive to Klines which is an excelent place, but the other side of town for us. Appears to be a good selection of different kinds of instruments from electric guitars to cellos. Next door they have a deli with own mike nights. Take lessons then try performing on front of people.

My daughter has rented her cello here for the last 3+ years and now takes private lessons through the store. I cannot say enough about how happy we have been at Nicholsons and we certainly plan on continuing.My daughter says when she gets a few years older she wants to work there because it is such a happy place!

Great family owned business. They offer competitive prices and excellent customer service. The guitar instructors are first rate, especially Eddie.

Great selection, awesome staff, and good prices!What more can you ask for. Recommended!!

A finer music store cannot be found anywhere. Knowledgeable staff, and excellent at repair as they truly love their trade and the owner is a prince among men.Not a large store but its filled to overflowing with Heart.

Awesome doesnt even begin to describe it! Mr Nicholson took a lot of time to answer all the questions I had and made me feel welcome to come back and ask more. They have grwat products, great knowledge, and increadibly friendly staff! I live 2hours away but I will be going back!

Great friendly employees. Top notch work on my expensive Guitars. Been going here for 25 years

Love their selection of instruments and music books. Great service. The cafe is awesome! They hold a free Ukulele sing a long on Saturdays, super fun!

Michael Sean Miller is the best guitar instructor for anyone at any level who wants to learn guitar.

If you have ever met the owner you would know that they are the most nicest people you will ever meet! This business if managed by humble and dedicated people! I love all their employees! Amazing service and environment!

I am always excited to go into Nicholsons Music. The staff is delightful! It is always a treat when Nick (the owner) is there, which is often. They always take their time with customers to answer all their questions, even when it is super busy.I read the reviews below and want to say most of them are unfounded. I have been taking lessons there for over a year so I have seen A LOT of customer interactions both good and bad. Even when a customer is being rude to the workers, I have seen nothing but the upmost professionalism from the entire staff.People seem to be getting irritated that they cant just grab instruments off the wall. There are signs all over the store requesting that you ask for assistance. As they are a small store, that is generally pretty busy, you more than likely will not have someone walk up to you and ask if you need help. Literally walk up and ask for help. They are more than happy to help you with ANY PRICE POINT of guitar (or other instrument for that matter).Again, people are gripping that you need to be escorted into the expensive guitar room. Again, as mentioned, they are an independent, small store so if a customer screws up a $10,000+ guitar they are going to definitely going to feel the hurt. Along with that, I hate to say it, but there are a lot of thieves out there so again, if someone bolts with a guitar they are going to be effected.The only thing I will agree with is, if you are planning on running in and out, you are probably not going to be very happy. I cant mention enough, THEY ARE A SMALL BUSINESS, which means a smaller staff. Since they take time with each customer, you are probably going to have a little bit of a wait, but not an eternity like people are saying.If you want to have someone essentially ignore you so you can just do your thing with a guitar and not have anyone there to answer questions, go to the big box store. You can find someone that will leave you alone and basically have zero knowledge. If you want a personal experience, with people that love music and helping musicians (of any skill level) go to Nicholosons.

It is unfortunate that I was not able to receive the great customer service others described on this store. I went in to ask questions and buy a guitar for my son. I waited 15 minutes to be helped. There were three people working as far as I could tell, and no one came to help or even said they would be right with me. After that length of time I felt uncomfortable and left. Im not one to stand right at the counter and demand attention. I walked around and looked at each guitar displayed, but didnt really know what to look for. It is a small store so I should have been noticed. Yes, they were busy and helping others but there were only three other customers in the shop. I will be buying my guitar somewhere else.

Instrument sales, rental, and repair with instruction studios. They lean more towards strings (whereas Tims leans toward woodwinds). The rentals (mostly for the school programs) provide insurance which is nice. They couldnt repair my flute and referred me to a couple of places that could. They also have a cafe next door with music events like open mic and club get togethers. The strip mall doesnt have much parking and it can get busy 3:30 to 5:00 during school. If you can do business earlier, I recommend you do. They have sheet music in the back.

I highly recommend this place Iv been taking lessons there from Edie Honyeater for a year now I have gotten drastically better from when I started taking lessons. I also got my first guitar there and iv been using it for 3 years

Amazing service! Love their Musicafe next door, as well! Love playing and networking with other musicians. Kind of like a second home. And dont even get me started on their, peanut butter frappes!

I have nothing but good things to say about the people at Nicholson Music. All have been very friendly and go out of their way to make sure our needs are met. When my daughter started violin lessons this year they were very careful to ensure she had a high-quality instrument that was properly set up. Erich Nicholson is an especially nice, friendly and funny guy... very warm and personable and makes us feel like one of the family when were in the store. Ive been in the store dozens of times and have never seen or heard anyone being treated rudely. As far as playing the guitars, they are all clearly marked with tags asking that people ask before playing, which is understandable for instruments costing hundreds or even thousands of dollars. So as far as the gentleman who was reprimanded for playing without asking, I respectfully suggest he put his reading skills to use. In my experience, the staff is more than happy to provide you with any guitar and a private room to try it out.

Great selection of musical instruments and nice staff. Support this wonderful small business.

Best store ever! They were so helpful, pleasent, caring and knowledgeable.They showed my granddaughter how to care for her instrument from school.Thank you

The guys who work there are always very knowledgeable and helpful with any music question that I have. I would totally recommend them for any type of guitar workshop, guitar lessons, or just buying an instrument in general

Great local music store with very helpful and knowledgeable staff. They also fix instruments which my family has found useful on several occasions.

Nicholsons is aces! Helpful in every way.... but theyre not going to think for you. Music is all about infinite choices. You just have to narrow them down a bit; and the staff at Nicholsons will be there every time!

I used to have my guitars worked on here; but I wouldnt let them touch them now. Their luthiers literally talked me out of doing business with them ever again. They have a nice stock of instruments, so in that respect they are OK.

Bad service. They tried to sell me a $500 plus guitar when I insisted upon renting instead because I was taking classes at the community college. Will not be returning.

Great store. I took guitar lessons here from Eddie from middle school all through high school when I was growing up.

This is one of the best music stores I have ever seen. They have wide selections of instruments, books/sheet music, and accessories. The instruments are good quality and many are unique styles and brands that you would never find at guitar center. I love walking into this shop because it smells like a luthier shop, good wood! Other touches that make this place special: they offer lessons and provide opportunities for students to show what theyve learned at jams and open mics in the cafe nextdoor. And yes, they have a repair shop too. Truly a gem as far as instrument shops go.

My Taylor guitar has been feeling like the action changed. I went into Nicholson Music to leave it so they could do a setup. Andy came out and said he would take a look. 5 minutes later he returned saying try it, I took a little of the tension off. I was amazed that it played and felt like when i bought it.I asked how I owed and he said no charge!I will definitely give them more of my business....Most guitar setups cost between $50 & $100 dollars.... more if there is a need for repair...

Bought my kids’ music books here. The lady asked for the list of books that we need and find all of them quickly. We were in and out of the store in a jiffy!

We didnt realize it was a music night so the music was so loud that we couldnt talk to each other. The service was great but the prime rib was lousy.

Folsom is lucky to have this long standing family owned music store. Bought my latest guitar there. The prices are very reasonable and the employees are super knowlegeable and friendly. I admit I initially went to the big center that sells guitars thinking I would scoop up a deal. It was a rough experience as folks were just picking up guitars and playing super loud everywhere. Had a hard time finding someone to help me and then we could not even hear each other. Decided to try my luck at Nickelsons after that. They do things different there. You are not allowed to just grab guitars off the wall and start playing. This makes such a huge difference. They care about their instruments and actually do a full set up on the guitars. This is huge and makes up for any money you might save at a big store or on line. They also have luthiers on site who are always willing to answer questions. They have a really nice selection of guitars, other instruments and accessories. If you are an acoustic guitar lover the guitars in their humidor room will blow your mind. This is what makes small business great. Special shout out to Norm who helped me choose my axe. He knows more about guitars than anyone I ever met. He was helpful without being pushy and very kind hearted.

Good selection of stringed instruments, friendly staff, excellent repair and setup staff. Lots of classes and community events. Highly recommended.

I bought my Martin at the store five years ago and they were very friendly but I recently went in to buy a sound pick up for my guitar and the man was immediately very rude to me.I told him I would do my business somewhere else and I walked out.

Nice & friendly staff that are knowledgeable about instruments.

Wow. Walked in with 5K in my pocket ready to spend. NO customer service. NO greeting. NO help. You guys need to learn a thing or two. Youre lucky youre in Folsom and can survive on your overpriced lessons. Headed to Guitar Center. 1 star.

They were helpful, although nothing much in the way for percusion instruments. Good people.

This shop is close to my home and has a reasonable selection and decent prices for its size. I dont mind paying an extra 10% over what I would pay at Guitar Center if I can support small and local business. BUT the service here is pretty sparse and harsh.As someone else said, customers are not permitted to handle any instruments (including $150 guitars) without assistance, and the assistance can be hard to come by. I kinda feel if you’re gonna spend 4 figures on a piece a gear you outta be able to look it over, feel it, and play it without having someone hovering over you. There are some products customers are not allowed to even LOOK AT, much less handle, without an escort. After all, its a music store, not a museum. I understand they don’t wanna have to discount products because someone mishandledthemt, but if that’s your policy it would be nice to have customer service that actually services the customer.

Ive experienced a good customer service however all sales are final.

I stopped in at Nicholson Music for the first time today. This is a top quality local shop selling a wide range of guitars. All of the guitars are set up, which is a HUGE plus over the bog box stores (and some independent stores, as well).Yes, you need to ask for assistance to try a guitar. But this keeps the guitars looking good, the strings fresh. I did wait a few minutes for the owner to help me because he was on the phone with another customer. When he was able to help me, he was very attentive and very knowledgeable. I tried out several very good sounding guitars. He specs a lot of custom Martins and most of them were very good sounding. I played the best sounding Breedlove Ive every tried, too.Other music shops of this quality are several hours away. The Sacramento area is very lucky to have a shop like this. I live over the hill in Nevada and will be happy to drive a couple of hours to visit this shop again in the future.The big box scene where any guitar on the rack is up for grabs to play results in shop worn guitars, dead strings, etc. If thats what you want to do, go to GC. GC doesnt set up their guitars, they are shopworn...you get what you pay for.Nicholson Music is the REAL DEAL for those who enjoy quality instruments. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!

Nick so knowledgable! He can answer any question. He really cares and wants to help you. We love hearing his stories and he treats you like a friend.

I need a stand for tomorrow lesson because mine broke. It is closed on MONDAY the service is good but the prices for rent are high for rented items.

Very nice ambitious at Cafe and very knowledgeable & helping staff

Great customer service and very knowledgeable

Nicholsons MusiCafe is chill place to have quick beer and relax to some ARCTIC MONKEY ambiance while waiting for son in guitar lessons next door

Great service and the best technician when it comes to adjusting your guitar.

The staff was helpful and was able to demo equipment for me to make an educated purchase

Great store for musicians. Good people!

Nice, family run shop. Excellent music teachers and great pricing.

Nicholsons is the best. Very knowledgable, great customer service and excellent instructors. Check out the Café next door too. Buy local, support the arts.

Friendly staff. Have a good variety of electric and acoustic guitars and more than enough pedals and Amps.

Awesomeness in Service! The cafe nextdoor is equally as Awesome!

So many people complaining about the lack of service or complain about not being able to get a guitar down themselves. THERE ARE SIGNS EVERYWHERE SAYING TO ASK FOR HELP!!!! (Yes I have not read them too and been scolded if you will but in a very professional and helpful manner...now I know the rules!!!)1) They are NOT a giant music super store and they dont let you just grab guitars off the wall. So be prepared to ask someone for help. If just one of those were damaged or broken it would cost them a lot of money and being small they dont have the margins to make up for a loss easily.I have been in many times... I have purchased several instruments over a decade (4 guitars and a Uke) from them and they have always been great. They dont really know me and Im sure dont really remember me with all their customers. Last time I came in and I was not really wearing nice close... mostly yard work cloths that were not very dirty. The older gentleman still helped me and didnt even bat an eye when I asked to play an expensive guitar...Sometimes they are busy, remember they are a SMALL local shop with only a few employees.... so I have had to wait a bit to get someone to help get a guitar down.2) Service and Repair are phenomenal!Every guitar I have purchased has had to wait in the shop for a day after purchase. They tune the guitar and put a new set of strings on it. They tune it to exactly how I like to play with the set of strings I choose. A few times they have even thrown in the strings for free (on more expensive guitars!)I even brought in an old Takamine that I had neglectfully left in the garage for a few weeks. Nick came right out made some adjustments and instead of having me pay him $100 to look it over and fix it he basically made the adjustments on the spot that he could and suggested I leave it as is... since it was not worth fixing completely at that point. HONEST!!!!! and he was super helpful.I have seen them, every time I am in there, take an instrument and try their best to help the customer fix it on the spot without charging them. I have even seen people leave their instruments there and when they find out that there was nothing that could be done they dont even charge them for the 30 minutes it took to take apart and put the instrument back together...RULES TO KNOW WHEN GOING INTO NICHOLSONS1) Dont touch anything without asking first. The old guy with the accent is not being mean just because he doesnt smile at you when you ignore the hundreds of signs telling you to NOT TOUCH WITHOUT ASKING!.2) They are small... and busy... dont expect to run in and out.3) Expect the best for what you pay. This means even if you buy a $600 guitar (yes I have bought a few), Expect that they will want to make that instrument play as best as it can for your style and expertise level. They have always tuned and modified mine to make them play awesome.4) Dont be a baby and cry when no one runs up to help you in 30 seconds. When was the last time you got any help at a big box store... and even if you did there is no way they had even 1/10th the knowledge these guys do.In conclusion.. I am just a regular guy who has to drive 30 minutes to get to their store. I have purchased from big box stores, online and from Nics.... I prefer Nics because they care about their customers and want every instrument to leave being the best it can be.I dont really know anyone at the store besides seeing them a few dozen times over the years. They surely dont know me... and they treat me the same great way every time...

Great place for all your questions and equipment

Good store with polite staff.

Excellent, nice and simple.

Great customer service👍👍

Decent service and friendly staff

Great high-end stuff

Fabulous service!

Very snooty to non music experts

Nice place for music lovers

Awesome service

Super friendly, helpful, and knowledgeable.

Go here they have just about everything