Goodguys Music & Sound LLC

Just purchased a new instrument for my daughter and got an amazing deal! Thank you Bryan and Clay! Loyal customer for life!

These guys live up to their name. Good guys! They are helpful, respectful, knowledgeable and conscientious, don’t over-​charge, and seem to love helping musicians (or musicians-​to-​be) at any skill level with solutions and making good music happen.
I love the mix of new and used equipment. There are always treasures to be found in this tiny store. Too many treasures, in fact — lol, I often find myself leaving with more than I expected!
One thing that is really important to me is that, despite an all-​male staff, I have never caught a whiff of sexism. And for music stores, that is saying a LOT, lemme tell ya. See my review of (ahem) another Oahu music store to compare on this front, as well as others (like the ‘ohana vibe of Good Guys, as opposed to the corporate vibe of others).
Shop here. Parking can be momentarily frustrating, but the lot always clears up, even in rush times. That is the only drawback I can think of, other than the fact that it is way down Kapahulu where traffic can be a pain at rush times. But trust me, this store is worth learning the Kaimuki back roads for!

Vern was super helpful with my first guitar purchase. He answered all my questions and treated me with respect even though I know nothing about guitars. He took his time showing me what I needed to know to start out. I would recommend this shop to others

I just discovered this music gear shop! Clay helped me to find the right keyboard, mic stand, music stand, and sis pedal. He is very knowledgeable and very very kind! His customer service surpassed any other music stores that I have dealt with! Highly recommended!!!

Really appreciated their interest in finding the small specialized amplifier I was looking for. And very much appreciated the friendly manner and willingness as they offered me the address of another shop that might have what I was looking for.
Good Guys is a very small shop but seems to have everything or can get anything you want. They have been there for years so must be good!

friendliest place ever!!! great selection of guitars!!! im glad i bought my Kala guitar from here! and will deffinetly go back!

Good Guys Music Store is so aptly named.
THEY ARE GENUINELY GOOD GUYS!
It is incredible how they can cram so much instruments and gear into such a small shop!
Their guitar selection is pretty impressive, considering their lack of square footage. One can sell their unused, unwanted instruments to make room for new ones. On occasion, you might even come across a classic discontinued model that you’ve always wanted, but procrastinated a tad too long, hanging from their racks. Don’t hesitate; their prices are so reasonable that nothing stays there too long!
This is the mindset I’m in every time I visit… so for me, this is a dangerous place to go, because I rarely leave empty handed!
Of course, I’m never pushed or pressured into buying anything. The staff are all very pleasant, courteous and professional. Most of them are top-​notch musicians, performing around town.
If you’re in the market for a new instrument, I recommend you visit the ‘Good Guys’ first.

these guys are awesome!
on the way to my last gig, my electric acoustic ukulele and all my gear was stolen at the airport. living on the mainland, there’s a seriously limited selection of instruments to choose from. the salespeople generally don’t know much about ukuleles, so i waited to replace it until i could come home. as soon as we landed in oahu, i raced to the nearest non-​chain store to replace my instrument. i should have gone to good guys first.
i’m a vocalist and a classically trained pianist who has been playing for 30 years. i’m pretty new to the ukulele and have only been at it for about four years. regardless, i expect to be treated with respect as a customer and as a lifelong musician. i don’t want to give much play to how awful the ukulele salesman at this other store was, but he was the jack black from hi-​fidelity type. he knew i was going to buy it even though it was damaged. it was the only one of that model they had in stock. i refused to buy a case when i bought the uke because i didn’t want to give them any more of my money than they already got.
still, i needed a case to fly home with it.
on my last day on oahu, i went into good guys music and sound and was met with the nicest sales guy. he was incredibly friendly, knowledgeable and helpful. he answered all my questions and even entertained some of the more random ukulele related questions that had been rolling around in my head. even though i wasn’t going to buy an amp, he talked to me about the pros and cons of various types and made a solid recommendation. there was absolutely nothing sexist or condescending about our interactions and if there was any way i could have returned the ukulele i bought from the other place, i’d have done it in a heartbeat. in the future, any gear i need, i’ll check with good guys music and sound first. if it’s not something they have in stock, i’ll see if they can order it ahead of time for me. i’d much rather give my money to people like the employees and owners of good guys than a chain-​store or a shop that doesn’t show its customers respect.
good guys carries a lot of gear, pretty incredible how much they can fit in that small space. they’re honest and helpful. if you’re going to hit up a music store as soon as you leave the airport, good guys should be the first stop on your list.

I came to Good Guys after having been to Easy Music off of King Street where I was treated pretty poorly.
I am not a musician, but was looking to purchase a keyboard for my husband who has played the piano for many years. The salesman at GG was super friendly, honest, helpful, and courteous! The store itself was a small mom and pop type set-​up, but they had tons of equipment. I recommend Good Guys to anyone who is looking to purchase a musical instrument – GREAT CUSTOMER SERVICE! THANKS FOR YOUR HELP!

I came here back in 2009 and sold my bass guitar. I think It was a cheapie (Maestro) and I had changed the pick ups to non-​active EMGs. I wasn’t thinking it was worth much but they bought it from me. Cha-​Ching $$$ !
They are very friendly and down to earth. Not like some pushy sales person at a luxury brand store.
Great selection and reasonable prices for pretty much anything you can think of.
I was able to find a small amp for my bass guitar, guitar case and a guitar stand. Its a pretty small store with a whole bunch of items but I think you will love the place. If you cant find it, just ask.
Once in awhile, I will walk in to see what kind of guitars they have. You will find ESP (LTD), Jackson, Schecter, fender, Ibanez, etc). You will not stop drooling and your neck will hurt from looking at the guitars hanging above you.

I love this place! Great staff, good selection, and it’s just an overall great atmosphere. I bought my first Ibanez here, several years back. Hasn’t changed in all those years, still great people there. Only bad thing is parking. Otherwise great shop.

Small and cramped inside — be careful if you’re wearing a backpack! 4-​stars for friendliness and the selection of used guitars. Will definitely be back when we’re looking to expand or change our collection of guitars.

Every city has one music shop where the musicians go. I’d say this is the one for Oahu. The store is small and cramped, has no parking, but is packed with merchandise and expertise.
I remember back in the day, Harry’s Music was it. Guess that’s changed in the 20 years I’ve been gone. Both Good Guys and Harry’s get my vote for aloha though.

Stacks of amps and lots of guitars.
This place is located on the same building as the Jamba juice and Starbucks on Kapahulu. So the parking does get very busy depending on when you go.
The place is a decent size shop, but still on the smaller side. But the store is just packed with musical instruments! So be very careful of where to sit, stand, or walk. Only one person at a time can walk through the walkway, but you can try for two if you’re brave. There are tons of amps stacked up on top of one another everywhere and tons of guitars just handing on the wall and ceiling (well not directly off the ceiling but you’ll see when you get there).
What I like about this place is that they have a very large selection of used guitars. So you’ll sure to find vintage items or hard to find items. What I do not like about this place is the price. I personally feel like many of the items are overpriced. You can find the same or very similar items for less at some of the other music stores. The worker that helped us, not sure if he’s the owner or what, but was very nice and a little pushy at the same time. He asked us how much we are willing to pay for the item and what is our budget, highest we will spend on a guitar. There’s nothing wrong with that and I’m sure he was trying to just help us find the perfect guitar. And it does help to get some guidance since like I mentioned earlier that there are lots of guitars crammed into the corners and such so it is hard to see every single item. I’m sure we missed a few guitars since there were other customers in the limited space and could not get to every part of the store lol~
I guess if you do find a guitar you like, you can maybe ask how low they are willing to sell it for. They might just bring the price down from the tagged price.
We did not find a guitar that my boyfriend liked here that day, but he did find some that he was interested in. So I’m sure we will be back here to check out new items.

Very small, but helpful guitar and bass shop owned and operated by professional musicians.
Guitar Center forces them to offer competitive prices on comparable guitars.
It’s a shame to see these little guys go away. Please support!

Went in there with the intention of buying an ukulele (beginner). Asked questions and got one word answers and indifference. The man working was completely unhelpful and rude. When asked directly about the return policy, him and another employee (who was browsing facebook the whole time) laughed and said their boss was out to lunch and couldn’t answer that question??? It’s a simple question. I would have been fine if they said they don’t allow returns, but to just laugh and not answer me is flat out rude! The employees seemed pompous; I do NOT recommend this place.

Unilocal 365 Challenge #71/​365
First time I walked into this store was few years ago when my honey bought a new bass. One thing that I remembered from that experience was the recommendations and friendly service they gave. They didn’t rush nor hounding for a sale. Do you know what that meant to me?
They are a respected business regardless if they are squeezed into a small part of a two story building. This just adds appeal to their services.
If they don’t have it in stock, they will order it for you, which is why we visited them this past weekend for a hardcover bass case.
Want to test out some guitars or basses? They limit you five minutes, so that means no «Stairway to Heaven»!
Knowledge
Professional
Respected in the music community
Reasonable prices
All this and then some deserves a five star Unilocal review for Good Guys Music & Sound

I’ve known Brian and Clay for decades since their days at Servco’s Easy Music and they are definitely not «shady» characters. They run a low-​key, friendly business catering to many in Hawaii’s music community.
One of the services they offer is the re-​sale on consignment of vintage equipment. They have sold several pieces for me, including a Fender Mustang guitar and a «black-​face» Bandmaster head. The advantage of selling things through a music store is that musicians often come to this venue. It’s a lot more efficient than running newspaper ads or e-​Bay listings. This also eliminates me having to deal with the «Lookie Lews» who descend upon us at the «Musicians’ Swap Meet» — they have no money and only want to get their grubby paws on our vintage stuff. That alone is worth the 25% commission charged. Hey, that’s less than the 33−40% that attorneys take for winning your case.
I will likely call on them over the next few months to move more of my vintage «inventory.» It’s time to pass on the equipment which has brought me countless hours of pleasure to those who may appreciate the same.

This shop is awesome! I don’t care what Marko (the 1-​star reviewer on 1÷19÷2011) says because he obviously has no clue how hard it is to run a business in Hawaii. To have a shop on the main road of a busy street, close to Waikiki, and have very little space to work with yet they’re able to bring in loads of quality instruments and accessories is not an easy accomplishment.
I first came here in 2000. I had just started learning ukulele and guitar, but I only owned an ukulele. I stopped in after a homeless friend, who lived at Kapiolani park, suggested this place. I immediately fell in love with a steel string Kort guitar that they had just brought out from the back. Within a week I bought it. The guy gave me a discount and even threw in a free guitar case! Awesome right??? A few months later I needed a classical guitar so I came back. I saw several new guitars that I liked but i couldn’t afford any of them with my budget. The owner then recommended a used guitar, which I didn’t even realize they had! I looked at a few and was torn between two in particular. I took a long shot and proposed to buy both guitars for the max amount I was willing to spend ($ 300). The owner said yes and I was happy! Both guitars were priced at about $ 200 each but I got both for much less!
Over the years, this became my goto place for anything music related! Bought several amps, mixers, a Bass, and whatever else I needed from them. I was always bad with names and could never remember theirs, but I know that they are good peoples! I will admit, they are not the most sociable people, and maybe a lil dry on personality sometimes, but they still got your back when it comes to music!
Support your local mom&pops!
Peace & Poi

AUWE! Shame on the people that own and work at Goodguys. Several of my local family and friends asked me to come to this place to find some music books. I took the time to drive to Kapahulu to visit this store and was SORELY dissapointed.
The place is located on the main street on Kapahulu. it’s easy to find, but it is horrible to find parking, as it is surrounded by many popular businesses (Starbucks, etc).
I walked into the shop (very small, crampped, and cluttered looking) and found three salesmen standing around chatting. Here’s how the conversation went:
(Me) Hi — I’m looking for some advanced ukulele books on strumming and picking. In particular, I’m looking for the book by Ota and Ho. Do you have it?
(Salesperson) — Let me look. … (shuffles through 2 – 3 books out of about 40 books)… no we don’t have it.
(Me) Is there any chance that I could order it and have someone come and pick it up for me?
(Salesperson) — The guy who orders these stuff is out to lunch, and I’ll let him know you are looking for it.
(Me) Can I leave you my name and number so you can call me when it gets in?
(Salesperson) Why?
(Me) Because I live in Los Angeles and I will have to send a family member or friend to come pick it up to send it to me.
(Salesperson) it’s a lot easier if you just call us, because we will probably forget to call you or we’ll lose your number
(Me) When should I call?
(Salesperson) Whenever… maybe every 1.5 weeks till it gets here.
NOW THAT IS CUSTOMER SERVICE! NOT!!! The sales person found out that it was extra work for him, so he decided to push the responsibility on the customer. Horrible customer service. The other two sales people just sat around and grinned (half laughing).
This store looks outdated, is cluttered with things all around the store, and entertains sales people with BAD attitudes. Something should be done, or it is time to close shop guys! Sorry I bothered your afternoon chat session…
Never again!!!