Place lives up to its name Fantastic! I typically play electric bass guitar and want to dabble in / play a few songs with my band on upright. Not many if any places near me specalize in upright basses. Was lucky enough to find out about FMI online. I decided to take an hour long ride out to Pasadena to have them take a look at an upright I had purchased used, to see if it needed any work. Tom was awesome taking his time looking my bass over and informing me of what I needed to be aware of from a quality and setup standpoint. In the end I had some new strings put on and a soundpost adjustment done. My bass came out playing easier and sounding better than before! I am really happy with the way the suggestions Tom made came out. In the end it was well worth the hour drive out to FMI. In the future should my bass need any upgrades, repair work, a better pickup, or I just decide to buy a new bass ill definitely be headed back to FMI. Thank you Tom / FMI.

My 10th grader is going to be starting bass this year at school and though we found an instrument for them there were some other things we needed and of course we waited until the last minute. Luckily FMI had everything that we needed in stock and on top of that we got some instrument basic education and a lot of newbie tips and tricks that are going to make things so much easier for all of us. All of this value even came after I received a phone call to confirm I had read the reply to my online questions. An incredibly excellent experience and customer service. 10/10 would recommend.

Great place, very friendly, they know how to make a double bass sound its bestI highly recommend this place 👍👍👍👍

Words cannot describe the experience I had while meeting with Tom about a cello I was interested in. His passion for music, instruments, and the musician themself is above any scale. Tom explained from the musical history of the cello, the different variations of cellos and how they reciprocate different unique sounds, the different type of strings, etc. The amount of detail he went into for every aspect allowed for me to choose the best cello and bow that suited me best. The knowledge he passed down to me made me feel confident about my purchase and I had no second thoughts about it. There was no gray area. Not only was the condition of the instrument superb, he added a cello case for free to me and allowed me to choose the best bow I preferred without extra charge. The price of the cello I purchased is more than $2000+ more expensive at different sellers. Overall, the experience was 12/10 and Im glad there are still musicians who have such a passion for music, instruments, and the musicians they are helping. I will be back in the future when I need things for my instruments. :)

My first time here. I brought in my guitar for Lowering the strings action. Tom did an excellent job plus he lubricated the tuners since guitar has not been used for a long time. I was pleasantly surprised. I got my guitar back one day earlier than supposed to. I now have a brand new like guitar. Knowledgeable, professional and very reasonable pricing. I will certainly go back. 5 stars!

Great Service!Walked in last week to get my girlfriends Cello fixed and picked it up today! Great work and friendly personnel!Worth the price!

Family owned and operated. Top quality repairs, great prices, great service. You totally feel welcomed and special every time you go in. What a gem of a store to have in Pasadena!! Highly recommend.

Best place to go for cellos and bass

Well i would say that i was surprised by the amount of instruments they keep on hand. All perfectly kept,This is the location i would go to for i believe it was cellos and other stringed instruments.

Tom very professional, knowledgeable and kind to me and my family when purchasing an upright bass for my son. Made experience fun and interesting. Learned some things too. Would highly recommend to anyone needing string instruments or service to one.

Ive bought 2 upright basses from these guys. Always excellent instruments with perfect setup and very low price. They do a great service by sourcing quality inexpensive basses then setting them up nicely. FMI has almost single handedly put to rest the myth a bass has to be expensive to be playable and durable.

Purchased an Englehart with strings, pickup, case and setup. We visited and ate lunch. Great people and experience.Nothing but compliments on tone.Thanks Tom

Kind owner. Honest. He gives you a good price. We were pleased with our violin repair.

I am a working bassist in the greater LA area and recently went in to get a custom painted double bass. I am very impressed with the results. We bought an economically priced instrument from them and got the artwork there as well. The set up they recommended and installed has performed on the big stage time and again. Great work, FMI!

There is no other music store quite like this one. Family run and every customer is treated like royalty. This is where you go for upright basses. Also violins, vintage guitars, and cellos. Go check them out. Tell em Fuse sent ya. Then go eat at Roscoes down the street and make a day of it.

We had a great experience buying an instrument here! We also have gone back several times for supplies and once for a minor adjustment. Everyone atFMI is really friendly, helpful, knowledgeable and professional. FMI is a truly special shop.

Tom is so honest and is also probably the nicest luthier on the planet, and the shop has so many beautiful basses (and cellos and violins). He can fix any bass!

Such a sweet hidden gem. Such a nice family run business

I have been looking for a good left handed upright bass for a good price but I found something better instead I found a great upright bass with amazing string and a pickup for a price I never could have even imagined, I was so happy to be referred to this store, I recommend everyone should come to the store even if you dont play an instrument just come check it out

I got the Weedwhacker Pro Strings with the kevlar core, and I couldnt be happier, I love the tone of these strings, and the sound they give me. I dont really have humidity problems with these. They are pretty easy to tune, and dont have the tinny sound that a lot of hybrid or metal strings do. I ordered them all the way from Louisiana, and got them rushed for a show, and I recieved them in a very timly manner, at no extra cost. Very happy with the product and the service.

Wow my first instrument my hubby bought here .

They are experts in upright basses.

Nice down to earth place

Very magnificent place with marvelous service

Good prices on repair work.

A bit over priced for on-hand string instrument selection.

Excellent services with fantastic work

Always helpful, good selection, and good for repairs.

The best

Very helpful

Collectables

Great store