Steve Deutsch Woodwinds, Etc

Berkeley, United States

4.2

10 reviews

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Telephone:
+1 510-533-6750
Website:
stevedeutschmusic.com
Address:
2101 Woolsey St Ste B, Berkeley, CA, 94705
b/t Shattuck Ave & Wheeler St
South Berkeley
Nearby public transportation stops & stations:
0.2 miAshby
0.6 mi59th Street
0.7 miTelegraph Av & Stuart St
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Today

Today –
Local time (Berkeley) 11:38 PM Monday, June 16, 2025

Business hours

Monday –
Tuesday –
Wednesday –
Thursday –
Friday –
Saturday –
Sunday –

Description

Specialties

We are an expert flute, saxophone, clarinet, oboe and bassoon repair shop with 35 yrs experience. I have trained with Michael Irwin, David Straubinger and Jon Landell and complete repair facilities to service any need.

There is a wonderful selection of books from Choro to Bach and Cuban flute, reeds, and other woodwind accessories.

I carry new and used instruments for sale including Dean-​Yang, Azumi and Trevor James flutes and Saxophones. All used instruments have been completely restored with new pads and springs.

And a soundproof teaching room with a piano and stereo. We have teachers for flute, saxophone, drums, trumpet, clarinet and piano.

History

Established in 2000.

I’ve been in the instrument repair business for 35 years. A year and a half apprenticing with Micheal Irwin, 10 yrs. on my own, 15 years at Best Instrument repair in Oakland, and now have finally have my own store in Berkeley that I opened up 4 ½ years ago.

Meet the Business Owner

Steve D.

Business Owner

I’ve been playing flute and saxophone for 40 years and repairing them for 35. I’ve studied with Ali Akbar Khan, Pee Wee Ellis and Angela Koregelos, and have been playing with Johnny Tolbert and DeThangs for 18 years.

I wrote and recorded my own music for the CD :“Going Somewhere Fast” and still play and paint as much as I can to this day.

Vicinity

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10 reviews of Steve Deutsch Woodwinds, Etc

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Place rating: 5
Berkeley, CA
Steve has done both large-​scale work and small repairs on my clarinet and I’ve always been completely happy with the results. Several times I’ve gone to him on very short notice and he has taken care of the issue while I wait. You probably can’t count on that happening every time, but it’s nice when it does.
Place rating: 5
San Francisco, CA
I have had all of my saxophones worked on by Mr. Deutsch, dating back to the mid 1980’s. He is fine musician who knows he way around woodwinds as well as anyone in the Bay Area. He has bailed me out with emergency repairs, and his work and skill are first class. If your axe needs sharpening, he is the man to see!
Place rating: 5
Orinda, CA
I have been using Mr. Deutsch to repair my saxophones since the mid 80’s. He is a highly skilled professional, and can handle difficult, custom repairs. I use him to fix all my horns, and to keep them in top shape. He is highly recommended.
Place rating: 5
Fremont, CA
I have had only positive experiences with Steve. Today I brought him my Altus flute, which had a leaky key. Not only did he fix all the leaks (there was another one that I wasn’t even aware of), but he also adjusted the fit of my headjoint, which was a bit too tight. All of this he did while I waited, even though he had lots of other work to finish. Thanks to his timely and excellent work, my flute plays better than ever and just in time for the holiday concert =^).
Place rating: 1
Sunnyvale, CA
Avoid this place. Steve is the shadiest person ever.
Came here to get a price quote for my used Muramatsu flute, had the worst experience ever and left $ 20 poorer.
I showed him my flute so he could examine the condition of it. He tried to play it but it wasn’t playing well considering its old age and that it hasn’t been played for years. Without a word he starts fiddling around with it on his desk for a minute and then starts to play it again.
He gives me a lowball offer that was a huge difference from the other shop ivisited in mountain view. Obviously i denied the offer and as he was handing me back my flute he says «but i will take the 20 bucks for repair»
Um what?!
Im sorry but when did i ever agree to pay you for a «repair» that i didn’t even know happened in the span of the 10 minutes i was in your store.
I was in total disbelief. He never told me he was doing ANY repair on my flute let alone that it would cost me $ 20.
I NEVER consented to this but I paid him the money anyway because I was in too much shock to even argue back.
Wouldn’t it make more sense to ask customers if they are okay with you repairing their instrument before you go ahead and do it?
Like I said, shady.
I will be telling others to take their business elsewhere.
Place rating: 5
El Cerrito, CA
I have been taking my horns to Steve Deutsch for many years now; I’m a gigging musician with 1st class instruments. Steve has always put my instruments into perfect adjustment and cleared up any problems quickly and cheaply. He has been in the business a very long time and knows everything there is to know on woodwinds. I’m not sure what the 1 star reviewer here is trying to relate; her story sounds very subjective. In terms of actual work done, I will take Steve’s expertise any day. In addition, Steve is a very sweet, unassuming and honest guy; he keeps me playing!
Place rating: 5
Richmond, CA
Steve Deutsch is a very fine saxophone repairman. He has saved my horn on one occasion when I had bent the neck. He is keen in looking at your horn and discerning what needs to be done, and then doing it efficiently and skillfully. My horns always play better after I have visited Steve. To be clear, I can only attest to his expertise with saxophone, but I imagine that a man who devotes so much intelligence and craft in repairing saxophones would only do the very same for any wind instrument. I recommend him wholeheartedly. I have been a saxophonist for almost 50 years and lead my own band. Steve helps me keep it together,
Zan Stewart (
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Place rating: 1
Berkeley, CA
If you have a professional flute/​piccolo avoid this guy. He may be good with other instruments but not these!
I have experienced Steve’s work twice now, once with my Muramatsu flute and a second time with a Powell piccolo. The first time he fixed the one key on my flute that needed to be oiled using the dirtiest technique I had ever witnessed then proceeded to tell me my flute needed a complete overhaul ($ 1000+) value. Made me feel very uncomfortable. I brought my flute to my impeccable guy in Maryland when I was there and everything was fixed for $ 80.
I would have never brought another instrument to him but UC Berkeley’s music department uses him. The Powell piccolo needed an overhaul badly and they brought it to him to fix the major leaks. It is back in the worst shape I’ve ever seen. It will need to go to another guy for sure!
Place rating: 5
Albany, CA
I’m not a woodwind player. My sons clarinet teacher said his clarinet needed adjustment. I was dreading the visit, expecting questions I couldn’t answer. Steve just took the clarinet and started working on it. I was impressed, he had dozens of tools and seemed to know exactly what to do. I just soaked up the vibe of the place, and perused the Eric Dolphy, Billy Strayhorn, and Brecker Brothers song books. Very cool, knowledgeable local business. Definitely worth a visit.
Place rating: 5
Alameda, CA
Brought my daughter’s saxophone today for a repair. Steve was super nice, saxophone was fixed on the spot for a very decent price.
I am a happy customer and I will know where to go everytime I need anything saxophone related.