| The AACM Store was founded along with the Ali Akbar College in
1967. At the time its purpose was simply to provide instruments for the
students. Over time it has expanded its scope and is now North
America’s largest importer of quality instruments from India. We have
on hand one of the finest collections of Indian instruments anywhere in
the world. Visitors to the San Francisco Bay Area are encouraged to
come visit us. All profits from the store go to the Ali Akbar College
and help keep tuition costs down.
Our Store is run by musicians who have been studying, playing and
teaching North Indian Classical music for as long as 30 years. We deal
with instrument makers all over India, all of whom know where their
instruments are going and that we won’t accept anything but their best.
Since we play all these instruments, we never ship out anything that is
not up to our standard. No matter how good the craftsmanship and how
good the packing, it is a rare instrument that we can sell exactly as
we receive it. We restring the sitars and tanpuras and check and fix
the jawari if need be. We check the harmoniums for buzzes and leaks,
and tune any sour notes. We pull, balance and tune the heads of the
tablas and other drums.
We have no exclusive arrangement with any maker and thus no vested
interest in pushing one over another. We tell you exactly what you are
getting. We tell you the name of the maker and the model number if it
applies. We don’t obfuscate things by calling our instruments
“Professional Deluxe # so and so”. You can do your own research on
these makers and their reputations apart from us.
In recent years there has been a proliferation of Internet
businesses selling Indian instruments. In many ways this is a good
thing. After all the more this music spreads, the better for all of us.
And competition is always good for you, the consumer. Sadly, we have
seen a lot of half-truths and deception. Anybody can say anything on a
web page. So we ask you to do your homework before buying. Compare
photos. Find out where the instrument is from. Find out what kind of
preparation is being put into the instruments before they are shipped.
Store Staff:
- Store Manager: Bruce Hamm
- Assistant Store Managers: Kalyan Godden/Ingeborg Saatdjian
- Instrument Repairs: Brian Godden
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