Mike is one of the best instrument repair technicians in the SF Bay Area. I have been going to him for over 5 years. He is able to see everything going on with your instrument quickly, and give you options for what repairs should be done or need to be done. Prices are always reasonable and worth it. His work leaves your instrument feeling better than new.The Manning Custom cases are the best cases for your instruments in the world. No exaggeration, he is way ahead of all competitors, and even though he has been for years, he continues to work to make improvements. There have been copycats coming in and trying to replicate his work, which I think shows how desirable his cases are. However, he recently came out with a completely redesigned tenor sax case which has a number of new innovations to make it stronger, lighter, more functional, and even better looking than ever, leaving the copycats in the dust yet again. I have been very pleased with it, as I just received mine a few weeks ago.And if you are not a saxophone player or woodwind player, dont think you are left out. The cases are made custom, and he has plenty of options for case shapes and sizes. He can fit any instrument or combination of instruments you have. Just call or message and ask him about what you want or need, and he can almost certainly get it done.

Mike overhauled my alto in NYC around 2008 or 2009 when he still had a shop there. He put foam neoprene pads in a Mark VI and the soldering work was terrible. It cost me $1600 to have the overhaul re-done for a horn that was so poorly repaired I never took it out on a gig in 12 years. I also bought one of his cases which he gave me a lifetime guarantee for. The case had a gaping hole in the shell after 6 years & the D-ring that held the shoulder straps to the back of the case failed while my horn was on my back in line at a store once- the case literally just fell off my back and bounced on the ground. No the case didn’t fit my horn well enough to prevent or minimize damage. As soon as I switched to a JL Woodwinds case my annual repair costs plummeted from interior case fit alone. It was extremely cheap to not use 2 separate D rings for each strap, D rings cost a few dollars. Overall my experiences with Mike have been terrible, and the corners he cut and costs he skimped on when I was a lot younger and didn’t know better have cost me a lot of damage to my horns and a lot more money in the long run. Definitely not worth it.

Great! Michael is a master at his craft and a pleasure to do business with.