Im giving them 5 stars for their great service. Im a new gitar player and broke a string while jammin for my dog. I asked them to help me string my guitar and they taught me how to get a new string on there. Im now off playing like a fool and having a great time. The help is great and funny. Meet a guy named Jeep. Whats odd is that he has never owned a jeep or even driven one. -B read more

First time working with 5 Star Guitars. I needed a tune up on my electric guitar. The luthier services are OK. Not great. Just...OK. I'd like to rate them higher but it is obvious their luther is terribly overloaded. I experienced a 1.5 week wait for the simplest guitar tuneup. On the second trip I needed something done that is quite easy for a luthier with the proper tools...this job took 2 weeks and, unfortunately, they messed it up and I had to return the instrument for another session with the luthier. The work was sloppy and carelessly done. I finally received the completed work after another day and, to their credit, they didn't charge me anything extra...however, they didn't offer to refund me from the previous incorrectly done work. Bottom line...The luthier is so overloaded he can't really give the full attention to detail that is required for performing a quality tune. The tune up on my guitar by example: The string action is too high; intonation was not done; the cable plug was "crackly"...I serviced the cable plug and quieted it down with a good cleaning and, I also lowered the string height as far as I can...the studs need to be lowered a couple of millimetres further to get the action down. My guitar has a Floyd Rose-style tremolo and although I could set intonation on my own, it will take me far longer than a good luthier to perform. The luthier might be very good...unfortunately, I didn't see his best work because I believe he is overloaded with backed up work. He needs assistance to clear the easiest tasks so that he has the bandwidth to focus the attention needed to raise the quality of his work. read more

Ian is an excellent luthier. He's done work on a couple of my guitars. I only gave the shop 3 stars because one of the current owners is so arrogant I stopped going there, which is a shame since I had been doing business there since 1998. read more

I've been a drummer for 14 years, but recently purchased a guitar from a buddy of mine and decided to learn. Needed to pick up an amp and some picks so I picked the closest store. That just happened to be Five Star Guitars, and I'm glad it was. As soon as I told the person helping me (Dorian) that I was very new to guitars (as in, less than 12 hours new), he was quick to offer advice and tips, and clearly knew what he was talking about for all of the different things I asked. Ended up leaving with a new amp and some picks and other things, definitely a happy customer. Amazing customer service and prices. This place rocks. Literally. read more

Been in the store 3 or 4 times. I had brought in my guitar for repair of machine head. Picked it up and nothing was fixed except strings replaced. Ended up buying my own machine head elsewhere and replacing it myself. Customer service was hit and miss. One guy was nice but, overall, I did not feel welcome there. Cold atmosphere. Def not warm or friendly. read more

Fantastic experience with Five Star Guitars. I did a blindfold acoustic guitar test and all the employees were super helpful in getting fun and exciting guitars into my hands. I ended up going back and getting an amazing J45. The employees aren't on commission so they aren't trying to force the most expensive items upon, they are genuinely helpful and want to help you find the best product for you. I also brought my Strat in for a setup and it is playing better than new! Thank you Five Star Guitars! read more

josh and mike rok, great service and gave me a great deal

HELLO FRIENDS, I'd like to convey that my experience selling my instrument at 5 Star Guitars was a great one. Jeep, Geoff and Nate are all first rate folks and will give you a great experience. Even if you're not selling an instrument, they will assist in finding the best gear for you and will absolutely back it up with an in store guarantee. They are friendly folks and integrity is their middle name. I've bought guitars, accessories, strings, and high tech gear here and never been disappointed...If its not the product for you they will make it right. There's no dilly dallying or wish washy stuff here...These guys are straight ahead and will make you glad you shopped at their store. I plan on remaining their customer for a long time!!!!! Sincerely, Bill Owen read more

Matt is simply incredible! Just UNREAL customer service, a brilliant musician and a great guy to boot. He literally spent 3 hours in a tiny soundproof room with me so I could buy a beginner guitar for under $600. I mean who does that kind of thing?!? He kindly & patiently played (then replayed and then replayed again) 5 guitars while I waffled back and forth with the kind of major indecision reserved for someone buying a $5,000 vintage Gibson. I'm a beginner who cant play anything so without his playing all that time I'd have had NO idea how amazing these instruments sounded and all the subtle but important differences between each. I essentially got a free concert AND my dream guitar all in one morning. And I am IN LOVE with my new guitar - which I'd been searching months for. You Matt ARE the absolute best. I'll never go anywhere else. read more

This is really as good as it gets! The layout of the store, the great customer service and I appreciate the honesty of all their products. Reach out to these folks for every music guitar needs. We will continue to support 5 Star! read more

Unhelpful and unresponsive. Company is listed as a Laney dealer. I'm looking to buy a specific Laney product (IRT-X) so I called them to get more information. The person answering the phone didn't know what Laney is, so I had to remind him. I told him that the US distributor for Laney gave me 5 Star Guitars as a dealer. He took my information and said he would call me back with the information, but never did. read more

I wanted to post something positive about Five Star Guitar. Today I was contacted by the manager Geoff under his own accord. He thanked me for stopping in the shop and purchasing a 6l6 tube. He also offered support should i need anything in the future and wished me a happy holiday. I was moved by his outreach because i knew he did not have to. Great customer service! They will see my business again. read more

They do have awesome customer service. Their old location used to be walking distance to my house, and I would walk there a lot and just check out equipment and get random guitar needs. When I was a beginner I agree with the guy before me, because the manager taught me how to restring my guitar. The last time I was there, I was buying strings, and the manager told me about their deal, and they didnt have enough single sets for me to get the deal, but they went out of their way to take out 3 sets from a 10 pack just so I can get the deal. read more

I love this place!!! I purchased 2 ukuleles for Xmas for my kids. They helped me out greatly to choose the right ones for my kids' experience and my budget. The kids and I (and their native Hawaiian ukulele teacher) were very happy with the purchases. What made me more impressed was that when we attempted to have one of our ukuleles repaired under the warranty, the repair business denied, but Five Star Guitars fought against the claim and offered to have it fixed. Who goes out of their way like that anymore? I highly recommend these guys. I will be returning to make more purchase when my kids are ready to upgrade their ukuleles! read more

Instant gratification included because they match the lowest online price. I prefer this to having to wait for shipping :) Great customer service! read more

Great atmosphere, an even better staff. Signed my 9 yr old son up for drum lessons and he enjoys it. The instructor (Austin) is really good. Always wanting to learn the banjo, I picked one up and got a great deal on it. I also bought a smaller acoustic fender guitar for my 8yr old daughter who wants to play. Although the whole staff is great, it's Matt I like to work with as he's genuinely helpful and has a likable personality. I've taken a banjo lesson with one of the seasoned musicians (Mark Shark-Google him, he's epic) and plan on continuing down that path with him. So to wrap this review up...their prices are competitive, (seems like I've purchased a lot and all at good and/or fair prices) The service is excellent, the staff is awesome (especially Matt), the lessons are great and the teachers 2nd to none. Not too much more I can say about these folks. read more

I've been playing for about 40 years. THe Five Star guys always treat me really well, and have had my set up business for a while - always nice work. I recently ordered an Epiphone Nighthawk. hen it came in they set it up for me ahead of time to try, and then re-adjusted it, polished the frets, and restrung it for me right there and then - excellent service. Thank you read more

Five Star Guitars has been a great locally owned business for as long as I can remember. They don't have the largest selection but the owners and staff are very accommodating. Geoff gave me a great deal on a Line 6 amp that rocks! Thanks guys! read more

I recently bought a ukulele here. Even though it was only the $50 Makala, they lowered the action for me right then and it plays wonderfully! Great Service!! read more

I was contacted by Matt at Five Star Guitar after he saw my post on Craigslist offering to sell my Gibson SG. Since I lived in Portland, I was a bit apprehensive to drive all the way out to Hillsboro, but Matt said he would try his best to get me a deal that I wanted. I was not disappointed that I made the drive. Matt, and his coworkers were patient, haggled well, and eventually we were able to strike a mutually beneficial deal. It doesn't hurt that they also have a fantastic selection of well-priced guitars. These guys are a great asset to the Portland Metro music scene. Check 'em out. read more

I bought my first guitar here in January, and my experienced brother-in-law (who was helping me buy) was so impressed with their service that he drove up from Bandon to buy one for himself last week. They are very knowledgable and pressure free. You can sit and check out their stuff for as long as you want and when you decide, they'll make you a deal you can live with. If you don't find what you want they're willing to order something to make you happy. I'll be buying more here I'm sure. read more

I bought my guitar there a year ago and sold my old one through them. I often come back to check out their merchandise and always leave feeling good. The atmosphere is alive with friendly warm people bending over backwards to try and get what you need. I had my acoustic restrung quickly. Brought it in and done in about 10 minutes. I now have an electric guitar and will take it there if I need any kind of service done. Also, I have been taking guitar lessons at Guitar Fish because they are closer to my home but will stop giving any buisness there... Customer service is terrible. The manager up front has been extremely rude and condescending. Strange remarks said to me... my friends and family have also witnessed this behavior. So Im going to stick to quality, drive the extra mile and take all my business to Five Star! read more

What kind of store closes at 7:00 PM? The kind I won't go back to. Just wanted a set of strings, and got there just as they closed. Got told, "sorry, we're closed" at about 7:03. Customer service? Not here. read more

I came in not sure of what I was looking for. I was pleasantly surprised at how helpful the staff was. I ended up buying a Vox amp and a couple of pedals and am VERY happy with what I purchased. I don't know that I would have been so sure of my decision had the staff not been so helpful. read more

Super friendly guitar shop that doesn't intimidate you and understands if you're a newbie. They gave me a discount on a amp for my electric (that I'm super happy with) for whatever reason. And when I went in to get some new strings they did some extra work on the action and neck without even charging me for the work. It made my crummy acoustic guitar so much easier to play. I'll definitely be going back there for all my guitar needs. read more

Just picked up a used fender blues deluxe from five star for a steal. The guy helping me let me plug into every amp I wanted and try a bunch of pedals without any real pressure other than to make sure I found what I was after. I've been buying stuff here since I was 15 and have always had a great experience. Whether I just had a question or was making a major purchase they have always gone above and beyond to help me out. They've definitely earned their five star name. read more

received my cherry red peerless epiphone casino today, played it for 3 hrs.! great guitar, great deal, fast shipping, smooth transaction with very helpful and knowledgeable staff! i give you guys at 5 star guitars 10 stars all day long!!! mark skinner read more

I have been playing guitar since 1983, and living in the Portland metro area since 1991. Admittedly, I typically shop with the big online retailers such as Guitar Center (who obviously have three stores locally), because of their massive selection. I was completely unaware of Five Star Guitars until I discovered them online when doing a search for Suhr guitars locally. While they did not have the guitar I was looking for, I was very impressed with their inventory, especially for their size. They have a nice selection of PRS, Fender (including the funky limited edition Meteora!), and Gretsch, plus a few Tom Anderson guitars (which I have never seen locally). It was a nice range too, from budget/entry to higher end. They also appeared to have a nice collection of acoustics too (at least in terms of volume), although I did not scope them out. The advertised prices seem in line with other retailers, but any seasoned musician will tell you there is almost always room to negotiate. My point is that I can't objectively give an opinion on their prices, because I ultimately was not there to buy, which I will explain next. I ended up doing business with them when I decided to sell my guitar via consignment. I was expecting the guitar to sit there for a while, but it sold within a week (I realize there are many factors that can influence how fast an item sells, but I was still quite impressed). The original intake process was painless and relatively quick too. However, I did receive a call from them after they had it for a few days and they stated the guitar would need a professional set-up if they were going to sell it (they told me in advance this is sometimes the case, and that their repair guy would have to spend time with it first to determine that). The pro set-up charge was either $70 or $75... I can't remember exactly, only that it was in the 70s range. My point in mentioning the set-up is that if my guitar needed such a set-up, there's a chance most will so be prepared for the potential charge. In the end, it was worth it for me, since my guitar sold at a reasonable price, and they simply deducted it from the final sale price. In summary, I recommend checking them out, especially if in the market for any of the aforementioned brands, or you are looking to sell on consignment (especially if your guitar is one of the brands they normally sell), or you are simply looking for a new shop in the Beaverton area to buy strings, etc. read more

This place really lives up to the five star name. I have purchased a Fender Ultra Stratocaster from them and the customer service was amazing. I am not from Oregon so I had to drive down to get the guitar I desired. I called ahead, they gladly put the guitar on hold until I got there, checked the guitar for dents and scratches, tuned it, set it up, and polished it upon my arrival. Everyone was so welcoming and enthusiastic to be there and to help me during the beginning of the pandemic. I have recently pre ordered an ibanez THBB10 from them which they special ordered for me. No sales tax and excellent customer service. I'm so excited to go down and visit the store again in may when my guitar arrives. Even if you are a state away it is well worth the travel. Support local businesses as much as you can instead of opting for Amazon or big box music stores, it keeps these awesome wonderlands open and helps keep stock on the shelves! Hope this review helps someone when deciding where to buy their next guitar! read more

Stood at the register for 5 min (seemed like forever) with no one to take my cash. It's almost impossible to distinguish store clerks from customers. They're all either playing with the instruments, patching cables into amps, or chatting. At least one customer received undivided attention (a plus for them); though, brief eye contact to acknowledge my existence, or better yet, a call out to a fellow employee to help me out would have been appreciated. The only reasons for 2 stars instead of zero: (1) seems like you can play without interruption and without any interest in purchasing the guitar and (2) if you get the attention of a store clerk, you appear to get unlimited and undivided attention. read more

Ryan and Dany have been giving my kids drum and bass lessons for years, and they are awesome. The floor staff has always been helpful and courteous as well--great shop. read more

I love their selection but they have a lot to learn about attitude. Half of the time, it's great and they're helpful. The rest of the time it's the opposite. I bought a used guitar one time as a gift a while back. I returned it the same day because it had very serious issues that neither of us noticed. They were immediately apologetic. Then the self announced co-owner comes out gruffly asking what the problem was & why I was returning it? After a 20 minute condescending lecture standing there just taking it, my money was returned. I had to seriously kiss up or I don't think they were going to let me return it, under their own policy. He kept telling me to take it home for a week or two. Frets lifting out and a crack ran up the neck! The co-owner said, "What do you expect for this price?" When I went to look at buying a replacement guitar the following weekend - different staff. They asked if I had been there before. I said, "It's my favorite guitar store". I said I had returned a used guitar and was looking for another to replace it. They laughed and said,"Oh yah, I heard about you." :-? My wife looked at me like, "Huh?" She was with me & knew I was beyond polite that day. So, what the heck? They agreed it should not have been on the floor until it was fixed. They were just mad because I didn't want it after repairs. The spell was broken after being spoken to like that. I remained a regular & loyal customer despite all. So, 4 months later I took a guitar in to sell on consignment. A highly regarded Martin Copy - same factory etc - near mint 54 yr old closet queen. The guy helped that me, played it and was wide eyed & drooling over it. A couple guys came over, one played it & said the tone was amazing. He told the kid when it was hanging up, to call him & he'd come get it. The same bald guy co-owner who popped his cork over my guitar return earlier on, but didn't remember me. He interrupted, checked it out and said, "I wouldn't normally sell this piece of s***t in my store, but I'll price it at $75, and that's it." "Other wise get it out of here." I actually used to realllly like him until that day. I said no thanks. I took it to Portland Music Co. and it sold for $600 in 2 days! " Recently, I was standing there checking out the new layout, waiting for help. A Father and his son was shopping for a used amp. The kid really liked one and the dad wanted to buy it along with the guitar he had in his hands. The employee said, "You don't want that piece of junk if you care about your son's talent at all." The one he recommended was not a better amp at all, but more $'s. The way he insulted the guy & pushed him in front of his son, made me wonder if he had some stake in it somehow? His or a friends perhaps? The customer was clear that he didn't want to spend too much on his boy's first set up. I felt bad for him. They eventually left without buying anything. Recently again, I went in to buy a guitar I'd been wanting. I stood there with it in my hands for what felt like a good 15 minutes listening to an employee schooling a customer on his vast experience. Most of us there where 3-4 times older than he was, but what do we know, right? The whole time waving the customers money in his hand rather than getting him rung up & out the door. The customer repeatedly told him he was in a hurry. The customer apologized to me. I said no problem. The people behind me were laughing. I set the guitar down. Went to P.M.C. & bought the same guitar for $55 less. Ugh, you get it... On a personal note. I can't count the times I hear certain employees & owners especially, brag to validate themselves with customers who just want help or don't agree with something. Gee I hope so, you work in a guitar store dude! Besides, who cares?! Just because you play or are in a band, does NOT make you any good. Otherwise there wouldn't be no crappy bands out there. Even if you are good, so what? All my friends laugh about it saying the same thing: If you're so accomplished how you find time to work there? Or even need to? If WE didn't play them also, why do you think we keep coming in spending money there? We don't wanna argue or hear about your en devours. We wanna buy some gear & get back to playin'. I'm a 52 yr old successful business owner, Luthier in training, play guitar, & I jam with several decent bands. Big deal! If a guy doesn't like something. Find something he does, don't make it about you. Unless you wanna buy it? I'm sure they treat people nice & plenty are happy. I think I'm too polite and tire of being treated poorly. Not all the time, but far too frequent to justify the risks. Or taking people with me as I usually do. Been going to their competitor lately & haven't had to deal with the antics $7,300.00 later. I bought a gorgeous new Fender Deluxe at PMC. They even called me up 2 weeks later making sure I was happy & satisfied with the purchase. An unusual thing to do,.. but I felt like they genuinely cared. read more

I'm not new to music but I am new to guitars, needless to say I bought a cheaper used guitar because I've always wanted to learn. I've been playing for at least 2-3 hours a day on a setup that had a pretty bad float on the string action which made it difficult to do bends as well as other technical approaches. I ended up breaking a string not too long after getting new strings and became frustrated. I took my guitar into Five-Star and was helped by Matt, not only did he give me information as to what was wrong with my guitar but he shaved down the saddle to give me better "action" on the guitar as well as replaced the string I broke, and all for no charge! Even though I bought new strings (just for future purposes), I was surprised that he wasn't going to charge me for the small tweaks he made to my guitar. When I expressed my gratitude for the work he did on the fly for me he shared with me a story about when he was young and started playing the guitar that he had issues with it but didn't have a lot of money to fix it and a guy did the same thing for him, and that he always appreciates when he can do the same for others. I'm definitely impressed with the classy approach of Matt and his generosity. This establishment is about the player and whats in their best interest, Matt showed me that today. Cheers Matt/ Five-Star Guitars! I will be back! read more

Five Stars gets 5 stars. They are tops. Great service, but also a lot of unique guitars you don't see at the "big box" music stores. Keep up the good work! You have my business for sure. read more

I've been taking guitars here for the past few months. I buy and sell guitars and have taken three there so far to get work done on them. Ian is the best guitar tech. He quotes you a price, and is honest. The first guitar I brought there he quoted me a price and then called later and said that the quote was higher than the work needed. That's honesty. The second guitar I brought to him needed a wire soldered. He quit the project that he was doing cleaned off the work table and looked at my guitar. He fixed it right on the spot while I waited. That's customer service. I will continue to do business here for a long time. read more

My recent purchase at Five Star Guitars was great and the staff was very helpful and knowledgeable. I found just what I wanted and the price was terrific. I would recommend them highly to anyone who is looking for guitars, amps, accessories, or lessons. read more

i play guitar. 1962 was my first professional gig at the Century 21 World Fair in Seattle. i was 12-years-old and since then played with many "well known" musicians and entertainers live, on TV and on their records. One of the fun things of being on the road is to visit many music stores in North America from the very famous stores to "Mom and Pop" stores. Five Star Guitars, without any doubt has been the most polite, helpful, and just down right friendly store. They know nothing about my career so i assume they treat most folks the same. Recommend them... Yes. i'm a person that does not give 5 star ratings to anyone. If someone does what they say they are doing thats 3 stars. If they do it better thats 4 stars. If they make a kid, or her grandpa feel great, or treat a 70 year-old balding guy (me) like they were special while doing what they do better than others i guess that's 5 stars for Five Star Guitars. read more

Five Star Guitars is so great and the folks who work there so nice and helpful that it is hard for me to know where to start singing (poorly) their praises. I buy and sell guitars and amps in and around the Portland area, and have done so for for quite some time. I am also a musician having played in a number of bands over the course of many years. All of my experiences with Five Star Guitars have been positive and fruitful. Every one of the employees is as friendly, helpful and as knowledgeable as you could want. Their repair department is quick, inexpensive and more than willing to help by giving sound (pun) and sage advise (and even guidance if needed). The sales staff is willing to take the time to help you find what it is that you are looking for (or need help with), a significant and somewhat uncommon trait these days. Five Star has both new and used equipment, mostly guitars, amps and accessories, as the name implies. The prices are great and the selection, although not gargantuan, has substantial breadth and depth. I highly recommend this business! read more

This was the first location my wife and I went to sell some guitars and were sorely disappointed. The staff was very snobbish and unprofessional taking their sweet time with poor communication. They were also surprisingly lacking in knowledge of their products as they had to look up nearly all of our equipment and questions online. Very poor experience, I suggest you take your business elsewhere! read more

I stopped into Five Star Guitars after going to guitar center not because I prefer guitar center but because they do so much advertising and promising on the radio that I get the illusion that I am going to find that magical instrument at half the price that anyone else is selling it for. All I can say is that guitar center is filled with a bunch of liars and commission sales people that try to talk you into way more stuff than you need. I drove over because they were offering a special price on a fender strat-o-caster special, it was 75 dollars less than I could find anywhere. Of course when I got there they didn't have the model they were advertising and said they could get it to me in 2-4 weeks. I said "fine give me a call when you get them in, I would really like to try one before I commit." I called around and found that Five Star Guitars had 2 in stock but on top of that they had been professionally set up by their Luthier. guitar center charges extra for a setup on a new instrument, while Five Star Guitars includes that in every purchase on all new guitars. I have never bought a guitar from a music store that has been set up to my liking. This is the first and only store that hasn't tried to extract more money from me after the purchase. I am done with guitar center. They won't see a dime from me because I am sick of a guitar store trying to nickle and dime me on every tiny extra, I think Five star guitars even gave me 6 picks for free just because I had spent all that I had on this purchase, thanks again for all your help, free setup and the picks. You guys remind me of the music stores I shopped at 25 years ago. You know the ones, where they actually cared. I am a Five Star Guitars shopper for life! read more