Incredible customer service! Very friendly and family oriented. Actually wants you to get the best…read moreout of your musical journey.

My children, like many of children in the area, have joined the public school orchestra. They…read moredecided on their instruments (which completely matched their personalities) and so we were directed to Uptown Music for rental and other equipment. Emmaly was amazing and took incredible care of me and my boys! The store was very busy, considering it was the weekend after Orchestra Parent night, but she greeted us immediately and was incredibly helpful in finding us what we needed. She sized up my one son immediately, as he played the same instrument she did, but she was quick to realize that my other son wanted to play an instrument that might be in short supply, so she rushed to check on that one first. She happened to get the very last one that was in stock and immediately claimed it for us. She then spent a great deal of time going over the entire instrument, ensuring that we had the right bow, rosin, and that the case fit correctly and had everything in it. She then set us up on the other instrument, and made sure it fit properly. She clearly explained all the rental rules and requirements and how it worked. I will say this; Uptown Music appears committed to keeping people playing music over maximizing overall profit. It's a rent-to-own system, and when a child sizes up out of an instrument, you can bring it back in and have the credit go immediately to the new one. If my children stay with these instruments, I won't have to constantly go back and buy a bigger size while being stuck with lost payments on an old one. I really appreciate that! They also operate on a month-to-month rental agreement, so if it doesn't work out, I'm not stuck with a long term contract. Music books were ready available, and despite the fact that all the schools in the area were starting up orchestra, they put $30 music stands on sale for $20. I had to drop some money to get my kids set up for this, but it could have been A LOT more. Then, because of all the confusion, there was a small error in the initial payment on the rental agreement. Emmaly gave us a call and the store was super accommodating in giving us time to get back in and catch up on the payment. I visited Uptown Music years and years ago, over eleven I'd have to say, and took some piano lessons here to try and build on what I learned as a kid. Going back with my kids now was a great experience, and made me get excited about music all over again. I'm really hoping my kids enjoy playing their instruments. I'd love to keep them playin for years and years. One of my sons is interested in the saxophone, so we're looking at that for a potential future option. If you're in need of musical instruments, I strongly urge you to avoid large national chains and check out this place. I had a great experience and felt very well taken care of!

Pedro was great to work with. Traded in a Guild D-55 I purchased in 1976 and had owned 48 years…read moreon a Martin D-18 Standard Satin. The net outlay (trade in value and new guitar purchase price together) was very fair and pretty much what I was expecting/hoping for. Pedro tracked down the last Martin D-18 Standard Satin Natural Finish in the entire Guitar Center chain (at the time). Located the last one in Georgia. Pedro ordered it, got it shipped to the Keizer Store, and alerted me to its arrival. I did an inspection and play of it, and we closed the deal. Pedro put in a lot of time and effort on this trade/purchase for me. Grateful for his help and assistance!

I had an issue recently with GC when trying to get some info on a particular guitar I was…read moreconsidering purchasing. Long story short I reached out to management regarding my issue. I was subsequently contacted by corporate management and they offered to assist me with my purchase. We corresponded over a couple of weeks and I was ultimately able to make my purchase to my complete satisfaction. I want to give a shout out to Leslie Rosenthal - Director, Internal Communications and Dave Matthes Guitar Center - District Manager. They both went the extra mile to make sure it all worked out to my satisfaction. I am very grateful to you both for your assistance. What's the best thing about buying a guitar from Guitar Center? You get to actually try out the instrument before taking it home and they have a 45 day return policy which is very generous. If you buy from the internet; the return shipping is not free! I know with an organization that's as large as GC you're bound to run into challenges from time to time but the real measurement is how your issues are resolved. To me that's the difference. Thanks Guitar Center!

Me and my dad just bought a guitar here! it is my first guitar. A very nice entry level breedlove…read moreguitar. This shop has a great selection of guitars! The owner was very nice and helpful and gave me some great tips. the service here was above and beyond. I like this local shop a lot more than Guitar Center. I will definitely come back!

This store used to be great with the 2 last owners but now with the new owner I will never go back…read morevery rude. I have spent lots of money here and helped keep it going after last owner past away by volunteering my Saturday's here until the the owners could buy it. Now after how I was just treated there I will no longer spend my time or money there.

They went all out to trade me back and let me choose a more suitable instrument for me . I now have…read morea small parlor guitar and love it. Super nice people not pushy at all, lots of choices more than I have ever seen in one shop. Lessons- school rentals they do it all.

Great customer service, went in to look at a certain guitar, they let me try it, answered all the…read morequestions i had and even gave some advice, they didn't try to sell me a bunch of stuff I didn't need. Where very nice and honest. Was in n out within 10min and i left very happy with my purchase! Definitely will be coming back when I decide to upgrade!

We love everything about RiverCity Rock Star Academy!…read more My daughter is about to start her 4th program with them, the Saturday Rockers. These programs run each season, with summer being a bit shorter than the others. She takes electric guitar lessons in the program, which teaches students not only how to play their instruments but also how to play together as a band. Each session includes one-on-one private lessons (which can be done anytime), then 2-hour band lessons (on Saturday in our case). So some students are learning guitar, others doing drums, bass, keyboard, or taking vocal lessons. They select a playlist of songs they want to learn and rehearse together, with full support from the instructors every step of the way. At the end of each program, they perform live in front of an audience. Sometimes it's mostly parents, other times they do shows in town, like at The Barn or Grand Theater. It's been very motivating for my daughter, and I started taking private lessons there myself recently. Every staff member and instructor genuinely cares about the success, safety, and satisfaction of the students and it shows. I think the pricing is very reasonable for everything you get, and there's not many places that do anything like this. It's a great location, too, because they can really play loud without disturbing anyone, yet it's also very close to downtown and lots of little restaurants to check out nearby. From the front, it may look small but once you go inside you and see how many rooms the place has, you'll see it's actually very spacious inside. There's also a good selection of guitars and gear to buy, with no pressure and very helpful staff. Check out their website and social media, or stop by and give them a try!

Am I the first person to review RiverCity Rock Star Academy on Yelp? That would be my honor…read more Why is a guy from Chicago raving about RiverCity Rock Star Academy? I could list 3 things but I'll focus on the third point. I purchased a beautiful white/white Jet JS-400 Guitar from Oregon, long distance. That process went great. 1) Timely updates in email. 2) Wonderfully packed. 3) Great SETUP of the guitar. I took the guitar out of the box and it was flawless. I tuned it, that was simple. The guitar played great out of the box. Normally you need to spend $50 getting a guitar "set up". Putting on new strings and making sure the "action" isn't too high. The "action" on my new Jet Guitar JS-400 was perfect. Let's call it medium. Too high and it's hard for a beginner to press down guitar strings. Strings too low and you get "fret buzz". My Jet guitar from RiverCity Rock Star Academy played great out of the box. Her Slovenian name is "Bela" pronounced "bay luh". (Jet Guitars are owned by Slovenians.) RiverCity Rock Star Academy staff are wonderful. Buy a guitar from them locally or long distance. Best Wishes from Chicago, IL Richard

Great guitar teacher! I'm amazed at the skills my 10 year old has gained seeing Mike once a week…read morefor her lessons.

Mike is an amazing teacher and I can't believe how far he has brought my son in just a year! He…read moreworks hard to tailor the teaching style, style of music, and personality to fit the best with my son and how he learns. He came home from his very first lesson working on a song that he knew! His student books that he wrote himself are an excellent tool and work very well for us!

Michael and his shop are adorable. We visited in early August of 2026 and chatted about music,…read moreinstruments, and a bit of music history. My family plays and we messed about for quite some time. Michael was welcoming and warm. He gave us a CD that he put together. We were lucky enough to have a CD player at our rental. It reminded me of the Hawaiian Slack Key that I grew up listening to and the virtuousity of some Christopher Parkening CDs I devoured in college. Go visit Michael. He's a gem.

Friendly service and great place to get a budget instrument. Wasn't even intending on buying a…read moreguitar but he sold us a t style guitar of a little known brand called Amati. I love finding hidden gems for cheap so was pleasantly surprised by this guitar.