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!

Guitar Center used to pay decent money for used instruments. No more. Now they pay pawn shop…read moreprices. Always bargain when paying cash for new instruments. The stuff coming out of Indonesia and China doesn't hold its value. Buy American whenever possible!

From the lesson Lead Anastacia to the instructors, Hannah makes lessons fun. She is organized and…read moredetailed with lessons. Anastacia is helpful and friendly. Super mellow environment. I have learned a bunch and learned many new songs and techniques playing the guitar. I would recommend them to anyone that is wanting to get started started with lessons for guitar, drums, piano vocals and base.

Possibly the worst kind of music store. Not a feel good place. They just want your money. And they…read morecharge the sticker price and make new allowances, even when the item you buy goes on sale a few weeks after you buy it. Look elsewhere.

For a smaller music shop, it has a great amount of selection. Also, the owner and staff are amazing!read more

This place is a lot of fun. My son loves the vinyls, my daughter loves the cds and I love the…read morecassettes. They have an incredible selection in all of the above. The owners are super nice. I feel incredibly lucky to live not far from such a cool store. Oh and my daughter wanted to point out they have a solid selection of both buttons and stickers. :)

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!

Iconic vintage guitar store. Tim has owned this place for 30 years and he is very kind, generous…read moreand knowledgeable. Also, if you have the time, I'd recommend asking him to tell you some of his personal stories. You won't forget them. I walked away with an awesome little reel to reel and some rare records, and he threw in some 1/4 tape for free! You won't find a better little vintage music shop. Will be back every time I'm close to Portland no doubt.

Great selection of guitars with a very friendly and knowledgeable owner more than happy to help.read more

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

Wow, this is service at it's best. So the first time I experienced Windsmith Music my daughter and…read moreI were shopping for a violin for her. We came to try a few of the violins they had. They were great about explaining the different choices they had and talking about some of the different sounds each violin might produce. My daughter tried the four that were in our price range and didn't really experience anything remarkable. So ultimately we ended up playing a German Violin that had the sound she was looking for. Something about being made from wood from the Carpathian Forests, seemed to make a difference :) But I wouldn't hesitate to buy a violin from them. And personally, I'd love to do that b/c their service is so great (more about that next). So recently, we had a problem with our silent (electric) violin. One of the strings was starting to come apart a bit so we decided to get new strings thinking that would fix the problem. We brought the violin back and found out the problem was still there. So we called, and they said to bring the violin back and they'd take a look. We dropped it off and then about a day later they figured out it had to do with a finger guide we had wrapped around the neck which was coming up just enough to cause a problem w/ a couple of the strings. What impressed me though was how kind and helpful they were throughout the whole process. Cassie was the one helping us and she was AMAZING! So basically, the problem was all on us. We are the ones who caused this issue (not them). Yet they took the time to research the problem to try and figure out what it was, then figured out the issue and got us taken care of. Then on top of that we weren't charged anything. At one point they even offered to drop our violin off in Corvallis (where we live) to save us a trip back into Philomath. PRO TIP: If you're traveling from Corvallis, I recommend calling first depending on what you might need. For example, the person you may want to speak with or work with may not be there when you stop by so it might be wise to call again just to be sure. But they truly go above and beyond, give great service, their pricing is very fair and reasonable. We're fortunately to have such a great music business here in the area and I'm excited for the next time we'll be stopping by!

Very knowledgeable. Was helped with my grandsons guitar and multiple suggestions for lesson it was…read morea very pleasant surprise to find someone so knowledgeable and helpful

One of the best music teachers I've ever worked with. Patient and very easy going for an enjoyable…read morelesson and informative session. I've learned so much about music not just for singing but also for guitar and piano theory as well. He's extra talented to teach you and motivate you in all areas! 10/10 would recommend.

I can't say enough amazing things about working with Kevin! From day one, he has been incredibly…read morepatient, encouraging, and inspiring. Kevin has a gift for breaking down complex techniques into simple, easy-to-understand steps -- making both voice and guitar feel approachable and fun. I am sure it helps that Kevin has been a performer much of his life and takes absolute joy in what he does. His passion for music is contagious, and he brings so much energy and positivity into every session. I always leave lessons feeling not only more skilled but also more motivated and excited to practice. If you're looking for a knowledgeable, talented, and genuinely supportive instructor who will help you unlock your potential and fall even more in love with music, I can't recommend Kevin highly enough. He's the real deal! Love working with you Kevin!