Flying Pig Music

I recently purchased an autoharp and needed someone to examine it and perform any necessary maintenance and/or repairs. Flying Pig was listed on Oscar Schmidt's website as an authorized dealer and repair facility, so I emailed them. ""Ed"" promptly and courteously responded, provided store location and hours and invited me to bring the instrument in next time I was in town.\r A few weeks later I was in the area and dropped in with the instrument. ""Todd"" was in the store, was aware that I had emailed and looked over the autoharp. He answered my questions while providing me with lots of information, suggestions and other input I found to be very helpful (I am new to autoharping). \r I had read negative reviews on this site and had walked into the store prepaired to walk out if necessary, but my experience was as pleasant as it could be from the first contact.\r A few weeks later I was back in town on the day appointed, and when I arrived a little later than planned the instrument was ready and waiting, but Todd was wishing I had not arrived while he was in the middle of a lesson, because he wanted to spend time with me and not just rush me out the door. I offered to visit the farmers market around the corner and come back in a little while. When I returned Todd was available. \r Besides working on my instrument he had put together a small collection of necessary accessories for me, including an optional instruction book that he felt might be very helpful and appropriate for my skill level. He answered my questions, gave me some input on the care of the instrument itself, taught me how to use the tuning tool and the electronic tuner, answered my questions patiently and invited me to call back with any other problems or questions I might have in the future. \r Overall I am very satisfied with the personal attention, quality of repairs, cost and service from both Ed and Todd. I will definitely be returning to Flying Pig with any future music-related questions or needs. more

I checked a few area stores for guitar lessons and this was the only place that let me sign up for just a couple of lessons to try them out. I took a couple of lessons with Ed and was really happy with them. He is a great teacher, and I learned a lot bin a short time. I am going to practice on my own for now but I really recommend the store and Ed as a teacher. Unlike a lot of teachers he takes the time to find out what you want to learn and shows you the way to get good results. If I take lessons again it will definitely be here. more

CAPITAL SHOW~ O FRIENDLY PORCINE AVIATORS!\r \r Our in-store experience was superb. Todd is very kind and knowledgeable. His excellent approach to my musical maladies has provided more than solely a vendor-product, but because of his attentiveness and customer-oriented disposition, he was able to put us at ease (not like most music stores who can't help but to make customers feel self-conscious) by the shared bond of MUSIC (not loot or self-aggrandizement) and helped to JUMP-START my musical enthusiasm, not squirsh it.\r \r Thanks again Todd!\r \r ---your new life_long customers,\r \r -Toby & Stacy Knapp \r -Forest Grove, Oregon more

Wouldn't go anywhere else for lessons. more

Good place to rent band instruments. We got just what we needed and all our questions answered. more

Someone told me about this place but I usually like to shop at bigger stores. I wish I'd come here earlier because they have way more stuff than I thought they would for such a small store. I expected their prices would be really high but I got the tuner I needed for less than I saw elsewhere. I'll be back because I have my eye on a sweet little practice amp. Good selection and freindly store. more

I only give this store one star because zero is not an option. What a jerk in that place! \r \r Knowing exactly what I wanted to buy, I went into Flying Pig in Forest Grove looking for a specific amp. I had the audacity (apparently) to ask the grouch behind the counter if he sells that brand/model. Without a yes or no, he asked what guitar I planned to use with it. Fair question, I suppose, but his condescending tone and expression seemed to imply that I was unqualified to state what I need without his approval. I told him it varies and what 2 guitars I play most often (one has single coil pickups and the other one uses humbuckers - they're very different).\r \r The response, and I remember it well, was ""Well anyone can walk in here empty handed and say they play anything."" Essentially indicating that I was bragging and dropping brandnames. Conversation over. I left and ended up buying the amp used on Craigslist, glad that I didn't pay him the $650-700 retail they go for new.\r \r So I'm glad that FP didn't get my money. \r \r But I'm really sad when friends tell me they bought things there, and that they also thought the guy was a straight up demeaning grouch. Some of my buddies at PU call him the ""Ogre."" None will return. We go other places where we're treated like musicians, not pests who don't belong in his sour little world with ""Don't Touch"" signs on everything.\r \r I just wish they'd all asked me first. ZERO customer service skills at Flying Pr*ck. Unless you truly enjoy being insulted, try other stores in Forest Grove, Hillsboro, Portland, Montana, anywhere else! more

This place is great!! We have never had a bad experience here. We recommend it to all our friends. Out kids took lessons here for a couple of years, and when we were ready to buy an instrument they gave us a super deal. Recently they restored an old guitar for us that we thought was past repair. Highly recommended. more

I have been in to Flying Pig several times: once for guitar and violin repair work; once to buy a used guitar; and once to look into lessons and instruments for my kids. I was impressed and more than pleased each visit. I expected to pay more for the repairs, and for the guitar, but Ed didn't charge for part of the repairs and offered a fix on the electrical instead of a replacement even though I came in asking to buy a new pick-up (and he would have made more money). His format for lessons for kids is great, and he really seems to have the best interest of the kids in mind and wants the lowest possible cost for the family. The instruments I tried sounded great, even the brands I didn't recognize, and the prices were better than other music stores I've seen. I agree with the positive reviews below. I'm shocked to read the negative ones. I've only been in Forest Grove a few months, but interacting with Ed has been one of the first times in this town that I really felt like a business wanted to help me out and not just up-sell. We chatted -- he strikes me as a really nice guy. I know he's from New York ... is there some kind of East Coast/big city attitude that I'm not picking-up on which is rubbing people the wrong way? Are his bad days really bad? I had to double check that I had the right Flying Pig Mucis since I couldn't imagine the nice guy I met was the same guy described in some of the reviews below. more

I used to play the electric guitar semi-professionally, been in a few bands, but it’s been a while since I have played out more than occasionally. I wanted to see if they could fix my vintage delay pedal, because a few friends and I were planning a benefit gig for our church. Not only was I extremely happy with the price they quoted, I was able to persuade them to get it back to me within just a few days. I will definitely come back if I need anything repaired in the future, and I noticed that they have really good prices on strings too. more

I thought I'd give Flying Pig Music a chance at earning my business since I've lived in Forest Grove for a lot of years and always try to support my home town's small or sole proprietor businesses over going to the big corporate chain stores in the greater Portland metro area. In this particular case it was a huge mistake on my part. I contacted this store and spoke to a man named Ed (the owner) who sounded extremely unenthusiastic when he answered the phone and groggily murmured a few words that didn't sound like a hello or greeting. I thought I had the wrong phone number at first since the voice on the other end of the phone did not sound like that of a businessman or anyone who remotely works in a retail or customer service role where at least very elementary level social and customer service skills are required. I inquired about renting an amplifier head and explained that my amp head was in the shop for diagnostics, and meanwhile I wanted to use the rental amp from his store to check out my instrument to make sure it wasn't associated with the problem I believed was occurring with my amp head. Well Ed immediately said that he would NOT rent me out an amp head for fear that I might cause damage to his equipment. Right away I sensed a negative attitude! This was a very peculiar response to me because I made it clear that I was only going to use his equipment for a simple check/test at home. I mean come on now, its not like I was going to use this rental amp head at a full on jam session or live gig at a venue where high volume levels would be involved or other possible physical damage might occur from spectators, liquid substances, or other environmental elements. I think that my deposit on the equipment and other personal securities to be put down on the rental should more than cover the very remote chance that the amplifier head should incur any damage. Give me a break!!! What an insult to my intelligence during my very first experience with Flying Pig Music. Well, I told Ed that I can respect the fact he wants to protect his equipment, but the minor problem I was experiencing with my amp head and maybe instrument (not sure which yet) has been going on for a long period of time (years) and that my equipment has not incurred any issues or other signs of damage to date. He still did not want to rent out a simple, very inexpensive amp head for this trivial purpose. It was like he did not want to provide any business or service to me. He made me feel inferior! I agree with the other negative reviews that I've read on various review sites about Flying Pig Music and concur that the owner of this business is rude and insensitive to the needs of a customer, and it's evident that he lacks basic social and customer service skills. I suspect the owner must be well off financially and just running this business to give himself something to do because he sure doesn't care about providing any goods or services to potential customers or earning return patrons. In summary, I would never recommend Flying Pig Music to anyone even for their most desperate needs such as something like guitar picks or kazoos. That's a real shame because I have numerous friends and associates in the music and arts business that visit me here in Forest Grove and I could never refer them to this establishment for their needs while in town for either business or pleasure. Instead, I would recommend Beacock Music in Vancouver, WA for all your music needs, and Inner Sound in SE Portland for equipment repairs on the brands that they are authorized to service. Ive had impeccable experiences with both of those aforementioned businesses. Good luck out there and please heed my advice here. Thanks for listening. more

I went in to buy some strings and as others here have said, I was immediately greeted with a ""what do you need"" attitude, in fact I was taken back because I politely said hello and complimented him on his store. I told him I didn't know there was a store here and how cool I thought it was, he bluntly let me know that it had been there for years and in so many words berated me for not knowing that. Then he again bluntly asked me what I wanted. I hate to leave anyone a bad review but this guy was clearly rude and for no apparent reason. I will never go there again, Hillsboro has some stores with much politer owners. more

My son and I went in to inquire about lessons for my son. I wanted to suprise my husband when he returned from his deployment. Most of the time I was there Ed was clearly annoyed and troubled by having to talk to me. \r \r He did comment that he was in the military and asked me what branch my husband was in. I said that he was in the National Guard. His comment to me was ""I thought you meant he was in a real Branch of the Military"". \r \r Excuse me..... My husband has been deployed for 2 years of the 8 years we have been married don't tell me he is not in a 'Real' Branch of the Military. Ed you are rude and I hope this rating influences many people not to do business with you! Pros: No Pros, Small cramped Store Cons: Ed was so Rude more

We recently signed our 11 year old daughter up for lessons with Flying Pig. She's been having a great time and is enjoying every minute. The owner advised us to rent an instrument to start with instead of buying to see if she enjoys it, and we were really comfortable with his low key, practical approach. He does not seem to be interested in pushing us to spend as much money as we can, which is something pretty rare these days. He spends a lot of time both in and out of lessons to answer questions and give advice. It is the best experience we've had at a music store. This store is great for families with kids--they love the name and the cool pig in the window! Pros: No-pressure sales and service more

The owner/main employee of this store acted like he resented me for even stepping into his store, and he verbally abused me when I asked him why he seemed to have a problem with my being there. He spouted some nonsense like, ""Are you the guy we had problems with the last time?"" It would be funny if this person weren't so menacing. Avoid this store ... there are so many better places to shop for musical instruments. Pros: If you like abuse, he's your guy Cons: Worst treatment of customers I've ever experienced more

I am a student at the local university and I play guitar. I went in to flying pig music to see if they carried any flamenco guitars. The gentlemen working (who i'm guessing was the owner) was extremely rude when I asked him if he carried any of these ,he replied very rudely "" yea I have tons of guitars in the back, but people just come in here to waste time so I keep them there"". After saying this he proceeded to ignore me and when I asked him a question ""well what brands or models do you sell here?"" , he replied by not answering and looking at me in a frustrated manner. So at this point I probably should have left but there was an item which I did still need and they had. However when asked to buy it he refused to sell it to me. If you're looking to be abused and purchase refusals, this is the place. I have heard of resturants with gimmicks like rude service but not in a guitar shop. If you're in the area just turn around and head home don't even bother going in not worth the effort.\r \r \r Pros: Has lots of guitasrs in the back he won't show you Cons: Everything else possible more