Beacock Music and Education Center

Not a music connoisseur here, but this is a cool shop, and big. They’ve got everything out on display and it’s as easy as can be to pick something up and give it a try.
Friendly staff, and they have a café inside called Standing Ovation that is the best coffee on this side of Vancouver. No joke. (Sorry Brewed Awakening, DiTazza, Dutch Bros., etc.)

I travel a lot and this is undoubtedly one of the best music stores in the United States or anywhere. Always a positive vibe, everyone is truly into helping the kids and people who come in, and they have great relationships with their vendors like Cannonball Saxophones and that always comes through. Good knowledge of the instruments, great repair people, and great educational program for students on their instruments. Seriously I don’t think I could dream up a better music store.

Always pleased with my business here. Great retail location and service department. Good selection and helpful staff.

Dishonest. They lied to my wife about the condition of her clarinet, steering her towards a rental unit for my kiddo. Well the rental was a POS, where her used instrument works perfectly in every way. They took advantage of someone not knowledgeable, which means they’ve taken their last dollar from us.

Rick Reiss is the string instrument luthier at Beacock’s Music in Vancouver. He is the best luthier that I have ever had work on my instruments. I’ve been playing for 40 years. I have performed, recorded, taught and been on the radio. Rick is my absolute go to guy for my instruments. I really should not be writing this review because it means my wait time will be increased! But, hey, he really truly deserves the praise. Issues that other luthiers have failed to address Rick takes care of without complaint or undue expense. He is, in his own way, a genuine artist. He understands instruments and can explain what needs to be done, if it can be done, if it makes economic sense to do it. All this without unnecessary fuss. He loves what he does as much as I love to play. It is such a pleasure, in a world filled with over paid mediocre professionals, to know someone like Rick who is genuinely, refreshingly EXCEPTIONAL.

Went here to get my fiancé a guitar and some lessons. Good inventory, helpful and knowledgeable staff, fairly priced. They tossed in a couple of extras free of charge. They have brass, winds, strings, drums, guitars, and more. What more do you need? We’ll be back.

It does not please me to write this review.
I’ve visited Beacock’s over the years and had interactions with their collegiate staff when I was at college, and I have to say that their retail store has turned into a place I would not go again. I support what they do for educational institutions but as a retail music store I am not pleased with their service or products.
I went in for a repair and they soldered the necessary area but didn’t buff it so it looked horrible. — solder was showing around the area so there was just shiny silver goop around the piece of my gold horn. I had to ask them to fix it and then wait some more., which they did but I shouldn’t have had to ask. If I were doing repairs I would be embarrassed to let that leave my department. They did fix it but they also soldered it on slightly crooked (it was a brace area design to pop off in case the horn gets hit so it doesn’t warp the body of the horn). Thankfully only I would really see it but if that’s the kind of work they do for a simple repair, I’d worry about more complicated matters.
In addition to the unacceptable repair, their repair staff (excluding the young man you helped me) have horrible customer service skills and will treat a person like they are beneath them. I have come in for repairs in the past and on all occasions I was talked to as if I was an idiot; the fact that I’m knowledgeable and trained in the instruments and described the problem and repair needed in the EXACT terms that they used back should not matter; what matters is the manner in which they spoke to me, as if I didn’t know what I was talking about and I couldn’t possibly. I don’t know if it was my gender, or what the reason was, but I didn’t feel it was appropriate. There was no negative conversation prior, I was not angry or rude, I spoke to them with respect and seeking assistance on the repair, but they respond with the tone of «you couldn’t possibly know what I know, little girl.»
When I was here in my middle/​high school days, before they moved locations, I was always met with service and a friendly smile, but these days with the matching outfits and Guitar Center feel, I feel constantly talked down to and misinformed on products. I’ve attempted to search for other gear for other instruments before and every time it feels like they are musicians who would rather be playing than helping me, talking to me. Aside from the young man who helped get the repair fixed today, I would not recommend this location for your needs. There are a few other music stores to try in the area and shop around. Hopefully if you do wind up at Beacock’s, you will be treated better than I have been.

Beacock Music is the story of a small business who built their reputation through personalized service by their owners, but then turned it over to the next generation, who has expanded the business and taken a different approach. No longer serving customers on the floor, the owners have lost touch with their customers, and are unreceptive to hearing about issues that may arise in their absence.
If you know exactly what you need, and feel you can trust these guys, go for it. But if you are relying on these guys as the experts to provide working equipment and supplies for your beginning child, buyer beware. And if you eventually learn that the reason your child was struggling so much with playing particular notes, was because of a problem with the instrument itself, as well as the wrong supplies provided by the salesperson, you may be told in no uncertain terms by a man in an ivory tower that «it did not go out this way.»
A business who cared about their customers and reputation would do some research into who was involved in the transaction and what quality control checks they performed prior to releasing the instrument. Instead, this one buried their head in the sand.

Nice place!!!
Most sale staff are great and knowledgeable!
Very Friendly!
Some times you can get ignored… but that could be a good thing.
MR Chad B.

This is a great music store! Super friendly staff/​employees that are very helpful and knowledgeable. Beacock’s has a wide selection of products. Guitars, basses, pianos, string instruments, orchestra instruments, and more!
This is by far one of the best music stores in the SW Washington and Portland, OR area.

Beacock Music and Education Center did an AMAZING job taking care of myself, my daughter and her beloved flute! We purchased this flute 2 years ago with the help of Wayne from Beacock’s and were recently told during its annual check-​up by Wendy that there was a flaw in the silver. Wayne then contacted the manufacturer and persuaded them to look at our flute (the manufacturer was doubtful this could happen to one of their flutes, and yet sure enough the flute had a flaw). The flute was then sent by Beacock’s to Boston, for thorough evaluation and in the meantime, Wayne made sure he loaned us a comparable flute as well as persuaded the manufacturer to fix/​replace the flute under manufacturer warranty :) My daughter now has her flute back, it was delivered by the manufacturer to Beacock’s, I received a call from Jared at the service center and an email from Wayne regarding the great news and the next day the flute was delivered by Beacock’s to my daughter’s school – South Salem High School! It just happened to be the day of her first band concert for the school year. Such great service! What a team to work with – Wendy, Wayne and Jared!!! Thank you to everyone at Beacock’s that helped with this adventure!!! From this busy working mom of two, with a flute playing daughter who had 40 musical performances last school year – I thank you! We of course, will be back, for routine maintenance as well as purchases of any future musical instruments — Dr. Kari Clawson

When I first walked into this place, I thought, «Woah, it’s like heaven. Coffee, music lessons, sheet music, gifts and musical instruments.» Let me repeat: it is a music store with a coffee shop in it. Need I say more?
Yes, yes I do, because not only does it have good coffee, but the staff is incredible. I worked with Ryan Green when I picked up my banjolele there (lovingly referred to as Lil’ Deb). He was helpful, friendly and went the extra mile for me. He gave me his card and didn’t pressure me when I told him I wasn’t going to get it. I ended up returning (obviously) and getting it, in part because of his customer service.
This place should be on every music lover’s A-​list.

I have always gotten my piano sheet music from Beacock’s, they have a great selection and are happy to help you find whatever you need. Today I was helped by Shana and Nathan. They were both extremely professional but fun and relatable at the same time! They were very knowledgable about the company and the items I asked about. The store is such a great atmosphere for musicians, and they have a little café! I highly recommend Beacock’s!

I worked with Wayne when my son and I purchased a new Yamaha Saxophone. He was extremely helpful and has gone above and beyond with his customer service. He even allowed us to take a mouthpiece to try out before purchasing. The entire group has been astounding and I will drive from Portland, OR to Vancouver, WA to Beacock regardless of closer music stores just to work with Wayne and the folks there. Awesome.

This is the way most music stores should be done. This is a full-​service music shop. Here you can get most of your music needs met & an espresso to boot!
They rent & sell instruments. Think brass to guitars/​ukeleles to keyboards. Provide lessons and a comfy waiting area complete with small espresso café! (Sweet for any parent needing to wait out a lesson.)
They have a great selection of sheet music and accessories for any instrument you can imagine. I was there looking for bassoon reeds and was pleasantly surprised by the great selection. Most stores don’t carry bassoon reeds let alone have a decent selection to choose from.
AND if you find yourself overwhelmed simply by walking through the door, no worries! They are well-​staffed with knowledgeable people that are pleasant and more than happy to help you with anything you might need. If you haven’t been, it’s definitely a place to check out!

I’m new to stringed instruments, but not to music, so I had a fairly good idea of the ukulele I wanted and needed guidance. I was met by a very helpful young man at the door, who directed me to their string guy, Jake.
Jake was enthusiastic and knowledgeable, dutifully tuning each instrument I was interested in, and played some tunes so I could compare. It was a lot of fun, and I got a great instrument at what I think is a fair price. I asked for guidance on teaching materials, and he directed me to the sheet music section, and helped pick out a book. I really enjoyed my experience, and will be back.

For all you folks who enjoy the experience of buying a used car from a used car salesman who works on commission alone, this is the music store for you! I can almost feel your excitement! Yeah!
Nothing like going into a store to be treated and spoken to as though you are a complete moron. If you are going to offer your customer’s deals, don’t belittle them and try to make them feel bad for trying to take advantage of those deals.
After a year of renting an instrument from Beacock, an instrument that was hardly ever used, and returned in the same condition we took it in, we went in to Beacock to use our one year of rental payment credit towards a the purchase of an instrument as we were told we could do. In fact it was one of the motivations to rent from a music store nearly an hour away from our home.
From the get go the salesman tried to push a larger sale on us than what we had planned for. Not only that, but he was trying to get us to purchase items that were on «sale» and then told us we could not use our $ 200+ credit towards the item… because it was on «sale». And by on «sale», they mean they are knocking a few bucks off the once overpriced original fee. There was very little selection for our instrument that wasn’t on «sale» or wasn’t a consignment item, so really there was almost nothing we could purchase with our credit. Lame! At the very least we could have been offered a 10−20% discount in addition to the «sale» price so we can at least feel like our one year rental, with the promise of credit, wasn’t worth ZIP. I mean, any old person off the street could walk in and get the same exact deal… I don’t get it. What a freaking scam!
I don’t walk into stores with the goal of finagling in fact I hate that whole let’s make a deal crap, but if a deal is offered, I expect it to be fulfilled. However, we were instead made to feel like we were ungrateful customers when the rental credit subject was broached. The salesmen even said, and I quote, «We can either play the rental credit game (add a snooty intonation here) or I can just give you the bottom line.» Wow, I had no idea we were playing a game. Usually when you play a game there is a prize for the winner. Hmmm, guess we were the losers at this game because in the end we walked out with a used drum, stand and case for $ 100 when I know we could have found a better deal for a used drum on Craigslist given enough time.
Yeah, you can be assured we will never, ever return to Beacock Music. Furthermore, I will warn all other parents at my son’s school to be wary of renting or purchasing from this company. All you had to do is offer us a little discount towards the instrument on sale and we would have walked out spending about $ 200 more, but instead you chose to take the low road and belittle your customers. Way to go! Give yourselves a big pat on the back!

Recently while moving boxes around in our attic I happened to stumble across all of my old instrument cases. Feeling nostalgic, I opened up my favorite case for kicks, only to discover a violin with a very broken string (it wasn’t even the G-​string that broke, which is a shame because I could have made a joke out of that). Staring at the spastic string brought back many memories, which apparently were all positive, because the next I knew I was driving to East Vancouver scoping out a new string at Beacocks.
Prior to my musical lull, I frequently found myself at Beacock Music on some sort of mission. While I never was a fan of their instruments per say (they seem geared towards beginners), I almost always had luck finding other accessories suitable for whatever instrument I was currently convincing myself I could play.
In all honesty, it would be easy to just order things online, but there is a certain charm about Beacock Music that makes it a fun environment to be around. From kiddos joyfully trying out an instrument for the first time to pros showing off their latest musical repertoire, the shop always seems to be full of life.
The store itself is conveniently (and neatly) broken up into different instrument family sections, making it easier to find what you are looking for. Along side of the instruments is a library of sheet music, scale and étude books, stands, cases, pretty much every instrument gadget you can think of, and random trinkets such as tote bags, jewelry, etc. In addition to their merchandise, the store also holds music classes (both individual and group), an instrument repair shop, and a small café as you wait or shop. There is certainly a lot going on within the store, but there are enough super laid back, friendly, and knowledgeable staff to help you out.
Now that I have all strings in tack, I have been having a bit too much fun pretending to undo four years of not practicing! While it is safe to say my musical abilities have deteriorated over the years, it’s nice to know at least Beacocks hasn’t lost its flair!