Wally's Music — Attraction in Oregon City

I have never been to Wally's, and I think I probably never will. It was suggested to me by a couple of fellow horn players for repair and servicing, one more enthusiastically than the other. The first said that Wally's perhaps has not been as impressive recently as historically, but that it is the only place he has gone for many years and he has no plans to change. The other said that he had heard some really good things, but had never patronized Wally's only because he has another favorite shop much closer to home. I regard people who are good at their craft, no matter what that is and I have an older horn that could use some service, so I my interest was piqued.

First, I checked on line and read some mixed reviews that echo the drop in quality that my friend suggested. But there were still some reviews that rave about Wally's, particularly (with a couple of notable exceptions) repair of brass and woodwind instruments.

I called Wally's before going to their store. I own a couple of horns, but I have not played this one for a long time until recently, plus it was loaned out for a while and I don't think it got the care I would have given it. It needs some work to be back at optimal performance. While I might be able to do that work myself, I really don't want to do it and I would prefer to leave it to a professional who does that kind of stuff every day and is less likely to make some boneheaded mistake or overlook something like I might.

At the start of the phone call, I asked to speak with somebody who works with brass instrument repairs, and the guy who answered the phone said I could just talk to him and that he could answer any questions I had. He would not say if that was his specialty nor did he give me his name except maybe at warp speed when he answered the phone. He was very curt from the outset, and our entire conversation was less than three minutes. (I will acknowledge that there might be a reasonable explanation. Maybe they were very busy at that moment, just got some bad news, or he was going through a divorce, just had a family member die, or who knows what. But it seemed like I was annoying him from the moment he picked up the phone. Whatever else was going on, a client or potential client should sense that they are valued.)

I described what I thought needed done, and his only response was that they would need to see the horn and then they would decide what needed done rather than me deciding. He talked as though it was an affront to ask about cost, and that since I was not a repair technician (Remember, I don’t know if he is either.), I was in no position to determine what the horn needed. The only answer he had for me was to bring it in and they would see what they could do with it. He never said that my instrument was not worthy, but he certainly talked as though it were not. He implied that they would heroically salvage what they could, which sort of suggested to me that they might take shortcuts on the work or not do it to with any standard of excellence. During our entire conversation and with several inquiries, he would never give the slightest clue what I could expect to pay for any part of the work nor how they base their charges, which would have allowed me to make the decision if the instrument was worth that to me, or not.

I concluded during that conversation that I had no interest in driving a hundred miles to deal with that kind of an attitude, particularly when we have local shops that provide similar service and have good reputations. At least two of them have Google reviews as high or higher than Wally's and one has nothing but fours and fives. Now I am wondering why was I thinking of going to Wally's??? I am quite glad I called first.

Maybe one star is harsh for my limited experience with them. But the ONLY thing they have going for them at this point in my mind is what others say, and you can read that directly from those people. My experience was totally negative, I do not plan to patronize them or suggest them to anybody, and they are barely even on my...

I have nothing but great things to say about Wally's. My son plays multiple brass instruments that require an occasional deep clean, adjustment and on some instances a major repair. Most recently, his French horn suffered a catastrophic fall from several feet, hitting multiple objects along the way to the ground (I own this). Robert took great care to reshape the bell, readjust a slide and fix a tubing dent and it looks pretty much like it did before! Previously, Robert had taken an Alto horn from 1889 that I found in an antique store and restored it to it's original glory (no easy feat) and has since been maintaining its playability as well. This store would normally be busy with all of the schools it supplies and maintains, but with COVID, it's been a quicker turn around. Now is a great time to clean and fix your instruments AND support a longtime...

Been and Long time customer of theirs and while repair personal doesn't remain constant, the consistent quality of work they do does. I don't know if it's because I'm a long time customer, but they will take smaller repairs I need done on my instruments like pad replacements, bore oiling, and key rotations, and do them on the spot. No waiting for weeks of missed practice time! Not only are the repair persons consistently exceptional but their front desk staff are incredible and kind. Another thing I love about them, is they carry a large inventory of instruments at most times and will happily let you try them even if you don't have an intent to purchase. I got to try an extended range clarinet and a "C" clarinet while I got my sax...