Guitar Center Reviews 

Our experience was so great because of the staff who helped us find the best introductory guitar. Roy spent a lot of time with us explaining every model and telling us what else I would need for my first guitar. He also ordered a guitar case online, and gave us a discount, as it was not in stock in the store even though the online system said it was. He remembered our names the whole way through, and was very pleasant to talk with. I especially loved how he talked about the human side to buying a guitar in person.

I went in to pick up a used banjo I ordered online from a store out of state, and due to some human error from the other store it never got shipped out. The service from Mike and Aaron at the grape road store in IN was really beyond what I would have expected. They figured out how to get the banjo shipped to me, but they also were understanding that it was a time sensitive gift scenario and they offered to swap it in store with a new banjo. All in all, I really appreciate their help and ended up with a better banjo on the day I needed it for the same price! Thanks guys :)

They charged me $20 to ship a 1lb item. They advertise a low price but make their money on charging outrageous shipping.

I have to update my prior review and give GC a 5 star review. Shortly after I posted the Jun 16 review, GC asked for a chance to make things right. I emailed my contact info and the store manager, Ally G., called me at the end of the week to say she accepted responsibility for the scheduling problem and that she had refunded me the unused lessons prior to calling me. Stuff happens, I understand that. When GC couldn't accommodate my work schedule, this manager did the right thing and refunded me for the lessons I had paid for. In my opinion a store manager that does the right thing for the right reasons is 5-Star, and will continue to get my business.

Orig Post (June 16): Signed up for lessons several weeks ago and it was one disappointment after another. First disappointment: I changed original scheduled time to Wed at 6:00 pm. Only the first appointment was changed to Wed at 6:00 pm even though I had received an email stating all appointments changed from 6:30 to 6:00 pm. Showed up for second lesson and no instructor because instructor had only received first change to 6:00 pm. Before the fourth "actual" lesson, I advised I would like to receive lessons from someone who was more focused on acoustic guitar. I wanted to perfect playing open chords and this instructor was more inclined to teach electric guitar technique. Fine, no problem. Showed up for first lesson with new instructor - guess what, no instructor. The instructor didn't want to come back four hours later after a 2:00 o'clock lesson to teach a 6:00 o'clock lesson. No problem, they just hired a new guy and he would be able to teach the 6:00 pm lesson the following week. Guess what, just got a call from Guitar Center - 2 hours prior to scheduled lesson, asking when did I want to have my lessons so they could get someone lined up. REALLY??? I have been polite and understanding, but it's clear Guitar Center Baton Rouge can't provide the service I was offered and paid for. Matter of fact, I am walking away after just paying for the second month of lessons and I've only received four of the eight lessons I paid for.

What wonderful help and customer service I received today by Mark Gray from the San Antonio location! He went out of his way in helping me to obtain my son's birthday gift in time! No words can express how thankful I am and I know this is only the beginning of his music endeavors Guitar Center will always be my first choice for his music needs!

I’m so frustrated right now I drove 1 hour and 20 mins to pick up a speaker I needed for a gig tonight only to have the speaker crap out in 1 min during the biggest basketball game ever making me look like a fool because I had zero sound!!

Jeff, our salesman did a great job understanding what we were looking for and explaining our options. He was kind, efficient, and didn’t “oversell” us. Great experience!

I spoke with Kat; it's always a pleasure working with her! She knows her stuff and sends my ordered equipment immediately.

Had a bad experience with another online order for this same amp, used, from another guitar center. After placing that order, I was charged, then informed a day later that the amp was not in working condition but if I wanted it, I could have it for $540. It said on the page, screenshot, that the amp was tested and was in good working order as described. It apparently, was not.

Next day I find same amp, comparable price, different location so, really wanting this particular model, I did it.

A $900 purchase. An investment. Again, tested and in good working order.

The unit arrives a few days later and was packed extremely well.

While unpacking, I hear metal rattling around inside the chassis. After some light shaking, a silver washer falls out. Moving the amp more and rattling again... I decide I am not going to plug this one in til I can spend some time.

Today I did. I have photos of the 2 transformers on the interior right hand side with only one screw holding of the 4 that should have been installed.

If there was any type of inspection done on this amp prior to resale this would have been immediately evident.

The inspection stamp has a date of 9/21/15. You would have thought it was from 1915 with the amount of dust and debris inside the chassis.

That's 3 bad experiences in a row with GC. I keep reading on Google that you're doing the right thing for the customer with your new forward thinking vision. I'm all for it. Take care of this customer and do the right thing.

Riley was fast, efficient, and found exactly what I needed.

Order #: GCSF0003138360
Zach Welch helped me with my bass guitar and case purchase. He was able to get me some discounts to help with the price a bit. The bass was perfect. However, the case sent was a cheap road runner case for a guitar, not bass.
Zach told me I could go to the local GC and they could exchange it out. I got everything squared away with the local store and got my case a couple days ago. I’m very pleased with Zach’s help. Despite the case hiccup, I still rate this 5/5

I would like to recognize Javier and the entire team at the Emeryville Guitar Center for their outstanding customer service and professionalism.

Javier's consistency is impeccable. He is always welcoming, hospitable, patient, and extremely knowledgeable. Every time I visit the store, he takes the time to listen to my needs and guides me in the right direction with honest, accurate information. His recommendations have always helped me make the right decisions for my DJ equipment and audio needs.

What stands out most is the leadership Javier demonstrates. The entire staff reflects the same level of professionalism, courtesy, and expertise. They operate like a well-oiled machine, creating a positive and comfortable experience every time I walk through the doors.

As a long-term customer, I am proud to continue doing business with the Emeryville location. The exceptional service provided by Javier and his team is the reason I always look forward to returning. They truly make me feel like part of the Guitar Center family.

Thank you, Javier, and thank you to the entire Guitar Center Emeryville team for your dedication, professionalism, and outstanding customer care. It is greatly appreciated!

I purchased a used guitar. The store noticed the pickup switch didn’t work. The store contacted me by email. I called and they offered to fix it. They still had it shipped to me very quickly!

Do not go to the Orem, Utah Guitar Center…or any other. Do not shop online. I used to love the place, but they suck so bad now. Last week I tried to buy about 2500.00 worth of recording equipment , speakers and drums online and pick up in store. Like I usually do, but the site was messed up. It took me 90 minutes to figure out that it wasn’t going to let me buy anything. So, I hoped in my truck and drove 50 miles to the Orem, UT store to see if I could get some of it there. There was one employee on the sales floor with a bunch of customers shopping and two waiting at the counter to be rung up. 5 minutes passed, I knocked on the backroom where it looked like about six were standing talking about cars? I asked for some help, they acted urgent and said they would be right there. Another 5 minutes passed, there are 5 of us at the registers. 4 with stuff they just wanted to buy. I went to the one employee on the sales floor and said I was going to leave, if someone doesn’t come out immediately. He made a call and an annoyed little snowflake came out and rolled his eyes. He walked right up to this little brat who was arguing with the rest of us to b his order in waiting, and talked to him. Took forever to sell the pick strings. By the time he was ready for the next customers they had all put their stuff down and left. I told him no thanks and left…forever!!! I will never spend another cent at Guitar Center!!! They’ve been foing downhill for awhile, they have finally hit the shithole level. Went to Sweetwater online in the truck right after. Had everything I needed, some stuff I wanted and the best customer service I’ve experienced since Nordstrom. Oh, It cost about 350.00 less than Guitar Center!!!!

I had an excellent experience at Guitar Center Kansas City thanks to Phoebe.

I placed an online order for a used amplifier, but there was a listing error in the system and it was incorrectly identified. I called the store and Phoebe went above and beyond to help resolve the issue. She personally pulled the amp from inventory to inspect it and confirmed its condition was great. After identifying the mismatch, she promptly canceled the original order and ensured the correct item was reordered without any hassle.

On top of that, she personally walked the item through to the shipping area to make sure it was processed correctly and would ship at the earliest opportunity. Throughout the entire process, she was professional, attentive, and extremely kind.

Her customer service was outstanding from start to finish, and she made what could have been a frustrating situation completely smooth and stress-free. Thank you, Phoebe, for your help and for going the extra mile!

Hello, I ordered a Spector Icon ns 5 and I was wondering when it will start shipping to me. I have made my order a week ago and would like to know more about it.

Super helpful, from setting up lessons for my son to purchasing him guitar, the customer service was beyond great.

I'll never use synchrony again. They never sent me my first email statement for my first payment and have now charged me a $30 late fee and they refuse to refund it. And of course they did send me a past due statement. They have lost a customer. Will Guitar Center make this right for me or will you all have lost a customer too???

Total failure - the question is whose fault it was, Fed Ex’s (highly likely) or Guitar Center’s:

In anticipation of my new band’s debut show on June 5th, I ordered a $2,000 Marshall Combo Tube Amp. It shipped out on 5/24 with a final destination of Guitar Center in North Charleston, SC. Package tracking showed it arrive in Charlotte last Wednesday then there were no tracking updates. This weekend came and nothing. After multiple phone calls to Fed Ex, the tracking was updated to show that my amp had been inexplicably shipped to Bloomington, California, which eliminated any chance of me receiving the amp in time for my show.

Meanwhile, I had also ordered a Fender Squier Jazzmaster 12 String from Sweetwater Music (because Guitar Center did not offer the color that I wanted). It arrived today with no issues in plenty of time to be show-ready.