Guitar Center

I bought 3 guitars, 1 amp, an Audiobox & many accessories here (hundreds & hundreds & hundreds of $). The amp had a minor manufacturers defect: an odd sound when using reverb. Their response to this issue was ham-​fisted and completely UNSATISFACTORY. It was not resolved properly. I am forced to fix myself. Because of that, I’m not inclined to give them any more money. There are other guitar stores in town that have better service and more knowledgable staff. Prior to that, I really enjoyed shopping here at one time. Look & try out here, but shop & spend elsewhere.

This guitar center is understaffed with poor customer service. Tried to buy a guitar for my fiancé and they had computer issues in the middle of the transaction and I had to wait 3 days to come back so that their computer system could «catch up». Called three days later and the manager had no idea what I was talking about. Finally got things squared away, was told they would string the guitar free of charge for all my trouble and when I showed up it wasn’t done and they were swamped with one guy trying to do everything. Understaffed. Poor communication. And they made me feel like I was a burden even though I was the one trying to purchase a guitar from them!

I ordered an Epiphone Les Paul ’56 Pro Limited Edition from an online retailer. It sounds and plays great EXCEPT for a G string that would go out of tune after a good bend. I had a set up done at another local store that lessened the problem, but didn’t solve it. I called the online retailer to see if I could swap it for another, but it was a few days past the 45 day guarantee window. They put me in touch with Epiphone customer service (the guitar has a lifetime warranty) who informed me that my best bet was to take it to GC, since they were an authorized Epiphone repair center. Long story slightly less long, Tyler in the repair department looked it over, played it, saw what I was seeing, and fixed it in about 3 minutes right in front of me at no charge (of course, I still spent $ 100 before walking out of the store). It was a simple issue that my regular tech didn’t catch. As much as I prefer frequenting locally-​owned businesses, I think I’m going to take all of my guitars to GC for modifications and maintenance.

While I’ve only shopped here a few times, I’ve been pleased with the service each time. Most recently I was trying to find a last minute Valentine’s Day gift for my husband. When I called they told me they weren’t officially open and evidently weren’t able (or maybe willing) to check the shelf at that time. But when I called back 30 minutes later, I was transferred to the appropriate department who confirmed having the item in stock, but only one left. They held it for me so I could drive over from Lawrence. When I got there they explained protection plan options but did not push me at all which was appreciated. They suggested a few other items that would compliment the item I was purchasing which was appreciated.
I also have tried to purchase a specific guitar online from Guitar Center. Unfortunately it took them a few days to notify me that it was back ordered until after Christmas. The service was excellent though, and they offered to help find another selection. I wasn’t interested in anything other than the specific guitar I ordered so they simply refunded me with no pressure or issues, all the while being apologetic for the inconvenience.

This was easily going to be a single star rating, but for the manager who swooped in and wheeled and dealed his way towards appeasing me (see below). Outside of this gentleman I have found (via several trips in this store) customer service to be just awful. No one really seems trained for that aspect of retail. One trip had me sent around to 5 (FIVE) different registers before I could get checked out with one small item. Then the usual two employees hanging out and chatting with each other behind the counter — oblivious to customers waiting patiently for them to be done and actually do their jobs.
Another trip had 3 different employees go into the back to retrieve the item I wanted, but not a single one ever came back to me to say they couldn’t find it (but they did appear back on the floor doing other things that did not involve customer interaction). This is when the manager (who could probably tell by my body language and expression of anticipation for over 30 minutes) approached me teo see if I was being helped. Since it couldn’t be found he offered a better and higher priced guitar for the same price. DEAL
I will be going back. But I will be expecting some level of incompetence and lack of caring from the the general floor, but hoping that gets addressed (maybe because of this review). There is hope. The manager seems to care. He just has to figure out how to pass that on to bunch of musicians trying to make a few easy bucks working a job that requires a little more effort and care than they realize.

I’ve now spent plenty of money and time in this guitar center, and all my experiences have been fantastic. I bought a keyboard a long time ago here, and recently came back to buy a condenser mic, audio interface, studio monitors, and accessories and cables to put it all together. My experience was just amazing here.
The multiple times I came in recently with a billion questions were well received, even though many of those times I didn’t outright buy anything then.
I was looking at the new rode nt1 mic, and they even set it up with a computer so I could hear myself through it, and since it is relatively new, they’ve been very short on stock.
Still, they made sure I knew when the new stock of mics were coming in, and that I had everything I needed when I did pull the trigger.
Also, the guys there are so helpful at helping me figure out what I wanted, and they didn’t force anything. When I came in knowing I wanted the exact mic and AI, but I hadn’t done much research on studio monitors, the guy helped explain the studio monitor choices, and by no means was he forcing me to make a decision there. In fact, he recommended that I thought about it first and read up on the different options before buying the monitors.
The best things are their inexpensive warranties, that can be utilized at any Guitar Center for full replacement and/​or repair for 2 – 3 years. These guys surely made me feel confident in my decisions and the warranties gave a big peace of mind too.
Happy to recommend this store to anyone, and when I need more studio stuff I’ll be undoubtedly returning here!

I came in just looking for a better mic for my camcorder for some interviews I had been doing. I came out with an education on microphones and mixers. The staff make you feel like you’re the only person they are focused on. They are patient and helpful. And the stuff is reasonably priced, with extended warranties should you want them. Totally recommend them.

This place has the worst customer service ever. The guy at the door sent me to one department, the guy there asked what I needed abd then went to take a personal phone call for 30 mins and then said, oh it’s not in my department, and sent me across the store. Seriously, I would have left the store if I hadn’t invested 30 mins. Needless to say, I will never go back.

First, every city should have a Guitar Center… whether you’re a seasoned pro, a beginner looking for help, or somewhere in the middle the staff is always helpful and knowledgeable. It’s full of lots of things from instruments to gear. Just bought a brand new guitar for my 8 yr old and had a GREAT experience.

This joint is pretty awesome when it comes to musical instruments. I bought a guitar here and percussion equipment. Their prices are a little high though. I was looking to buy some congas and just couldn’t pay what they were asking for. I decided to get my congas somewhere else.
I do like their set up though and they also have some orchestra stringed instruments. I believe they rent these out to kids during the school year so that works out great for them.
I don’t like their set up when you buy something though. It’s like getting into the airport security, only you are just trying to get the heck out of the store.

The largest store in the metro for all things guitar.
Not that I play guitar though. My reason for giving 5 stars is due to the ridiculously huge variety of non-​guitar instruments available. Particularly the percussion selection here is absolutely wild. My personal favorites are all of the LP (Latin Percussion) items available. Everything from congas to timbales, bongos, and everything else you need for merengue and salsa.
And of course if you are not into merengue/​salsa, there are tons of drum sets and accessories to keep you occupied.
The staff here is also quite helpful although they do hire many inexperienced noobs. But you really can’t blame them since I am sure it’s a pretty educational place to work if you are trying to learn about instruments in general.