Guitar Center Reviews 

2,868
TrustScore 3.5 out of 5

3.5

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Looking at 289 reviews, most reviewers were somewhat happy with their experience overall. Customers frequently praise the staff, highlighting their knowledge, helpfulness, and passion for music, which makes shopping and learning enjoyable. Many people appreciate the excellent customer service provided by individual employees, who go above and beyond to assist with purchases and resolve issues. However, some people were dissatisfied with product descriptions and the condition of used items, particularly regarding cases not being included as advertised or products arriving damaged. There are also occasional concerns about the ordering process, with some experiencing delays or confusion regarding shipping versus in-store pickup. A few other people also felt that the service for lessons was disorganized, leading to missed appointments and unmet expectations.

What people talk about most

Product

Consumers find product experiences to be ambiguous, with many reporting positive interactions such as... See more

Staff

Reviewers mention positive feedback about staff, highlighting their helpfulness, knowledge, and excellent... See more

Order

Customers had ambiguous experiences with order, with some reporting easy and helpful ordering processes,... See more

Customer service

Reviewers highlight ambiguous aspects of customer service, with many praising outstanding and helpful... See more

Service

Users describe ambiguous interactions with service, with many customers reporting positive experiences,... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Valerie made our shopping experience—buying my 14 year old son his first acoustic guitar—stress-free and fun. We appreciated how educated they were about guitars and that they genuinely loved to share... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Matchable to Yamaha 88 Key Case for $40 less and included Special 2-day handling - Priceless. All information was accurately entered, Visa struggle on the numbers is the Card issue - not service ce... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Eliot was awesome every step of the way. Great attitude, knowledgeable and just made my vintage trade in for a new Les Paul a great experience. Staff like Eliot is what keeps me as a lifelong GC custo... See more

Company replied

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I called the North Fort Worth store inquiring about a cymbal being in stock and spoke to Garin. He was great. Garin was very upbeat and friendly. He was knowledgeable about my product of interest and... See more

Company replied


Company details

  1. Music Store

Written by the company

Guitar Center offers great deals on guitars and other musical instruments including bass guitars, keyboards, and amplifiers


Contact info

3.5

Average

TrustScore 3.5 out of 5

3K reviews

5-star
4-star
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1-star

Asks customers to review

This company invites their customers to review, whether positive or negative

Replied to 95% of negative reviews

Typically replies within 1 week

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3.5

All reviews

(2,868)

277 reviews in the last 12 months

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Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Got my had to have order in pronto!!

I called the Paramus NJ facility at the close of business on Sunday the 8th of February. I was offered the chance to transfer to a representative with questions you may have about equipment. I was pleased to have the opportunity to talk to someone as I wanted a used guitar and wanted it before it was gone. Kevin greeted me and told me yes he would be glad to get my order in! So thank you much Kevin. I've bought from Guitar Center for many years and have not ever had a bad experience with them at any location I've frequented or on the phone or online. Keep up the great work Guitar Center!!

February 8, 2026
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

Christopher,

Thank you so much for choosing us! We truly appreciate your support and are grateful for the opportunity to serve you.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Bought NEW got USED, then suppressed my review.

I ordered a NEW Bass pedal, but received a used, non-functioning, no box, no paperwork, no accessories pedal loose in a large box. They required that I return the item to a shipper or a store on MY dime. Then they suppressed and changed my review on their website. I gave them multiple opportunities to make this right, but they chose to do nothing.

UPDATE: The response from GC is merely an attempt to look as if they are willing to do something. They are not. I had already sent multiple emails to that address, as well as others without any response. My REVIEW is STILL ALTERED. I would never give such a bad review if it wasn't warranted. They were given months to make this right, but chose not to.

November 4, 2025
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. I’m truly sorry for the frustration you experienced with your recent order—that’s not the experience we want for any customer.

We’d like the opportunity to look into this further and have management address your concerns directly. Please email us at YourVoice@GuitarCenter.com
with the details of your order, along with your preferred contact method, and we’ll follow up with you.

Thank you again for bringing this to our attention.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Well how can I say anything less about…

Well how can I say anything less about guitar center then your sales already tell I had a few thousand dollars in my pocket to buy a guitar I was just about to make the mistake and buy another guitar from your store until your sales associate walked up and asked me to not play so loud on an acoustic guitar mind you I am a very good player as well yesterday when I picked out the guitar I was going to purchase someone asked you have to be somebody well I might not be signed because Mayfeld records is unfortunately racist against white people and I made a mistake of telling Warner Records I was going to go with Mayfeld maybe I’m misspelling it it’s the label Rick Ross is on but it’s only a matter of time before I am famous and I guarantee you that the second I am I will give people guitars for free and make sure you don’t sell another one I can’t tell you how many times I have been disappointed by guitar center and Ive only spent probably 25k at the store you would think they would have the common decency regardless of how I dress I’m a born rockstar and every show I do in the future I will say guitar center sucks go to Sweetwater or get a free guitar from me when I’m loaded

February 3, 2026
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. I’m truly sorry for the frustration you experienced with your recent order—that’s not the experience we want for any customer.

We’d like the opportunity to look into this further and have management address your concerns directly. Please email us at YourVoice@GuitarCenter.com
with the details of your order, along with your preferred contact method, and we’ll follow up with you.

Thank you again for bringing this to our attention.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I lost my credit card and I get accused of stuff I never did

I lost my credit card and a purchase of $1,592.69 was made on my credit card without my approval or knowledge I know nothing about these charges and they are saying I made the charges and that the item was Delivered when I didn't receive anything from anyone and I called UPS and without a Tracking number UPS can not help me and the Guitar center employees are claiming I made the purchase when I did not and I don't have anything here and UPS can't help me with this this place is absolutely ridiculous and they shouldn't be in Business if this is how they are going to treat people even my local police department is saying I Did not Do this I don't care what you have on File I Never received a thing and I know nothing about the charge on my credit card I don't know how you stay in business even my local police department said I didn't do this so you're calling my local police department a bunch of liars when my local police department outright said I wouldn't do this and there's no way I did this bottom line Just because an order says Delivered doesn't mean I received it and I've called ups and they said they know nothing about this and without a tracking number they can't help me anybody can buy something on a credit card it doesn't have to be me!

November 18, 2025
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

Daniel,

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. I’m truly sorry for the frustration you experienced with your recent order - that’s not the experience we want for any customer.

We’d like the opportunity to look into this further and have management address your concerns directly. Please email us at YourVoice@GuitarCenter.com
with the details of your order, along with your preferred contact method, and we’ll follow up with you.

Thank you again for bringing this to our attention.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Just got ripped off from sales guys

Just got ripped off from sales guys.
I mentioned that the price was incorrect and even after “correcting it” they still charged me more.
That happened in 4449 Lyons Rd Suite J-106, Coconut Creek, FL 33073, United States

January 31, 2026
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

Glauco,

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. I’m truly sorry for the frustration you experienced with your recent order - that’s not the experience we want for any customer.

We’d like the opportunity to look into this further and have management address your concerns directly. Please email us at YourVoice@GuitarCenter.com
with the details of your order, along with your preferred contact method, and we’ll follow up with you.

Thank you again for bringing this to our attention.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I purchased a Fender AmPro2 bass online…

I purchased a Fender AmPro2 bass online that stated it was in excellent condition. Well it wasn’t. It had a significant divet in the body by the cable plug in. Working with Joe And Liz at the Norman OK store, much better than the OKC store in terms of customer service and overall friendliness I might add, Joe noticed the flaw actually before I did and immediately adjusted things to make it right. I then turned my purchase over to Jeremy in service for a set up and string change and to drop in a set of Lindy Fralin pickups! Jeremy is truly a master at what he does and is the only one who ever touches my basses. He’s corrected other mistakes made by a professional luthiers on one of my basses. The man is gifted and you can tell enjoys what he does. So, you can’t go wrong with any of the staff in Norman but a big thanks again to Liz, Joe, and Jeremy!

January 30, 2026
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

Hi Kevin, thank you so much for taking the time to share your positive experience. Thank you for being an Guitar Center customer!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Incredible customer support

I reached out to Guitar Center's customer support for assistance, as I was looking to purchase a guitar for my husband's birthday. In trying to keep this a surprise and knowing next to nothing about guitars, I was in over my head. I didn't call with the intention of receiving a ton of personalized assistance - I just wanted to ask about their return policy, as I figured that if I picked the wrong one being able to return it was extremely important. The gentleman who answered the phone, Dalton, was immediately very nice and seemed excited to help. I asked my quick return policy questions and I was ready to hang up when he started asking about what exactly I was looking for. This turned into a fairly lengthy conversation in which I explained that this needed to be a surprise so I had very limited information and zero experience looking at guitars - and he jumped at the chance to help. I was able to send him links to the specific listings I had found and he did a lot of research - even calling the store to confirm that the frontrunner was in fact in the excellent condition shown in the photos. We ended up exchanging over a dozen emails and multiple phone calls over two days as he answered my million inane questions and walked me through exactly what he was looking for and ultimately held my hand through the checkout and shipping process. With so much less stress than I had anticipated, all thanks to Dalton, my husband now has a guitar on the way. I truly can't say enough good things about this experience. As someone who knows almost nothing about guitars, the idea of buying one online was somewhat terrifying. Dalton was incredibly patient and beyond helpful. I would absolutely recommend that anyone considering purchasing from Guitar Center who isn't entirely confident in what they want reach out to the gear specialists, as this was by far the best customer service experience I can ever recall having. I can't wait for my husband to have his new guitar and get to chat with Dalton about the new amp he wants to go with it!

January 29, 2026
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

Melissa,

Thank you so much for sharing your experience with us. We’re thrilled to hear how helpful Dalton was and how smoothly he was able to guide you through such an important purchase.

We’ve shared your kind words with Dalton and our leadership team. Feedback like this truly means a lot. We hope your husband loves his new guitar, and we look forward to helping again anytime.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Ordered a guitar online 48 hours later…

Ordered a guitar online 48 hours later GC cancelled the order, claiming the guitar was damaged. Photos and the original listing stated the guitar was in "great condition," but now it is mysteriously damaged. GC made no effort to help find a replacement; they basically said, "Well, you're S.O.L., and we don't stand by our website." The local GC rep was rude and provided no real info or proof that the guitar was damaged. They falsely advertised an item, undersold it, and then reneged on the sale. I would caution you to buy from another retailer because Guitar Center has no integrity.

Edit* and if you can even believe it two days later used Brendan smalls ghost horse explorer for sale. Who knows if it’s the same guitar as I purchased you can’t even be sure if the photos guitar center uses are even accurate.

January 23, 2026
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

Chris, thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. I’m truly sorry for the frustration you experienced with your recent order, that’s not the experience we want for any customer.

We’d like the opportunity to look into this further and have management address your concerns directly. Please email us at YourVoice@GuitarCenter.com
with the details of your order, along with your preferred contact method, and we’ll follow up with you.

Thank you again for bringing this to our attention.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I went back to guitar center,and it was…

I went back to guitar center,and it was a completely different experience.The staff was friendly,and professional!I was very happy with the knowledge of the staff,and what I bought!!!

January 26, 2026
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

Hi Paul, thank you so much for the awesome feedback! We appreciate you being a customer with us, and we hope to see you again very soon!

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

UPS failed delivery for some unknown…

UPS failed delivery for some unknown reason. They returned my package. I told Guitar Center this was unsatisfactory. I needed my mandolin case yesterday. Resend my package! Again, Guitar Center shipped it UPS Economy Ground Service. They do not value my buisness!

January 24, 2026
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

Robert, thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. I’m truly sorry for the frustration you experienced with your recent order, that’s not the experience we want for any customer.

We’d like the opportunity to look into this further and have management address your concerns directly. Please email us at YourVoice@GuitarCenter.com
with the details of your order, along with your preferred contact method, and we’ll follow up with you.

Thank you again for bringing this to our attention.

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

$5000 amp showed up broken, GC won't fix it.

Ordered a $5000 amplifier for a price too good to be true. Amp was advertised as "fully functional," having "fresh tubes," and the staff said it came with factory dust cover and footswitch. Turns out, it was too good to be true. The amp arrived with a broken power tube, burnt up rectifier tube and no footswitch or cover.

Guitar Center customer support kept saying they would fix this. After a month, I was ready to return the unusable amp, but now it was past the return window. After weeks of back and forth with customer service, they sent tubes. They sent the wrong tubes, and I had to take time out of my day to print a label and go drop them off to be shipped back. Now been a few months, and still can't use the amp. I haven't shopped at Guitar Center for 20 years because of a similar situation (bought a Les Paul Custom that had all generic electronics and parts installed and they wouldn't accept a return because it was a special clearance price) and never will again.

January 22, 2026
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

Hi Ham, we are sorry that you are having difficulties with your order. Please email us directly at yourvoice@guitarcenter.com with details, and we will follow up with you regarding this. Thank you for your patience with this situation.

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Great Products... Awful Customer Service

The selection is awesome in all departments. Kudos to whoever decided to unlock the good stuff a few years ago. I never visited the store while they were locked up.

The absolute worst part of every single store in my area is the customer service...or lack of of service. I have had experience as a Manager of a retail store and realize staffing is an issue everywhere. In this day and age it is so easy to buy products on-line rather than visit a brick and mortar store. The only thing that could bring value to visiting stores is customer service. My local stores (RI & Southern MA) do not either have the staff or they just do not know how to sell and assist customers. The stores are poorly merchandised and staff is normally at the front desk congregating. As a previous manager, this would be unacceptable.

I am in my late 40s and have a collection of higher-end guitars, along with disposable income. Not once in the last 2-3 years has a single salesperson attempted to assist or try to actively sell an product. In addition to their lack of initiative, most of the staff really think they are rock stars and they are above their customers. While I understand they might be great musicians, the sales/personal skills are highly lacking.

My last visit I played several $2k+ acoustics and found a D18 I really loved. I was in the store for over an hour and not a single staff attempted to assist or "sell" the guitar. I did end up buying one on-line at a cheaper price. However, a single attempt assist could have led me to but directly from the store.

I realize that staffing is expensive but if you want to survive, there needs to be some attention paid to the customer

January 17, 2026
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

Mike,

Thank you for your feedback. We apologize for any sort of inconvenience you may have encountered when interacting with our stores. We want to get your feedback addressed with the store management team and District Manager, if you could please email us yourvoice@guitarcenter.com with your comments and your preferred contact information, we will follow up with the management teams regarding this. Thank you

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Misinform

I called about a certain Harmonica, they said they had one and I said are you sure. I have a long drive, I decided to call again to make sure another person answered and I ask them to find it and put it up he said it was there so I drove a good ways to get it. and got there they said it showed they had it but wasnt there., I had ask him to look, its cost me gas and 18$ in tolls. I could have ordered it,

January 19, 2026
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

Hello Bill, thank you for bringing this to our attention. We apologize for the experience that you have had.
Please email us at YourVoice@GuitarCenter.com with the details along with the contact method you prefer, and we can get this addressed for you by management.
Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. Again, I'm sorry for the frustration you've experienced.
Thank you

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I have been a Guitar Center Customer…

I have been a Guitar Center Customer since 1990. And I was just involved in the best customer service experience ive ever had anywhere. Guitar Center still offers the Human Connection, which is important when purchasing items that are tools for your passion (music). Phillip Lopez the mgr at Cerritos had impeccable follow through & customer service skills.

I had replacement item that was still under warranty. It was seamless, professional and felt very Rewarding. I advised all my band members and peers to buy into Guitar Center Pro Coverage.

January 14, 2026
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

Hello Ed! Thank you so much for the awesome feedback. We appreciate you being a Guitar Center customer! See you next time!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Made a purchase and return was easy

Made a purchase and return was easy. Want to thank salespeople Brian and especially Sam for their excellent help and proffesionalism.

January 18, 2026
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

Hello Robert! Thank you so much for the awesome feedback. We appreciate you being a Guitar Center customer! See you next time!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

The Glory of the Epiphone J45

This year on Christmas my dad got me a brand new acoustic guitar, an Epiphone J45. I saw the unusual shape of the present and razed through the paper, leaving nothing but scraps in my wake. My dad knows I'm fervid for all things music, so this present was perfect for me. I strummed a basic F bar chord, the sound was euphonious, not from my playing, but from the build of the guitar. This present was munificent, I had never received something so grand in my life. My dad told me he went to five guitar stores, meticulously trying each guitar until he found the one for me. The guitar sounds so good, I practice it everyday, my mind is torpid with this instrument, there are so many songs that would sound so good, how do I pick what to learn? I pick songs viable to my skill level, someday, I'll learn harder songs. Every time I learn a new song I am transient, I jump from song to song, my mind discursive as ever. Sometimes in my practice, I break a string, it makes an awful din. Lucky for me this guitar is super easy to restring! Everytime I come home and I see my guitar, I pick it up and strum with alacrity. Not only does this guitar sound amazing, it looks amazing too, its beauty is the opposite of prosaic. Some things I play on this guitar are nefarious, because I’m not the best player, but I am sure this guitar will help me be great. I am an impecunious young man, so getting this lifetime guitar is great, thanks dad and thanks Epiphone! Ten out of ten stars.

January 16, 2026
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

Hello Nash! Thank you so much for the awesome feedback. We appreciate you being a Guitar Center customer! See you next time!

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

I would say I was pleased to see the…

I would say I was pleased to see the product was in great physical condition, but when I finally used it, some keys are either bugged out or won’t play at all. I would like to request for a repair if possible as I also purchased a 12 month repair warranty. Thank you and please let me know the next step to solving my issue.

January 12, 2026
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

We're sorry to hear that you've run into this issue with your purchase. Give us a call at 866-498-7882 or send us an email at YourVoice@GuitarCenter.com with your order info and we can see what options we have from here.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

They won’t honor listed prices and discounts.

They have a “Price Drop” listed on both the website and app. The price is listed as a price drop, not a sale. I called to try to apply my military discount and they won’t because their system isn’t showing the same price the website and app are.

I’ve been a Guitar Center Gear Card holder for almost 10 years now and they got my name wrong on my latest order, even though I’m in the system.

January 5, 2026
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

Westin, sorry to hear that your discount won't apply on the price drop! We'd like to look into this further with you, if you could please email us at YourVoice@GuitarCenter.com, we will follow up. Thanks

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Zeke has poor customer service

Zeke has poor customer service
Don’t lay money on the counter Zeke when it is put into your hand! This place is rude crude and full of stone cold racism
I have always hated the feeling I get when I walk in there
I should have went to the micro center

January 2, 2026
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

Hello, thanks for your review and sorry to hear about the experience you had with Zeke. Please email us at YourVoice@GuitarCenter.com with which location you visited and any other details, and we will follow up. Thanks

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

A win of a shipping experience

Drew Hartman made my buying experience great. He listened to what I inquired about. He was professional and easy to talk to. His product knowledge was on par with what I was looking for. He treated me like an old friend....and I purchased the item.

January 2, 2026
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

Phillip, we're happy to hear you had a great experience with Drew! Let us know if you need anything else in the future. Thanks!

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