Guitar Center Reviews 

2,890
TrustScore 3.5 out of 5

3.5

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Review summary

Created with AI, based on recent reviews

Considering 302 reviews, most reviewers were somewhat happy with their experience overall. Customers frequently commend the staff for their exceptional knowledge, helpfulness, and friendly demeanor. Many appreciate the personalized assistance and expertise provided by employees, which often leads to positive shopping experiences and successful purchases. However, some customers also noted significant issues with product quality, particularly for used items, which sometimes arrived damaged or not as described. Additionally, some people were dissatisfied with order processing and delivery, experiencing delays or incorrect fulfillment. A few other people also felt that customer service was unhelpful or disrespectful in certain situations.

What people talk about most

Product

Customers consistently note ambiguous experiences with product, with some reviewers expressing satisfaction... See more

Staff

Reviewers highlight positive aspects of staff, with many customers praising the helpfulness, knowledge, and... See more

Order

Clients share ambiguous opinions on order experiences, with some reviewers reporting positive interactions... See more

Customer service

Consumers find customer service to be ambiguous, with many reporting positive experiences, highlighting... See more

Service

Reviewers mention ambiguous feedback about service, with many customers reporting amazing, professional, and... See more

Reviews shaping this summary

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

I got a Dobro Hound Dog Deluxe Round Neck resonator guitar today from G C Tacoma, WA, Bow and Brando gave me excellent help, they helped me pick the right guitar for me, I am very grateful and blessed... See more

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

I asked the store manager of Guitar Center (GC) in Alexandria Virginia if they could order Ernie Ball single wound strings. GC has the plain strings available online, but not the wound ones. The manag... See more

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


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
3-star
2-star
1-star

Asks customers to review

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

Replied to 93% of negative reviews

Typically replies within 1 week

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3.5

All reviews

(2,890)

300 reviews in the last 12 months

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Companies on Trustpilot aren't allowed to offer incentives or pay to hide reviews. Reviews are the opinions of individual users and not of Trustpilot. Read more

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Laura is a great instructor

Laura is a great instructor. She is very patient and knowledgeable. Thank you!
-Miranda R

1 July 2026
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

Thank you so much for the 5-star review!

We truly appreciate your kind words. Providing great service and making sure our customers feel confident in the products they choose is always our top priority. It means a lot to know that you felt well taken care of during your visit.

We look forward to seeing you again soon! 🎶

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Horrible service

Horrible service!
OK Ordered a Guitar from their Sioux Falls South Dakota Store over the phone, I live in NM. It was shipped out the 6th . I get a Notification from UPS on the morning of the 8th that my Package is out for delivery ! Shouldn't be here that fast So I then tracked it and saw it was being delivered to an address in Sioux Falls! After some checking and sending an Email to Guitar center I figure out it was going back to the store I bought it from and was Received by them early that morning . After talking to a Gear Advisor I was told it was a screw up by the store, they shipped it to themselves and that the store would send it out that afternoon Next day air to make up for their screw up.

A day goes by the Gear advisor contacts me again and I mention I have not gotten any tracking. He decides to check into what is going on and to try and keep this from being a book ..... It was supposed to have been sent out next day then 2nd day air on the 8th and I was told it had shipped on the 8th and they gave me a tracking number that showed a label was made on the 8th but they had not received the package .
Gear advisor contacts me again I ask why it hasn't shipped he checks calls me back says that now it was shipped on the 8th but UPS has a new policy where they no longer log packages in for tracking.. Funny I had just sent a package UPS that morning and the tracking info for it showed up within the hour , go figure .
So we come to today the9th, Finally the tracking number is active and the Guitar is with UPS but still in Sioux falls as it was just shipped Last Night and appears to be sent Ground..
If they had shipped it correctly the first time it might have gotten here Friday the 9th(today) or maybe Monday no big deal but when you screw up this badly you should make a real effort to make it right, they said they were going to but they didn't make that effort , I don't know how many times I have heard I have your back! lol
I've had enough and I have asked them to have UPS send it back to them lol wonder how badly that can get screwed up !! I
Chit happens but when it does you go out of your way to make it right not BS the customer and hope it all goes away ....
This is the second issue I have had with them , the first last fall was kind of minor by comparison but there shouldn't be a first issue much less a second !

7/25/26
Just wanted to add to this review.. You see the comment from Guitar Center to my post asking for me to contact them.... I did contact them twice and have never received a reply..
I have no idea why they didn't contact me but it does make me wonder if they just posted here for appearance sake ..
I did receive my refund they drew it out to the last day but they gave me a complete refund .. Funny I no longer get emails and Phone calls from Gear Advisors asking what they can do to help me make a purchase etc. so there is one good thing to come from this..

9 July 2026
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

Hi Randy,

Thank you for taking the time to share the details of your experience. We’re truly sorry for the frustration and inconvenience caused by the issues with your guitar shipment.

We appreciate you bringing this feedback to our attention, and we’d like the opportunity to review what happened and address your concerns further. Please reply with your order information and contact details, or reach out to us at YourVoice@GuitarCenter.com, so our team can look into this. Thank you!

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Today was great

Today was great. But the online purchase we made in December for a DJ mixer was very tough to resolve. The equipment never seemed to connect to a laptop and Guitar Centers customer service sent us to Pioneer and said that it was their issue. Between my wife and my son, they spent about five hours on the phone trying to get this resolved. Today, at the Clackamas store your associate Jordan really went to bat for us, calling the originating store back east and got them to credit part of our purchase price. He and the store manager here also gave us a good discount on a new unit, so we left the store happy. Great customer service and Clackamas Oregon!

9 July 2026
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

Thank you so much for the 5-star review!

We truly appreciate your kind words. Providing great service and making sure our customers feel confident in the products they choose is always our top priority. It means a lot to know that you felt well taken care of during your visit.

We look forward to seeing you again soon! 🎶

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Sales technician “Nate” provided excellent customer service❗️

Sales technician “Nate” was courteous, professional & patient with my purchase. Excellent customer service❗️

9 July 2026
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

Thank you so much for the 5-star review!

We truly appreciate your kind words. Providing great service and making sure our customers feel confident in the products they choose is always our top priority. It means a lot to know that you felt well taken care of during your visit.

We look forward to seeing you again soon! 🎶

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Excellent guitar! Like new!

This guitar arrived early and with no damages. This Ibanez AR420FM was listed as used in excellent condition. When I did a full inspection on it, I was surprised to find it in new condition! Very pleased with my purchase!

8 July 2026
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

Thank you so much for the 5-star review!

We truly appreciate your kind words. Providing great service and making sure our customers feel confident in the products they choose is always our top priority. It means a lot to know that you felt well taken care of during your visit.

We look forward to seeing you again soon! 🎶

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Very disappointing experience

Very disappointing experience. I purchased a piece of equipment and paid an additional fee specifically to have it delivered the next day because I had an important professional commitment. The order was confirmed, my payment was taken, and I trusted the delivery information provided.

The next day, when my equipment did not arrive, I had to contact customer service myself to find out what was happening. That is when I was told: “We are sorry, but the item is not in stock and is on backorder.”

This is completely unacceptable. Customers should be informed about inventory issues before placing an order, especially when they are paying extra for expedited delivery. Because of this lack of communication, I lost an important event and was put in a very difficult professional situation.

A company should value its customers’ time and commitments. This experience felt misleading and shows a serious lack of communication and organization. I expected much better service and transparency.

7 July 2026
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

Hi Sebastian,

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We’re truly sorry for the frustration and inconvenience caused by the issues with your order, especially given the importance of having your equipment available for a professional commitment.

We understand how disappointing it must have been to pay for expedited delivery, receive order confirmation, and then find out after the expected delivery date that the item was unavailable. We recognize the impact this had on your plans, and we appreciate you bringing this communication concern to our attention.

We’d like the opportunity to review what happened and see how we can better assist. Please email us at YourVoice@GuitarCenter.com with your order details and contact information so our team can look into this further.

Thank you for your feedback and for giving us the opportunity to address your concerns.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Wow!

Wow, starting to realize that there are good people out there. I ordered of cheap instrument from amazon, I didn't realize that a viola was considered garbage if it was under $400. I paid $200 and nearly all of the strings came defective, unable to be tuned without snapping.
This was frustrating but I started slowly ordering real strings individually to try to make this instrument playable. I ordered a string from guitar center because it was a relatively uncommon string and a few days later I got a notification that it went out of stock and it was going to be on back order until august, months away from when I wanted it. This email provided a customer service phone number to consider other options. So I called them and my main goal was just to see if there was another string like it on the market that they could send instead, the gentleman was looking on my behalf on the phone and determined at the end that there wasn't really an individual string that matched the one I was trying to order.
And then all the sudden he changed his mind, he said he found something that should work even though it was a little bit pricier than the one that I ordered, he said they were going to cover it on them and send it to me. I was thrilled already, I didn't have to spend more money and I wasn't going to have to wait months for the product. I was pleased that they resolved it quickly but that did not match what my excitement was when the package arrived.
They sent me an entire set of strings, which is likely quadruple the price that I was trying to pay for the strings that I got, needless to say I was extremely grateful. This allows me to have the same brand string on the entire instrument instead of a bunch of individuals like I would have done. Overall very pleased that they not only resolved my problem but went above and beyond for me to be a happy customer, the way I see it, they just got a customer for life.

I've seen some negative reviews about their in-person stores so it's worth noting that this experience was strictly online.

29 June 2026
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

Thank you so much for the 5-star review!

We truly appreciate your kind words. Providing great service and making sure our customers feel confident in the products they choose is always our top priority. It means a lot to know that you felt well taken care of during your visit.

We look forward to seeing you again soon! 🎶

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

So I was pretty soured on guitar…

So I was pretty soured on guitar center. I live in Arlington and I’ve been there many times making purchases over the last few years . They really seem to not give a shit at all about customer service at that store. Yesterday I stopped by the Dallas location. Whatever ur doing there needs to be done at all your stores. They were so nice , which I really didn’t expect. At that actually turned into me buying a pedal . I just stopped for strings and wound up spending $100 .
One time at the store in Arlington I was making a major guitar purchase. If I hadn’t really wanted that guitar that day, I would have gone somewhere else . Here I am about to drop 6-700 bucks and It took 40 min to get some help and get checked out. They didn’t ask if I wanted a case . Nothing . Hardly said two words to me. Ur Arlington store has too many rude Assholes .

5 July 2026
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

Thank you so much for the 5-star review!

We truly appreciate your kind words. Providing great service and making sure our customers feel confident in the products they choose is always our top priority. It means a lot to know that you felt well taken care of during your visit.

We look forward to seeing you again soon! 🎶

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

TRULY, BAD BUSINESS PRACTICE

For the last few weeks I've contacted 5 different guitar center stores for one particular item.
Two purchase were cancelled due to false representation of the store in Chicago.
The Arizona store purchased, they sent me a non working monitor.
The Charleston store display that they had the item in stock and in great condition, come to find out that it was the same monitor that I returned to them from the Arizona store that was not working.
NOW, I placed an order with the Indianapolis store for a pair of the same monitor and I was told that this pair is in great working condition but I'm waiting for the delivery to find out about this pair.
I should be repaid my shipping cost because the Arizona store sent me a non working monitor that was said to be in working condition and it was not working, not even a hum from the speaker just a dim white light at the bottom when the power switch was turned on. An update on this review, after placing an order on July 6, 2026 before this review was written, and I stated that I will find out about this pair of monitors.
Well it's Tuesday July 7,2026 the next day after placing the order, I received an email from the guitar center stating that they cancelled my order with no reason given.
Yesterday the salesman over the phone took my name and number saying that he was going to test the monitors and he would call me back to give me the results of his testing, he called me back 90 minutes later saying that the monitors were working great and that's the reason for me placing the order. I believe that they may have read this review of them and decided not to sell those monitors to me. I did called them this morning and the young lady was pleasant and offered to return the shipping cost but I'll wait to see on that.
It's all good, I'm going to cancel my guitar center gear credit card and move on. Guitar center as far as I am concerned, NOT RECOMMENDED!!!...

7 July 2026
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

Hi Clinton,

Thank you for taking the time to share the details of your experience. We’re truly sorry for the frustration and inconvenience you’ve encountered while trying to purchase this equipment.

We understand how disappointing it must have been to deal with multiple canceled orders, receive an item that did not function as expected, and experience additional challenges while trying to resolve the situation. We also appreciate you recognizing the team member who assisted you and offered support regarding your concerns.

We’d like the opportunity to review what happened with your orders and provide any assistance we can. Please email us at YourVoice@GuitarCenter.com with your order details and contact information so our team can look into this further.

Thank you for bringing this to our attention. We appreciate your feedback and the opportunity to address your concerns.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

These folks are working their tails off…

These folks are working their tails off trying to provide a great experience. They need some recognition. Everyone I’ve interacted with. Other businesses could learn from this crew. Positive, patient, going out of their way to help. Keep it up and thank you

5 July 2026
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

Thank you so much for the 5-star review!

We truly appreciate your kind words. Providing great service and making sure our customers feel confident in the products they choose is always our top priority. It means a lot to know that you felt well taken care of during your visit.

We look forward to seeing you again soon! 🎶

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Jason helped us with choosing a perfect…

Jason helped us with choosing a perfect Piano for my son, worked as best as he could to find the best shipment and also helped a lot with setting an account to maximize the discount. Jason was highly professional and helped us a lot. Highly recommended to go to him.

18 June 2026
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

Thank you so much for the 5-star review!

We truly appreciate your kind words. Providing great service and making sure our customers feel confident in the products they choose is always our top priority. It means a lot to know that you felt well taken care of during your visit.

We look forward to seeing you again soon! 🎶

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Helpful and informative staff

I visited Southington store today and it was great purchasing experience. Helpful and informative staff! Dylan took the time to help me choose the best product for my needs. He is friendly, knowledgeable, and made the entire purchasing process easy. I really appreciated his expertise and excellent customer service. Highly recommend!

1 July 2026
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

Thank you so much for the 5-star review!

We truly appreciate your kind words. Providing great service and making sure our customers feel confident in the products they choose is always our top priority. It means a lot to know that you felt well taken care of during your visit.

We look forward to seeing you again soon! 🎶

Rated 3 out of 5 stars

Worthless service after the sale

Hello GC. You gave me excellent advice during the purchase of my Guild acoustic guitar.
I have tried calling the Ft Collins store to make an appointment for guitar services. In 3 months not once has anyone answered my phone calls.
I have even emailed that store and nobody has answered me yet. So I got on the GC website chat and asked for assistance. That individual said they have reached out to the Ft Collins store to have someone call me back. Weeks have gone by now without any response from GC.
Good place to buy a guitar but totally worthless after the sell.
GOODBYE GC. I WILL NEVER USE THIS COMPANY EVER AGAIN.
Date of my experience was the last couple months of trying to contact you

1 May 2026
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

Hi Mike,

Thank you for taking the time to share your experience. We’re glad to hear that you had a positive experience during the purchase of your Guild acoustic guitar, but we’re truly sorry for the frustration you’ve experienced while trying to reach our Fort Collins team for service.

We understand how disappointing it is to make multiple attempts to get assistance and not receive a response. This is not the level of service we want our customers to experience, and we appreciate you bringing this to our attention.

We’d like the opportunity to look into this further and help. Please reply with your contact information and any additional details, or email us at YourVoice@GuitarCenter.com, so our team can review what happened and assist.

Thank you again for your feedback. We appreciate your business and the opportunity to make this right.

Rated 2 out of 5 stars

Save yourself the trouble with used gear

On my 2nd used Guitar Center Bass amp that is not correctly functioning. They clearly do not properly test out used gear before reselling. On my 2nd return process, for store credit only unfortunately. If you're buying used gear, stick to you local shop or Reverb.com. Don't trust GC's used shop unless you want a mile of headaches. 2 stars for the very helpful customer service is the only saving grace of the process.

29 June 2026
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

Hi,

Thank you for taking the time to share your feedback. We’re sorry to hear about the issues you’ve experienced with your used gear purchases and understand how frustrating it must be to go through multiple return processes.

We appreciate you recognizing the helpfulness of our customer service team, but we understand that the overall experience did not meet your expectations. We take feedback like this seriously and will share your concerns regarding used gear inspection and the purchasing experience with the appropriate teams.

We’d appreciate the opportunity to learn more and look into your experience further. Please reach out to us at YourVoice@GuitarCenter.com with your order details and contact information so our team can assist.

Thank you for bringing this to our attention.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Eliot was awesome every step of the…

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 customer!

26 June 2026
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

Thank you so much for the 5-star review!

We truly appreciate your kind words. Providing great service and making sure our customers feel confident in the products they choose is always our top priority. It means a lot to know that you felt well taken care of during your visit.

We look forward to seeing you again soon! 🎶

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Ella and Mike

Ella and Mike are awesome with coordinating the lessons and teaching.

25 June 2026
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

Thank you so much for the 5-star review!

We truly appreciate your kind words. Providing great service and making sure our customers feel confident in the products they choose is always our top priority. It means a lot to know that you felt well taken care of during your visit.

We look forward to seeing you again soon! 🎶

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

I was billed for two months of lessons after cancellation.

I have been billed for two consecutive months (May and June) after having cancelled guitar lessons. After being billed for May, I brought this to the attention of the manager, who assured me that I would receive a refund and that I would not be billed again. Today, 26 June, I have not received refund from May and was billed again for the month of June.

26 June 2026
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

Hi! We're sorry to hear about this and understand how frustrating it must be to continue being billed after canceling your lessons. We'd like to look into this for you. Please email us at YourVoice@GuitarCenter.com with your contact information, the location where your lessons were scheduled, and any relevant details, and our team will review your concerns and follow up with you. Thank you. – Brittany

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

Tyler is very helpful and makes your experience smooth

Tyler from Guitar Center on Steven’s creek helped me out a ton! I went in looking for something I had no idea about and he was super helpful at choosing the right product for me. He also helped me try out a guitar and set me up nicely with an amp. Such a cool guy and a wonderful experience getting new gear and equipment. Super easy to talk to and truly cares about what he does and the people he helps out in store.

23 June 2026
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

Thank you so much for the 5-star review!

We truly appreciate your kind words. Providing great service and making sure our customers feel confident in the products they choose is always our top priority. It means a lot to know that you felt well taken care of during your visit.

We look forward to seeing you again soon! 🎶

Rated 1 out of 5 stars

Ordered a pair of Kali Audio LP8 V2…

Ordered a pair of Kali Audio LP8 V2 monitors after confirming with the store that they were coming out of cuz they were used that they were in fact the V2 version. Typically when I reach out to a store regarding a used product I never hear back from him but this time I did. I was assured in fact they were V2. Yet 5 days later when they actually came they were not V2s despite the fact they charged the price of the twos which were quite a bit more expensive than the original version. So my excitement in opening the box thinking I finally finished my studio turn to anger. Try to dressing it online with the chat gear specialist and not only did the guy not even know there was a V1 or V2 he had no thing to say except I can offer a refund. Why do you think I even order from this crappy corporation. I have only ever used it because of the return policy so I guess if you're not excited about what you may be thinking that you bought or are expecting something for some kind of deadline, at least you can return the thing.

24 June 2026
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

Hi, we're sorry to hear about your experience and understand how disappointing it must have been to receive a different version than what you were told to expect. We also apologize for the frustration you experienced when seeking assistance afterward. We'd like the opportunity to review what happened. Please email us at YourVoice@GuitarCenter.com with your order details, and our team will look into your concerns and follow up with you. Thank you. – Brittany

Rated 4 out of 5 stars

I had to call the Hickory Store

I had to call the Hickory Store, because your website doesn't work properly. Please find my History, & correct that!

23 June 2026
Unprompted review
Guitar Center logo

Reply from Guitar Center

Hi Steve, we're sorry to hear you're experiencing issues with our website and understand how frustrating that can be. We appreciate you taking the time to reach out about it. We'd like to look into your account history and make sure everything is corrected properly. Please email us at YourVoice@GuitarCenter.com with your contact information and any details related to your account, and our team will review this and follow up with you. Thank you. – Brittany

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