I brought my guitar to Ike's expecting nothing more than a quick pickguard swap and a tightened…read moreoutput jack. But after a short consultation, I decided to go for a full setup and I cannot overstate how glad I am that I did. For $135 (including new strings), Ike completely transformed my guitar. I had a setup done by a respected local luthier just a year ago, so I assumed another wasn't necessary. I was very wrong. Ike is operating on another level entirely. He immediately identified an issue with the floating bridge and dialed everything in with surgical precision. The result? Unreal. The frets now feel like glass where they meet the neckboard on sides. So smooth, fast, and effortless. My Squier Classic Vibe Jaguar, which I already loved, suddenly feels like a high-end, custom shop guitar. And here's what really sets Ike apart: not just his technical brilliance, but the way he infuses the process with excitement. He doesn't just set up guitars; he unlocks their potential. His work has reignited my joy for playing, and I just love the feel. If you care about your instrument, take it to Ike. He's not only a master technician but a freakin' artist!

Isaac is knowledgeable, friendly, honest, and charges reasonably for his work. Very highly…read morerecommended.

I love this store! They have a wide range of used gear, but they don't just have anything. They…read morehave nicely curated stuff for sale. Everything from expensive to affordable... but even the affordable stuff is good (imo) affordable stuff. I picked up a cool discontinued JHS pedal. Jeremy, who works there was very helpful and set up an amp and bass for me to try it out before I made up my mind. I'm definitely visiting this shop again!

Everything a musician or, in my case, wannabe musician, could ask for in a guitar shop. Tons of…read morebeautiful older guitars and amps to try out. Lots of records to peruse. Random instruments and drums etc to check out. Extra kudos to Eric and to the Luthier Nathan who has worked on some of our guitars. Very nice bathroom too.

Cheyenne and Perry were wonderful.I can't express enough of how much they went above and beyond to…read morehelp me. I was having technical difficulties. when I first got there, Cheyenne greeted me with a high welcome. How can I help you? I said, I was having some difficulties with my snare drum. She told me that drum tech was not in, but would be in the next day. I was desperate and I needed help on that day so she said I'll be back. Let me See what I can do ,so she brought another hired gun. This was perry the manager. he saw my snare and noticed it was as dead as Lazarus in the grave. 20 minutes later, Perry like a pro technician took care of my situation and my snare was purring like a fine tuned machine. Ps Don't go to Pasadena guitar center unless you want to be ambushed by some professional care and good old fashion hospitality . Love you Guys

Walked into Guitar Center Pasadena with my brother, our unleashed service animal, and a budget that…read moreclearly needed adult supervision. Things got off to a rocky start when there was some confusion about the dog, but Evan checked with his manager, got it sorted, and we all survived the great leash controversy of 2026. From there, Evan was awesome. Super cool, patient, and actually knew DJ gear because he DJs himself -- which is always better than someone confidently explaining equipment they've only met that morning. By the end, we were joking with him: "You really did everything you could to not sell to us... and somehow we still bought anyway." Funny start, great ending, and Evan helped us leave with a new DJ setup and speakers. Guitar Center almost fumbled the bag, but Evan recovered the sale like a pro. Shoutout Evan.

This is going to be one of those odd reviews. I've never been to the store or had anything…read morerepaired. I called and had a conversation with Jack. He proceeded to take quite a bit of time on the phone giving me advice on how to go about troubleshooting or attempting to fix an issue and giving me general advice that seemed super honest. THIS is the sort of business I can get behind. This is what will make me call here when I need something. It feels like a business that actually cares about synths and their customers.

Jack helped me and was super kind. Definitely check out this spot for your guitar needs!read more

Perfect setup, rad guy, fast turn around, simple and affordable process. Couldn't ask for more.read more

Did an amazing setup job on my fender jaguar and was super nice. Would definitely be coming back…read morefor my other instruments.

Make time for your guitar tech! I'm realizing how important and fortunate I am to live in a city…read morewith talented guitar techs like Mike who go above and beyond--at an amazing price too. My previous Fender build broke down after being worked on by a random tech who took longer and did an average job. Mike showed me the value of going to someone who's truly #1, and he proved it with my new custom Fender Telecaster: better wiring, a careful setup, better strings, and great advice on what the legends use--all done within the same weekend Overall, my experience with Mike was amazing. He's got a great sense of humor, an old-school attitude, and he's still working like he's 40.

Mike is incredibly knowledgeable and friendly. He tells you the price up front and never adds extra…read morefees or anything. He did a setup on an old Yamaha acoustic I hadn't touched in years. It plays beautifully now. I can't recommend this guy enough!

Ernest helped me out with a small problem that I had with my amp. The input jack fell off and I…read moredidn't know how to repair it. Ernest easily repaired it and gave me advice to be careful when using the amp. Ur the man Ernest!!

had a frustrating experience with Guitar Center that came down to a lack of transparency and clear…read morecommunication. I sold my LTD ST-213 guitar to them for $250, assuming that was a fair reflection of its market value based on how it was presented to me at the time. However, shortly after, I saw the same guitar listed for $458. While I understand that businesses need to make a profit, this kind of markup--without any clear explanation upfront--feels misleading. At no point during the transaction did anyone clearly explain how their pricing works, what margin they typically apply, or what my guitar might realistically sell for on the used market. Had I been given that information, I would have made a more informed decision or at least understood the trade-off between convenience and payout. The issue here isn't just the resale price--it's the lack of full disclosure. Customers deserve transparency when they're selling valuable gear, especially when there's such a significant gap between the buy price and resale price. Overall, the experience left me feeling like I wasn't given the full picture. I would strongly recommend that anyone selling gear here do their own research beforehand and ask very specific questions about resale value and pricing structure before agreeing to a deal.

1941 Martin D-28 repairs were perfect. David is amazing. He the one of only a few guys left that…read morecan do everything with any guitar.

Yesterday, I took my acoustic-electric to Dave to figure out why the pickup system didn't seem to…read morebe working. I was greeted with a friendly smile and he asked me to put my guitar on the work bench to check it out right then and there. After some diagnostics, it came down to user error (mine). He was so kind and friendly and even caught a few little anomalies with the current setup. I'll take it back to him when the strings deaden for a full setup. Great customer service and fixed my problem within a few minutes. I highly recommend Dave.