Could not disagree more with the negative reviews here. Have had nothing but incredibly positive experiences here. I stop by every time I visit the area, even going out of my way to make a visit if I am anywhere close. The employees are cordial and extremely knowledgable, without being overbearing or pushy salespeople. In my eyes their floor staff has an absolutely ideal approach. You can wander around, poke, prod, and play anything on the walls or the floor. They leave you to explore as long as you want. if you need guidance I'm narrowing down your choices they can get you there. If you have questions and they don't know an answer they are just as excited to learn something new as you are. And the collection upstairs? Otherworldly. This place is the Graceland of the Midwest. read more

Pretty weak when you buy something from a business and then they cancel the order because they say they don't have the item but also have 4 others in their online store but for more money lol. Not even a mention of hey maybe we can work out something. Just sorry about your luck. Maybe a great place, but my experience with them was this, hence the 1 star read more

I needed a Ukelele to play at a local venue, a few beginners lessons. I stupidly bought one from Dave's, along with a tuner. They had a number of Ukes showing on their webpage, but when I got there there was only one in the size I needed. I should have gone with Amazon! I went to one class and discovered that I was having trouble with chords, as I have arthritis in my hands. I played this uke a total of under a half hour. it's exactly as it was when purchased. I got it on Valentine's Day, which is three weeks ago. My mistake was not checking their return policy. I could have returned it for free on Amazon. So much for buying local. The owner told me he could 'buy it back', whatever. I just turned and left. Now I'm out $263.63. Am I wrong to think he could have made one exception? read more

Dave's is the place to go to get great deals on new and used guitars when the transaction involves a straight buy instead of a trade. The trade values are typically pretty low, but the turnaround pricing is also low. The shop also has unparalleled service and knowledge -- they know what they're doing and they're very professional about it. I wholeheartedly recommend. In fact, it's worth the drive down from the Twin Cities because they're that much better than most of the shops up here. read more

Always had a positive Exchange with Dave's. sales staff always professional and courteous.

I wish I could write a positive review, but my experience with Dave's Guitar Shop is extremely disappointing. At the beginning of the summer (June), I engaged with this dealer looking for a Dave's 62 "Thin Skin" Stratocaster. This is a guitar I have wanted for YEARS. Dave agreed that I could put down a down payment as they were in the process of ordering this model. So I put down money on the guitar in June and sat back the entire summer, waiting patiently for the guitar to arrive. Fast forward to September, I email Dave's looking for an update. A few hours later, I get a random refund and an email that they received my guitar from Fender and that it was listed and sold on their website. This is a guitar they cannot reorder as Fender is not making these models anymore from what I was told which is extremely disappointing. And if they do, who knows what the ETA would be.... So, I am beyond frustrated and defeated with this situation. Dave's Guitar Shop dropped the ball here and originally offered NOTHING except, "let us know what I can do" nonsense. Yes, there is something you can do. Give me the guitar I put money down on, but you can't, because Fender isn't agreeing to make them at this point. So after a few email exchanges, they finally offered something. A discount on a Custom Shop Strat. Wow. Probably not at cost to make things right for their mistake, but at a discounted price that is still astronomical. So now, they want me to shell out at least another $1,600 when I shouldn't have to. Would I recommend this dealer, NO. Stick with local, Sweetwater, Casino, Wildwood Guitars, etc. I do not have trust or confidence that Dave's can deliver an exceptional customer service which is what we, as consumers and guitar players are looking for. read more

I ordered a guitar from them online, and it arrived beautifully and safely packed, all the way from Wisconsin to Florida. I called a million times because I'm neurotic as can be, and the folks there were nothing but kind. Local or far away, I'd recommend giving this place a look. read more

Can't say enough about the team in Milwaukee and La Crosse. Was in the market for a new Rickenbacker 4003. Wanted to trade in my 1977 4001, which I was never really happy with. After calling all over the country, finally fell upon Dave's in La Crosse. They had the bass I wanted, were interested in a trade, but I was four hours away in Chicago. Laun had agreed to put a hold on it. Kept his word and after a long drive and a few adjustments I walked out with a brand new 4003. Later it needed another adjustment so I brought it to the Milwaukee shop. Different building, different staff, but the same welcoming atmosphere and knowledgeable employees, and lotsa eye candy, particularly the Rickenbackers. Don't understand all the negative comments. Not my experiences at all. Mark B. read more

I checked out this shop on reverb and found a Danelectro Longhorn Bass for around $425 +shipping. I was SUPER excited cause I had bought one brand new, but it would've, at the earliest, shipped out late March (it's early Feb), so I got a refund. My refund didn't get in till Friday (it was Tuesday), so I messaged asking for them to hold onto the item for me so I could purchase it. They said "Sounds good!", so I waited. I went to show my friend the bass on reverb, cause I was planning on buying it, and it said it wasn't available. So I messaged again asking why it wasn't available. Only THEN did it occur to them to tell me I can't have things put on hold unless I put money down. I would've put money down, I'm getting my refund anyway! Wont be buying anything from these guys again cause they don't know what they're doing. read more

Dave's Guitar Shop - Guitar Stores Near Me - La Crosse, Wisconsin

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I'm going to start this review by stating I have been going to Dave's since I was a teenager, riding my bike there often to play amazing guitars in their basement shop in La Crosse. They were always generous in allowing people just learning to experience some of the best equipment ever made. Dave was always kind to us and his staff left us be and knew we were just noodling and couldn't actually afford guitars in the 4 to 5 digit range. BUT, they built a repour with us, knowing that place would be a staple as long as we lived here. And it is, several stores later in its new location in La Crosse. I will also state, that even with the bad experiences I have had over the 30+ years I have been going there, its still a magical place that I am lucky live near. I have purchased many guitars, amps, pedals, clothing, cables, etc. and not only are their prices great, they can be flexible in some cases, which is great. That said, I have complained about staff and some of my experiences there over that time through their web page. All issues have been solved to better than my satisfaction and Dave Rogers himself has emailed me personally to be sure I was satisfied and properly taken care of. Even the best retailer has employees that could do better and I believe that he works with his staff to give the experience he would himself want at a place so well known. FIVE STARS from a regular. UM, im not in San Francisco, Im in La Crosse, WI. ???? read more

I will never shop at a place that tries to screw innocent people over and will lie to the cops. I cannot believe the manager at Dave's lied to the police and tried to get a guitar back that was fraudulently bought from them and told someone to buy it and ship it to them and afterwards they would pay the guy. I guess Dave's is just filled with a bunch of scum bags. read more

Everything went so smooth. Order was delivered fast and product was amazing . Customer service had a fast response

Bought a bass guitar cabinet. Tried it in their store with one of their 5 string basses with active electronics. Got it home. Tried it with MY 5 string bass with active electronics. My pre-amp is apparently strong. Cabinet could not handle my low B. 5 days later I called about returning. They don't have a return policy. And I drove all the way from Milwaukee. I was willing to drive back. Sometimes things sound different under different circumstances. Terrible customer service!! Buyer beware read more

I can't speak for the negative reviews as my experience was far from that. I purchased a 2015 PRS Tremonti SE through them on Reverb and the gentlemen I communicated with was very timely with his responses. The guitar came within about a week. The condition was just as described! I couldn't be happier with my purchase. It did come with a gig bag, certificates, etc. read more

The shop itself has a lot of great gear for sale with decent pricing. However, don't even waste your time trying to sell or trade anything to these guys because they have a young man named, Tylor, "manager", who handles all of the trades/sales. He will do an assessment of what your gear is worth using Reverb (sold items), but he will find the absolutely cheapest, beat to hell, gear he can find of the same brand and try to give you less than half of that. Kid is an arrogant little hipster that belongs in a sleezy pawnshop. read more

As someone has stated earlier, the staff (except for 1-2 gentlemen) do not know how to greet customers. Being friendly and trying to sell guitars, pedals and other accessories must not be their top priorities. I will say this, the woman that works there is EXTREMELY rude. I've been there at least 5 different times and she hasn't spoken to me once. Even though the trip to Guitar Center in Middleton is an hour longer, I will continue to spend my money with GC and recommend them over Dave's Guitar Shop. On a brighter note, they do have a pretty nice selection of merchandise. read more

I'm in Texas and have bought two PRS guitars sight unseen from Dave's. Both were superb, well-packed, promptly shipped, and in excellent condition. Nobody could come close to their to-the-door price. Tylor, Sales Manager, is very friendly and responsive via email. They accept PayPal. Perfection, as far as I'm concerned. read more

Bought a guitar from his Reverb store and got all stoked only to find out later that he cancelled the order and sold the guitar to someone "on the phone". So lame. Dont get too excited, you may not end up getting what you bought. read more

Dave's Guitar Shop - Guitar Stores Near Me - La Crosse, Wisconsin

The customer service at this establishment is horrible. I am a hearing impaired individual and decided to go into Dave's to look for a new guitar today and while I was testing a guitar out with the volume no louder than you'd play in your bedroom, one of the employees comes over and asks me to turn it down. I explain that I'm hearing impaired and he still insisted I turn it down. He then went back to the counter where he was talking with another associate and I overheard them say "I respectfully asked him to turn it down." And the other associate replies "respectfully, that guy FUCKING sucks". What a horribly unprofessional environment. I would advise you to choose another establishment when looking for your next musical instrument. read more

I have had quite a number of dealings with Dave's Guitar Shop. There is no question that they have an incredible selection of guitars, probably comparable to or better than the best shops in the country. So on that front, 5 stars. However, I mark them down for a couple of reasons 1) I find the service hit and miss, with some staff being particularly helpful, and others having a bit of an attitude and not willing to go the extra mile, even on higher priced gear. I typically find the Madison and Milwaukee staff more helpful than the La Cross staff, especially when it comes to electric guitars. 2) they're more pricey than comparable shops. For example, most shops will come down (sometimes significantly, but at least some) from the listed (MAP) prices, but in my recent experience Dave's will not do so, particularly on USA electric guitars. I will say that they usually are pretty reasonable on trades, but when it comes to buying straight out, they are not in my experience competitive price-wise with comparable shops. In summary, great and perhaps unrivaled selection, but could improve or make customer service more consistent, and ideally be a little less stingy on price. read more

Great shop! Can't wait to shop there again. Bought a 52 reissue relic tele. Just love it read more

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I broke the headstock of my Tacoma Thunderchief acoustic bass, which they're known for. I brought it to Dave's repair shop and asked if they could reinforce the neck in that spot. The repair is absolutely gorgeous, clean and smooth when playing. Dave's technician did an absolutely gorgeous job of reinforcing the neck giving it strength and making it look absolutely beautiful. I'm so happy with the work done. read more

Dave's Guitar Shop - Guitar Stores Near Me - La Crosse, Wisconsin

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Dave's is really cool, just don't expect to get a fair price on trade-ins. I realize they need to make money, but you're better off taking your time to make a private sale than selling to Dave's. Also, they look down on mid-range equipment. Yes, they sell to professional musicians, but they are really aloof behind the counter. read more

In the last three years, I have purchased three high end electric guitars at Dave's and have traveled from the Twin Cities to do so. The selection at Daves is hard to beat, and where else are you going to walk in the front door and see a 54 LP or something similar just hanging there on the wall, not behind a counter or glass. The service at Daves is great, Jeff D is a great sales guy to work with. He knows when to leave you alone to browse and when help you out. The two PRSes that I have purchased there were both first recommended by Jeff and they are now my main players. Also, as an added bonus you can always go up stairs and see Dave's killer personal collection. Best guitar shop I've been to, hands down. read more

The most amazing guitar shop on the planet in La Crosse, WI?!?! Believe it! Since I grew up in La Crosse and over the years have purchased all of my guitars here, I think I just didn't know any better and took DGS for granted but after seeing plenty of guitar shops around the country, including Guitar Centers in San Francisco and Los Angeles, I can honestly say that it doesn't get any better than Dave's! Admittedly, the floor space of Dave's is comperable with a mega guitar chain such as Guitar Center but since GC has drums and keyboards in addition to guitars, if you're a guitar lover like myself there really isn't any comparrison and Dave's is the best hands down. The selection, prices, quality, customer service...I could go on and on. If you love guitars and get anywhere near La Crosse, WI, do yourself a favor and visit Dave's Guitar Shop and you won't be disappointed! p.s. Go upstairs to see Dave's personal collection. It's like visiting a guitar and amp museum! read more

Fantastic! They had a lefty G&L S500 listed on their website. I had been looking for one for quite a while, and even though I live in NJ, and conducted the sale entirely by phone, they were nothing less than courteous and professional. Had a brief issue with credit cards (entirely on my end...) that we solved quickly, and the guitar was shipped and in my hands in less than a week! Their pictures and descriptions didn't do the guitar justice; it far exceeded my expectations! After a quick set up and restring, I played it that night at my regular Saturday gig. Absolutely fantastic customer service. I'll be checking their website from time to time; I won't hesitate to buy from them again! read more

I just made an online purchase of a high-end Martin and am both pleased and impressed with Dave's. Josh "JR" Rabie, its Acoustic/Folk Salesman at the La Crosse, WI shop, is knowledgeable, responsive, personable, patient and helpful. "JR" answered all of my many questions fully and honestly, no matter how finicky or exacting. The guitar's cost was competitive, the shipping free, and my new Martin arrived quickly and extremely well-packaged. You should give serious consideration to purchasing your next guitar from them. read more

4/27 Rceived a guitar supposedly brand new but upon arrival, it was obviously not with a noticable blemish on side panel top area as well as looking used somewhat like a demo unit. Called the shop and was told by the lady to ship it back. Well,I am at the UPS, it is going to cost me $110 to return the guitar. She never apologized for the inconvinience nor offered to pay with their UPS shipping account which would have been $20 which is what they charged for shipping it to me. The sales guy was very friendly, Dave was very patient helping me eith UPS issues! It would have made my life alot easier and less costly, 1. If the guitar was brand new or sold as show room unit. 2. The lady could have been not so short and offered to pay for shipping or at least use their account and charge me $20 so I would not have to $110. The shop closed by the time I found out and I will call the shop tomorrow and find out. Will post my follow-up tomorrow. 4/28 Called and talked with a lady who was very cordial and explained that all of their brand new guitars that get shipped out come off the floor not straight from a box. She agreed to charge me $20 and email me the UPS label. All in all, nice people to talk to, but I am sure this is not the first time a customer went down a similar path and a little consideration for the customers would have prevented me from making a second trip to UPS again. If the UPS lady had not told me about what the seller could have done for me, it would have been $130 loss vs $40. Better yet, had I known that it was a floor unit, the whole mess could have been prevented. read more

Well I needed a new stratocaster and could not find what I was looking for here local so I went to Dave's Guitar's website to see what cool guitars they have. ....and I was not disappointed. Laun who works at Dave's helped me with my purchases.....yes I bought two...LOL! Anyway the guitars are perfect! Thanks again! read more

Dave's Guitar Shop - The last three guitars from Dave's. Laun was the person who handled all three purchases and made it a nice and easy. - Guitar Stores Near Me - La Crosse, Wisconsin

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Had a quick phone call after seeing an acoustic guitar i was interested in on their website. This one was "very lightly" used - practically brand new. Shipped quickly and played fantastic right out of the case. Had a great experience, would definitely do business with them again. read more

Bought an amplifier Marshall 1959slp from them online thru Reverb.com. It arrived and after a few weeks started producing the most horrific odors imaginable. It smells as if it lived inside of a cigarette smoke chamber where someone chain smoked for 20 years nonstop. Obviously smell was masked for sale but wore off later. Also the choke was detached from the chassis by prior poor repair workmanship. I have to now replace the head cabinet at $350 to rid it of the smoke smell. Shame on Daves for selling such a horrible item online. I don't bother contacting them I live too far away to return ship etc. it will cost more than it's worth. Beware of "stinky Daves". read more

Spent 35 minutes in the store. Six guys working, not one even said hello. The only reason I give it two stars is because of the selection of instruments. If you could only get someone to sell you one. Scott Appleton Guitar Tech Phil Collen/Def Leppard Alex Lifeson/RUSH read more

Some of the nicest guitars on the planet, and GOOD people. Dave is great, you can almost trust him. He's pretty damn honest. He's out to make money, but he won't screw you to make it. And the guitar repair service is the best in America - Todd Wolfgram is an artist and a surgeon of guitars. read more

Great selection. Gives reasonable price on trade-ins. Good staff (except for one or two). A little higher priced than the big box stores but you do get better service. However, I had a problem with a guitar I bought and even after two return trips I could not get it fixed to my satisfaction. Dave's is a good shop but I won't shop here anymore...I can get the same level of service for a lower price closer to my home. I was paying for the personal attention...but if that personal attention isn't there...then I will shop for low price. Be very careful to note that even Guitar Center will give you a 30-day money back guarantee...but not Dave's Guitar shop. Bottom line - my guitar should have had the proper setup and when that could not be achieved then I should have received store credit for the full price of the guitar. Dave offered me only 1/2 new price and I only had the guitar 2 weeks! read more

Dave's Guitar Shop is heaven if you love guitars! I have purchased many guitars from Dave and crew over the years, they are extremely knowledgable and fair priced. Staff knows when to let you play guitars, yet be there for information and assistance. I highly recommend if you are in La Crosse stop and see Dave and crew; you won't be disappointed! read more

The BEST. People who work there are top-rate- the selection is astonishing- and the prices are really good to great.

I found Dave's Guitar Shop online and was very impressed with their inventory. I called about a particular guitar I liked and decided to order it over the phone and have it shipped 1,000 Miles to Georgia. I was very nervous, however they made the transaction very easy. The sales manager Tylor was quick to respond to emails and even followed up when I got the guitar to make sure I was happy. The guitar was exactly as described and was packed extremely well. I will definitely buy another guitar from this shop. read more

They have monster selection here. I have bought 2 guitars here and couldn't be happier. They will give you a good deal. Dave and Tyler are great! read more

Have bought two(2) guitars from Dave's. A PRS & a Hamer. Pleased w/the guitars, the Service, the Shipping(very reasonable & no surprises!!) I would recommend Dave's Guitar Shop to anyone looking for something Special. read more

I recently bought a used guitar at Dave's, They discribed the guitar and case to me. Whe I got the guitar I was amazed clean,new strings and the case was like new. It arrived well packed and on time as they told me. I'm a super happy customer and will do business with them. I TRUST THEM! Thank You Dave's Guitar Shop!!!! read more