I tested several digital pianos and my decision came down between the Roland FP-30X and Yamaha P255. The Roland won due to its superb key weight which feels exactly like playing a grand piano. In addition, I felt that the Roland's sound is better since its built upon a Steinway grand piano's sound. The P255's sound is built upon Yamaha's CFX grand piano. The P255 sounded a bit muddled in the middle to my ears. Staff is friendly and helpful. read more

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I drove quite a distance to look at a used PA system. Freddy Villagomez was nothing short of AMAZING. He tested the whole system out channel by channel before the purchase to make sure this used system worked properly. The agreed upon price was very fair. I picked up a couple of speakers stands as well while I was there. Worth the drive for me. I will be back!! Highly recommended!! read more

Visiting Chicago for a week and was unable to bring a favorite guitar with me on this trip... This prompted a visit to CME while in town as well as the GC on Halstead for some finger exercise as well as to check-out a couple of guitars on my wish list. This was my first experience at CME ; I found the variety of product impressive, the store was clean, and well organized. Staff greeted me at the door and sales reps in each department were helpful and knowledgeable. A day or two afterwards I felt the need to visit the GC on Halstead; I was happy to test-drive a Heritage hollow-body as well as a comparable Gibson. Unfortunately, I had to ask for help (no one acknowledged me), and after spending more than an hour taking a deep dive into both guitars, no one circled back to assist. I may have pulled the trigger and purchased the Gibson, and have it shipped to my local GC in Westlake Village, CA. Unfortunately, it wasn't in the cards today; I left the store as silently as I arrived. read more

Bought a cajon and didn't realize it was a floor model. Paid the price of a new one. Called the store when we found defects and were told we were SOL because we didn't buy an extended warranty. Definitely going to spread the word not to buy from them. Extremely rude employee. read more

My daughter Bea started drum lessons in July 2024 with the incredible Jimmy Bennington at the Guitar Center (2633 N. Halsted St - Central Chicago Store), and we couldn't be happier with the experience! Jimmy is not only extremely knowledgeable and professional, but also patient and funny, which makes every lesson enjoyable and engaging. He emphasizes building a solid foundation from the ground up, focusing on rudiments, rhythm, subdivision/counting, and voicings--skills that have been invaluable to Bea's growth as a drummer. Thanks to Jimmy's expert guidance and encouragement, Bea has already performed in two recitals! It's amazing to see her progress and confidence grow in such a short time. We're so grateful to have found such a phenomenal drum instructor. Highly recommend Jimmy for anyone looking to start or improve their drumming journey! Start (2nd week) https://drive.google.com/file/d/1MgMEWnjUDd8hXk40W5LDWiLDlZ_7lJfJ/view?usp=drivesdk Recital #1 https://drive.google.com/file/d/11Pz2l6p3c80oXMmESC6500UAGLpu7LA-/view?usp=drivesdk Pre Recital #2 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Mn1j-t8Nu-WQsrmvD2c9WEMeasJ1MZl_/view?usp=drivesdk We also purchased Bea's first electronic drum kit at this store, and the staff was incredibly helpful throughout the process. The delivery was prompt and hassle-free, which made the experience even better. I've also bought my Gibson Les Paul '60s Standard and an Ovation Acoustic here, and every visit has been fantastic. The team is knowledgeable, friendly, and always ready to assist. This store has definitely become our go-to for all things music! read more

Had a friend in town who wanted advice on buying a used guitar. We spent an hour playing everything, made a good choice on a used Jackson with a $199 price tag, took it to the counter to purchase. "You can't purchase this." Huh? Has a tag on it: "Available for purchase in 30 days." So did every other used guitar. "You can pay for it now, but you can't have it until the 25th." So we walked away befuddled, with $300 worth of guitar and accessories on the counter. Had to look up online, what's going on: they put used gear on the shelf BEFORE they've done background checks if it's stolen or not. None of this gear should be on the shelves with price tags. And buddy, if I pay for this merchandise now, I'm taking this merchandise now, or the police are going to settle it. Everybody has a reason to hate Guitar Center. This was a colossal waste of time. read more

$65 dollars for a simple restring of a classical guitar ?!!!! Way over priced especially when your website says $25-$35 !!! The repair guy gave me some " made up " price for the restring and the guitar he didn't even bother to at Least clean it up a bit !! I could have gone to old town school of music and gotten it done for half the price !!! read more

I had a great experience here. A couple times. No one on the staff there asked me to fill this review out. I did it on my own. I like the store and the manager. I know it's hard to get the old type service we used to get but there's relics of that still standing. This store is one of those. If you can be reasonable and sane then I trust this place. They've done right by me and I would continue to give them my business. I dont want to buy equipment online if there's a physical store so I try to support these stores. If you're lucky to have one then lean on GC. read more

Wow, I like this new location where they are now! I remember going to their old location and that store was small and crowded with instruments and the parking sucked. I was at the new store a few days ago and I was very comfortable and found what I was looking for and all the staff were very polite and available if, I needed help. So, Guitar Center carries really nice acoustic and electric guitars, budget-friendly to top-of-the-line friendly IMO! So, now I am looking into a new electric guitar "PRS Private Stock Custom. So, yes I recommend this store and location. read more

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Despite some other reviews, I have good experiences in this store. The service people is patient and friendly. They will ask if you need help and they will leave you alone if you want to spend some private time with your instrument. I never had an issue with the instruments from their store. Good job for keep us tuned by music! read more

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Truly amazing. This place is HUGE. Everything musical and related electronics you could possibly imagine. What I truly like: 1. Prices I have looked at (mostly big stuff) are exactly what you would pay online. Companies are now very aware and competitive with online shopping. 2. You are not hounded by salesmen. I walk in, am greeted, and can wander around peacefully, trying out what I want to try out, without somebody breathing down my neck who has to be shoo-ed away. I have not (yet) needed assistance, so will not comment that far, but overhearing others seems would be good. Considering an expensive purchase, and I like to think things over. I know what my needs are. read more

I spoke this evening with Freddie who claimed to be a manager. Though he clearly had no idea of what the Guitar Center policy is on discounting guitars. He stated to me that after 90 days they normally discounted guitar about $100. I asked him do you always treat customers like they're stupid? I've been buying and selling guitars with the Guitar Center for 20 years. It is incredible however exchange I've ever had with the Guitar Center is always with a self righteous condescending individual. This company should be the largest guitar outlet on the planet. However, their website is non-functional, their app for your telephone is non-intuitive and God forbid that you have to go in and speak to one of their uneducated staff. It is no wonder, that online companies like Reverb and eBay constantly chew up market share in this space. I can't begin to tell you how much I hate this company. Freddie, if you are the manager of the Chicago location, you can pat yourself on the back as being the one person who finally broke, my spirit enough to never shop at your store again. read more

All about that condescending energy here, especially if you're a woman. Only go into the store if you know what you're talking about, because if you ask any questions I guarantee that you will leave feeling completely patronized. Go to the Chicago Music Exchange instead. read more

SCRATCHED All I wanted was a turntable for my child's Christmas present. We went in on a Saturday and spent about 45 minutes at the store. We noticed the box of the last turntable we were buying had a rip in it. We were told it was an open box item, after buying it. I found this weird because typically stores list the item as open box on the shelf. I truly thought I was buying a new turntable. After looking at the product it looked like it had been through hell with tons of scratches. I honestly couldn't spend over $100 on something that looked this bad. Our sales agent Aaron was very helpful. I'd give him 5 stars because he said that he'd find us a new one. He searched on the computer and located one in Colorado. We set up delivery and they charged my credit card with a promise it would be delivered on the upcoming Friday before Christmas. I received an email on Monday saying that my order was cancelled. I called the 800 number for customer service. They informed me that they didn't cancel the order and that I'd have go call the store I purchased the turntable at. Customer service said the local store cancelled it. This was very frustrating especially after I thought the order had been processed. Let's not forget my credit card has been charged and they are now telling me it will be five days to get my money returned. So the 800 number was not helpful at all and I'm not sure why they even have an 800 number for customer service when they can't even help me. Totally one star service. I called the store and spoke with Todd. He was very nice and gets five stars too. He apologized. He told me that all of these turntables were going to be open box and that's why they canceled the order. What I didn't understand is why nobody called me from the store to just tell me this. They have my cell phone number! It isn't that hard to make a call especially when you're cancelling a customers Christmas order. It isn't that hard to actually be a little personal and not so cold. I'm literally trying to spend money here. Todd actually got me a new turntable but at a higher price. I feel like I got the "Bait and Switch" sales moment. I had to redo my order again and now I had to wait four days. Who knows if they will cancel my order again or actually deliver the new turntable as promised on this coming Friday. I did get the turntable as promised and picked it up at the store. The next day I was shopping at Best Buy and saw the same turntable at Best Buy for a lower price. What? This is so frustrating. I then called for a price match and was told I needed to come back to the store. At this point it was about principal. I went to the store. Asked to see the manager I spoke with on the phone. Of course that manager wasn't there. I explained the situation to the sales woman and she talked to the manager. They asked me to wait and then the manager ignored me for over 15 mins. He the actually disappeared. I guess I wasn't important enough. I then went and found another manager who was super nice and fixed the situation. I should have price checked the item but because my original order was cancelled I felt really pressured on the phone to make sure I got my child's Christmas present. Originally the sales person said he'd get me a good price and then said he couldn't adjust the price at all. I just wanted it done. Normally I would have done the price check process but with the cancelled order I was a little off my game. This was a one star review because the process of shopping at Guitar Center for this item was 100% screwed up. It shouldn't be this hard to make a purchase and then feel sick about the whole sale. The one star is not for the sales guys at this location because they were nice and helpful. Their hands are tied by the Guitar Center sales process. I was extremely let down by how Guitar Center handled the customer service of my sale. I added a star for actually giving me the price difference. NOTE: This review was written over the course of 8 days during the Round and Round I got while buying a turntable. read more

Almost all of the electric guitars that I tried were out of tune and several of the guitars were improperly set up to play (some had necks so far out of whack that it's obvious that no one even checked them before hanging them up). I'm talking about $1,000 guitars that were pretty unplayable because of the action, which is unacceptable. The first three amps that I plugged into were not plugged into a power strip, causing me to have to figure the situation out myself. On top of that, I had a problem with an audio interface that I bought there and was told that I couldn't even exchange it for another one since it was a few days past their return period. This is pretty silly these days, considering how much of an ordeal it was just to buy one from the guy "Kaysin" (sp?) who seemed seriously bothered by all of my questions. I think it's just time for me to move on to another shop at this point. Been coming here for 10 years. I've had pretty good luck with Reverb anyway. read more

DO NOT TRUST THESE PEOPLE!!!! Shawn in the audio department does NOT know what he's doing! Seemed like he ran the place and I thought he was trying to help me pay for gear in installments but now there will be $500+ missing in my account for over a week and I didn't even get to leave with anything. Smdh this is why most musicians hate Guitar Center read more

Don't go here if you're a girl, I guess...The guy at the door treats you like an idiot. I came in with a smile and good attitude and asked "do you guys buy used equipment" and he glared at me and said "are you going to tell me what it is???" I said "..a microphone." He literally did not respond, and still nicely I said "are you the guy I should talk to about this?" And he pointed at another department and said "NO. THE VOICE AND RECORDING DEPARTMENT" So disrespectful; pointing and scolding me like I'm an incompetent dog. How do you even speak to a person like that when they're being so kind to you? The guy in recording department was so sweet, though!! The offer was too low, but he was very pleasant. P.S. as I walked out I said with a smile to the guy at the door, "thank you! I am missing a part for the microphone I am going to go grab it." He looked at me with an angry look and once again did not respond. Zero social skills; and that's who they have right at the front! read more

Staff were super cool, got my acoustic restrung and was in and out quickly. New fav store! read more

I really want to like this place. It's in a convenient location for me, there is free parking, and employees are quick to ask if you need help. However, the last few times I have stopped in for what I thought were basic things, they didn't have them in stock, or I would have had to purchase an expensive or unnecessary bundle in order to get those things. In order to get a shock mount for a mic, I would have to buy a mic kit. In order to get foam panels, I'd have to buy a soundproofing kit, etc. That, and the reviews by other women saying that they felt condescended to makes me want to make Chicago Music Exchange my go-to instead. read more

Have been to Guitar Center for a few different needs. Everyone there has always been really helpful but not overbearing. Nice to have a reliable spot for music needs. read more

Let me start by saying I've made some major purchases here in the past. I bought an SWR head that was almost a grand two years ago, and come here for strings often. Came here today looking to score a Loop pedal over the President's Day Sale and was completely saddened by the complete lack of knowledge by Staff as to how the pedals worked. I was left to play with a Line 6 Pedal with no suggestions as to how it worked. Then wanting to try another pedal, the sales clerk got frustrated and couldn't figure out the Boss Pedal, so we moved to the Roland one. Couldn't figure that one out either so (s/he) got another clerk that knew barely enough to get by. I left frustrated, but with my $300 still firmly in pocket! I'll be back for strings or picks, but nothing else. Hope they can get by with unknowledgeable amateur customers who don't know there's way better music stores with helpful knowledgeable staff. read more

I called for help in choosing my first amp and Javi was super helpful in answering all my questions!! He explained everything until I understood and gave me a few good options to look at with pros and cons based on the music I want to play. Usually spaces like this are gatekeepy but I felt totally comfortable asking my questions and got tons of help. read more

I really appreciate it this store help me a lot actually nick from services he is the best his a helpful and nice person love it thanks guys.... Still doing the awesome job read more

I found the Irig2 I was looking for and i believe his name was Isidro helped us understand how to connect all the parts that come with it in detail. ( he sure has lots of patience ), very proffesional young man... kudos for excellent service. Also has knowledge of the inventort and quality of brands in store .. validated free parking or meter parking all around read more

Guitar Center - Great customer service from this cashier.. thx you so much - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I have been going to GC on Halsted in Chicago since the 1980's when they first opened (originally is little further north) and I always have had excellent service there. The staff there today is no different 100% satisfied with everything. I have gotten some fantastic deals and get top service like today buying a $350 guitar I felt like I had bought a $3,500 guitar with the extra helpful staff that spent time working with me on the sale. Thanks! read more

I just want to quickly relay a story that happened years ago. I've been coming here since it was on Clark next to the Alley. There was a manager who worked there for a long long time. He had this slick guy ponytail and the full used car salesmen kit. It was awful. A friend of mine worked there in the 90's. (He actually had a hand in getting Guitar Center to start selling DJ equipment which is now a major part of the business) I described this manager guy to him and he knew who I was talking about right away. He said the guy was the hotshot top salesman and was known for really pressuring people to buy stuff. He still worked there after the move to Halsted. So I was at the Halsted location one time and spotted a Gibson ES335. It's one of my favorite guitars so I started playing it. The ponytail manager guy, while in the middle of a conversation, comes over to me and actually takes the guitar out of my hands and puts it back on the rack. All without pausing the conversation, speaking to me, or even looking me in the eye. The message was clear. I'm not good enough for, and can't afford, that guitar, so don't touch. I was dumbfounded. Now I admit I've always looked young for my age but when this happened I had been playing guitar for over ten years but he treated me like I was a dirty little kid about to get melted chocolate all over the guitar with my grubby hands. I could not believe it. I didn't go back there for years because of that. I'm pretty sure that guys gone now. I've been back there quite a bit recently and haven't seen him. Good riddance. As far as the rest of the place, it's Guitar Center, same as every other Guitar Center, good or bad. This review is just to document and put what that guy did on blast in case someone reads this and remembers that prick. read more

Worst manager ever, Michael was rude, not professional, had no clue of how to talk to customer. I am wondering how is he working at a famous store like guitar center. Sad! read more

Had a great experience at this Guitar Center. Charley, the sales guy who helped me, was very familiar with the guitar I was looking for, and was the only reason I had the interest in driving an hour and a half just to try it. He described it perfectly over the phone, and was instrumental in making sure I got the guitar I've been looking forward to buying for years. Tidy shop, great selection, knowledgeable sales staff, fair prices. Thanks again Charley! read more

Can you believe this place was open on New Years Day?! We've stopped in a few times while in town and the staff has always been super friendly. Also, they don't mind when I'm looking up coupons on my phone to save a few bucks. It's Guitar Center, you know what to expect & they deliver! read more

Guitar Center - So many synths - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The store manager was super helpful! I'm a GC pro client who's on tour and needed an emergency snare for a show in town and he helped me expedite the process and get me back on the road and ready for show within minutes kent was super helpful in helping us choose between a new snare that fit exactly what we were looking for within seconds 10/10 GC! read more

They always have tons of guitars of all kinds in stock. There is nothing bad you can say about these guys. Yes some of their salesmen would rather be somewhere else, but that's true with other shops of this nature. I am grateful they are here when I need them for strings, picks,cords, etc.. I prefer to make my instrument purchases at smaller shops. Guitar Center will probably always do very well because they order in large quantitys and pass the savings along. And please...NO STAIRWAY DUDE! read more

Guitar Center - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I don't understand why this GC has an overall rating of 3 stars. I bought my ukulele here in January 2017 for in-store pickup and I'll share a bit of the story. It was raining that day, so I arrived worrying about how I'll lug my new ukulele on the bus through the rain without ruining the finish. I asked to inspect the uke before I left the store, and the clerk happily unwrapped 3 layers of tight packaging for my inspection. I think requested that he re-wrap the uke in plastic wrap to protect it against the weather and he happily complied - normal store employees would be flustered at this point, but he went above and beyond in completing my request. It's too bad I can't remember his name, but he did a fantastic job. Kudos! read more

About 8 months ago, I bought my first guitar ever and brought it to this guitar center after looking at videos online saying that I should get it "set up". More specifically, to have them "set the action of the guitar so it's ready to be played." I went in and told the guy in front that I've never played a guitar in my life and I'd just bought my first guitar ever, and that I was there to have the action set. Of course I didn't really know what that meant because I had just heard it from online YouTube videos and articles and stuff. The guy at the door seemed extremely confused and told me he didn't know what I was talking about. I was wondering if I had used the wrong term, but I was pretty sure that "setting the action" was what I heard online. I told him that I was pretty sure that that was what I heard from online resources. He told me that I was just making him confused and sent me to the guy at the workshop or whatever. I gave the workshop guy my guitar and told him basically what I said to the guy at the door and he was confused by the term "action" as well. I then told him that I just wanted it to be set up and ready to play. He then took the guitar, tuned it, and he told me it was good to go. I didn't really know what he did exactly at the time, but I remember that I was thankful and really excited to finally start my guitar journey, so I asked him if that costed anything because it seemed like he had done some things to "set it up". He told me it was free of charge and I asked him if he was sure. But his attitude was pretty dismissive, like he wasn't even paying that much attention to me and just wanted the conversation to be over. Fast forward 8 months, I've learned so much about playing guitar. I now have 1 acoustic guitar, 1 acoustic electric, and 2 electric guitars. Looking back at this experience, I'm really shocked that they had no idea what it meant to set the action of the guitar. Action simply refers to the distance between the strings and the fretboard. It can be adjusted easily with an allen key by adjusting the truss rod. FYI, I had to adjust the truss rod by myself after realizing that I can do that after a few months of playing, and it made my guitar SO much more playable. I mostly likely would've progressed a lot faster if the workshop guy did it for me in the beginning. I've never gone back to this guitar center since that day and I probably won't ever. Unless if somehow someone told me they had changed their staff lineup like completely because I've heard my friends say the same thing about their attitude. I discovered this place called the Chicago Music Exchange and this is honestly and possibly one of the best guitar shops in the world. I've gone there multiple times and their staff is awesome. It's a place where I'm happy to take money out of my pocket and give it to them. Unlike the staff at guitar center with really terrible attitudes, I'd never give them my money. I'm sure not all guitar centers are this way but until something changes to this one specifically, you will not see me there. read more

Don't order online from Guitar Center! I confirmed and paid for an order, only to have Guitar Center cancel my order without contacting me. Customer service said someone must have came into the store and wanted my purchase. No apology, no email, nothing. read more

I had a challenging experience there a few weeks ago. I was asked to come back to make it right, Christian the Manager went out of his way to make me happy and regain me as a customer. And Dave his salesman was great. Good experience read more

Time and time again I'm sorely disappointed with guitar center, I was a former employee years ago at a different location and the sexism and misogyny is still very apparent even in 2021. The male workers refuse to acknowledge you unless you're a guy. They won't take you seriously or even think you're interested in buying something. I went here not too long ago and I was interested in buying a new instrument. The one guy that set me up was cool for setting it up for me but didn't even bother to see if I was interested in buying. Which I was. I won't go into detail about the location I worked for and how much sexism I experienced but if you're a woman take your business elsewhere because guitar center could care less about your money. The only reason I give it two stars is because they have a really expansive collection of high quality instruments and products. I'll buy my new drum set on elsewhere. I've seen other women talk about how sexist they are. Watch their next commercial feature a woman to make them seem like they actually respect women lol read more

This is my first follow-up review anywhere. Guitar Center, you have popped the cherry! Congrats. I'm about to leave on tour and thought that it'd be nice to have a traveler's acoustic to practice on. Again, as outlined in my previous review, I was under the "oh shit" factor and didn't have time to shop around or order this item from a store that values its customers, so I ended up (gulp) here. So as I walked in, the teenage girl pretending to be TSA promptly took my backpack and handed me my little laminated trust number. I walked into the acoustic section and of course they didn't have ANY portable guitars. I slapped myself on the forehead and said "Oh yeah, I'm at Guitar Center" and headed back towards the door. As I open the door from the acoustic room, I notice the guy "guarding" the checked bags glaring at me and fumbling with something behind his legs. When I hand him my number, he hands me my bag...which is completely unzipped with my things falling out of it. I told him I forgot something and explained the situation to (who I think was an) assistant manager, who suggested that perhaps I rode my motorcycle to Guitar Center with a wide open bag and didn't notice. I counted to 10 and left. I don't need to be imprisoned for destroying a sales floor. I am lucky that my bag only had a couple worthless items in it (sunblock, mints, receipts) as I was hoping to put a traveler's guitar in it. I'm not mad at you Guitar Center, I'm mad at me. I didn't expect better but I went into your store with money-in-hand anyway. I will cancel a gig before stepping foot into this place again. (I've contacted upper management about this scenario) read more

I went in expecting to buy the part I needed for my amp. Ryan said they don't sell it but he had a spare and made sure it fit my amp. He's still looking out for the working musician because he's also one. He's been at that location at least a decade. I know he does good work and I know there are others who've been helped by him. read more

This store is a good example of why we should stop supporting guitar center. I am a music teacher that has spent thousands over the years at this location, and, honestly, I'm tired of the complete lack of respect and condescending attitude of the employees and management at this store. They think because they have the most Inventory at the cheapest price in town that they can treat people however they want. I had an awful experience there today that prompted me to write this review, and I never write yelp reviews. Give your money to smaller local guitar stores. read more

Until just recently I kinda liked this place. I was tolerant of all of the things bitched about by everyone else here: The pushy, not terribly well educated sales staff, the hit and miss pricing, having to listen to some 17 year old plugged into the biggest goddamned Mesa Boogie on the floor wailing away on some endless noodley solo as though he'd just been asked to play lead for some fusion metal/jam band... A few days ago I walked into Guitar center to buy a new acoustic guitar. I've needed one for a while and just decided it was time. I was greeted halfway through the door by a dude who saw that I was wearing a tie (I had come straight from work) and who clearly thought that my tie was telling him 2 things. Thing 1: He must have money... he wears a suit. Thing 2: He wears a suit, so clearly I know more about guitars than he does. Sadly, neither was true. The guy, whose name I did not catch so let's just call him Douchebag, followed me and my friend around the store for 20 minutes repeating the last few words of everything I said. Douchbag: Can I help you with something tonight? Me: No thanks, just heading into the acoustic room. Douchebag: just heading into the acoustic room, huh? strum strum Me, shrugging: Hm Nope Douchbag: Nope, huh? Me: I'm just gonna head in here Douchebag: Just gonna head in there, huh? This went on for 20 minutes and in the end I still couldn't find a goddamned thing i was wiling to buy. read more