this place is dope as hell. Everything that you need as a musician is here. I first came here in 2004 and never stopped coming. Before that, i was buying stuff from pawn shops and messing around w/ the same equip. for years. The people here are knowledgable about upgrades on equip. and preferences. I used to come everyday messing around w/ their stuff and got comfortable enough to where i could get it. When i came up w/ enough cash to buy some of it, i came across another program over there which was a software product called Reason which to me was better and cheaper. I used the money I saved up to buy it and a G4 power book. But if you're more of an anolog person, this the place to be. What's cool about the people here too is that they're musicians themselves tryin' to make it so they'll once in awhile hook you up w/ discounts and people within the area. read more

What they lack in inventory, they make up for in attitude and excellent customer service! Highly recommended!

I was a looking for a good beginner guitar and Daniel.n and David c.z help with that so i really appreciate that .They had great service and great help when searching for what you need read more

Paul is the man. Serviced my guitar and it sounds incredible now. Before he worked on it it was unplayable. Now it's pretty and sounds nasty. Great dude to chat with too. Learned a ton about guitars. read more

I've never been to a Guitar Center that is constantly busy as this place. I guess business is good. We go here often to look at guitars, okay he buys the guitars I just tag along and play the drums, piano, keyboards, and whatever else I can get away with touching. What I find amusing in the guitar section is listening to the various genres of music being played by customers. What, no death metal San Diego? I love how friendly and helpful the associates are. The guys seem very knowledgeable about the product. We shop here often for guitars and accessories, especially before deployments. Every time they have had everything that we needed and the prices are reasonable. read more

I like this particular Guitar Center. The staff are all cool and helpful. I'm always in the Pro Audio & Keyboard department when I'm there. All the equipment is usually hooked up and ready for demo. I bought some speakers, lights, cables and recording gear on several occasions and they always have what I need in stock. I hear they do Free recording lessons on the weekends. I'm gonna have to stop there one day to check it out! read more

I recently needed to rent equipment for an event my organization was putting on, and I admittedly did not know what I needed much less where to find it. A quick Google search led me to the rentals department at Guitar Center in La Mesa, and I was impressed with their customer service from the start. Chris and Sean both went above and beyond to help me out, from walking me through the event and what equipment I would need (all while keeping in mind that I had an extremely tight budget) to talking me through the actual set up and troubleshooting of the equipment during several frantic (on my end, not theirs) phone calls from the event itself. They were patient (besides knowing absolutely nothing about sound equipment, I also changed our order several times as things evolved the week of the event), knowledgeable, accommodating, honest and fair, and above all else they were very kind. They made a stressful situation seem manageable, and amazingly the event went off without a hitch. But, we literally could not have done it without them! If you need to rent any of the things they carry, I can't recommend them enough! read more

Kenny and Ernie rock! I went in looking for a small amp and lapel mic for my flute. All I had to go on was a picture of the setup I wanted to copy. Kenny took me right to the amp I was looking for, and matched an online price. I came back that afternoon to get a lapel mic, as the one I had from Office Depot didn't work with the amp. That is when I met Ernie. Super patient and was able to help some other customers while still taking care of me. He found a mic that would work for me, and tried it on the amp I bought to be sure. He spent a good 20 minutes or so making sure I got everything I needed. I told him I knew I wasn't going to be his biggest sale of the day, but he sure treated me like I was. Kenny and Ernie made my day! read more

This place has the worse customer service. I bought a Cajon from these guys thinking it was a good buy. The instrument was on display and was the last one of its kind in the store. The manager said he marked down the price yet I come to find that he charged me full price for it - good salesmanship tactics guy. Really have to hand it to you. I tried to return it the same day but for some reason I have to come back another day to do so. Overall, I was extremely dissatisfied with this store. Just a tip, know what you're looking for before you come to this store and purchase it right away. You might have to wait a while too.... read more

I received good customer service from Jacqui and Dave, who helped me pick out a semi-hollow guitar, case, and strap. They were patient and attentive. I was there for hours trying out different models, and Jacqui and Dave helped other customers in the mean time. While they were busy, I tried to get help from an employee named Mike who was tall, thin, and had slightly long hair. He was rude and condescending and obviously not interested in helping me out with anything, even though he was standing there behind the counter literally spacing out and not doing anything. I saw him stand around for 20 or so minutes, and he didn't help me or another customer who had also tried to get help. I waited for Dave and Jacqui to finish their transactions before checking out. Someone needs to re-train Mike, or better yet, hire someone to replace him. He is disrespectful and so unhelpful that I wanted to leave everything I picked out and just bring my business elsewhere. I stayed because I thought Jacqui's friendliness and willingness to help me find what I need was worth more than Mike's bad behavior in the end. read more

I bough a Yamaha guitar a few days ago, but I they gave me a display one with price of new one without any warranty card.

Bought a DW kit from GC. Employee (long hair, glasses, arm tattoos) was very helpful. I heard horror stories about purchases from GC. Never had any issues. Delivery was perfect and the employee was helpful fitting all the drums into my vehicle. read more

The staff is very helpful and friendly. They have an awesome music program. My daughters been taking bass lessons for 3 years now. She has really excelled. We love the recitals they have. read more

I stopped by the guitar dept. at this La Mesa Guitar Center to get some hands-on shopping time to find a new bass. With no specific brand in mind but a pretty long list of wants and needs, Dan stepped up to help us narrow down the choices. His vast knowledge and experience really helped to sort through all the options and pros/cons of each bass. He saved me a lot of time by narrowing down the choices to the best match for my needs. I could have spent weeks and multiple trips to sort through all the choices on my own. It was a busy weekend afternoon with other customers also needing his attention, but I appreciated Dan for balancing his time between groups. He got me set up with my top choices and then gave me the space I needed to try out each bass. No high pressure sales tactics or rushing me to make a decision. He just made himself available to answer questions and switch out equipment. Because of Dan's help, I have a beautiful new bass on order. Thanks, Dan! read more

Selection is good, prices are reasonable, but clear your schedule if you need any customer support. The first time I went to return an amp(due to a defect in the amp) it took an hour to get anyone to actually help me and not just pass me of to someone else. Once I started being helped the guy quit helping me to help someone else two different times. Then once my amp came back (fairly quick actually) it took almost 45 mins to get it and get out of the store. They handed me my amp in 5 mins then spent 40 trying to find an employee who knew how to print out a receipt. The manager asked one employee to ring me up and without even breaking stride just said "nope" and walked buy. They have a good selection of stuff and the staff knows what they are talking, but when it comes to actually getting stuff done, just order it online... read more

I was hesitant to go here at first because I tend to not like the atmosphere of most music stores, but I really enjoyed my experience here. I had to pick up a beginner acoustic guitar and some tripods they had on sale over the weekend, I was greeted and asked if I needed assistance by several people after walking in. I was assisted by Christopher and he went out of his way to make sure I picked up the right equipment and gave me some options before I made my purchase. I wasn't spending a ton of money, but he still took the time to help me out. I came back a few days later to pick up some more stuff, this time I was assisted by Elizabeth, who gave me excellent advice to my questions and plenty of options with my purchase. Their prices are excellent, and in some cases, cheaper than what I found online. If you want excellent service and low prices, this is a great store to purchase from. I will definitely be coming here more often. read more

I went to Guitar Center a few Saturdays ago at 1pm (unfortunately the only time I was free), and just as I expected- pure chaos. There was quite literally a wall of guitar boxes and as per usual-several people tuning or wanking on full volume. I had come to Guitar Center with one of my bandmates, Nick, and I was set on going all out and buying my own electric guitar, but dreaded going- knowing that it would be a pain to get help due to crowds. I was pleasantly surprised that we were greeted rather quickly. Dan Neighbors was professional, welcoming, and so damn knowledgeable- triple threat. I had my heart set on a hollowbody, the Gretsch Cowboy Gentleman, and Dan led us straight to the wall of Gretschs, and after taking down my dream guitar, Dan set us up in a little private room, and without pause he went back to take the White Falcon and Tennessee Rose of the wall for me to try out. These guitars were everything I thought they'd be- price tag included, but I decided to try out a few other semi-hollowbody gits and asked Dan what he suggested based on our feedback on the Gretschs and what music we play. Among the 3 of the first class suggestions Dan made was a beautiful blonde 72 Thinline Tele- picked it up and was pretty damn sure after playing that I'd take her home with me. He not only found my dream guitar but paired it with a tweed Fender Blues-Deluxe amp and a tweed case for the Tele. He quite literally built the perfect set up for me from the ground up- all within 2 hours on a BUSY Saturday, AND it had completely changed from what I had originally walked in for. Then the sticky situation of every broke ass musician- how are you going to pay for the damn thing? Dan made sure I got the lowest possible price (the ol' GC guarantee), and after checking with a manager a couple times, they let me put a small down payment on my gear. I told him I'd try to come back in about a week- so, week 3 rolls by... and I get a friendly, professional followup call from Dan, and I let him know I'd be there soon to pick her up. I showed up August 23rd, a Saturday- and there was Dan to fish my gear out of the back, talk a little on mics, ring me up, help me out to my car, refuse a tip 3 times....and yesterday I get a followup email. Dan is everything RIGHT about Guitar Center. -The experience I had with Dan at the potentially grim, Guitar Center was the most hospitable and memorable I've had with any business in a while. Enough to make me sit down and right this yelp novel... even after a month has already passed since he's helped me. Dan is a knowledgeable, fellow musician, who cares about setting you up with the RIGHT gear- not just selling. As a musician and a sales associate- I truly appreciated Dan's ability to guide me to a quality guitar that was right for me and make a sale the "right" way. Thank you so much for your help Dan, I will be coming in to see you about a mic very soon. I hope this yelp review helps- And when me or my bandmates do go back to GC we will going to the La Mesa location and asking for you. read more

Been coming to Guitar Center for years! But I'm all the more excited to stop by now to see Paul Moors in the tech department. Not only is he a gentleman, he does everything in his power to get my Guitars setup, re-strung, cleaned, and ready to go for any shows I may have coming up! If you ever have a chance to jog by the Guitar shop, go see Paul!!! read more

Guitar Center is where you buy floor model equipment as brand new with a brand new price tag. Tack on an insurance policy and you've drain your wallet with their trade sell screw you policy. read more

Excellent guitar repair service. I absolutely could not find a better deal for missing components for my les paul. They didn't have the parts I needed instock but promised to call me with in the week. I figured I was totally screwed and would have to shell out nearly $100 online. Just a few days later I got what I needed for $8.00 used but in mint condition. They kept track of my information, researched what I really needed, and remembered to call me back. And did not pressure me into buying anything else or any other kind of up selling. As far as attitude/elitest impressions people are getting.. you have to remember a lot of people go in that store claiming to have invented music, when in reality very few can play more than a couple bars of their favorite song, so there's a lot of " walk the walk/talk the talk " playfulness/stand-offishness. That and if you had to hear the same handfull of pop riffs day and day out you couldn't escape you'd lose portions of your mind too. So just go in there with a clear idea of what you want and an open mind to possibly be told differently lol. If they seem a little snarky, it's not you, it's just them trying to stop them selfs from jumping over the counter and slapping the guitar away from the kid playing the opening to every nirvana song for the millionth time. As far as returns/haggling..they have a pretty standard policy for big ticket items. So make sure you understand it and follow it if something does go wrong. It's not like best buy or walmart where if you stand around pissing and moaning long enough you'll get what you want. These guys have heard it all before. read more

First off I only gave one star because you have to...... It should be -10000000000! The staff in the pro audio mainly the manger MARTY i think, was a total A$$ hole! And because of him I will never spend a cent or even go back to any g center!! I brought back a cdj with full coverage and he bacily told me your SOL... go call the 800 #.. And then says we rent them WHT! So I call the 800 # and THAT GOT ME NO WHERE... They said I'll put you down for a call back.... Thanks for nothing... YYYOOOOOUUUUU SSSUUUUCCCKKKK read more

I have bought like 8 guitars from this place. I only wish that they would have a guitar center down south. I can't remember the guy that has always help me but they all seem to know there stuff. The last guitar that I bought was a Spanish acoustic guitar and I Love it. Cordoba guitars are my favorite. Really nice sound and I got a really good deal. Can't wait to buy some more. Would recommend getting the extended warrantee especially if you have kids. I have three and they have broken my guitars like twice now. The only bad thing is you have to take it in and your are out of an instrument until they repair it. read more

Despite it starting off to a rocky start, they were able to get in another guitar replacement. Not only that, they gave me a beautiful case along with some goodies for all of the trouble I went through. Thanks guys. read more

Guitar Center - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - La Mesa, California

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One of the worst GC locations I've been to. Service is almost non existent and the limited selection they have is extremely used. I looked at one guitar where the bridge pickup was literally almost falling out of the guitar. Also some of the sales staff have horrible attitudes. This one bald guy had a meltdown because another customer had returned a guitar. Overall not a good place to go and I won't be returning to this location. read more

Came in the store and chose a fender amplifier to come with my younger sisters fender guitar that she picked out, we set the amp on layaway some time ago scheduled to be picked up today. My mother accompanied my sister to pick it up, La Mesa being 25 mins away. If I were employed at GC I would have made sure our customers had the right equipment to amplify their electric guitars or just ensure that they have the right equipment to plug into an amplifier if picking up one. Especially if they don't look exactly like stEVE Ray vAUghN. Now we have to visit the store again and hopefully your store will compensate with something. Will be coming back for a claim very soon. read more

My daughter took drum lessons for over 2 years with Pat, who we both loved. In no way does this review reflect his teaching. We stopped lessons because my daughter started jiu jitsu and already played club soccer and we were told we could start up again when my daughter was ready and that they had charged us a month ahead but that our credit was good. Kids change their mind often, so I really don't understand how that mentality isn't more flexible. Fast forward 6 months, my daughter asked to start lessons again and we were told our credit had expired. Now according to our friends in the law industry, credit should never expire. But either way, where is the loyalty? In this politically correct day and age and with social media driving business in an incredibly interactive way where clients are able to communicate, this makes no sense. Good luck Guitar Center, but we won't be giving you any more business or referrals. I suggest you reevaluate your business plan. Word gets around fast. read more

Went in to buy a guitar not know exactly what I wanted. Paul helped me out first, even though he works in the repair shop, and led me to Esteban! Esteban was so patient and friendly and helped me pick out the most beautiful guitar that was perfect for me. Paul came in to check and make sure that everything went smoothly and I was happy. I couldn't of had a better experience! Thanks Esteban and Paul :) read more

Well I ain't got nothin' better to do so I'll write a review of Guitar Center. In this review I will average out about a half dozen visits.I've had some great experiences and some not so great. I've been fortunate to find an electric bass, an electric acoustic guitar, and a resophonic guitar, All used all at reasonable actually very good Prices. I've had several instruments set and some repairs. For guitar setups they did a great job for a low price. I had one banjo setup the work was OK, reasonable price. I took one banjo there the price was great if you didn't factor in the work was less than desirable. I ended up taking it to Moze to do it correctly. On some visits they treat me like a king. On others not so well. So far I haven't been able to rescue a used F style mandolin. I'll keep looking. They do have some great new A styles in the price range I want to pay but I don't want or need an A style. For today's visit I suspect I should not have wore camouflage shorts as I was barely noticed. They do have a great assortment of acoustic instruments. Some reasonably priced. They had fantastic prices on used electric guitars. I almost rescued one today. Would I recommend Guitar Center. For the most part yes. But don't wear camouflage and don't stop in expecting to rescue a used F style Mandolin. Would not recommend for banjo repairs. read more

I had an amazing experience at Guitar center. It must have one of the best customer service experiences I ever had. The manager Kevin helped me and it was great. I got a deal on all the equipment I needed. I usually go to small music stores because it is good to help those mom and pop shops out but I needed a decent mixer and guitar center had it in stock. The manager helped me get what I needed, was quick, helpful and understand.ing I definitely recommend coming here. read more

It used to be, if you ever wanted your music retailer to go that extra mile for you, take care of the little things, use their powers for good, not for evil, you would have to deal with a family-owned, independent business. The music retail version of a "big box store" is supposed to be soulless and impersonal and inefficient, with poor product knowledge or customer skills, something akin to a used car lot. Once upon a time, it sort of did feel like that. I wanted to take a moment to thank Guitar Center La Mesa for proving that to now be a false narrative, at least at their location. San Diegans are lucky to have a place with such variety that also has staff, especially management, who are players, pros, and genuinely cool people who care about what musicians want and need. I've witnessed it first hand, benefited from it greatly, and I thank them and salute them for it. Thank you for exceeding expectations on the daily. Every music store has its ups and downs, but when it comes to do or die, GC manages to be my go-to Hail Mary pass every time. Above-and-beyond-manager awards go to Norm in drums, Ernie on the floor, the big boss (don't know his name but very cool), and all the members of your staff, who help keep rockers rocking. Cheers! read more

Shout out to James! My favorite instructor! If you're looking for an instructor for guitar he would be the best choice, not only does he have the passion for it. He has the patience to teach others. read more

My experience here at this guitar center was absolutely ridiculous. Pompous condescending bunch of degenerates. I came here to sell a guitar and the looks and words they used during the transaction, I was forced to change my mind. Never at this guitar center again. Wow. read more

Bad bad bad customer service tonight. That guy(skinny dude in his 20s and wears a thick ass broken glasses) from the drums area is lazy AF! Always on his cellphone. We went to Sam Ash instead. read more

About a month ago, I purchased a used LtD 401 arrow from this location. Spoke with associate Dave in regards to this item. He provide answers to all my questions about the guitar and helped me out in the kindest way. Even though, I am located in AZ. Dave provided great customer service and for that I can't thank you enough. The guitar plays great and was delivered fairly quickly less than a week. read more

Excellent Excellent Excellent. Customer Service was ABOVE AND BEYOND anything you could expect from a retailer. And I was buying a piano! read more

Guitar center is good for sales, which they seem to find any excuse to have. You have to come in here knowing its going to be crazy loud and the sales people will try to upsell you on anything that you are looking for. Typically someone is playing guitar horribly in the background and thinking that an 800 dollar guitar is going to help them with their power chords. come here to get gear. i would think the mom and pop places probably are better to support, but if you are low on cash or need that rare thing that not all stores are going to carry, then this is the place for you. read more

On more than one occasion, I've seen Chris Moberg enthusiastically greet customers by name and multitask between guests, phone, and staff in an extraordinary, courteous, and efficient way. Also, Ricky Jackson genuinely listens to each guest's needs in order to best serve them. Thanks fellas! And thanks so much for helping me decide on my guitar, Chris! read more

I used to live close to the San Marcos store and loved the store but service was always so-so. I visited this store tonight after moving to Mission Valley last month and was blown away. The selection is better than I've ever seen and the service is top notch. Dan patiently helped me in the acoustic guitar room for an hour. He listened to what I said I wanted and recommended a guitar that I had not prior considered. It sounded better than the one I had previously decided on, and actually cost less. Same brand which made me happy, and the best part, he frequently left to let me play without hovering over me, checking back at the right time to ensure all was well. A+ service at a great store. Thank you. read more

The service here is amazing. I had to get a ding repaired, and while standing around waiting of my turn in line, I must have been approached by at least 4-5 people asking if I needed any help. The place was super busy too. Mostly just people walking around playing with the guitars. When the tech realized the customer he was working with was going to take longer than expected, he paused and went to find another tech that could take care of me. They said it would be ready by Thursday, and then called to let me know if was done on Tuesday. Price fair, service great. Reading some of these reviews, some of you people gotta stop using yelp to be so hurtful. You come in here for year and year and they take care of you, and then you have one bad experience or something doesn't go quite the way you think it should, and you hurt their rating with one or two stars. Come on! Says more about you than them. read more

I have recently gone there to buy my first guitar I knew what I wanted (Squier Tele) and I called in to ask if they had the guitar... The man named Chance said yes that there were 2 of them. We get there and he looks for the guitar and realizes that he put in Stratocaster instead of Telecaster. He kindly said sorry and ordered it from online to the store. Yes I am giving it 5 and he messed up... But through the whole thing he was kind and understand what he did wrong, he helped me get other things I wanted but I did not want them but he suggested them to me a beginner at guitar. Today I picked up the guitar and a new guy (I forget his name) brought it out for me and asked me what I wanted with it... (I had forgot what Chance said) so I said a Tuner, Connecting cord between amp and guitar, Bag, Picks and strap. He told me what price range to get a strap (10-20$) so I don't get ripped of or have it be way too expensive for a beginner. He came back with everything and a capo and extra strings he liked for free. After that he made sure that I knew someone that could help me with getting started. Then he told me about the lessons and the new 40% off for the first month if you sign up on the 8th. I have never had better service at a music store for anything. Most music store employees talk down to you or don't know there stuff. I recommend going there with high regards. read more