This is a very nice location - it's everything one would expect from a Guitar Center, including a friendly, clean, and comfortable environment and nice, caring, and helpful employees. We brought in a guitar with a broken string and found the friendliest and most helpful man willing to help us. Not only did he fix the instrument, he tuned it, and cleaned it for us - all for $5. There are plenty of options for trying out musical instruments and lots of products for whatever your musical needs are. They also have lessons available. Awesome place! read more

Very happy with the service. So glad they match online prices and I have been buying more due to this policy.

About 2 months ago, I walk into this location with my two kiddos, ready to purchase my first Fender. I was surprised that I was one of the few people in the building, so I figured it would be a pretty quick trip. We went over to the Fender side of the house and waited patiently for help. 10 minutes passed, so I attempted to wave someone down or get someone's eye contact. It was almost like they were actively avoiding us. Two employees were chatting by the register and the Manager was texting or emailing on his phone. We waited another 10 minutes, while another gentleman on the other side of the building was attended to. This time I walked up to the register and politely said "excuse me, do you have a minute?". The manager glanced at me and went back to his phone. The other employees walked away. I'm not sure who I pissed off in a previous life, but I'm still not sure why I got the bottom barrel customer service package on this visit. Long story, short. We spent 45 minutes being ignored before we left and ordered a Fender from Fender online. Fast forward to yesterday. I decided that I'd give this location another chance (like a dummy). I wanted to upgrade to a model with more bells and whistles, so I walked in with intense eye contact and overwhelming politeness. I pointed to the one I wanted, paid quickly and left with my purchase. Success! Nope. Out of the box, the bridge was held on by one screw and the other side was lifted and digging into the body. I called and let this location know I was going to bring the item back. They seemed ok with that, so in less than 30 min I was back. I gave the guitar to a younger gentleman who took it to a tech near the back of the house. I followed an sat next to their amp section and played on my phone. They must not have know it was my purchase. Because the tech and another employee started a back and forth about how I was a dumba** who f'd up while changing the strings and now I'm blaming my ineptitude (plus some other unsavory commentary) on Fender. I just told them to keep the thing and refund me please. The icing on the cake is that there system is so outdated that my refund had to be processed as a check... Avoid this location at all costs. read more

I should have known better. I vowed that the last time I bought an instrument from the Mesa, AZ Guitar Center would be, in actual fact, the last time I bought anything from them. But while browsing their website I was shocked that they had gotten a specific guitar that I had been looking for. Right model, right color and priced just under $1,000. So I drove to the GC ignoring my better judgement. They weren't really very busy for a weekend so I got the attention of a salesperson pretty quickly and showed him the specific item from their website in my phone. He went to a terminal and poked away for a minute or two then told me that they did not have it in stock. So, disappointed, I walked over to browse what was hanging on the wall and what did I see? The exact guitar I had come for and on sale to boot, go figure. So I go back and wait for the same guy to finish with another customer,got his attention and led him to the guitar to get it unlocked. I asked him about the "36 month, zero interest financing offer" since in inflationary times it makes sense to buy now and pay later with inflated dollars. He seemed confused as if he had no idea what I was talking about and actually said "I can maybe order one for you". I asked for someone else who might know the details. So he got a manager who came over just exuding irritation and he told me that I "needed to fill out an application". That was all he told me. So I get down to business trying the instrument out. First noticed that the setup was so bad that it was really hard to evaluate playability but that can be corrected so I soldiered on. I really, really wanted this thing to convince me to buy it despite the fact that clearly I wanted to buy it way more than anybody working there wanted to sell it to me. It sounded really good and other than the action being ridiculously high, looked and felt great. After going back and forth in my mind, torn between really wanting the guitar but being really irritated with the "could not care less" attitude of the employees I finally decided that GC (still) did not deserve my business and I hunted down the sales guy and told him that the guitar just wasn't good enough to overcome the crappy experience. So, I left once again remembering why I had sworn off of Guitar Center in the first place. By the way, just in case the financing offer had any "catches" that might have made it undesirable, I had $1,200 in cash in my pocket. So when I got home I called my regular Sales Engineer at Sweetwater and asked him to put me on the notification list for my wish list when anything on it was back in stock. My question for Guitar Center Corporate is whether there is something in their hiring process that results in hiring employees who are so predictably bad or is it something inherent in the job environment that turns them into such virtuosos of bad customer experience? Also, finally I can't wait for the automated robo-response that invariably gets posted to Yelp after any negative review telling me that GC is "sincerely sorry" for my less than great experience and inviting me to send details to what is likely an unmonitored email account. No thanks. read more

I brought a guitar in here to sell and the repair department tested the guitar and said it was working properly. It was missing one string and the string lockers. The manager told me that even though they know the guitar is in working condition I would have to pay for the string and string locks along with a setup before they could make me an offer. So I would have to spend around $100.00 for $10.00 worth of parts just to find out how much they would pay for it. That is like trading in your car and they tell you to that you have to pay them to recondition it before they tell you what they would pay for it. I was told this was store policy so I guess I would go elsewhere to sell your used gear. read more

Mike, the repair technician, was so helpful and QUICK! I just needed a small price attached to my ukulele and I could tell he was busy. I assumed that I would have to leave my instrument there for a few days, like how it usually works, but Mike was extremely helpful and said that since it's such a small job he could just do it real quick. Within 10 minutes I was in and out, ukulele in hand. Thanks for everything, Mike! read more

Just visited the location in Dana Park and the staff was friendly, funny, and fast. I came in to get a string for a ukulele and the young guy that helped me was able to do it right then in 5 mins so I didn't have to wait. I told him I broke it because I was tuning it and made it too tight. I told him it was my daughters and that it was for her birthday. He got a string, fixed it, and tuned it... all for free. Awesome service. I'm probably going to buy a guitar now and get lessons. Loved the experience I had. read more

Guitar center only carries open box models. Make sure they have it in stock, when I drove and called to buy a Fender Deluxe Reverb 65 Amp, one was broken, the others were not there read more

Walked into this place on several different occasions and no one offers any help. They all like to chat with each other behind the main counter. Wouldn't recommend this place. I purchased my guitar, amp and accessories elsewhere. read more

I have created this account for the sole purpose to write this review after my incredible experience. I came in today, in search of a knob for my bass. Being a complete simpleton, I could not locate the knob. Until this young, teenage KING approached me. With a charming smile he said, "Can I help you find anything today?". I informed him of my search, and in mere moments, I had the correct knob in my possession. This lad did his job with intelligence, kindness, and speed. I will be back to this location, not because of the impressive inventory and well designed layout, but because of this kid. I did not get his name sadly, but management, please, give him a sizable raise. He earned you a customer, and he earned my heart. Thank you kid. read more

Guitar Center comes to the east valley! I have to say I have been so excited to know that a Guitar Center was going to be so close to my house. I have been going to the Tempe location for years. I am hoping that soon I can add a few more stars in a future update. Today was a BIG disappointment. I think the new employees need way more training. Pros: A Brand New Guitar Center in the East Valley. A large selection of amazing guitars, drum kits and a variety of other instruments. Needs Improvement: I interacted with over 7 employees and I have no idea who they were, they never introduced themselves or even welcomed me to the new store. The Tempe store was a great place to go, there is just a cool welcoming vibe. I sure hope that this location grows into that type of place. The employees are new and they are just learning, they were not very up on what grand opening specials they had and then when I asked about a special on some software, ( Like what exactly does the software do) multiple employees had no clue. This is just a young store and I hope that it will get better over time, right now, if you are someone who has been to the tempe store, the new mesa store is a bit different. As someone in Pro Audio, I was really excited to see how they were going to showcase the PRO equipment. I don't think that the corporate office really thought this through. There is no room for monitoring speakers, the pro audio section seems like an after thought by corporate. I can't believe that they do not have a separate room for DAW demos like in Tempe. They have one for the drum cymbals, nothing for the PRO equipment. I think they really missed the mark. I was really hoping that this would become a place where they would have Avid Demo nights and special clinics. It does not look like that is going to be the case. Like I said before, I will be back and I hope that can add a few stars, today 2 is all that I can give. read more

First time ever inside a Guitar Center. My son used a gift card online yesterday, but then Guitar Center cancelled the order because the item was out of stock. They said they refunded the gift card balance as store credit and to just reference the canceled order in a store. I'm in the store now. And I've been waiting for 45 minutes for the store manager to figure out how to make the store credit available to me. This will hopefully be the last time I have to visit a Guitar Center. read more

Wow, i'm blown away by how similar i feel to other reviewers here about the new Mesa location. I was very happy to see a GC so close to home, because I live out in the east valley ; and Milanos is quite a distance from me. So anywho, I checked em out quite a few times, even bought a few guitars and the employees are what is really sinking this location. They don't have any experience. When i purchase a $2,000+ instrument I like buying them from people who love them as much as I do. Not an inexperienced kid whom cant tell me the difference between models and I have to make those observations myself. What pickups does this Les Paul model have? 57 classics? They just dont know. Prices on used gear are usually at a managers discretion ; this location seems a tad overpriced on the used stuff. I can find better prices (for the same gear) from other GC locations. What gives? Staff also attempts to steal gear from people (out of curiosity i had them tell me what they'd pay for a tube amp and the amount was so low the amp would have had to of been red hot stolen ) Selection wasn't great either on the used stuff, probably because they lowball people all day and want twice the amount they paid for it. I like the tempe and scottsdale locations so much more. The staff is better, as well as their inventory. Remember this company is now owned by a Capital investment firm which is never a good thing. Artists should own GC , not corporate wallstreet piggies. read more

So it wasnt just me. Look at all the one stars.LOL Store: 1652 S Val Vista Dr Suite 118, Mesa, AZ 85204 01/14/2022 5:30pm I went into this store ready to buy. Not high end but I was looking for a nylon and steel acoustic and possible an electric. There were as many staff as customers yet none decided to greet or ask if I needed anything. In fact they seemed annoyed. One man looked into the acoustic area and I had to flag him down to ask if a guitar was in stock, he quickly answered and left. The guitar was hanging on the top run so I got on the ladder myself to get one down. Good thing I did not fall because I would have had to sue. Another employee was busy playing guitar right outside the door and didnt bother helping anyone, then he went behind the counter (still playing) and not helping. ZERO effort for any customer service. Ive been a customer since 1994 when you opened in Tempe. Back then you were the disrupters. We all became instantly loyal as you let us actually play the instruments and never gave an attitude. Those days are gone it seems. If you are planning to go fully online then that make sense but if you are keeping the stores you may need a wake up call. The online competition is fierce and rent is expensive. I didnt buy anything. Feel free to look at the cameras around that time and watch my money walk out the door. As a kid I hated snobby music stores and that is what GC has become. After this message I will look on Amazon for guitars. read more

DO NOT TRY AND TRADE GEAR IN! These guys are offering less than half of street value for gear. The sales people are decent but can't differentiate between models of instruments. For example the difference between an American deluxe and an American pro Fender I now see why rock is dead, these troglodytes have killed it. Do your self a favor and sell your gear privately and just call sweetwater where they work with you on the prices. Every time I try and give guitar center my business, they always give me a reason to walk right back out of the store. Struggling musicians rely on gear swapping, these sharks are a major part of why we can't put good instruments in the hands of young artists. Luckily I am older and don't have to rely on Gc any longer. Too many other options that are way better. Just avoid the store and the company in general. read more

**Update** I went back. Tried to sign up for a $200.00 credit. Their systems were down. Because, of course they were. Ignore the Walmart of musical instrument stores, go anywhere else. Bookmans works. Like, anywhere else. Guitar Center is disappointment, always. This was my first time going here, and I won't be back. I found a used guitar and amp with a price tag within my range, flagged down an employee who set it up to try out. I was going to buy it, but was told it was still being checked out to see if it was stolen and couldn't leave the store. "Well, do you have anything else for around this price?" "No," said the employee. Well, I found another guitar and amp, but it was high enough near the ceiling, and we'd need a ladder. No employee was in site, frustrated, we left. Never again. read more

I am writing this review to commend Jared the luthier. He took the time to answer all the questions I had, and enthusiastically showed me how to care for my new acoustic. He's knowledgeable about guitars, and I recommend him! read more

My husband and I came in here a few weeks ago to see what we could find, my husband also tried to sell a guitar but the customer service representative who helped us was really rude, and not friendly. He is one who usually helps my husband when he goes in, but you could tell he was in such a bad mood that it was effecting the way he spoke to customers. This is the normal guy that my husband talks to as well read more

We received excellent service on cyber Monday. Joel Taylor saved us $120! I recently purchased a Gemini monitor and when I came and noticed that it was on sale Joel was able to get Us the difference in price which was $80! And we got a great deal on mic cables saving $40! read more

I came here with my 7 year old because he needed help putting a new string on his guitar. They said they only had one person who could help us and he was at lunch. The associate said that it was a $5 charge and it wouldn't be fair if the tech didn't get that money which makes no sense to me. The manager backed him up and refused to make an exception. I had gone out of my way on a very hot day to stop and get this taken care of and didn't have extra time or energy to wait for someone to get back from lunch which they said would be at least another 20 minutes. Thankfully the other Guitar Centers are amazing and have always been helpful and friendly but I will never go to this location again. I was also going to sign him up for lessons but after this definitely didn't want to deal with this location on a regular basis. They weren't even nice about it. I left dumbfounded that a GUITAR Center had not one person available to put a string on a guitar. read more

Jacob Campbell is a badass, and I told him so to his face. First, he wouldn't help me move the ladder over to the sweet Schecter bass on the second story. Then he quizzed me and my girlfriend about what the low string on the bass was, since it was a five string. He was knowledgeable about the instruments and equipment he plugged us into. His enthusiasm to help us never wavered. All our questions were answered and we were very attended to. (Too much, Jacob? Stop hovering! ... Kidding.) When it came time to check out he again helped us right along making a couple of jokes about how he wanted us to pay more. See, the Schecter was marked way down, so we got it at a bargain. Jacob was then helpful enough to price match the pack of bass strings we bought, too. While he was helping us out, he was also helping one of his fellow employees in the same checkout area, punching in codes, authorizing, etc. He was very attentive to what was going on around him and to the people whom he was serving. Actually, he was serving not only us but his work-fellow as well. This is a man who can handle responsibility. He said he's been there since the grand opening of the store. I like to see the kind of passion, friendliness and joviality in folks who serve me. I'm pleased. This was the first time I've been to this Guitar Center, and really, this review is for that one experience, dealing with basically one very helpful, responsible, eccentric employee. (You're a badass, Jacob. Thanks for your help.) Cheerio. read more

This guitar center is an answer to prayer. First, it's so close. I don't have to drive out to Tempe anymore. Second, the staff is really friendly and helpful. The manager, Ashley, went above and beyond for us when buying a keyboard last week. She spent a long time helping us price match and her attitude was great about it. There were other people waiting to talk to her. Instead of a rushed attitude, she was patient and made sure were taken care of. I am really impressed with the management, employees, and location of this guitar center. Stop by and see for yourself. read more

I have purchased a lot of audio and lighting gear here and have allways been pleased the staff is great not only knowledgeable but also friendly and want u to have right gear for what u need read more

I purchased a Jackson guitar from guitar center In April. Brought my Jackson guitar to guitar center in mesa Arizona early October to get fixed It has a one year warranty. 3 days later I followed up and the tech had the guitar open and suggested, upon review, it should probably be replaced under warranty. He was going to call fender to confirm. Another day passed with no response from guitar center so I decided to call fender to explore my options. They informed me guitar center Mesa is not certified and my warranty may now be negatively impacted as a result of having them handle my guitar. Don't assume guitar center techs are certified. Ask in advance. read more

I love the staff at this store. It's a bit small but they make it my favorite GC in the valley. Namely Warren is very helpful every time I walk in and the luthier Mike is amazing. read more

Collin, trevor and Daphne are amazing! I was extremely indecisive on want I wanted, was looking for an entire dj setup with sub and speakers. They all took time to show me everything they had and explained why certain products were better than the others. They answered all the questions I have and don't think I could've had better service! read more

One star because they were there. Second star because they helped us load the keyboard we bought into our vehicle. But overall, extremely pushy, did not listen to what we were wanting, and kept obnoxiously wanting to upsell us to the point where it made us feel extremely uncomfortable. They would not stop trying to sell us on their extended warranty, and literally told us at the end, that this was our last chance, and we were "duly warned". They were very well-stocked, and it could've been a much different experience, a much nicer experience, if they were just more respectful of our choices. read more

I used to think highly of this store, have been a regular customer since it opened. But As of late the whole atmosphere has changed in there. Gone is the will to go there....maybe because of the insulting with the trade ins, the way the talk to me as a downgrade in my intelligence, or the fact that their repair dept can't fix something and when they they say they do. This is a update as of 08-09-2017. Iwent in right when they opened to sell a guitar because of a injury and surgery that'll prevent me from playing for 6-8 months. And just like above mentioned insulted and talked down to. I've been going to guitar center for years, way before the pompous jerks worked here, and it's a whole new sad atmosphere. The manager didn't even try to rectify it just walked away to help some girl in tight spandex, pretty pathetic. As of today this will be my last trip to any of their stores. read more

Taken my acoustic in twice for some tweaking and the guy in the back has been excellent both times. Took care of me on the spot and didn't charge a ton. Will be back. read more

I went in at 6:15 on a Saturday to offer to sell them a guitar, it was in mint condition and I would've let them have it for a great deal as I'm moving and just need to get rid of things for space. As soon as the employees saw me coming to the counter they were already scowling and glaring angrily at me. I said "I was wondering if you would be interested in looking at this guitar I have for sale." One of them rolled their eyes and another loudly sighed and said in a very annoyed tone "We're closing in 30 minutes so we dont have time to look at that." So they close at 6:45pm on Saturday? The sign and google both said 9:00pm. And even if they did close in 30 minutes that's still plenty of time to review if you wanted to purchase or not. They didn't even bother taking it out of the case to see what it was. Anyways I took it down the road right after and the next place I went was ecstatic to but it and told me they constantly get people who got shit service from the rude guitar center staff. read more

I purchased a guitar online (Rogue RD-80) for my daughters Christmas present. I showed up on Saturday to pick it up only to be told that they didn't take the guitar off the floor and had sold out. I asked them to look at other stores as this was her big gift. Adam (the manager) and Rey didn't even bat an eye, but instead of looking at other stores they fixed the problem in-house. They upgraded her to a guitar (Mitchell MD-120) that was better than the one i purchased for the same price. I am so thankful or them saving the day and in less than 30 min so i could finish the rest of my shopping. My daughter loves her guitar!!! Thank you Adam and Rey!! You have made a customer for life. read more

The store overall is clean, there are some good associates there that will help you but most will ignore you until you ask them for help. BUT my main gripe is I took my guitar to get new strings before they shut down and whoever did it set the action WAYYY too low. It's obvious looking at it but upon playing there's tons of fret buzz and my high e is dead at the 13th fret. What would've been a quick adjustment for your tech became a hassle for me. I won't be taking my guitar back for any service. read more

John you're the man! I was 1 minute late after close, but he got my part and got me right out thanks! The Breakroom Bar and Grill thanks you too! read more

EDIT: The store manager reached out to me, refunded me the shipping, and told me that he's edited the grading of the item to reflect the condition and talked to his staff. It looks like the price of the item hasn't been adjusted, but the grading has been. While I still don't recommend buying used from Guitar Center, the manager was thankfully willing to refund the shipping charge. The online used listings should be more detailed so these things don't happen. DO NOT purchase used gear online at Guitar Center. Their used item gradings are completely worthless and inaccurate; they will charge you shipping to ship items between stores, and when the item isn't as described, they won't refund the shipping. I had a used guitar in "great" condition shipped to this Guitar Center, and it arrived with a major 1-2 inch diameter chip to the finish that was repaired, completely undisclosed beforehand. There was scuffing on the back of the instrument, and there were 3 small chips in the finish that were also undisclosed. They charged me the same price the guitar was going for in new condition on Reverb.com. The repair and damage to the finish should devalue the guitar by at least $200, but the salesman assured me that the guitar was in fact in great condition when I returned it. I wouldn't classify a chipped guitar that previously had a chunk taken out and repaired with a very obvious seam to be "great condition." I was refunded the listed price and tax, but they refused to refund the shipping. I was basically charged to examine a guitar I didn't order. They essentially lied to me, then charged me money to determine that they lied. They even listed the return reason on my receipt as "customer changed their mind." I did not change my mind, I was sold an item that was not as described. They'll probably relist the guitar for the same price, in the same condition, and try to pass it off to someone else. I'd been watching the guitar for a while before I purchased it, and the listing disappeared for a couple of weeks before reappearing in another store. In hindsight, I bet another customer purchased the same guitar, then returned it when they found the undisclosed damage. I've been a customer for about 6 years, but the way they handled this situation was completely unethical, and I don't plan on ever spending another dime at a Guitar Center store. They charge top dollar for damaged equipment, and they refuse to eat the cost of their own incompetence to right the situation. This whole transaction was a huge waste of time and money. I've even received better customer service from E-Bay sellers. read more

Lots of cool stuff, UNFORTUNATELY, really unhelpful, lazy and super snarky employees. My 12 yr old daughter and I stopped in to pick up guitar strap, picks and pick holder. LOTS of employees congregated at the register chatting; not once did anyone ask if we needed help. No big; I'm a pretty self sufficient person. 20 min later; having found what we needed on our own, we headed to the register. My daughter asked about an item that was apparently "right in front of her", (said laughingly as clerk rolls eyes at another nearby employee). We have never been in a Guitar center before, so, ignoring the rudeness, I inquired of the employee (as I'm now checking out) if she's ever seen hot pink guitar picks. She responds with, "I have no idea, Ma'am. We just sell what "THEY" send us." Oh. (She's not privy to the merchandise her company sells?) Then one of the other 5 employees (who must pay closer attention to what he sells everyday) standing aimlessly around the cash register snidely remarks, (like I'M a moron) "Umm... we have hot pink guitar picks", and proceeds to spin a table top display around to reveal hot pink guitar picks right under the nose of the one who just claimed "I have no idea, MA'AM." I won't waste my time here. MILANOS music center in downtown Mesa is full of friendly staff, eager to assist the customer and is capable of meeting more variety of musical needs. It's no wonder Amazon is taking retail by storm. read more

I have been taking lessons for Guitar here for a month now and have purchased a few items. I am very happy with the customer service and lessons. Everyone is very laid back but nice and helpful. They have lessons for guitar, keys, mandolin, drums, ukulele, etc. The prices are decent but I didn't look around much because this location/times available was very convenient. They send emails with specials frequently and they give you a 10% off when you sign up for classes for any supplies/instruments you may want to buy. read more

I went to the GC location on Val Vista last Sunday around noon. I had read a lot of negative reviews on yelp (apparently about the Tempe store). I was hoping to have a better experience. The store was extremely busy, with a line at each register, and staff trying to keep up. After about 10 min. I got the attention of a salesperson. I was looking for a starter bass guitar, preferably short scale, and Gavin M. was a bass player. He took the time to demo several guitars, pointing out differences in sound quality, balance and controls. I ended up spending twice as much as I was originally going to spend. Today I went back and bought a small Fender amp. When I asked Gavin for a business card, he said that he was a seasonal employee but that he would like to be a permanent one. I hope he does become one. I'll definitely be a repeat customer. Today I was also assisted by Frankie S., because Gavin's shift had ended. read more

Like others in the SE Valley, I was excited to see a new Guitar Center open up close to home. However I was disappointed when I set foot in the store. This particular location should be called "Guitar Center Jr." The store is small and the selection very limited compared to other GCs, particularly the one in Tempe. The keyboard section was woefully lacking in demo models (no Yamaha Motif or S-90? Seriously??). Same was true for rest of the place. I had limited interaction with the staff but those I did briefly speak with seemed friendly enough. I can see that my visits to this particular store will likely be limited to merely picking up accessories like mic cords, etc. Too bad--I was really hoping for another location like the one on Eliot Rd. read more

Horrible customer service! I went in there to trade in some older drum equipment and buy some newer stuff but the workers at the drum section were rude so I left right on the spot. read more

I was happy to see this place go in so close to my home. Recently I went in to buy new strings for my guitar and I asked if they had someone who could put them on because it takes me forever and I do not think I put them on very well. I was told sure the guitar tech could do that but does not come in till 9 a.m. So I waited.... When he finally came in and no one told me he arrived and I was the only one in the store. Then the guy wanted $15 to string and tune it. This is probably Guitar Centers fee but he seemed really cocky and annoyed that I even asked. Someone should have told me the fee for this before I waited an hour. I think I will stick to Milano Music on Main St for now on. Guitar Center is just a retail chain store that wants a sale with no customer service. The end. read more