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

This company is extremely friendly and attentive only when you are about to spend money. The moment the sale is complete and you need warranty support or a return, the entire attitude changes. When buying, everything moves fast. They are responsive, helpful, and eager to assist. But when an issue comes up and you try to use the warranty or request a return, you are suddenly treated like an inconvenience. There is no real effort to listen or help resolve the situation. Instead, the response becomes dismissive "call the number" and essentially don't bother us. For a business that sells professional equipment, this is unacceptable. Warranty support is not optional customer service it is part of the product people are paying for. If a company cannot stand behind what they sell, then customers should know that before they buy. What makes this worse is the clear contrast in treatment. When they want your money, they are quick, friendly, and attentive. When you need help after the sale, the professionalism disappears completely. It leaves the impression that the goal is simply to close the sale and move on, not to actually support the customers who invested their money in their equipment. Anyone considering purchasing here should think carefully, especially if you expect real support after the sale. If you never need warranty service, you might not notice the problem. But if something goes wrong, be prepared for a very different experience than the one you received when they were trying to sell to you. This has been one of the most frustrating customer service experiences I've had with a professional equipment supplier. I will not be doing business with this company again, and I would strongly caution others before trusting them with your money. read more

If you're looking for musical instruments This is the only store, This location is new and has more options. The ambience and design were perfectly planned out. The customer service was great very professional and knowledgeable of all the products. The prices are a bit high but other than that it's a great experience. read more

Guitar Center - Guitar Stores Near Me - Monterey Park, California

Went in needing help with a guitar. We were fortunate to be assisted by Forrest. He was very courteous and did his best to make sure we had what we needed. Unfortunately they didn't have everything we needed, but that didn't take away from the great service we received. I appreciated his assistance, especially since none of the other employees even acknowledged us. 5 stars for Forrest, 2-stars for the rest of them. read more

Now this review is specifically for Fernando. Now to be honest I hate coming here because I always have to wait so long and I feel like there's not enough people to help, but when you finally meet the people who are there to help they're typically really nice. So I went back to my email so that I can try and take the survey, but they said the survey expired. So I just wanted to make a note here on how impressed I was at his knowledge, at how patient he was, and how much of an effort he gave to make sure that I was a satisfied customer. So thank you Fernando and I hope somebody pays you money because pizza is played out. read more

Don't ever bring your guitar for a setup at this location, the guitar technician is not qualified. I brought two guitars in different times, not happy with the result. I wish there was somebody that could do this with knowledge and quality. read more

Guitar Center - Fender Strat - Guitar Stores Near Me - Monterey Park, California

Always provide what you asked for or will try to find it for you returns no problem or upgrades always friendly with customers makes for a good atmosphere enjoy read more

Friendly, knowledgeable service, when it comes to your music needs. Plenty of instruments to choose from.

Lowk the guys in the drumming department were pretty chill and the drums inside the soundproof room had a low sound but the crashes on display were sweet read more

I was in the area. Never visited this Guitar Center. So I decided to go inside with the intention of purchasing some TRS cables for TSAKT. Found them. Purchased them. read more

Guitar Center - 12/9/24: Happy TSAKT. Got some new TRS cables for it. - Guitar Stores Near Me - Monterey Park, California

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Again , this "Guitar center" isi outstanding and very professional when it comes to helping and guiding the community. If u all need any help in the drums or in the Percussion dept, ask for Mr. Angel , or His buddies. read more

Will was amazing and was so helpful on the phone and in the store with my order. Unfortunately Chris or Christian did not want to help me out at all in the store and would have not even tried if Will didn't step in and help me out. Would give Christian 1 star but don't want to take away from how helpful Will was. read more

Guitar Center Customer Service reached out to me to let me know that the store manager would be reaching out to me and that they wanted to make things right. The store manager did reach out to me to basically hear my side of the story again. I was told they would have words with the repair tech, but there was no mention of "making things right." No invitation to bring the guitar back in to be set correctly. Not even so much as an offer for store credit or discount towards a future purchase. Waste of time. read more

Guitar Center - Proof - Guitar Stores Near Me - Monterey Park, California

No one pays attention to you there. I bought a guitar and figured I would take lessons there because it is close to my house. They never got back to me. Go somewhere else read more

Not appreciate the customer service at all!!!!!!!!they have a indoor room just for classic guitar and the guy inside is absolutely horrible. They hate you the movement you in that room and no intention selling anything. Why you guys selling guitar if you don't even know basic selling principles. 0 star for sure!!!!! Don't waste your time shopping your guitar there!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! read more

Pasadena and Hollywood are my favorite locations for guitar Center super busy all the workers there for the most part all really cool and honestly an incredible selection of Guitar's new and used read more

Like the fart smell here lowkey, my bro gets lessons here and the instructors here are chill af, vibes are never off here in the evening

This review is long overdue, but I want to shout out the music lessons team because they are so patient, flexible and are some great people. The person in front that you'll work out the logistics of the lessons with is Jay, he's super cool, and goes above and beyond to work with your schedule to find a good time for your lessons and is agile enough to make things work if your week changes. My boys have lessons with Diego who is just a rock star no pun intended, my youngest one isn't the calmest or most dedicated musician but he finds a way to keep him focused and keep the lessons fun! I recommend working with Diego you won't regret it! Really good people working together as a great team, thanks for everything! Oh and they have host concerts for the students where they showcase the music your kid has been working on. As a parent it warms your heart to see your kid work through stage fright and just perform. read more

Ordered a used guitar online from guitar center.com and when I received the guitar in the mail one of the strings was popped. Went into this location and was helped by Nol Santana. He was so nice and very helpful. He was able to change out the string and assist with tuning it for us! Overall great experience and super grateful to Nol! Thanks, you rock! read more

Buying our first ever instrument was a great experience thanks to Nathan. 1st he attended me over the phone . Nathan, again attended me and my family on a busy Sunday afternoon answering all our questions and exceeding our expectations. read more

the guy sometime s with a ponytail or hair down is the nicest staff ever he doesnt complain or all of that a bad staff member would but hes the complete opposite of a bad staff member. I HELLA RECOMMEND SERVICE FROM HIM read more

There are some good employees here, and then there are some who are just a little clueless; luckily for me I come during times when the more often helpful ones are around. This isn't the most well-stocked Guitar Center, but the employees who are helpful will help get you what you need and will have a lot of patience in straightening things out when things go wrong on the corporate side. So far of my 10ish visits, this has been a trusted Guitar Center for me. read more

Very rude repair tech. Instead of educating and explaining, he was very rude and just said my bass was "unplayable" and when asked why, he gave an attitude almost as if I was stupid for not knowing. Will not be going here again. The repair tech at the location in La Puente is much better. read more

Employees lack motivation, knowledge, and preparation. A very disappointing store. Wewwwhhhhhhh read more

Went to get a guitar case for our granddaughter, and the staff was so helpful. They explained everything to us and why one case would work over another type. The care about the customers and we will gladly return for our other needs. read more

Ordered an item online for store pickup at 9AM, called to make sure it's ready and I confirm that it is with the staff member over the phone. When I finally arrive at 7pm, after waiting in line for 20 minutes they say they don't have it in stock ‍ Very unreliable for orders but the staff are friendly at the store. read more

It's no wonder GC is always on the verge of collapse. Today was the real winner. I grabbed a pack of picks. Yes, picks, those things that should not be a hassle to acquire. I wait in line for at least 15 minutes. One guy is going back and forth asking a million questions at the check out counter (maybe self check out should be a thing at GC since they don't haggle over prices anymore anyway) another kid is buying his first guitar with bills and rolls of coins (congratulations!). Finally, I can pay for this bag of picks that should take a minute to pay for. "Sorry, I can't sell these to you." " "What?" "They're not inventoried in the system. I'd love to sell them to you but I can't."‍ Another time I was there to buy a snare drum head. "We have a dozen in stock but we don't know where they're at." I've bought everything from strings to complete drum sets but when you can't even get basic accessories it's a pain in the ass. Keep up the great work GC! Now someone off Reverb is going to get my business even if it is $5. read more

Came in here with the intentions of purchasing a new bass but some older gentleman that worked here unplugged me and told me to "look into renting a rehearsal studio" and escorted me out? I'm not entirely sure what this man's problem was but after supporting this "business" for years I feel slighted after this experience. I recommend heading a couple miles extra towards the South Pasadena location where the employees are actually helpful and won't treat you like a child. read more

My daughter has been taking lessons for over a year now. When we first started, the lessons department was good. Of course, there were some flaws. The teachers were nice but not very engaging. The lessons lead at that time had great customer service skills but left the store. That is when the lessons department took a downturn without a person to lead the instructors, set the schedule, and to find and retain new students. The department was unorganized and did not have any direction. My daughter's instructor at the time was not connecting with her and felt like leaving the store. Her instructor ended up leaving due to the lack of leadership. That's when the store came to their senses and hired Jay Escobar to be the lessons lead. Jay Escobar has single-handedly turned the ship around. He is organized, professional, and understands the needs of the customer. He has the business acumen to lead Guitar center lessons department and their goals and initiatives as well. Jay will go the extra mile for the customer and make things go smooth. Jay has fresh ideas which help increase engagement between the instructors and the students. He paired up the BEST guitar instructor Noah Castillo and I have to say my daughter is playing like a pro now. I was so impressed with Jay's work that I signed up my other 2 daughters for lessons! One plays the bass and the other plays piano. I have to say both of their instructors. Nick Chandler and Deon Lee are both very patient and knowledgeable instructors. All the instructors will give you a quick debrief at the end of the lessons so the parent is connected. I can't sing their praises enough. I haven't had the chance to experience the other instructors there but they are always very friendly to me and greet me. I can see that other students are enjoying their lessons. I would highly recommend guitar center lessons. Whether you play the guitar or drums, this is the place to go! Thank you Jay for making it a wonderful experience for my daughters. Kudos! read more

Ordered an amp to be picked up in store. Was told by two associates in store that they would install the tubes to be ready for pickup later. Upon calling for status update was told that no service was offered. Paid $1000 for an amp that was not playable because nobody could install tubes in an amp. Returned immediately because amp was unusable, associates provided no help and false information. What a waste of time and money. read more

I have been a long term customer. Post covid they really stocking shelves well. It feel good to get away from online walk into this guitar center even for the small stuff. This last vest I brought my 5 year old. He is real drummer. I was disappointed that in the drum room.it smelled like pot. Looked past it but then when we walked into the acoustic guitar room! It was like a hot box. It's not Guitar centers fault, but it was annoying especially with having my child with me. Customer service well they try. I wish they had a better check out. Took too long so know I know to come in with expecting to wait. It's been every time I go. read more

Came in with my daughter to get her an electric guitar. Shout out to Ian who helped us. Really helpful and funny guy. Guided us through the whole process like a pro. Everything from experience to recommendations. They didn't have the guitar my daughter chose. But Ian was able to order it from their main warehouse and have it delivered for pickup the following week. And it was ready as promised. Price was fair. Walked in on a promo. Picked up an amp as well. Over all we paid more than we expected but it was for a good reason. Very happy with our purchase and over all experience. I don't know why this location has bad reviews. But I hope mine helps. The only problem I can maybe have is in the future if the equipment fails or doesn't last. But I'll update later if I have to. Keep up the good work guys. Thanks Ian. read more

This place has an in-store guitar repairman (very knowledgeable) and the manager is very helpful! I highly suggest this place.

Like many others, I've gone to several Guitar Centers for random things. But this store seriously has the best customer service I've had so far even after a few visits. The staff is very professional and knowledgeable. Special shoutout to Jake who was super sweet, helpful and clearly extremely passionate about guitars. He took the time to ask if I needed anything (surprisingly this does not happen that often at other places) and to demo some guitars for me! Thank you guys! read more

I've never been to a guitar store this good, never love the last Guitar center this good! I received great service all day, long as my indecisive, self pondered, purchasing guitars for me and my friends. I drove to other guitars in our locations for a different inventory, but found that the rudeness and lack of customer service didn't make up for their selection. So, I found myself back to Monterey Park. At the end of the day, I received amazing help from Jake, Angel, and Jimmy. I've never been more excited to spend money than today! These guys rock at their job and made me feel like family. Awesome experience. read more

Guitar Center - My king Jake (after ringing me up for a large sum of money) - Guitar Stores Near Me - Monterey Park, California

Workers are rude ass hell I can't even look at what I like without being followed it's so ovbious no wonder Sam ash is closed down plus the customers are pos too can't even park in the guitar center parking spots without problems read more

Workers are rude ass hell I can't even look at what I like without being followed it's so ovbious no wonder Sam ash is gone

This is mainly towards the repair guy. I went seeking the price on a emg pickup installation and right away when he started asking me how to install it I should've known it was a red flag!!!! First of all he didn't know the price like how does that make sense you work there everyday how do you not know the prices. He then proceeded to say the systems switched up and started getting frustrated with himself and at computer. He ended up not finding the price and ended up estimating a price of $70 for a pickup installation. I didn't find reasonable so I decided to say no thank you. That's when things got good, he got frustrated and hit me with a laugh and made a smart remark. I questioned him did I bother you? He replied with the well idk why you had me do all that for? I responded with bro isn't this your job to help out? He laughed and said well if you weren't gonna pay it should've said something. After that he literally said a pickup installation would take longer than a week due to him fixing a guitar but installing this would be a 30 min pick up installation. But he just kept running his mouth so I decided to just get my stuff and leave. So do I recommend this spot no!!!!! Spit on that repair guy for me if you see him read more

Jake at Guitar Center in Monterey park was incredible, he was so helpful , he answered all my questions concerning the JHS Fuzz pedal , he was very patient with me , I was not sure if I wanted the peddle , but Jake really helped me with my decision, in the end I bought the pedal , and I'm really happy with my choice , thanks Jake , great service at this location Monterey Park , I don't always get that service in other Guitar centers read more

Guitar center is the best place to go. EVEN as a Mexican kid. If your parents decide to go to guitar center never reject. This place has so many great stuff. Staff is cool and friendly. The ambient is average. read more