If you are looking for music knowledge and are looking to buy stuff within the pro audio section, you are better off going to toys r us electronics section. These guys don't know anything. They are all stoners getting paid little so they aren't trained to know about this stuff. I had to come in NUMEROUS TIMES to just hook up a keyboard and they kept selling me the wrong stuff so I had to return and exchange countless times. It Got to the point where I brought in all my equipment so they could help set everything up the right way. And they just stared at my computer perplexed. I ended finding out how to hook everything up by a simple YouTube tutorial search from a 16 year old. This place sucks.never go here for knowledge on music read more

I just started drumming recently and needed a couple of pairs of sticks. When I came in to the store, I was immediately greeted and assisted by Nick. He helped me figure out exactly what to look for when buying stick, and was incredibly helpful and personable. Great service at this store! read more

I went here to buy my first guitar since they were close by to me. The employees were very helpful and answered all of my questions. I would definitely recommend this place and will definitely return in the future. read more

Honestly this place sucks it's unfortunate that the people who work there aren't helpful at all, long story short they tried to sell me a broken used fender Stratocaster for full price once I brought it home the damn thing wouldn't stay tuned it was scratched up and not working the way it should be for the price I paid, I also found out they sold me a used amp both the guitar and amp were open boxed and messed up and they still charged me full price. Once I returned it they lost my business completely I wish there was another music store here in the valley one that actually takes care of its musicians really unfortunate, if you want to be treated like trash and sold trash products then go to guitar Center. I'd rather drive a few hours away to a different music store, Won't shop here anymore. read more

I have been standing in the store for an hour and no help. They only have people at the counter. I finally got a guy over and he left after one question to go back to the counter. Trying to buy a pa and mixer. read more

Worst place EVER! It's a dive. I've been there 3x and every time; 1. The staff ignore you. 2. The shelves are in a shambles. 3. It's sounds like machine guns firing in the sound booths. Skaters playing "whatever metal". 4. Terrible selection of any gear. 5. There's always a ladder or some sort of obstacle in front of the pedal case. I would rather wait for my wife and kids in TJ Max than go back in there! read more

Thomas is awesome! Really knowledgeable. He helped us find everything in our sons Xmas list and the items they didn't have in stock he found for us online and got us great deals. read more

Don't take your guitar here for repairs! Brought my one month old guitar in to tighten output jack. Got it back with scratches and tool marks. When I pointed out the damage he said "I didn't do it". He even argued that there weren't scratches. He said they'd buff right out and tried waxing them. It's scratched forever. read more

Very professional and knowledgeable service. Was given excellent advice regarding what speakers are better for my needs. Did not try to oversell or get pushy while at the same time suggest what is necessary for good quality sound that was within my budget. Love coming here! read more

My husband goes to the guitar center in Palm Desert frequently, sometimes just to look around sometimes just for small items to buy sometime repairs. It is very hit and miss on the customer service sometimes there's no one there to help sometimes they know a lot sometimes They know very little. But today when the only person working was helping somebody else and couldn't get my husband's gift certificate to work he called a manager from the back, a woman, To come out and assist. She never looked at my husband, or even greeted him in any way. She helped the clerk with the gift card and then left like she was being bothered from being pulled out of the back. The clerk was nice and helpful, but he was trying to help another customer and instead of the manager taking charge and taking over and helping my husband, A CUSTOMER, she just told the clerk how to make a gift card work and my husband still had to wait plus she never even acknowledged him. read more

Everyone here is helpful! Everytime we come into the store, we are greated with a smile. Rocky their repair technician is amazing, and has helped us with our guitar issues quickly! read more

Rocky is the man. Restored two basses of mine to super playable condition for a reasonable price. Thanks Rocky!!

Came in to have my Taylor looked at. Needed intonation work. Rocky took it right away and did a truss rid adjustment on the spot. No charge. Great service. Thanks Rocky. read more

I called and someone by the name of Josh answered and I asked him if he had strings for a guitar and hung up on me. I thought the call got cut off and when I called again he answered again and I said "Hi I think the call got cut off" and he hung up on me again. A simple "no" would've sufficed. Terrible service. read more

It says the store is open and doing curb side pickups, but they aren't answering the phone. I called 4 times yesterday and two time today. It should be updated on the website if they aren't open. read more

I waited reviewing this store until I'd used it several times. After making several purchases, to include having some repairs done on my guitar (great job Rocky) and taking two lessons, I can recommend this store. My past experiences with Guitar Center wern't pleasant and customer service was lacking; That's not the case with this Guitar Center. read more

Guitar Center - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Palm Desert, California

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Manager is a fucking prick. Made me wait 30min to get a pedal out of a glass case and ignored me to help another customer.

Every time I have gone in this GC I have never been asked by a single staff member of I need help finding any thing. Today I went in to look for a guitar strap. Over 5 minutes I'm looking, the manager walls by and says hi. Problem was there was not a single price tag on almost all of the straps. I stood by the counter looking around at the people behind it, and not a word was said to me. I couldn't get any one's attention and finally walked out. I'm going over to Musicians Outlet where they always ask if you need any thing when I walk in. read more

This Guitar Center was the worst I've ever been to! As a traveling musician, I'm always in a rush and when I need something I usually love their fast pace help. BUT NOT THIS ONE! I waited ten minutes from the moment I walked in. I knew what I was getting and was ready to pay $2,000 and nothing. I asked for help and they just walked by me. While putting the guitar back I passed three employees and not even a glance. I walked out of there upset. Don't go to this location. Worst customer service ever!! read more

Went here a few days ago to purchase a new strap and a guitar stand. Having never been here previously, I strolled through the store a bit aimlessly until I found the items I was after. I was a little surprised that they didn't have a larger selection of straps, but I did find a nylon one that fit my needs. The display area where the stands are located was a mess; there were stands on top of the display, but there is no way to tell if the boxes below correlate with the displayed stands in any way. Then there's a bin on the side of the display with stands in bags, all kind of thrown together haphazardly. The rest of the store seemed fairly organized, but this section reminded me of going into a Ross Dress for Less at the end of the day to try to find a dress shirt -- as in, good luck with that. Finally, after having made a selection there, I looked over and saw all of the bass guitars on display; I hadn't been in that area more than 10 seconds before an employee swooped in to ask if I had any questions. I told him thanks, no, and wondered where he had been for the last ten minutes while I was rummaging through the stands. Finally at the register, the guy there was friendly. Since they are pretty much the only show in town here, I'd probably go back if I needed something I would like to hold/hear prior to purchasing, but I won't be sad if that never happens. read more

I have been purchasing guitars, amps and all kinds of stuff at the Guitar Center in Southern California for about twenty years now. I was hoping that they would build one here in the desert. Well, they're finally here. However, when it comes to the Palm Desert Guitar Center; the customer service is okay, and at times good. But when it comes to selling your stuff back to them, they are worse than Old Man Potter in "It's a Wonderful Life." And I'm not talking about cheap guitars. All my guitars are either Gibson or Martin. They will give you less than half, which is quite embarrassing. Mark my words, don't even bother. If you want to purchase a guitar or amp from them they are very competitive; and that is why I still visit GC. My best experiences with GC have been Covina GC and Pasadena GC. A much larger selection. read more

Received an email discount coupon from the manager and decided it was time to change strings. Went in and purchased two sets. Always good energy in this store. Helpful and friendly staff. Not pushy. read more

too busy to help me on veterans day Monday said they would find someone else to help me with ques. on effects boxes they never came over with someone left after a hour,went home ordered it on Amazon way cheaper in two days got it!on Amazon theirs no one too dis you!see what you like it comes with no delay,cant go back their again! read more

Recently needed pots cleaned on my Fender Hot Rod Deluxe amp. Talked to Rocky and brought it back in. He had it completed quickly and the amp never sounded better! Thanks Rocky! read more

Great store! I look forward to going every time I need gear. Staff is very cool and super professional. It's close to Best Buy. Some times hard to see it but it's just around the corner in the same plaza in Palm Desert. Good deals on gear too! read more

Only giving this place 1 star cause the cashier today was rude. He suggested some stuff to fix my dads account. Even after we told him we had already done that and he ignored our response as if we didn't know what we were doing. I also was trying to talk to him and he didn't even look at me. Dude who works there with the long hair is chill tho. read more

Smallest Guitar Center I've been in but they carry the essentials from recording, drums, accessories, amps and of course guitars. I wish they had a bigger selection of guitars in store. They could order anything found on guitar center.com and have it shipped to the store. I've used this service and had no problems with it. Staff is friendly and helpful when they know the gear you're asking about. The guitar tech there is very very knowledgable. He's done work on some of my guitars and has left them in perfect working order. Absolutely no complaints. read more

I came in today around 8:30pm. Was helped buy a bigger guy who i told i was looking for dj lighting. The fact i couldnt get anything because i forgot my id didnt bother me; But the the fact, that once I started looking at the dj light to make a decision..he decides to turn them all off, so now i cant see prices or how they work. Instead, he decides to talk to his coworker and some random girl..to see what they want to wear for halloween. So unprofessional and would not want to come during the last 30min this store is open. Seems like they just want to leave..and dont want to help. Next time you see a customer walking around..dont stare at them and turn off the lights! :/ read more

Got my Music Man Sterling there. Great bass. The staff is very helpful, and the atmosphere is nice. Bass selection is kind of small though. read more

Guitar Center - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Palm Desert, California

I just bought my daughter her first guitar today! A guy named Nick helped us.. Great guy, great service, definitely gonna go back there!

I'll agree with the general tone of the reviews here. Full disclosure- I've worked for GC before. I opened one of their largest locations in a major metropolitan area. What I saw here disgusted and depressed me. Number one, I could tell right off the bat when "forcibly" engaging the employees that none of them were guitar players. Bad move for a place that calls itself guitar center. The sales floor was in total disarray, items disorganized and strewn about. Every one of the probably 10 guitars I played was damaged in some way, some more serious than others. The most egregious example was a Gibson SG from two model years ago that had a significant gash about an eighth inch deep on the back of the neck. Of course, the asking price was full retail. They had no decent stage-quality amplifiers in stock. Their ordering in general was a shambles. If you are a serious player, do not bother with this location. It's like the mall kiosk version of a guitar center, staffed with utterly unqualified jokers. Take your business to musician's outlet. read more

OK Check this out Folks .. I went to Guitar Center in Palm Desert today and I have a good one for you Folks Out Wanting to sell your used gear Ok I been in the Music Business for over 50 Years so here is what happened I took in a Fender Squier Vintage Modified Jaguar Bass Guitar and asked Cody what would the store pay for it.... So he told me he didn't want to make any kind of offer on it because it had a vary tiny nick on the lower part of the guitar body.. Now Guitar Center sells these used for around $289.00 Used up or down.. so I said so you wouldn't even pay $20 dollars for it and Cody said no and just walked away from me... Very Rude to just walk away .. I wanted to buy somethings I needed and had some questions about gear.... but he was so rude I just walked out... also the guitar I am talking about had about $ 250.00 dollars in high end pickups on it and a brand new Fender Soft Case.... Yea just laughed at me and said we don't care about the pickups in it... That means nothing on a purchase.. Wow not even $20 I would have loved them to write me a check for $20 Dollars I would have posted it on there facebook site just to let others to know what to expect when you go there with your gear for sale ...... Wow Really Guitar Center read more

Wow the manager was amazing! Going above and beyond to solve my problem. It's one thing to be nice to a customer when they are purchasing a product. But when you are returning something and get treated special i honestly think that's amazing! Thank you Matt and the rest of the team at my local palm desert guitar center! I will definitely be back! read more

Was travelling through the U.S where I brought a bass guitar from the NY Guitar Center in Times Square. This is where, Anoush, charged me for 'pro coverage' even though I specifically told him that I did not want it. He did not even respond to emails regarding the $120+ purchase that I did not want. Luckily as I traveled down to Palm Desert and visited the guitar center there, this issue was resolved without a hassle, thanks to Matt who worked there. read more

They are horribly insulting and extremely bad at what they do. I will never step foot in this store again. I went in to trade in a 350 dollar mint condition Les Paul for a 200 dollar Mitchell acoustic. They actually told me they'd give me 80 for my guitar, including the premium hard case it's in, AND on top of that I'd have to still put in more money to get the Mitcell. They didnt even mention the 15% discount. This place is a joke and insulting. None of them know how to do their job either. The Asian guy is a real prick and the manager with white hair and glasses talks down to everyone in a condescending way, I am quite sure he has never even touched an instrument in his life. Glad to see Guitar Center is all about robbing you of your money and providing horrible customer service. read more

Ron was fantastic... very knowledgeable, and patient. Very impressed with the level of service here.

Brought in three brand new conditioned boutique effects pedals to be traded in for store credit (pedals, original contents and box, everything in brand new condition), packaged neat and presentable just like from the manufactures. It took over two hours just for them to start testing and research them to determine an offer. After I passed on the offer, an employee (Asian/Filipino) when she brought back my items in the bag, she tried to hand them back like a punk ass bitch with an attitude who has no respect for not even her own friends when she doesn't get her way (some people's children or just Guitar Center employee's, take your pick). She put my reflexes to the ultimate test that evening by simultaneously letting go of the bag and walking away just before I can grab the bag from her hands and had to catch my property before she intentionally tried to let them crash to the ground. Judging by what just happened there was no way that was an accident; her attitude, body language and the handling of my property in front of me I knew right away I better check my property before me and my friend walked out. Sure enough when I opened everything they crammed all the contents into the box. The pedals weren't placed into the sleeves, the instructions for my pedals were crumpled (they were folded neat and in brand new condition when I handed them over) and just stuffed into the box with the rest of the contents and packing material. One box was split down the front left corner. Whether selling or trading anything from low end to boutique goods, the shape of the entire item's box and contents can hold much value or greatly devalue anything. On the way out I asked her "who was handling my property?" in front of an older white hair male with glasses and another employee named Saul (who was originally helping me but passed me off to the juvenile female after over two hours of waiting). Her response was that "the manger deals with that". I told her they could have handled my property better and given it to me in the same neat and presentable condition as when I handed it to them. Saul and the man with white hair and glasses gave me and my friend looks that could kill. Maybe they didn't like me checking my property before walking out and bringing that up with a bunch of customers in line around the counter to hear and catch that. If it is true that it was the manager that was handling my stuff, then according to the Guitar Center website, it was Ryan Hamada that is the piece of shit for handling my property the way he did aside from her. Items I tried to get trade in credit for were two dual Tortuga Effects Pedals and a Catalinbread Pedal. They offered me only $220.00 trade in credit for all three. $190.00 for both Tortuga Effects and $30.00 for a Catalinbread Pedal. Everything was in Brand New condition (no Velcro on the bottom nothing) until Ryan Hamada devalued everything in its entirety from mishandling and mistreating my property. Check out the links below from guitarcenter.com, you'll see they sell used Tortuga Effects and Catlinbread Pedals real close to full price except one used Catalinbread that is listed as Great condition but judging by the price that's not the case. They must have thought I was hurting for cash or a compulsive buy and trade-in. That wasn't the case, just fair trade-in value. I'll Never walk in to a Guitar Center in this Valley ever again, not even to take a dump! http://www.guitarcenter.com/Search/Default.aspx?internal=1&browser=&fsrc=tortuga&src=tortuga http://www.guitarcenter.com/Search/Default.aspx?internal=1&browser=&fsrc=catalinbread&src=catalinbread read more

So interesting to read the mixed reviews. My son is a budding musician, and so we've been good customers here. So far we've purchased a ukelele, a cajon, and a guitar, plus accessories with each. I've never had a problem until my son mentioned that the bottom strings on his new guitar (2 months old) were a little "funky" and getting worse. I took him in, and initially I was met with something that felt like a runaround for such a new instrument. The main thing I want to say is that it's "common" for things to go wrong, but what's important is how the business responds to the situation. In this case, after some discussion, Kyle took very good care of us, and did what I felt was the right thing for a good customer. For a moment there, I was on the fence as to whether they would retain our future business. This review could have gone very differently, but thanks to you, Kyle, yes. You have secured our future business with your good customer service. You did a great job, today. read more

It sucks that this is the pretty much the only music enthusiast store in the local desert. The employees that work there are nice enough, but they all look like they want to kill themselves, especially the manager. Went to pick up a MIDI cable that I had ordered that day for pickup, and had to call the number because I had not received an email stating that it was ready yet. Keep in mind that on the website when I ordered it, it said same day pickup. When I called, the guy that answered, shout out to Caleb, was really cool, and assured me that they probably just hadn't set it aside yet, and that I could go in and pick it up. So I went. Something that I found interesting was I called the number of this specific guitar center and spoke to Caleb, but when I went it, it was like I was a new customer; total disconnect. When I gave them my name, they even said at first that nothing was showing up, like what? The guy said he had to talk to the manager and I waited 10 minutes for the two of them to come back out and take something off the shelf that was four feet away from me. Manager was one of the most unenthusiastic people I had ever seen. But in the end I got my stuff, and I have had other experiences, but they all have gone somewhat similar to this. Go figure. read more

Nick, one of the guitar technicians, took care of a problem with my acoustic/electric quickly and effectively. He is a trustworthy professional. The employees here are very helpful and are good at giving recommendations for whatever situation you are in. read more