Walked into Guitar Center Pasadena with my brother, our unleashed service animal, and a budget that clearly needed adult supervision. Things got off to a rocky start when there was some confusion about the dog, but Evan checked with his manager, got it sorted, and we all survived the great leash controversy of 2026. From there, Evan was awesome. Super cool, patient, and actually knew DJ gear because he DJs himself -- which is always better than someone confidently explaining equipment they've only met that morning. By the end, we were joking with him: "You really did everything you could to not sell to us... and somehow we still bought anyway." Funny start, great ending, and Evan helped us leave with a new DJ setup and speakers. Guitar Center almost fumbled the bag, but Evan recovered the sale like a pro. Shoutout Evan. read more

I get that they're understaffed and busy, but you have to try hard to be as unhelpful as they are. One gentleman kept rolling his eyes when I approached to ask a question. I made a purchase of a couple strings and an accessory that required me to take out my inhole sound pickup, so I asked if I could borrow a screwdriver (to literally turn the screws to the left a grand total of two times). He tells me "sorry, we don't usually loan tools out for use," which is totally understandable! So I ask if he can then just help me out and turn the screws himself if I'm not allowed to touch the screwdriver -- he audibly groans and looks at me, then finally turns, practically dragging his feet as he grabs the screwdriver to help me out. I was starting to be pretty stunned by this point. Then, when I was about to leave and putting my purchases in my gig bag outside pocket, the other guitar technician, Mike, starts staring daggers at me across the floor, then tells me to show my receipt to the guy at the door-- he thought I was stealing. After I'd been walking around the store for 2 hours and making multiple purchases. My jaw literally dropped. I don't know what's going on at this store, or if they treat every customer this way, or just me. I would speculate that because I dress quite basically (like a skateboarder, roughed up clothes, maybe?) they assumed I had no money/was poor to justify how they decided to interact with me. No matter who I am or what I might look like, staff should treat EVERY customer the same. I was considering buying a guitar from this store, the Yamaha AC1R specifically that they have in the acoustic guitar room, but now I don't ever want to come back. read more

When we walked in we greeted right away. The store was super clean and organized and everything we were looking for was easy to find. When we asked for help we were immediately helped and was even asked if we had any questions or needed any suggestions. Check out was quick and easy and everyone that was at this location was friendly and made us feel welcomed. This will be our new go to guitar center. read more

Still the same crap customer service its always been! I went on their website to sell some audio equipment back to them. I supplied all the info through the website and it gave me a date and time to bring my equipment to the store. I arrived at that time to get a quote from them and their customer service guy looks at me like im crazy and says "we dont buy back gear!?" Im like you have a giant sign right there that says we BUY YOUR GEAR! He then sends me to the audio department where i waited for 30 mins and not single person working in the department. I got sick of it and left. So dont waste any time of your life with Guitar Center! Its pretty obvious that they are doomed to shut down soon! read more

Joey and Enrique were extremely helpful, kind and knowledgeable in the recording department! Thank you guys so much for your help!

Took my daughter s guitar to restring it and the gentleman who helped me was very knowledgeable and professional I would not hesitate to go back and have adjustments they are great read more

Been wanting a pair of KRK Rokits for months and didn't want to pay msrp. Found a website that listed them for x% off, and inquired with GC for price match. They honored the online price and off I went to pick them up. This is the second set of Rokits I purchased from GC. Staff are friendly and want you to leave happy. Thanks Evan and team. read more

Guitar Center - KRK Rokit 7 with DDJ-Rev 5 - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Pasadena, California

I purchased a 5K guitar Jackson Misha mansoor signature guitar online and had it shipped here. It was Listed with hard case excellent condition. I can only assume they are selling this guitar at this price because it has the custom case and strap, strap locks that would come with it. I Had a weird feeling about this when I went to pick it up so opened box in the store. It was packed in a cheap PRS gig bag. Not a hardcase and definitely not the original case which comes with this guitar. The sales people were very understanding and showed me the trail of this guitar it had been returned and GC gave this guy a discount to 3500 for "good will" but it was still return likely due to it not having the very specific if custom case and candy this guitar comes with. As a resale item like this if you don't have the case I'd loose a lot of money, I mean I'm already willing to overpay since I know they probably bought it at 2500 max!The night manager said they would try to make it up to me and their morning manager who was a cool guy and into collecting gear would def help me out. Night manager asked me what they could do to make me happy and I said I'd keep the guitar if they offered 15% discount and throw in the strap locks that are supposed to come with the guitar. Again this is a used guitar they are trying to sell for 5K. So after no contact next day I went in to see the manger that would "help me out". He just said that's the case it probably comes with, I said first it's not a hard case let alone the one this kind of guitar case would come with. He kinda smugly looked and says well used guitars don't come with their cases. I understand but it is listed at 5K with hard case and your ok with it being in a PRS soft case lol. He didn't even say I'll throw you a hard case and those strap locks, He declined to offer any discounts not even batting an eye and said I called to see if they have the case but no one called me back. Essentially take it or leave it he didn't give a damn. He is definitely not the cool guitar guy that I heard about. So I'm curious to see if they relist it with a soft case or hard case and see who will pay that much for this guitar which will probably be the most expensive guitar in their store. I wish guitar ceneter eas how it was back in the day but it's just a corporate business with sold out musicians who don't care about you or making people happy, I'm mean hell he didn't even care about helping his company make money either lol. Wanted to add GC Pasadena knows this case situation and resisted it for 5K with hard shell case again lol bad practice unless they added a case to it. read more

Great place for music lovers, a bit intimidating to go in at first but once you are inside, they're very friendly people and are very helpful. I am getting my rode vlogging mic here. Love it. read more

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Just went in to fix my classical guitar (it just needed a new gear for one of the strings. The associated were very friendly and helpful. Now I can practice and tune my guitar in peace. read more

Best service ever and cool store. Looking forward to shopping there again. And that's why I never post reviews now I have to have 85 characters to post this review . Who's got the time read more

Really have been wanting to test some acoustics out and get a new one to add to my collection. This is the 3rd time I've gone in - you can't hear any of the guitars I. The acoustic room because the drum lessons next door take over the whole room. Gonna try my luck at the Hollywood location - word to the wise... read more

I got to try a smaller marshall amp and a pink guild guitar and it sounded EPIC!! Joey told me about the guitar and he was really nice and helpful so i had fun messing around. some guitar centers don't have good equipment, this guitar center is really nice. i would recommend it if you want to try some cool equipment. read more

I went in to get a offer on my ibanez guitar. Jimmy was assisting me, I thought he would be helpful and knowledgeable. I was wrong.... Completely. He was condescending and just flat rude. He said they pay 60 percent of the guitars value, they sell the same model for $1000 used according the guitar center's website. I showed him the proof, and he tried to belittle me as if he knows more than I do with a lowball offer. So it seems guitar center's philosophy isn't correct, because they only offered me forty percent. It seems like Jimmy is nice to those buying, but not so friendly to those selling, and doesn't try to play fair at all. Jimmy lighten up will ya, and he of course hit me with the "I am the manager" so his word goes. Ok, well if thats the case, I am a better guitar player than slash. This was my first time attempting to sell a guitar to guitar center. Now I get why everyone hates them... read more

Guitar Center in Pasadena is truly exceptional. Everyone there is knowledgeable, welcoming, and always ready to help. The manager a young lady is incredibly kind, professional, and genuinely caring. I bring my son for guitar lessons with Patric, and I can honestly say he is outstanding. He goes above and beyond every time, and his guidance is worth every penny. We're grateful to have him. If anyone ever has something negative to say about this location, I'd honestly assume they're the one having a bad day because this store and its staff are nothing but wonderful. read more

They need more personnel to help customers. And I waited five minutes on hold on the phone earlier.

I just can't with this store. I swore off this location a year ago. Came back to grab a small item and like the last time, nothing is in stock, I never am able to get what I need. CLOSE THIS STORE - read more

Don't try to call and see if they have something you want in stock. They'll put you on hold as they say they are going to look for it and never come back online. read more

I came in with a little less than an hour before closing and Johnny attended exclusively to me some minutes later when he was free. He unlocked a number of acoustic guitars and explained the difference between different ones. I settled on a Martin HD 28 when I heard Johnny play it-- oh the tone on that guitar--and Johnny next explained various methods of financing. He was very courteous and personally encouraging as I am disabled. I felt so happy doing business with Guitar Center with people like Johnny working there. read more

Johnny was absolutely fantastic. He came and introduced himself to my boyfriend and I, he remembered our names every time he came to check on us and he helped me immensely in picking out my first guitar! I have very small hands and needed a slimmer necked guitar and he helped me to find some options and we tested a few until we found one I liked the feel, style, color, and sound of. Then he helped me split up my payment into 3 different payment options because guitars are expensive lol Anyway, I had a very pleasant experience at Guitar Center in Pasadena and I will definitely be going there in the future for my music needs. read more

Guitar Center - My new guitar - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Pasadena, California

Ricardo in repairs is very kind and quite good at his job. I wish I ran into more musicians or service people with his ethic.

SO THIS PLACE has made a huge huge change. New manager and new DRUM and Percussion specialist - Marcus Sanchez has totally crushed it. The drum Section was a mess for ever. Been shopping here for years and years. Love this store but it very much has changed for the better and it's because the staff cares. Marcus and group leading that charge. If you have not been in for a while, GO!!!! The store is looking great, they have massive stock!!! I'm super stoked!!!!! Truly a million % better, the staff cares, all cool people now. Starts from top down! Way to go Marcus, thank you for real!!!! read more

Guitar Center - Unveiling new Zildjian Alchem-e Julien Fiore! - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Pasadena, California

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I always take my guitars to get restringed and cleaned up and detail. They do a fantastic job, been coming here for 24 years.

I got there at 10am to drop off my guitar. I waited at the maintenance area where the employees walked by me for about 15 minutes until someone finally bothered to ask me what I was waiting for. I was told that the guitar wouldn't be ready until the afternoon. Then, I called the store to see if I could pick it up. The phone rang for ***over twenty minutes*** before someone picked it up. When I asked why did it take over twenty minutes for someone to pick the phone up, the lady on the other end hung up on me. When I asked them what was going on, they gave me five or six different excuses, from a remodel to bad computer systems to not enough employees. I'm including a screenshot of proof that I waited over twenty minutes while the phone rang. I asked to speak with the manager and there was no manager there. I asked that the manager call me tomorrow when he gets in. The employee said he'll let the manager know. We'll see if that actually happens. read more

Guitar Center - How long the phone was ringing before someone picked up the phone - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Pasadena, California

Usually Guitar Centers are hectic places filled with frustrated customers and over worked employees that are way too nonchalant about their customer service. But today was different. I had decided I wanted to check out a couple of different "mini"/travel guitar amps so I headed to the Pasadena location. Luckily I found Cheyenne to help me with their selection and she was really great in giving me an honest opinion and was super helpful in letting my try a couple of different amps before purchase. She even got me batteries to accommodate one of the amps. I ended up purchasing one of the amps and a big part of that decision was Cheyennes customer service, attention to detail, and knowledge of her products. read more

Picking up gear bought from their webstore and having to wait 15-20 minutes for somebody to show up at the counter is getting ridiculous and there were 3 other people waiting behind me. This was the same deal when I bought some strings a few months ago, you just stand by the empty cash register and wait till somebody shows up. Just set up one of those self service checkout like they have at the market. I'm giving 2 stars cuz, good selection, decent prices and the people that work there seem ok. read more

Had a great interaction with Joey. He was able to help me narrow down a 335 guitar. Overall a great experience.

The BEST guitar center in my area. I really recommend this one in specific. Very nice to customers read more

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In short, as former Security Officer, I addressed health & safety concerns about covid multiple times too G.M. Scott Smith. Due too lack of leadership the whole store eventually caught covid including myself. After one,I was day due to a check that did not include my sick pay on time, I was forced too borrow $2.75 as bus fare too get home one night from a co-worker, On another note I accidently ate the wrong chip bag one day instead of my own. Despite keeping too my word and repaying back for both things I was let go l, in retaliation for speaking up. - Matt Paz deserves too be the G.M., instead of Scott as he is more ethical and knowledgeable, and rest of staff are actually cool . Shame on corporate for not listening too my once privately sent grevience... read more

I bn buying all my equipment for my studio here But last time I bought an Apollo twin and they told me it was Thunderbolt 3 ‍ Now that I bought a new computer M1 Pro Max I need Thunderbolt 4 and the Thunderbolt 3 that the sold to me comes up that it was Thunderbolt 1.6 wtf is this ‍ But I didn't got the insurance for this shit so they just wast their hands with that bs They lie to me as a customer , hope you guys be careful and really look at wherever u buying cuz u can't trust this people I know that now Sweetwater been really nice to me they even gave me 5k credit to Buy wherever I need to my studio not even guitar center and I bn there for like 10 years ‍ No more guitar center Sweetwater is the deal now read more

Guitar Center - They lie to u - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Pasadena, California

ugh!! i apologize but i thought i was reviewing the sunset location (which i only gave 2 stars) cuz yelp just took me to their link!? but this location is actually great! starting with the fone customer service, this location isn't as big butttt they staff is knowledgeable and they don't pressure u (as opposed to some people at the sunset location!) so i just wanted to do a rewrite for this location. sorry for the confusion! read more

Great customer service this time! My perspective on Guitar Center has changed now. An employee named Johnny helped me tonight as I was shopping for an acoustic guitar for my niece. I arrived with the intention of only buying one guitar but ended up buying two (one for me ) along with some accessories and would not have done so had the service been poor (as it unfortunately has been in the past). He greeted me and offered assistance, which has never happened in my previous four visits to this location. He was friendly, polite, knowledgeable, and overall delivered fantastic customer service. If Guitar Center will hire more individuals like Johnny, I will continue to buy my instruments from them! Thank you ! read more

Been coming to this location since they opened. The staff here is usually great. Just came in and Jimmy who has helped me out before was able to find exactly what I came to purchase in the warehouse quickly after not being able to locate it in the store. Cant express how great the staff is. However! I am leaving only 2 stars due to the fact that every time I come here this location is so understaffed! I have spent thousands online instead of in store because I'm left standing there trying to check out while the phones are ringing and i just hop on my phone and go to Sweetwater or Reverb and check out there before someone here can help me. read more

Just wanted to give a shout out to Guitar Center Of Glendora for providing excellent Service with my Guitar needs. I took 2 guitars in for some tune up Service on Chistmas Eve. and met a gentleman named Daniel at the tepair Tech counter. Daniel was very knowledgeable and generous spending time to answer my questions and help educate me on getting the best quality sound from my guitars and corrected the neck alignment. Amazing work Daniel..! Thank You. I'll be back for more gear soon.! "Jon B." read more

Solid customer service, they always got me on whatever I need, Caesar especially! What a legend.

Shitty ass fucking store and sells fucked up used guitars listed as good. Don't trust this stores guitars and technicians. Tried to get my guitar fixed and told me its my problem and I shouldve known it was going to be broken since it was used. read more

Got lessons for both me and my son. $125 a month for 4 lessons. I do the DJ lessons and my son does piano. Great teachers and easy scheduling with Tim. They are short staffed but they are very accommodating read more

I'm a professional player in the neighborhood and have shopped at GC for decades, I like GC, especially for used instruments, but this location has some serious staffing issues. When you can get someone's attention they tend to be very helpful but they're always understaffed and racing around like crazy. I can never get them to answer the phone and when I have another GC ship to this location things take three attempts by UPS because no one is there to receive things. This speaks to some serious management problems. read more

Loved this business venue. I highly suggest purchasing the precious guitars on the top and made in the USA. read more

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Every time I come to this location every single guy is a total snob even the customers I'm sorry my life is being a roadie so much for a fun hobby especially the guys bringing there guitars in they hit the car next to me with there guitar n just said meh this location is beyond rude read more