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Guitar Center

3.7 (127 reviews)
Closed 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
Updated 3 months ago

Services - Guitar Center

Musical instruments and teachers

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Stripped tuning gear. Teeth don't go into the grooves. Will just skip and go out of tune when tuned too tight.
Kaea W.

I like the staff. But both basses I bought here were broken. First bought the ash body wooden sterling Ray 34, stripped tuning gear for the G string. Couldn't tune it properly and returned it. Exchanged it for a blue sparkle Ray 34 bass, D string gear almost just as stripped and truss rod was broken. Wouldn't move at all. had to return it.. When I returned the second bass, they had the first one I bought on the wall again. I checked it.. same tuning gear insanely stripped.. when I told them it was. They're just gonna put the other one on the wall again broken. And someone will buy it. GC if you're reading this, fix those basses before selling them again!

Bob R.

A few days ago I went looking for a bongo stand for seated & standing playing. Prices on Oahu are ridiculous for both & more expensive to buy individually. In my search I found the 'Guitar Center' at Pearl Highlands & I had the pleasure to meet employee Jesse Bayot. He showed me two stands & one of them, a Pearl brand sold for $119.12 (total which I bought) for seated & standing bongo playing....$119.12!!! Awesome price! The Baja brand was for seated players, BUT it sold for only $80.00!! I couldn't believe it! Jesse informed me that the Guitar Center is the largest music instrument store in the USA. That being said, the prices are more fair for us Hawaiian residents. Good Aloha, eh. But what got me about Jesse is that you can tell he really loves his job & it definitely shows. He went out of his way to show me how to install my bongos to the stand. I walked out a very happy man & I definitely recommend the Guitar Center to get better & more fair prices for our music needs. Much Mahalo e Aloha again to Jesse Bayot ...

$1100 in charges?!?!
Jenn V.

I want to be upfront and this review is about LESSONS / BILLING and not about the products they offer at Guitar Center. I started lessons for my kids back in January/February time frame with each kid taking lessons at $142 (roughly) for 4 lessons. It was going good for awhile up until recently. This past May, June, July we ran into billing problems not really knowing why because Guitar Center automatically does recurring charges. My kids' father offered to pay for their lessons and gave his credit card information so that it could be charged and also be charged recurringly. The lead lessons woman helping me, using initials N.B., began to call me about the lessons not being paid and the credit card was not valid because they were not receiving payment. I had spoke to the kids' father and he said it was charged and even showed me the charges. As the days passed, I would get a call from N.B. at least every week then became every other day saying they STILL did not receive payments. Guitar Center would continue to charge the kids' father's credit card. (See the charges in the photo). Finally, these past 2 weeks, I had enough because I would be called every other day by N.B. trying to get payment when I had already tried to explain the charges are pending because we cannot control when and how the credit card/credit union charges. I understand she's just doing her job, but when I would explain to her in person, she continued to stalk me and call me, leaving messages and email. The emails I was getting from Guitar Center would state that my charges were pending then cancelled then pending then cancelled again. Maybe that's why it was always pending. Nevertheless, not going back to lessons there. The lessons were ok, not as strict as I would like and the kids said the lessons were ok, nothing really exciting. The lessons were not structured, but I guess it's based on the instructors. There were a couple of times where the instructors had covid/gigs and Guitar Center would rearrange our schedules the day before. It was a bit inconvenient to rearrange some of activities due to covid/gigs the day before but was asked to be flexible. I get it, it's just the business, but you would think there would be some kind of call ahead to give parents heads up. Overall, we as a family didn't have the best time with Guitar Center and their lessons team. Hope this review helps someone. Thank you.

Keyboards
Maritess C.

This was the first time I have walked in here with hubby and daughter. Hubby bought daughter a guitar here awhile back. She really wanted it. Hubby came back and wanted an electric guitar he saw last time he came here but he said it was gone. It was cool to see all the guitars and keyboards. Keyboards are pretty cool. There was one on sale. Nice sound. In the back, there was drums you can beat on. One of the employees offered to help us but we were just looking. They offer lessons here inside the store. You would have to sign up for it. They also have lessons online too. Pretty cool! Plenty of parking up front. Highly recommend if you love to play musical instruments.

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4 months ago

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19 days ago

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3 months ago

Awesome customer service at this location. They are very knowledgeable and helped restring my guitar

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4 months ago

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3 months ago

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Guitar Center

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3 years ago

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1 year ago

My son loves to go play all the guitars and the staff is amazing. Always helpful and never complain about how long he spends in there.

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2 years ago

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10 months ago

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1 year ago

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Beau L.

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4 years ago

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2 years ago

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Guitar Center

Thanks for sticking with us and happy your son's loving his lessons!

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3 years ago

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1 year ago

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3 years ago

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4 years ago

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2 years ago

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3 years ago

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5 years ago

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2 years ago

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Guitar Center

Thanks for your review!

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2 years ago

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4 years ago

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1 year ago

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2 years ago

I bought a piano here and was happy with the associates. However, they seem to be understaffed.

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5 years ago

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5 years ago

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2 years ago

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3 years ago

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3 years ago

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3 years ago

Best Guitar Selection on the island. They offer Lessons and Repairs! Gear Card has definite perks!

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4 years ago

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3 years ago

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3 years ago

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3 years ago

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5 years ago

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Beau L.

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7 years ago

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Ask the Community - Guitar Center

Review Highlights - Guitar Center

I was immediately greeted by Big Jay, who is easily one of the most charismatic and helpful staff members I've seen in any business.

Mentioned in 3 reviews

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Westside Music

Westside Music

4.8
(20 reviews)
$$$

Great music store! Meet Ron for the first time a couple of weeks ago. Brought some gear in and…read moremade a fair trade with Ron. Great to support small business where you get a fair shake.......Mahalo Ron.

I was in a ...DESPERATE need of repairing my Kamaka 'ukulele. The bridge that holds the..."A"…read morestring was damaged; therefore, the string couldn't stay on. When I mentioned this to my manager at work, he suggested I visit...WESTSIDE MUSIC. I was contemplating on going to Kamaka, but I was too lazy to make the drive to town. Also, I was thinking that this repair could be costly. Therefore, I decided to take my manager's advice and visit WM. I couldn't wait any longer so I called WM to see if they could assist me with my situation. Uncle Ron (owner) answered the phone and he told me to bring my 'ukulele in. So, I headed down to Waipahu the next day. Uncle Ron was nice enough to look at the damage and figure out a way to repair it. Well, it took him less than 5 minutes to repair it! Wow, he is a ...GENIUS! The buggah knows his stuff...I tell you! He also helped me tune the new "A" string that he replaced as well as the other strings by using a tuner. Then, he helped me figure out the 'ukulele chords to a song that I've been wanting to play. I let him listen to the song , and then he figured it out by ear. You da' man...You da' 'Ukulele Man...Uncle Ron! You are so talented...so helpful...so kind to help me. You are truly...Mr. Aloha! Mahalo nui loa (Thank you very much) Uncle Ron! So, if you are looking to repair your 'ukulele, come check out WESTSIDE MUSIC in Waipahu next to Time's Supermarket. You'll thank me for that!

Easy Music Center

Easy Music Center

4.1
(235 reviews)
$$

Unacceptable Service & Zero Priority I am beyond frustrated…read morewith the service I received today, and I ended up walking out. My wife, my two kids, and I walked into this establishment around 4:35 PM on March 25th. We were greeted at the front by Ted, who told us he'd be over to help us "real soon" and instructed us to head back to the electronic drums. Couple other staff asked if we needed help which we did, and was told they couldn't really help us because they weren't the 'drum guy' and to wait for Ted. We waited. For 25 to 30 minutes. When Ted finally decided to show up, he gave us maybe five minutes of his time. Instead of actually helping us make a decision, he left us with more questions than answers. He told us he'd be "right back," and then disappeared for another 10 minutes. From where I was standing, I could see him at the front of the store helping people who walked in long after we did. The breaking point was when he finally came back to our area...but not to help us. He started assisting another person who had just arrived. At that point, I was losing my cool. He knew we had been waiting patiently for a long time, yet he continued to treat us like we weren't a priority. Once he finally finished with the latecomers, I had to confront him with the facts. I told him exactly how long we'd been sitting there while he ignored us for newer customers. Instead of offering a solution or taking accountability, he just hit me with excuses. Then, he actually had the nerve to ask if I had "more questions." I told him flat out: I was ready to check out 30 minutes ago, but he left us hanging high and dry. I was literally about to tell him which set we were buying, but after that experience, I decided right then and there that we wouldn't be supporting this business. We walked out. Bottom line: You need to get your priorities straight. UPDATE: I'm updating my previous 1-star review to 5 stars because of one person... Senior Manager Anju (I hope I spelled that correctly). After that initial visit yesterday which left us feeling disregarded and unimportant... Anju reached out to me personally to make it right during our phone call. It takes a true leader to own up to a mistake and honestly she did so with such grace. Took full accountability for her store and them some. When we returned today, we weren't just 'customers' we were felt like actual guests. Anju provided the kind of high-touch and personalized support that made the store feel more like a community. She was patient, informative, answered all my questions and incredibly kind to our 5-year-old. She made sure we walked out happy and we left with the perfect Roland TD-07DMK Electronic Drum Kit and a matching V-Drum Amp. I felt Anju made it her mission to make sure every detail was handled perfectly so we could focus on the excitement of our daughter's musical journey instead of the issues we faced previously. It's easy to be a good store when things go right, but how you handle things when they go wrong is the true test... Anju passed with flying colors. From here on out we'll be supporting this business under her leadership. Mahalo for turning this around for our family!

Easy Music Center has always been our go-to place! We love the convenience, wide selection, and…read moregreat service. Every time we visit, we usually have an idea of what we're looking for, and there's always someone knowledgeable who helps us narrow it down -- whether it's for piano or ukulele -- and we always leave with something perfect. That's why Easy Music Center was the first place that came to mind when my daughter needed to interview someone with a guitar background. I called ahead to ask if anyone might be available, and we were lucky to connect with Mike Wong. Funny enough, my daughter's essay (which she'll turn into a book) is for her English teacher, Doc Wong -- what a coincidence! Mike was wonderful -- patient, friendly, and generous with his time. He answered my daughter's questions, played something beautiful, and shared great insights into how guitarists get started. Thank you so much, Mike, for taking time out of your busy day to talk with her! After the interview, my girls and I walked around the store. My oldest was fascinated by a square ukulele -- she played a few tunes and couldn't wait to get home to practice again. The little one had her eye on the smaller guitars. We always have such a great experience at Easy Music Center -- thank you for making music shopping fun and inspiring for our family!

Hawaii MusicWorks

Hawaii MusicWorks

4.8
(16 reviews)
$$

Highly Recommend Hawaii MusicWorks!…read more When I first inquired about beginner keyboard lessons for my son, I spoke with Aunty Dale. She is incredibly sweet and sets such a positive tone--it's clear from the start how wonderful this place is! My son looks forward to his weekly group keyboard lessons with Mr. Mark. Learning alongside friends makes the sessions fun! He really enjoys getting to choose the songs he learns to play. In my son's words, Mr. Mark is "patient, caring, and nice." It's evident that he truly cares about his students. When my son felt stressed over a school assignment he didn't understand, Mr. Mark actually went out of his way to help him. He was so happy to tell me about it. Happy kid, happy mom--Hawaii Music Works has been a fantastic experience for us!

After 10 years of keyboard lessons for both of my sons, I can confidently say that Mr. Mark, Ms…read more Kira and Aunty Dale have provided far more than just music education--they have helped shape the young men my sons are becoming. From the very beginning, the lessons were a place where my boys could not only grow musically but also build confidence, express themselves freely (often with a bit of silliness!), and connect with positive adult role models who genuinely care about their well-being. Mr. Mark and Ms. Kira have consistently gone above and beyond--taking an interest in my sons' lives outside of music, encouraging their involvement in concert and marching band, and even supporting them through private school admission processes by authoring recommendations. Aunty Dale has provided consistent communication about scheduling and payment while always offering a welcoming smile to students and families as they walk thru the door. Over the years, Mr. Mark, Ms. Kira and Aunty Dale have celebrated milestones with us, offered guidance during challenging times, and shown a level of dedication that make them an extension of our family. Their presence throughout my sons' childhoods has made a lasting impact--one that goes far beyond notes on a page. If you're looking for instructors who are not only talented musicians and teachers but also compassionate mentors, you will find no better.

BR Fret Shop

BR Fret Shop

4.9
(64 reviews)

I needed help with my baby girl, my acoustic guitar. I'm by no means an expert, and honestly,…read moredespite some experience on stage, I'd still barely call myself an intermediate guitarist, so when my acoustic's connections went on the fritz, I was at a loss for what to do. I asked one of my much more experienced and knowledgeable musician friends, and he instantly suggested BR Frets. He was then confirmed by another guitarist friend of ours who was hanging with us, saying they're hands down the most skilled people on island that they both know of, so I went ahead and made an appointment. Both friends said to expect a couple of weeks, maybe 3 depending on how busy they are, as they do get quite a bit of business, and to try and get an appointment when I can, so I did as soon as I could. I was greeted warmly by Chris, who asked me some pertinent questions, took a look at Hayley, and gave me a clear idea of what to expect; either he can fix her, which if he can, he'd try to do so that night. If he can't clean and repair the connections on my pick up, not only would they likely need to send out the pickups for diagnostic and repairs, but the cost to do so would jump up significantly, showing me how much the piece costs broadly and then factoring time and labor. Sure enough, I called the next day, as advised, and Wes said to come back on in to pick her up. I got there and spoke with Wes, who told me Chris stayed up a bit the previous night to make sure Hayley's good and ready to go, and she was back in action! They also only charged for the time and labor, which was more than fair for the quality they provided and all the relief they gave me. Definitely worth coming to them when guitar help is needed.

I've been playing more in open D tuning and got tired of retuning my Taylor every time I wanted to…read moreplay something in open D. So I took my old beloved Takamine F360s out of the closet and decided to leave it in open D. But it was playing rough. The action was very high even after I adjusted the truss rod. Also the intonations were off. I took it to a major guitar store in town and the luthier there said he couldn't help me because the guitar needed much more work than he could do. Then I found Chris at BR Fret shop. OMG what a God send. Talk about someone who cares passionately about guitars and knows the instrument like Wolfgang Puck knows pizza. Chris identified that the problem came from under the bridge where through years of humidity, that area was bulging and pushing the bridge up thus raising the action. He took it apart, sanded under the bridge then put everything back together along with new strings. I was completely blown away at how low he got the action with no buzzing. In fact it made my Taylor seemed hard to play in comparison. So I ended up taking my Taylor in for an adjustment as well. Pro tip : make sure you register your Taylor guitar with Taylor manufacturing and they will pay for the adjustments at certified Taylor shops. I hope Chris and his assistant Wes never decide to leave O'ahu. We are very lucky to have them here in our little corner of the ocean. Happy pickings...or strumming!!

Guitar Center - guitarstores - Updated July 2026

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