These guys are legit and knowledgeable. They don't play games and won't rip you off. Great inventory amazing selection. Good stuff keep it up! read more

Great guitar shop. The store owner Jerry is very knowledgeable, every time I have come in with many questions to ask about gear and he has an answer for every one of them. I always leave the store with more knowledge, and in one case a nice Yamaha acoustic for a great price. read more

By far, the best music store in Orange County. Like a good hole in the wall restraunt, this small store is a place you may not even see on your daily route, but boy is it something. My grandfather's landlord had worked with Jerry (or so the story goes) and had recommended that I stop by and check the place out. I was heading to the address that my grandfather had given me, and I realized that his store was on't 2 blocks away from my home in Old Town! I couldn't believe that this store had been here the whole time! When I first walked in, he was having a conversation with a customer so I just decided to look around. Wall to wall, the entire store is lined with every guitar imaginable! Fenders? Yep. Richenbacher? Gibsons? Gretsch? Tons! Not only does he carry guitars, he carries amps, capos, pedals, stands, cases, and loads more collectable items! The entire front window is filled to the brim with collectable (and new...) amps! He also has records in back, and from what I've learned from the many times that I've visited and done business with Jerry, is that no matter the record, it will always be a flat price. Whether you be interested in Elvis, or Sinatra, the Byrds or the Beatles, he has it all. His passion lies with his guitars, records is really his side business. I look forward to visiting this store anytime I get. Even if I come in just to say hello or to ask for advice on which guitar to get, Jerry is a great person with a big heart, so stop by and check out the store! read more

This guitar shop has tons of interesting and old guitars which is really great because actual guitar shops, (not guitar centers) are a dying business. Too bad the owner Jerry is an actual incompetent moron who doesn't know how to run a business. I collect guitars and walked into the shop to see if there were any interesting guitars that I wouldn't find in my local guitar centers. I walked around for a couple minutes and nothing really caught my eye except a gibson les paul that was kind of beat up but looked like it would sound beautiful. A nice hidden gem. I asked the owner Jerry a few questions about the guitar. He couldn't really tell me shit about it other then what year he thinks it's from. Finally after listening to him ramble about shit he clearly didn't know anything about for a couple of minutes I finally asked politely to plug the guitar in to hear how it sounds. To which he responded by asking if I was looking to buy a guitar. I said potentially and he told me "this isn't a jam session. you can't play a guitar unless you want to get serious and buy it". Which is the wild for a guitar shop. Especially because I could've been in the marketer for that guitar if I liked playing it. I then responded saying how am i supposed to know if I want it unless I play it. He immediately disregarded that argument and told me the most comical bullshit i've ever heard saying "yeah even most guitar centers don't let you play their guitars unless you're gonna buy them buddy". Which is the biggest bullshit considering guitar centers are known for letting any 12 year old kid come play their guitars even if they bang them up. I would've straight up told the guy how that's not really the case but to be honest it really seems like he's not all there. Bottom line, don't go here. read more

TGC (The Guitar Collector) store is a time machine. You can revisit almost any period in rock 'n roll history through all the guitars, amps, speakers, parts, racks, and p.a. equipment on display. Even the newer stuff is cool! Jerry certainly is a unique character ready with a quip and a quote from his touring band and music/guitar experiences. Any questions about the inventory, ask Jerry, he knows a lot. He's straight forward (blunt to some) with his replies. I visited the store a couple of times and worked a few deals with him and spent the afternoon chatting him up about stuff from "back in the day". He a tough negotiator, but hey, that's his business. A couple of guitar owners came in with their guitars that needed minor repairs and Jerry took care them on the spot. Two other people visited looking for guitars for their kids. One dad was shopping for an acoustic nylon string. Jerry and I discussed it with the dad and demoed a Schechter electric with a much narrower neck. Put 8s on it and it will work fine for a nine-year-old's finger strength. Jerry's favorite advice: "Plug it into Rocksmith" (https://rocksmith.ubisoft.com/rocksmith/en-us/home/ ) and have fun learning. I'll be visiting TGC soon to check out that Hofner bass hanging on the wall. It's pretty close the one I had when I started playing. Like I said, the store is a history lesson! read more

Place owner is nice and knowledgeable. He knows his stuff. Came in to get some repair work done on my Fender and he was more than happy to assist me. Great guy to talk to and good customer service. read more

Extremely overpriced. Customer service does not exist in this place and all the guitars I picked up had serious issues like cracked headstocks, warped necks, and extreme fretwear. That's what you can expect when you pick up a guitar at this place. Do yourself a favor and shop anywhere else but here. This place was a complete waste of time. Come here if you want to pay double for a guitar that has major issues. This is the worst so called music shop in Orange county. Buyers beware you will get a lemon at this place. read more

Always a good experience with Jerry at The Guitar Collector. Fair and knowledgeable. This is the kind of shop you go to if you know your stuff. Every bad review I've read on here reeks of "I don't know what I'm looking at". Jerry is straight up about the provenance of his gear. Jerry will also help educate you if you don't. Love this place. Will continue to shop here for years to come. read more

Couldn't believe it when I walked into this place. A REAL guitar store! It's hard to find true guitar shops like this anymore. Somewhere you can actually hold and play rare instruments right off the wall. I talked to Jerry for a bit while I played a few guitars that I loved. He is super cool and knows his stuff. Let's help keep this gem in business! read more

This guy knew his stuff about guitar. Ask him anything and he'll be guaranteed to know it. He also gave me a lot of good advice on guitar and gear. Will definitely be going back for more information and purchases. He also has some extremely rare gear. read more

I went in to try some pedals and mentioned that one was out of my price range presently, so the owner refused to let me try another??? Then using expletives told me how people without money should NOT be trying out expensive gear. I am a decent guitarist on YouTube, iTunes...etc. and politely found my way to the door. If you don't wish to have a similar experience...don't go THERE. I've been playing for 49 years and that in MY OPINION is not a cool thing! JS read more

So this afternoon I dropped off Moniques guitar at the Guitar Collector to repair a broken string. The gentleman behind the counter said to come back in an hour and he will fix it for $2. When I arrived to pick it up he mentioned to me that the guitar had cracked open from the bottom. He said he felt bad that it happened in his shop. But I told him that it was already broken that it was not his fault. He proceeds to hand me what looks like new guitar in a guitar case. And tells me I'm sorry about your guitar. Your daughter needs to have a guitar to play. I told him he didnt have to do that. And offered to pay for it. But refused. And said Merry Christmas! I was shocked. The look on my daughters face was priceless. There are still truly great people in this world. He has earned my business. read more

Rad collection of guitars and music equipment. Went in for some parts for a guitar and Jimmy had everything I needed! Very nice and helpful. I would highly recommend stopping by for anything guitar related! read more

This place is awesome! Jerry is one of kind, very classy guy. The guitar selection is out of this world!

Worker on staff was extremely rude and condescending. I visited this store once over a year ago, but had such a bad experience I had to review when I saw it come up. He clearly felt as though helping me and answering some of my questions about prices on his vintage acoustic guitars was a waste of time. I hate shops with "guitar snobs" like this who belittle potential customers who may not have as deep a knowledge of prices of vintage instruments. Why would I pay more for a guitar at this shop and subject myself to condescension? Do yourself a favor and find a different local store with staff members who actually PRETEND to care about you read more

The absolute worst. Sold me a used guitar though Reverb, (the online broker) he Advertised as "Excellent Condition". I have had it appraised for condition by 2 different reputable Guitar Stores, both came in at "Poor-Fair". He's a rude-ripoff, won't refund my money. Worst type of sleazy POS i've ever encountered! Be forewarned! read more

The owner lie's about the history of his Guitar's. I went a few time's to play a few Vintage guitar's and when I gently asked if the guitar's were re-fretted or the history of them he got extremely offended and completely lied about it when it was obviously not the truth if you look at the guitar. I've been there a few times just to chit chat and that wasn't bad, but this really concerns me if he blatantly lies about some of his product and gets aggressive if someones asks about it, he seems extremely shady. This guy is new to that area and I don't think he'll last long with a business model like that. He can be a nice talk but will lie if you have concerns about any of his guitars. There are better places in the area. read more

I got a great deal on a great guitar. Just realized I've been too attached to Corporate stores. Good selection here and Will do business again. read more

Dusty and Jerry are great guys. They have an amazing inventory of instruments ranging from "holy grail" guitars all the way to the odd and obscure. Straight shooters, and descent prices. They're a high end guitar shop, you're going to pay some sort of premium. They always make sure the customer is comfortable with the sale, and their customer service is second to none! read more

Awesome place! Fantastic vintage guitars and excellent customer service. I brought my acoustic in and they gave a good and free touch up with advice on how to improve its sound. I'll def be back! read more

This is beyond and by far one of the best music shops in Southern California and I've been to them all. You won't find slimy pushers, just 2 guys who are passionate and knowledgeable about gear. If you're looking for crummy beginners guitar packs that will fall apart, head to guitar center. If you're looking for boutique,rare and amazing amps,guitars,synth and fx this place will put a smile on your face. The prices here are more than fair as well read more

This is a true guitar experience . The owner Jerry is awesome . He has great info on the instruments and fantastic stories about his experiences in the business. It is a must if you are into rare and more interesting stuff. Check it out read more

Great selection of vintage and used guitars and amps. Both Jerry and Dusty are great guys. I highly recommend this store!

Guitar Collector takes the cake for the absolute worst purchasing experience I have ever had. Jerry showed me a Stratocaster listed at $2500 that he claimed was a Custom Shop. I noticed immediately that it lacked the "V" logo on the back of the headstock, and inquired about it. He reassured me that not all CS guitars have that logo, and that this was a kind of "one-off" built by a former CS employee. The guitar played well and Jerry seemed genuine, so I took his word for it and bought it. Fast forward a couple months to when I finally got around to taking the guitar to get set up. The shop that I brought it to (which is an Authorized Fender Dealer) had suspicions that something was off and asked me if they could deconstruct the guitar to take a look at the neck pocket, as well as behind the pickguard. This led to even more red flags, and so they took detailed pictures of the guitar to send over to their rep at Fender. Lo and behold, they wrote back declaring that not only was this guitar not a CS, but the body and pickups were not even made by Fender. This of course led me to return to Guitar Collector. I was then met with the utmost bewildering customer service I have ever been faced with. Despite the fact that I began my concern as calm and collectedly as possible, it took all but 10 seconds before Jerry began screaming and cursing at me (many, many F-bombs). He claimed that he originally told me that the guitar was NOT a custom shop, but rather a guitar that was built IN the custom shop. Not only is this not true, as I specifically remember asking him why the "V" logo was missing, but it's a pretty shady play on words. Anyway, once he eventually noticed that he backed himself into a corner, he walked over to the wall of "Custom Shops", grabbed another one (this time WITH a "V" logo), threw it into the case that I originally showed up with, and screamed "NOW GET THE F**K OUT OF MY STORE AND NEVER COME BACK". The new guitar he forcefully gave me did not come with a COA, so now I'm not even sure if this one is real either. Jerry, if you're reading this, you should be ashamed to call yourself a business owner. To anybody else reading this, do yourself a massive favor and shop somewhere else. read more

Very friendly and knowledgeable owner! We came here after waiting at guitar center for over 30 mins and no one helping us. So we came upon this place! The owner quickly helped us fix the guitar problem and even took the time to straighten out the strings and tune it. We also ended up with a fantastic deal on an SKB hard case for the guitar. We will definitely be coming back! read more

Dusty is very friendly and a nice guy. Jerry is a little bit rough around the edges, but is not a bad guy. I could easily see how someone would find him rude and not great with customer service. He still knows a lot about guitars and can be nice if he warms up to you. Seems pointless not to treat potential customers with respect/a good attitude though. Prices are sometimes competitive, other times not at all. For instance, if you come into their store and buy a guitar they should sell it slightly lower than the reverb price, because you are saving the hassle of shipping the guitar/can also pay in cash preventing fees to REVERB. Many awesome vintage guitars and hard to find items though. I can recommend this place to any guitar, bass or sound enthusiasts, but just know what to expect as far as customer service goes. I am not surprised people have issues with the customer service and condition of guitars. 9/10 guitars there need a setup and are missing accessories. read more

We found this place online and I'm so glad we did. We were looking for a guitar cable for our son who just got his first guitar. Jerry didn't have any cables to sell but he was kind enough to give us one for free. He also had great ideas for the best way to help our son learn to play. Thanks for being awesome Jerry! read more

I'm new to leaving online reviews, but at the negative interaction with the owner (Jerry) I felt compelled to do so. This individual for some unknown reason was extremely rude, condescending and generally unpleasant to speak to or deal with. His correspondence was the most unprofessional and rude I've ever had while looking for a guitar in all my years. His tone and manners on the phone was just as bad as email. He seems to think he knows all, and it's his way or the highway. Customer service seems to be a low priority and he came off as nothing but vindictive, adversarial and hot headed. Needless to say I took my business elsewhere, and being nothing more than a mere' peasant' spent over $34,000 with two other stores. I did not feel the need to tell him what group I am in as I don't like to brag but if he knew I have a feeling he would have been much more pleasant to deal with. Sad deal. I would recommend to anyone to avoid Jerry and his store at all costs and spend your money with someone who appreciates their customers whether they are buying a Squire or a 59 Les Paul. One star. read more