I've gone to this guitar center a few times…read more.. You have to be aware of some rules. You need to bring your own headphones or otherwise have a way to listen to music you play without bugging people because it's not like where I used to go in Orange County where no one cared what you did.... It's also the flagship store and you might encounter some really weird things that have nothing to do with the people that worked there like I did. Some random middle-aged dude started popping off at one of the workers had to be escorted out while he cussed out about something that really made no sense. But the employer did a good job and the guy left and was probably yelling at other people later on.... In the end, I ended up with a wonderful piece of gear for a decent price. I love Roland instruments so that's what I got. I loaded it up in an Uber black with help from Josh with the guy to talk to on keyboards and probably all sorts of other stuff that I don't play like guitars.... And it just was one of those days where things aligned and I really felt good about everything... Anyway, you should check it out. ‍

I visited Guitar Center Hollywood on June 24 around 5:30 PM looking for a gig bag for my guitalele…read more My experience with one employee, Miguel in the guitar department, was extremely disappointing. When I asked for help, he quickly brushed me off and insisted there were no bags that would fit my instrument. He seemed completely unwilling to make any effort to check for alternatives. When I asked for his name, he actually hid his name tag in his shirt pocket and questioned why I needed it. When I requested to speak with a manager, he claimed there was no manager available and again questioned why I wanted one. The interaction felt dismissive, unprofessional, and left me feeling disrespected as a customer. Fortunately, security officer Nate took my concerns seriously and contacted a manager, Travis. While it took some time, Travis went into the back and found a mini guitar bag that fits my guitalele perfectly. Ironically, the solution was exactly what Miguel could have found if he had been willing to get up and look. I appreciate Nate and Travis for ultimately resolving the issue, but the behavior I experienced from Miguel was unacceptable. Customer service starts with treating people respectfully and making a genuine effort to help. but

I have been taking piano lessons here since last August and I love it! Such a great place to learn…read more All the staff are so encouraging, professional, and sweet. I love my teacher, Dylan!!! Susan Lee

I've been taking voice lessons here for the past 2 years and have had such an amazing time! The…read morestaff is so friendly and the instructors are so knowledgeable and helpful.

Avoid. This review has nothing to do with the quality of their products or lessons, but rather the…read moresecurity staff. I was accosted by the security guard, George, as I attempted to enter the building. He inquired if I needed any help, and I said no. He approached closer and asked my reason for being on the premises, to which I replied, "I'm here to inquire about guitar lessons, is that okay with him?" Rather than engage him further, I chose to de-escalate by entering through a different door. I was in a conversation with the young lady at the front desk about guitar lessons for my son when George came in the other door and confronted me, again, interrupting my conversation with her. There were at least half a dozen other people on the premises. If I were a threat in any way, I'm confident any one of them would have advised George accordingly. They did not. Yet, George persisted, interrupting an active conversation I had with the lady who was answering my questions about guitar lessons -- he persisted as if I were a thug or common criminal. George replied that he was there to see if there was anything I needed. Isn't that what the lady at the front desk is for? To address any concerns or questions I or any visitors may have? If I needed anything, she was capable of addressing anything I would have required, or she wouldn't be there as the business's forward-facing staff member. I asked him if there was anything about guitars that he could assist me with that the young lady could not? He replied no. Then I said, There's no reason for us to have a conversation. Another person (staff member?) stood up for him, saying that George was their "goodwill ambassador" and it's not what it looks like. (He was ostensibly referring to the fact that I'm a black man.) To which I replied, "That explanation is Sophism and, even if true, your 'ambassador' failed miserably... This is exactly what it looks like." The scientific principle of Occam's Razor states that, "When faced with a problem, all things being equal, the simple and obvious explanation is usually the correct explanation." I own a business. I have security on staff. It's there for the protection of my clientele, property, and staff. My security also knows that their job is to be visible as a deterrent, yet not interact unless there is a potential issue. The fact that George interacted with me twice, interrupting a conversation with the front desk staff whose sole purpose was to help, is proof, ipso facto, that his intention was not to see if I needed help; it was because, in his capacity as a security guard, he saw me as a potential problem. Again, Ocam's Razor. I will admit that I surrendered the moral high ground when he wouldn't leave me alone and kept persisting: I held up my wrist and showed my $12,000 Rolex and said, I'm not here to steal. To which he used profanity, saying, "I don't give an F how much money you have." My frustration comes from a lifetime of being profiled as a black man. I'm not proud of myself for how I reacted and pulling the wealth card after not being left alone, but that was only after a humiliating five-minute interaction that wouldn't end, and it's nowhere near an equivalency of how I was treated and profiled based on my appearance (George knew nothing about me, my appearance is the only criterion that could have possibly judged me on). Had I been a soccer mom, this would have never happened, and you wouldn't be reading this post.

The worst experience of my life and client approach My…read moredaughter is 7 years old, and she attends various classes: ballet, group music lessons, and gymnastics. Everything was amazing in all of this places. In Silverlake conservatory we signed up and paid for a month 150$, plus an additional $50 fee. My daughter was scared of the teacher and didn't want to attend the class with her. We asked if I could attend the class with her, as she is in a new environment and needs time to adjust, and also requested to try a different teacher. They said I can't do it. The response we received was that we could try a different teacher at the end of the month, after paying for the next month in advance. I believe that schools working with children should be more flexible with their rules, understanding that a new place can be intimidating for kids, or that a teacher might not be a good fit for every child.

I had a wonderful experience at this music shop! I came in to replace the strings on my daughter's…read moreguitar, and everything was done incredibly fast and with great quality. The owner is very friendly and truly passionate about what they do -- it makes such a difference! They also have an amazing selection of guitars from all over the world -- such a unique and interesting collection to explore. Thank you so much for the excellent service. Highly recommend this place!

The ultimate la no frills spot. GO HERE IF YOU NEED A RENTAL THEY ARE GREAT! Absolutely no frills,…read moregreat pricing.

I took my guitar in for a little tuneup on my fret board. He was very nice as professional. Had it…read moredone the same day. Only a couple of hours. Came back exactly how I wanted it. You can tell they take pride in their work. Definitely coming back for any future guitar needs

Spoke with the owner George very accommodating and professionally friendly looking forward to doing…read morebusiness with this gentleman

We love Culver Music! My older boy took trombone classes here and my younger one is now taking…read morepiano. It's almost a year now and he's still enjoying it!

During my short visit in Los Angeles I am enjoying my voice lessons with Pat. Her patience with me…read morean adult beginner is very much appreciated and based on the conversation with a parents of her child student, a favorite. Also the fellow staff members were great with coordinating my lessons and sending helpful class reminders.

Brought my Martin DX-1 in for a string change, setup, and minor fretboard cleaning. Spoke with…read moreMitch who recommended a few minor adjustments as well. I was expecting it to take a couple of days, but just a couple of hours later it was already done! I picked it up the next day, and the guitar plays and sounds better than it has in years! Also a bargain price, very happy with the setup! I'll be bringing all of my guitars here from now on. When bringing in an instrument for service, be sure to call first to make sure the guitar tech is available. This is also mentioned on their website, but just be sure to call.

My son came back from college and needed to get his strings replaced on his entry level acoustic. I…read morewanted to teach him about going to Local stores and supporting them, but this is not the place. The wanted to charge 45$ for a string replace. I said OK. Steven, the person who helped us said," If it is more to be done, I will notify before they do the work" I said ok. We stayed for an hour, and I had a great discussion with the owner about jazz guitarist Ted Greene. That was the highlight of the store, and I do encourage people to go and learn the history of the store. I got an email the following day saying my son's guitar was ready and the charge was about 70$!!!! To change strings! I emailed back and said you told me 45. Steven said the tech Clean the guitar, oiled the tuning gears. We didn't ask for that, nor did it need it. He never checked with me about the work that needed to be done. It looked like a way to mark up the service. Beware! I called the store and talked with Steven and said you quoted me 45$ He said, "I am not going to argue with you over the money, and we will give you what was quoted." This wasn't about arguing, this was about integrity. Go to the store for nostalgia and some Martin's but be careful for the services and price adjustments.

My first time here and it won't be my last! Loved the intimate space while watching one of my all…read moretime favorite female singers, Jonatha Brooke. The room is normally set up for sales but when a show is on the calendar the staff quickly clears it to set up the chairs for the audience. Since their first impromptu show back in 1968, McCabe's has been hosting the finest in folk, bluegrass, Americana, world music and more. It can accommodate 150-seats and is one of the best listening rooms in the world. The sound engineer was spot at this performance. Most of performers will play one of the guitars for sale here which helps keep this amazing shop going. *Located just off the 405 freeway @Centinela on Pico Blvd *Plenty of street parking (meters) *A few restaurants within walking distance if you want to grab a bite to eat before or after a show. *Guitar lessons available *FYI purchase show tickets online. You will get receive a confirmation email telling you that your name will be on a list at the door (you will not get physical tickets)

This review is specifically about an acoustic guitar setup in the service department…read more I paid $95 for the setup service. I am dissappointed in the results and would not recommend their repair or setup services. The final results show a lack of quality control. I love the vibe of McCabe's and the 'grab and play anything you want' attitude which is rare at guitar stores these days. The staff have always been welcoming and don't hover or bother you unless you have a question. I even saw what appeared to a homeless person come in and ask to use the bathroom and the staff was kind and treated the person with respect and care. I've been a long time visitor, and needed a setup done on an acoustic guitar so I thought I'd bring it in and give them some business. Because the store is about a 30-45 minute drive for me, I asked if they could do it while I waited around the neighborhood and they said they were backed up and likely wouldn't get to it that day. I said ok and left it there and they called me about 2 hours later to say it was done and ready to get picked up, so I completely could have just waited for it. I wasn't able to make it back to the store for a few days (because it's a long drive), and when I picked up the guitar I was in a hurry and didn't spend a lot of time checking it out in the store. I pulled it out for a quick few strums to make sure the high action near the body was fixed, and it was, so I packed up the guitar and brought it home. Lesson learned - spend time at the store/shop when you are picking up your guitar. Spend more time than you think you should, better to find any issues at the shop before you get home. When I got home and saw the guitar in better lighting, I noticed there were a bunch of areas where there was some wax or polish that was obviously not buffed out. So the first thing I did was to spend about 5 minutes going over the whole guitar with a soft cloth to try and buff out all of the polish. Not a big deal, but obviously nobody at the store did any final check of the guitar, or if they did they would have seen this and just didn't care to do anything about it - just felt like poor quality control and lack of care. (Also - this is a matte finish guitar, so I'm not sure you're supposed to put polish on it at all..?) Then once I finished buffing out all of the leftover wax/polish, I tuned it and up and immediately discovered that both the A and the G string were buzzing while being played open. So I ended up spending another 10-15 minutes doing a truss rod adjustment to get the guitar into playable condition. Another indication that nobody bothered to check or play the guitar after the tech put it back together, or they would have clearly heard the buzzing strings. Or they just didn't care enough to fix it. For $95 I would expect the guitar to be able to come out of the case and look and play well without me having to do any additional work. I'm sad to have had this experience with a store a I have really grown to appreciate and enjoy.