I've been going to this Guitar Center for 20 years or so, before that I was going to their location…read moreacross the street which is now a Mattress store. In all that time, I never cared to write a review, until now. Here's what happened, brace yourselves for the feelgood story of 2025. I went in with my wife a week ago, so that after all these years of guitar playing, I could buy my first bass. I ended up leaving with a Taylor 12 string, go figure. Jadon was the employee who helped me, and this dude was the first Guitar Center employee I've met who was more excited to sell me a guitar, than I was to buy one! Fast forward 1 week later, and I was regretting putting down so much money on a guitar that I always wanted, but didn't quite need. I went in looking for a bass after all, but the only basses I actually liked were $3,000 plus. After some thought, I came to the conclusion that I didn't want a cheap bass, I couldn't afford a good bass, and I didn't feel too good about a 12 string. What my collection always needed was a 7 string, so back to Guitar Center I went. This time I met Chad, and Chad was yet another awesome Guitar Center employee. He was actually interested in discussing my collection, and talking about the subtle differences between Martins and Taylors. We nerded out over guitar stuff, while he made the return process quick and painless. He let me know that the day after Christmas there's a big sale, and he and Jadon would be working that day if I decided to come back. December 26th arrived, and I woke up bright and early, ready to head to Guitar Center for a 7 string. Unfortunately, the selection was slim, just a handful of Schecters and Ibanez's that really didn't do it for me. I've always wanted an Iceman, but they didn't have the 7 string version in stock. I was contemplating having them order one for me, without having played it, but it just didn't feel right. At this point, my wife was noodling around on an acoustic bass. I've always tried to get her into guitar, and after almost 20 years of marriage, she was contemplating buying an acoustic bass for herself! Life is definitely strange. Jadon let me know that he could order the Ibanez Iceman, and if I didn't like it when it arrived, I could return it. Something told me that I wouldn't return this one, and it was a good idea to pull the trigger. I asked Jadon if he could give me a good deal on the Iceman, I might end up also buying an acoustic bass. He said it was up to his manager, and that he would ask. Shortly after that, he returned with a decent discount offer that would take off 5%, which isn't too bad for a $1,500 guitar. At the end of the day, I ended up getting the 7 string version of a guitar I always wanted, and my wife is learning an instrument I never expected her to be interested in. The guitar was her Christmas gift to me, but her interest in playing bass, is a far greater gift if you ask me. I'm currently counting down the days until the Iceman arrives and I could go and pick it up from Guitar Center. The main reason I'm leaving this (very long) review, is to highlight how awesome the staff at this location is, particularly Jadon. The guy has a great attitude, and takes pride in helping people. My past experiences with Guitar Center employees have typically not been the best. I couldn't tell you why, I always just assumed it was just the way it was, and dealt with it. In my recent visits, that pattern seems to have changed. Jadon was awesome, Chad was awesome, and a few other employees (whose names I didn't catch), were awesome too. This type of service is what inspired me to write a review for the first time in over 20 years of going to Guitar Center. Management should be proud of themselves for hiring an excellent team!

It was still a fun place to hang out and chatting about Music or getting instruments. However, time…read morechanges, and most of the staffs I know don't work there anymore

My daughter had a great experience with her lessons with Joe Valdes at the Guitarist. Joe both met…read moreher where she was at and challenged her to learn new skills. The lessons were easy-going and enjoying, but also very productive, with my daughter learning new songs every week and greatly improving her general technique, her ear for picking up songs, and her finger picking. Best of all, she just really enjoyed the experience, and always looked forward to her lessons, which is a gift for a busy teenager. Management was flexible and easy to communicate with.

My kid has been learning music privately with Tim S. for almost 6 years. I just started in Nov…read more2025. We have fun learning a mix of theory and guitar. My kid started with ukulele and he seamlessly transitioned her to guitar about 2 years ago. He is the best at meeting students where they are while nurturing their talent and interest in music. We're fans of his teaching style. It's also nice to have a variety of options. There is always someone in the office ready to help. I'm not sure about value but I think it's standard pricing about $56.50 for 30-min lessons. Their recitals are chill and they sell instruments, books and anything else you need to learn!

I've never heard a harp played in person. But once Esther Lee let her fingers flutter over the…read morestrings, I was in awe. So beautiful! I also had the opportunity to hear her sing, and it really is angelic! She is extremely professional, playing from weddings, special events, to therapeutic sessions. She is also a personal instructor, training her students to one day be as good as her! Harp players/instructors are quite rare, and I highly recommend Esther Lee. You won't regret it!

I'm a composer of chamber and orchestral music, in varying styles. Esther has been performing and…read morerecording my music for over three years. She's a sensitive and gifted musician, who is also a joy to work with. I look forward to a long and productive relationship with her in my ongoing concerts and recordings. She's one of the top harpists in the Bay Area.

The best Guzheng teacher I can ever wish for. Melody is always being patient and encouraging to…read morestudents. She's knowledgable, passionate and open minded for different types of music. She also provides many opportunities for students to preform in public. I've been learning Guzheng for two year with Melody and I can definitely tell my improvement over these two years. I'm preparing to take 4th level examination now.

We recently invited Melody to play the guzheng at a large scale event at the Mitchell Park…read morecommunity center. She did such a fantastic job! Her music is so beautiful and absolutely captivating. It really was a joy to listen to and everyone left the event raving about it. We would definitely highly recommend her to play for any type of occasion!

Reviewing as a total music novice family. We needed to rent a violin for my 5th grader for…read moreorchestra. We could not have been more helpful, patient and kind helping us set up a rental. Similarly, when we made the return at the end of the school year, the process was seamless! Highly recommend!

Got a used schecter from reverb, had their technician do a full setup. Dude killed it, guitar…read moresounds awesome.

Both of my kids have  had a wonderful experience at California Conservatory of Music. They started…read morelearning since 2007 and it has been great. Chris Mallett is such a great teacher, very patient, encouraging, and great with kids. He made learning guitar fun while still helping my children build strong skills and confidence. My kids always looked forward to every lesson and have continued playing guitar even though they are in college.  I really appreciate the positive environment and the way the instructors inspire a love for music. I highly recommend this school to any parent looking for a great place for their child to learn guitar. Thank you for instilling the passion for music in my children's lives!!

I love coming here all the time! I have the best teacher here. She's very smart and tells me all…read moreabout music sheet and about how to improve my singing as well. Great place for anyone interested in learning music.

We started at NCMAC with piano and voice classes for my children and myself, with Ms. Georgianna…read more It is rare to find a teacher like her-- not only is she passionate about teaching piano and encouraging her pupils to make the most of their potential, she makes it so much fun that we look forward all week to our classes! What I appreciate most of all is that she genuinely has our best interests at heart and we learn in the right way, and in a manner best suited to our individual personality and ability. I also believe that Ms. Mary and Ms. Trisha, who run NCMAC have a similar philosophy where the children and their interests are at the center of all their decisions. Recitals at NCMAC are about doing your very best, but finding true pleasure in it, and that's how they run NCMAC too. Genuinely thrilled to have found this place and these teachers!

My son goes to NorCal Music for clarinet lessons, and he really enjoys the experience. The owners…read moreand team are so helpful and very flexible offering makeup lessons when there are openings. Highly recommend.

I popped in on a whim (I'd just dropped off my computer at Mobile Kangaroo across the street)…read morebecause, hey, music store! Ann was incredibly helpful. I had (at the time) a piano I was trying to sell, or even give away, because we're trying to get ready to move, and we couldn't justify hanging on to it any more. Despite the fact that I absolutely was not going to buy anything, she went out of her way to help me figure out how much our piano was worth, and gave me some suggestions on piano movers too.

Really odd shopping experience. We walked in and were told we needed an appointment to look around…read more Not one single customer was in the store. We told the lady we drove 40 miles to the store but she was oblivious. Not a great customer experience at all. Head on over to Colton Piano Gallery down the street. We were properly greeted and treated with respect.