• Guitar Center

Guitar Center

Overview

Guitar Center has a rating of 1.89 stars from 201 reviews, indicating that most customers are generally dissatisfied with their purchases. Reviewers complaining about Guitar Center most frequently mention customer service, next day, and credit card problems. Guitar Center ranks 80th among Music Equipment sites.

  • Service
    82
  • Value
    70
  • Shipping
    63
  • Returns
    50
  • Quality
    57

This company does not typically respond to reviews

Positive reviews (last 12 months): 13.5%
Positive
5
Neutral
0
Negative
32
46
See all photos

What reviewers want you to know

Positive highlights

  • I ordered some DJ lights at guitar center at Jw clay blvd Charlotte nc.

Critical highlights

  • So yet once again their customer service was a total failure.
How would you rate Guitar Center?
Top Positive Review

“Thank you Terry Crawford”

vic D.
1/3/24

10 stars service and support from Terry Thank you very much sir, for your assistance and advice Terry is one of the best agents I ever dealt

Top Critical Review

“Unreasonable”

David W.
1/1/24

I was given a snare head for Christmas. Clear Remo black dot. As it turns out it's awful. I chatted online with an associate on Dec 31st. He said I could return for a refund. Today, Jan 1st, received a text msg being told drum heads non returnable. I said, not even 2hrs on it, no marks at all. I didn't want a refund. I would like to exchange for another snare head. No reply- dead silent. Already ordered a replacement. No questions on returns. I'm done with them. That's why unreasonable.

Reviews (201)

Rating

Timeframe

Other

Reviews that mention popular keywords

customer service (59) guitar center (113)
Thumbnail of user davidw7395
1 review
0 helpful votes
January 1st, 2024

I was given a snare head for Christmas. Clear Remo black dot. As it turns out it's awful. I chatted online with an associate on Dec 31st. He said I could return for a refund. Today, Jan 1st, received a text msg being told drum heads non returnable. I said, not even 2hrs on it, no marks at all. I didn't want a refund. I would like to exchange for another snare head. No reply- dead silent. Already ordered a replacement. No questions on returns. I'm done with them. That's why unreasonable.

Tip for consumers:
Look elsewhere first. Make sure you can return items.

Products used:
Snare drum head

Service
Value
Shipping
Returns
Quality
Thumbnail of user rogern420
1 review
0 helpful votes
January 20th, 2024

I called and ask a question about one of the Gibson Las Pauls. The person on the phone had zero interest in answering any of my questions, and was giving me one word answers. This is terrible customer service. Whoever that person is, should not answer your phone I will not be shopping at guitar Center in Cerritos. Have a great day.

Tip for consumers:
Don’t let that individual answer your phone

Products used:
I was looking for a left-handed Gibson, Les Paul, however, the person on the phone was completely uninterested in assisting me. I will not be shopping at guitar Center in Cerritos ever.

Service
Thumbnail of user stever1729
1 review
0 helpful votes
February 12th, 2023

Is it too much to ask to actually type in a 1 paragraph description?

'Guitar is used in Excellent condition. There are some fine pick scratches on the front, a small ding on the bottom as well as the lower horn (pictured). There are no chips, neck is straight and frets are roughly 85-90%, electronics all work as they should although the tone pot is slightly scratchy.'

See... that took me 60 seconds while looking at the guitar I bought at a local pawn shop instead of buying the same guitar off GC's website!

Service
Shipping
Returns
Thumbnail of user amyh2373
1 review
0 helpful votes
July 2nd, 2023

I have bought keyboards, drum sets (2), harmonicas all from Guitar Center and have always loved them until I was on the hunt for a left-handed mandolin for my husband. When I saw the prices for a lefty verses a right handed one I was shocked. That is so ridiculous to charge almost double the price just because someone is left-handed. I'll never shop with GC again.

Service
Value
Shipping
Quality
Thumbnail of user j.j.s1
1 review
0 helpful votes
February 11th, 2023

Every Guitar Center I've been in is dirty with piles of merch on the floor, guitars with
Strings half off, customer service is (insert laughing emoji here). Next day shipping NEVER
Happens. At best four to five days. Whatever you want from Guitar Center you can get
Faster and cheaper online. Avoid.

Service
Value
Shipping
Returns
Quality
Thumbnail of user jamesa2562
1 review
1 helpful vote
May 26th, 2022

I ordered a fairly expensive guitar in March and more than 60 days later the order status states "Processing". The item in in fact back-ordered and will likely be another 30 days or more, something I had to learn on my own. "Processing" as an order status is straight up BS. If an item is back-ordered, say so. I've been a Sweetwater customer, and my first purchase at Guitar Center. Already starting to regret.

Thumbnail of user chrissya31
1 review
0 helpful votes
April 17th, 2023

Try to unsubscribe from their email subscription--good luck jumping through all the hoops they've laid out to get in your way. The most honest companies will automatically unsubscribe you when you click the link from inside of your email at the bottom of the message. Guitar Center? Wants you to login to manage your preferences. Then, the menu doesn't clearly show where to manage email subscription. After fishing around on the site for a few minutes looking for it, there's a page that says "look under Alerts and Subscriptions" to change preferences. Go to the menu, there's actually not a button called "Alerts and Subscriptions", there is one called just "Alerts". "Subscriptions" is a sub-category under the "Alerts" button. THEN, go there, and they are saying to call a phone number that has limited business hours in order to complete the unsubscribe process. Barrier after barrier has been erected by these conmen to get in between you and exiting their email list. Dishonest and annoying

Thumbnail of user jimp1114
1 review
1 helpful vote
August 15th, 2022

I ordered a fender acoustic guitar for my wife as a gift said same day pick up as well I got a electronic drum set to mess around with over 500$ for the Oder and it's definitely not same day even tho they have the product in store. If your going to offer same day pick up it should be the same day

Service
Value
Thumbnail of user gometrica
1 review
1 helpful vote
August 14th, 2022

EVERY TIME I buy something from Guitar Center, either on line at guitarcenter.com or at a retail store, I anticipate some kind of complication, and I'm usually right. I live in rural S. Indiana and the closest GC is about 100 km (60 "miles") away, so getting there is an event. I made the trip and purchased 2 acoustic guitars. I realized when I got home, one of them was supposed to include a free gig bag. I called the store and instead of seizing the opportunity for good cust service by dropping it in the mail for me, I was told the only way to get it is to return to the store, return the acoustic and re-buy it with the free gig bag promo. Well, at 5 bucks for a galloon of gas, we both knew that ain't gonna happen. So, congrats on your free gig bag, Guitar Center. You won. The online experience is the same anxiety causing experience. My most recent purchase was a ukulele from guitarcenter.com. I see the money has been debited from my account, but I've heard nothing from them for 2 days. Just an email that "We're working on your order..." In the day and age of email and notifications, no communication makes me nervous that my order has been screwed up somehow. I won't mention any names but there is another major online music retailer that provides a much SWEETER online shopping experience, IMHO. GC could clean up their act by scaling back their retail stores, hiring fewer douchy hipster employees (to be fair, I have had some positive experiences as well, but more not-so positives) and providing a better online shopping experience. I have more to say but I'm hungry and need to eat breakfast. :)

Products used:
None. I haven't rec'd it yet and I'm not sure I will.

Service
Value
Shipping
Returns
Thumbnail of user georges1631
3 reviews
1 helpful vote
October 30th, 2021

DO NOT BUY "PRO COVERAGE" AT GUITAR CENTER! Asurion handles Guitar Center's "Pro Coverage" on my son's saxophone. We have been trying since August to get Asurion to send a simple shipping label, so we can have a key repaired. I am nor sure whether this is the fifth or sixth time they have promised to generate and send one, but they have failed again, and this is going nowhere fast. I have been given conflicting information about whether a box will or even must be sent with the shipping label, whether I must go to UPS and let them box it, whether I can bring the saxophone to Guitar Center and have them ship it, and probably a couple of other things in what has proven to be a two-month long smokescreen either on their incompetence or their unwillingness to solve the problems that will allow them to perform the service they are in business to perform.

Thumbnail of user johnr4356
2 reviews
2 helpful votes
December 29th, 2021
Verified purchase

Purchased online from the Longhorne PA store.
This is how I received the order.
See pics.
Minimal insufficient protective packaging.
Not one sticker identifying which side is up thus everything jammed at one end of the bottom of the box.
Mic stand protruding through two (2) boxes.
Manufacturer's box as well as shipping
One piece of packaging tape that split leaving one end of the box unsecure.
Focusrite 4i4 took a few hits as seen in the pics.
Hopefully it didn't sustain any damage.
We'll see.
Never online again.
This order was a test run.
They lost an order for 1 Rickenbacker 4003 and 1 Musicman Stingray bass.
Oh well...
Edited 12. 30. 21
Received my speakers today.
They just placed them in a box face up with bubble wrap on the exposed face of the speaker.
Wow..

Thumbnail of user mygiftw
1 review
1 helpful vote
September 25th, 2021

I was trying to buy a last minute birthday gift. Called to verify it was in stock, gentleman was very nice on the phone and said they put it to the side for me. I bought a guitar online so I could finance it through PayPal. It's been 7 hours and it is still not ready to pickup, so I will have to give the gift late.

Thumbnail of user isg2
1 review
2 helpful votes
May 27th, 2020

I was browsing GC guitars. I saw a Les Paul I would have liked to own. The information for a payment plan was definitely in my budget. I ordered it and waited for over a week. My order was canceled with out any explanation. Now I have an opened a line of credit not guitar. Guitar Center biggest waste of time.

Thumbnail of user colinm255
1 review
0 helpful votes
December 2nd, 2020

Once upon a time I worked at Guitar Center. I was trained in customer service pretty well and felt compelled to learn the products and add-ons not just for my own sales numbers but for the benefit of the customer as well. It appears as though the training program I was put through is no longer in service because the service is lackluster at best now. I went to guitar center to get a loop pedal. I knew which one I wanted (The Boss RC-1) and was hoping to get in and out. Here are areas to improve in, take notes guitar center employee's, because if I had been confronted with a sales associate who gave a lick about me OR knew the products at all I would not be writing this review.
1. No one approached me to help for around 10 minutes. I get the employee's are busy with calls and customers and what not but no one even acknowledged me. All it takes is 2 seconds - "hey man, sorry we're real busy with phone calls and customers right now but we see you and we'll help you out ASAP." Simple and effective.
2. I knew more about the guitar products I was buying. This wouldn't be an issue if it weren't for the fact that I'm a drummer. I told the sales associate what I wanted and the first words out of his mouth were "I think you should get this pedal (pointing to the RC-3 which is twice the cost of the RC-1) It has way more recording time. The one you're looking at only has like 30 seconds." If I hadn't known better I probably would have listened to him and spent way more than I wanted to OR needed to. The RC-1 has 12 minutes of recording time. Associate said 30 seconds to try and upsell. He didn't know the product and he pulled a pretty shady tactic to try and get me to spend more money. Gross.
3. In the area where he COULD have gotten me to spend more money he completely failed. Instead of thinking about add-ons I might need he went instantly to "I really think you should buy the protection plan." From working at Guitar center I know this can be hit or miss and I NEVER get it. The problem is I needed an adapter, a guitar cable, some picks, a chord book, NONE of which he suggested at all. All of that is forgivable EXCEPT the power adapter, that should have been the FIRST THING he suggested! I was about to check out when I was like "wait, this doesn't have any adapter does it?" Ooops. Thanks for nothing sales associate.

Guitar Center has their work cut out for them if they want to stay the nations leading musical instrument supplier, because I feel like every time I go there the customer service is worse than the time before. The only reason they're getting 2 stars is because they have a great selection.

Thumbnail of user travisk13
1 review
1 helpful vote
April 16th, 2015

My complain about guitar center doesn't quite focus on the fact that when you buy almost any piece of gear or guitar it'll have loose knobs, damaged wood, or dented material. But the HORRIBLE 'repair' or 'technician' department, the repair man who seems to work at most guitar centers seems to always be unavailable even if you call them a day earlier and when mentioning that you'd notified them the day before they'll simply say 'oh sorry I don't do appointments' which only makes you question how stupid they are when going through thought process, second of all the fact that they even keep you on the phone explaining why they can't repair your guitar no matter how simple it is, and how they have something to do and aren't sure when they're around. GUITAR CENTER, WHO THE HELL ARE YOU HIRING? Do a better job and stop hiring autists who can't even remember what they had for breakfast, please. I can't even get a repair done for something that shouldn't be so hard to fix if you have the materials, the only hindrance is the fact that your technicians are immensely unreliable and probably don't know what the hell they are doing. Great job 2/10, lol. Also, maintain things tidier, it'll probably make most of your workers seem a tad less lazier than they really are.

Thumbnail of user jillianj3
1 review
1 helpful vote
October 14th, 2015

Guitar Center like all good stores is admired by its strong points of business, but these good points are commonly outshined by its poor business choices. The store itself has a great variety of products such as, amps, drums, recording software, pianos, microphones, sheet music, various stringed instruments, etc. Guitar Center can meet practically any of your needs. They are not at a loss of various styles to fit your need or preference. They carry top brand names like Fender, Gibson, Epiphone, Music Man, Taylor, Yamaha, and many others. They have great low prices and almost always have promotional sales. Each month they choose a specific brand on sale. This is very convenient and helpful to customers.
However, their costumer's service leaves much for improvement. In order to get any help you have to be that annoying costumer. It regularly is shown that they do not know the product that they are selling and may not even know how to play or the proper use. They normally only have one person that truly knows what they are doing in the department. If that person is not there for whatever reason then, good luck getting any decent help.

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From the business

Guitar Center is the world's largest musical instruments retailer. Shop Guitars, Bass, Drums, Amps, DJ, Keyboards, Pro-Audio and more. Most orders ship free!

Company Representative

Thumbnail of user emilyn11
Duncan C.
Typically does not respond to reviews

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