Guitar Center Reviews

They own a surrogate scamming website company Musicians Friend. Musicians Friend mimics Guitar Center's business model: for every customer lost we get 5 new ones so why bother being an honest merchant. I purchased a used guitar that was confirmed by email from them in "like new" condition." It wasn't. Their return process did not result in obtaining a return shipping label. Obfuscation is an appropriate label to apply. I asked for a $50 refund instead that would allow me to have repaired.. they refused. Never again will I like others will purchase from Guitar Center or their surrogate Musicians Friend websites.

I ordered a Mackie Thump215 Powered Speaker (Open Box) online. They shipped me a Mackie 12A (Used/Older Model/much less expensive than the 215). They would not reconcile the order (Ship the correct unit and pick up the incorrect unit). They offered me a credit but expected me to eat the $33.22 shipping. They also wanted me to take the large package to USP for them. The customer service representative said that there was no one above him that could do any more than he could. The Mackie215 is a 15 inch power 1400W speaker. The 12A is a 12" 1300W speaker and is much less expensive new than a 215. Don't shop this online provider; they are not reputable.

This review is for rating the quality of work performed at Guitar Center's shipping department. I had ordered a Boss 50 amp but what I received was a useless speaker cabinet in which is not even close to a Boss 50 amplifier. Stuff like this happens more and more due to people and companies not caring to satisfy the customers. You probably could take an 8th-grade kid and give him the pick sheet and I bet he or she could pull the right item reflected on the customer's order. But no not Guitar Center. I blame not only the warehouse worker, but the supervisor as well for this.

I have done business with Guitar Center and its entities for over 20 years. This most recent interaction displays an escalating pattern of poor customer service, deceptive billing practices, siloed management and a general lack of responsibility for issues they have created for themselves. We worked with the institutional department to purchase sound equipment for a marching band. The large order was serviced through a purchase order and the local store repeatedly mishandled the transaction. They asked us to provide the purchase order number and a tax exempt ID and the purchase could go through. Having provided the requirements, they told us they could not process the payment without a Net30 account which would take up to 8 weeks to set up. They also said they could not produce an invoice for us to present to our finance secretary to approve the payment.

The lessons scheduler in Danvers, MA was condescending and snarky when we asked him a follow-up question to a prior conversation (We asked when a lesson would be that he said he'd need to figure out when to schedule). He treated us like we were trying to get away with something, as if we had just not shown up for a lesson. My son pointed out that the misunderstanding was caused by a typo. The scheduler had mistyped my son's email address, so we never got the email stating when the lesson would be. But, even after realizing his mistake, the scheduler still chose to talk at us as if we had done something wrong. Unfortunate. This really didn't have to happen to anyone, much less a customer.

Boise Idaho beware. I purchased guitar from guitar center for $2000 (w no discounts), within two weeks, I saw the exact guitar for $100 less (online) at Guitar center. I live out of town and so I called. Evidently they do everything possible NOT to give you this discount! I have purchased many guitars from Guitar Center and now they have lost my business forever. The salesman over the phone said I could come in within 45 days to get my discount, because he verified it, but when I called before leaving.

Guitar Center was unable to match me with a suitable, in-person instructor for lessons. I paid for my lesson package in-full prior to meeting with an instructor, but the only instructor provided was not a good fit. I asked for either a new instructor during my availability, or the refund for all remaining lessons. Guitar Center could not accommodate my schedule, and it would not refund any amount. Guitar Center offers a 45-day money back guarantee on instruments, but nothing on lessons - You will be stuck with whatever they give you - buyer beware!

I placed an order for two speakers mid October, at $269.99 each; After a week or so, I still couldn't see any dispatch notification, so I called up, and was told they went out of stock. I was expecting it in two business days. Fine. On Black Friday, I thought I'd give it another try, and the online chat told me they have them in stock at $349.99 each, with 15% Black Friday discount, which amounts to $297.49 each, which is still nearly $30 more expensive than my previous unsuccessful order. I hence asked why and whether they could honor my previous order price, but was told no, because my previous order was 'clearance' item, and the current ones are 'brand new'. I went back to my email looking for words indicating they weren't 'brand-new', but couldn't find anything indicating 'non-brand-new' products. This is just straight dishonest. I will not bring business to a dishonest merchandiser like this any more.

Last Friday afternoon, I bought a used Fender Stratocaster from guitarcenter.com. On next Monday of my purchase, I received an email about the verification of my credit card transaction and they told me to call my bank whether everything is alright or not (there was no problem with my credit card at all). After a few hour of verification, my order's status has changed to 'backordered'. Then I called the store which they had the used gear, and the guy said we sold it in store on Saturday and the stocking manager works on weekdays that's why they did not update the stocks. Since they did not update it, they didn't leave any note on the guitar to prevent in-store customers to buy it. The thing is I BOUGHT the gear before the in-store customer.

Ordered a guitar on the website, it said in stock and will ship out same day. NOT TRUE! After waiting several days for an email saying it has shipped, I called and asked if it has shipped yet. Got a guy whom I couldn't understand and he says it MIGHT ship out tomorrow... They don't have it in their store... But they sure took my money out of my bank! This is not the first time they have done this to me. If they say it's in stock I wouldn't believe it. Try Sweetwater music for your next order, they seem pretty honest and it's probably going to be cheaper as well.

I ordered a bundle of 3 sets of guitar strings + a tuner from their website. After a month, they cancelled my order. They claimed that they were out of stock, even though they were clearly selling both the strings and the tuner. They refused to fill the order, but offered to sell me the same items individually at a higher price. In response to a Better Business Bureau complaint, they promised to "have an agent reach out to assist you with a resolution," but nobody ever contacted me.

I went to the Guitar Center in Palm Beach on Okeechobee Florida to sell or trade my gear. They claim they give top dollar for trade-ins. Well guess what? They cut my price by more than half. I looked on their showroom floor and saw the same system on the floor in worst condition. May I say mine is fairly new. List at $1,299 for each unit but offered me $550 per unit. Worst than car dealers.

My goal is to guide other buyers when purchasing at Guitar Center. My son (drummer) and I went to visit the store in Paramus NJ, he saw a drum set on the floor that he really like being sold as a floor demo. I know it's considered used and warranty could be limited, I get it. The issue is that after we paid and went to picked it up, we were told that one of the items on displayed with the drum set, being essential to the unit was not part of the sale, even though it was displayed as part of the product with no label starting that it was not part of the deal.

Purchased a used guitar that was stated in ad to be in "good condition" but in reality was unplayable due to it's electrical components no longer functioning. Thus the price paid was not warranted by it's assertion that it was in "good condition" with their excessive shipping charges, my purchase was foolish via their invalid condition statement. Conclusion" "buyer beware" applies as Guitar sells over priced guitars via invalid sales information used to entice trusting consumers like me.

I placed an order for an open conga set and the sales rep lied to me, saying it was a whole set of 4 congas. I only received one conga. When I called customer services, they told me to return it and place a new order for the whole set, which I did. Only to be lied again with just one conga. Guitar Center is not to be trusted.

I ordered a Jackson guitar on the 6th of April, 2022. The guitar didn't ship out until the 11th for whatever reason even though it was in stock and it said it was being delivered the next day. The next day rolls around and it says it's "out for delivery" and I wait all day (I work from home) and no one showed up. I figured it would be delivered the next day. It didn't and each day it continued to say "out for delivery" and that someone "attempted to deliver" it at 10:41 PM each night. I called UPS and they told me that was weird since they don't even drive that late, let alone it being the same time every night. So eventually a few days passed of this mess and I go into the actual UPS center it's supposed to be at since I can't get anywhere with the guitar center people or UPS on the phone. They straight up tell me they do not have the guitar and they cannot find it in the warehouse or on any of the trucks.

I purchased several home recording studio equipment, along with the extended service warranties, during 2021. Well, a dynamic mic quit working properly after a few months. Giving mysterious latency and scratching during playback. Which wasn't the interface, nor the XLR cords. As we'd unplugged that mic, and then retested with a condenser, without hitch. Called GC to do a return/exchange with the dynamic, and they told me to 'come on in'. Well... the return didn't happen. They sent me back to Audio, instead of just refunding my money. And the Audio guy Jamie was rude as hell. Giving excuse after excuse that it 'wasn't his or their problem' and to contact the manufacturer. And then walked away. Lesson learned: DO NOT DO BUSINESS WITH THEM.

I’ve generally had good luck with the Natick Massachusetts Guitar Center. But not this time. In early January, I stopped in to buy a Fender American Professional II Jazzmaster. They did not have one in stock but they looked online and their Louisville KY store had one and they would ship it to my house at no additional cost. So far, so good. The guitar arrived and right out of the box there were some obvious set-up issues. The low E string intonation was off. There was pretty significant buzzing in the B and high E strings near the nut. The tremolo bar could not be inserted. These are the kind of things you would think the Louisville store would have checked before shipping the thing out. Apparently not.

I have ordered from Guitar Center multiple times and had no bad experiences whatsoever till I had to deal with a certain Guitar Center in Austin, Texas. So this is my review of that one particular store and the manager and employees there, not Guitar Center as a whole. They had a used Dave Mustaine Dean Angel Of Deth Vmnt listed for sale for $999. I called the actual store to inquire about the guitar because I kept trying to place order and it kept having an issue online. They said that they had the guitar available for purchase. I had to call the next day to place the order since they pulled the guitar off the shelf and placed it into the managers office tagged, at least that’s what they told me. They took my info for payment and shipping and said it was all good to go.

Guitar Center refused to accept my State Tax Exempt status - unbelievable! Guess I'll be buying from the other guitar outlets that do. I don't understand how this company can reject one's tax exempt status when other music outlets like Sweetwater, Reverb and many other larger companies don't have a problem!!

Bought a $32 book for Christmas gift, they would not exchange it after my kid saw it was the wrong one, just go to Sam Ash. Everybody way better customer service, I called their customer service line, it's in the Philippines, no help at all. I will repeat just go to sam ash.

On October 5th I visited The Guitar Center Danvers store to Trade in my Zildjian Custom A 17" crash cymbal for a Zildjian Custom A 16" fast crash. The 17" was in excellent condition, no key hole, and was never out of my house. The person who waited on me was not very knowledgeable. He kept complaining about the "system" not being accessible to get my trade in $ value. Finally after about 5 minutes he said " I'll have to go talk to my manager about this". He returned to me saying his manager could get onto the system either but would offer me $85.00 trade in. I definitely got screwed money wise. They also charged me $158.80 for the used 16" fast crash! Lesson: I will never do business there again, nor will I recommend Guitar Center to anyone. I should have gone to a Drum Shop.

The store swapped a price tag on a bass. Tried to charge me over 900 for a price tag that said 600.; The staff was belligerently rude. The associate called me a and I quote "Crazy **". They wouldn't give us the difference back until we told them the only option (other than giving us the difference) was a full refund. This was Guitar Center's mistake not mine and I was treated like a criminal for demanding respect. I come from a whole family of musicians and we have a HUGE network of people that will take their chances on reverb from now until guitar center goes out of business just like all the mom and pops they have ** over. Guitar center of new Orleans is comprised of people that treat others like they are human garbage. Zero stars is not enough. You deserve a negative rating. If you see this review do yourself a favor GO SOMEWHERE ELSE!!!!

The mask mandate has been lifted in Evansville In by our governor and mayor. We go to restaurants, Walmart, other music stores but Guitar Center threw a fit about not having a mask. No exceptions. Really? But then what would I expect from a store that when I called to have a Gretsch 12 string repaired under warranty they also told me that unless I bought it there they will not work on it. I think there is a lot of ignorance going on. Besides mask work, right? So if they have their mask on then they are safe, right? I actually have a health problem wearing a mask most of the time. I have heart issues. So I am not allowed to go in there and buy a chord book for a 5 string bass? Cool, I can find them elsewhere I suppose.

I am a professional musician and run a studio in the Seattle area. I have used Guitar Center for years and have had mostly good luck, with the occasional hiccup. But two experiences in 2020 have caused me to black-list them. I will never do business with them again. First, in June 2020 I ordered a Martin 000-18 acoustic guitar, selling as brand new, and in stock for $2500, which is the going rate for that guitar. When it arrived , it was not in the original Martin shipping box (which was a clue of things to come). There was no paperwork (warranty, info etc) in the case. The case was banged up a bit, the metal runners were scratched (like the case was dragged on concrete), and the guitar itself had a whole host of issues. Mainly it was clearly used, covered in grime, the strings were dull and had belt-buckle rash on the back. There was not even an attempt to clean any of this up.

DO NOT BUY FROM HERE!! DO NOT BUY FROM HERE!!! Here's why.... I ordered an ovation guitar in November 2020 (back ordered) expecting it by Dec 31 2020. I had to call each and every month mind you, to find out anything about the order: we had not one single email, text, or update in anyway from Guitar Center! We'd call just to find out it was being pushed back later and later every time! Okay.... Then boom! Your order is cancelled out of nowhere! So again we call them because (we didn't cancel) to find out what was going on.... They had no clue as to what happened and would not even call to find out what was up! We ended up having to reorder the same guitar to "hopefully " receive this guitar by April this time because guitar center literally does not know what is going on with their supplier!! Or take the time to find out what is going on with their supplier!!

I was in the market for a new guitar, and saw on the website that they had what I wanted "in stock," AFTER SELECTING MY LOCAL STORE. So I drove there expecting to come home with it, only to be told that the website reflects warehouse inventory. So I ordered the guitar, and was told it would take 3 to 5 days to get here. On day 3 the order status was marked as backordered, even though the website still claimed it was in stock. Finally on day 5 it changed to processing. I called the store to try and get a skip date and was promised an email that evening. Email never came, and credit card was never changed.

You cannot trust Guitar Center’s online inventory status. I ordered a guitar three months ago. Still haven’t received it. What’s upsetting is that on any given day these past three months, I’ve seen the inventory status for this guitar on their website read, “In Stock and ready to ship.” REALLY? Where’s mine then? I’ve even added another one to my “cart” expecting a back-order warning before paying, but nothing. They’re baiting people into buying online with false claims of being in stock. And then they’ve got you waiting for months. Ridiculous. No wonder they’re bankrupt (financially and morally). I don’t mind waiting several weeks for a common, low-end $250 guitar, but had I known it was going to take MONTHS, I would have ordered from Sweetwater. Guitar Center’s business practices are highly deceptive. This will be my last purchase.

I bought a used guitar from them online at a great deal (a variax 500 for $300), and they emailed me a receipt saying it would arrive in 3-5 business days. I got the module needed for the guitar with the money I saved (a line 6 podxt for $200) from Reverb. The guitar never arrived so I checked my order status and it had been updated to “backordered.” I called Guitar Center customer service and they said the guitar no longer exists and they don’t know what happened to it, but they refunded my card. I can no longer return the module so I need a guitar I can use it with. Now I have to pay a lot more for a worse guitar (a variax 300 for $400) because the deal on the one that they actually didn’t have (again, even though it was posted online, they sent me a receipt saying it would arrive in 3-5 days, and hadn’t notified me of anything else by the time I checked on the order 2 weeks later) was once in a lifetime.

I ordered an amplifier online from Guitar Center, seemed easy enough. However I soon found that this amp was non existent and I couldn't get the deal. They tried selling me the wrong amplifier as a way to compensate for the mistake. Feels like a bait and switch situation.

Ordered a Piano on 18th Dec and with an offer of 15% off valid until 24th Dec. Provided credit card info and they a hold of the amount and I could see that in my transaction. Though it was back ordered, I was ok to wait for 2 weeks (1st week of Jan). Got mail on 27th Dec that need to update the payment method as it did not go through. I was surprised to see that, because the card had enough limit remaining and also they had a hold earlier. When I called them to give another card, they started the whole thing as if its a new order and removed the coupon. When I asked why not keeping the old order, they said coupon is its not available anymore and also no coupon applicable on a backorder. I was so pissed off because with the regular price I could have ordered from Amazon or elsewhere. If they don't accept coupon which is their's anyways, then why they took the order on first place. Such an unprofessional company. No wonder it's getting bankrupt.

My boyfriend and I had just walked in having just spent a lovely hour shopping in a different store (where no employees were masked or policing their customers). We then arrive at GC, in the middle of a great conversation, looking to buy an amp. My boyfriend was immediately accosted for not wearing his face shield correctly, and when he didn't immediately comply to their wishes, he was asked to leave, in a rude and forceful manner. I was shocked. I hope that this business trains their employees better, and that their customer service does not include humiliating grown men in front of other customers. What a shame! I expect better from a place I have spent thousands of dollars at. I will no longer shop here. What a costly mistake your employees have made.

Spoke to service (chat) after waiting 4 weeks for something I ordered to not show up. Their service stinks to put it nicely. It was a long wait, unproductive and I was told to call the store and figure it out. What company does that to an upset guest. Maybe the bankruptcy isn't due to Covid, look within at the way you handle major screw ups. Apparently now I am customer support and have to chase my own problem.

Bought a Taylor 214ce DLX acoustic guitar from Guitar Center, they shipped it to me, the bottom e string is buzzing, so they tell me they're going to charge to look at it and charge me to fix it! REALLY!!!! VERY DISAPPOINTED IN GUITAR CENTER, I'LL NEVER BUY ANYTHING, ANYTHING FROM YOUR COMPANY AGAIN, I'm sure you all know they're not cheap, this is WRONG what they're doing....

A few years ago I purchased a Yamaha CP4 Stage Keyboard from Guitar Center. Everything was great until a few months ago when some water got spilled on it and it started having a lot of internal malfunctions. To my relief, I remember that I had purchased Guitar Center's garbage Pro Coverage extended warranty when I bought the keyboard. And so the nightmare began. I called up my local Guitar Center and the sales associate told me to bring the keyboard in to the shop, and they would take care of it.

I made 2 separate purchases from Guitar Center. The first went so well, I decided to purchase the additional equipment that ended up being necessary a few days after receiving my first purchase. Biggest consumer mistake EVER. Apparently, Guitar Center doesn't like repeat business. I've been through SO much of a nightmare in the last 24 hours...WOW... I had put the same 1 day expedited shipping on the second order as I had the first one since it was definitely worth it and that was the only option that would fit my church's timeframe at this point. So I watched my email the following morning, expecting to see the same, "hey, we shipped your order" email as I got the first time. Instead, I got a duplicate email that said I had received my guitar. Well...DUH. I ignored it. No other correspondence. No phone calls. Nothing.

Worst customer service ever! I've worked for GC in the past, I've shopped at well over 20 different locations, never seen such inept mgmt. I called the store on 9/10 and was told both guitar models I was interested in were in stock. Came in the next day only to be told that they "both" must've sold out (In 24 hours). I had them order one of them for me and was told it would take 3-5 days.

With the help of online support, I purchased a bass guitar as a birthday gift with the intention on picking it up that day via curbside pickup. I was never contacted alerting me the bass was ready for pickup. On the following day, I received an email stating the bass was "shipped" and would be at the store in 5 days. I contacted the store and asked if the bass was available there, to which they replied, "yes". I asked if I could pick it up and they could replenish their stock with the one that was to arrive a week later (arriving AT THEIR STORE, not my home). I was told "no" and in fact, would have to purchase yet another bass AND once the shipped bass arrived, apply for a refund, and wait 3 to 5 days for the refund to process.

I purchased a Gibson Les Paul Standard ‘60s in-store on 9-19-20. The guitar was made in August 2019 and had obvious signs of wear. Not a huge deal as they said they would take 10% off the price. Then they talked themselves into giving only 5% off because there was “no structural damage”. The salesperson told me the out the door price with tax, and I agreed to that and purchased it. They then realized it didn’t have a case. These guitars ship with a deluxe case with many extras, including hardware and documentation. They gave me a generic, flimsy case and said this is what Gibson is using now. I said no they aren’t. Where’s the extra truss rod cover? The strap? The COA? The all purpose tool? They realized I wasn’t as dumb as they hoped I’d be.

I ordered a used guitar online from Guitar Center. I was a long time customer at both the local shops and online. The guitar arrived damaged because it was not packed well... a thin box and some bubble wrap. I obtained a return authorization and sent it back the very next day. The guitar went back to the main warehouse which took 3 days. It took 3 weeks and 4 phone calls to "customer service" to get a refund. First call to customer service and I was told it would take 3-5 days to process the return.