Went in to buy a new guitar. This is my first guitar and I had no idea what I was exactly looking for. I was greeted by a couple of employees when I walked in. I went back to the room that had the acoustic guitars in. I looked around and kinda fiddled with a couple of them. Again, not knowing anything about guitars or what I was looking for. I came out of the room and an employee asked me if I needed help with anything. I explained to him that I wanted to possibly buy a guitar and that I didn't know anything about them and I've never played a guitar. I told him that I was interested in a couple of them based on looks and what I've been told. He hooked me up with his guitar salesman (Fernando). I explained to him my situation. We went into the acoustic guitar studio/room and I pointed out the guitars that I kinda liked. He took them down and played each one of them to see how they compared. While he was playing, he was explaining different things to me. He took his time with me and was very patient and understanding. He knows everyone is a beginner at some point and time. After about 2 1/2 - 3 hours of testing out various brands of acoustic guitars I was able to make a decision on the guitar that was best suited for me. Then he helped me pick out a guitar case, strap, tuner, stand, etc... I never felt rushed, dumb or an inconvenience to Fernando, he spent as much time as I needed from him. I also met the store manager (Daniel) who was very nice as well. I'll be going back to take guitar lessons from one of their instructors in the near future. All in all, I had a great experience dealing with everyone and buying my first guitar from Guitar Center. I highly recommend them for any and all of your musical needs. Great employees and customer service! read more

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A simple purchase turned into a hostile and uncomfortable experience, all in front of my 3-year-old. I came into the store looking for a $400-$500 drum kit for my son. The salesperson I spoke with immediately told me nothing existed in that price range and that I had to look at an option closer to $1,000. The way he said it didn't sit right with me, so I stepped away for a moment and checked the Guitar Center website myself. In minutes, I found the exact type of drum kit I had originally asked him about. I walked back and showed him the listing. At that point, he changed his story and admitted it existed, though he claimed the store didn't have it in stock. What happened next was even worse: he started insisting he had to place the order for me because he needed the commission. I told him I wasn't comfortable doing that, especially after realizing he misled me. He kept pushing for the commission, and when I finally said no, he became openly hostile and told me to leave the store. This all happened with my 3-year-old next to me. I left feeling shocked and uncomfortable. This isn't how any business should treat customers, let alone families with small children. read more

Spoke with Jim at the South Austin store this afternoon about an issue with a guitar I purchased a year ago. Very friendly and helpful, absolutely addressed my issue immediately. read more

This experience was great. Jim, Patrick & Austin were friendly, knowledgeable & fast. We learned more about headphones than any of our Google searches. read more

I have been a musician and collector of vintage instruments and gear for a long time. Some days I spend a little, and other days I spend quite a lot, but I have always valued Guitar Center (GC) as a resource for finding and trying out items. While I haven't always been impressed with customer service at every Guitar Center, my experience at the South Austin location was different. Daniel is truly, an excellent manager of this store and has assembled an amazing team. Everyone there is helpful, knowledgeable, and not overly pushy; they genuinely want to guide you through your experience and purchase. I had one incident where I ordered an item from another store to be shipped to this location, and there was a small issue with the pieces. Daniel did everything he could to resolve the situation quickly and professionally even though it was not his mistake and didn't have to fix it.. but he was eager to help and this greatly reflects on GC as a whole. If I were the CEO of Guitar Center, I would highly recommend the possibility to promote Daniel to a position where he could manage and train associates in all the stores. Even at a regional level, if that is a thing your company does. I would give this location a 5/5 and highly recommend it. I also want to add that Tommy in the drum section was very professional and knowledgeable as well. read more

Guitar Center - 1968 Gibson J-45 - Guitar Stores Near Me - Austin, Texas

Patrick in the audio center is a great help! Very wise and always making sure you don't buy more than what you need. Im confident if I need any more help, hes the guy to go to! read more

Patrick in keyboards was Awesome! Really knowledgeable, friendly, and such a pleasure to work with.

Usually pretty good but sometimes not so good. Certain employees act like they're doing you a favor ringing you out. But others are friendly and helpful. I guess it just depends on the luck of the draw. read more

I have no musical talent whatsoever however I've been wanting to pick up a new hobby. After much deliberation, I trotted down to my local Guitar Center to grab my first guitar! The store as one might expect, has musical instruments and paraphernalia from floor to ceiling, guitars being strummed allowing music to float in the air, in a very clean and welcoming environment. I consulted an employee named Connor and gave him the lowdown; I know nothing, I suck, don't ruin my wallet, tell me what I need to start my "rocking" journey. Connor walked me to a humidor as apparently cigars and guitars love humidity! Joking aside he was amazing and didn't try to upsell me on some expensive guitar. Moreover, he walked the tightrope of informing me of different guitars while not going overboard on every detail. His knowledge was vast and getting to hear him shred a little was some nice entertainment. Moreover, he also gave great suggestions on extras, strings, tuner, and a stand. Finally he told me what to hunt for on Youtube and offered lessons after I got a little experience under me. I'm very grateful for a low key, no pressure buying experience from guitar center. They were professional, informative, while be experts on musical instruments. If you are looking for your first or 20thguitar, guitar center is the place for you. Thx GC! read more

Guitar Center - My first guitar - Guitar Stores Near Me - Austin, Texas

I really like GC used guitar nation wide buying catalog. For the most part I've had about 3 employees out of ? bunch in the last year that were or wanted to be helpful . I've bought 3 guitars from them in this last year and so far so good. i haven't returned anything but I like their policy of the 45 day thing. Otherwise this is just another "big box store". Im glad they are here but I really enjoy the small shop. I just bought a "like new 2024 Strandberg Salen classic and it didn't come with a bag? Strandbergs website says every guitar they make comes with a gig bag. I realize that it's probably just a cheapo but still I was expecting one. honestly I'm just an old retired guy doing this for fun with absolutely no intention to ever gig. Actually a hard case makes more sense anyway. Bottom line for me GC is where you go only if you know what you want about the same as Amazon. oh wha wha wha ...lol it is what it is... read more

Great guitar tech, knowledgeable people working and offering help. Friendly and professional service.

Horrible customer service in pro audio.I was trying out keyboards today and decided to make a loop on one of the akai keyboards in the showroom. To which the employee rudely told me to shut it down when there's 10+ other customers experimenting with equipment. If guitar center doesn't want you to demo gear before buying anymore they might well go out of business. read more

TL;DR: don't go to Guitar Center South Austin unless you want to be physically threatened and treated like a piece of trash by the manager named Liam. Liam, shame on you for your behavior towards me yesterday. So the other day (this occurred on 06/05/2023): Liam, the onsite manager, physically threatened me because I asked to come inside the store during regular store hours (I arrived around 4 PM CT). He is 6"4' with a big build and very imposing. He never smiles. He doesn't say "Hi". He doesn't say, "How can I help?" Let me start at the beginning - I received the email confirming my online order of a Fender American Vintage II 1957 Stratocaster was ready for in-store pickup. I arrived at Guitar Center around 4 PM CT. I see a tall employee, Liam, taping a hand-written sign to the door. I'm a long-time customer, so I know Liam and he knows me. He is always short and rude to me, but I've never let it bother before this time. I motioned to him through the door, and he cracked the door open and I told him the sign was upside-down. He closed and locked the door, and righted the sign without saying anything to me or making eye contact. The sign states, "Short staffing 3 customers inside at a time only". I waited about 10 minutes, while customers came up and scoffed at the sign. 2 customers who had arrived while I was waiting left. 1 other customer waited behind me. I called the store for an update on when I could come in. Liam answered. I explained that I was waiting outside to pick up an online order and was wondering when I could come inside to get it. Liam was short in his reply, "You have the email confirmation?" "Yes", I said. "I'll wheel it out to you outside", Liam said. He then hung up on me. While waiting, I watched 2 groups of customers try to leave. They looked shocked to find the door locked and no one around to unlock the door. Liam eventually would show up and let the customers out. Not once did he make eye contact or speak with me or the other customer outside providing any updates about when we could come inside. I then see Liam wheeling out my brand new, nitrocellulose guitar straight out the front door via dolly. I asked if I could open the box inside like I'm used to doing with online orders to verify that the case was the expected tweed case. With nitro-finished guitars, you are supposed to wait 24 hours for the guitar wood to acclimate to the new climate, so I wasn't even trying to open and play the guitar in the store. Liam walked towards me getting very close to me. He looked me in the eye with a very angry expression, and said, "NO, YOU ARE NOT COMING INSIDE." I told him that I would be coming inside to open the shipping box because I had just spent over $2k with Guitar Center and thought that at the very least I could remove my new case and guitar from the shipping boxes. Most importantly, I needed to verify the case looked correct for the order I placed. Fernando, Zach, Brian, and other employees at GC (South Austin) always helped me unbox my guitar, checked on if I was happy with it, etc. during previous store pick-ups for online orders. I thought I would receive the same customer service yesterday. Back to Liam - after I told him I wanted to enter the store, he moved even closer to me. This came across to me as an escalation of the threat of violence from Liam. I called 311 on the way home. The dispatcher, Brendan, told me I should have called 911 at the point Liam was threatening me. I wish I had done that. He also transferred me to the Austin Fire Marshall, since he was pretty certain that locking the door during normal business hours without someone available to open the door when needed was against AFD regulations. Finally, through a small crack in the door, a 2nd employee provided some information about what was actually going on. They closed and locked the store because there was a theft. I don't understand why one of the employees didn't provide this info to me and the other customer standing outside. This context is important and helpful. If I had been told, "We are closed for the next several hours while we manage and deal with a theft", I would have understood and come back a different day. Instead, I was met with threats of violence, rudeness, and anger from Liam and the other employee on-site. I will not return to Guitar Center - South Austin while Liam is a "manager" there. I will also spread the word to everyone I know in Austin to avoid Guitar Center - South Austin and to shop at places that value their customers, such as Strait Guitars. Brian Evans, I have always had good experiences with you in the store and you are always friendly and helpful. Please read my message here. Liam's presence in your store is causing people to stop shopping there. Just look at Kaden J.'s review of this store from 3/19/2023. I can't prove that he's describing Liam, but I'm pretty certain the employee that said "No" to helping the other employee is Liam. Liam is toxic. read more

The Guitar Center in South Austin tried to rip me off. Ordered a new Markbass combo amp online. Went to pick it up at the store. The sales guy tried to slough off a used floor model not in a box to me without blinking an eye. When I called him out on it he made up a BS story "Sorry sir, you were supposed to get an email asking if you wanted the floor model" !!! What a joke. Needless to say I will never step foot in a Guitar Center again in my life. read more

My wife is a professional musician... she toured with Christopher Cross, Michael McDonald, and Kenny Loggins... Gigi was treated so badly by the pro audio guy when we upgraded a Bose L1 8 to a L1 16 and tried to pick it up at Guitar Center, we will never buy anything from Guitar Center again. We are getting ready to purchase a $10,000 Martin D45 modern deluxe and will purchase from Sweetwater and our personal salesperson Christian. Bye bye Guitar Center. read more

Bro, we came in this location to buy the Hercules stand $60 and the two guys working (Fernando said they were understaffed, which I get...) However, he asked another worker who was behind the center desk to grab a stand for us and that guy legit just said 'no'... I thought he was joking... but we stood there for awhile and then realized no one was going to help. It was so weird. I asked the main guy, Fernando again and he said he'd get to it when he could... but he was working on a sale and service.. (that customers wasn't present in the store). The drummer lesson teacher even wanted to help but told us he wasn't allowed to touch anything. We said we would just purchase online as we were walking out and Fernando was like, 'alright'. Bro didn't even look up. Wild. Goes to show you buy local. We just wanted to get a high end stand for the $2,000 guitar just purchased (not purchased here, bc their acoustics suck). Damn. read more

Came in looking for a new DJ Controller, guy felt forced to help me since he was the only one around. He also didn't know anything about Dj Controllers he said so unless I knew which one I'm looking for he wasn't going to be able to help.. so I ask for the one I'm looking for and of course they didn't have it in stock. I ask for another one he grabs one from the back doesn't even check it and brings it to the front tells another guy to ring me up. The other guy continues on ringing me up, tells me the total and I ask to check the box, the box is clearly been opened and used. Terrible experience. The one I ended up buying was faulty so I brought it back to order a new one since they didn't have any in stock. The post office lost my package I spent about 3 months trying to locate and get a refund on it . Was not worth the wait and no one cared. read more

These guys are seriously awesome. Wish I would have got the name of the guy in the red GC polo that helped me today. He's the best. He set me up with a DSL1 (my dream amp with apartment wattage), a gator case, and a slew of accessories for my new travel guitar. Will be coming back here! read more

You say what you want about a chain store vs local, but every time I've been in here it's been great. I bought an excellent Strat (with a humbucker) here same price as a Telecaster during the President's Day sale, and just now had the first setup. The technician, Liam, was so good. He even made the jack work better so my cord doesn't get pulled out so easily. It plays wonderfully now, too. Never much of a wait, always equal or cheaper cost, quality people. Thanks! read more

I needed a hard-shell guitar case for a flight the next day. I walk in and head to a guy sitting at a desk, not doing much. I ask him about what I'm looking for. He says to stand aside and wait a few minutes for the guitar salesman. The salesguy is walking past at this moment and I ask if he can help me. He says to hang on and he'll be with me. After about 10 minutes, he comes up to me and says that they don't have any hard-shell guitar cases. I wait.. he stares at me.. and then I ask if he can check with his other stores to see if they have any in stock (this should be an automatic customer service thing, but hey maybe he's too busy). This is what earned their 2 stars from me: the sales guy says no, he won't call them, but I can. Yeah.. if he would have been just a little more helpful and put in some effort, I would have rated them much better. But, apparently customer service and satisfaction is not a high priority for this Sunset Valley store. I called Straight Music and they set one aside for me. My Yelp review is now going to continue for Straight Music.. expect to read about superior customer service, attention and, yes, more stars. read more

Liam at Guitar Center saved the day! My wife is learning how to play mandolin and a screw fell out of one of the tuning pegs. I came in and Liam found a screw for me that fit perfectly and saved me the expense of ordering a new set of mandolin pegs. Quick easy service and friendly people. read more

Micheal is the best! He helped me out so much. Truly a blessing and so refreshing to see Guitar Center hire employees that bring back there true qualities of a GREAT music store. Go see Micheal for any of your music needs! read more

I am so disappointed! This is a company where you are spending hundreds to thousands of dollars and their process is completely ridiculous! I had gone straight to the source to get a Korg Synthesizer for my boyfriend before Christmas. I decided to buy from guitar center instead of amazon to support a store and in hopes of getting it faster. I called the store and they didnt have in stock and told me to order online and they'd ship it to them in 2-3 business days. I went online ordered the item, added express shipping and the amount was removed from my account. Cut to 2 days later I went to check the status and I had an email saying they CANCELED MY ORDER. Weird becuase my money was still out of my account. I called and to my surprise I was told in fact it wasnt in stock and they said it wouldnt be in until Jan 15th. Imagine my surprise because if I hadnt checked my email, Id never know. Obviously I was livid. Long story short after being on the phone with a rep and explaining how it is bad business to say your items are in stock, let you order it, take your money and then send you an email canceling but not returning your money was unacceptable. I ordered a more expensive version and they only waived the 2 day express shipping. I asked why my money was still gone and she tried to tell me its not its a hold (how is that not the same thing? I cant access it, so its not back to me) She said Id get my money back for the other item 5-7 business days. Can you believe that? And at Christmas! I had to buy another item so now I have over 1200 taken from my account by guitar center. Anyway, figured Id get the money back any day, thought was in the clear and I go to check my email where they said they STILL HAD NOT SHIPPED because I needed to call now and verify the order. Are you kidding me? So if I hadnt checked my email they would have not shipped AGAIN! This is just asinine. Cut to a week later I still dont have my money back from the item ordered 5 days ago and I still dont have the new item. My advice to you is DO NOT ORDER FROM GUITAR CENTER ONLINE. There is no guarantee they have the item even though they say they do, they will cancel your order and keep your money for a week. Hey guitar center, would be real cool if you'd give my money back for the item you canceled! read more

I only go there for strings! The staff is clueless and inattentive. Bathing has become optional a GC. These idiots clearly havent washed their hair in months. So professional. Sitting with their coworkers discussing what scales they are studying and looking at their cell phones is about as much "customer service" as you will get at GC South. I stood at the pedal counter for 15 minutes just to see if anyone would address me. Nope! I hope area management reads this. Im going to Strait from here on out, Not that they are much better. At least theres a body at the pedal counter... idiots read more

Best Guitar Center in Austin!!! The manager, Daniel, really goes above and beyond to run this store. Everyone is friendly, welcoming, and happy to assist you. They made sure I got exactly what I wanted and was happy with my purchases. Thanks yall!! read more

Had a great experience today purchasing new Pioneer gear and new monitors through Pat. He got me setup with an approval for interest free financing and I should have the gear in the next few days. Everything was really easy and I can't wait to record my new sets! read more

I just won't be doing business here anymore. I didn't like how things turned out and there are a lot of things I know their competitors do that's done a lot better than this chain. read more

This is Guitar Center has the best staff of any I've ever been to, and I've been to many in many states. Shout out Connor in electronics, Ben in repairs, and the manager - I believe his name was Brian. read more

I'm a novice at best with my harmonicas. My purchases haven't been the big but I've experienced nothing but exceptional service. This place has a different feel about it that is easy and comfortable. I for one wouldn't want someone breathing down my neck for a sale. All in all I can say I will be back. read more

Guitar Center - If you don't have music in your life, you're DEAD! - Guitar Stores Near Me - Austin, Texas

I like this place, though it's emphasis is on modern in my opinion. The prices are decent and the employees I have dealt with were quite friendly. I have found some real great items, but I knew exactly where to head for the real finds. You run into novices, experts and posers. To deal with this on a daily basis must be really tough. Go slow, look carefully and if possible have an acquaintance with extensive experience with you for 3rd party advice. read more

Guitar Center - Guitar Stores Near Me - Austin, Texas

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We were in McAllen visiting family. My husband bought our daughters their first guitars at the Guitar Center there. We had them shipped to Austin (home) & went to pick them up at the Mopac location a week ago. In McAllen the customer service was excellent...the guy there talked to my 8 year old who was going to play & got information to help her. When we went to pick up the guitars on Mopac we got minimal assistance. We felt ignored after they gave us our guitars that we had shipped there. We are new to guitars & didn't know what to get or what kind...we asked & they'd basically just pointed with their chin in the direction of the item but told. We asked questions & got curt, short answers. The people we dealt with were nice enough. You're suppose to help customers...why do you make customers feel like they're not important if we're not buying something big. That's wrong because we spent good money through Guitar Center & were treated more as a "nuisance" then customers. I considered going through here to get private lessons for my girls, but there's no way I would. read more

Great spot to pick up music gear. Went with my son to pick up some guitar picks. They were very friendly and helpful. They had a ton of guitars and just about any other musical instrument a band might want. The only down side was they were murdered by the Saturday flow. They only had one person at the cash register and the poor guy was being drowned by customers. I guess that is a good thing unless folks get more hassled by waiting than on-line ordering. I'll definitely go again because the personal touch in advising what to do and what to get is definitely worth it. read more

Ah...the Mullet Center. The Seven String Low-Tuned 14 Year Old Playing Korn Center. The Hold Your Breath, Get What You Need and Get Out Center. also... The Sometimes The Only Place Having What You Need When You Need It Center. The 30 Days No Questions Asked Return Center It's both/and with that place. So unpleasant. The "noyze". The corporate vibe. It's come through in a pinch, though. The band flew to Florida for show. My luggage with a large chunk of my gear got lost. I was able to replace it quickly and cheaply in time to make soundcheck. I knew which department to find everything in, and was out in a flash. The guys who work at GC are almost always pretty nice. Just avoid the ones with the bloodshot eyes and they are bound to be pretty helpful. I hope Corporate HQ does not send Storm Troopers with Billy Ray Cyrus hair to sweep pick me into a gutter somewhere. read more

Guitar Center - Guitar Stores Near Me - Austin, Texas

Don't hate me, Guitar Center, but I use you any time Strait Music doesn't have what I'm looking for. Fortunately, that's not a rare occurrence, so I think we all win in this scenario. Every time I've visited or called this location they've been very helpful and knowledgable. My last interaction was with Mike the manager, and the dude was a huge help. He went out of his way to help me redeem gift cards over the phone, which on the surface, seems like an easy task, but have you seen the Guitar Center computer systems? You can purchase a brand new iMac there, but if you want a receipt, you'll have to wait for the Compaq Presario to connect to dialup. Technology aside, these guys are great, and I'll continue to do business with them. read more

i love the people here it's just clearly not well managed on the corporate end. I'm a new yorker splitting time in ATX so GC is easiest to keep everything at one chain but this store really tests my patience sometimes read more

I Purchased a used Presonus Studio Channel over the phone / online through an employees (Pat) emailed quote. He said he was looking at the item, which made me believe that it would be put in the back once I purchased it. After the phone, call I immediately purchased the item. the transaction was pending, I even received a confirmation email. An hour later I received an email that GC canceled my order. I called Pat and he said the item was "sold" and this has been happening often - ok. But how was it sold to someone else if I called for it, Pat was looking at it, and then I purchased it a few minutes later? Suspicious activity for sure. read more

Coming from a local musician who attends this store on a regular basis for various reasons, I can honestly claim that this location is indeed my music store of preference, shout out to Jake and the staff in this Guitar Center, just today I picked up a pack of flat wound bass strings and I was also thinking of purchasing a pack of bass picks, which they didn't have at this time but they were friendly enough to give me 2 of their personal Ernie Ball Prodigy picks, just a reflection of the perspective the staff here has for us their customers. read more

Guitar Center has become somewhat sad. There are good guys working there but not very attentive. Often they are chit-chatting amongst themselves when I'd actually like to check out gear and give them my money. I've walked out a couple times when I was ready to buy because they seem uninterested in selling or making any deals. I appreciate the laid back style as opposed to being hounded but they have really gone the opposite direction, they don't seem to care at all. On top of that, I can buy mint condition gear cheaper at Reverb.com and they are totally unwilling to reduce pricing even a little. I'm not even asking them to match reverb.com. I'm guessing it's just hard times for businesses with this COVID crap putting a strain on everything. That said, I probably won't be back to Guitar Center. I've been a customer for over 20 years and it's just not worth the gas money, or time for people uninterested in selling or making a deal. I worked at Guitar Center in Orlando for 2 years and I know for a fact how marked up all the prices are. I get it, but showing any interest in sells or a willingness to get close to matching any competitors price would really help this store out. I know what deals can be made having worked for GC. As I said, There's good guys that work here, just the energy and willingness to make a deal is really sad. I'll just stick to reverb.com. read more

Rarely giving one star rating. My third or fourth time here, every time there is a checking out wait line. The guy just keeps hitting the keyboard but the line just doesn't move. I have so plenty of time to kill in the line so here it is.. read more

The staff is super friendly and helpful. They managed to greet everyone that walked in even when they were swamped.