I dropped off my Fender Squier Stratocaster (part of an old beginner package, never set up, sat in an attic for decades but in great shape) at the Lake Forest Guitar Center for a professional setup. As a new player, I wanted to start on a guitar that wouldn't fight me. Max, Alex, and Rob were fantastic -- patient, welcoming, and never once made me feel intimidated as an older beginner. I can't wait to get the guitar back and start my journey off on the right foot. Thank you, guys! read more

I am relatively new to guitar and I was tuning the strings. I wanted E and my tuner was reading D#. I called the store and Max answered the phone. I asked him if I brought my guitar in, could someone help me. He walked me through on the phone and gave me the why and the how with his explanation. I fixed it when I hung up! Thank you Max, I appreciate your kindness and also for saving me a trip. I will now know how to fix it if and when it happens again. Thank you again, Jenn read more

I bought a set of DJ speakers last december (2025) from the store. One of them stopped working and it is still under the manufacturer's warranty. Guitar Center does not want to support a replacement or diagnostic (unless we bought their extended warranty). I have received better CEX buying from Amazon than what I experienced with Guitar Center as a first time customer. Disappointed and I guess lesson learned. read more

I usually don't leave reviews but Kyle was absolutely superb. I needed earplugs for an event I was filming and he instantly knew what model ear plugs to recommend. I tested them in my car and they were fantastic. I would trust Kyle with naming my first born child. If I was stuck in a burning building, I would call guitar center to ask Kyle for advice on how to exit the flaming building. If I didn't know what to eat I would call guitar center for his advice. If you have any questions, ask for Kyle. You are in safe hands with Kyle. read more

This is thee best guitar center out there. I went to the one at the outlets of orange, la Mesa in SD and others and each of those gave me the most trouble. This one is the biggest exception and that is in regards to everything from the workers, customer service and how im helped. Each store associate is in a league of their own and shares the same kindness that the others do. Notably, Alex, Rob, Kyle, Max and Adam. These are the kindest people you will meet. Big shout out to Alex as well for using vst guitar gear to mix his own album (i have a hard time remembering but it was incredible what he did). I believe his artist name is Vajna but I hope he corrects me as deezer doesnt have his album. Outstanding store. Has moved me quite literally to the point that this will be the only store I go to so long as these associates work there. I cannot say anything bad about them. read more

We have taken my son's guitar to Ralph (their guitar tech) a couple times, the man is a gem! Anyone who needs tech work done on their guitars bring it into Ralph. He knows his stuff and is always a delight to talk to and appreciate his knowledge. Go see Ralph!!! read more

Happy to have this guitar center local to me. Best repair guys! David is awesome and takes care of all my guitars! Lessons department is fantastic too. Jessica does great managing all the appointments. I take lessons with Alex and as someone who's played for over 25 years, Alex has really helped me grow and expand my tool belt. read more

Guitar Center - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Lake Forest, California

I'm a new guitar player and needed some help figuring out how to use the equipment around the store. I directly asked for help from different employees several times just to be pointed into a general direction with a "figure it out yourself" attitude. I was truly confused and did not feel like anyone wanted to help even when I said I was a beginner. Maybe they got the vibe I wasn't going to buy anything so they didn't want to help. I think if I asked any random customer they would've been more helpful than the employees. I decided I didn't want to support a business if I was treated like that so I left. read more

I called in to verify the deck I wanted. When I arrived, they "accidentally" brought out the more expensive deck. I asked if they gave military discount, & when I went to checkout. "Oh. I guess this company doesn't give any discounts." No way? When I asked for a side of speakers, I wanted to save money b/c I'm just starting in my room. They told me to get $300+ Speakers & forget about the cheapest ones they could offer read more

I went to the Guitar Center in Fountain Valley hoping to try out some mid - upper level Gretches and was shocked to learn that they were displayed 20 feet in the air and no-one on duty was available to bring one down to show it to me, let alone bring 7 of them down. The acoustic guitars were fully accessible to try out, as were the solid body electrics, but the hollow body Gretches I hoped to explore were out of reach. I was there maybe 45 minutes waiting to be helped, but the only guy available was from a different department and could not help me. I went home having wasted all my time. Very weird. Close to 100 guitars on the walls, and one salesman on duty. How can I recommend this? Why are the hollow body Gretches mounted so far out of the reach that I cannot even read the price tag? read more

Just wanted to say that GENE in the drum section at this location is GREAT! Very experienced and I would highly recommend anyone to him!!! Hes even good with kids! read more

I was a customer for more than 15 years. Purchased a vinyl and as it was a gift for Christmas I was not sure of, I requested a gift receipt at a moment of purchase, cashier confirmed I can return it and can use half of my receipt as a gift receipt. Two days later with the original receipt and unopened vinyl, manager refused to accept a return, claiming all vinyl sales are final. And after I left frustrated, mocked to my back: "Happy holidays" read more

Great experience today with Kevin!!! Eventhough The Guitar Center did not have what I was looking for, he was able to answer a lot of my questions related to acoustic versus electrical guitar. I had other questions related to guitars and he was just so knowledgeable and friendly. It't quite a huge location. I was able to go to the back of the store. Kevin asked me to take a seat after picking out the right size guitar and I was properly taught placement and correct positioning and holding of the guitar. Later we took a quick tour of the rooms where the musical lessons are taught and he shared with le pricing and packages. I can't believe that I didn't take pictures!!! read more

They are understaffed but their staff is knowledgeable and will get to you as quickly as possible. They know what they're talking about. Would definitely recommend. read more

I went there just to get some headphones and was impressed on how knowledgeable I think her name was Megan was. It was quick and helpful. For a hot day I just wanted to go in get what I needed and get out of that heat! Will definitely be back! read more

David the guitar tech is awesome! Personable intelligent and thorough. Only tech to touch my 'babies'

Favorite guitar center! Love the techs and they have been super helpful with trade ins.

Was just here and Kyle was such a big help! Helped me look for the bass I wanted and told me when the next batch would be available in the store! Helped my boyfriend with his new guitar and was super nice the whole way through! Very informative and definitely knew what he was talking about! Will be coming back to this location!! read more

I've been on hold for 45 minutes now. I just was there and the place was empty, I dont get it

Was not thrilled at initial Visit, and walked out. I shouldn't have begrudged a biz for being busy. I finally got linked up with guitar tech David, to get my Charvel "re-setup" after going to a diff shop, who not only did a horrible job, but dinged it bad. Well, wish I just had had more patience, because Dav did a fantastic job resetting it up, & it sounds amazing. I will def be bringing more guitars to Dave. Appreciate you Dave & thank you guitar center. read more

Ordered on line shipped to store and went well. Guitar looked as description was used but great condition.

I would begin by not ignoring customers at counter I would continue by making bathrooms available for the unusually waits Finally I would have store mgts pull their heads out of their a---- read more

Been waiting to check out for about 20 minutes.. no one apparently works here or they all take their breaks at the same time; which must be around 1:30pm. I miss the days when guitar center was a fun place to go, the customer service was great and they hired good sales team who knew how to handle customers and had product knowledge. Update: finally, got checked out after waiting 26 minutes. read more

Guitar Center - Just waiting here.. going on 24 minutes now... perhaps this is why the business isn't doing well. - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Lake Forest, California

First of all, I bought two guitars here even AFTER the guitar tech burped extremely loud and in my personal space. Gross, dude. Get a grip. You have to ask for help here and you'll be lucky if you'll actually get help. It seems the most important sale here is not guitars, equipment, and supplies but insurance. Protection plans are offered, and I accepted it thinking if I have an issue, I could walk right in and the team there would help. My new guitar had a nut issue. G string bend caused a clicking sound in the neck. I tried graphite to lubricate the nut, didn't help. Took it back to Guitar Center, the belcher took it, looked at it, gauged the string from the fretboard, plugged it into an amp and said, "you can't hear it when plugged into an amp." AND that the reason it's making that sound is because I was moving the string that way, and that any guitar would make that noise. I'm a new guitar player so I don't know my head from a hole in the ground and would think this slob would know what he's talking about but to be safe I checked 10-12 guitars in the showroom and none of the make the sound when bending where I was bending. So, I returned it. Great thing about Guitar Center is they have a solid return policy. That is the only reason this review doesn't have one star. read more

Ralph Higgs was awesome! My son needed help with his guitar and he not only fixed it but taught my son how to fix it next time. "Give a man a fish, he eats for a day, teach a man to fish, he eats for a lifetime". Thanks Ralph! read more

I was having a rough day and Eric at el toro guitar center was amazing. He was very kind and helped me find exactly what I needed.

I stopped by Guitar Center in Lake Forest on the way to work to buy some new bass guitar strings for the electric bass I bought during COVID. It was nice to find the strings I wanted in stock on the floor and not behind a locked glass case. I also looked at instrument cables as they were on a rack next to the strings, but they didn't have what I wanted. Parking was atrocious as it was lunchtime during the Xmas season being located near a market, a taco drive thru and 99 cent store. read more

Despite what the business manager said in their reply to my last review, it really doesn't feel like this branch of Guitar Center appreciates my business, and therefore they shall not get it. Every time i visit this store, I see 3, maybe 4 associates working. Nobody manning drums or pro audio counter. Last time I was there, i went to buy a tambourine. The tambourine i wanted was locked onto the shelf (again, no associate in percussion or on the floor to unlock it). So i go wait in line. After they finish the 2 or 3 customers in front of me, i tell them what i wanted. They proceed to take the customer in back of me before going to unlock my tambourine, because they were all set to check out. This time, i went to get a few patch cables (again, no associates on the floor). I go to get rung up. There are 4 associates behind the counter. Two are helping customers, one is on the phone, talking with a customer, and working with the other who is on the computer. So i wait. One of the associates who was with a customer finishes, then walks away. Then the other does the same. So i am waiting at the counter with two associates helping one customer over the phone. About five minutes later, they finally finish, and begin to help me out. Clearly this store doesn't appreciate my business or want to help it's customers. While I work just down the street, and do come in on a fairly regular basis, i will no longer go to this store. I have had good experiences at the fountain valley store, so that is where I will shop from now on. read more

Not a great experience at this guitar center. Stopped by to pick up a pair of drumsticks and ended up waiting 15 minutes just to be helped out. Mind that there was no line. The two gentlemen that were at the check out center just completely ignored me and stepped away to help customers that had questions on specific items that required a much more extensive amount of time. I had to go ask someone who was working in the back to please just ring me up for one pair of drumsticks. This is the closest guitar center to my house which offers convenience, but to wait 15 minutes for help when there's no line is crazy in my opinion. Not sure if they didn't take me seriously because I'm a girl trying to buy drum sticks and the other people the left to help are dudes. read more

Guitar Center - Lobby - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Lake Forest, California

The entire staff made our experience awesome and educational! I recently brought my daughter into the El Toro store to trade an electric guitar and amp for an acoustic guitar. We were immediately greeted by Cam who provided exceptional customer service. He not only explained the exchange process but walked us through a variety of options and products. Their new-hire (Chris?) was extremely professional and helpful as well. Next, we were assisted by Ralph... a true legend! His attention to detail, personable customer service and willingness to go the extra mile is second to none! Thanks everyone for creating such a great vibe and experience! read more

Good safety protocols. According to the other yelp reviews , at times the line to get in could be over an hour. My husband went today when they opened at 12 and there was no wait. There's a person at the door managing the line and wiping the door handle and such. Masks are required to enter and they only allow a certain # of people inside. People were keeping to themselves and spread out inside. There were two people waiting in line when he left. Knocked a star for service - their hours are cut so they're so busy that they can't answer the phone at times. It would be good if they can expand their hours. read more

Guitar Center - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Lake Forest, California

The sales person told me I was buying a solid Mahagoni guitar. It turned out it was not. The guitar was returned due to a defect. The defect and the material was discovered within the first two weeks. Not sure if I buy my next guitar at the Guitar Center. What to improve? Better training of sales personnel to meet the customer's needs. read more

I just bought my first acoustic guitar here and am super excited to start learning! After going to a few other shops, Guitar Center had one of the widest selections at retail prices (though they also sell some used guitars at a discount and have clearance items, so be sure to check them out too). After going into the room with all of the acoustic guitars and trying them out, I chatted with Sophia because...well, I didn't know what I was doing. Sophia was really helpful in guiding me through the basic characteristics to compare when looking at guitars. No pressure or anything, just happy to chat. I came back a few days later and picked one up - boxed and everything - along with a gig bag. The two people I interacted with while I was here were both really friendly and helpful, once I engaged them. This is a hit or miss with people (for me, a hit), but they didn't engage with me until I went to them. They also have sections for electric guitars, bases, drums, accessories...and a few more. Definitely well stocked with a wide variety. read more

I went in with my son last week and picked out a new guitar for him. The gentleman who helped me that evening was great. Spend a lot of time with us and help us make a decision. I went to pick it up today and the guy that was there was less than helpful I really shouldn't be dealing with customers. They should stick them in the back somewhere. I just purchased $1000 guitar and was looking for Recommendations for a case, and a tuner and whatever else, my son might need with his new guitar. What a difference a few days make and who's working read more

I am bummed there is no way to give a score of less than 1. Tried again to give you my business because I needed an adapter to set up a mix-minus. Forgetting about the fact that nobody even knew what a mix-minus was, I'll point to Lloyd... Llyod couldn't be bothered to help me when I needed to know where the adapters were when I politely asked. Not only that, he responded with rude contempt that I would even ask him a question and just kept walking. Amazing! THE rudest person I've ever experienced in retail. This is way more than 2 tries, and why I never shop at Guitar Center. It's like Walmart employees with terrible attitudes. Get Lloyd a job at Burger King. read more

Guitar Center is the worst place to buy any instrument! I bought a ukulele, I only used it for 5 months and it opened at the back. I spoke to the manager who was very rude and poor-mannered. He couldn't solve my problem and left me alone talking and he left. The manager was very unprofessionalism!!! I NEVER CAME BACK AGAIN! read more

Guitar Center - Ukelele Broke! - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Lake Forest, California

Extremely disappointed in this location. Called 2 hours prior about a used amp they had, they told me they had it and told them I would Be on my way over to get it. I arrive and then they can't find it, I drove 2 hours to this location in traffic because this was the closest location that had what I was looking for. They find it and say the tubes in the amp are broken but thanks for coming by. Huge waste of time and gas. read more

I recently acquired a guitar for my bf and he immediately broke a string so we headed to Guitar Center for new strings. They can string it for you for $20+ the cost of strings or you can do it yourself. My bf decided he was going to do it himself so he bought a pack of strings that was recommended by the sales associate. It was about $8. The store was clean and followed COVID protocols. There is plenty of parking in the parking lot so definitely stop by if you're in need of anything guitar related. They are located in the same shopping center as the 99 Cents Store and the Harbor Freight. Customer service was friendly and chatty. read more

As much as I want to support a local business, I have given up on this location. The few employees they have are not trained very well and as such you need to send out a search party to find someone to help you. Unless you need something same day, save yourself some time and aggravation and order it from one of the big box on-line stores. Or drive up to Fountain Valley, my "new" store if I need something fast. read more

This review is for Kevin and I believe Kyle. Top Notch! I am having some compatibility issues with a new product and the latest iPhone 16 and Kevin was super cool and helpful. Great Job! read more