F#*$ this place dude. I'm never giving GC (especially Pasadena) my business again... I'll try and make this short dudes. - I buy $300 drum pedal + $40 super duper GC warranty that supposedly covers EVERYTHING! - Pedal breaks, I take to GC Pasadena, they say call warranty center - Warranty center says call Tama (maker of product) - Tama says warranty center must call Tama directly, call warranty center back - Warranty center says they can't do external calls, call Tama back - Tama says give warranty center this info (xyz) - I call warranty center and give them the info and they say "we'll call you back soon with instructions on what to do with your pedal" - three weeks later, I call warranty center, they say they forgot to call me and that this particular product must be taken care of by the store, not the warranty service (AGGGGHHH)!! - I take pedal to store to be sent out to Tama for repairs (takes an hour to figure out) - three months later, I hear nothing about the pedal - six months later, nothing - I call the department manger, he says, THEY FORGOT TO SEND IT OUT! - he says come into store, we'll give you a brand new pedal - I come in at the time we agreed upon, he's not there - store manager has to help, he's pissed at me and treats me like a thief - he gives me a pedal, I take it home... It was a display unit... not a new pedal (and it is slightly defective) I Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate Hate this guitar center with all my might... Go here if you want to be fistf*$^ed by a bunch of unsympathetic wannabe rocker $hit heads. If I could give it 0 stars, I would. Lame. read more

Another satisfying purchase thanks to my friend Chris. I came in to show Chris and some of the employees (that help me and play my guitars that I build when I bring them in) a used Ovation guitar and a new case that they sold me after I did some tweaks and adjustments of the action. I bought some Schaller straplocks for said guitar. If you need your guitar worked on, talk to Ricardo, he does great work. Scott the manager is also good to work with on deals. Thanks guys. read more

So I call Guitar Center to see if they have a particular item in stock. I spoke to a manager and he told me they had 2 of the item I want. He then told me that he could reserve it for me and put it in the guitar choral. I gave him my phone number & I told him I would be down in an hour or so to pick it up. Hour or so later I get there and he did not pull it out like he said he would. So now I am waiting for 5-10 mins while he goes back to the drum department to look for the item. After waiting I go back and they still can't find the item. They say they can ship it to the store however I decline that option. I then decide to leave. It's not his fault that the computer said they had 2 and that he had a problem finding it, however if he had just looked for it right away and not been able to find it, he could have called me and saved me the trip down, wasting my time and gas money. If this was a weekend when the store was packed I would be more understanding, however this was early afternoon on Wed, not a time when Guitar Center is very busy. This is why I am giving them a low review. read more

Was sold a mixer that didn't even last for 6 shows from the on line store. When I called in I was told I could exchange it no problem. Once I got to the store they told me that they we're unable to exchange the mixer and that there was nothing they could do for me b/c I didn't buy the insurance for the product. Not only that but they also accused me of lying about the mixer failing saying that because they couldn't verify that I didn't blow out the mixer on my own. I do stand up comedy talking on a mixer shouldn't be too much for it. Not satisfied with that answer I went to the Sherman Oaks location b/c it's close to the gig. Explained the same situation to Z. Took him maybe 5 minutes to look up my order, talk to a manager, and exchange my entire order for a brand new model. Which lets me know that the people in the Pasadena store could have helped me out they just didn't want to. I live in Pasadena and I will drive the 30 minutes to Sherman Oaks from now on. Assuming I can't find what I'm looking for at another company entirely. read more

I wish I could give less than one star. Worst experience ever. Bought a beginner guitar for $100. Experienced friend tells me that there is a manufacture defect. Took it back after 30 days. EVERYONE in the entire store kept grilling me about the extended warranty and how I should have gotten it. The staff ALL tell me that now I have to pay "an arm and leg." They tried to charge me $60 service charge for repairs(I paid $100 for a brand new starter guitar). I looked up warranty and found that there is a factory warranty for 1 year. Took it back and I educated them about it, basically forcing them to honor my warranty. The General Manager DAVID TOULOUMIAN "helped" me. Well, he was pretty much the only one in the entire store that knew what to do, but, he turned out to be a total douche. He was very impatient with me, and treated me with disrespect. He kept asking me questions about the whole warranty process, impatiently, and didn't seem too happy about it at all. I am NEVER going here again for anything and I'd advise you to do the same. read more

I have to change my opinion. I had a great experience with getting my guitar amp tubes. Alex helped me and cut through the confusion of what I needed and helped me by phone and good service. Now my amp can crack mountains with my wild rock n roll. The help and care the employees have at guitar center Pasadena has definitely kicked up a notch. Most places don't even try to help, but they really went out of their way to make sure I got what I needed and was pleased. Thanks Guys!! read more

My Experience Has Been Good Every Time I've Shopped Here. I Prefer Other GC When I Can Go To Them. Staff Is Very Friendly & Helpful I Also Like The Layout Of The Store Where You Can Get Your Own Accessories! read more

All I can say is that you need to be an educated buyer when stepping foot into this store or else the only reason why you should be there is to browse. The two times I have only felt good about my purchases here at GC was when I did ample research as to what I wanted based on reviews and found the most competitive price online that GC would honor. It was only then did I feel I got a good deal. If you go without knowing the exact brand you want, the competitive street price out there, don't expect the staff to come to your aid. If you do, you will be sadly (mis)-taken. read more

I haven't been to this Guitar Center in a long time as the customer service aspect was severely lacking. Recently I got into audio engineering and I saw that the gear I was looking into matched the prices at Guitar Center. So to save some cash on shipping I took the plunge and against my instincts, went to guitar center. The employees that helped me out were Sean and Matt, both really knowledgeable guys, they gave me a brief run down of all the equipment that I was getting and managed to sell me a few other things while (just barely) staying under my budget. I've had questions about some of the gear and since Sean provided me with his e-mail I've been able to e-mail him some questions. This is a prime example of excellent customer service. I think sometimes staff that deal with sales have this belief that once the sale is made that's it. Thanks to Sean and Matt I'll be continuing to make my audio engineer related purchases through this Guitar Center. I give the store 4 stars because of Sean and Matt, the other departments still are lacking in good customer service. I was looking into getting a Fender Strat and I admit, I'm not a guitar expert. I'm not sure of the name of the salesperson who helped me, but the information he gave me was so damn overwhelming that I didn't know what the hell he was talking about. I mean I know a bit, but the dude was just talking and talking, I didn't really get a chance to get my say in. I get that the guy knows a lot about guitars but I can understand how that extensive display of knowledge can be intimidating for certain customers, especially ones who are just starting out. I ended up not making that purchase. Stop hiring ass-holes for your guitar department Guitar Center. read more

Do yourself a favor, never try to sell or trade your gear to this Guitar Center. Their offers are insulting. Do not waste your time bringing in your items, go to a different location or sell on eBay/craigslist. read more

Okay lets get this straight, these guys get commision and would sell you there soul if they could. It seems as if management has them on a bonus system for total sales. If you want everything your going to need then I guess this is a good thing. They always worked with me on budget and showed me all options. They answered all my questions and always have a coupon online. I can tell they get busy and if they have a client buying $1500 worth of equipment, they are not going to leave them to answer ur question about what cable u need. read more

So my review is based on customer service and how they handled various situations when it came for me to return items. They are very attentive and know what they're talking about. Also, I had to return an item and they made it very easy for me and even gave me a discount for my troubles. The staff is great and everything but I'll say this, they're understaffed. If you go in there on a busy day, it's going to be a long day if you actually want to make a purchase because they're stretched thin at almost every department. But if you do manage to get someone's attention, it's very smooth and they're super friendly and knowledgeable. If you're looking to visit, I'd wait for an off-peak hour (I just don't know when that is). read more

rarely have had a good experience with this company. These are experience from my last three visits to the Pasadena - I did come back three time to check different stuff out as I wanted to give them the benefit of the doubt. First visit. Wanted to check out a TC vocal harmony pedal. Staff was not very attentive. Then finally when someone decided to help me, he didn't know anything about the product and finally concluded the product didn't work. Second visit. Wanted to check the difference between a Squire J bass passive and active. Was left alone w both basses. OK cool. Couldn't get any sound out of the active one. Had to chase down someone who finally concluded that bass didn't work Third visit. Was thinking about adding a new set of studio monitors. Half the monitors was not hooked up. A couple had ripped cones. And asking for help... Asked about a couple of JBL's "They sound pretty good" I was told. I asked if I could hear them and was told "No, they're not hooked up" - those two monitors sitting on a desk next to a console/daw controller - and they did not even close look like they just was taken out of the box. And for the fun of it I did go to one "how to record" session. The presenter couldn't find an adapter for the monitor, luckily one attendee had one and lend it to them. Other attendees joked about they should give this guy a $10 giftcard or something - the presenter made a joke and went on to present a lot of information that I at best was tailored to sell stuff from the store. Not really how/why to use this or that or what to look out for. But I just came to this one to confirm my suspicion :-) read more

Before I begin this review, let me preface it by saying that I am one of many musicians who are truly in touch with the 21st century, and make most of my musical instrument-based purchases on various websites over the internet, and typically only go to Guitar Center these days to either: A) Test guitars, effects pedals/units, and/or amplifiers out, generally once in a blue moon, and/or; B) purchase accessories such as strings, picks, capos, cables, polish, string cleaner, etc., IF I am in a hurry and/or am in an immediate need for such things. I've been going to this Guitar Center for the past 7 years, and I gotta say, although they have gotten progressively better about hiring people who actually know what they are talking about, and/or don't look like 40+ year old deadbeats, derelicts, and/or burnouts, most of the people there are as honest and useful as used car salesmen. Most of them seem so desperate to get a sale, that they compromise their customer service skills, and deter customers--I've seen it in action. And for crying out loud, don't ever, and I mean EVER, sell equipment to them, no matter how hard up for money you are; this is what Ebay and Craigslist are for. I once sold them several pedals, a process that took hours to do, for which I had to provide a copy of my driver's license and fingerprints for (yeah I know they do this nowadays to make sure you're not selling stolen equipment, but for crying out loud!), and only received a FRACTION of what I would have received if I sold the pedals on Craigslist or Ebay. What a nightmare that whole process was. Their policies and procedures on buying and/or selling used gear is so ridiculous and outdated, it's a wonder how and why that they are still in business. But I digress... Furthermore, their selection of guitars in particular is so generic and limited that it is not even worth mentioning. And don't even get me started on the lack of decent amplifiers at this store. I've been to many Guitar Center locations in my time, and if I honestly, if I had to sum up my impression of this store I would say that it is lacking in so many domains: quality instruments and products; decent customer service skills; educated people; competitive prices, and; variety. read more

Pasadena Guitar Center has come a long way for me. In the past I would fear the horror of showing up there with any questions and it would be an absolute uphill battle to find help. My last three visits I have noticed quite the opposite. I don't know if it is new management or a fresh batch of employees but they seem to be on top of their game. Each time they have gone out of their way to be friendly, helpful and are right there to answer any questions or give assistance for those hard to reach guitars. It sure beats me staring dumbly and a guitar on the wall or waiting by the help desk for anyone to acknowledge me like I have in the past. Whatever you are doing, you are doing it rights so please keep it up and I will keep coming in. Thank you! read more

My bestfriend came to this Guitar Center location not knowing a single thing about the Uke we were hoping to purchase. Stephanie was absolutely amazing! Not only did she help us pick the perfect Ukulele for my bestfriend's boyfriend, but she was also so kind and helpful, and did as much as she could to help us save some money considering our purchase was quite expensive. On top of her helpfulness, she was also very funny and made our first Guitar Center purchase a fun and memorable one. Stephanie, (if you see this) you are a gem, and we appreciate you! read more

Bad experience! I went to this store looking for a speaker that I can use for my daughter birthday party. I explain to a representive that I needed a speaker where I can play music from my phone to entertain 30 to 40 people at my house. He had me connect my phone to a cord connecting to their mix board. He show us the sound of multiple speakers. We choose the one we thought sounded the best. The next day I test out the speaker and the vocals on all the music I played sounded distorted, it turns out the speaker was a two way system. I'm disappointed that this rep. Took advantage of our ignorance just to make a sale. read more

This GC is terrible! From the manager on down they are unprofessional and dishonest! I put a beautiful used Martin D28 on layaway and out of the blue was told my time was up the day before! I begged and pleaded for them to hold it one more day until I could come down there and give them more money and they basically said tuff shit! I explained that I've thousands and thousands of dollars here and they treated me like a stranger! The manager Scott Smith was of no help and could really give a shit less acted like he was unaware of the situation, but yet somehow described every little detail and flaw of the guitar. This place sucks! I'd rather deal with Craigslist than this place! read more

"Try before you buy" is kindly supported here. On a rare day off of work I decided to try out a piece of gear that I arranged with them to test and when I arrived they had it all set up and I practically spent half the day messing around in their keyboards department. Sales staff weren't pushy and they were all involved with sound/music in some shape or form so they seemed genuinely interested in learning about what brought me there in the first place. I was surprised they didn't even try to kindly pry me off and kick me out. I felt very much at home. On top of this good experience, they even beat an internet price for the same piece of gear I finally settled on taking home with me; maybe that was just their way of making me leave the store. read more

Edit: My brother's sunglasses got stolen here. I normally wouldn't mention anything but an hour later I saw a security guard walk out with the exact same pair. I don't know if it's a coincidence but my brother's pair had unique lenses that not many people know about. This place is shady. I walked in for some classical guitar strings and a whole new sound system for live performances. It was my first time in there so I had to ask where the strings were. The first person helped me over but left before I could even ask what all the strings meant. I searched for another person and, thankfully, he was able to explain the different sections and types. I wandered over to the mixers and the salesperson, Kashi Moreno, was super helpful and really made the selections less stressful. I didn't know anything about the technical terms and he explained everything to me thoroughly. read more

Standing here in the store for about 20min waiting for a rep to come help me with returning an item. I understand when you are busy but when suddenly one rep becomes available and she goes to wrap some cables on the ground and then starts helping another guy that just walked into the store while I'm standing here like a fool at the register. I was even about to exchange it for something else but after waiting so long I found it $40 cheaper on Amazon with 2 day delivery instead of 5 days with guitar center. Then after completing the return they give me the receipt and say "here you go homeboy." What is that even supposed to mean? I just came from hiking I'm in workout clothes. I'll just stick to Amazon. Cheaper and faster and no random white dude stereotyping me. read more

GC used to give you more value/deals for your buck, not anymore. Shame.

I love this Guitar Center. The staff has always been so helpful. They fixed my bass drum pedal twice at no charge. Chance was super patient in setting me up with drum lessons. Matt is an awesome drum teacher. The music lessons are more affordable than elsewhere, and we have a great time every session. I've learned so much already and have an amazing experience each and every time. Thanks for everything Guitar Center! read more

I came by yesterday and there was this guy that was helping me. He was working around 7 and he told me to call him the store back about something I was looking for. However I called back and realized I never gotten his name down. He's young, pretty skinny, and has kinda cool long hair. If anybody knows his name please let me know, I'd really like to speak to him. read more

A moderate choice of store for someone looking to get an instrument at a decent price. Not many people to help you out so you're out on your own here. read more

I've been here countless times just to wander around the store and fawn over all the cool instruments, but this time I actually bought something! I came in to buy a cajon, which is a Spanish drum that looks like a little box and sounds kind of like a snare drum. The drum manager, Erik, was extremely helpful and very knowledgeable which made picking the right cajon a breeze. I will definitely continue to come back for all my music needs! read more

My little one (2year old) loves this place!! He loves music and instruments! This place is perfect for those lazy days!!! All instruments are out and ready the be experienced !!! read more

I don't know where to start as soon as I walk in. I want to check out most of the stuff. The employess are really helpful and they will get you the answers to your questions. I like the location and I recommend this place to everyone. stop by and see what they have to offer. read more

Great service, Denial and Ray are the best employees outstanding customer service *****

Walked in to see if they had a pedal I wanted. I was ready to buy the thing and had my wallet open. No help came...asked someone on the floor help...never came...wasted 20 minutes here. I've seen bad service before, but this place needs to get shut down. I give it a year. read more

Worst ever, not much team coordination. Poor guy who is in charge of sales he has to do it all while the manager is just sitting and gaining weight giving very lowball trade/sell off prices. Never ever imagine these kind of leader supposed to be just doing nothing and giving all the hard works to just one staff member. Took almost 2 hours instead of 30 minutes waiting just to sell used gear. Honest take here. read more

I have spent literally 30-45 minutes at a time with guys from the store having my questions answered on multiple occasions. They are the most helpful guys and are always suggesting other things to check out if you like certain products. If you ever want to break into the music industry be prepared to work with people hundreds of times more difficult than the people who work in this store. As for me, unless something horrible happens, this Guitar Center will always have my business. read more

Got my digital grand piano yesterday. It was a little mixed up on the order but Josh the sell person and the manager CK was very helpful and another manager Scott did personal deliver on time and even stay to help assemble it. All great. Thank you. read more

Manager Scott Smith needs to take a sensitivity class, very rude and demeaning to his employees, especially to his customers. Some of the employees were actually quite knowledgeable, and polite,but Mr.Smith was very rude and demeaning. Will no longer shop at guitar center, I'll try my luck with Sam ash. read more

My buddy works there he's cool and the other employees are very knowledgeable they really know their stuff xD

Called in advance to confirm they had a specific product. They confirmed it was in stock. Drove there to find the store shelves 1/4 filled and the product I came for not on the shelf. Tried to ask someone if they had it but it took 7-10 minutes to get someone's attention only to have the employee in an annoyed tone tell me they didn't have it. Is this location going out of business? Best to avoid it and go to a different one. read more

Pro: Located in a nice area. Organization isn't that bad. They're pretty nice in letting you play the instruments. Con: They don't really manage their online inventory well...(went there only to find the headphones aren't in stock despite what the website said) They made me wait 10mins to transfer to another department. (I gave up) Pretty pricey to get bass action adjusted. read more

The last few times I have been in here have led me to never want to come back. A continued lack of customer service and the staff's general disregard for the store has led me to the conclusion that of the 30 or so Guitar Centers I have been too across the country that this is easily the worst one. read more

Came in to buy a bunch of gear when another vendor dropped the ball with ordering something. I was helped by CK the assistant manager who was great to deal with and very appreciative of my business (which is always a plus and rare when dealing with big chain stores). She even welcomed to look up any online price or quote for her to beat. Will be coming back for more. Ask for CK, you won't be disappointed. read more

They mis price items and than don't regret anything or apologize. Mis labeling product is pathetic, you hire people to do their job sad! Don't expect the price tags to be correct and they are already going to rip you off. read more