I ordered a bass from a different GC location shipped to my house and unfortunately it sustained some significant damage in shipping. Brought it to my local GC for the return and they were very apologetic and processed the refund without any hassle. They also asked which location it has shipped from and how it had been packaged, presumably in hopes of avoiding the issue for someone else in the future. Huge bummer that a gorgeous bass was damaged, but very appreciative of the great customer service. read more

I went and bought a 2 Chanel mixer here. I was helped by the young guy with medium length cool hair. He was really helpful and understanding. I purchased a clearance item, and I was a little concerned hearing that it would be final sale, but once we both noticed that the box had been opened at some point he said that if there was anything critically wrong with it , that would affect its use; He would find a way to make it right. I I understand he probably could not promise a return, at that time, but he did make me feel at ease and I went ahead with the purchase. everything turned out fine of course, so I really really appreciate it. read more

Guitar Center - Pioneer DJmS5. Was on clearance at a steal ! - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Portland, Oregon

I have been a customer of Guitar Center for 30 years. I used to frequent the Clackamas store. The sales people were super friendly, I was treated as a good customer. If I was looking at the wall of guitars they would ask me if I needed help and take down guitars for me to play. They would show me new equipment that had just arrived and they would demo the equipment with me. I moved to Washington about 20 years ago, so the Hayden Meadows location has been my go to. It has not been the same experience. I have pretty much been ignored when I walk in. It's really sad that the customer service is not what it used to be. I have gone in several times and looked at the wall of guitars and have never been asked if I had questions or wanted to see anything. Last time I was in I spent quite a bit of time looking at the guitars. I saw a couple guitars online that they had in stock at the store that I am interested in. The guitars were out of reach. And personally, I do not like to take $1000+ guitars off the wall. An employee asked me how I was doing as they walked by. I said great, they kept on walking away. I left. Without help. Since I cannot get in person assistance I have been ordering online and picking up my orders at the Hayden Meadows location. When I have a return I bring it back to the Hayden Meadows location. I typically get the same response, "Did you order this online. Yes I did. Okay see you later." I would really like to put my hands on gear, demo it and get some help at the store. The only reason I continue to use GC is their online salespersons and their return policy. When I order online the freight I pay for the equipment, in my opinion is negligible. I can demo the gear at my leisure, and I get better customer service. I think I'll place the order online for the guitar they have in stock, then return it if I do not connect with it... read more

I came with my little brother to play some Les Pauls and check out the AV II Jazzmaster. While I am in the market for one of these guitars, I knew I wouldn't be making that big purchase that day. Regardless, the employee that helped us was freaking awesome. He was definitely a little busy that day but always checked in on us and didn't hesitate to grab the ladder to get the Jazzmaster down that we wanted to check out. I was fully expecting to be a pain in this guys' butt and for him to give us a little sass, but nope, dude was super nice. If I didn't live 3+ hours away, I would be by more to purchase stuff in person. Unfortunately I'm usually forced to do my shopping online. 10/10 will be back nearly every time I'm in Portland. read more

See all

The employees must be on a commission system because he was pushing me to buy nore expensive equipment, and at one point he abandoned me to help someone who was buying something more expensive. read more

So I did my online research and called before I went to the store, because that's what you do, instead of not being prepared and taking it out on the staff with a bad review. I had an absolutely wonderful time hanging out with Travis, while he found and unboxed my new Epiphone Hummingbird, and grabbed cords and batteries for a pedal that was stiil boxed. He was super helpful, and I look forward to working with him again. A+ North Portland! read more

Justin the operations manager answered my phone call when i had a guitar crisis but by the end of the phone call he ended up chatting gear with me and I found out about a new midi controller and was way less frantic about my guitar crisis. Top notch customer service. Justin rules. read more

I was initially disappointed that the keyboard I ordered was marked in stock for pickup, but was actually ordered and arrived the next week. However, after visiting the store, seeing the great selection, and experiencing the knowledgeable & friendly staff I have to give 5 stars because the service was worth a lot more than the initial minor inconvenience of not getting what I wanted immediately. Will be back for accessories for the keyboard. read more

I took my 93 Washburn in to Shane to fix. I had it since 93 and it traveled with me through my military career and when I went over seas it went with me in a duffle bag. Shane was able to fix all of its issues: fret issues, cleaned up and fixed my Floyd Rose tremolo system and repaired some serious issues with the bridge being broke which involved a lot of gluing. Shane did a great job and kept me update everyday. Shane is the man. read more

False advertising! They regularly falssly advertise lower discounted prices online and when you get to the store they tell you that their computers won't apply the discounts. This happened to me 4 times and several other customers. I walked out.....but some took the lure. We need to stop this and not support these lies. Also, I don't believe any of their staff know anything about the products they sell. They'll just read out loud the label. read more

These guys always go the extra mile Dropped my guitar off for a platinum set up and had it back same day playing spectacular. Andy absolutely nailed it. Would definitely recommend with confidence. read more

Love this location! Travis/T.O. is amazing and made the whole experience for me and my boyfriend. He was so helpful the first time we went to buy a bass, we went back the next week to buy a guitar from him! He goes above and beyond for his customers, all needs and more were met. We used to go to Clackamas guitar center for everything but we'll only be going to the Portland location from now on because we know it'll be an exceptional experience if Travis is there. He definitely deserves a raise! This store location is also a lot more attractive than the Clackamas location and the staff are a lot more helpful and friendly. read more

Today I felt like Animal (from the Muppets) on the drums!! Great selection of electric drums and acoustic guitars. Had a few used items as well. I spent about an hour trying out a few Taylor, Breedlove and Martin. I'm looking for a nice second guitar and I bought my first Yamaha from GC store in CA so I'm a fan of the centers stuff. The staff was helpful and more knowledgeable then what I probably needed but I'm always wanting to learn more as a beginner it's motivating. I haven't been on an electric drum set it 10+ years so that was a thrillllllll. Stay safe. Play wild. read more

See all

Had the pleasure of Yakov assisting me today. An absolute sweetheart. They were understaffed, as are most retail stores right now, yet he still took the appropriate amount of time with me to make sure my purchase was right. Please let him know he's doing a good job. read more

Brought electric guitar "Black Beauty" in because she didn't work. In no time Andy had the back panel of the guitar off and had diagnosed and resolved the issue. Going above and beyond the call of duty, Andy noticed that the dials were rusty, and after a couple applications of WD-40, she sounded much better. I like how Andy took down all the info from the guitar and entered it in the computer for future reference- make, model and serial number. The cost for all this was very inexpensive. The back story is that my guitar teacher passed away recently and I unearthed a dusty, out of tune electric guitar that wasn't working from his room. Polished, tuned and in working order, Black Beauty and I will be playing endless 70s reggae in my dining room! read more

Guitar Center - Andy testing the battery from the compartment in the back of Black Beauty. She was up and running in just a few minutes! - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Portland, Oregon

This location in particular really gives me the sense that Guitar Center is not doing so well these days. Between having pretty limited stock (Guitar Center used to keep way more high end gear on hand) and being chronically understaffed, going here has the energy of a Fry's Electronics circa 2019. read more

I've been going to guitar center for well over a year now. Usually I go to the Clackamas location for convenience, but the North Portland location was the only one that had a very specific bass I was loking for in stock. Wow Travis/T.O. was amazing. The moment my girlfriend and I walked in the door he greeted us with respect and asked if we needed anything. I saw they had the bass on display so he went and grabbed it for me so I could test it out. I ended up buying it. From the beginning to the very end of the buying proceedure Travis provided the best and most helpful experience ever! Not only that, but we went back the next week to buy a guitar and we made sure Travis was the one who got everything set up for us. He goes above and beyond for all of his customers and deserves a major raise! I went in looking for an instrument and left with feeling like i made a friend. We will be going to this location from now on, thanks to this amazing experience. read more

I ordered a PA system. Tried it out on one gig. It wasn't what I wanted. I didn't realize it didn't have phantom power as an option for it's channels. It didn't sound great and the cables were pretty cheaply made. I took it back the next day. The young manager was beyond rude. So disrespectful. "So you rented it???" he said in front of other customers and his staff. "No," I said, "I tried it out and it didn't have what I needed." "But you used it at a gig?" "Yes, to try it out." "So you rented it!!!" I was really embarrassed at his rudeness. I also took great pains to return every piece of plastic, ties, and put all the cables and everything back. Still he complained about having to restock. If you don't like Guitar Center's 45 day return policy, then either quit or get the policy changed. Don't embarrass someone in front of other customers. Tall skinny blond guy, maybe in his 30's? I'll never go back and you shouldn't either. read more

Honestly can't believe this location is still open. Constantly out of stuff/not well stocked. What little Staff they do have is socially inept, stressed-out and not helpful read more

Travis helped me over the phone and in store. I picked up a Neumann TLM 103 and wanted assistance for some extra stuff. He set me up with a cord and a mic stand all within my budget. Very patient, helpful, and nice. Pleasant fast experience. read more

Everything I have, it's because of MUSIC. I could and have spent hours in this place playing and testing out new gear, ya and throwing down tons of cash in the process. I play percussion and drums mainly, and have recorded on over 20 albums and toured with various bands and continue to play out locally. I am a thankful musician. In my teenage years playing music has kept me from getting involved in gangs and has given me purpose, especially growing up in East LA. Real Talk This Guitar Center is closest to my house and thus, it is my store of choice. I've always been treated with respect here, and the employees are always helpful. Even on returns, it is really smooth, no arguing and hassling. Drum dept has plenty of electronic drums and has them set up to test. Acoustic kits have their own room, so that you can play at what ever volume you like. Bring you ear buds.. Room for improvement ? I would say more choices in Congas brands and a designated area that is its OWN space. I would like to see the congas where the electronic drums are, or at least share that space. Pro Tip- if your kids want to play music or they show an interest in playing an instrument, NURTURE that. If my mom would have said no to me when I was crying and begging her to buy me drums when I was 12 years old, I might not be here today. Seriously read more

Guitar Center - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Portland, Oregon

So I just called Guitar Center (North Portland) 4 times to see if they have a specific guitar in stock . The first three times I immediately got hung up on. No greeting or anything. Just CLICK! The fourth time he actually greeted me, I told him what I needed and his reply was. I'm very busy I don't have time to help you !CLICK! Needless to say, I won't be getting my next guitar at Guitar Center. As that was the reason for the phone call to begin with. Back to Sweetwater I go. Actually, the only reason I went to Guitar Center. Was because I could put hands-on the guitar that I wanted. And not just order from pretty pictures. If it weren't for the fact that I need to return a guitar I just bought, I wouldn't be going back tomorrow . What a disappointment. read more

My review is for the actual people working in the store. My regret, is that I don't have specific names, except 1, Corey. You guys are awesome. Corey helped me tonight. I had a couple burning questions, and he was uber helpful in helping my find a resolution. I love when I can call, or go in a store, and interface with real people. Musicians are a community, and it means a lot to be able to come here and receive both quality guidance & comradery. read more

My son and I have purchased equipment and instruments online. Awesome experience. Easy site to navigate. Quick order and delivery. We have ordered lessons online and had them delivered in a virtual environment. Excellent offering and execution. We have gone to the physical store and purchased product and asked for free advice. Easy Peasy! Every step of the way the team has been friendly, helpful, courteous and kind. Very service oriented. Thanks very much. My son and I highly recommend Guitar Center of Hayden Downs, PDX. read more

I am giving two stars because they answer the phone. But this store is woefully understaffed to the point where they can't perform basic customer service tasks. When we finally got the attention of a sales associate, we asked that he order some items to be delivered to our house (since they wouldn't fit In the car). We just got word that the items were delivered - to the store! I am so frustrated I wonder if I should just ask for a refund and buy the items on Amazon. read more

These guys are morons and don't even keep their inventory updated correctly online. I just wasted over an hour driving here because their site said they had a product in stock that they don't have any of. Guitar Center started going downhill about a decade ago and this location is completely worthless at this point. read more

I've always had positive experiences here and I'm grateful there's a GC close to home. The folks who work here are friendly and helpful. Julia has helped me find a couple of very nice guitars, and I was also helped by and had good conversations with Jonah and Caleb when last there a couple of days ago. read more

very understaffed and terrible service if I could give them zero stars I would. Even the young manager hear who sits in the office all the time when people clearly need help doesn't want to help yeah. went in a few days ago to buy a very expensive Yamaha keyboard and couldn't even get the time of day so I left. It's like this every single time iv come to this particular location, no one gives a damn and I am just over it. what is the point in having a store if you can't actually buy anything. Shut this location down if you can't hire enough staff every single customer I saw in the store had the same look of frustration. Order from sweatwater and you will get the best customer service you've ever had or find a Beacock music store they are extremely attentive to there customer. Do not shop at guitar center north Portland ever or you'll be sorry take my word. read more

If I could give them zero stars I would. Never ever EVER give guitar center your contact info. They make it absolutely impossible to get off their email list -- and I've tried everything. They've got you on a loop so that it just can't be done. I am getting at least one email a day from them and sometimes as many as three. (Sure, I can block them and I will. That doesn't mean they'll stop using my address, and no doubt spamming it to death.) I now hate Guitar Center and will never again patronize them. read more

Extremely disorganized staff, nobody knows whats going on, I had to go to the store 5 times and didn't come back with what I had bought initially. I'm just ordering online next time. read more

I went in this weekend in a huge hurry due to an unplanned move, looking for help with protecting my friend's musical equipment. Travis was quick to help and got me on my way, with exactly what we needed to get the job done. Thank you Travis! read more

super solid guitar center, I was recently in the area and just decided to visit it as i've never been to a guitar center before, but i got some EVH picks after trying out several guitars, the employees were especially respectful and offered to help us at any given time, all were happy to assist us in getting guitars, putting them back, and answering questions, thank you to everybody at the store! amazing place, 10/10 read more

I was super excited to visit Guitar Center and make a couple of purchases, however the staff was inattentive which resulted in an overall subpar customer experience. I can understand if the store had been super busy with customers but in this case there were more staff than customers in the store. I came in ready to purchase a couple of products but I ended up walking out and will probably spend my money elsewhere because no one offered to help me or at least acknowledge me. I would think that during this environment of economic uncertainty, particularly in the retail industry, that staff would be more attentive to customers. I don't want to speculate on why I didn't get help. Maybe it was just an off day, if not I hope management take my concerns into consideration as I was ready to spend some money! read more

I don't normally write reviews, but I felt today was an exception. I came in looking for some cables to replace some old ones I've had for a few years. For some reason most employees at Guitar Center seem to be impatient intolerant of those that don't have a basic understand of audio products. However, I asked one team member where to find cables, and he came off impatient to me not describing exactly what I needed. Long haired German man I believe. Didn't need help, just needed finding where they were. But he made it a hassle. However one guy. His name was Caleb. Very nice! And very helpful! He was also patient and answered any questions. He didn't get impatient or frustrated like many employees do! Please someone promote him, get him a raise, or use him as an example of how Guitar Center employees should be. read more

I'm not sure how this location stays in business. Every time I go there, it is basically empty. This makes for a good shopping experience in that you're not aurally assaulted by show-offs trying to one-up one another at increasingly high volumes. Aside from that, their selection is wide, prices are rather reasonable. They do have their obscenely expensive room with guitars under lock and key, if you're looking for something collectible or esoteric. The staff here is really friendly, knowledgeable, and doesn't deal with high-pressure sales tactics. Definitely worth a visit whether you're looking for guitars (acoustic or electric), banjos, mandolins, bass, keyboards, drums, accessories, etc., Guitar Center is a safe bet. read more

So nice to see a flagship store like this in Portland, even if it is closer to Vancouver than downtown. I've been to tons of Guitar Centers - this is not what I'm used to seeing. Nice, clean layout. Helpful staff (some are a bit young, but how can you avoid that?). Great selection. But here's the big thing: This is the only Guitar Center in Portland that has a "GC Studios." They teach guitar, bass, piano and keyboards, voice, etc. Staffed by accredited pro's, they even teach 1-on-1 recording classes with Pro Tools. I haven't signed up yet so I can't say how good they are; but the simple fact that they offer it is crazy. The other thing that's unique here is the "platinum room," which you can't miss in the center of the guitar area. Really crazy stuff behind glass like in a museum (the whole store kinda has a modern museum vibe) that's just fun to look at. Are all the employees knowledgeable? Of course not. This is American retail. Are all the deals that great? Not always by themselves...but they do guarantee to match any price including online stores like Amazon and Musicians Friend, which is why I keep shopping with them. Is it a great place to check out and waste far too much time? You bet. read more

Guitar Center - store front entrance - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Portland, Oregon

Really poor experience here over the last week. Been in three times. No one to help me. Skipped in line. Rude employees telling how they have no time to help me with my issue. Spent a lot of money here over the last few years. Bummer read more

We have had a hands down 100% satisfaction experience w/ Guitar Center. From setting up lessons (John), to the actual lessons themselves (Tony), and then modifying our lessons (Brandon), the customer support has been attentive, caring and thorough. They have done an amazing job supporting our needs. Couldn't be happier with them. Thank you! read more

Five stars for Kent the guitar tech! The action on my guitar is now immaculate and delicious. It feels as though it just got back from the health spa and chiropractor. It feels focused. Want to get the best out of your guitar? Take it to Kent at North Portland guitar center ! read more

How hard is it to close a deal on a customer who walks in, knows what they want, find what they want and bring it to the front and then pull out their credit card? VERY HARD here apparently. Beware the BLUE HAIRED BITCH... Maybe Guitar center doesn't need a $300 sale... but she and her lackadaisical cohorts had us so frustrated that we walked out of there... determined not to give them ONE PENNY of our money. There were three attendants at the register. One customer at the register. We waited, we waited we waited to have someone to help us. We asked for a box... what the hell kind of GUITAR STORE doesn't carry a box?!!! What really did it for us was their non-apologetic "No box" comment.... and then more ignoring until we finally put our card away and walked away ... As we walked away we could hear the sales folks snickering about us... "Whatever" and "not my problem" type comments. For a National Chain, you'd think they'd care a little bit more about customer satisfaction. WE CLOSED THE DEAL AT PORTLAND MUSIC COMPANY 30 minutes later. http://www.portlandmusiccompany.com read more