The staff and instructors are very professional and knowledgeable. But my instructor was let go after I prepaid $120.00 and Guitar Center refused to refund my money. I'm very disappointed. read more

Well I first thought that Joe was the arsenal that made this guitar center awesome for me to use but then I met. Ty, who is an exceptional luthier and he is setting up another guitar of mine. I just was so pleased with the service. Everything from Scott the manager to ty. I don't see why you would not bring your equipment here. I highly recommend this establishment. read more

Had a terrible experience with their repair department. Communication was nearly nonexistent and when I did call, they were insulting. They sat on a repair job for six weeks and never touched it. read more

Drum floor was unorganized and messy. Cymbals were all pretty much the same. No full sets. Nothing fun.

I needed to sell 3 amplifiers and 5 guitars. Ran responded to my phone calls and emails and then Finn spent several hours researching all of the equipment and offered fair prices. I had a good experience with this store. read more

Looking back at my past review is weird, because all those praises I sang were valid, but my most recent experience wasn't so joyous. Four months ago I had a Telecaster set up along with new pickups. The new pickups were ordered through Guitar Center, but they were defective (Fender's fault), so they had to be reordered before the work could begin. Meanwhile, the guitar tech kindly asked over the phone if I would like the upgrade done in series rather than parallel wiring. He explained the differences and I decided that series wiring sounded pretty cool. I waited for a while, wondering why it was taking so long when the GC website said the pickups were in stock. Finally, and much later, I called the store, and they said they would look into it. Immediately after, I got an email saying my new pickups were on the way. I wonder how long I would've waited had I not called. So the pickups arrived, the work was done and I picked up the guitar. (I dropped off the guitar in mid-December and I got it back at the end of January. Most of the wait was from the pickup reorder and, I assume, because of the holidays.) At home, I realized the wiring style hadn't changed. It was parallel and not series, but I didn't really care because I decided that leaving it in parallel probably suited me better. It was just weird that such a big thing was forgotten (I assume it would've been noted in their computer records). The guitar sounded great when I got it. I didn't play it much in the following months due to travel. Four months later, I noticed that the neck pickup wasn't working. I called Guitar Center and they said they'd leave a message for their guitar tech to call me back, but I never heard from him. I later opened up the guitar and found that one of the wires to the volume pot was hanging on by a thread. Using my limited soldering expertise, I managed to reconnect the wire to the pot and now it plays normally. It's disappointing that a recent pickup installation would lead to a separated wire a few months later, especially since the guitar was barely played. Imagine if I had been gigging. So anyway, I think everyone at Guitar Center is nice, and I do think the techs care, but maybe they're too overworked or time-crunched, because I don't think I should need to do this after paying good money (it was a lot of money due to the pickup installation) just four months later. I guess it's back to SF Guitarworks for me, even if I have to travel farther away. read more

This gentleman with brown, kind of long hair was helping me and he was giving me a lot of attitude and i was overhearing conversations here and there while i was at the register and he was Very. Unprofessional. It was my first time there at guitar center, i had put all the negative reviews and comments and videos about guitar center but now... im making sure i dont come back. read more

came to the store looking for a guitar, and the salesperson quickly found exactly the sound I was looking for. He also worked within my budget, taking all the details into account. Even with a limited budget, he helped me find an excellent instrument. I regret that I didn't remember his name, but next time, I will definitely go back to him. Thank you! read more

Connor helped me and a friend perfectly, giving us the most helpful tips, and great service. Best Guitar Center experience ever.

No. A lot of attitude here. And not a lot of talent. The same entitlement that got these people these jobs in the first place.

This location is the reason I don't like Guitar Center. They're basically the Walmart of the music world, yet they have no regard for quality control. In all transparency, I only went into the drum section, as that's my only source of interest. This may be a fantastic guitar store, but for drummers, avoid this as though your life depends on it. Half of the kits didn't have thrones with them, most of the thrones weren't height-adjustable (which meant I'd have to drag their one good throne around to each kit to try them out, which felt pretty awkward socially), and they weren't set up properly. Like, half of the kits just didn't have hi hats and the ride cymbal would be resting on the second rack tom. It was just awful. Also, there was ONE pair of sticks in the entire display room, which I made the mistake of setting down for two minutes. A child (no older than six) got ahold of them and from there, they vanished. I saw one employee the entire time. She just said hi and walked away. She didn't tell me to play quieter (an experience I never thought I'd miss), she didn't ask how she could help, she wasn't even in there half the time. I easily could've stolen something and walked away unscathed (I didn't, but I shouldn't have that feeling) I went to the Guitar Center in Northridge and stayed there for so long that I felt obligated to make a "sorry for being a neusance" purchase (they had to tell me to quiet down at least twice). I was in here for ten minutes and I already wanted to leave. read more

Guitar Center - Drum sets, none of which having thrones (or sticks) and none of which being set up at all. - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Was looking for some new gear and decided to pop on in. I'm a newbie but the associate was very informative and made great recommendations. Picked up a little Squire amp and accessories and a better tuner. There's plenty of music stores in SF but Guitar Center seems to have some good deals. read more

Guitar Center - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - San Francisco, California

Fernando was super helpful and went above and beyond to help me out with my order. I was happy because it's kind of rare to find enthusiastically helpful people in retail anymore. I will be back read more

I came in to get my electric repaired and purchase my first acoustic and big shout out to Ed! He was professional, informative and kind. Great customer service! This was a great experience after having a horrible one at the San Mateo location. I'll be shopping here moving forward. If you stop by, ask for Ed! read more

Guitar Center - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - San Francisco, California

Do you want to play a New Year's Eve show? haha good for you. Guitar Center. I got my electric guitar from Veneman's and then it changed into a guitar center. Yamaha. Then I got Fender. Then I got Ibanez. Yesterday I got Gretsch. I haven't gotten a Gibson. They were selling guitars in USA in the 1990s and it was fun. I hadn't gone to guitar store that much. That one that closed on Haight St in 2019. The big building with electric guitars and acoustic guitars. Same thing. In New York Union Square and Los Angeles West Hollywood. After high school I got two guitars and then I tried to see about upkeeping the guitar. Then I got one yesterday. It's $189 and I got a ukelele, cases, picks, replica Strat, Fender hat etc gifts. 20 years of San Francisco etc 22 years. etc and here's to another 20 years. Well, guitars are not the only instrument and that's not how it started! I played violin! read more

Terrible customer service. Rude staff, unhelpful. Amateur and sophomoric. Don't waste your time or money here.

This is the last time I will ever buy anything from this guitar center. Everything I bought I could have ordered from Sweetwater or Sam Ash for the same price or less but I decided to support the brick and mortar since local people work there. I spent almost $500 there and one of the items was a $150 pedal. It was a hassle to order it since it was not in stock and I was paying cash. Seems like paying cash should be easy but it took a long time for them to figure it out. This was on the 1st. They said it would take 3 to 5 days. On the 4th I called to see if it was there and someone on the phone said he would check and call me back in 30 minutes. He never did. The next day I called to see if it was there and the same guy insisted that he didn't know and never said that he would call be back the day previous. He argued back and forth saying "no I didn't" several times and then hung up on me. I had to go down there to find out that the order has just been placed THAT DAY because of a mixup and to expect it in a few days. I just called to see if it was there--this the 8th--and the woman in the phone was very unpleasant and didn't seem to know what I was talking about and finally was able to tell me it wouldn't be there until the 10th. I could've had this pedal in 3 days for less money from Sam Ash and not been treated rudely during the process. The people down there act like you're hassling them to spend your money there. They didn't even have a bag for my purchases. When Guitar Center finally goes belly-up they'll have only themselves to blame. read more

Thank you so much Jay at Guitar Center SF for helping me when my Road runner keyboard case zipper broke, and I needed a new one! I had purchased the case last summer from this Guitar center (less than a year old), and the zipper died on me at North Beach Festival a few weeks ago. I had to duct tape my keyboard case to bring it home, and was not a happy camper. Thankfully, after calling Road runner, they said they were owned by Guitar center, and that they could replace my broken case for free! Jay hooked me up when I visited Guitar center, and I'm so grateful I can bring my keyboard around safely again! read more

Guitar Center - New case! - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - San Francisco, California

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Staff were super helpful and knowledgeable. Even when it was busy they made sure to make the rounds and help every customer. Great variety of guitars. read more

I bought my new Allora Paris Series Professional Alto Saxophone with a black nickel body and silver plated keys through Guitar Center and picked it up at this location in 2019. I tried to pick it up by driving to the store, but parking was insane, oh San Francisco... So what I ended up doing was taking BART (Bay Area Rapid Transit) to downtown where I had a work function at LinkedIn. After the work function I walked to Guitar Center and picked up my order, then took a Lyft back to where I was living in East Bay. Finding the instrument I wanted online was straightforward, and the alto saxophone came with a handy travel case that has straps like a backpack so it is easy to carry. My purchase exceeded expectations on all levels, though some might say that is to be expected for a saxophone costing over $2,000 for the instrument itself. My expectations were tied to a rental alto saxophone I had earlier in life and the saxophone I purchased remains the nicest one I have seen to date. The in-store experience was straightforward and the workers were friendly and helpful. One even offered to help me carry my boxes to the Lyft car when it arrived. read more

Guitar Center - Yes... I spent over $2,000 on this alto saxophone (just for the instrument itself). - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - San Francisco, California

Customer service sucks. Came into the store Got to the store 20 min before closing to buy a simple guitar pedal that their website said was in stock at this location. Drove all the way into the city and when we got there the sales clerk, Linda was annoyed, and told us they were closing soon. Definitely didn't want to help us. Complained that she has to look up if they have the pedal in stock. We told her that we had checked before coming and she pretended to check the system and then said they don't have it. Obviously didn't want to help us and acted bothered and annoyed. Hella bad energy! If management is reading this you may want to do something about her. Sucks cuz this place used to be cool back in the day. read more

Fernando provided excellent customer support on the phone. Will be visiting the store soon to test some DJ controllers and hopefully make a purchase. Thanks Fernando! read more

I needed to rent some mics and speakers for an event. Having no experience whatsoever in A/V equipment, I was completely lost. From the moment I walked into Guitar Center on Van Ness, I was greeted warmly by one of the guys at the front counter. After asking me a few questions, he connected me with Julian who handles the rental equipment. He was extremely nice, helpful, and patient as I fumbled thru trying to answer his questions. By the end of our meeting, Julian had pulled out all the equipment I would need, and walked me thru all the steps needed to connect all the equipment and how to work the mixer. Cut to the chase - I rented the equipment, the event went really well, and all the stress I had leading up to this event had disappeared. It's very fitting that Julian works at Guitar Center, cuz he is a ROCK STAR! I will forever be grateful to him. If I ever need to rent equipment again, there's no question. Julian and the team at Guitar Center Van Ness will be the ONLY ones I reach out to. read more

This place sells opened items without telling you. Placing orders online and they will be unable to find them. Avoid.

An unexpected pleasure working with Cameran in Sales and Paul Ryan in repairs, who did the set-up on my new guitar. Their assistance has elevated GC's reputation. I expect to work with them again. Both very reliable. Ask for them by name. ~dd read more

Went over there to buy a guitar. I bought warranty with the guitar and after a week a tuning peg came off so I went over there to get it repaired using the warranty. They told me it would take about a week to get it repaired. That was 2 months ago. They've had for longer than I have now. Every time I call they tell me the same thing, "we'll call you when its ready." I barely got to use it and they haven't even started yet. Disappointing. read more

I've always liked Guitar Center, but the service was always kind of spotty. Have you guys done something different? Because I really like how smooth things seem to run now -- the guitars you see on the rack are available, you get help right away, just the overall vibe is so customer friendly. Makes me feel good about dropping a lot of cash there. My friends have all heard from me, too, hopefully it helps you. Keep it up! read more

I went with a friend to the Guitar Center to pick up his banjo worth $5,000. My friend had not received good service thus far, and was hoping his next visit to the store would resolve issues. He simply wanted to have new strings put on, but the first service technician had quit being an employee there and had never completed my friend's service request. It took a long time of waiting in the center before a different service tech identified the banjo and brought it to my friend at long last. Not a musician myself, I saw immediately that the strings at the end of the neck were not cut and were curling around it. If re-stringing a string instrument was only what my friend asked for, and it was, then the results were sloppy and unprofessional. The service tech explained that he did not do much further work on the instrument due to his not knowing how to tune the banjo! Glad to have his expensive banjo back in his own hands, my friend noticed that the bridge on the neck had been moved, but he decided to return home with it and once at home, he would tune the banjo himself and fix the bridge. He was not able to tune the banjo because the service tech had moved the bridge and now he was unable to put it back to its original position on the neck, thus necessitating that he make another appointment with another company to remedy the problem that the Guitar Center created -- as well as to get the curled strings cut, which the service tech failed to do. The Guitar Center does not take pride in its work or service. Find somewhere else to go. read more

Fernando, Sean and Ed were all very helpful when it came to my rental. I had so many questions and needed extra an lesson on how to connect speakers+ mics they were super patient and provided their best recommendations. During my event I had to ring them back because something was not working and Fernando walked me thru the process once again! I had a successful event and am so grateful for the assistance. Would definitely come back! read more

Guitar Center - Speaker setup! - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - San Francisco, California

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I signed up for drum lessons and had a frustrating experience with the management from the start. I was informed My first lesson was canceled just 5 minutes before it was supposed to begin (I was in bus for 30 min to get there) which was very inconvenient. They rescheduled me with a different instructor for the following week, but when I arrived, the instructor was about to leave because no one had informed him that he had a new student. Thankfully, he was kind and professional enough to stay and give me the lesson, which I really appreciated. Unfortunately, the constant miscommunication and cancellations made the experience awful and stressful. While the instructor himself was great, the management and their policies were a real letdown. Too many cancellations and lack of organization made it hard to feel confident about continuing lessons and I stopped. read more

I came to change my guitar strings and Paul Ryan was such a gem. He taught me step by step the process of changing the strings and even let me interact and learn myself. He's an amazing guy and honestly makes me wanna come back again! Thanks Paul! read more

Guitar Center - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - San Francisco, California

Guitar center I communicated with them for some rentals, and it was strangely slow. I was also doing this over a month in advance. I showed up to pick up my rentals, and only ONE PERSON could help me, and they were on break. No one could help, and I waited for over 30m for anyone to even 'see' if they could help cause the one person was on break. They didn't know when he was returning or even when he left. I spent over an hour at the counter. Return was easy, but still a painful experience overall. read more

The technician I worked with was hella rude and honestly didn't seem to give a shit. Wouldn't trust that guy with my guitar. The acoustic/classical guitars they have for you to try are pretty poorly maintained (some have broken strings). Definitely would recommend asking them for a new unit. read more

Had a great experience! Jay was super patient, helpful, and accommodating and I was able to get the perfect starter setup for my future pop-punk band. I Highly recommend! When you want to make sure your gear sounds and feels the way you want it's always best to test it out in person! read more

Guitar Center - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - San Francisco, California

Could it get worse? Yes. About 3/4 of the drum shelves are empty these days and what they they have is cheaply made 3 tier . Depressing and distressing. read more

Devin at guitar center was EXTREMELY helpful and charming. We came in with little knowledge on what we needed and he guided us through our first DJ controller purchase making us feel confident and excited in our purchase. We've been to a few different music stores and centers and the staff was anything but welcoming to a novice musician. We finally decided to take the plunge today because Devin made it feel right! Thanks again, and give this kid a raise. read more

Guitar Center - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - San Francisco, California

Previously had a solid array of DJ equipment in the back and seem to have completely given up on the category. Barely any DJ controllers, almost no CDJs, or turntables. No DJ mixers from the likes of Pioneer. For some reason, this area is still in the back of the store and there are such random few items, it looks like it was just looted by a smash and grab. For guitars, really good. Keyboards and speakers, solid. read more

Rented mic & speaker - staff was great, very helpful & personable. Very easy & accessible experience. Thank you read more

Would still give a 0. Guitar Center replied to my comment and asked me to email them so I did... they told me to tell them everything again which again, I did. Then they went on to say they'd reach out to Guitar Center in SF and that they'd reach out to me which of course, they never did. Such a horrible experience. read more

Man I just can't justify spending money at guitar center anymore, even if the selection and prices can be better than local stores sometimes. Over the years I've spent thousands of dollars here on guitars, amps, strings, parts etc. but it really just isn't worth the way you are treated by the staff. I work in the service industry and understand people have bad days, and I don't write reviews for anywhere, but after so many visits with employees being dismissive and unhelpful and strangely rude for no reason, I feel obligated and also just don't feel like having my mood brought down for the day after walking in here again. read more