It has been years since I've gone to Guitar Center. All I can say is that there is a noticeable improvement all across the board. Much larger selection of higher quality instruments than they used to have, guitars and amps were accessible, staff was knowledgeable and courteous, and pricing was excellent. read more

I normally don't write reviews, but my recent experience with the Guitar Center San Marcos Lessons Department needs to be shared, especially for parents considering lessons for their children. My son has been taking guitar lessons here for months and absolutely loves his instructor, Tristan. Unfortunately, the issue isn't with the instructors, it's with the front-end communication and customer service. After two of my credit cards were compromised, a number of auto-renew subscriptions needed updating. At no point, phone, text, or in person--did anyone from Guitar Center notify me of a declined payment, despite the Lessons Lead repeatedly claiming they "called" and "spoke to me in person." I checked my call history. The last call I received from Guitar Center was October 16, and it was simply Tristan confirming my son was running two minutes late. That's it. No billing conversation. No declined-card conversation. No warning. Nothing. Beyond that, my son (a minor) was physically in the store for his lessons throughout November. If someone had truly spoken to me "in person," as claimed, I would (1) remember it and (2) logically update my payment method on the spot. That's basic common sense. But no one--neither Lily nor Greg, the two people supposedly escalating the issue--ever approached us. In fact, I couldn't identify them if I tried, because no one ever actually spoke to us. The most upsetting part? My son was left sitting alone, waiting, because his lessons were suddenly canceled without any communication. No one told him. No one told me. That is not acceptable treatment of a child. When I reached out for clarification, I received a generic, copy-and-paste email insisting they had reached out "multiple times." They hadn't. And when I pointed this out, with dates and call records, the response doubled down instead of acknowledging the missteps. I pride myself on honesty and integrity, especially when it comes to my children. Being told that things happened that objectively did not happen is frustrating, dismissive, and frankly unprofessional. To be absolutely clear: No calls were made. No in-person conversations occurred. No texts were sent. And my child should never have been left unattended because of an internal communication breakdown. The instructors are great,but the lesson administration needs serious improvement. Parents deserve transparent communication, accountability, and accuracy, especially when the wellbeing and experience of a child are involved. I hope management takes this feedback to heart so other families don't have the same experience. My son loved his lessons and his instructor, but the customer service side made what should have been an easy fix both stressful and disappointing. read more

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

You got my money, but you've lost my business. (paraphrased) Me: I'm looking for a Yamaha P-45. Guitar Center guy (eyes lighting up like he just spotted a commission): Sure thing. (Shows me the P-45, then immediately pivots to upsell.) If you're looking for hammer action that feels like a real piano, you'll want this next model up. Me: How much is that one? Him: $699. Me: That's out of my budget and I thought the P-45 was hammer action? Him: No, it's weighted, not hammer action. You need this one for that. Me: ...Okay. I'm going to stick with the P-45. Purchase complete. Me, later at home, checking Yamaha's official site: Graded Hammer Standard (GHS) Action. So. Either he didn't know what he was talking about... or he did and thought I didn't. Either way: 1. You got the sale. 2. You won't get another. read more

I've been patronizing Guitar Center for many years, specifically their San Marcos location. It now seems that the entirety of GC is following the corporate trend of scaling down their sales staff to the bare minimum to cut costs. This past Tuesday I went in with the intent of purchasing a new PA system, but the few employees on hand were buried with customers and - after I asked for assistance three times - clearly unable to help me with my questions and decision making. After an hour of waiting (hoping) for help, I exited the store, called Sweetwater when I got home, and spent twenty or so minutes with their patient and knowledgeable salesman, Brad Jones, ultimately completing my purchase with him. For an organization that was flirting with bankruptcy just a few years ago, it would behoove Guitar Center to re-evaluate cost cutting vs. customer satisfaction. I have no quarrel with the Guitar Center San Marcos staff. A prior visit to this store was essentially the same, though - an inordinate balance between customers and salespeople. The lack of service afforded me while there on both occasions has me questioning whether I will make any return trips. There are certainly many other options. read more

Jaykob the employee was super helpful and his charm was astonishing. What a catch of a man. Any question I had he had the perfect answer. #beefcake read more

Bought a guitar strap ($22) and some daisy chain petal cables ($14) . Ended up paying $49 and didn't even get a receipt, pretty sure I got robbed read more

Bought a guitar about a month ago guy suggested to buy insurance for it in case the strings get damaged.well I took it to get repair for the string and they told me that the insurance did cover it!! They charged me 45 dollars so I told the guy what was the insurance for he said maintenance!!!! read more

I don't hang out here, but have gone several times to get drums/guitars etc for my boys throughout the years. The employees are SO helpful for us parents who may not know music too well or what is best for any type of musician. Thank goodness. They've helped us purchase a drum set and a couple guitars in the past. Well, they've been dead-on with their suggestions. Many times I'd send pics of what they recommend to my musician friends and each time they gave me a thumbs-up. It's always good to have the option to 'test drive' what you want to purchase. Sure, I could buy the same online, but this is so much better. I even compared prices of a certain base guitar to the same online and Guitar Center was a better price. We've been really happy with each of our purchases. This store is my go-to. read more

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

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I dropped off my guitar one Saturday for some basic upgrades and the luthier told me it would be done on Wednesday. Friday rolls around so I give him a call. He said he hadn't worked on it and that it would be done the next day. The next day rolls around and he calls me and tells me he can't do it. For the price you charge you should be able to install anything. So it turns out he's not the "professional" . It's just frustrating that you couldn't have told me the day I dropped it off, that you couldn't do it. People got things to do with these instruments man you can't just play with our time like that. read more

We went for a Christmas gift and weren't sure if it was in stock! Jacob helped us out and was so nice!! He checked the stock room three times for us!! Super super kind and we were super appreciative for his help!! read more

Another update. Hopefully management is reading this. Who is in charge of the music played over the store PA? Becuse today, when the store was kind of busy and there were lots of kids and families and players all milling around and shopping, all of a sudden they switch to the Guantanimo Bay Psychological Torture soundtrack for Sleep Deprivation by Death Metal. And turned it up. I swear it was deliberate. As if someone wanted to clear the building. It worked. Everyone left except me a few others. Then the music switched back to normal. Are they trying to lose clients? As if GC was going through enough bankruptcies... read more

Pretty much every Guitar Center you go into is the same. You walk inside and they have a lot of guitars hanging on the walls, amplifiers on the floor, and keyboards and drums in separate rooms. This Guitar Center is no different. In terms of what they offer, this Guitar Center is very well stocked. They have a lot of both new and used guitars. As well as a lot of new and used amplifiers. They also have a lot of keyboards and the other things that Guitar Center offers. So, you're pretty much going to be able to find what you need at this location. The staff here is very nice. They all know their business, and they do their jobs very well. So, if you're in the San Marcos area and you need to pick up a musical instrument, this may be your place. read more

Good selection, helpful staff. Jason in the drum department was very nice and helpful. He helped our son try out several cymbals. He wasn't trying to make a sale yet wanted to make sure he chose the cymbals he would be happy with. read more

Every-time I need something urgently (before a serious gig or practice), Guitar center is here to help! The staff here is not the most knowledgeable but they do try to help. Amazingly this Guitar Center always got everything I need in stock... from my favorite bass guitar strings, through 500K ohms volume pots (yes!) or a bass speakers cabinets...etc. Sometime, you simply can't wait to have an online order delivered, and despite I do everything can to support my local store sometime they just don't carry what I need right away. My musician friends will understand :) They also often have a nice selection of vintage/collector basses in stock. read more

Guitar Center has a great selection of guitars (obviously). But after shopping their online site, I was hoping to try a few of the ukuleles they list. The San Marcos location has a very low inventory of ukuleles. Several cheaper sopranos but no concert or tenor size ukuleles. I was disappointed there was nothing on hand to help me decide on a model. Their online selection looks great but if you want to try before buying, you'll have to go elsewhere for ukuleles. read more

Your basic Guitar Center. This one is roomier than most, nice location and ample parking. A huge wall of guitars, a variety of products such as strings, pedals, percussion, music books, etc. I do have fond memories of a few Guitarmaggedons where both my son and husband performed. Yeah, a decent place for budding musicians to frequent and test instruments and amps. read more

Guitar Center - Wall of guitars. Kind of looks like my house. - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - San Marcos, California

If you ever go to this guitar center location definitely ask for Jacob, hands down the best and most respectful employee. He went above and beyond helping me at two different visits. He's very knowledgeable and answered every question I had. Will definitely be returning to this location again. Thanks Jacob!!! read more

I just wanted to give a shout out to Dillon at Guitar center, he was so nice and had my guitar cleaned before I bought it and was so friendly and had a great attitude! Thank you! read more

It has been a while but they have repaired 2 of my guitars and did an expert job for a good price.

I wish I could put 0 stars because this place is the worst , you could be coming for just 1 thing a quick in n out and then you end up waiting 30 minutes just to check out. It is not worth the wait they are very slow and no one wants to be there. Don't waste your time instead order whatever you need online or go to San Diego Music Exchange or San Diego Music Studio. read more

Wow, this place has a ton of guitars and is pretty big in size! Everything you need and also you can play around with the instruments which is pretty cool. read more

Been to this location twice this past week. Asked about any sales a few days prior to 7/4. Was interested in what break I could get on an MXR Carbon Copy. "Nope, come back the fourth" was what I got. Sweetwater got my business and gave me $25 off as well. Today I went in to get some cables. Looking at Live Wire Elite but only one in stock. Approached sales at the front desk and both associates are on their phones clearly bothered by my presence. I said "hi" and they said "I can take care of you here" pointing at the register. "But I have a question" I said. "Over here" she says again and clearly too bothered to take the three paces to engage. So I walked over and asked if there was more in stock. "No" was her reply. No offer to check other stores or request another brand. I walked. Bought 3 Mogami Gold cables from Sweetwater. That's almost $500 in business lost. I'm done. Wrote them directly as well. Sadly, this is the typical GC experience: Bitter and disenchanted employees with no passion for music. Sad that this is what I have come to expect as this is not my first rodeo with this issue. I'm not one to whine online about anything, but the fact that GC blew it twice in a week says something very negative is happening there. A former Guitar Center Customer. read more

Nice guitars and big selection. But the staffing was horrible. 5 employees on the floor that I could find, 4 behind the check out and 1 doing repairs. No one to help unlock guitars or get them down from up high. I stood around for 45 min and was never helped. One person in the high end acoustic room jamming for the whole 1.5hrs I was there, hogging the room and singing to the point where I couldn't try any of the guitars in the room. After the 45 min wait for help I decided to take my $3500 elsewhere. I hope this situation was just due to holiday shopping but this branch lost my business. read more

So I picked up a basic guitar at a garage sales, and decided to have it checked up. First of this is a big place, I wish they have more locations around like they used to, the staffs are very resourceful, they will tell you exactly what you need to buy for your first guitar, also they have a nice public restroom. Definitely come back when the pandemic over for some more guitar lessons read more

Guitar Center - Front counter - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - San Marcos, California

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I love this store! Excellent customer service and instructors. I'm learning how to play the drums and it's been a fun and pleasant experience. read more

I'm a first time first player and had a dusty old guitar sitting around in the garage. I called guitar center to see if they could put new strings and tune it for me. I spoke to a guy named Matt , the repair technician, and he was so pleasant and accommodating. He told me it takes anywhere from half to full hour to get it strung, tuned, and cleaned. He leave typically around 6-7pm the nights he works and I was pushing it asking if he was able to take me the same night. It was 6:30 and had a half hour drive to get there, but he said he would wait for me. I have never witnessed someone in customer service be superman in multitasking as he displayed tonight. During the short time I was there, there were 4 to 5 employees asking for help or his tools, a relentless customer asking him questions and complaining about something he got for free, and a numerous amount of customers inquiring all things under the sun. Throughout it all Matt was efficient, professional, focused, pleasant and talented in his craft. As he said he's "quick with no sacrifice of the quality." So thanks Matt and to the manager at Guitar Hero...he needs a raise, he definately deserves a raise. read more

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So i was in the market for a new DJ board and most places were sold out. Not this place, infact they had exclactly what i wanted and i didnt even know it yet. I walked into the audio area where i saw the Denon prime 4 on display. I asked if i could play with it a little to see if i like it and fell in love instantly. The staff (DJ Tony) made sure to help with all my questions and took a really good care of me. Made sure i got exactly what i needed and wanted every step of the way and even reached out later to make sure i was happy with my choice! Much appreciated brother! Would def come back to this store! read more

Guitar Center - Denon dj prime 4 - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - San Marcos, California

Martin X Series acoustic/electric in the humidity room. Nice selection and fun to play and test sound!

Nicole went above and beyond to get me my new bass. She even tuned it. Go check out her band falcon punch at Aztec brewery! She's rad

The staff were very helpful as I shopped for a new bass amp. The price of the amp was great and the staff member assisting me retrieved a new boxed unit from the back very quickly. I appreciate the comfortable vibe as they didn't act demeaning or like prima-donnas as I asked simple questions. Keep up the good work and keep making customers feel welcome and comfortable in your store. read more

I just bought my son's first Electric Guitar and amps. It took a little while for service, but I get it when they're a little busy. The staff was awesome, I got all my question answered. Now, my son is jamming away with his new toys. Lol:) read more

I can't remember the last time I felt so unimportant in a store as a customer. I stood there feeling invisible after every employee ran around with their heads down ignoring the fact that I was looking for help. Then to make make things worse, the manager (I believe his name was Daniel) finally made eye contact with me and felt obligated to ask if I needed to be rung up. I told him no, o have been waiting for help with a few products. He reluctantly came over to help and was rude, obnoxious and basically shoved me out the door after trying to sell me a inferior product than what I was looking for. I ended up putting everything back on the shelves and walking out with nothing. I was there to buy some Taylor Guitar accessories and after the horrendous experience, I even called Taylor guitars to report the store and the manager. Personally, I think Taylor should remove their products from Guitar Center all together. Having such a bad experience at a reseller only undermines their brand. To sum it up, they just lost at least $500 in sales and from now on, I will just purchase my equipment somewhere else and never go back to guitar Center. again! One last thing, the store was a complete mess, their inventory was unorganized and scattered around the store. I don't know how the manager Daniel still has a job. read more

Ordered my sons Little Martin for Christmas and set it up for pick up at the San Marcos store. They were helpful courteous and called as soon as the guitar got to the store 2 weeks after ordering. Always fun to look around and sample instruments! read more

Guitar Center has stolen my heart. If you love music as I do, do not expect to be in and out of here in a short period of time. You need to give yourself at least several hours to make it through this place, even if you're not buying anything, seriously!!! It literally took me 1 hour just to get through the percussion section. You can sit in the bass session for an hour or the keyboard section for an hour or the mic section for an hour, you can sit in the guitar section and listen to random dudes jamming on the guitars. It is so incredible, and makes you want every instrument in the place!! It took us two three hour visits to decide on the correct electric guitar and set up that we were getting for my son. And in those two 3-hour visits, I still haven't decided which keyboard I want to purchase! If you don't love music or you don't play an instrument go hangout at Guitar Center for a while and I guarantee you you will get the urge!!! Go here!!! read more

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We have been coming to this guitar center for many years now and we've never had a problem they are super nice and are pet friendly Jason is super kind and is always willing to help us he's in charge of the drumming area read more

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

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Went in today to buy a guitar and must say that the sales rep that help us was great. Didn't catch his name because my husband was calling him "bro" but he was very nice and super attentive (black curly long hair) THANK YOU read more

Guitar Center - My new guitar - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - San Marcos, California

They shipped me a damaged guitar. I tried dozens of times to get through to them on the phone. When I finally reached them I was told I bought the guitar (not received it) 2 days before they changed their return policy due to the covid situation. It was then further explained that I was 48 hours too late to return the item and then I was HUNG UP ON for no reason. I understand the circumstances are tough on on everyone, but you should be ashamed of yourself taking advantage of the situation which made it IMPOSSIBLE to make a good faith return in a timely manner. Now I'm out over $900. SHAME ON YOU GC. Don't give GC your money. Read the reviews. Their online practices should be criminal. read more

Just saying the words "guitar center" puts a smile on my face. Music is a hobby everyone should dabble with. I've only seen people become happier when they apply themselves to actually playing it. Guitar Center is the best place to open one's mind to being a musician or just nerd out for yourself! read more

I just left the store now. I came in to buy an amplifier and none of the five sales associates helped me. Two of them were playing guitars and the other three were putting hang tags on guitars. There was no one else in the store, so they made me stand there for ten minutes. I finally walked out. The customer service is atrocious. There's no reason a person who's about to buy something should have to wait on five associates who really doing nothing. It's no surprise why guitar center has been on the verge of bankruptcy for years now. They need a culture change in their corporation. Hire people who understand the importance of a customer spending money in their store. read more

I just wanted to brag a little about how amazing the employees are at this location. My husband went in to buy a guitar and after being there for 10 minutes, my purse was stolen as we were testing out guitars. Every single employee helped us, let us use their phone to call the sheriffs department, walked around outside with my husband for at least 10 minutes looking for the the person, and then eventually helped us find my purse. After all of that, my husband still decided to get a guitar and they really took care of us. Super thankful for kind people. I believe the managers name was Shawn. Thanks so much again. We will be back read more