Walked into Guitar Center Pasadena with my brother, our unleashed service animal, and a budget that…read moreclearly needed adult supervision. Things got off to a rocky start when there was some confusion about the dog, but Evan checked with his manager, got it sorted, and we all survived the great leash controversy of 2026. From there, Evan was awesome. Super cool, patient, and actually knew DJ gear because he DJs himself -- which is always better than someone confidently explaining equipment they've only met that morning. By the end, we were joking with him: "You really did everything you could to not sell to us... and somehow we still bought anyway." Funny start, great ending, and Evan helped us leave with a new DJ setup and speakers. Guitar Center almost fumbled the bag, but Evan recovered the sale like a pro. Shoutout Evan.

I get that they're understaffed and busy, but you have to try hard to be as unhelpful as they are…read more One gentleman kept rolling his eyes when I approached to ask a question. I made a purchase of a couple strings and an accessory that required me to take out my inhole sound pickup, so I asked if I could borrow a screwdriver (to literally turn the screws to the left a grand total of two times). He tells me "sorry, we don't usually loan tools out for use," which is totally understandable! So I ask if he can then just help me out and turn the screws himself if I'm not allowed to touch the screwdriver -- he audibly groans and looks at me, then finally turns, practically dragging his feet as he grabs the screwdriver to help me out. I was starting to be pretty stunned by this point. Then, when I was about to leave and putting my purchases in my gig bag outside pocket, the other guitar technician, Mike, starts staring daggers at me across the floor, then tells me to show my receipt to the guy at the door-- he thought I was stealing. After I'd been walking around the store for 2 hours and making multiple purchases. My jaw literally dropped. I don't know what's going on at this store, or if they treat every customer this way, or just me. I would speculate that because I dress quite basically (like a skateboarder, roughed up clothes, maybe?) they assumed I had no money/was poor to justify how they decided to interact with me. No matter who I am or what I might look like, staff should treat EVERY customer the same. I was considering buying a guitar from this store, the Yamaha AC1R specifically that they have in the acoustic guitar room, but now I don't ever want to come back.

Wild West Guitars provide an eclectic selection of guitars, professional customer care, expert…read moreknowledge and advice, all under one hood. Leroy exemplifies true customer care and Max is a set up guru.

just realized the guitar I took to have a setup done by these guys....dead frets all over 15-18…read morefrom e to e string LOL. Ipaid for a setup...no mention of bad notes. Ive been out of the country for 3 momths. the guitar has been in a case and Itake it out ready to play and poor playing below the 15 on the SG. these guys really dont pay attention to detail esp when youre paying $2-300

Marzz completely revived my Taylor 224-CE K DLX. He cleaned it off, polished the wood beautifully,…read morefixed the high action, changed the strings, and made it sound beautiful. Very fast turnaround. I would recommend Marzz to all guitar owners.

Life saving service. My housekeeper knocked my guitar over and broke the neck. I was devastated…read more Marzz was able to repair it and save my guitar? Would highly recommend!

Came here to buy a black folder for choral music after being referred by the Pasadena Conservatory…read more I called in advance to ask if they had any in stock and staff were prompt and professional in picking up to answer my request. Good variety of inventory from what I could see. Found out later my mom buys all her violin + piano sheet music here. It's tucked inside a strip mall off an out-of -the-way portion of Foothill. Would have loved to have seen this store in Old Town, but the current location is very convenient for quick in-and-out errands - and a short distance from the Conservatory. If I need to use something for music practice, I hate to buy online without knowing if it will work for me or not. Brick and mortar music stores like this are essential, and I'm glad Bertrands is so close by!

I was waiting at the front of the line for approximately 10 minutes without being acknowledged or…read moreoffered assistance. During that time, another family walked in and was immediately greeted by Mike, who asked how he could help them, even though I had been waiting there first. I found this treatment upsetting and felt overlooked and unfairly treated. I was also concerned to find used N95 masks inside the trumpet case of the instrument we rented, particularly because we had been assured that the trumpet had been thoroughly cleaned and disinfected before rental. Finding used items inside the case made me question whether the instrument and case had actually been properly cleaned. Overall, this was a very disappointing experience. Based on what I experienced, I would not recommend or support this business.

Amazing teacher. We have been learning from Vince for the last 4 yrs. Great style and we have 10…read moresongs under our belt!

I have taken guitar lessons with Vince for two years now. He is always patient and finds ways to…read moremake lessons interesting. He does the best he can to bring out the guitarist in you and guide you when you have trouble understanding how to play a certain song. The helpfulness and personality of Vince make it a great guitar lesson experience!

Grayson is an excellent neighborhood music shop with top quality gear, a wide variety of brands and…read moremodels to choose from, and most importantly, a knowledgeable, helpful, and service-oriented staff. Plus, my preferred guitar tech works here. His name is Sal. He is the only man I trust to work on my instruments. Grayson's is a fantastic option to shop and definitely a worthy place to spend your money in. Can't recommend them enough.

Just brought my headless 8 string guitar in to have new pickups installed and setup for a very low,…read morealternative tuning. The staff were super friendly and helpful. They went above and beyond to get my guitar setup exactly how I wanted it. They're very fairly priced as well. A good friend recommended them to me. I'll be a regular customer for all my guitar needs.

Sierra Madre Music is the ideal place for music lessons. Jessica and her husband are the owners and…read moreare awesome musicians. They have a great staff of instructors that are equally as talented but also know how to teach. What brought me to them was how Jessica quickly responded to my inquires for scheduling lessons for my son. She's friendly, organized and her willingness to help match your child with the right instructor. We appreciate all their efforts!

They've absolutely changed my son's life - he absolutely loves his lessons and has gained self…read moreesteem and confidence that will continue to serve him as he gets older. I love SMM! Highly recommend.

Richard, July 24, 2026: Fantastic Musical Instruments in Pasadena, CA is a real "bass shop". Tom…read moreKerr was very gracious to me when I was trying out basses a few years ago, even after I returned a fine bass I had on trial. I ended up buying a Pollmann Bass from another store. However, when I needed a set-up, , cleaning, and sound adjustment, I took my Pollmann to Tom. My bass now sounds better than ever, and he had a solid string recommendation. Also, just this week I bought a Kay Bass, circ, 1940 from Tom, for my bluegrass, gigs. It was reasonably priced and he did some work I requested for a minimal charge, adjustments to the bridge curvature, and a replacement tailpiece cable (I wanted a new Teflon version). I kept the original metal piece since it was part of the original bass. Thanks, Tom, for your expertise and gracious manner with me as a customer who needed some guidance.

What an absolute gem of an instrument shop that I feel so fortunate to have come across. I went in…read morebecause I'm potentially on the market for an upright bass, and I cannot express how glad I am I stopped by here. Not only do they have an incredible selection of beautiful instruments, but owners there are such phenomenal, down-to-earth, compassionate people. Nicky was in the store helping me out, and they spent so much time allowing me to try all the different instruments and talking me through them and answering my questions. The shop also has a rental option as well where 50% of the rent goes towards an instrument of your choice (doesn't have to be the rental). If you're looking for a high quality instrument with amazing service, this is the place to go. Could not recommend them more highly!

Krys, Subject:…read more"While You Wait" Clarinet Repair Thank you, thank you. You save me a lot of travel time, by offering an afternoon repair. 1.What is amazing is the clearer, brighter tones I get, particularly in the throat tones and the Bb (thumb and forefinger) and highest register. 2.Wobble is gone. I have greased the cork and am being carefull as I put it together. 3.Low register C# key/high G# works smoothly, the "catch" is gone. 4.Most important - the low E to F# (left little finger to right little finger) now works perfectly, the delay and muddled tones as I changed notes are gone. New pads and the small spacer pad seem to have soved my problem. My original pads looked terrible and changing them made the difference. The dirt between the keys was absolutely surprising. Jay

Recently I had my C melody serviced by Krys , he's very knowledgeable, 5 stars service, I wish I…read morefind him sooner