Great place, great people! I came on a whim because my son's guitar needed some repairs, and he needed another one in the meantime for his lessons. The younger guy at the counter was super helpful over the phone and in person, gave us pretty good info on the guitar my son picked out and was very helpful with helping us pick out some other accessories, was not trying to "make a sale" he was honest and not trying to upsale us. Which is the best when it comes to shopping experiences as small stores! I was quoted an estimate for the repairs, and restringing, and told it would be about 2 weeks. A week later I got the call that our guitar was ready! Not only did they fix it but they made it look as good as new! Jeff was there when I picked it up and he was hella awesome too! The take away is that these guys here enjoy what they do, are people people, and a pleasure to work with. read more

We've purchased several instruments here and both my sons take lessons with their instructors. Sales staff are always so friendly, helpful, and have tons of knowledge. Instructors are top notch. My sons are beginners and have progressed very quickly. Even better, they still both love coming to the lessons and haven't tired of guitar. Everyone is just so awesome - more like family than a place of business. read more

Mark's Guitar Exchange - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Chula Vista, California

Service is so great! I've only been a handful of times and Jeff makes it all the more welcoming each time.

If you are looking for a guitar, guitar services or ANY other items for your musical needs, this is the place! I have been a frequent customer for about a year now and their service is above all. Jeff and Desiree are usually the two employees that are around when my family and I stop by. I have an 11yo that has been playing the electric guitar for about 2 years now and he feels welcome here. Jeff always is always attentive and let's my kid rock out with him when he has a chance. We recently purchased a Marshall amplifier and Jeff's recommendation was a good one. Thanks Jeff and Desiree for the great service!!! read more

Everyone here is helpful and knowledgeable. You can tell they have a passion for what they do. Great shop with a nice selection of amps, guitars, straps, everything and anything you need. read more

Mark's Guitar Exchange - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Chula Vista, California

Very cool uh this place is pretty cool because you know it's a guitar bussin sheesh among us place and it's very cool read more

Mark's Guitar Exchange - Musical Instruments & Teachers Near Me - Chula Vista, California

My dad and I Had great service here today. I can't remember the name of the man who helped me but he restrung my Epiphone Viola Bass for me and was a total hoot. It was fun chatting with him and checking out some of the inventory! I never felt like I was just a customer, he was very kind and personable. I plan to come back again when I need to get my bass worked on! read more

Been here a few times, bought Gibson and an Arena from them. Support the private owned businesses, I say. They don't overcharge. The guitars they sell here are fairly priced and competitive. Remember, they have to make a profit too. And I have taken my guitars here for setups and they do a very good job. I'm pretty sure they offer lessons here too. read more

Amazing and the best guitar teachers along with best customer service! They have such a huge selection of instruments from beginners to high end . read more

I checked out the reviews of this shop before I ever walked in and they are dead on. Friendly and knowledgable staff combined with warm environment - this place reminds me of the shop I visited as a kid. The selection of guitars appeals to all levels of players and genres - and very competitively priced. I even started taking lessons again after I bought an amplifier and Tai's knowledge base exceeds all expectations. He even made his studio roomier by moving all the excess gear that was stored there - this made a good experience that much better for his students. Speaking of students they teach all age and ability levels, from kids to senior citizens - anyone is welcome. Thanks Tai and Mark's Guitar exchange staff you guys rock read more

First time buying my own bass with my very first paycheck and was hooked about the claim that they had the best prices. Although they were nice and promised me a new guitar, they gave me a poorly manufactured one that was wasn't properly sanded down and had buzzing to the strings. Dirt spots around it too. I didn't realize these details until after. They have a no return/ final sale policy so there's no chance of getting your money back. Funny part is that Amazon had even cheaper prices; $100 less! As a new bass player, I felt like I was taken advantage of. They also broke the back part of my guitar during a restringing. Not coming back here anytime soon. Save your money and buy from Amazon. read more

Had a great experience with tech Connor today, I brought my bass in to take care of some fret buzz which he fixed and he had me restrung and polished up good as new in less time than expected. Same day in fact. I had a look at some of the other projects he was working and they all looked great too. He's passionate about what he is doing there and he is good at it, and it's sure great to support a small business like this one as opposed to any of the big super stores. Thank you! read more

Love the small shop atmosphere. The employees are really nice, friendly and encouraging. I am taking lessons from Aaron for my bass guitar. I really recommend him. Very patient instructor. Will continue with him. Dino read more

I've been taking ukulele lessons from Aaron Wooton here over the past year or so and it's basically like studying with a PhD. He's helped me understand music at a lot deeper level (I still feel like I'm in the wading pool). But each week I learn something new that I can see being used in music, and adds a new tool into my music toolbelt. It's fun, and keeps me coming back. Bob's the character in the front of the store, super friendly, super knowledgeable, always ready with a joke or two. Great local music store. read more

This place is amazing! My nephew just started guitar In middle school and we came in to get a beginner guitar. We were helped by a nice gentleman named bob he was so nice and did not rush us at all showed him options seeing what he liked. He gave us options on guitars and bags but didn't push any of them on us he let my nephew make his decision on what felt best. Other customers came in but he didn't veer from helping us and the fact he didn't rush us made it so great. I am so glad we found this place and will definitely be back! read more

I just came in to find my next guitar and try to shop local and not feed guitar center and Amazon but the so called manager of the store was being a snobbish prick. Sunday 12/26/21 2:39pm otay location. Oh well I guess I'll think locally but shop guitar center read more

We went to get guitar strings for my sons guitar. The service was amazing. He taught my son so much and was so full of knowledge. If you have any guitar needs please check this place out. Local business's like this deserve to thrive. read more

Biggest waste of space ever!!! I play guitar extremely well for 15 years and have never been treated so rudely!!! He asked if I was going to buy and kicked me out when I said I'd like to play one first!!!! This is disgusting. He's praying on people that don't know what their doing to buy a crappy guitar that plays like crap!!!! This is horrible for begging musicians and veterans to experiance!!! This place is a joke!!! His guitars are of terrible anyways! He must be going bankrupt or something or if not, he will be soon. He told me", its not a library," like I was a ten year old at the porno section and then slammed his hands on his counter. I purchase from moses guitars and taylor if I got the money at the time. Those are real business that have REAL products that KNOW what they're doing. Not this kook and his little shop of crap. read more

Saw this store as we were driving by so we decided to stop by and see what they had. Very small selection of instruments--the ones we looked at were overpriced (too much of a markup), especially compared to what we had seen in other stores. Definitely recommend shopping around before purchasing. Customer service was "OK" -- the salesman didn't know much about some of the products we asked about and he got testy when we asked for a discount. He was happy to talk about his mariachi band and politics though. Recommend Buffalo Bros, The Blue Guitar, or Alan's Music Center instead. read more

I'm really not sure why this place has such a low rating. I've been to this store twice. The first time the owner was behind the counter. He was very nice and attentive. I asked if they had any banjos and he said that he didn't but if I wanted he could order one. He showed me this large book and we skimmed through some different pictures. I declined since i'd like to hold any instrument before ordering, but I was happy with the service. Yesterday was my second time in the store. I needed my guitar strings changed and action adjusted. Rick was there and he was really nice! He gave me tips and advise on my guitar strings. He showed me what he was doing and his professional opinion on things that I could do to make my guitar play better. It was really fast. I couldn't have been happier and it was $23. AND the topping on the cake was that I noticed they had fender banjo's in stock. So it's clear they try to listen to customers. Although I think i'll being going with a Deering banjo when the time comes, since it's a local company. I will be coming to this store for most of my musical needs. I think this place is great! read more

Very good customer service here! The staff has always been extremely helpful with instrument knowledge and reccomendations. They do a great job cleaning and re-stringing guitars. Also a good shop to buy a guitar from. Good variety of amps, straps, picks, etc.. They host lessons as well. Aaron was the best teacher I've ever had! read more

I would have liked to see this place before guitar center and online stores did their dirty work to the mom and pop music store industry. This place has mostly beginner to beginner-mid instruments. Unfortunately for most places this size, it seems this is what they have to do to survive and make ends meet. It seems as though they can order in fender products, so maybe if you are looking for a specific model, stop by and ask them if they can get it for you. I pop in every now and then to pick up guitar strings for my guitar player, and the guy behind the counter has always been nice and inquired about what I play, etc... Last time I was in, I watched his interaction with a kid who seemed to be there a bit early for a lesson. He treated the kid very well and it reminded me of visiting Guitars West back when I was a snot nosed kid. Good on you, guitar shop dude. Overall, this is a great place for beginners and hobbyists. Unfortunately they don't carry my brand of strings for bass, so I'm not a regular, but this seems like a good stop. (They carry Ernie Ball over rotosound.) Trying out a guitar before you buy is very important, especially to a beginner, I encourage you to do so here. (But don't buy online, that kills places like this that deserve to stick around) read more

Used to come a couple years ago and was treated poorly by employees. But now a nice man with a dog who I guess is the owner is always there is very friendly and helpful! read more

http://www.brianjester.us/blog Personnel are friendly and knowledgeable. I started piano lessons here and the Yamaha digital full size piano was excellent. read more

All teachers here are excellent musicians, and the manager Bob is is very friendly. I love coming in weekly to relax and let the tension of my busy schedule unwind me. read more

Sucks that I wasted my day off of work trying to check out the shop. After sitting around for while (an hour after they were supposed to open) they remained closed. Incredibly unprofessional and frustrating. Should abide by the hours posted online and on the store door or least let their customers know. read more

Today was my first and LAST time going into this store. My first time I didn't feel like driving too far for a capo for my acoustic guitar so I figured this store is around the corner so why not. A freakin Dunlop capo (the basic) was $25. I felt that it was WAY overpriced so I laughed and left the store, bought it at Guitar Center for $15 (same capo). My second experience I thought I'd give it another try. I was in there for 5 minutes, some douche was behind the counter and NEVER once acknowledged my existence even though I was the only one in the store. That was it! I know some people knock Guitar Center but at least some hard rocker looking dude came up to me and was totally friendly and helpful, explaining different capo's as well! If you want crap service and overpriced items go for it. read more

Been coming here for 15years now and I still like this place. Everything here is legit straight from the factory instruments not like GC where they have had some counterfeit items I heard of a couple times. The people are really nice and willing to help. I sure will miss this place when I move one day. read more

Today was my first visit and I will definitely be going back. The service was fabulous, the conversation was great, and the environment was welcoming. I went in to get a string fixed and came out with a smile on my face after getting my guitar fixed and having a beautiful conversation with Bob. I highly recommend this shop. They make you feel at home, are very knowledgeable and extremely friendly. read more

1st time visiting: Went to check out store with some friends to look at some guitars. The owner/employee guy made a rude comment about us touching the guitars 2nd time visiting: Decided to give the place another try so I went to check out their guitar wall hangers. Same guy was there and I asked him how much they were and he said $12. It was a bit too over my budget (you can find one cheap on ebay) then as I was walking out he procceded to basically call me out for not buying one of his expensive wall hangers leaving me a bit dumbfounded and embarrassed never coming to this place again. cute dog though :-) read more

I had an unpleasant experience at this guitar shop today. My 10 year old touched one of the guitars he wanted to try and it tapped the guitar in front of it. The employee yelled repeatedly at my son "Did you hear that? Do you have money to pay for that?" Then I went to get the guitar off the rack myself and the guy yelled at me also, telling me not touch anything either. I grabbed my kids and stormed out of there. I get not trying to break anything and I would have paid for any damages (there were none) but he yelled at us, then tried to laugh about it like he was trying to be funny about it. I will not be going to this store again. read more

Terrific customer service. Bob takes the time to explain the different guitars that are available and figure out what it is that you are looking for. My daughter has taken ukulele lessons with Aaron for the past year and is now moving onto guitar. I would recommend this place to anyone wanting to take lessons and purchase an instrument. read more

Ask for Bob, nice guy, ownership has changed but the old negative reviews stay ... pity. Decent selection, overall fair prices, option to take in-house lessons in small private studio rooms. I like to support small businesses - if you do then at least give them a visit. read more

Awesome first experience! I will definitely be coming back when I'm in San Diego. Wonderful and personalized service :)

Super friendly and personable staff! Great first impression. Reasonable prices, highly recommended!

Great customer service!!!!!!! Very knowledge and passionate about guitars. Learned a lot from just playing with 3 bars from Johnny Cash to Nirvana. Will definitely come back for my guitar upgrades and tuning or repairs. read more

I brought my guitar in for a repair, and Rick (the repair guy, there on weekends) was really helpful, making my mom and I feel very welcome and at home. I got my guitar back looking and feeling better than ever! It's a really cool shop with all kinds of guitars, instruments, and equipment, and I definitely recommend stopping in if you need new equipment or a repair. read more

About a month ago I came into the shop trying to restore my electric acoustic guitar. Bob wasted no time in providing me some sound advice and help tips on how to better maintenance my guitar as well as educated me on some key components of the instrument to help me take better care of it. He not only taught me about my guitar but also FULLY restored it within a time span of 45 minutes and at very affordable price. He sanded down pets for me and even re stringed my with recommended strings he knew would be best. He personally saw to making sure it was not only playable but made it so that I'd want to play it. He was kind, knowledgeable, attentive, and his passionate about instruments and music inspired me to get back into music. Customer service was superb and I'll be back soon with my other instruments! Thank you Bob, your shop and your service is a pillar in the local music community and I appreciate your passion! read more

I just stopped in for some picks as it is in m neighborhood and was pleasantly surprised. Very low key and friendly atmosphere. I will certainly be going there in the future and would recommend it to anyone in Eastlake or Otay Ranch. read more

I cannot say enough about this store, it's products and more importantly the helpful staff. I dropped by to have new strings put on my e-bay special guitar. Mark the owner happened to be in that day and was very helpful to this newbie. He showed me a few guitars and even plugged mine into an AMP and then hooked up an Ibanez A73. I was blown away at the quality of the sound. I had already made up my mind to purchase it but before I could say a word Mark offered me a package deal on the guitsr, a Line 6 Amp and Line 6 Pedals.. I had already done extensive research on pricing for the guitar and knew what I should be paying.. Making a long storey short he saved me almost $175.00 on the package.!! On top of that he spent at least 45 minutes giving me tips and pointers along with some general chit chat. This kind of customer service is very rare indeed and I recommend anybody to try them out and see for yourself. two days later I went in to ask a question about my Ibanez and met Vic who was working that day. He not only answered my question but showed me how to setup my new amp and WAh Pedals without any charge, hows that for service! I am now taking beginner lessons with Nic and find him very knowledgeable and easy to work with. Overall I give Marks store a 12 out of 10!! read more