First time at this store, went in to get a used guitar up to date, the owner was great at educating…read moreme and was always extremely helpful, respectful and patient. He explains everything so well. Got the guitar serviced at an affordable price, I can definitely say I will be coming back. Forget the other guitar place I went. Don't waste your time anywhere else.

Absolute gem of a store! The owner (for 35+ years, wow!) was very helpful with the purchase of a…read morebrand new alto saxophone for my high school daughter who has outgrown her beginner saxophone. They are an authorized Yamaha dealer and the reviews on here were spot on. Prices were fair, and the service was personal and knowledgeable. You can tell they truly care about music education and their customers. We left with a beautiful instrument and a very happy young musician. Highly recommend this place to any parent or student looking for quality instruments and honest guidance.

It has been years since I've gone to Guitar Center. All I can say is that there is a noticeable…read moreimprovement 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.

I normally don't write reviews, but my recent experience with the Guitar Center San Marcos Lessons…read moreDepartment 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.

I believe I spoke to the owner today. I was looking for drop-in lessons to help my kid keep up with…read morepractice while on vacation. She closed for holiday but still called me back and spoke so kindly. We're only visiting till Monday for Memorial Days otherwise we would have loved to learn with her. Great impression.

My daughter has been seeing Mrs. Dyana for a little over a year now. She has helped her grow and…read morecome out of her shell. Mrs. Dyana has given the art and love of music to my daughter. We are so happy we reached out to Vista Music when we did and are so proud of the milestones that have been achieved. Thank you @Mrs. Dyana

Wow- what a great experience for a first time middle school band mom!…read more The friendly employee (I wish I remembered her name!) made the processes quick and painless! We were given all the information needed to rent a trombone, necessary books and cleaning equipment. Their 'rent with an option to buy' is a great deal if your kiddo is set on an instrument for a few years. 5 stars! Mom approved!

I've had a flute for about 40 years. This is my Baby. I've taken it to other places in the area to…read morehave it fixed and they did my Baby wrong. :-). I brought it to the San Diego Music Studio and spoke with both Brian and David. Not only did they fix it under their estimate, but I haven't heard my Baby sing so beautifully in the last 40 years thank you so much

This is the best music store i've ever visited! Super knowledgeable employees who always take their…read moretime to help you find exactly what you need! The Best!

Parts that belonged to me that "got thrown out", brand new parts on my brand new guitars missing,…read morewhich the required service was not compensatorily offered for and I am sitting with yet another job on that exact same guitar. Electronics installed in cavity that don't fit as well. I mentioned whether they would fit and he just installed that instead of ordering a part or backing off. Multiple extra visits for pickup height adjustment on pickup installs also included surprisingly my going out to pick up parts for my jobs for him. Requested a cavity photo for reference and did not receive the photo at all nor any acknowledgement of that. This is not a full list of the issues I experienced. Guitar Center fucks up just as bad unfortunately. I didn't say anything about this dude technically made some really uneducated commentary and I bought extra guitar strings to add to business (cheap online). I feel like I really came through while suffering from side effects of my cancer treatment and I still have work to do that was created by carelessness and negligence, if I pay for those services somewhere else my guitars will be in shop for months and I will be paying hundreds of extra dollars. Tech/owner was also extremely condescending and inaccurate, maybe he was religious I saw him with crosses on his shirt and some religious music playing on his low-end stereo. Happens all the time.

Very knowledgeable, excellent repair work and great vibe. I like to go just to hang out!read more

If you are looking for experienced luthiers that have a passion for guitars, this guitar shop is…read morefor you I brought my Les Paul in for a string intonation. It never sounded better. It was my first time using their services and it is now my "go to" shop. Also, had a look at their guitars for sale and although I wasn't in the market for one now, if I am, I will certainly check out their inventory.

Shad & Scott are the best. I really appreciate all the help and guidance through everything…read more Definitely the best experience I've had purchasing a guitar 11/10!

These guys are the best, and I mean the best. They made me this unbelievable deal on a Suhr PT 15…read moreIR amp head and matching cabinet. Completely blew any any competition at Guitar Center of even Sweetwater. This is hands-down the best guitar shop in Southern California. Customer Service here is second to none.

Eric is awesome. Replaced a malfunctioning tube socket, thoroughly went over the amp, recommended a…read morefew tube replacements and got my amp back to sounding great. And turned the repair around FAST so I have it for a gig. Highly recommended!!!!

Great service, one day turnaround, at a fair price on my bass rig repair…read more I will be back! Thanks again, Mike D.

This business is 100% inappropriate with children. I have been there several years and it has gone…read moredown hill over the last year. My child (10yo) was pressured into doing things in the theater program; she has told the directors she was uncomfortable several times over a few weeks and that was disregarded. She is suffering from PTSD, humiliated in front of her peers, and was belittled by a 16yo "director" on a performance night. Completely unacceptable. Also, more than half way through this Springs production, one of the two directors decided to leave the company....thoughts!? I do NOT recommend this business and hope to save others from such a negative experience. Everything stated here is entirely true; I am seeking necessary action.

I love my singing lessons at leading note studios! I'm 35 and decided to try singing and I love it!…read moreShout out to Mario and Sydney for being my main teachers (so knowledgeable and easy to be around) and Savanah & Fin for also teaching me new stuff during a lesson. Every person I've met here has made learning music fun and exciting! Don't sleep on this place if u want to learn a new instrument/sing. Check it out :)

I usually setup my basses myself and do a pretty good job, however, I could never get my Warwick…read moreCustom Shop Streamer bass setup to my satisfaction. After looking at reviews of several shops that do setups, I settled on James Hood. The experience was great. As soon as I had an initial conversation at their shop, I felt confident they knew what they were doing. The turn-around was quick, the cost is very competitive and the setup is perfection. They will be my go-to for any of my bass repairs/setups. Check 'em out-you won't be disappointed.

This was my first time using the shop, and I was really looking forward to it, especially after…read morehearing so many positive reviews. I brought in my Taylor K24ce, and I also left my Taylor GS Mini that day for a neck reset. At drop-off, the front desk tech assured me the low E buzz on the K24ce would be addressed and handled as part of the standard setup. Both guitars stayed with them for nearly two weeks. I called a few times since I wasn't getting updates, and eventually was told both were ready for pickup. After driving 30 miles, I tested them in the shop. The GS Mini was done well--I could see an improvement in the neck, and I appreciated that. But when I took out my K24ce, it wasn't tuned or wiped down properly. After I tuned it, the exact same low E buzz was still there. How could that go unnoticed, I wondered--had the guitar been played after it was tuned, they would have then noticed the buzz and should have informed me by email, rather than having me come all the way down. I mentioned it to the owner, and he took the guitar to the back for about 10 minutes. When he returned, he told me that if I wanted to leave it, I'd need to pay another $90 for a deeper inspection, since it might be a more technical issue. The tech who reassured me at drop-off was right there but didn't say a word. It was close to the end of working hours, so I figured James would just have me leave it at no cost. When he didn't, I didn't feel comfortable leaving it again. I really expected a more thorough check right then or at least a suggestion to leave it at no cost. After all, I 100% mentioned the buzz to the tech at drop-off. In the end, my K24ce is my primary instrument--it's the one I rely on most--while the GS Mini is just a backup. I ended up paying close to $400 for both the setup and the neck reset. The GS Mini was done well, but the whole experience left me feeling like I spent $400 just to fix a $600 GS Mini, while my main guitar's issue was never resolved. Considering all the time, effort, cost, and travel, I really expected a full assessment and clearer communication before it was marked complete. I've attached a video so you can hear the buzz yourself.