Top notch (top shelf) choice of guitars, not another "Made in China" showroom with 100's of crappy guitars... This is where you need to go to shop for the high end stuff.. As a business they are VERY honest.. I made them an offer on a $15999MSRP PRS Private Stock guitar... of course the offer was above their threshold and they accepted. Later the next day, the same guitar (which I was also tracking on Reverb) was sent to me on Reveb (an automated feature they do when you're watching a guitar sometimes)... for $12799... I was of course a bit upset that I didn't offer them that amount instead.. a $1200 difference. Well, instead of being dicks about it, they said "no problem, since Reverb send the offer, we'll match it" and they refunded $1200 on the purchase. They then packaged it perfectly and set it Priority overnight Fedex to me. That is FIRST CLASS service. read more

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If what you're looking for is to make friends who are also going through mid-life crisis and to gather around in a circle marveling at exotic looking guitars on a wall, this is the place. If you're a musician, forget it. I brought my guitar in for a setup and the service and quality of the work was so bad that it inspired me to go learn guitar setup and repair myself, and I couldn't be happier. So I guess I owe thanks to these guys. Best of luck! read more

I had a very odd experience here. I came into the shop after seeing their YouTube videos and was excited to check out what seemed like a well-established Custom Shop dealer in the SGV. Based on the videos, I expected a welcoming environment with a wide variety of guitars to explore. When I arrived, the owner (I believe his name is Leeroy) was very focused on appointments and seemed reluctant to let any of the display guitars be played. I understand and respect the need for appointments and prioritizing serious buyers, but the way it came across felt unwelcoming and almost discouraging to anyone just wanting to check out the shop. Though I was able to try one guitar, the overall experience felt uncomfortable and not at all like the friendly, genuine vibe presented in the videos. Compared to other guitar stores I've visited, the atmosphere here was off-putting and left me feeling neglected rather than excited to buy anything from them in the future. Definitely not coming back, and don't recommend to anyone interested. read more

Very friendly staff and excellent on-site guitar tech. I've had all my newest guitars setup and/ or modified here. And, Max has always done a fantastic job. You don't have to bring in a high-priced guitar to have Max work on it. He'll do quality work on any guitar. Highly recommend Wild West for guitar service. And, if you're in the market for something higher end, I'm sure they've got you covered as well. read more

What a beautiful store I just had my fender custom shop set up by max he did a fantastic job. I always feel nervous leaving my guitar with people for a long time, but Max had it done in three days. Really amazing work. read more

Wild West Guitars - The perfect set up .....thank you max for taking care of my baby lol - Guitar Stores Near Me - Pasadena, California

Max is amazing! I had an old beat up Traveler Bass and he did a great job getting back into Rock n Roll condition! read more

Wild West Guitars - Bass guitar - Guitar Stores Near Me - Pasadena, California

A few months ago, a friend of mine and I were shopping for a nice relic Telecaster, and we selected this shop based on some magazine ads and overall reputation. We drove up from Orange County and pulled up to the shop midday on a weekday, and the following exchange took place: *** US: *Knocks on door once we realize it's locked* THEM (middle-aged sir who answers the door): Can I help you? US: Hi! We're shopping for a guitar. THEM: Do you have an appointment? US: No... is that required? THEM: Yeah you need an appointment. It's on the website. US: We only looked at Google for directions and hours - must have missed that. My apologies. Mind if we poke our heads in for a minute or two? We're looking for Telecasters. THEM: Make an appointment and come back later. US: Okaaay... have a good one. *** I've stumbled upon guitar shops that needed appointments before, and weirdly enough if I act polite they usually volunteer a quick look-see. But that's OK. They can run the business the way they want to. The amount of 5-star reviews this place has seems to indicate that I'm in the minority on this one. It probably would have been a one-star if the guy had voiced whatever was causing the lovely expression on his face. xD We drove to another shop near DTLA and spent our money there. Again, I don't think Wild West will miss it. Just know that YOU NEED AN APPOINTMENT if you, the unwashed public heathen, is to be allowed to touch the Golden. ;) read more

Got a guitar setup and it came back with fret buzz on the A string. Unfortunately, I was way too busy to have the issue addressed in a timely fashion (which is on me), but when I called to follow up on this months later and see if I could pay for a slight adjustment, I was told I would need a whole new setup and that the window for adjustments is 30 days. Mind you, I haven't even played this guitar since picking it up, due to the fret buzz. The guitar tech seemed to blame weather and wood shifting for the buzzing sound, even though I made it clear in our conversation that this buzzing was present in the guitar when I picked it up from their shop. I also felt like I was being hurried off the phone, like I was wasting their time with this inquiry. This could just be a one-off issue or an off day with these guys, but the poor customer service is enough for me to go elsewhere. read more

Max is awesome! Got my Les paul back in woring condition. Hats off to these guys, they really know what they are doing. Never once did I worry about leaving my instrument there. read more

Great service, thank you Leroy!! Great selection of guitars and I got just what I was looking for. Communication and sales experience was smooth. read more

I have had consistently TERRIFIC experiences with Wild West. Ever since Collings (the manufacturer of my acoustic guitar) recommended them I've taken it to Max and I have NEVER been anything other than delighted with the work he's done. Hats off to Leroy and Max for all that they do. read more

Tried to set up an appt. with them per their wishes on their web site. I was traveling to LA from another country, so I used their web form and sent a friendly message. That got blown off, no response. Called when I was in LA. (To be clear this negative review is not about me showing up unannounced and expecting to be shown around. I called to set up an appt. days before showing up and showed up at the agreed upon time.) I dealt with Leroy. It was awkward and strange from the start. I found him kind of controlling and circumspect. He demanded a list of the guitars I was interested in looking at. To his credit, he did set up a bunch (not all) of them for me to try. I was willing to make a deal on a master built Fender, but he was offering ~$100.00 off of a $7,000-$8,0000 guitar and seemed pretty inflexible on that. I bounced, went down the road to LA Vintage and bought a guitar and had a hassle free experience. Screw these guys. They have a nice selection, but the overall vibe is that they're prima donnas, it's about them, not about their customer. I'd recommend Eddies, Wildwood, Wilcutt, Coda Music (UK), LA Vintage, etc. any time over these guys. read more

I ordered a Fender custom through WildWest back in December 2020 and paid the deposit. I was quoted a 7month timeline. After a long wait I started further correspondence and for a year it was always "just three more months". After two years, I told them they either needed to verify that the guitar had started production or refund. They hassled me a bit but eventually refunded. Four months later, the sales rep sent me an unnecessary email with a pic of the finished guitar to let me know what I had missed out on. Curious, I looked at the sales pics on their site and they included a build receipt with my name (not blacked out) and it showed that they did not send the order into Fender until November 2021, almost 10 months after I paid, but just a few days after I reached out to them to see if there were updates on it. So, they forgot to send in the order. Unprofessional and dishonest. I can't speak for the store itself, but I definitely would not put in custom orders with them. read more

The most awesome guitar store in the west! This place is the temple of vintage fenders, Gibson's, PRS, and other premier guitar manufacturers. This store is full of incredible guitars and the owner is so friendly and kind to let you play them. Amazing selection of Gibson's Les Pauls and Fender Strats & Teles! It's like one has died and gone to guitar heaven. And now I wish I just could hit the lottery and buy all the guitars of my dreams! Awesome shop! read more

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I've owned their white lightning since 2017 and that's where my experience with Wild West began. They are very easy to work with and always answer my questions and concerns promptly. I didn't buy my white lightning directly from them but they've taken care of me very well over the years as I am a loyal customer. To me, they are not just a guitar shop because they've taught me a lot and even said yes to my crazy request one time which was a dream come true. Everyone there is very friendly and I recently got some sweet New Year gifts from them. Best guitar shop in CA in my opinion and I wish I could support their business every day. read more

Recently purchased a Les Paul Custom from them. Arrived quickly well packaged. Setup was great out of the box. Just had to do a fine tune after it acclimated to my house. Plays beautifully and looks great. Have to kill my cat. Found he did not like the smell of the nitro finish and he got in the music room while I had it airing out/curing and he scratched the finish pretty badly. Will be trying to buff out with meguire's #7. Let me know if you have something better. Highly recommend this shop. They gave me a price I couldn't pass up. Was debating between this and a CS strat from another shop. This will hold me over for a while to allow me to order the exact options I want on my strat. read more

Today my '58 Fender Custom Shop Telecaster arrived via FedEx and I couldn't be happier. I knew exactly what I wanted, 1056/V profile, 6105 frets, 9.5 inch radius, NOS, maple neck, about 7.5 pounds. I live in Austin, Texas and had found a guitar in a local shop that met my requirements, but I prefer NOS over relic. Until now I had never bought a guitar without playing it, and at first I was hesitant to do so. I wanted a guitar that would hang on my body comfortably with a neck similar to my '56 Custom Shop Strat, but I did not want a guitar that was neck heavy. I chatted with Glenn several times on the phone, exchanged a few emails, and he very patiently answered my questions until I was comfortable enough to make the purchase, and I am so glad that I did! The neck feels just like my Strat, and at 7 pounds 5 ounces the guitar is light but not neck heavy, it is a perfect complement to my Strat! Tonight I slapped a set of Glendale compensated saddles on her and my Blondie is ready to go! Thanks Glenn and Wild West Guitars, you are the best, you made an old fool very happy indeed!!! read more

Wild West Guitars - Guitar Stores Near Me - Pasadena, California

Wow I had a great experience at probably one of the best vintage guitar and amp shops in So Cal . Glen jumped in and answered my way too many questions Very knowledgeable and experienced staff, and a in house luthier Thank you read more

This is a small and dingy little guitar shop located just east of San Gabriel Blvd in Pasadena. The owner is somewhat awkward to deal with and loves to guilt trip those who dare walk into his underwhelming establishment without making an appointment first. Needless to say, I did not feel very welcome and this is not a small business I'll be supporting again anytime soon. Better customer service at the Pasadena Guitar Center which isn't saying much. NOT RECOMMENDED! read more

I went to Wild West Guitars in Pasadena to have new pickups installed and setups done on several new import electric guitars that I purchased online. Their staff were all super friendly and accommodating. And, their guitar tech, MaX, did a fantastic job. Would definitely recommend Wild West and will be going back again. Thanks! read more

I must say, I had a great experience! Found them on Reverb when I saw a PRS I liked, called and spoke with Glenn who was very cool and eager to answer my questions. Every offering to send more pics/video if needed. Gave me a great deal. Asked about my preferred setup and strings I wanted on the guitar. Had tracking to me in 15mins. An hour later I realized I gave him the wrong serial# of the guitar I wanted, called back and he said "not a problem at all!" - Fedex did a mess up on delivery (due to them scratching the label off), but Glenn called them and fixed it right away for me. My guitar showed up, PERFECTLY set up how I requested with the exact strings and intonation was spot on. Glenn called the day after I got it and asked if I was happy. Just purchased another from Glenn the other day, he spent 45mins on the phone with me answering EVERY question I had. Now, THAT is customer service. Going forward, I probably will only make my high-end purchases with them. Hopefully, I can make it to the showroom sometime soon! read more

Wild West Guitars - Guitar Stores Near Me - Pasadena, California

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Some real nice folks running this shop. They fixed a string on my classical and were very gracious about it. Will be back for future guitar needs. read more

Buying a guitar today is much like buying a used car. Salespeople are incorrigible. Then I found Leroy. I got a great deal on a guitar and he is they most like able and a true pro. I bought the guitar online and within 5 minutes Leroy called to thank me and then put me on the line with his guitar tech who asked me how I would like the guitar set up. So when the guitar arrives it has a set and new strings and plays great out of the box. read more

I was there the other day and this place has the finest selection of guitars. Leroy treated me so nice and professional. I would definitely recommend this guitar shop for anyone looking for a high-end quality guitar. read more

I so love coming to this place. I'm the Covid era, I had to make an appointment and let Glen know which guitars I wanted to check out. I very much appreciate the no-pressure approach they use. I played for about an hour until I made a choice. I've gone there several times without buying anything. So many great guitars there. After buying, I chatted with Glenn for awhile. Nice guy. A real musician and knows the products. I just picked up my fourth PRS from them. They truly have the best selection of them around us. read more

Saw this place as I was driving by and stopped in just to browse. Saw a BEAUTIFUL Charvel USA Satin Black guitar. The finishes on the guitars in the shop are so beautiful and vibrant, so this satin black Charvel USA looked like he wore a Tuxedo to the party, like James Bond. Really jumped out at me. It was all class. The younger Chinese gentleman and Doug were as cool as can be. I thought they would be uptight since the guitars here are VERY expensive. I spoke to both guys and came up with a very very fair deal in just a few mins. They set up the guitar to my exact requirements and when I came back to pick up the guitar, they presented my new bundle of joy in its case, cleaned and ready to go home. Really a beautiful sight. Thank you Wild West Guitars for my first USA made guitar after 20+ years of playing. It was a memorable occasion and the store and the people will forever be part of my Charvel USA's story. read more

Wild West Guitars - Charvel USA San Dimas - Guitar Stores Near Me - Pasadena, California

their -hit dont stink. very rude. took to long to finish setting up my guitar. waited 2 months past the completion date. told me to pick up my finished guitar. it was not ready when i showed up. sat there till 8:30 pm waiting for tech to finish my guitar setup. had to finish it myself. wrong hardware, reset play action myself after paying to have it set up. definately not worth it. way over rated. you stink and your ego is the biggest i have ever seen. read more

I've taken in a total of three bass guitars and one electric guitar to have intonated, and I'm very thrilled with both the pricing and the work performed - thanks Max. Everyone at the store is friendly and helpful. It's good to have a family run music shop to patron, and I'd hope that even more people support Wild West Guitars. A+++++ read more

So, it's hard as a Lefty to find ANY decent guitars, much less this incredible FENDER CUSTOM SHOP, FADED CANDY APPLE RED STRAT WITH HAND WOUND FAT 60s PICKUPS and GOLD ANODIZED PICKGUARD!!! And the stunning customer service by Leroy made the experience even better. And a better price than ANYONE was even close to online!!! Leroy called me the NEXT DAY to ask if i was enjoying the guitar and thanked me for my purchase. I bought a new car a few years ago and spent a few more thousand dollars and didn't get the amazing customer service that Leroy provided!!!! Now, if only the owner can get a left handed Fender Nocaster with a 10/56 V neck and Crushed Blackguard Pickups that weighs under 7 lbs!!! (hint, hint). If only I were right handed, my bank account might be empty. I can't recommend Wild West Guitars more. Norm's and Wild West are the best boutique guitar shops in the state of CA! Thank you Wild West and Leroy! read more

Wild West Guitars - Guitar Stores Near Me - Pasadena, California

Very welcoming place and nice staff, got my guitar set up for a good price fast, and the owner guaranteed that if i had any issues I could come back for free. read more

My 50 year old guitar broke in transit during air travel. Neck was separating from the body. I took it to Wild West. Max did an excellent job repairing it. Sounds better now that it ever has. Price was reasonable. Wait time was reasonable. Good work! Thanks! read more

I've brought one bass and one guitar to be set up by Max; the man is a guitar wizard. Both times I've gotten my guitars back feeling and sounding fantastic. I've gotten guitars set up by a few other guitar techs/shops in the past and Max here at Wild West is by far the best I've ever gotten. He's also just a super nice dude and doesn't come off as judging or condescending in the way that guitar shop workers often can. Highly recommend! read more

Have you ever gone to an establishment and felt you were their most valued customer? Well, that's how you will feel when you take your guitar to Wild West Guitars and have Mike work on it. Not only will he make you feel important, he will you treat your guitar as though it was his very own. When you go, be prepared to hear Mike give you a thorough rundown on what the work will entail. Be prepared to have Mike answer all your questions. Be prepared to feel that your time was as important as his. Be prepared to have the work finished in a very short time. The kicker for me is that I got all the above for work I needed done on my cheapo guitars. You would expect to get A-1 treatment if you were an A-1 elite artist playing an A-1 elite instrument. I'm just an ordinary guy who needed his $150 dollar guitars set up. read more

Wild West Guitars straight up rocks. I discovered their top tier store back in 2012 when they were located in Riverside. I'm stoked that they're in Pasadena now! I spent many months searching for a guitar that spoke to me and played like a dream. New York and Washington DC helped guide my decision in what I was looking for, but offered only direction, not destination. I knew I was interested in a PRS. After searching through Hollywoods Guitar Center and leaving empty handed, I discovered Wild West online through PRS's website. The first time I stopped by, I knew I was in a CHOICE music store. The customer service was warm and professional. What really stood out to me, was the fact that they lead me to their soundproofed room full of PRS's and high end tube amps, and let me play loud for hours on end to narrow down my choice. I came back to purchase a beautiful 2011 PRS Custom 24 with a rich, vibrant, tigerlike 10-top. If you're in the west searching for a high-end instrument with high-end service, get Wild! read more

These people are more concerned with getting your money than having you as a repeat customer. Once they have it they don't care about you in the least. I found out the hard way. read more

Wild West has an incredible selection of guitars that you would be very hard pressed to find anywhere else in the world perhaps. The employees are super knowledgeable but very low pressure. They let you come in and really do your thing but are there to answer any questions. I hope to buy something here soon, everything is pretty high level and an overall very well curated selection of guitars. read more

Great dudes, great guitars. Amazing selection. Super friendly staff. Call ahead if you want to check it out. I love bringing my guitars/basses to Scott to fix up. I bought a fender relic'd strat here, it sounds and looks awesome. I tried out 10 other fenders before I bought it. read more

The SGV needs brick and mortar high-end guitar shops. These guys qualify big time. Give them your business! Bought a Suhr Classic. Great guitar, great deal. Minus one star because guitar was hanging on the wall awhile and the neck slightly bowed. Probably should have had the tech tweak it before it left the shop? Me not smart enough to notice it, but when spending 2k - this stuff should be totally dialed in. read more

Picked up a Fender Heavy Relic Tele today from Wild West Guitars. The selection was out of this world but the service was the best part. First time there but won't be the last. Well worth the drive. A huge thank you to Doug and Scott. read more

Wild West Guitars - Guitar Stores Near Me - Pasadena, California

I took an electric guitar in for set-up and minor repairs. Their guitar tech Mike was very enthusiastic and thorough. I will go there again the next time I need some work done. read more