Took my slightly used Fender Strat into Centaur Guitar today, after another shop wanted to charge me $240 for fixing a couple of buzzing strings. Chad kindly and professionally addressed my situation within a few minutes. Very cool store. Very nice people here who know what theyre doing, and know how serve customers very well. Ill take all my guitars into this shop going forward. Highly recommend Centaur Guitar to anyone in Portland. Class A guitar shop!

Told me my registered Taylor was a fake and tried to scam me out of my guitar. I was offered a flat 100 dollars and told me it was a cheap chinese rip-off. Taylor wasnt worth ripping off in 1981. Its not only authenticated, but, again, also registered.Pretty scummy because this also happened when my father brought in his jackson charvel. Oh well!

Friendly staff, good inventory of the kind of equipment I like, but cant always afford. They understood that. So they gave me a couple free guitar magazines and made my day anyway.

Ive passed the place for years, but as I play an oud, I never stopped in. However I was on my way to a gig and realized I needed a tuner. Stopped in and they were SO nice. Its a true stereotype that at least half the time music store employees are snobby and frustrated musicians. Not these guys. The man who waited on me was super helpful and nice and when he realized, after searching the store, that they were out of clip-on Snark tuners (he told me that that was an unusual occurrence, however Im not surprised given the current supply-chain situation) he sold me the floor model at a discount and even included a free battery, just in-case it ran out. I was on my way to my gig in a jiffy and was able to tune accurately all night long (ouds often need to be tuned that much) and was only sorry that I couldnt stay longer to browse their gear. I highly recommend this little shop off of Sandy. Great sales-people, no attitude, and they went the extra mile!

Stopped in to take a look at a few guitar pedals thinking I knew what I wanted. After over an hour of hanging with the owner, trying pedals and turning knobs I walked away with three and I couldn’t be happier. He helped me dial in exactly what I was looking for and was very cool and helpful in the process. I can’t recommend this shop enough!

Awesome experience, great selection, competitive pricing check it out. Went to pick out a bass and expected the usual 5 different people playing at the same time chaos, instead they have isolation rooms setup with amps. Was able to play enough in store to feel very confident I was getting what I wanted. The cats working that day know their stuff and even pointed out the little blemishes and what had been changed on it from original. Very rad!

Good selection of new/used guitars and accessories. Decent prices, will work with you, and good customer service.Picked up this Schecter 7 string, brand new Katana 50, instrument cable, and picks for under $450. 💜✌️

These guys know guitars and have a good selection 👍 Super helpful staff, who will set up your guitar for a great price! Rock on! 🎸

Great location, excellent sells mens

Really cool place to shop for used gear. Reasonable prices and friendly staff. Will definitely be back to purchase more gear.

Brought in my 2 Jacksons for full setups and what they did may be magic. Perfect intonation, perfect action, and they came back cleaner than when I left them!Nice guys too.Thanks

I have been going to Centaur Guitar since it first opened in 2005 or 2006 I was 9 years and wanted my first electric guitar. They treated me with respect then - which was rare for music shops and kids who ask a lot of questions. They have sold me guitars, amps, pedals, etcThey have great deals on unique used gear, and plenty of know how to help with anyone with DIY questions -I hope to come back here to buy more guitars in 10-20 years.Thank you!

They just restrung my guitar and tightened up the nut where it plugs in. It sounds phenomenal!

Bought a few pedals from them. For one of them I asked if the box was included. It wasnt. No big deal. One of the folks there said he had a box at home for that same model of pedal and hed bring it in for me the next day.Its the small things that make local stores like this great. Thanks for the great service and the killer price on the used pedal.

My favorite guitar store barre none! Awesome people with a completely disarming atmosphere and some truly special gear!

The people who work here are awesome. They are genuine and very helpful for new players.

Friendly guys, a great selection of boutique pedals and pretty much the full line of EHX pedals in stock. Great prices on good used gear. Plus, they take covid safety seriously, you can shop here confidently.

The best place in the city for anything guitar/bass related. Lots of cool old instruments, great deals on used gear and the best service/knowledge around.

Centaur has the feel of a classic music store. The clerks are casual and relaxed, but let you know that they are there for you if you need them. Their selection of new and used instruments is great. I bought a beautiful Aria Pro II electric guitar, used in excellent condition, great price, and know I wouldnt have gotten a better deal for my money anywhere else. Love these people. Love my new guitar. Ill be back for an amp in a few weeks. Plus, I prefer giving my money to local small businesses.

Really helpful and friendly staff here.

Helpful knowledgeable staff. Killer selection of guitars, amps & gear. I visited on Easter...and because I spent more than $5 I got to choose a plastic Easter egg. In the egg was a prize. My prize was a $25 gift card!! FUN AS *@&#!!!

Dropped of a dear guitar here to have some minor work done and a setup. Centaur had it done in less than a week and way cheaper that I figured. Great guys, friendly and super professional. Definitely my shop from here on out.

Such a cool shop! Found this really dank guitar there . Really friendly staff, super helpful, just an awesome shop to browse.

I will change this review if they honor the price posted online that I paid for my son. Im very upset! They made an error, I bought the guitar for my son and now they refunded my money and said they made an error. Thats bad business! I even paid extra for fast shipping because it was a gift. If they honor the deal I will change this if not I will make a complaint with the BBB among other places. Wheres there any integrity these days. Deal is a deal and thats just wrong.

I love Centaur Guitar. They are my go-to place for guitar set-ups, repairs, accessories, and even the occasional guitar purchase. Kelly does absolute first rate guitar set-ups. He’s very professional, super diligent, and detail oriented. He pointed out a number of things that have greatly improved the tone of my guitars. The last set-up I had him do on my PRS was spectacular. And the guys there are super cool!

Its the last true musicians music store left in a city once full of them.

Best guitar store in Oregon.

If you are a local musician and looking to help out your fellow local musicians, you need to visit this place. Lots of selections, plus check out the great guitars on display. Super nice people. Looking for another bass and this will be the first place I visit.

Excellent guitar and bass setups. Quick work, reasonable price, been going there for over a decade

Cool little place with very rad gear!

Fantastic pedal and amp selection!Oodles of pedals

If youre selling a guitar of low value and you bring in a gig bag....leave it in your car. They will not ask if you are icluding it, they will snake it while you are not looking as it makes it easier for them to sell. But they dont add it into the value when taking it in. I do appreciate guitar center asking if you are including it and informing you you are better off keeping it. Then they confront me about how I spend my money. Lol, what a joke!

This place has excellent deals in wide price range, some units are smoking deals on high quality acoustic guitars such as Gibson and Martin, but also very high quality, reasonably priced, Fender Strats, all kinds of gear. very reasonable prices, something for all skill level. Old school gear shop!

Centaur Guitar has a pretty decent selection of equipment. The staff was super cool to my young musicians. A lot of shops blow off kids but these guys actually treated them like the players that they are.

I felt like a shoplifting suspect all 3 times I was there even though I spent anywhere from $30 to $90 each visit or maybe it was gas

As far as guitars go, this is the better spot in Portland. Again, guitars... everything guitar. They have good taste when picking their stock. Great selection of new and used. Stomp boxes / pedals, straps, strings, amps / cabs, you name it. This spot is more likely to have something you may be looking for that isnt as common. Support small business first whenever possible. This store is a great example of overything Guitar Center isnt and never will be. It has a soul and a story.

I darkened this doorway 11/08/18. I was a walk-in that needed some technical work done. Nice place. Relaxed atmosphere. Real people. I dropped my guitar and went home. A few hours later the store calls me to come get my axe. I got a great deal, and VIP service - Quick. I hope to darken their doorway again, soon. I love these guys.

The staff always takes really good care of me for the various reasons I pop in and they are always stocked with really cool gear at fair prices. Above and beyond people, service, vibe, and gear. What more could you ask for?? Solid 5 🌟

Absolutely the best place to have your guitars serviced and set up! Always a pleasure to visit!

Best place for oddball vintage gear for a pretty great price! I like the 70s and 80s era japanese models and they have plenty! The staff is nice and are players and know their stuff. They have higher end stuff too. I just get excited for the lesser known bargain brands if you will.Pedals galore. Amps of all types. This is the spot in Portland to find something truly unique.

Great guitars. The best people. I feel at home here, and I never feel that way in music shops. Theyre doing something unique by simply being real and good at what they do.

A great selection in a very helpful staff

They had a lot of nice guitars, electric and acoustic. They have a great selection of picks, as well as cables and strings. All kinds of pedals.

These guys are great! I got a vintage Japanese bass at the Centaur on Barbur a few weeks back after trading in a few things. After having the bass for a week or so, I got it playing how I like but realized a few frets were fairly worn and the top strap knob was loose. I called in to the store on Sandy and described what was going on. They told me to drop by and let them take a look at it. A few days later I stopped in and they took care of the issues on the spot for free. To be clear, they didnt replace any frets, but worked with what was there to get the bass playing well again. They are super friendly and really take care of their customers. Thanks again guys!

First time in. Clerks are nice and knowledge. Very cool collection of gear. Highly recommended.

Assuming all guitar stuff is awesome; Centaur Guitar has an excellent mix of high end/vintage stuff, affordable good stuff, and weird stuff.I got the best setup Ive ever had, and Ive tried other highly recommended shops in town.If youre a guitar enthusiast, this is a point of interest as much as a store/shop. Those odd/charming 60s Japanese guitars line the outer walls.Its the kind of place where you would make up the name of a guitar brand to prove that the staff are liars and theyd pull a Fakenstein Fakey F9999 off the wall and let you play it. I dont know why youd do that though: the guys there are wonderful, and make you feel comfortable even with your most basic questions.Go buy stuff before I get it first: you just might save my marriage.

So helpful and kind. Great at talking novices through different options, and they have guitars and amps priced for all levels of player.

Ive been going to Centaur Guitar since just after it opened. Its a great place to look for vintage guitars and they do good work at a decent price. Definitely a non-corporate anti Guitar Center place, always a good thing. The people who work there are friendly but not fake Guitar Center I want to make a comission friendly. Great collection of 60s-70s Japanese guitars on the wall too.

Friendly and helpful! Great experience!

Very knowledgeable, helpful folks. Thanks Chad!

Been to a lot of different music stores in Portland over the years, but always keep coming back to Centaur Guitar. Everyone that works there is knowledgeable and friendly, and you never have to deal with any of the snobbery or cooler than thou bullish*t Ive put up with from too many other music places in the past when I just needed instruments fixed or had questions about buying gear and encountered commission hungry bastards that try to oversell you into stuff you dont really need or want. I agree with the other commenter that wished there was a 6th star to add to reviews for these guys.

They were guitar centaur for three days until they who shall not be named sent the cease and desist letter, which you can see for yourself next to the brass jackalope. Lots of vintage and used gear, and a welcoming attitude the opposite of the clerks in high fidelity or Waynes world.

Absolutely in love with this place! Went in looking for a new amp and walked out with exactly that for half my budget!!!Excelent service. Felt so welcome!

Very knowledgeable, repaired my guitar while I was standing there, and just a really good vibe throughout the large selection if guitars and equipment. Great prices as well!

These guys have a beautiful selection of MIJ, fender, and other classics. Everything looked like a player, lots of interesting amps, and TONS of pedals.Knowledgeable staff, will be back for sure!

Just had my guitar set up here and Im very very happy with the work. It was slightly out of wack and bothering me. They really dialed it in and its finally perfect! Lots of attention to the little details for very little money. Ill be a repeat customer.

The guys working here are top-notch, super knowledgeable and not trying push a sale on you. The pedal selection is SUPERB but the bass amps/heads leave a lot to be desired.... but its a local guitar shop so whatever, not enough space for everything.

Incredible independent guitar store, with all the every day needs, and the largest collection of boutique pedals Ive ever seen. Knowledgeable and friendly. Worth the trip for sure.

Discounted harmonicas, but limited stock.

Excellent, knowledgable, and approachable store. Not only did they help out selecting strings for a family gift but they were great with my infant daughter. Good experience all around.

Shop here everytime im in Portland. Great instruments and really cool people

Lots of cool gear. From strings and things to guitars, amps, pedals and more.This is what a guitar shop is suppose to be.

Cool store! Friendly staff. All kinds of vintage amps and guitars and a wide selection of effects. Go visit.

Very helpful employees/owners. I was looking for ear plugs, but they didnt have exactly what I wanted. They still gave me a free pair of cheap foam plugs just in case I didnt find a nice pair.

It feels like Im talking to old friends when I visit. I dont feel like im trying to be sold something that i dont really need. I am a customer for life.

Best shop in Portland. Been a customer for probably 10 years or more at this point and never had a single bad experience.

I cant say enough good about my experiences with these guys so far.I went in expecting a haughty and aloof person to be working. Instead both of the owners were there ans both helped me find the parts I needed, and even gave me suggestions and tips on how to do an initial set up on a warmoth guitar. Great guys. Buy from them

Always a great place to check out to see what they have in store.

Very friendly and helpful. Didnt care that I wasnt buying anything, pleasant atmosphere.

These guys are AMAZING. This is, by far, the best guitar shop in Portland.I walked in wanting to sample a compressor or two. Immediately, I was looking at five compressors with a handful of patch cables and a one-spot daisy chain, a beautiful Fender tube combo and a well-put-together ESP.In my playing I was engaged in a refreshing conversation by one of the guys about the nuances of compression. His knowledge and experience was crucial in my decision to buy as it helped me differentiate the subtle differences of each unit.Eventually, I walked out with an MXR Studio Compressor and a huge smile on my face. I have hit every guitar shop from Seattle to Portland and nothing compares to the customer service of Centaur.These guys carry some very high quality gear including a Heavy Electronics Radio Havana which Id only seen on the interwebs. They happily indulged by curiosity.Every time Im in Portland, I will be visiting Centaur Guitars with priority.

Honest folks and willing to help a musician out anytime

Best guitar shop in Portland!

Good rates when selling my used equipment.

Great local guitar shop. Everything you need with great people who know their stuff.

Great experience. Chad was helpful and patient. He answered various questions and replaced all the stings on my acoustic in about 10 minutes, all the while tolerating the kids jamming a bit on the ukuleles. Nice laid back, welcoming environment. Thanks again, Chad et al.

Killer shop for guitar/bass, amps, and FX. Mostly used and vintage, I go to stare at the badass collection of old Japanese Teiscos that line the walls.

Guitars

Very knowledgeable and friendly staff. They let my partner and I try out lots of things, we didnt feel pressured to buy and walked out with exactly what we wanted.

Honest and easy to deal with. Always getting cool stuff.

Interesting little local shop with a friendly staff and an excellent selection of effects pedals

Kelly - Jason - Matt (Knuckles) - All that I can say is if there was a 6th star they would get it! Friendly - Fast - Great Selection - Excellent Workmanship - Great Teacher (Matt) Thanks Guys!!! Chad

Very helpful! Great place if you need any repair work done.

The only guitar shop you need to go to.

Great people with a lot of knowledge and good prices. Totally enjoyed my visit here and would shop here again.

Good guitars great people.

Out of the way helpful! Very awesome!

Cool place with Freindly, helpful staff. Nice selection of used guitars.

Very professional and kind people! 👏

Great used amps and cool used guitar pedals section.

Nice staff....want to do right for you.

Cool guitars.

Mostly nice during bad times.

This place is magical... Buy your gear at Centaur Guitar, people!

Awesome shop, the employees are all super friendly and knowledgable.

Friendly staff, great selection.

Great shop for the really good selection run by pretty cool folks

Fast friendly service lot of cool guitars check them out!!!!

Really helpful staff, great selection of pedals

Purchased two of my favorite, yet inexpensive, guitars here. An Epi, Blonde Casino, and a MIJ Fender Jerry Donahue Telecaster with mods. Great selection and service.

Im one of those weirdo musicians that hates going into music stores, but Centaur isnt like the others. Those guys are great. I recommend Centaur to everyone.