Jordan went above and beyond taking extra time with me for my strat, which was a gift from my father so I deeply appreciate his integrity and care with it. Because of his exceptional service, knowledge, patience, and attention to detail I will forever come back here for all my needs, and recommended to all my friends as well. Give that man a promotion and raise, boss!

Honestly some of the best service Ive experienced in quite a long time. Everyone at the store was more than helpful and knowledgeable about their areas of expertise. Not only that but Jeff personally went out of his way to make sure that my fiancee and I were pleased with our purchases, and smoothed over any complications that came up with a smile. Even at the checkout station everyone around was in such an exhuberant mood that I will never forget our experience buying our first guitars. We will definitely be returning for anything else needed with our two new guitars without a doubt.

First time here and I love the acoustic room. I will be back again soon.

Staff is always great, professional and helpful. Bought a guitar and for some reason was defective. Brought it back, John was extremely pleasant and professional. Returned it with no problem and ordered a brand new one to be delivered to my house at no charge with fast delivery!

The staff was very helpful beyondAppreciate that alot

This was my first visit to this location, and while the staff working there were great, it felt quite small for a guitar center, and their selection seemed less than what I would expect from a place as big as guitar center. For example, they have only one option to choose from when purchasing a new ukelele. They had maybe 12 used ones, but some of them had cracks in the body that would effect the sound of them substantially. Overall a good experience though and I will likely be back to this location when Im in the area.

The staff was very friendly and knowledgeable. Theres a wide variety of musical instruments available.

Decent selection but the staff could use some customer service skills. One gentleman was completely rude barking an accusatory question about a piece of equipment that had been moved. Not so much as an apology.

The customer service was great, and I had a lot of fun learning about guitars and electronic accessories.

I took a P1nc Takamine acoustic electric Flawless guitar that I paid $1,600 for in St Louis and now is going for used $1,345 in to this store and they offered me 400 for it .even the sales men said it was a kick in the teeth . was going to trade it in for a taylor worth 1399 dollars was going to pay any difference but doesnt really matter now .I will never buy any more equipment from them again . Just another lost customer very sad. Good luck people .but good customer service for telling me to take this jewel back home honest guy but out of his control.

We are a small choral group at the Sarasota National community in Venice and have a limited budget. I want to thank Joey, Ken and Steven for their work in putting together a package for us on a great Yamaha keyboard and accessories. Great working with this group.

Outstanding service even when things went wrong! The young lady who helped me was amazing. Even though my online order didnt work as planned, the store staff was amazing!

Friendly and welcoming staff. Im not a musically inclined person, however there is something here for everyone as this is the biggest guitar center Ive been to.

I went to the store looking for a used Yamaha bass guitar. After locating the bass I liked, I had to ask for help. Peter or Pete finally came over and plugged up the bass I liked. He made a comment that this is a good bass to purchase. After I told him that I wanted to buy it, he took the bass to counter stating that he would get back with me. After a while, he informed me that there was a problem with selling me the bass because there was a hold on it and he needed management approval and they were not available. He took my name and phone number stating that he would call me the next day. After not receiving a call as he promised, I called the store and spoke with Steve who told me that Pete or Peter was the originalsales person. After putting me on hold for 5 minutes, Steve come back and asked for me name and phone number and he would get back to me. He never did. I feel that either they didn’t want to sell me the bass because personal commitments or they are not customer service oriented. For many years, I have shopped in Guitar Centers in Atlanta and Miami. This was my worst experience.

Extremely friendly and knowledgeable staff. We came in there to look at ukuleles and pianos and drums and all of the different amps and Hardware that you can use in a live music setting. Also checked out all of the DJ equipment. Very clean store. At least three employees came up to ask us if we needed help with anything. They noticed we were from Kansas City and had a nice conversation about our travels to the South. No sales pressure whatsoever. My kids and I love going to Guitar Center and we visit Guitar Centers in different cities. I highly recommend stopping by. These guys know what they are talking about and will be ready to help you at every turn. Thank you Guitar Center!

Picked up my new Player Stratocaster today. The young men that work at this store are very polite and helpful. I would recommend this store to anyone looking for good and knowledgeable customer service.

They couldnt figure how to scan Juno keyboard for couple sales person asked mgr3x n lost confused. We waited 15 min. Then friend of mgr comes in immediately helps him and we walked out after 30 minutes standing in line

Theres locks on a 200 dollar squire, but in the acoustic room theres 2000 dollar Taylors open to play xP dont mind if I do! The blonde dude with the mustache was pretty cool too

There are some fairly pricey items in the store. I didnt appreciate that it was assumed that my husband was the guitar player. I ended up buying from a local family shop.

Got my guitar setup properly by an expert.Kirby (hope I spelled it right). I was amazed at how well the frets looked and felt after he did his his job. The factory didnt set up my guitar well, but he was able to correct it, and explained very plainly exactly what he did and why and told me how to maintain it. I was extremely happy with the work done, and he turned it around in a day, which was extremely unexpected.The only thing I would change is the speed at which theyre able to check people out.I think the entire system could use an update.Their online service seems to work well and is up to date. Its just the in store pos seems to be a little outdated, and I think this causes the lines to backup.Also, they have very little in the way of left handed items, so use the website and have it shipped to the store and setup if youre left handed.

Good staff, but super low on product. No doubt pandemic related

Big Shout-Out to Mike Brown and store mgr Jason for being patient with me during my buying a guitar with my Debit Card long-distance from Texas. I bought it for a good friend of mine in Sarasota I played with in a band called Mercy Road, back in 1990. At any rate, 10 Stars!🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Stopped in to grab some sticks and percussion items, as well as trying out and possibly purchasing an electronic drum kit. After spending 20 minutes in the drum department I walked out. Not a salesperson to be found! Nobody approached me and asked if needed help or had any questions. Being that I look the part of a musician other customers approached me for help. Why are the drumsticks behind the counter where a customer cannot access them? Many drummers like myself pick out each drumstick individually to ensure the proper balance and to ensure they are not warped. We also like to compare different makes/models because we are always trying to find the perfect pair of sticks. There is a severe lack of variety when it comes to drum hardware. I am old school and prefer to examine and demo gear before I buy it. I couldnt find a remote, cable operated hihat nor could I find any accessories for my Gibraltar Rack System which I purchased at a Guitar Center in NY. Never will I return to this location. It does not even deserve the one star I am required to give in order to leave a review. You lost out on at least $1000 worth of purchases today for lack of even the most minimal customer service! To Sam Ash I go!

Nice, clean store. Well stocked. Staff is friendly and professional.

It’s one of my favorite music store. The stuffs are very helpful.

Nice to see some normalcy @ GC! Kinda thin in the bass and electric guitar selection.

I called and was inquiring about accordians as a secret shopper and Ken the instructor was very thorough and well versed in what he does. He answered all my questions and was a great customer service rep who deserves to be a manager or someone who runs things...very thorough! give that man a raise!!

When I first got to the store, I was very warmly greeted by Brittany, and was very impressed to find out it was only her first day there and already doing an awesome job! Paul helped me with my trade-in and was very helpful, complimentary, quick, and reassuring that I was getting the best deal I could get and I was very happy with my trade-in value. I also spoke with the manager, Steven, who spoke with me while I was waiting, he was also very kind and inviting. Im very impressed, yall have an all-star crew working at this location and you definitely have my business moving forward, thanks again for the great service, yall!

I think everyone who works at this location hates their job. Very hard to find help.

Very good, best place in town to get instrumental 🎷 equipment.

Purchased new Yamaha APX600 from Guitarcenter.com. Was sent used damaged display model instead from this location. Screws are striped on tuner so it was tinkered with. Scratches all over bodywork. No original package or manuals. Strings all oxidized from use. Muck all over fretboard. Terrible Customer Service. STAY AWAY at all costs.

This place is always great

The world will be a sad place the day you cant walk into a beautiful store full of musical instruments you can touch, play, and experience yourself. My children were amazed and we almost walked out with a few beginner guitars for them. Maybe bday or Xmas we will pick a few up from you guys. Love the comfy seating everywhere. The sonic blue strat setup to greet you when you walk in is frickin gorgeous. Was so glad to see a guitar center next to a kirklands so both the wife and I could enjoy a day of shopping. Ill be back to buy some stuff soon. Thanks for the clean private restroom also... You guys rock, literally.

Over all the great experience every time I Come here to get whatever it is I may need. A little short staffed so it could be sometimes difficult to get ahold of somebody or try out that piece of equipment youre looking for but that just comes with the territory. Everyone is professional and polite and I join my visits when I come and I only share I end up coming back here before too long for something else Im missing. Some prices are a little exaggerated but as a chain store you can safely expect that but this location is pretty convenient and is very professional all the time.

Even is a chain store, the staff is very nice and helpful. We got the best price for the “Cube” amp . Have nice collection of used guitars 🎸 to.

Amazing atmosphere, have started going here often with my boyfriend, the staff is helpful and non judgemental, also no weird Im not suppose to be here feeling which I have expirenced at a few other guitar centers in other states, best one ive been to!!👍👍👍

Outstanding staff! Greg is amazing for voice lessons! Love this place!

After 2 months of research and deliberating I was prepared to spend $2,700 on a Bose L1 and the 8 channel mixer made to go with it. I stood in front of it for 10 minutes while going unacknowledged. Then I told the lady at the counter I had some questions and she said she had to answer to calls that had come in rather than deal with me who was standing in front of her. *this may be GC policy but it would be a bad one. Call people back who arent there or deal with the guy in the store? Seems like an easy decision. Anyway, I found a kid who was obviously trying to be invisible and asked for his help. It was the poor kids 2nd day and he immediately asked the original girl I spoke to for her help. She told me the mixer was not in stock but that she could have it delivered in a few days. Her tone from the beginning said I work for a huge company and my job will be here tomorrow if you dont buy anything, ok? And I just thought...dont you want to know what my questions were? Arent you interested to know if I wanted help with anything else? And the answer was NO. Had she asked about my questions I still may have gone home with the L1 for $1800. Had she asked if I needed anything else I would have picked up a gig bag, a stand, picks and strings...maybe even a keyboard. I might have even ordered the mixer to be shipped to my house. That would have put us over $3,000. But alas, I went home and will be ordering it all online from a great online company I trust. GC, you gotta do better than entrusting your store to kids who simply have the ability to check inventory and deliver information with a cheesy smile and condescending customer service tone.

Not what I expected....I understand they are having some problems over all but wow. The guitar selection was terrible unless you want a Squire and the two guitars they did have that interested me were disgustingly filthy, horribly out of tune, and set up really bad. Basically new price for poorly taken care of used guitars. I completely understand the issues they are facing right now and they are very short staffed but this is not how you dig yourself out of this hole. Walked in expecting to spend $1600 and 15 minutes later walked out empty handed.

The bankruptcy of the company is evident: the stands are almost empty and what is left on display is low quality gear. I hope the company will be able to get out of this bad moment, the University Mall Guitar Center was my favorite shop: solidarity with the staff, stay strong guys

Was able to get in quickly and safely, they even provided a mask when I forgot mine in the car! We didn’t end up making a purchase but they were extremely helpful and let us play one of the instruments. They request you ask them to use an instrument and they sanitize it for you before and after use.

Very helpful staff.

My dreamed place!!!

Pog

Thank you to Dave in Drums for hanging up on a customer because you didnt want to help them, and to the manager on duty last night for not returning the phone call of the customer to discuss the situation. Not mention the 30 seconds of ring time before some one would answer the phone. You both earned yourself a call to corp. Literally the worst customer experience ive ever seen or had.

Great place to try b4 u buy on Amazon

Great store .bought a tele

Canceled our order now we were stuck...

Great staff had a issue with my purchase and they gladly fixed the problem and remained polite the whole time

Needed an adjustment to a P-bass, recently purchased. GC employee, Mr. Kirby Dietz, exhibited outstanding customer service and should be commended for exemplary focus and professionalism. Thank you, Kirby Dietz. LJP

Kids working there that had no clue what they were doing. Walked out without what I was GOING to purchase.

Great customer service and lots of options on everything

Amazing place. Could have easily spent a few paychecks in there.

I love my new guitar😻🎸

Wow. Really good

Went to get my guitar set up and they told me the expensive option was the only one they did, which I found out later was not the case. When I went to pick up my guitar they couldnt find it for about an hour. Guy doing the repairs started to get annoyed at me for getting upset since I thought they lost my guitar. The set up itself was good but I dont want to deal with the people running the store. Will try Sam Ash next time.

I do not agree with their must wear masks policy. This is the first time Ive been in a Guitar Center in well over many many years and once I pick up my guitar which will be curbside I will never shop there again and I also will never shop on their website online because I do not agree with their policy

Very disappointing experience. I called from Austin, Tx; to inquire about a certain guitar that I wanted to buy over the phone with my debit card, so that a good friend of mine living in Sarasota could pick it up. A gift for him from me.I had already talked to the manager about it a few months ago, and NOW I had the money to do it.Brittany said to me (during TODAYS call) that there were a few of the guitars in stock, that she was going to go get the particulars off of one and would be right back after placing me on hold.Two minutes later she came back to the phone and told me that they were real busy and that she would call me back.She never did.So, I am buying the guitar from Musicians Friend and will have it drop shipped to my friends house for an early Christmas present. This is NOT good Public Relations practise.

Shop small businesses instead of places like this. Plenty of local music shops in the area

Had a forty dollar sign in front of the pick up I wanted but it was really eighty. Bummer.

This place rocks LOL

This is my second visit to this location. On the first visit due to covid we were greeted by a manager at the door who essentially did everything possible to steer us away from going into the store at that time we made the decision not to go in and look around we just grab lunch and we try another day. Today me and my wife came out to the shops and I wanted to visit Guitar Center looking for some potential new studio monitors, some cables, maybe some accessories for my drum equipment, and small odds and ends. While walking the store there seem to be a total lack of inventory. Huge gaps where no merchandise was filled and the merchandise that was sitting out on display not priced or priced appropriately, not described or described appropriately, and not in stock as told by employees. When asking for assistance I spoke with a guitar repair individual, obviously this was not the individual to be asking for assistance with recording. However I would expect that someone like this an employee would assist meaning find someone to help offer to find somebody to help or lead us in the right direction to find somebody to help. My interpretation of the conversation was buzz off. As we continue to explore the store we went into the acoustic section having owned quite a few acoustic guitars and still owning them I wanted to play a few specific things unfortunately, only filling maybe 60% of that area with low to mid-range guitars I was unable to find anything that spoke to me. Their set up on drums werenall small set ups. Maybe just for kids. We ended our trip at this point leaving we were not welcome coming in we were not acknowledged leaving. Will not be visiting the store ever again I do make a lot of purchases through online vendors such as Sweetwater but I prefer to go into a store touch feel and talk to experts there appear to be no experts there on staff and the manager quite frankly is a disappointment I would not recommend visiting this location if you are looking for anything specific I would order directly online from another vendor not affiliated with guitar center.

They are often out of stock of what I am looking for. Also, there is never anyone there to help me. Every time, I have to go looking for an associate.

Good selection. Not much personal service.

Sad that there is no longer any inventory

Employees were amazing, but theres clearly a management problem here. Took an hour to pick up a rental package that was already paid for. The Employee helping was running around the place gathering everything, but that should have been done earlier.

Best place ever, Steve was a big help & very nice

Its the best music store. They way theyre handling the whole covid situation is very good and they make you feel safe and like they care at all times. Respect!

Friendly staff. They really let you do your own thing and try the merchandise

They wouldnt allow me into the store without a mask, even though I have a medical condition that prevents me from being able to wear a mask. They suggested that I shop online. If I wanted to by from Sweetwater or zzounds, I wouldve gone there first. No wonder they need government money to stay in business, because they turn away paying customers.

The whole staff is awesome! Selection is awesome too! Jeremy is the bomb! Like I said the whole staff is awesome but Jeremy is not only helpful, outgoing, and knowledgeable, bit an awesome person and talented too. Played with Tesla, and has met many more great artists. My husband has spent QUITE A BIT there, and was more than pleased with everything. Top notch service, selection, and staff, but again selection. Go check them out!!! Love them!!

Cool store

Not renting mics due to covid hysteria? No preamps available for rental? Cmon son.

I must give Guitar Center a 1 Star review for the fact that they are not adhering to the local Covid Mandates. I was denied entrance into their store because of my medical condition in that I cannot wear a mask. The Sarasota County mandate specifically exempts those with medical conditions from wearing masks.I was told at the door that I must wear a mask in order to enter their store. Their reasoning was that because Guitar Center was a California Corporation and this Sarasota location was under their corporate guidance.The problem with that is Guitar Center has received State and Federal funding in the form of tax relief and PPP funding. Being that they have received this help from the government they no longer have the ability to discriminate against the general public. Because of this I will seek legal action.Also I do not want to receive a response from this store saying that they offer “curb side pickup.” I didn’t want curb side pick up. I wanted to enter the store and physically see and touch what I wanted to buy. That is the whole point of a brick and not at store!! Guitar Center has discriminated against me because of my medical condition prohibiting me from wear a mask.With all of this being said after being denied entrance into Guitar Center I went to Sam Ash Music and was able to enter their store without a mask and purchase what I needed. Thank you Sam Ash Music!

All kinds of musical instruments, including guitars. Staff could be more accommodating!

After more than a year of working uphill to work with this company and consistently being met with just interested employees, non-functional management and a complete disdain for the customer, I am no longer a customer of guitar center. It is no surprise that they are declaring bankruptcy

Love the guatirs and the sound

I wanted to buy a guitar and amp right there but I couldnt because they were on hold for a month you shouldnt advertise something you cant sell its very discouraging so I went somewhere else

Super excellent

Went today with husband to check out guitars. He was a serious buyer. We stood in the store for about 20-30mins. Not one employee approached us... my husband had to go to the counter to ask for them to grab a guitar for him to try, and then had to go back to the counter to ask another employee for another guitar to try. We were going to buy a guitar today, but after not being helped or acknowledged by the 4 employees running the store my husband decided we should leave. They do get commission off of sales and my husband thought none of them deserved it after they didn’t seem to care if we were there. Only positive was the nice employee at the door discussing Covid restrictions before going in. Maybe he should be inside helping customers.

Very nice except there is a max amount of people allowed in, but I am writing this during the Covid 19 times

I want to give a big thank you to the staff at Guitar Center Sarasota, especially the store manager Albert. I had purchased a guitar from them that had some issues so I returned it. I wanted to go with a different even more expensive model. However my concern going in was that I would not be able to get as good of a deal because I purchased the first guitar during a 15% off promotion sale. However Albert still honored the discount even though the sale had been over for two weeks and it was a different guitar.The guitar that I wanted was not in stock and the Manufacturer didn’t have any in stock either. So Albert special ordered me one and they originally said was going to be a month. Well to make a very long story shorter, after some twists and turns and back and forth the whole process ended up taking over three months. Needless to say I was not happy but Albert was very cool and by using both outstanding customer service and all his Guitar Center managerial powers he gave me a great deal on some other Items that I needed to purchase and he made things right. Albert went above and beyond every step of the way to make me happy. I am very grateful and I would definitely do business with Albert and his outstanding crew again and with confidence because of their wealth of knowledge and their true understanding of the value of customer service. Thank you guys!

Phenomenal service people are always really helpful in finding what you need. We went not really knowing what exactly we wanted but we kind of described it to the people there and they always help us and Ive always been so helpful no matter what time of day you go in even when theyre busy they make you feel like you are the only one. Always amazing!

No exceptions rule on masks, even if you have a medical condition.

Helpful to some newbies

I was at the Guitar Center in Cooper Creek to purchase a new drum mixer and manager Amber was very helpful and knowledgeable. Her customer service skills are the best and she genuinely cares about taking care of her customers. Amber is also a good mentor to the younger, less experienced associates.Jayson Moss

Always a positive experience. Found a lot of great used gear here...another reason for regular visits. Dont forget, you can have gear from another store sent here or to your home.

I love the guitar I found and a good price. Lots of good varieties of new and used brands to see. On giving it a 4 star because I didnt get any help and was never approached once by a salesperson. I had trouble understanding an amp and waited and looked around and no one paid any attention to me.

I typically always go to Guitar Center for various guitar-related needs. The only thing I would like to see is a greater variety of brands on the floor for demo purposes as far as electric guitars and guitar amps go. They definitely carry all the accessories youll ever need, no problem there for sure. All in all a great place to stop and pick up what you need.

Went in looking for some info on a PA system Im trying to get set up and these guys really were helpful in getting me pointed in the right direction. Definitely recommend. My spouse is even considering a Guitar and Guitar lessons after stopping in there.

Loved it here! We went on a Saturday afternoon when the swing band plays. What a blast. Its quaint and cozy. Hand crafted cocktails were yummy and reasonably price. Service warm and quick. Clientele very friendly. We will definitely go back when in Ashville. Also free and easy parking which is rare in the River Arts District.

Has a great selection of instruments, and an overall genuine and friendly staff- Steven is always helpful. If they dont have what you need you can always order it, theyre very accommodating.

I specifically asked them to order a thr10ii amp in an unopened box and not a floor model. They told me it would take longer. I didnt care. I said I would rather wait a few more days to get an unopened model. So I wait. I get it, and immedietly you can tell the tape has been torn off the box and retaped. The cords are unraveled and shoved under the amp instead of wrapped on top of the styrofoam like I saw in an unboxing video, and there are finger prints all over the on, off button. Yep, it was a floor model, despite the fact I specifically asked not for a floor model. They actually asked if I would like to reorder an amp. Heck no. You wasted my time, your time, and lost a customer. Good day, sir!

There were plenty of friendly staff readily available to lend a helping hand. A bought my second ukulele from here, and the employees were incredibly helpful in answering my questions and suggestions accessories. Brian was particularly friendly. Definitely check them out if you’re in the market for an instrument!

Very helpful

This place has great inventory. Guitars in all price ranges and plenty to play -acoustic or electric. Prices are very competitive. Bought 2 guitars and an amplifier. Staff is helpful.I think you have to play a guitar before buying. Even a Martin or Taylor differs in the action from identical models. So go play it at Guitar Center and compare.

COVID-19 restrictions are still in place and that can make shopping tedious. Even amidst cleaning, recleaning, and having to work all day in a mask, the staff was consistently friendly and helpful.

The associate I felt with was very nice that was helping me. However Mike (who appeared to be in charge) had a very bad attitude toward his employees as well as other customers. However I will return and give them one more try, as Im a music teacher.

Very poor costumer service. No body for help even when the store is almost empty.

My bf wants a turntable for Christmas, so I went to go take a look. I was ready to put one on layaway and I told the guy that, but he seemed uninterested in making a sale. He did tell me about a card I could apply for and I could make monthly payments and take the product home today. I kept telling him, it was a Christmas gift and I didnt want to take it home today, but Id like to start paying for it. I asked him what he recommended, but he didnt know much about them. Neither do I. Im leaving disappointed.