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Guitar Center

4.4 ★★★★☆ 406 Google reviews · Guitar & music store in Bellingham, Washington

Buys used gear Lessons Vintage specialist Repairs & setups

Chain music store selling guitars and other musical instruments, including amps and keyboards.

Plan your visit

  • Repairs & setups a repair bench comes up in reviews and the store's own info — call ahead for turnaround, since good techs run a queue
  • Buys & trades used gear they buy, trade, or consign used instruments — bring the case and any original parts, and expect trade credit to beat the cash offer
  • Lessons lessons come up in reviews and the store's own info — call about openings, instruments taught, and rates before the first visit
  • Instrument rentals rentals mentioned — the usual route for band & orchestra season; ask about rent-to-own credit
  • Today see hours ·
  • Phone (360) 733-3088
  • Website stores.guitarcenter.com

Hours

Monday 11 AM–7 PM
Tuesday 11 AM–7 PM
Wednesday 11 AM–7 PM
Thursday 11 AM–7 PM
Friday 11 AM–7 PM
Saturday 11 AM–8 PM
Sunday 11 AM–7 PM

Hours can shift for holidays, clinics, and lesson schedules — worth a quick check before a special trip.

What's on the wall

Instrument and gear categories at Guitar Center, confirmed in players' own reviews and the store's own info — not guessed from the sign out front.

🎸 Electric Guitars 3 mentions

“I had a team member assist me with a difficult exchange, that, while frustrating and time consuming, ended up being a really positive experience.”

All stores with electric guitars →

🔊 Amps & Pedals 7 mentions

“I had accidentally boughten the wrong listing for an amp online and had no issue at all getting it returned and ordering the correct one thanks to the help of the staff.”

All stores with amps & pedals →

🏆 Vintage & Rare 2 mentions

“I bought a 57 hotrod vintage reissue strat and all I can say is amazing.”

All stores with vintage & rare →

♻️ Used Gear 5 mentions

“They have a solid collection of new and some used instruments of every kind imaginable.”

All stores with used gear →

🎓 Lessons

“Lessons are reasonably priced, and they are flexible if you need to cancel or reschedule.”

All stores with lessons →

Brands they deal

Brands players name in their reviews of Guitar Center — the fastest way to tell what's actually hanging on the wall before you drive over.

Brand mentions are mined from reviews and the store's own info — they tell you what's on the wall, not formal authorized-dealer status. If warranty coverage matters, confirm dealer status with the store or the brand's own dealer locator.

What players say again and again

The things reviewers bring up again and again across 406 Google reviews — with their own words as proof.

🧠 knowledgeable staff 6 mentions

“Magic Mike and the crew, everyone is friendly, and knows their stuff.”

From the reviews

Hello, I hope everyone’s doing well. I went into my local Guitar center in Bellingham, Washington interested in purchasing a reverb pedal. They have this great pedal center where you can pretty much try out all the boss petals and a number of other petals from other manufacturers.

★★★★★ — Michael, Dec 2025

The staff was very very helpful, especially the gentlemen who repaired my son's guitar after my son did a real number on it. Was upfront about the cost and didn't try to push me on any unnecessary extras. Went out of his way to offer amazing and fair service in repairing a guitar many people had told me wasnt worth it.

★★★★★ — Timbre, Jan 2023

Wonderfully helpful staff! I was buying a guitar as a gift (for someone who knows all about them) and had no idea what I was doing. The person that helped me was so patient and explained everything. Even mad suggestions that were lower than my budget but was a better quality, that's putting the customer first.

★★★★★ — Mandy, Mar 2024

Locally its the only option for the gear-addicted and we're fortunate that the store with the smallest footprint has such a big presence, although the GC mothership leaves much to be desired because the selection here is weak.

★★★★★ — Kelly, Dec 2025

Excerpts from public Google reviews. Read all 406 reviews →

Selling or trading gear at Guitar Center

Guitar Center comes up for buying and trading used gear — confirmed on their own site. Two things make the trip go better. First, bring the whole package: the case or gig bag, the original tremolo arm or bridge parts, the paperwork if you have it — a complete rig is worth real money more than a bare instrument, and it saves the back-and-forth of "can you bring the case in?" Second, know that trade credit almost always beats the cash offer, usually by a healthy margin — if you're upgrading anyway, price your old gear as a trade against the new one before you take cash. Either way, expect the offer to be below what the gear sells for on the wall; the gap is the store's margin for setup, warranty, and sitting on it until the right buyer walks in.

Check trade-in info on their site

Lessons at Guitar Center

Reviews and the store's own info mention lessons at Guitar Center. If you're signing up a beginner (or restarting yourself), a quick call ahead answers the three things that matter: which instruments they teach, whether the schedule has openings at the time you actually need, and what a first lesson costs. There's no wrong first guitar — a good teacher will happily work with whatever you walk in with, and a shop that teaches usually keeps affordable starter instruments and rentals on hand for exactly this reason.

Where to find Guitar Center

3960 Meridian St #101, Bellingham, WA98226

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Guitar stores near Guitar Center

Guitar Center Lessons

2.8 ★★★☆☆ 5 reviews

3960 Meridian St, Bellingham, WA

Buys used gear Lessons Repairs & setups Vintage specialist

under a mile away

Elysian Instruments

5 ★★★★★ 11 reviews

2005 Masonry Way #104, Bellingham, WA

plays well with beginners

1.4 miles away

Bellingham Wind Works

4.8 ★★★★★ 140 reviews

2405 Meridian St, Bellingham, WA

Repairs & setups Vintage specialist expert setups & repairsknowledgeable stafffriendly staff

Store selling musical instruments including new and used options, accessories, and sheet music.

1.6 miles away

All guitar stores in Bellingham, WA →

Listing verified July 2026 from public business records and player reviews. Something out of date? Report a correction. Own this store? Claim your listing — it's free.