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Guitar Center

4.3 ★★★★☆ 2,048 Google reviews · Guitar & music store in Lakeland, Florida

Buys used gear Lessons Vintage specialist Repairs & setups

Part of a chain, this music store offers guitars, amps, keyboards, and other instruments, plus lessons.

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 (863) 688-4590
  • Website stores.guitarcenter.com

Hours

Monday 11 AM–9 PM
Tuesday 11 AM–9 PM
Wednesday 11 AM–9 PM
Thursday 11 AM–9 PM
Friday 11 AM–9 PM
Saturday 10 AM–9 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 7 mentions

“Went here to purchase my first electric drum kit as I haven't had a place to play my acoustic kit in years and wanted to get back into it.”

All stores with electric guitars →

🎸 Bass Guitars 4 mentions

“I ordered a used Kramer Duke bass from here, just want to share my experience.”

All stores with bass guitars →

🔊 Amps & Pedals 2 mentions

“I had a general idea of what I wanted, a Stratocaster that was good but still affordable, and I needed everything, amp, guitar, and a cable.”

All stores with amps & pedals →

♻️ Used Gear 5 mentions

“Always super friendly staff, store is clean with lots of new and used inventory.”

All stores with used gear →

🔧 Repairs & Setups 2 mentions

“He showed me the Squier starter kit first, then took the time to explain other setups at a similar price.”

All stores with repairs & setups →

🎓 Lessons 7 mentions

“Understaffed for a holiday, the gentleman that runs the lessons had to assist on the floor.”

All stores with lessons →

🥁 Drums & Percussion 2 mentions

“Went here to purchase my first electric drum kit as I haven't had a place to play my acoustic kit in years and wanted to get back into it.”

All stores with drums & percussion →

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.

🏷️ Fender

“I ended up choosing the Squier Sonic Stratocaster Surf Green Limited Edition with the Fender Mustang LT25 amp, and I’m really happy with it.”

Who else deals Fender →

🏷️ Gibson

Who else deals Gibson →

🏷️ Martin

Who else deals Martin →

🏷️ Ibanez

Who else deals Ibanez →

🏷️ Gretsch

Who else deals Gretsch →

🏷️ Epiphone

Who else deals Epiphone →

🏷️ Rickenbacker

Who else deals Rickenbacker →

🏷️ Squier 2 mentions

“He showed me the Squier starter kit first, then took the time to explain other setups at a similar price.”

Who else deals Squier →

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 2,048 Google reviews — with their own words as proof.

🔧 expert setups & repairs 2 mentions

“He showed me the Squier starter kit first, then took the time to explain other setups at a similar price.”

🧠 knowledgeable staff 6 mentions

“Ethan is professional, knowledgeable, easygoing, and you can tell this isn’t just a job to him 😊the guy clearly loves music and it shows.”

🎓 great lesson program 3 mentions

“Understaffed for a holiday, the gentleman that runs the lessons had to assist on the floor. He was great though.”

😊 friendly staff 6 mentions

“Close by to my apartment, staff are amazing and gave me recommendations before i settled on one i loved.”

💵 good value 2 mentions

“I had a general idea of what I wanted, a Stratocaster that was good but still affordable, and I needed everything, amp, guitar, and a cable.”

From the reviews

I ordered a used Kramer Duke bass from here, just want to share my experience. I'll admit it can be difficult to photograph a black guitar, and an instrument of this age is sure to have flaws, but the pictures posted did not show the cracks or marks in the finish or the rust on the pickup.

★★★★☆ — Gabe, Sep 2024

Great selection of guitars, keyboards, recording equipment, books, strings accessories etc.. Decent little drum room, Knowledgeable and friendly staff. Parking good. Pricing is compatible with online shopping but in store you get to touch, play, smell hear...

★★★★★ — Robert, Jan 2026

I came into Guitar Center looking for my first electric guitar. I had a general idea of what I wanted, a Stratocaster that was good but still affordable, and I needed everything, amp, guitar, and a cable. That’s when I met Ethan.

★★★★★ — Case, Apr 2026

5 Stars ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Ethan and Kass (Cass?) the kind of staff that makes you actually want to come back I don’t usually take the time to write reviews, but after my visit to Guitar Center in Lakeland, FL, I genuinely felt like these two deserved a proper shoutout.

★★★★★ — Caracara, May 2026

Excerpts from public Google reviews. Read all 2,048 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

3165 US Hwy 98 N, Lakeland, FL33805

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Guitar stores near Guitar Center

JC's Family Music

4.6 ★★★★★ 17 reviews

3250 Kathleen Rd, Lakeland, FL

Repairs & setups good valueplays well with beginners

1.9 miles away

Carlton Music Center

4.7 ★★★★★ 555 reviews

1902 Harden Blvd, Lakeland, FL

Lessons Repairs & setups Vintage specialist knowledgeable staff

Large selection of guitars, amps and band instruments, plus lessons and repairs.

4.3 miles away

Hi Tech Services

4.9 ★★★★★ 11 reviews

3910 Kirkland Rd, Plant City, FL

knowledgeable staff

8.1 miles away

All guitar stores in Lakeland, FL →

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.