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Guitar Center
4.4 ★★★★☆ 458 Google reviews · Guitar & music store in Peoria, Illinois
Chain music store with a large stock of 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
- Phone (309) 685-5819
- Website stores.guitarcenter.com
What's on the wall
“Was looking for one of the big boy brands, and love this green insane on a telecaster, saw it on a Stratocaster and knew I needed to get this one.”
“A year or so ago I ordered a used bass guitar off of the GC website from another store, and when it showed up at Peoria it needed more work than was advertized.”
“Store is clean, although somewhat tightly packed with amps on the floor and tight shelving.”
“A year or so ago I ordered a used bass guitar off of the GC website from another store, and when it showed up at Peoria it needed more work than was advertized.”
“Nate took great care of me and even replaced some parts/setup the bass for me before giving it to me.”
Brands they deal
“I sold my Fender '65 Twin Reverb Reissue to this Guitar Center, and they were absolutely great to deal with.”
What players say again and again
“Nate took great care of me and even replaced some parts/setup the bass for me before giving it to me.”
“) I also was able to trade in some unused gear to upgrade to some new equipment better suiting my current needs.”
“Joshua at the Peoria, IL store helped me, and is a top shelf, friendly, professional and knowledgeable individual!”
“I went in a couple weeks ago to pickup something small but ended up walking out with a great deal on another bass, again thanks to Nate (who remembered me from previous even!”
From the reviews
I sold my Fender '65 Twin Reverb Reissue to this Guitar Center, and they were absolutely great to deal with. Cory, Gio, Joe, and Nate are great guys and gave me a great price when they bought it from me. I highly recommend this Guitar Center- i drove 1 hour and 15 minutes each direction to come to this specific store.
Have had a couple of great experiences at my local Guitar Center the past few weeks! A year or so ago I ordered a used bass guitar off of the GC website from another store, and when it showed up at Peoria it needed more work than was advertized.
I have loved music shops since I was a kid! Started playing guitar as a teen and my love of music blossomed from there. GC is always a great place to stop in and check out what they have. Between the new and used as well as the online store.
Great selection, friendly staff. Have gone in and tried several guitars in the past, the staff was always helpful. Went in to purchase a guitar and all my questions were answered. After looking at the display unit, a new one from stock was brought out and removed from the box for inspection.
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.
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.
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