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Guitar Center

4.4 ★★★★☆ 820 Google reviews · Guitar & music store in Richmond, Virginia

Buys used gear Lessons Vintage specialist Repairs & setups

Variety of guitars, basses and drums from top brands, along with lessons and repairs.

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 (804) 346-5151
  • 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.

🎼 Acoustic Guitars 2 mentions

“Had months of trouble with my classical guitar's intonation and thought it would never sound the same, and Jake made it sound good as new in like 15 minutes!”

All stores with acoustic guitars →

🎸 Bass Guitars 6 mentions

“I needed my bass repaired and they got back to me pretty quickly with it fixed.”

All stores with bass guitars →

🔧 Repairs & Setups 3 mentions

“When you don't know about setups for acoustics, this is where you need to go.”

All stores with repairs & setups →

🎓 Lessons 2 mentions

“He explained how lessons work, made suggestions on accessories I asked about, and was very pleasant despite regular interruptions by customers.”

All stores with lessons →

🪕 Ukulele, Banjo & Folk

All stores with ukulele, banjo & folk →

🥁 Drums & Percussion 4 mentions

“In my short visit, he taught me some incredibly helpful and influential information about drum cymbals, sticks, and drumming in general.”

All stores with drums & percussion →

🎹 Keys & Pianos 2 mentions

“I had an excellent experience browsing digital pianos.”

All stores with keys & pianos →

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 820 Google reviews — with their own words as proof.

🔧 expert setups & repairs 2 mentions

“I needed my bass repaired and they got back to me pretty quickly with it fixed.”

🧠 knowledgeable staff 3 mentions

“Mykel was helpful and extremely knowledgeable regarding the specifications and pros/cons of various pianos, as a musician.”

😊 friendly staff 3 mentions

“Friendly staff who not only don't mind my son coming in and banging on the drums, but actively encourage it!”

🔰 plays well with beginners 3 mentions

“He was able to demonstrate the different play styles of several different bass and gave me his honest opinion on what sounded good, and what was worth it for a beginner.”

From the reviews

Ethan helped my boyfriend and I even though I am a total noob! I was looking to get a bass to learn to play and everything you need with it. He was able to demonstrate the different play styles of several different bass and gave me his honest opinion on what sounded good, and what was worth it for a beginner.

★★★★★ — Victoria, Feb 2026

Jake Morley was incredibly helpful today. A poor, underprepared woman (me) came in on Christmas Eve with a cheap, beat up guitar purchased on Facebook marketplace and no idea how to make it a proper gift for her husband.

★★★★★ — Kristena, Dec 2025

Fantastic experience in store at this Guitar Center location! I was greeted on the floor by an associate, directed to the location of the items in which I was interested and assisted in choosing the correct item for my needs. Perfect fit for the situation and it was a tremendously well-received gift for the recipient.

★★★★★ — Ironic, Jul 2025

Picked up a Taylor Big Baby. The staff was helpful, offering assistance right off the bat. I didn't need it yet, so they left me alone till I'd made my selection, then they were very helpful. He (sorry I don't remember your name, man) offered the various protection plans, etc, but wasn't pushy.

★★★★★ — Chris, May 2026

Excerpts from public Google reviews. Read all 820 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

9128 W Broad St, Richmond, VA23294

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Guitar stores near Guitar Center

Mark Brumitt, Luthier

3.3 ★★★☆☆ 20 reviews

7921A W Broad St ste 105, Richmond, VA

expert setups & repairs

1.6 miles away

Music & Arts

4.4 ★★★★☆ 41 reviews

8980 Quioccasin Rd, Richmond, VA

Lessons Repairs & setups Vintage specialist knowledgeable staffgreat lesson programfriendly staff

Retail chain offering musical instruments, audio gear & accessories, plus rental & repair services.

2.5 miles away

Yakov Tulchinsky Violin Shop

5 ★★★★★ 9 reviews

10212 Avenham Way, Richmond, VA

2.9 miles away

All guitar stores in Richmond, VA →

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.