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Guitar Center

4.2 ★★★★☆ 1,197 Google reviews · Guitar & music store in Tacoma, Washington

Buys used gear Lessons Vintage specialist Repairs & setups

Instrument chain stocked with electrics, acoustics and basses, plus amps, drums, pro-audio gear 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 (253) 474-2900
  • 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 4 mentions

“I wanted a brighter sound on my Epiphone acoustic-electric guitar and he brilliantly restrung it for me.”

All stores with electric guitars →

🔊 Amps & Pedals 5 mentions

“their pedal guy hooked me up and got my rig sounding sick.”

All stores with amps & pedals →

🏆 Vintage & Rare 2 mentions

All stores with vintage & rare →

🔧 Repairs & Setups 6 mentions

“They had a number of stations setup so you could test out some mics, monitors, keyboards.”

All stores with repairs & setups →

🎹 Keys & Pianos 6 mentions

“They had a number of stations setup so you could test out some mics, monitors, keyboards.”

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.

🏷️ Fender

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

“I wanted a brighter sound on my Epiphone acoustic-electric guitar and he brilliantly restrung it for me.”

Who else deals Epiphone →

🏷️ Rickenbacker

Who else deals Rickenbacker →

🏷️ Squier

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 1,197 Google reviews — with their own words as proof.

🔧 expert setups & repairs 3 mentions

“They had a number of stations setup so you could test out some mics, monitors, keyboards.”

🤝 fair trade-in offers 2 mentions

“I bought my piano from this place, went back yesterday and bought a guitar.”

🧠 knowledgeable staff 5 mentions

“Friendly and knowledgeable staff, trade-ins, and huge inventory.”

From the reviews

Ron, the guitar tech, is only the reason why I travel 45min; whilst ignoring local music shoppes, to have him perform routine maintence on my dearly beloved and my hereim of magical mistresses known to some as Guitar(s) No one else will touch my treasures. Ron has my trust and is well worth his modest fee.

★★★★★ — Jacob, Mar 2025

Sweet store to visit. Friendly and knowledgeable staff, trade-ins, and huge inventory. Ron at repairs is an awesome guy. I wanted a brighter sound on my Epiphone acoustic-electric guitar and he brilliantly restrung it for me. He was kind enough to allow me to watch the entire process.

★★★★★ — Alvin, Apr 2023

Kevin M B , is a awesome floor salesman at Tacoma WA store, in the guitar, pedals, and amps section, You walk in, you have anxiety, worried, and don't want to make a mistake, Kevin has a calming demeanor, he asks, what kind of music do you want to play, and then gives you honest and excellent advise, I highly suggest,…

★★★★★ — Heath, May 2026

I needed a small multitrack recorder for vocal practice. One that doesn't require a computer. Guitar Center ordered one and it came in promptly. Everyone was very helpful, as I haven't bought a multitrack recorder since the 1980's, Fostex, and the days of cassette tapes as masters!

★★★★★ — Anne, Jan 2026

Excerpts from public Google reviews. Read all 1,197 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

2919 S 38th St Suite A, Tacoma, WA98409

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Guitar stores near Guitar Center

Guitar Center Lessons

4.3 ★★★★☆ 94 reviews

2919 S 38th St, Tacoma, WA

Buys used gear Lessons Repairs & setups Vintage specialist friendly staff

under a mile away

Dark Guitars

5 ★★★★★ 37 reviews

1210 S 25th St, Tacoma, WA

expert setups & repairsknowledgeable staff

1.4 miles away

Ted Brown Music

4.8 ★★★★★ 509 reviews

6228 Tacoma Mall Blvd, Tacoma, WA

Lessons Repairs & setups fair trade-in offerslet you play everythingknowledgeable staff

Venue dealing in various instruments for sale or rental plus sheet music, service, classes & shows.

1.8 miles away

All guitar stores in Tacoma, 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.