Guitar Center

This is long overdue but I would like to give a shout out to the awesome staff here at the Tukwila Guitar Center, especially Store Manager, «Jared Madigan».
The basics… Been coming to this location for years now and everyone I run into knows their stuff and is always very helpful.
The advance level headache and I think I’m the one that brought it on… One day, I came in to purchase some studio monitors with various forms of payment (Gift Master Cards, Cash, and my own CC for the remaining balance), using a coupon, and an item that is on backorder. I was seriously a nightmare profile of a customer transaction walking in that day. They should make training videos about profiles like me… Long story short and for many good reasons, it got complicated and now it also involved their online sales. It turned into a paper trail issue where if it wasn’t explained correctly, I might owe more money than I had to pay.
Then the next day, Store Manage, Jared gladly stepped into my situation not knowing what he was stepping into but came in owning the situation while assuring me that he’ll make it go away! He also set the right expectations of what he was going to do and when he’ll call me back. It was so awesome to see a man of his words deliver exactly has he explained and on time to his promises. These are traits of a real leader and transferable to any industry and any brand. Jared essentially makes this big (Yet great) national chain store feel like your local neighborhood music store with tons of integrity. And unfortunately, the same cannot be said about some local music stores elsewhere as I’ve met some shady owners/​managers in the past…
Part 2… Many months pass by and I get notice from GC online sales saying I owe some money regarding the transaction above. Called, Jared and he called the right unit in the GC org took care of it right away, again.
Thank you for being you Jared! You are one of the few who bring the human element back to this electronic/​automated world.

I order through them quite often and it’s never gone smoothly.
–They told me they can transfer the pedal I needed to the store and it’s free shipping. they charged me for shipping anyways.
–They said they would call and e-​mail when me my stuff comes in. They never called me or E-​mailed. After calling them myself they told me they actually had it for a while.
–In a separate occasion they said they could transfer a pedal from another store, I came back the same day. They said there was no such pedal from that store. The thing is their system doesn’t update till the next day, which means even if someone did buy it in that time frame it would still show up in stock (aka be visible). Anyways I got home and googled it, and it was literally the first link and I just ordered it from the store myself.
I know not everything goes smooth in retail so I never get upset with them, but regardless it is still annoying.
P. S. That guy that keeps recommending me stuff for that «hardcore» sound, please stop.

Guitar Center has a great customer service attitude. It doesn’t matter if you buy something there or not, they will still provide great advice because they want to you succeed as a musician. I wanted to purchase the Keith Urban Player Guitar package and asked several Guitar Center store guitar techs what they thought about the Keith Urban acoustic guitar — none of them tried to talk me out of it or try to sell me one of their guitars — I was really impressed by that. After I purchased the guitar I had a GC tech inspect it and he said it didn’t need the normal setup — it was good as is. I then asked for accessory advice and purchased accessories there. Refreshing to know there are helpful and honest retailers who have the customer’s best interests in mind.

They sell guitar strings by the set or individually. I assembled a frankenstein set for mine and it sounds punchy and deep actually.
Plugs and cables are a little overpriced relative to my frugal budget but they are in stock. A few vintage-​looking used effects pedals for around 50 bux in stock.
Girl who stocks the keyboard room hums a melody.
Seems to be a musical place overall. Check it out.

My friends and I were needing some DJ equipment for throwing a Halloween bash. If your in the speakers department within this Guitar Center, please talk to a nice man named Mike. He helped us out tremendously and I had a really good experience asking questions about cords and certain speakers that would take our party to the next level. We got everything we needed and he was extremely knowledgeable of his trade. I highly recommend coming here!

A great place to go if you’re in need of anything sound or music related. The staff here is always so helpful and willing to teach anyone who will listen. Where else can you go to find people jamming on new guitars or mixing sets on controllers? Everything here appears to be fairly priced to me, even after checking Amazon.

I rent some do equipments from the guitar center at Seattle for a good price you just have to pay the deposits and when you return it you’ll get your money back guarantee, their rental guy chase hook me up with dj lights and it was pretty amazing, good quality lights for a low price

Have to say that I have always been the recipient of great service at this Guitar Center location. Not pushy, very knowledgeable, helpful. I do note that the low $ guitar inventory is increasing while some of the long time makers (Gibson for instance) are poorly represented.

I don’t really ever come to Guitar Center for myself — It’s my boyfriend who shops here. But I’ve come enough to know when something is up.
We went the other day and the place is just BARREN. A wasteland. There used to be multiple guitar stations set up where employees are working on guitars, and now they’re all gone. It looks like they have a much smaller set of merchandise as well in all departments.
Not sure if this location is downsizing or closing, but it looks pretty sad in here now.

Just next to the Westfield mall, Guitar Center is a great place for any musician to test out instruments of all kinds, or receive great help from an employee who knows a lot about whatever instrument you need help with.
Atmosphere:
As you walk into an extremely large space near the Westfield mall, you will most likely be greeted by a smiling faced employee who is extremely knowledgeable about music and instruments. The atmosphere inside the Guitar Center is its own. Depending on the room you go in, the vibe will change. The main room is filled with guitars, and the sounds of people playing their instruments at all levels of expertise. Blues, metal, rock, and jazz guitar fill the empty spaces of the building until you walk into the Drum room. The room is lined with drum kits, cymbals, and it can be described as a drummer’s heaven. Now I don’t spend much time in there because I play guitar, so I may go to the acoustic guitar room which is pretty self-​explanatory. Overall it is a positive atmosphere, and a great experience.
Employees:
Now I already mentioned this before, but I will say it again; the employees are fantastic at their job, and are highly knowledgeable. There is a reason why Guitar Center is the «top dog» in the music retail industry, and a huge part of that is because of the people they hire. I went in to get some new strings for my guitar (I haven’t restrung it in forever) and the man who helped me knew all about each string, and showed me the strings he likes to use on his guitar. I think what makes these employees so awesome, is their absolute love for music. I will always go to a Guitar Center because of the great service by the staff there.
Product:
Guitar Center has an enormous range of products. They range from beginners amplifiers and guitars like the Fender Squire, or the Epiphone brand, to top of the line (and highly expensive) Gibson Les Paul, or Gibson Hollow-​body. The range of prices is great too. If you are just starting out, you can get a guitar for about 100 – 200 dollars; or if you are a professional, you may end up spending close to 5000 $. But at any price, the product is worth it. There’s a cliché that goes something like «if it’s more expensive, then it has to be a better product». In this case, that is pretty true, although it’s all based on preference. Other products include drums, bass guitars, sound equipment, lighting etc. Also there is a huge online store as well if you don’t want to go to a store with the option to buy used guitars.
In the end, Guitar Center is the epicenter of musical retail, and I would go there every time for my musical needs. The atmosphere is awesome for all levels of musical talent, the employees give off a great lasting impression, and the product, though expensive, is worth the expense.

I usually don’t like going into this store because I feel pressured and sold into everything. They’ve been pretty polite and kind though. They are priced more than internet e-​retailers but if you need something right before close that you can’t wait for the next day then go for it. They do have a nice selection of equipment. I needed a Phantom Power for my mic and I was able to get one quickly so I could get to recording more music.

It can’t be all that bad since I am in this store a lot to buy strings, cables and supplies. I’ve bought quite a few guitars here, mostly used ones. The staff is helpful, but can get pushy. I push back courteously and they back off. All in all a decent store

I came in to purchase an acoustic guitar on 1÷6÷15. I am a beginner and just learning to play.
When I stopped in, I looked around a bit then went into the main acoustic guitar room. After being in the store a total of 3 minutes, Brad came to greet me. He was there with me from then on. Being 1 of 2 managers on staff that night, he was helping others at times but always came back to finish helping me out.
Brad took the time to explain to me the difference between the different sizes of acoustic guitars, showed me the right way to hold a guitar, and answered some other basic questions that I had so I could try a few out and see which one I wanted. The instant I saw a Luna, I knew it was mine, and it fit me perfectly. Brad went over the electrical components of the Luna with me without me having to ask.
Brad and I reviewed different stands, I picked out the perfect guitar strap, and he recommended and reviewed with me the different strings for a beginner. He also told me they charge $ 25 to change the strings but told me I could go on YouTube and find a video that would should me how to do it myself to save the cash. He took his time asking some more basic questions I had regarding picks. He threw in a free battery for the Luna too.
There was another employee that gave some advice regarding lessons and strings. She was down-​to-​earth, honest and friendly. I saw her interact with three other customers in the same manner.
As I was leaving, Brad offered to walk me out to my car for safety. Wow. He also told me that they had a free workshop on ¹⁄₃₁ for beginner guitarists.
I went away with a chord poster as well and was happy as heck. Will definitely be coming back.

If you’re a music lover — this really is the place for you. From accessories to drums, guitars, DJ equipment, lighting, mixers, trusses, stands… this place really has it all.
Albeit they may not have the best prices compared to online shopping but this place allows hands on testing of what you buy before you buy it. I’d pay a little more knowing what I’m getting instead of saving $ 50 and not knowing if it’s what I want/​need. The staff is knowledgeable too. Jessie the manager on the sound side of the store is awesome. Great recommendations and he took great care of my brother and I as we were spending money for a setup for our christmas party.
And items they may not have there — they can order and get for you. Great place and it’s even fun just jammin out on some equipment whether if you’re musically inclined or not!

These guys must really hate selling stuff. I showed up ready to drop around $ 2k on an electronic drumset. Wasted half an hour in the store and couldn’t even attract the attention of a single employee so I could ask a few questions and try out the kits. Guess I’ll be buying elsewhere.

Came here letting the kids play with some instruments to pick out one for future lessons. Everyone working was super friendly and helpful. Never felt bad for picking up more items to touch. The selection is great. This is a huge store and worth just coming to walk through and have fun. We tried over a dozen instruments. And we had fun. They asked us a few times if we needed help, but mostly they just let us wander and touch/​play things.
Prices were fair compared to some online places we checked out. My son has asked to go back and try some more things out. We will be back.

I was there with my mom looking to purpose a certain equipment as a gift. The staff were absolutely helpful and very knowledgable about the equipment and guitars. I even asked about recommendations for beginners. I was recommended several guitars and taught helpful information about potentially taking courses.

Bought a electronic keyboard package for my daughter and saved over 100 $ compared to pawn shops, big box retailers, and Amazon. Staff is knowledgeable and patient. Even though it was busy, they were attentive and efficient. If you need to pick up an instrument, this is the place to go.

Had an itch for a new guitar…
After almost a year of not playing at all, I started playing again. I have an Epiphone Les Paul plus top that I’ve had since I was 15. Great axe, but was looking for an addition to the collection that wasn’t so «heavy»… Played a gazillion different guitars but kept gravitating towards the Strat.
Sometimes, an evil necessity, guitar center has to come into the equation…
The sales guy here was knowledgeable and they had the exact model I kind of had in mind. Was seeing if they had anything cool used, but when one’s mind is set… Yea. The selection here is very good (as with most guitar centers) and all interactions with the employees here were positive.
The sale over the weekend I purchased made the price not too bad for an American made genuine Fender Stratocaster, thus I am extremely satisfied.
As for the instrument– I have not played this much in years! Love how the Strat compliments the Les Paul– which I am playing more as well. Some things the Les Paul does better, and in other respects the Strat is my go-​to guitar.
The selection is good and the employees were pleasant. While I’m a bit too infatuated with my Strat right now, when time comes to add to the collection I would pay a visit again.

Bought my Acoustic Guitar many years ago.
Today I took my Snare drum in, and they tried to tune it, but couldn’t.
So they set me up with a New Beater Head, and Bottom Head.
They even installed and tuned the new heads up for me, and gave me a quick lesson on tuning up my heads. All at a very nice price.