This Hollywood location gets a lot of hype. It's like the Grauman's Chinese Theater of musical instruments or something. It's not all that after you get there. I went there today cash in hand looking to purchase a stage piano but wanted to test a few of them just to make sure. I had a few from Kurzweil in mind which I saw on Guitar Center's own website advertised as "Big price drop. Buy today". So I'm playing with a few other keyboards when comes in a salesman dressed in a suit asking me if I needed any help. First he addresses me by "dude". Really unprofessional. Then I ask him if the store has any Kurzweil keyboards anywhere. He goes "Kurzweil what is that? Is that a keyboard brand?" So I go :" You don't know Kurzweil? If you don't know Kurzweil then you don't know keyboards." The "dude" in a suit gets ticked off. I even spell him the brand K-U-R-Z-W-E-I-L thinking maybe it's my russo-franco-colorado accent that he's having a hard time with (most people don't). To which he replies "No,I don't know and I don't really care to know." then a few seconds later "we can order it for you". Huh? no thanks. "Too afraid you might order a Fisher Price keyboard instead", I thought to myself.
For me it's the same as a car salesman telling me "What's a BMW? Is that a car brand?" So I hate to sound like a j*rk and generalize but for such an over hyped location (I mean it's short of "Jesus bought a guitar here" type of hype) GC you need better salesmen. It's embarrassing how ignorant they are. I'm not even going to start with the time I wanted to buy an Ibanez there last year. It's like Walmart as one reviewer said. The best GC salespeople I came across were those at the Pasadena location on Colorado Blvd. It might not have hand prints in the asphalt but at least its staff knows a thing or two about instruments.

Good deals....but that's about it...terrible atmosphere - I hate having to listen to loud 80's metal when I'm trying to test out guitars and basses....doesn't seem intuitive...nevertheless, I usually get a good deal......

Entering Guitar Center is an experience in itself.
Being bombarded by the immense cacophony is enough force any prideful musician back through the security checkpoint.
For those who survive this assault, you will be further disappointed by the incompetent staff.
Shopping at Guitar Center is an incredibly impersonal experience in general.

I want the option to give zero stars.

Guitar Center...in many cases the best place to get a good deal or get what you need fast and cheap. They have a revolving door of experienced to moronic employees running through there. Maybe they stupid ones are just stoned...or stoned and stupid...who know and who cares. For those that are serious about music, you just have to deal with it. For those new to music...a piece of advice. Get your instrument, amp...whatever. Then get your you heiny out of guitar center and get some lessons and start practicing! Only slacking loosers hang around the place!

Guitar Center suprised me by not having several of the effects pedals I wanted to check out. I was also not so impressed by the sales guys I dealt with.