Lynx Dealer Spotlight: Guitar Center

You might assume that everyone knows all about the USA’s most ubiquitous retailer of musical instruments and pro audio gear, but that’s not necessarily the case. Were you aware, for example, that in 1959, when entrepreneur Wayne Mitchell bought a small store in Hollywood, CA, it didn’t sell guitars? Instead, the store specialized in selling organs and household appliances. But some years later, when Mitchell heard British Invasion bands like the Beatles, the Rolling Stones, and the Kinks, he knew that the demand for guitars and amplifiers was going to be big… which is why he started carrying guitars and amps, and changed the name of his store to “The Guitar Center”.

It was in the early 1980s that Mitchell opened what would become Guitar Center’s flagship store on Sunset Boulevard. It quickly became world renowned as a Mecca for guitarists, but it wasn’t long before he started offering all kinds of musical instruments beyond guitars, like drums and keyboards, and eventually gear for recording and live sound. The rest of the Guitar Center story is pretty clear: they greatly expanded, opening brick-and-mortar retail stores in cities across the country where people could visit and get a tangible demo of the instruments or audio gear they needed. In 1999, they purchased e-retailer Musician’s Friend to offer a robust online option to musicians. And in 2005, they acquired Music & Arts, now the country’s largest educational music source providing instruments, lessons, and everything musical for students, parents, and educators.

Also in the early 2000s, the company created their GC Pro (Guitar Center Professional) division, a specialized group dedicated to creating custom solutions for the commercial applications of audio gear, ranging from recording studio facilities to live sound venues to places of worship, business and educational A/V systems installations, and much more. Guitar Center remains an excellent resource for musicians, engineers, producers, and studio designers to get their Lynx gear. From the exciting Hilo 2 to the powerful Aurora(n) to the new Mesa Desktop Interface, Guitar Center’s knowledgable staff can help you choose which Lynx interface or peripheral product is the right one for you.

LEARN MORE

Guitar Center
Locations Nationwide
866.498.7882