Guitar Center hosted a grand debut of its redesigned flagship Hollywood store location, which encompasses 30,000 square feet on Sunset Boulevard.
The remodeled store features a large assortment of musical instruments, a 15-foot-long interactive pedal display, a 24-foot-wide snare drum wall, interactive brand displays from manufacturers such as Fender and Gibson, and the retailer’s largest standalone vintage guitar room featuring exclusive and rare vintage instruments. Music memorabilia is also showcased throughout the store, including Eric Clapton’s “Blackie” Fender Stratocaster and other influential artists’ gear from BB King, Slash, Johnny Cash, Eddie Van Halen and St. Vincent.
The iconic Hollywood store is set to open on Nov. 3, nearly 33 years to the day after the location first opened in 1985.
“Guitar Center’s $5 million investment into our newly revitalized Hollywood flagship location transforms it into one of the largest musical instrument stores in the world, full of the greatest selection of music instruments, accessories, music memorabilia, state-of-the-art lessons facilities and more,” said Ron Japinga, CEO, Guitar Center. “Exemplifying our deep commitment and investment in the music industry, we are thrilled to unveil our reimagined flagship location to the public. The redesigned Hollywood store represents a renewal of our legacy which lies at the heart of L.A.’s music scene and celebrates the rebirth of an icon — the greatest music store on earth.”
To honor the grand reopening and renew Guitar Center’s longstanding legacy in support of music and music makers in Los Angeles and everywhere, the company commissioned a bright new mural for the full-block façade of the store. Designed by street artists Amanda Lynn, Scott Marsh and Patrick Griffith, the mural prominently features Jimi Hendrix alongside an up-and-coming artist finding her sound, with a collage of musical instruments that symbolize bringing the community together in harmony.
“Everything about the mural has to do with movement and a lot of color, like in Jimi’s song ‘Bold as Love,’” said Janie Hendrix, president and CEO of Experience and Authentic Hendrix, and the younger sister of Jimi Hendrix. “It just really feels, not only visually beautiful, but as if you can feel the movement of the colors and can almost hear the sound. I really feel like Jimi’s music and lyrics are interpreted in this artwork.”
In line with Guitar Center’s commitment to music education and to developing the next generation of musicians, the second floor of the Hollywood store is dedicated to a state-of-the-art, eight-room lessons facility. By investing in lessons facilities in all of its stores around the U.S., Guitar Center is filling the gap created by the decline of music education in schools – and working to give anyone who wants to play the opportunity to realize the benefits of learning and playing music. Guitar Center also supports music education initiatives through the Guitar Center Music Foundation, which works to keep music education alive and available to individuals and communities by providing those in need and organizations who support them with grants, instruments and lessons.