Guitar Center Is Coming to the Berklee Neighborhood

A new Guitar Center store is set to open in the Berklee neighborhood this fall, bringing the wide assortment of specialized instruments, musical accessories, and expert service known to musicians all over the world. The new Boston location will offer many of the same special features that have made the chain a destination for musicians since 1959, including on-site guitar repair, instrument and equipment rental, access to national inventory, educational programs, and competitions designed to elevate new talent. 

Guitar Center's 165 Massachusetts Avenue location will be managed by Berklee alumnus Hirsh Gardner '73. Gardner is familiar to generations of instrument shoppers from the 10 years he spent as general manager at Daddy's Junky Music, which was located on the same footprint Guitar Center will occupy, and 20 additional years he spent in the music instrument industry. 

"I have always felt that being an educator is the key to being successful in our hi-tech music retail environment," says Gardner. "[At Daddy's] we served the community by educating musicians, students, and pros in our fields of expertise. This allowed them to make choices in their purchases that helped further their careers. Simply put, we helped people make music. I am thrilled to be here with the great folks at Guitar Center and look forward to contributing again to the musical needs of the Boston community."

Berklee alumnus and former trustee Gene Joly '73 is the executive vice president of Guitar Center stores. "We're very excited to gain closer ground to Berklee students and faculty as well as New England Conservatory, Boston Conservatory, and other musical institutions," he says. "I know how complex the needs of today's sophisticated music student are and look forward to being a part of such an innovative music community." 

Guitar Center is the world's largest retailer of guitars, amplifiers, drums, keyboards, and pro-audio and recording equipment. Its retail store subsidiary presently operates 230 Guitar Center stores across the United States. It's also the largest direct response retailer of musical instruments through the wholly owned subsidiary Musician's Friend, Inc., and its catalog and website. In addition, the Music and Arts division operates more than 100 stores specializing in band instruments for sale and rental, serving teachers, band directors, college professors, and students. 

In order to ensure this is the best possible music store for the Berklee community, Guitar Center is offering a $10 gift certificate to faculty, staff, and students who complete a short survey.