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Guitar Center Holds Week-Long Celebration for the Rebirth of Its Iconic Flagship Hollywood Store

World’s largest musical instrument retailer honors the rich music history of Los Angeles with a $5M redesign of its Hollywood location

Westlake Village, CA (November 19, 2018) – In celebration of the unveiling of the newly revamped 30,000-square-foot flagship Hollywood store located on historic Sunset Boulevard, Guitar Center, the world’s largest musical instrument retailer, hosted a full week of events beginning October 29. The week included workshops, clinics and live performances and culminated on Saturday, November 3, with a Mural Commemoration Ceremony, RockWalk inductions and a secret block-party style performance with two-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated artist Anderson .Paak. The remodeled store features a tremendous assortment of musical instruments, a 15-foot-long interactive 182-pedal display, a 24-foot-wide snare drum wall, interactive brand displays from top manufacturers such as Fender and Gibson, and the retailer’s largest standalone vintage guitar room with exclusive and rare vintage instruments. Music memorabilia is also showcased throughout the store, including Eric Clapton’s “Blackie” Fender Stratocaster and other gear from such influential artists as BB King, Slash, Johnny Cash, Eddie Van Halen and St. Vincent. Throughout the week, Guitar Center worked with key vendors such as Fender, Roland, Native Instruments, Zildjian, Elektron, Chapman Guitars, Jammcard and Ibanez to create one-of-a-kind experiences for store visitors. The celebratory week of events had something for everyone including: A daily track breakdown by Christian James Hand, a British musician, music producer, radio personality and voice-over artist; A focus on electronic music presented by Elektron; A guitar clinic with Rob Chapman, founder of Chapman Guitars; Hip-hop/DJ events featuring Babu & Mr. Choc from the Beat Junkies; DJ Ease, producers Battlecat and J ROCC (presented by Roland); All things drumming with a panel discussion and live performances hosted by Jammcard, the Zildjian Experience with master cymbal maker Paul Francis and live performance by YouTube sensations Luke Holland and Jason Richardson; An afternoon with the Fender Custom Shop Road Show followed by an up-close-and-personal guitar clinic/performance by female guitar hero Nita Strauss.   The weeklong celebration culminated on Saturday, November 3, and included closing down Sunset Boulevard to host an array of events. The day began with a Mural Commemoration Ceremony. Designed by renowned street artists Amanda Lynn, Scott Marsh and Patrick Griffith, Guitar Center’s new mural prominently features Jimi Hendrix, and was unveiled by Los Angeles City Councilmember David Ryu with an official city proclamation honoring the mural, music makers and dreamers in a way that is uniquely true to Los Angeles. Following the mural presentation, Guitar Center honored its newest RockWalk inductees. Hosted by global radio personality Zane Lowe with a special appearance by Angela Bassett, the ceremony presented Guitar Center’s esteemed RockWalk Inductions to GRAMMY-nominated singer, drummer, and percussionist Sheila E. and DW Founders Don Lombardi and John Good. The finale included a surprise block-party style performance in front of the Hollywood store, headlined by two-time GRAMMY® Award-nominated artist Anderson .Paak with an opening EDM set by Fool’s Gold record label owner A-Trak. “Guitar Center’s $5 million-dollar 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, Chief Executive Officer, 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.” At a time when many retailers across the U.S. are reimagining the brick and mortar space, Guitar Center is growing its retail footprint and accelerating experiential retail for musicians. Its 290 current stores will be joined by up to eight new locations planned for 2019, including a new Guitar Center presence in Hawaii and Alaska. Guitar Center Hollywood store and studio hours: Monday – Friday                                   10:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. Saturday                                                 10:00 a.m. – 9:00 p.m. Sunday                                                    11:00 a.m. – 8:00 p.m. Photo file 1: AndersonPaak.JPG Photo caption 1: Anderson .Paak performs at Guitar Center's reimagined Hollywood flagship store on Saturday, Nov. 3, 2018, in Los Angeles. Photo by Hadas. Photo file 2: Rockwalk.jpg Photo caption 2: Guitar Center presented its esteemed RockWalk Inductions to GRAMMY®-nominated singer, drummer, and percussionist Sheila E. and DW Founders Don Lombardi and John Good. Shown L-R: Don Lombardi, Sheila E. and John Good. Photo by Ryan Hunter. Photo file 3: Nita_Strauss.JPG Photo caption 3: Guitarist Nita Strauss performs a blistering set at Guitar Center Hollywood. Photo by Ryan Hunter. Photo file 4: Mural.jpg Photo caption 4: Designed by street artists Amanda Lynn, Scott Marsh and Patrick Griffith, Guitar Center’s new mural prominently features Jimi Hendrix and was unveiled by Los Angeles City Councilmember David Ryu, with an official city proclamation honoring the mural, music makers and dreamers in a way that was uniquely true to Los Angeles. Shown L-R: Ron Japinga, Chief Executive Officer, Guitar Center; Jeannine D’Addario, Senior Vice President and Chief Customer Officer; and David Ryu, Los Angeles City Councilmember. Photo by Ryan Hunter. Photo file 5: GC_Hollywood_Night_Photo.jpeg Photo caption 5: The redesigned Guitar Center Hollywood store features a vibrant new mural on the façade of the store, symbolizing an extension of the Guitar Center brand and L.A. music scene, created in collaboration by three artists: Amanda Lynn, Patrick Griffin and Scott Marsh. Photo by Ryan Hunter. Video file: GCHollywood_JanieHendrix.mp4 Video caption: Janie Hendrix discusses the mural at the redesigned Guitar Center Hollywood store. About Guitar Center: Guitar Center is a leading retailer of musical instruments, lessons, repairs and rentals in the U.S. With more than 290 stores across the U.S. and one of the top direct sales websites in the industry, Guitar Center has helped people make music for more than 50 years. Guitar Center also provides customers with various musician-based services, including Guitar Center Lessons, where musicians of all ages and skill levels can learn to play a variety of instruments in many music genres; GC Repairs, an on-site maintenance and repairs service; and GC Rentals, a program offering easy rentals of instruments and other sound reinforcement gear. Additionally, Guitar Center’s sister brands include Music & Arts, which operates more than 150 stores specializing in band & orchestral instruments for sale and rental, serving teachers, band directors, college professors and students, and Musician’s Friend, a leading direct marketer of musical instruments in the United States. For more information about Guitar Center, please visit www.guitarcenter.com.  FOR MORE INFORMATION PLEASE CONTACT: Clyne Media | 615.662.1616 | pr@clynemedia.com    Edelman | 323.202.0171 | GuitarCenter@edelman.com Guitar Center | 818.735.8800 | media@guitarcenter.com

 

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