Their history speaks for itself and the legend continues!!Great team there and unbelievable selection.Kurt and Mikey are pros.Getting into this is easier with their help and the time spent with my kids is priceless…Thank you!!

What an amazing institution/store.If you like music and guitars you will loveThe House of Guitars !Great people. great guitars and great music collection.Pop in,Rock out!Thanks to the family that keeps it going !

This is by far the best music store in the world. My buddy and I have been going every single Saturday if possible. Any chance we get we love stopping at the HOG! Whether it be for a brand new guitar, used guitar, needing a new cable maybe some strings or a pic they are my go-to. they also have a great formidable selection of amplifiers for both bass and guitar. If there is a new effects pedal I would like to try out for my own rig I honestly go to the HOG first before possibly having to search online. For a store that almost has everything you cant always expect them to have everything. But honestly thats all part of the experience. If you see something you like buy it, it honestly might not be there next week...Sincerely a lifetime fan and customer: Andrew

Fun place to go to... Definitely a unique place of Rochester History... went to get lesson band book but fun to see all the different guitars and photos and t-shirts on the ceiling!

I love this place!!!! Sooo many cool things here, tshirts, records, vintage, and cool people!!#SecretCircleSociety

Great experience! Really nice and helpful staff! A little overwhelming with just how much there is but we loved every moment!

Kurt is knowledgeable and accommodating. Excellent service and handling of my purchase. Professionally packaged and shipped right to my doorstep. I highly recommend.

Bought a boss pedal here. I love this place! I could spend all day just browsing. They have live music in the parking lot on Saturdays which is pretty cool.

Legendary shop full of legendary instruments. Plus the record store is the sort of place you set aside a day to sift through. Place was sweet, even if some of the more tame guitar accessory (strings, cleaners) selection was a bit limited to whats popular.

Would give them zero stars if I could. Contacted Curt at HOG a couple weeks ago in regards to purchasing a limited edition guitar that was coming out soon. He informed me I was first on the list to buy it and would contact me as soon as he could confirm he was getting it. I checked in with him a few times over the last couple weeks and he kept telling me he had no news. Well today I happened to be browsing Reverb and noticed that not only did HOG get the guitar, but they had listed it on Reverb for double retail price. I was willing to pay full MSRP for this guitar but I guess that wasnt enough for this greedy shop.

No trip back to roch is complete without a hog stop. Still awe inspiring every time I go back.

Such a historic music store. Great people and such a great vibe. Theres a reason why theyre going strong despite the best efforts of corporate America. Youd thing all this comes at a high price, but their prices are great.Of course, if youre a musician in the area, you already know all of this.

Freaking love this place. I found some lovely vinyl gems last time I was here for great prices.

An incredible cacophony of music paraphernalia to engulf you for a minute or for hours. Classic history and classic guitars in the ROC.

More than enough guitars of all kinds from new to vintage to drool over. Spent 3 hours admiring the selection available. Not sure of price, as I was just looking at the time

Such a cool & historical place!! Tons of known Artists such as Green Day, Jimmy Page, Metallica, and more have been here at one point or another to sign the HOG wall or even some merch! The vinyl and cd room is enormous you could spend forever in there.

The best music store in the country. Friendly staff who really know their stuff. Highly recommend.

Its always fun to just go in the store and explore you never know what youre going to findI picked up this PRS CUSTOM 24 EXOTIC TOP a week ago

Love this place. Locally owned and respected throughout the world. Went in for a mic stand part and picked up a book, another unique idea for another gift and saw a bass guitar signed by my favorite bassist. Thank you for staying open and viable through all of this. Employees were wearing masks, keeping their distance and if course, very helpful.Buy local!Support small businesses!-TerryP.S. Oh yeah, picture in the back expansion has a shot of the crowd waiting for Who tickets at the front door. Im in among them!

Such a fabulous and awesome place! WOW!!!!

Great place I worked there in the 80s treat you like family love the big selection.

The HoG is a Rochester institution and an absolute gold mine for music lovers of all kinds. A must-visit for anyone visiting the 585!

Another record store to never shy away from in Rochester. This store has a great selection with kind staff. I go here quite often and always am finding amazing things.

I love this store! Friendly, on the spot service. Everything that you could want for making music. I visited while on vacation and it made my day.

This is the know it all music store in a good way! Ivebeen, to other music stores in Rochester and NOTHING compares. If you havent been, its a Rochester must see!

Great place. A must-see if you’re in the area. Tried to tidy up a bit, but got kicked out. Would recommend.

A World Renowned Music Utopia 🎼🌎😎Been shopping there for decades.Just visiting the House is a positive experience 👍

Great place for musicians, regulars and tourists. Its a Rochester must see.

Lessons are half hours which I wish were longer.My instructor is great..super patient and flexibleGuitar selections are geared more towards higher end guitars and special guitars. Not a ton for beginners in a lower price range.TONS of music selections.Real grunge punk environmentOld posters, autographs. Real messy in there. Real old building. This place is a legend. So it suits the place. The feel when you walk in there is like no other music store I know.This place brings me back to junior high and high school after-school hours when music was life and ran deeper than the pop radio station.

Super if want it they have, in music,

Absolutely fascinating!!! I bent Armands ear for an easy hour 😁 sooo easy to get lost in all the memories of his and his business through 57 years. He is a gracious host and his employees are the nicest nicest people. I feel like we went to a museum today.

This place has really gone downhill. This was my mecca 25 years ago. I was there every weekend and several nights during the week. They were always willing to work with me on price. Obviously they wouldnt give stuff away but they were always willing to negotiate a bit. I remember when I had an Amp on layaway (I was a high school student so I didnt make a lot of money). The week before I was going to make my final payment and bring it home, someone sold it. They felt so bad about it, they gave me an Amp that was $200 more for the same price. I still have that Amp and I love it.I stopped playing after college and I just picked it back up recently. In need of some fresh gear, I headed to the HOG. Sales rep seemed nice and was very helpful. I found a nice entry level Martin acoustic that I liked so I decided to buy. I was trading in an old yamaha but I felt like they were lowballing me a bit on the trade in value. The sales rep reassured me he was giving me a great price for the yamaha. I was just excited to be buying the martin so I finished the deal and headed home but something didnt sit right so I did some research. Not only did they absolutely screw me on the yamaha, they also charged me $50 over list price on the Martin. This used to be a a place to get a fair and honest deal. I have a lot more gear to buy but I certainly will not be buying it from the formerly great house of guitars.

How do you ask for proof of vaccination to enter the store? Why does a music store or any business need to know my vaccination status? youll lose money from half of your customers. Also, the place has that post flood damaged basement smell. The place has truly went down hill. Theres more clutter than ever. The appeal of looking like a flea market has ran its course, now its like walking into a house from a Hoarders episode. Record Archives is better, cleaner, and they dont pick vaccinations over money, because regardless of vaccinated vs unvaccinated, money is money regardless and they dont discriminate over it.

My review is strictly about shopping for vinyl records at House of Guitars.The place is a disaster. The records are disorganized and too tightly packed together to easily search through.Pricing is a mixed bag. If a record is in good condition, the price is often fair if not on the low side but too many records are WAY overpriced based on condition. Take a Wes Montgomery LP I looked at. The price was $20, which might be good if the LP graded VG but it was scratched, scuffed, dirty, finger-printed -- a real mess. I wouldnt pay $1 for it. I suspect the record was in decent condition when it was first added to inventory but the records are so poorly maintained they inevitably become damaged. Three LPs I bought looked fine and were priced OK for the visible condition but they played horribly and went straight to the going to the thrift store bin.The place will only pay 10 cents for CDs on trade and its understandable. Theyre overstocked on everything. But knowing they wont give at least 50 cents per CD discourages me from bringing in LPs given that attitude. Given that, I doubtful a return trip will be worth my while because theyre unlikely to get new, good material and if they did, good luck finding it.

Staff is very knowledgeable and friendly, ever since my first time visiting it back in 2005 it is one of my favorite places in central New York and always will be

If you love or even like music you have to go. A person could spend hours looking Amazing

Went in with the express purpose of buying a guitar for my birthday, and got much more! The owner showed around me the building, and gave me a tour of the place. He was really cool and I always love going in here. Its a treat!

I could not have asked for a better experience. They worked well within our budget and were super knowledgeable. If you want a guitar, just go here.

The best place to see guitars and find any music you can think of!

Really cool music store with lots of nostalgia to browse around at. It’s like it’s own Rock-n-Roll hall of fame. If you’re in the Rochester area you have to check it out.

Last week I visited the record store here for the first time in 15 years. It was messy then but now its just a junkyard. More of the shop is inaccessible now, blocked off by boxes and piles of unsold merchandise. Underneath all of the clutter are the same albums I saw in my previous visit, probably at the same prices. (Many items have faded tags or arent priced at all.) Look closely at other submitters photos and the selection seems impressive, but you have to step over and wade through all of that stuff just to browse. For example, a whole corner of the store has locked glass cases full of imported CDs. They probably havent been unlocked since 2004--overflowing crates are stacked up against them so of course none of it sold since the last time I was there. Who locks up CDs in 2021, anyway? And because of the disorganization, the good stuff you do find may be damaged, partially opened, or yellowed from time. Remember CD longboxes? They still have some new ones in the bins but theyre all crushed. If I lived in the area I would offer to help put the place in order on weekends for some free music, because it could be a cool place, but I dont, and this doesnt seem like a place that wants to fix itself. Rochester has better, more customer-friendly record shops with great selections and lower prices people can go to instead.

This is a must see stop if you love music. From the vintage guitars to everything in between, so its equal parts store, part museum, you just feel the history the moment you step in the door! And the staff, some of the most friendly and helpful people ever. The music wall, the vinyl shop, wow is all I can say, youve got to make a stop here. They even have live music on occasion ( not to mention all the stars that have come through)

I loved it it was my first time there maybe 10 days ago it was so fun

This place is amazing. I would wager you could find almost every song recorded here on vinyl or tape. Great historical and famous place. The walls are filled with pictures and autographs of famous musicians throughout the decades. This is a must see for anyone in to music.

Got a brand new 2018 Fender Strat from Mike P. He was a rockstar, ask for him and he will take fantastic care of you. I got a great deal and he treated me like gold the whole time. I live in Colorado and had the guitar shipped here. Well worth it.

Chaotic. Everything is everywhere. I asked for help. You could be there a looooong time. But, Im sure they have whatever your looking for. I love music, which is why i choose The House of Guitars. I will go again.

I have such awesome memories of the H.O.G. I took my family to visit the Great Great House of Guitars after being absent from Rochester for 20 years.

Friendly knowledgeable staff, great venue💓💓 Back to Rock had an event here and my son loved the stage

In iconic landmark in Rochester! So much music history under one roof! If youre in the area youd be foolish not to stop

Every time Ive been there it has been an excellent experience. The staff knows their stuff and are always willing to help you find the best deal on what youre looking for. House of Guitars is a landmark of Rochesters history. Definitely worth taking a look.

A Rochester Institution. If youve never been, go. Spend some time there, look around. This building is sort of an epicenter of Rochesters music. As much a part of this city ad garbage plates and Red Wings baseball.

Was not expecting so see what I saw from the Google search or from the outside appearance of this place. Im new to the guitar game but I could of spent hours in their walking around and strumming on some 6 strings acting like I know what hell Im doing. I have been researching an Epiphone Les Paul 50s style for about a month and chomping at the bit to buy but didnt wanna order online and have it shipped. Really really wanted the dark burst as well but no store I have been too have one. Low and behold this place did. The dude working even gave me a break on the price which I couldnt of been more happier about. Got the guitar home and plugged it in and their seems to be a ring or fuzz to it, might be a ground or something, I dont know. I called them and the guy who answered the phone told me to bring it back prior to 4pm on a weekday and they will have their tech get it fixed up and all setup to my liking. Going back tomorrow to see if can get straightened out, which Im sure they can. If I could give this place 6 stars I would. Very cool place and very gnarly staff

Awesome trip thanks Armand and Linda it was my pleasure to meet you and talk your ear off

This is a Rochester N.Y. Institution. It is a store which combines the sale of great guitars and equipment, along with other instruments, lessons are also available. Its also a store where audio music of many genres may be purchased in many formats. One of the most amazing and memorable things about any trip to The House Of Guitars or The H.O.G. as it is known locally is spending time looking at the photos of various artists who have come in to sign albums, the wall, drum heads, guitars, etc. The House Of Guitars has been a part of Rochester since 1964, and Armand and Bruce are wonderful people very welcoming to everyone! Youll never be disappointed for stopping and taking some time to stroll through their massive collection of memorabilia.

Get ready to be in there for hours digging through the endless piles of music. CDs, vinyl, t-shirts (theirs and old concert Tees).We meant to go in for just a few minutes and came out three hours later.

Love this place

Salesman was terrific, loved this place as a child, love it all the more now

Great deals, awesome staff and wide selection.

This place rules plain and simple, and if you have not visited it put it on your list of places to travel to and also buy something.

Cluttered, dirty, and just uncomfortable. It would seem that they have a lot of music downstairs, but its mostly albums people dont want, I couldnt even find any albums from my favorite metal band who is a very popular bad. And then when it comes to the guitars upstairs, Im not sure how anyone is supposed to be able to try them out. In the keyboard room the keyboards are almost always all unplugged and unable to be turned on without asking for assistance but its not like people who work there are nearby. I have been to this store a few times when I need music or a guitar and I always end up leaving almost immediately. My son also felt uncomfortable there and said that the store was sad and felt like a music graveyard.

The really nice staff made the experience so much better. Definitely will go back again!

Not many places like this left very cool shop to hang out in

Ive been going to this place since I was little I love this place so much

Staff is super nice and helpful and the inventory is insane. Tons of gear, instruments, band merch, and records. A must stop shop if youre in the area!

I would go there a lot in the 70s than moved out of stateevetime I go back to Rochester I go there

Came in here at around 3:15pm on 6/13/21.Will NEVER come back. Walking in the front main doors, I asked the associate if I needed to wear a mask. He was polite and told me no, so I put it back in my purse and began browsing the store. Im fully vaccinated and have my NYS vax card on me for proof. I headed towards the downstairs portion where the vinyl shop is located and my fiancé and I were so in awe of the beautiful posters adorning the walls everywhere you looked, we missed the sign that said we had to wear masks in the vinyl section. On top of that, there were around 3 other families of 4+ people browsing along with us, all of which who did not have masks.I began browsing, ready to spend close to $350 as I had at another record shop the day prior. Im a massive Elvis collector and was excited to see what this shop had for Elvis memorabilia. Long story short, as Im browsing, theres an associate working in a striped short sleeve shirt, shorter brown hair, eating a granola bar (whom Id later learn is named Chris), who walks over to the other worker near him and loudly says, Look at these f**king idiots not wearing masks. Do they not see the f**king sign on our door and when they walk in? and gestures towards my fiancé and I. Im a small, petite 21 year old girl with zero means of disrespecting anyone or breaking any rules. There is ZERO reason he should have said what he did. They both snickered at us and a complete stranger next to me, a mother who was also browsing, asks if I had just heard what was said about me. I was a bit startled that I was called a f**king idiot and she put down her records and said she wouldnt support a shop that speaks to guests like that, and neither will we. They ended up walking out and putting their records down too.I ended up calling the shop and speaking to Chris directly. I explained I heard what he had said about me and how rude it was, how he could have simply told me to put a mask on but what he did was so uncalled for, and I calmly explained Id be reaching out to his manager. His response? Okay, a snicker, and he hangs up on me. He HANGS UP ON ME. Are you absolutely serious here? Im never coming back here again. My father told me amazing stories of his days doing promotions with this shop when he was the head at PXY and I was thrilled to see the shop myself. I was in awe of its beauty and was excited to spend a few hundred dollars on Elvis merchandise - to be called a f**king idiot and then snickered at, hung up on the phone and disrespected is downright disgusting and Im going to make sure my friends and radio family know of this experience so we can all go to a record shop that doesnt blatantly disrespect their customers to their face.

Always helpful, great selection of guitars and parts. Love those place!

Wasn’t greeted by staff whatsoever (multiple were just pacing around doing nothing); they were too busy engaging in their personal conversations. eventually once i asked for assistance, i was given a wrong answer (and also quoted a price higher than MSRP on an easily available product) and just had to help myself. after checkout, again no word from staff even though they were all congregated in the front. definitely not visiting again

The HOG is a one of a kind place. The staff are always helpful and knowledgeable.

They were very helpful. Didnt waste my time we got to the point and I made a purchase in under 15 minutes.

They made my sons birthday an excellent day. Courteous service and an extensive selection made it an event.

This Beauty cleaned up well after drooling on it. Always love to visit when I’m in town. Kurt was very helpful!!!

I live about 2 hours from Rochester. Ive been there numerous times but never had the time to visit House of Guitars. Ive always wanted to stop in. I finally had the opportunity and it was awesome. I buy most of my gear used so I really wasnt planning on buying anything at the time but I walked out with two new pedals, an Orange Two Stroke and MXR Carbon Copy. The small amount of money I could have saved by buying them used (if I could even find them) was more than made up for by the service, help, and recommendations I received from two members of the staff. Not to mention the vibe in this place hands down beats Guitar Center or buying something online. Highly recommended. Thinking about getting an LP Jr. soon and will definitely look here first.

Needed a few more hour in the this place!

The HOG is a true #ROC rock hall of fame classic!!! A must visit for any true music fan!!!

Historic landmark. I only wish the classic and chaotic basement of vinyl was more easily accessible. That being said, finding that perfect record hidden amongst others remains a valiant quest.

Amazing store! A lot of history here. They got everything you need and if you cant find it, just ask and they will.

Stuffed full of guitars! Poorly lit and hot as hell in there.

Poor atmosphere. Not a great shopping experience. My memories of this place from when I was younger were of a lively shop, music, Great staff.. My mom used to guy Cds and all kinds of stuff there. This time didnt feel so welcoming... Was very sad to see it like that.

My only complaint is I didnt bring a bed roll so i could have stayed longer!!!

Hummm, Big selection but kinda junky! Had to search for a old CD that should have been easier to find. Then paid 12.00 for a 20 year old CD that wasnt a classic! Just bought it to not feel my time was wasted!

Man, it is chaotic in this place. I was afraid to ask for help.

Biggest selection of vinyl records new and used Ive ever seen. I find it hard to spend less than 3 hours looking thru the albums every time I go here. You could easily spend a week looking thru the vinyl albums and cds and not even see a half of what they have. Best selection Ive ever seen. Also a huge selection of amazing guitars and other instruments. Ive purchased 3 guitars from here so far and am looking to buy another for my collection soon. Very helpful staff. Never been disappointed with any visit to the House of Guitars in my 35+ years of business with them. Its much like a museum really. All the autographed pictures and drum skins and such of some of the greatest rock n roll stars who have passed through there over the years is priceless. I could go on for hours, but you have to see this place for yourself if youre ever in the Rochester NY area and youre a fan of music, trust me when I say that you will not be disappointed. Expect to spend a few hours, no quick in and out unless you already know what you want and where to find it. Easily a 6 out of 5 stars.

Its the great HOG! Nuff said.

Great service of my Taylor 12 string acoustic guitar!!!

Great selection of electric guitars and helpful workers

Awesome place. Have so many cds

Staff were incredibly helpful, knowledgeable, and nice. Helped us select our first guitar and hear how it sounded on an amp. Large inventory to choose from as well.

Today is the first time Ive been in the House of Guitars since the mid-90s. I was looking for a smaller scale electric as a Christmas gift for my son. One of the owners pointed out some great options and I walked out with a great deal. Its worth the trip just for the history you can find here!

A must visit shop. Little secret to my string playing friend, theres a room full of violins, violas, cellos and basses upstairs.

The beginning of a musically euphoric era

As always excellent

Cool place, friendly staff, Rochester landmark gem.

Awesome place! Brought my son and his new guitar in and they tuned it. Walked out with two guitars, daddy and son will learn to play together. Highly recommended. Buy local, support local establishments like the HOG

Easy in and out for RSD. Very organized.

This place is unbelievable. The character and charm of this place will warm your heart. Every type of music genre imaginable, t-shirts AND you can purchase guitars. See a tremendous amount if history as you follow the back wall of musicians signatures. If you havent visited this place, you are missing out.

At a point where I didnt have very much money to spare, I had came in here on multiple occasions to look for a mid-range acoustic-electric guitar, finding nothing that I liked within my price range. I brought with me a Squire electric guitar for trade-in, and a gift certificate. After seeing me check back multiple times to look for the right guitar, Bruce cut me a fantastic deal on an amazing guitar, and even threw in some H.O.G merch on the side. Knowledgeable staff, great selection, and historic location. Thanks for the great deal.

Very helpful, friendly and knowledgeable staff. Awesome selection of guitars and mind boggling basement full of albums, including some rare finds. Upstairs is a huge drum shop, in the back is keyboards and amps. Great deals too.

Great store! They treated me as if I was royalty.

As a new guitar player, the gear in this place left me in awe. Seems like the shop never ends. I went in not sure what amp I was looking for and left with one I couldnt be happier with. Not to mention I had the best service Ive ever had in a guitar store (thanks, mike)