An open call with strings

Guitar Center is asking players to come test the first prototype of its own electric guitar. There are conditions attached.

A year in the works

The retailer has been quietly building its own guitar brand for nearly a year, well before the project went public in April. It still has no name.

Built from player feedback

Guitar Center gathered ideas and wishes from guitarists on social media, then designed around them instead of starting in a boardroom.

“We've been building and creating a new guitar line from scratch, and that new guitar line has been based on interactions with you and your feedback”

Prototypes have landed

CEO Gabe Dalporto says physical prototypes are now arriving at the office, and the company wants real players to judge them.

“We are now at the point where we're getting prototypes into our office and we want real-world feedback”

LA only, late September

Testing runs at Guitar Center's Westlake Village office in late September and early October. Interested players email info@GCPLB.com with their background and playing style.

Phone outside, NDA signed

Rich Thrush, who leads Guitar Labs, laid out the rules on Reddit: leave your phone outside the room and sign a non-disclosure agreement first.

“We're looking for genuine players who are willing to share honest opinions.”

Influencers to the back

If you mainly make content or represent a brand, say so. Guitar Center still wants to talk, but later in the project.

Not another copycat

Dalporto says the point is to avoid the usual retailer playbook. The project sits inside a years-long rebuild of Guitar Center's business after its restructure.

“Most retailers simply make copycat products and charge a little less. That's completely uninteresting to me.”