The newly reimagined Guitar Center Hollywood
On Saturday, November 3, Guitar Center Hollywood closed down Sunset Blvd to celebrate the grand reopening of its flagship store.
New Guitar Center mural
The day started with an unveiling ceremony for a new mural covering the exterior of the iconic Sunset Boulevard store. The mural, designed by street artists Amanda Lynn, Scott Marsh, and Patrick Griffith, features Jimi Hendrix, and the ceremony was attended by Hendrix's sister Janie Hendrix.
RockWalk Inductees Don Lombardi, Sheila E, and John Good
Next, radio personality Zane Lowe brought up a special guest, actress
Angela Basset, to introduce the induction of GRAMMY®-nominated singer, drummer, and percussionist
Sheila 'E' Escovedo and Drum Workshop founders
Don Lombardi and
John Good into the World Famous RockWalk.
The final event of the evening was a surprise block party-style concert headlined by Grammy nominated artist Anderson .Paak, with an opening set by DJ
A-Trak. The concert was so secret that the headliner wasn't announced until midnight.
Anderson .Pakk
The $5 million dollar revitalization of the 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."
The location, which first opened in 1985, features a 15-feet-long interactive pedal display, a 24-feet-wide snare drum wall, interactive brand displays from top manufacturers such as Fender and Gibson, the retailer's largest standalone vintage guitar room featuring exclusive and rare vintage instruments, and also showcases music memorabilia 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, as well as the iconic RockWalk, located in front of the store.
Sheila E with Angela Basset at the RockWalk Induction Ceremony
Guitar Center Sunset is located at 7425 Sunset Blvd in Hollywood.