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Centaur Guitar Centaur Guitar started in the spring of 2005 when longtime friends and bandmates Kelly Manahan and Jason Snell decided to open a small, community oriented rock and roll guitar shop. We're a full service, owner operated music store with great prices, friendly service and lots of cool stuff. Hundreds of bands have played in our store and in our parking lot.

Bands have formed here. Relationships have started here. Rock stars shop here. Neighborhood kids buy their first guitars here. We are proud members of the community that we serve.
Services
We are constantly adding new guitars to our inventory! We do our best to get them on the website as quick as we can but there are always some gems that seem to get missed so it's always worth checking in. You never know what you'll find! We do our best to ensure that all of our instruments are playing and looking their best.
We try to list as many of our amps on the website as possible but it seems like we always miss a few so it's always worth a visit if your in the area to see what we've got in stock. We don't generally ship amplifiers due to the difficulties and costs involved in getting them to you safely. That said, if you see something you can't live without you can always give us a call. Maybe we can figure something out for you!
Centaur Guitar is proud to be an authorized Earthquaker Devices dealer and we carry one of the largest selections of EQD pedals in Portland. You can check out our selection right here online or you can swing by the shop and try them out!
Spaceman is a team of musicians, artists and creators making pedals for the love of bringing sonic art to the universe. Spaceman circuits and tones are authentic, not clones or copies. Here you will find effects that transform how you play, often interacting like instruments unto themselves. With backgrounds in audio engineering, production and performance, the Spaceman team has incredibly high standards for sonic detail. They also offer intuitive and novel control options for their effects, for an inspiring experience every time you plug in.
Reviews (29)
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Sockit
Jun 19, 2022
Made me feel at home very friendly and funny staff! Fair prices aswell!
Paul Goulding
Jun 15, 2022
Bought a lovely little Cort acoustic here. Kelly was super friendly and chilled to let me try out what I liked in my own time, and was very knowledgeable about the guitars. Very happy, recommended
Evergreen EvergreenLayne Layne
Jun 08, 2022
Al did a professional job setting up my new Fender Meteora. Recommended I go with the 10-52 Ernie Balls rather than the 11-50s to put less stress on the neck. Best recommendation these things are mean and so f-ing heavy. He made a few adjustments to accommodate for that big low E and replaced a piece on the bridge that was stripped out. Great experience thanks.
Ek Balam G.
Jun 06, 2022
I took a guitar that I was having switch issues with over to centaur. The guy working offered to take a look at it, asked if he could open the switch plate, and showed me that sometimes the switch holders will slip. He adjusted it. and didn't charge me anything. Nice selection of guitars!
Grant Cavaness
May 10, 2022
Good stock and helpful staff. Great spot to check out for any music buying needs
Davis Vance
Apr 20, 2022
Had a parking lot! Friendly and helpful place, good room and a lot of selection. P.S. That Taylor 510W sounds pretty great for a Taylor lol
Lukas Simoncic
Apr 08, 2022
I had a great experience here. Walked in with not even knowing what exactly I needed, the guy who assisted me was super friendly and helped me gather an electric guitar with all additional needed equipment. The prices were very reasonable and the guitar and effects work great so far.
Lily R.
Mar 21, 2022
The employees here are always super friendly and great to chat with. I've bought several guitars and pedals here and there in great condition for the price. Will definitely continue to shop here in the future.
Garrett Augustyn
Jan 22, 2022
Great customer service. I have gotten my bass set up here multiple times, it always comes out great and the guys are always very helpful.
Jacob Ke
Jan 08, 2022
Ordered a guitar online and had it shipped. They did an excellent job packing the instrument, and the guitar was in perfect condition. These guys are also super nice over the phone as well. Thank you so much!
R. C.
Nov 27, 2021
I've brought two basses in for setups, as well as purchased a few pedals from here. I couldn't be happier with the service and the staff. Al has done tremendous setups for my guitars, and is always very friendly along with the rest of the staff. Worth checking out as they may have something hiding in a case that you didn't know you needed!
Jordan G.
Apr 02, 2021
Stopped by this morning and had a real great experience. Staff was helpful, nice and polite. they had everything I needed, in one stop, hard to ask for a better guitar store experience.
Jay N.
Jul 25, 2020
These guys are fantastic. Glad they were able to reopen and have done so with manners and pure class. We had some great convo and they had tons of suggestions for helping me get myself and kids started on both guitar and bass. I could spend hours listening to their sage advice and storytelling. Top notch crew!
Andrew R.
Feb 27, 2020
I brought an acoustic guitar and ukulele for restringing and they did a great job! Not only that, but it was very affordable. $12 to restring the guitar and $6 for the ukulele (plus the cost of strings). They have a good selection of guitars and vintage effects pedals as well. Great experience all around!
Steffen Wade
Jan 14, 2020
Awesome experience, great selection, competitive pricing check it out. Went to pick out a bass and expected the usual 5 different people playing at the same time chaos, instead they have isolation rooms setup with amps. Was able to play enough in store to feel very confident I was getting what I wanted. The cats working that day know their stuff and even pointed out the little blemishes and what had been changed on it from original. Very rad!
Jim B.
Jan 09, 2020
Really great experience with Al, and the team at Centaur Guitar. They went out of their way to send more photos and information to me. I scored a mint, lefty Telecaster that is absolutely pristine. Everyone at Centaur are friendly and helpful, really neat vibe at this store. Bravo Centaur, thank you very much!
Brooke T.
Dec 21, 2019
I have always had great experiences shopping at centaur guitar. It is wonderful to walk into a kick ass music store with super nice and knowledgeable employees without the condescending attitudes! They have an amazing selection of pedals and gear. I will always support this place!
Ian M.
Sep 13, 2019
Great selections at this shop. Everyone in town will tell you to go here, and it's for good reason. While I haven't brought anything in to be serviced (I live in southern California, so this doesn't make any sense), I have come in to peruse their incredible selection of pedals. They carry a lot of hard to find pedal makers such as Sioux, and they're always focused on local gear. I stop in every time I come to Portland.
J. S.
Jul 27, 2019
Brought my Rickenbacker 4003w in for a setup. Although it took longer than I wanted, they definitely did a great job on it! Beautiful low action!
Robert B.
Apr 12, 2019
Make sure you bring cash! Went to purchase guitar strings on my debit card. The money came out of my account (pending status) but due to a malfunction on their machine the transaction failed. I left $20 lighter and no strings. When you also consider the construction/ parking situation this amounted to a very negative experience. Been a loyal customer for 8+ years. I'm Done.
Jeff R.
Feb 16, 2019
Brought my 13yo granddaughter here to pick out her Christmas gift. Having stopped playing piano after 5 years of mediocre teachers, she got excited about the guitar at summer camp. There was a wide assortment, a wall-full, of the acoustic guitars she was interested in and the salesguy spent lots of time with her, showing and playing how they differed from one another.

He brought over about a dozen through the course of 30 - 45 minutes, priced from $120 to $1000, but with never a hint of trying to push her selection. Next time I need a guitar in Portland (I'm a piano guy), I'll go here!
Nilou R.
Aug 20, 2018
They are the best. No pressure. Quality instruments. Friendly and knowledgeable. Not pushy. Thanks for the sweet guitar!
Siera F.
Dec 30, 2017
Employees are so nice and helped me pick out my first bass and amp! Awesome store!
Tom N.
Aug 08, 2017
As the other reviewers point out, this place is awesome! Great, knowledgeable staff and no-pressure to purchase. Excellent choice of used guitars and amps, all priced fairly. What a music store should be.
Laura H.
Nov 27, 2016
The lovely people in this shop restrung my guitar and cleaned the fret board in a matter of hours without an appointment and gave me additional suggestions of work I might want to complete on it at another business. Every time I've gone in there, I have gotten very friendly but not at all pushy or condescending customer service. Highly recommend.
Mary H.
Oct 26, 2016
Time and time again, I have come back to Centaur Guitar to purchase quality guitars to use for drawings for my customers. Usually, calling them at the last minute! The team at Centaur never makes me feel I am bothering them or putting them out in any way. They know what guitars my audience will get excited about and have helped me put my association on the map!

For someone who knows nothing about guitars, I have had to put my trust completely in them, and they haven't failed me yet! No attitude, no hassle and willing to work within my budget. I highly recommend this shop to ANYONE no matter what level player you are. You will leave feeling motivated and suddenly a member of the Centaur Family. Just go once! you'll see.
J. B.
Jan 28, 2016
Usually when you go to a guitar shop, you're prepared to either deal with crappy employees, a lack of product, or just a weird vibe. Centaur is none of these things and everything I've ever looked for in a guitar shop. Not only is everyone there super nice and knowledgeable, but they have a great selection of pedals from brands that are hard to find in person: Earthquaker Devices, Catalinbread, and some boutique brands I've never heard of too. I'm happy to have found my go to guitar shop and if you have a chance to go, I'm sure you'll feel the same way.
Rodger V.
Jan 16, 2016
We are on holiday from Australia and I had to pop into a cool guitar store while in Portland. These guys popped up in a quick search, and we popped in on the way back to our AirBnB after a day of smashing Hawthorne District. I was not disappointed at all - great range of new and secondhand guitars, amps, and my favourite, effects! Picked up some cool stuff and was super impressed with how friendly and helpful the staff were. Great guys, great gear, great shop! Go there NOW!
Steven S.
Sep 08, 2015
So, about an hour before they closed on Labor Day, I called up because the girlfriend's B.C.Rich had a connection issue at the jack. Not only did they repair the issue within ten minutes, they also didn't charge for the repair. Overall, awesome from start to finish. Laid back, and well-stocked. Go here. Stop reading. Just give them money. I know I will in the future.