Long-Term Debt (Details) (USD $)	9 Months Ended			3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended			3 Months Ended		9 Months Ended					9 Months Ended			9 Months Ended			9 Months Ended									3 Months Ended	9 Months Ended
	Sep. 30, 2012	Sep. 30, 2011	Dec. 31, 2011	Sep. 30, 2012 Guitar Center	Sep. 30, 2011 Guitar Center	Sep. 30, 2012 Guitar Center	Sep. 30, 2011 Guitar Center	Dec. 31, 2011 Guitar Center	Sep. 30, 2012 Holdings	Sep. 30, 2011 Holdings	Sep. 30, 2012 Holdings	Sep. 30, 2011 Holdings	Dec. 31, 2011 Holdings	Mar. 31, 2012 Senior secured asset-based revolving facility	Sep. 30, 2012 Senior secured asset-based revolving facility Guitar Center	Sep. 30, 2012 Senior secured asset-based revolving facility Extended commitments	Sep. 30, 2012 Senior secured asset-based revolving facility Non-extended commitments	Sep. 30, 2012 Senior secured asset-based revolving facility LIBOR Extended commitments	Sep. 30, 2012 Senior secured asset-based revolving facility LIBOR Extended commitments Minimum	Sep. 30, 2012 Senior secured asset-based revolving facility LIBOR Extended commitments Maximum	Sep. 30, 2012 Senior secured asset-based revolving facility LIBOR Non-extended commitments	Sep. 30, 2012 Senior secured asset-based revolving facility LIBOR Non-extended commitments Minimum	Sep. 30, 2012 Senior secured asset-based revolving facility LIBOR Non-extended commitments Maximum	Sep. 30, 2012 Senior secured asset-based revolving facility Prime rate Extended commitments	Sep. 30, 2012 Senior secured asset-based revolving facility Prime rate Extended commitments Minimum	Sep. 30, 2012 Senior secured asset-based revolving facility Prime rate Extended commitments Maximum	Sep. 30, 2012 Senior secured asset-based revolving facility Prime rate Non-extended commitments	Sep. 30, 2012 Senior secured asset-based revolving facility Prime rate Non-extended commitments Minimum	Sep. 30, 2012 Senior secured asset-based revolving facility Prime rate Non-extended commitments Maximum	Sep. 30, 2012 Senior secured term loan Guitar Center	Dec. 31, 2011 Senior secured term loan Guitar Center	Sep. 30, 2012 Obligations under capital lease, payable in monthly installments through 2013 Guitar Center	Dec. 31, 2011 Obligations under capital lease, payable in monthly installments through 2013 Guitar Center	Sep. 30, 2012 Senior unsecured notes Guitar Center	Dec. 31, 2011 Senior unsecured notes Guitar Center	Dec. 31, 2011 Senior unsecured PIK notes	Sep. 30, 2012 Senior unsecured PIK notes	Sep. 30, 2012 Senior unsecured PIK notes Holdings	Dec. 31, 2011 Senior unsecured PIK notes Holdings	Sep. 30, 2012 Term Loan, Asset-Based Facility and Senior Notes Guitar Center
Debt instruments
Long-term debt including current maturities				$ 996,978,000		$ 996,978,000		$ 997,462,000																						$ 621,762,000	$ 621,762,000	$ 216,000	$ 700,000	$ 375,000,000	$ 375,000,000			$ 564,673,000	$ 564,673,000
Less current portion	134,262,000		646,000	4,478,000		4,478,000		646,000	129,784,000		129,784,000
Long-term debt, net of current portion	1,427,389,000		1,561,489,000	992,500,000		992,500,000		996,816,000	434,889,000		434,889,000		564,673,000
Maximum available amount															373,000,000
Initial aggregate principal amount																														650,000,000				375,000,000				375,000,000
Amount of extended commitments obtained														55,000,000
Consent and extension fees														700,000
Variable rate basis																		LIBOR			LIBOR			prime rate			prime rate
Interest rate margin (as a percent)																			2.75%	3.25%		1.25%	1.75%		1.75%	2.25%		0.00%	0.50%
Commitment fee payable based on undrawn availability (as a percent)																0.50%	0.25%
Option to make payment of percentage of interest by issuance of additional senior notes																																					50.00%
Percentage of interest payable in cash elected to reinvest																																				50.00%	50.00%
Percentage of ownership interest in guarantor subsidiaries																																								100.00%
Future maturities of long-term debt
Remainder of fiscal 2012	162,000			162,000		162,000
2013	135,725,000			5,941,000		5,941,000			129,784,000		129,784,000
2014	14,314,000			14,314,000		14,314,000
2015	6,500,000			6,500,000		6,500,000
2016	6,500,000			6,500,000		6,500,000
2017	963,561,000			963,561,000		963,561,000
Thereafter	434,889,000								434,889,000		434,889,000
Long-term debt	1,561,651,000			996,978,000		996,978,000			564,673,000		564,673,000
Anticipated amount of one-time principal prepayment																																						129,800,000
Amortization of deferred financing fees	2,388,000	2,154,000		699,000	639,000	2,079,000	1,846,000		802,000	742,000	2,388,000	2,154,000
Unamortized deferred financing fees				$ 11,576,000		$ 11,576,000		$ 12,913,000	$ 13,877,000		$ 13,877,000		$ 15,524,000