Guitar Center rant.

[Cottonwood King]

Alright, I just have to get this out of my system in some way/shape/form: I have the biggest love hate relationship with guitar center that you could possibly imagine. I LOVE the following about guitar center:

- widely available
- large inventory
- decent prices

However, does it bother anyone else that every single time you go in one of these monstrosities, you are greeted by a "'sup, bro???" by a really arrogant/ nasty looking guy who seems to think that by verbally harassing you, he can somehow get you to purchase one of his new "Limited edition gibson SGc that he just got in stock, pretty sweet, brah!"? I have been in the local GC a fair amount of times, and have only met one person who has treated me like a normal human being. Perhaps it's simply Chicago's suburbia, but I just can't stand it. I actually got straight up LIED to about a piece of merchandise before. I needed a pickup for my acoustic, and just figured I'd pick up a Dean Markley, simple enough. I went in, and this sales rep tells me they have one on sale. I asked if it was used or returned, they said no, and I got it for less than 35 bucks. Drove the 15 miles back home to find that it was a severely used pickup with missing pieces. When I made it back to the store, the sales rep wasn't in, but they did exchange it for a new one, which was alright. I dunno. Like I said, love/hate.

There, that feels better. :D

[Rocket]

What I despise about Guitar Centers, Inc. is their lame attempt at "WalMart-ing" both the offline & online retail music sales industry by undercutting the competition until they can be assimilated from their death-bed. So far the Borg hit-list includes:

Guitar Center (guitarcenter.com)
Musician's Friend (musiciansfriend.com)
Music 123 (music123.com)
Private Reserve Guitars (privatereserveguitars.com)
Woodwind & Brasswind (wwbw.com)
Giardinelli (giardinelli.com)

I will assume, based on their history, that zZounds and Sweetwater are in the crosshairs!

[peachhead]

I just hate it because there ain't one close to me. I don't get to experience the aggravation on a regular basis.
Seriously, I go there when I go out of town and enjoy having a large selection to play around with. There's not much of that around here.

[thearabianmage]

One thing I don't like about GC is it's lack of 'uniqueness.' They're very sterile. I've been to a GC in Chicago, San Diego, and Los Angeles and I'd swear it was the same shop. The only way I can tell between them were the people I was with at the time.

In some ways, this can be good. For example, if I wanted an Ibanez s520ex, I knew I could get it at any of these stores at any time. But then, they don't have anything else outside of what they have, if that makes sense.

On Denmark St., as over-priced as those shops are, they're all different with different stock.

But in all fairness, the internet rules the roost. . .

[markb]

On Denmark St., as over-priced as those shops are, they're all different with different stock.

But in all fairness, the internet rules the roost. . .

Most of them are like different facets of the same shop. Rhodes, Music Ground, Roka's, Bass Cellar are all part of the Music Ground group iirc. They still have the NZ instrument retail scene beat though. Did someone mention high prices?

[ZMAN]

I really am spoiled. I have a local shop that gives me better prices than the US stores and much better service. I get personal service and I get emails from them on specific items I have requested that they let me know when a used item comes in. I can order a guitar without a deposit, and it is totally checked out before I even see it. Also a free complete set up when I buy.
I have spent a lot of money there but man how can you not. I get 80% of the value of the guitar on trades and that is against the discounted price.
I complained once that I saw an advertised lower price on a guitar I purchased and I immediately got a 50 dollar in store credit.
We don't have GC, or MF, or any of them in Canada, and for me that is just cool.

[just strum]

ZMAN, a local shop that you can deal with cannot be beat.

[street music]

ZMAN, I feel lucky too that I have a store that is about 60 minutes away that really has the greatest customer service and just a good bunch of employees who make you welcome and will help in any way. They carry most of the brands that I like, I do wish they still carried Godin.

[tot_Ou_tard]

If I see a GC I'll go in to try out different guitars & amphs. I've never bought more than a guitar stand though.

[hubberjub]

I don't like Guitar Center for the same reason I don't like Walmart. The management prefers to hire 18-21 year olds because they don't have to pay them and they can be replaced easily. I get their Ten Up or Ten Over deal (I forget what it's called) and I still won't shop there.

[sumitomo]

Cottonwood this peckerwood has a great idea that will make your next trip to GC a great one.Two words No Habla,thats right if they can't talk to you they can't try to up sell ya,so pick a language any language and have some fun.Sumi:D

[Childbride]

What I despise about Guitar Centers, Inc. is their lame attempt at "WalMart-ing" both the offline & online retail music sales industry by undercutting the competition until they can be assimilated from their death-bed. So far the Borg hit-list includes:

Guitar Center (guitarcenter.com)
Musician's Friend (musiciansfriend.com)
Music 123 (music123.com)
Private Reserve Guitars (privatereserveguitars.com)
Woodwind & Brasswind (wwbw.com)
Giardinelli (giardinelli.com)

I will assume, based on their history, that zZounds and Sweetwater are in the crosshairs!

you said Borg... [grin] o, bloody hell, my husband is rubbing off on me after all. :thwap:

[ZMAN]

I don't know what the reason is but when I visit the US I am drawn to them.
I have been to GCs in Mich, Maine, New York, Florida, North Carolina, South Carolina.
I have purchased specific items, a DD20, a TU2 tuner a TS9, and a Furman pedal board. I checked the best price and found them to be decently priced and I was able to email them and make sure they had the item in stock when I visited.
I have not had any issues with the staff, because I usually get the Manager or Asst. Managers name and ask for them. I usually explain I am visiting from Canada and they are very helpfull.
I am however appalled at the condition of many of the guitars on the "floor"
They are all greasey and finger marks let alone scratches.
I guess that doesn't bother some people but it was really tough for me.

[Rocket]

...my husband is rubbing off on me after all.
Keep a towel close-by!

[luvmyshiner]

Keep a towel close-by!

Or three or four.:D

[jpfeifer]

I have a similar love/hate relationship with GC. I buy a lot of stuff from them though because they have a large inventory and good prices.

But I really miss the old days before there were places like GC. I used to have a local music shop in my home town where all of the local players would meet on the weekends, try out guitars, have small jam sessions, etc. And you would buy a guitar from someone who knew what they were talking about. If something was defective with your purchase you would take it back to the same guy you bought it from, because he was the guy who owned the store.

The main thing I dislike about GC is the inconsistency. At the location I go to there are a handful of guys who are really knowledgeable and will give decent advice. But there are about 10 more who don't know anything and these 10 guys quit after about 3 months and are replaced by another group of speed-bumps. The other thing that annoys me is when they try to pass off defective or abused equipment for new. I've seen several custom-shop Gibsons at this store that should never have been placed on the rack (should have been sent back to the factory long ago). The same custom shop 335 with the split top is on the rack with about $200 knocked off of the original price. This is inexcusable in my opinion.

--Jim

[Andy]

I have zero "relationship" with GC .. If they have something I want ,I go there ,buy it ,and drive back home.I don't seek advice from a GC employee in the first place. I figure why put myself thru so much angish over a store...lol?

..........relax, get what you need and move along....it's that simple

[mrmudcat]

I have a great mom pop store locally (well within 25-50 miles off this mountain:thwap: ) I have peeps down south that will point me in the right direction:beer:

[Rocket]

I have zero "relationship" with GC .. If they have something I want ,I go there ,buy it ,and drive back home.I don't seek advice from a GC employee in the first place. I figure why put myself thru so much angish over a store...lol?

..........relax, get what you need and move along....it's that simple
If you're making a purchase from them, that's much more than zero relationship. That's an enabling relationship... it enables them to continue to wreak havoc on the small business.
Really doesn't matter though as all physical stores are dying to the online slaughter.

[Jimi75]

Here's an opinion of a "foreigner". I have been plenty of times to the USA and yes I have visited GC very often. My personal experience is that I have been treated very well and very professional. For e.g. GC in downtown Seattle. They invited me to workshops and all that stuff although they knew that I wasn't going to buy more than pack of strings or a pick. The consulting was also very professional. No question left, nothing they wouldn't have done for me. I understand the bashing on the big players in some way, but please bear in mind that the bigger a shop the worse clients behave. Customers take less care of the instruments and they think they have more rights and can treat the staff with less respect than in a small shop. It is a sword with two blades like we say in Germany. I like to support the small business, so I buy from local shops oftentimes, but I also love the big shops where I can try out everything.