Labor Day Steals at Guitar Center

bongolation

bongolation

New member
(Celebratory mode on)

Check brother out:

Against my better judgment, I got up early and went to the Guitar Center Labor Day sale at 0800. The July 4 sale was a dud and I almost didn't go this time.

It was a good day, and I knew I was on a winning roll when I saw that they had dumped the usual Starbuck's standing-in-line coffee for Peet's.

Man, I couldn't lose today. I just couldn't screw up no matter how hard I tried:

Fender Vintage Series "Twin Amp" AKA "The Evil Twin" ($1599.99 list). Always wanted a twin in the old days but never got around to getting one. At $799.99 it looked almost persuasive, but I got the Fender "Princeton Chorus" (below) instead. On the way out, I checked the list again and it said $599.99 for the Twin, so I asked if it had been mistagged. Sure enough, $599 even, new with all accessories. Bought it, all 77 pounds of it.

I asked my guy there what was a good studio amp deal and he said to check ou the Fender "Princeton Chorus" ($599.99 list) they had for $199.99. Looked nice, bagged it for $199 even, new with all accessories.

Always on the lookout for a nice bass, and they had Fender American "Hot Rod" P-basses for a measly $499. Got one. Really pretty orange trans, which looks much better than you might think. Fantastic bass!

I had been admiring the Gretsch "Historic" series acoustic guitars for a while and always thought the "Hawaiian" was very pretty, but at $600, I couldn't really see indulging the urge. At $199 I could, and did.

So, it was time to scrounge through the used cases pile: "ALL USED CASES $20 EACH TODAY ONLY!" My guy said screw it, for you $10 a pop. We were looking for a good genuine Fender P-Bass case for the Hot Rod and I found one that was a little skinned up and stickered up, but nothing I couldn't make look new. My guy found a better one after some digging, but I had an impulse to hang onto the one I already dug out. I got a nice case for the Gretsch. On impulse, I asked if by some wild, insane chance there might be some sort of case that might somehow work for my vintage Gibson Thunderbird bass, something I've been looking for without success for thirty years. What should we find but a genuine vintage Gibson T-Bird Bass case in nice shape! Ten bucks...

The one thing I went looking for today without any real hope of getting was a deal on a four-space rackmount. What should be in the case pile but an SKB four-space rackmount, a floor demo. Ten bucks also.

Got an armload of guitar stands for $5 each and then undertook to get all this gear home, which was one serious undertaking in my car.

After getting it all in the house and finding a place to set it down, I moved the Fender bass case and heard a clank. I opened it up and looked in the gear well and what should I find but the original docs and mint chrome covers for an early '70s P-Bass, a mint 1970 example of which I have - up to this point only missing the original chrome covers and docs to make a _perfect_ collector package. Can you BELIEVE this luck?

Man, I hope I haven't used up all the good fortune I have coming for the next ten years all at once today.

(Fingers crossed!)
 
I'm always sceptical of those GC sales. It sounds like you got a great deal on the Princeton amp.....now you've got me interested in going over to the GC. There goes my day.

I really want one of the Line 6 Modulation rackmounts. They are brand new and I just found some stores are taking pre-orders. They want $500. That's too much because the floor model sells for $250 and other than being rackmounted and the ability to store a lot of presets, I don't see any real advantages. I still want a the rackmount.....I hate paying $250 for something with a wall wart.
 
Wide Awake said:
I'm always sceptical of those GC sales.
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Yeah, I know...they're usually nothing special. As I said, the July 4 sale was totally nowhere.
It sounds like you got a great deal on the Princeton amp
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I got it without even looking at it. When I got it home and scrutinized it more carefully, I see that it really is a pretty sophisticated studio effects amp. Ash has these on screaming NEW LOWER PRICE! sale for $359.99, so getting mine at $199 really does seem like a good deal.
I still want a the rackmount.....I hate paying $250 for something with a wall wart.
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Haw! No kidding. I never really thought about it, but I sure get your point. I agree.
 
I went and saw a used American Texas Fat Strat Special for $549.00. Metallic Teal Green and in excellent condition. I would have snagged that baby if I hadn't just bought a new American Standard Strat the week before.

Other past finds:

New Fender electric violin(black) with case and accessories for $249.00. I don't really play violin but this thing looks really cool.

New, top of the line Ibanez 7 string acoustic/electric(fishman). Bound body and neck. Pearl inlayed name and logo on headstock and gold hardware. That 7th string is a bitch though unless you use an open tuning. I paid $349.00 for a beautifully crafted guitar that lists at $1300.00


bongolation-the "hawaiian" is the one with the triangular sound hole? How does it sound.
 
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hahahah I picked up one of their $99 acoustic guitars...."Mitchell"

I tried some of the $200+ guitars and for some strange reason I liked this one better.

I must have missed that $20/$10 case deal. Which GC in california did you go to?
 
Executivos said:
hahahah I picked up one of their $99 acoustic guitars...."Mitchell"

I tried some of the $200+ guitars and for some strange reason I liked this one better.
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Though usually weird-looking, the Mitchells are really great guitars at GC sale long-discount. I got one of the cutaway electro-acoustic flattops for $199 in March and was floored by the quality and performance. They're a bit big in the neck, wide and thick, but they have GIANT sound and great quality. I think they were a good deal at the original $599 (and got top-rated raves at that price in guitar reviews), but at $199, it was a super bargain. I have a number of vintage Gibson and Guild flattops, but this one sounds better. Huge, ringing sound.

I really have to see how this Gretsch is...man, these are gorgeous guitars! The Hawiiian series weren't big sellers because people are turned off by that goofy-looking pickguard, but that's exactly how they had them in the 1930s. I have a very old Gibson that's the same. The Gretsch sounds very good, but my hands are still too swollen to do it justice.

I must have missed that $20/$10 case deal. Which GC in california did you go to?
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"I could tell you, but then I'd have to kill you...":D Most of the NorCal stores I go to dump these when they start taking up too much room. The San Francisco store on Mission usually has a lot of junk like this.

Just tonight, I mounted the SeaSound and a superfluous Ibanez digital delay unit in the barely-used SKB $10 rack unit and it looks really great. It's a little more organized and protected, the latter being a big consideration as clumsy as I am.:D
 
hixmix said:

New Fender electric violin(black) with case and accessories for $249.00. I don't really play violin but this thing looks really cool.
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Yes, I think I would have bought one of them at that price myself, though I know about as much about violin as a cat knows about Christmas.
 
bongolation said:
Though usually weird-looking, the Mitchells are really great guitars at GC sale long-discount. I got one of the cutaway electro-acoustic flattops for $199 in March and was floored by the quality and performance. They're a bit big in the neck, wide and thick, but they have GIANT sound and great quality. I think they were a good deal at the original $599 (and got top-rated raves at that price in guitar reviews), but at $199, it was a super bargain. I have a number of vintage Gibson and Guild flattops, but this one sounds better. Huge, ringing sound.
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Good then I'm not crazy. I was quite impressed with the sound as well. It was $99 from a list price of $399. Kinda like GC's oktavas--$149---list $599.

I've been doing all of my acoustic tracking with nylon classicals (not classical music) and I figured it couldn't be worse. I'm sure when I throw my ntv in front of it it will sound even better.
 
I didn't do too bad there during their sale. I picked up a roll around stand for my RC for $50 and a Envoice Mindprint with the digital output option for $158. I can live with that. :D
 
Executivos said:
Good then I'm not crazy. I was quite impressed with the sound as well. It was $99 from a list price of $399. .
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Sounds like the MD100. If you didn't have to take a wicked-ugly color, you did great.:D At $99 bucks, these have to be the best value on a no-nonsense serviceable studio flattop in the world, a no-brainer, take it and run.

I've never found a site for this brand and I suspect that they were a limited contract item for GC. I've never seen them sold anywhere else.
Kinda like GC's oktavas--$149---list $599. .
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I think all of these list prices are arbitrary, as GC seems to be the only dealer for either of these brands so they can say they have any list price they want. Oktavas are pretty iffy, but when they ARE good, they're pretty nice for the bucks. I have a few around here I pre-tested before buying. I've written a bunch about them on the "Microphones" board.
 
I got SeaSound Solo EX for mere $100. It was a cosmetically perfect demo unit (not heavilly used, but burned in, which is good), no drivers and manual (got that from the net), no bundled software (I have full versions of everything I use and don't need "light" editions), no box (can live with that).

I didn't know about the sale in advance and just stopped by. How often do they do sales like that?
 
webstop said:


I didn't know about the sale in advance and just stopped by. How often do they do sales like that?
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LOL....It seems like everyweekend.


"ATTENTION MUSICIANS.........SUNDAY.....THE GUITAR CENTER MEGATHON."

gotta love the radio commercials. I think they do SOMEthing like once a month but not all of them are the same.

BTW about the wicked ugly color, I got a green green one...I passed on the pink ones.
 
webstop said:
I got SeaSound Solo EX for mere $100.
I didn't know about the sale in advance and just stopped by. How often do they do sales like that?
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These "List" sales happen on the major holidays, by postcard notification only.

The radio ad "sales" are largely imaginary.:D

What firmware version is your SeaSound?
 
webstop said:
I'll check my firmware version tonigh and post tomorrow.
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There should be a white sticker on the back that simply says "1.0" or "1.1" indicating the firmware chip version. I am told on the SeaSound discussion site that you may still be able to get the 1.1 chip upon request by e-mailing the right person, who reserved a few for owner upgrades.

http://www.geocities.com/scott911/
 
Thanks bongolation,
I have 1.1 sticker at the back of my unit. The manual indicates that the difference between 1.0 and 1.1 is only important with regards to expander, which I don't have anyway.
Cheers
 
webstop said:
I have 1.1 sticker at the back of my unit. The manual indicates that the difference between 1.0 and 1.1 is only important with regards to expander, which I don't have anyway.
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This is good news anyway, as the later SeaSounds were modified to decrease noise, which was a problem on the earlier ones, as some reviews point out.

Great deal - good luck! Get the expanded manual .PDF and new drivers on either the SeaSound board or the link I gave you.
 
I;ve also done well at some of GC's "list" sales: last January I got a new Warwick FNA 5 string for $802 and a new in box Roland VSR880 for $599 (at the time they were $1299 everywhere else including GC.) On Memorial Day I got a new Eden WT300 for $299,and last Monday I scored a new Yamaha TRB 5 II for $499. I watched the guy take this one out of the shipping carton,and I was the first person to play it.I love it.it sounds and plays great. I could have also gotten a Boogie Buster combo amp for $699.There's a guy on ebay right now selling a Yamaha 4 string and he openly admits he bought it at GC on Labor Day expressly to resell it on ebay. At my local GC,a guy drove up with a big pickup and bought every EV Eliminator cab and sub they had,at $199 each!
 
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