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Scinx
Mechanical Monkey
I see rumours that Guitar Center is planning on buying Fender. If this occurs - you can kiss Fender out the door. Interesting if it occurs - but I doubt for the better.
dwillis45
Número sesenta nueve
I thought that the Guitar Center was owned by Satan! Does this mean that Satan will now play a more major role in both the maufacture and distribution of guitars?
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gtar02
New member
doesn't satan already play a major role in that?
Aaron Cheney
Favorite Chord: C 6/9
vestast
Gassy Member
Ya where ? Does this mean they would stop selling other models ?
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acorec
Banned
vestast said:
Ya, where? GC only buys cheap junk, so, why would they buy Fender?...........
Sorry, I answered my own question..............
vestast
Gassy Member
acorec said:
Really ? I'm in Canada, but I visited a GC when I was in Florida recently and saw PRS, Gibson, Fender etc...
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Ed Dixon
New member
Same here in this area. The last one I visited in Knoxville, TN had 16 PRS models in stock, and a whole range of high end Gibson and other brands. Anything but a low end store.
The store in Charlotte, NC was the same setup.
Ed
The store in Charlotte, NC was the same setup.
Ed
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Ed Dixon
New member
vestast said:
I doubt this. If this rumor is true, I expect it has more to do with wanting market control of any other firms they compete with.
The GC approach is to carry a wide range of brands, and I would not expect that to change at all.
If they owned Fender, they might be able to offer models and prices different from anyone else.
Ed
S
small
New member
GC/Fender
I honestly doubt if GC has any plans to buy Fender. They just purchased Musician's Friend which was a great big expenditure & I kind of doubt that Fender would go for it. They are, after all, the Ford of the Guitar industry.
Of course, I could be wrong.
I honestly doubt if GC has any plans to buy Fender. They just purchased Musician's Friend which was a great big expenditure & I kind of doubt that Fender would go for it. They are, after all, the Ford of the Guitar industry.
Of course, I could be wrong.
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Scinx
Mechanical Monkey
The rumour first appeared on f**kedcompany.com which usually has some pretty good stuff...I wasnt convinced but thought it was a good discussion point...now that a couple days have passed I think its safe to assume all is well and nothing will occur...notice I was saying "IF this occurs"...a lot of the stuff posted there occurs...a lot of it doesnt...its a rumour mill...
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acorec
Banned
vestast said:
And all of those guitars have gone way down hill as far as quality. PRS's 22 fret models really cut corners to be known ever onward as "the 22 fret models". "Real PRS's had 24 frets and were really nice guitars. The new ones are made in *insert asian country here*.
vestast
Gassy Member
acorec said:
Well ya I agree with you on that. But I think they are still considered higher end models except for the Fenders. At least the price is considered higher end
That being said, what do you consider to be a quality gtr these days ? Just curious.
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Ed Dixon
New member
acorec said:
Most PRS are made at their facility in Maryland. Their lower cost models like the SE are made overseas.
The quality is quite good on all of them, even the import models.
Ed
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musicsdarkangel
New member
I agree about PRS, Gibson, and Fender going downhill over time, but then again, most guitars do, don't they?
gvarko
New member
Korea
I can tell you right now I have the Tremonti SE and it was made in Korea and it is the finest guitar I have ever owned IMO. I have owned top of the line SG's in my life and this guitar is by far better in quality and playability. I still own a Strat but it hardly ever gets touched since I bought the SE. So say what you want about Korean guitars but you are missing out on one great guitar.
acorec said:
I can tell you right now I have the Tremonti SE and it was made in Korea and it is the finest guitar I have ever owned IMO. I have owned top of the line SG's in my life and this guitar is by far better in quality and playability. I still own a Strat but it hardly ever gets touched since I bought the SE. So say what you want about Korean guitars but you are missing out on one great guitar.
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Richard Monroe
Well-known member
Yo, Acorec! Don't you think you are overdoing it? GC only buys cheap junk? My local GC handles Gibson, Fender, PRS, Parker, Heritage, Taylor, Martin, Guild, Ernie Ball, Gretsch, Rickenbacker, Ovation, Yamaha, Alvarez, Ibanez, Cordoba. So what is the line you want them to carry that *isn't* "cheap junk"?-Richie
reco
New member
Rumer!!!
I have heard this a bit.
They say if you say it enough it will happen.
GC had put so much pressure on manufacturers that some of them say "F" and "U" to GC.
PRS is kinda GC's Bitch because GC wants them to make cheaper guitars and exclusive instruments. and they dont want to loose GC cause they make them money. I heard this from a former store manager of GC.
SO, MAYBEEEEE! I hope not.
I have worked for both a magor and a local music bussines.
And found out the hard way that if you say it it will happen.
BUT! Rummers fly!!!
I would suck cause I do like fender. but not GC.
I spent an hour just waiting to be rung-up not even asking a question yesterday.
Crap service and not enough employees.
-Reco
I have heard this a bit.
They say if you say it enough it will happen.
GC had put so much pressure on manufacturers that some of them say "F" and "U" to GC.
PRS is kinda GC's Bitch because GC wants them to make cheaper guitars and exclusive instruments. and they dont want to loose GC cause they make them money. I heard this from a former store manager of GC.
SO, MAYBEEEEE! I hope not.
I have worked for both a magor and a local music bussines.
And found out the hard way that if you say it it will happen.
BUT! Rummers fly!!!
I would suck cause I do like fender. but not GC.
I spent an hour just waiting to be rung-up not even asking a question yesterday.
Crap service and not enough employees.
-Reco
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Richard Monroe
Well-known member
As both Littledog and I have pointed out before, GC is a franchise operation, and the horror stories (I've heard plenty of them) don't generally apply in the Boston area. Among the "cheap junk" handled by my local GC, you will find Avalon, Neumann, B.L.U.E., TC Electronics, Digidesign, Genelec, and a host of others. Part of the problem is the local market. If GC can't sell high end gear in a local market, they handle cheap junk because that's what the people who walk in the door will buy. It's just as true in inventory as it is in individual purchases- You get what you pay for. If GC can sell Avalon, they'll stock Avalon.
The local GC has also done good customer service and repair for me, as well as some serious custom luthier work. They have consistently beaten *any* price, anywhere. Like any other retail outfit, they also hire the clueless, but there's always at least one person in every department who knows what the hell they are doing, and you have to know who that is.
I don't doubt any of the bad things I've heard about GC, because I've heard enough of them from people I trust on this board and others. Where there's smoke, there's usually fire. All I'm saying is that things are not the same all over. It depends on where you are, and who's in charge.-Richie
The local GC has also done good customer service and repair for me, as well as some serious custom luthier work. They have consistently beaten *any* price, anywhere. Like any other retail outfit, they also hire the clueless, but there's always at least one person in every department who knows what the hell they are doing, and you have to know who that is.
I don't doubt any of the bad things I've heard about GC, because I've heard enough of them from people I trust on this board and others. Where there's smoke, there's usually fire. All I'm saying is that things are not the same all over. It depends on where you are, and who's in charge.-Richie
Aaron Cheney
Favorite Chord: C 6/9
musicsdarkangel said:
I don't think that is necessarily true at all. I agree that Gibson quality is in the pottee right now, but PRS and Fender are still making good instruments and have good QC. A lot of people link output with quality as being inversely proportional. If I company is well-managed that doesn't have to be the case. I think more often what happens is that people become familiar with brand X and start looking for something new. Coupled with that is the nostalgia factor. For whatever reason, people always think things used to be better than they are now, which isn't always true. Pickups are another great example of this. People are going ga-ga over lots of "botique" pickups, but the fact is, DiMarzio and SD are still making some great pickups. People have just become so familiar with them that they are looking of something newer and cooler.
I just bought a PRS Tremonti SE for my son a few months ago. It is an absolutley great guitar. I was blown away. For $400 it's a killer deal. I think Korea is today what Japan was a few decades ago. They are kind of the "sweet-spot" for getting decent quality at a very good price. Not just for guitars, but for all kinds of goods.
As far as the GC/Fender thing goes, I think reco hit the nail on the head. GC has tremendous buying power, and uses it to put pressure on manufacturers. If you've ever shopped for a washer/dryer or refrigerator or matresses or TV's you've no doubt noticed that different stores may carry the same brands but never the same model. That's becuase the manufacturer makes models exclusively for different stores. In many cases, the different exlusive models are exactly the same except for the badge. Retailers insist on this because it makes it hard for a customer to shop around for the best price because you can't directly compare models, and thus they can charge more. GC may be looking for the same thing from their mfg's. I've already seen a few instances where Ovation or Fender have made an exclusive color or finish for Sam Ash or Musician's Friend.
A
www.aaroncheney.com
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