My first experience with Guitar Center....

  • Thread starter Thread starter rpe
  • Start date Start date
rpe

rpe

NM - Land of Excrement
I live in southern New Mexico so there isn't a Guitar Center anywhere near here. I was in the Baltimore area last week and found time to check out the GC in Towson. Having never been in a GC before I was really shocked at all the stuff they had. I ended up in the acoustic guitar room playing a Taylor 714CE for about two hours. I really loved the way that guitar played. I played the 614 also (I think its maple) but it didn't sound near as nice as the 714. My only criticism was that the salesman didn't know very much about acoustic guitars and was trying to BS me for quite a while. I know GC getts kicked around alot by many posters here but I thought the place was pretty cool.

rpe
 
That's the downside to GC: their used car sales tactics. You can get good deals there, but you really have to bust their balls.
 
M.Brane said:
That's the downside to GC: their used car sales tactics. You can get good deals there, but you really have to bust their balls.
Click to expand...

Every piece of equipment I've bought there, all I had to do was ask, and I got a discount. Good prices too. Even on software.
 
subtractor said:
Every piece of equipment I've bought there, all I had to do was ask, and I got a discount. Good prices too. Even on software.
Click to expand...

Try that in LA.:D
 
Okay, raise the flag.

GC is the best place, and they've always given me the best service, the best gear, and the best prices. The selection of stuff is awesome. I've bought most of my stuff there for around 20 years now. The Sherman Oaks and Ventura stores are examples of excellent service, for sure.

Palmdale's great too, of course, there's a GC in my home town. I'm going to drop over there tomorrow, about 7 miles away.

Back when I was shopping at Sherman Oaks, oh man, they catered to me! I had a guy knocking $10-15 off of already low published sale prices, no problem! I bought many guitars there, I did indeed.

Bought the US-428 there, got it home and HATED IT. Got a refund, no questions asked, & bought a 424mkIII with the dough, which btw I'm very happy with.

Anything you've seen in the monthly Guitar Center flyer, I've bought at least 25% of it already, and I payed 90% of what you see there as published prices.

My favorite sales rep, I think, is now the guitar floor manager, and through my experiences and track record, I think I got an 'in' to the best deals at GC.

Shit, I've bought maybe a third of that store already. I'll be there tomorrow, maybe scoring more gear! Don't think I'm kidding, either!

Don't worry too much about asking the GC reps questions, just demo the gear until you've found something you like, then tell them what you want. They're music heads just out of high school, most of them, and you can't expect them to be musical gear experts, necessarily. I mean, the best reps do have some expertise, but it varies by individual & department. It's best to research on your own, and demo the heck out of the gear yourself. They'll let you. Go demo-happy, & they'll let you. Try to buy something once in a while, too.

Raise the flag, salute to GC! Best place to shop gear.

Okay, Sam Ash is comparable on quality of gear and selection, even price, but the service there has never just bowled me over, like at GC.

Salute to GC. [Begin Fanfare];)
 
I used to work for a big music store chain (Name withheld- wink wink) and some of the things I experienced were pretty horrible.
Where do I start? Lets see, there was the day a Co-worker doing a simple string change on an acoustic guitar broke off the bridge, then left me to deal with the customer while he went off to lunch, then home sick!! There was the day a college kid brought in an OLD Les Paul of his dads to sell for tuition. He got like $200.00 for it, but after a quick cleaning it hit the vintage wall for over ten times that amount!!! There were the product reps that would tell you that if a customer wanted a SM58 (Or 57) we should tell them that another brand was way better even though it wasn't really true, but the store made a profit on their brand. (Some things simple don't make any profit, they are just standards that bring people in.. We actually had lists to tape behind the counter of the things that suck but make profit! If you want new strings and are unsure PLEASE ask someone playing a guitar that doesn't work there for advice.) THEN the thing that made a coworker and myself walk right out (See ya!) was when a long time customer of mine (Female cello player...RICH!) decided to Give ME (For being cool) a Mesa Boogie combo she had for some reason. She brought it in with a note saying it was mine, but mamagement declared it was Donated" to the store not given to me and if I didn't like it "Oh well". I walked right out!

I hate chain stores, but in some places they are all that's availble
.
1. Research your potential purchases so you can avoid hearing how Jesus is using that piece of gear on his "Second coming" world tour!!

2. If its over $200 and you want it just cut to the chase with the sales guy and ask him to ask the manager whats the best deal he can do, then everytime he trys to beat you over the head with a "Lowest price guaranty" don't sweat it AT ALL, just hand him back the guitar and say "Aww damn, I was hoping to pick it up today, oh well " because if you are gonna pay that price anyway why should you squirm? There is alot of silent intimadation praying upon you, your level of playing and your want of gear NOW in that environment, but money talks and bullshit walks (Over to the Squier strat buying mom for the next kill.)
You can't expect the world out of them and try to keep in mind it IS the sales guys job (Alot of them are actually cool guys...Some are fucking douchebags!) , but if they REALLY want your buisness and to make their commission quota, then at least a little something is nice... They seem to have forgotten that a little can go a long way and that if you walk out happy (Not feeling had) then you'll be back.. Usually they just think you'll be back anyway because you have no choice!

The selection is often unrivaled with the big stores and it's a great to check gear out AND I've been to some that seemed to have a better management and sales philosophy, but the educated consumer is truly the best all around safe guard.

2nd best memory from working there?
Acidentally making fun of Duran Duran to a few guys that turned out to be Duran Duran!! :)

#1 Memory?
I NEVER made a cent in commision because I never screwed anyone.

Sorry for the long post, but man is it good to get that off my chest!
 
Last edited:
GC is just too big for good service. They are like walmart, they just hire nimrods to push the products that they get the most markup on. Nothing beets my local music store Peachtree Music here in Stockbridge Georgia (shameless plug). Every time I walk in its like cheers, everyone knows my name. They sell me stuff so cheap its crazy. They are always curtious and friendly and knowledgable of the products. No one works for commission so there is no push on the products. If I can get it from there, I do. The only problem is that they dont keep alot of studio stuff in stock so I cant play with it before I invest. Thats when I go to GC, to try it out.
 
My favorite music store was when I used to live in Carson City NV....
I'd drive to Reno and get my stuff at Bizarre Guitar, that place rocked, not too big but not too small either...
 
Like I said, they're not all geniuses that work there,...

but you have to know your stuff, do your homework, demo stuff like crazy, and when you find what you like, just tell them what you want.

If I said I wanted a certain item, and the guy tried to upsell me, I'd likely just go to the next salesman. There's a give and take, and if you're giving your money, you don't have to take any bullshit from clerks and sales people.

GC RULES!

[Fanfare continues...]
 
I suppose in fairness I have to admit that not all Mom & Pop music stores are that great either. Haven't we all gone to a place that has the same used Boss chrous pedal for $65.00 that was there 3 years ago?

I like the Medium sized places that tend to have a resonable used selection and people that are usually just as happy to talk gear with you as they are to sell it.
When a guy in a really decent medium sized place (Like Andy's Music in Chicago) says he just CAN'T go any lower on a piece of used gear he means it.

( I used to frequent a place as a kid that actually believed in layaway on used gear! It was a wonderful concept that not only made other wise unobtainable gear suddenly possible, but to me it also stired up the spirit and personality that I feel resides in all used gear which sits quietly waiting to again be usefull and loved. I just don't get that vibe from a shiny mass produced box that looks like it came from Toys R' Us with a piece of disposable gear in it! )

The generaly inevitable buck to buck and a half mark up for a set of strings is well worth it when they treat you like you're helping pay the rent.
 
Last edited:
David & Goliath: GuitarSam is regrouping after a fire leveled the retail store ("Play It Again Sam") in the spring. The UPS trucks are arriving every day, there's Fender boxes all over the place, all the displays are brand new, the location is new, and the gear is fantastic. Grand opening is right around the corner; they have a real "Phoenix from the ashes" thing going on. These are good people - a store owned and run by musicians. The new retail name will be the same as the online store.

www.guitarsam.com
 
Kelly5150 said:
My favorite music store was when I used to live in Carson City NV....
I'd drive to Reno and get my stuff at Bizarre Guitar, that place rocked, not too big but not too small either...
Click to expand...

I used to live in Mammoth Lakes and Bizarre Guitars was my favorite place. They knew thier shit, had great vintage guitars, and did enough volume to get a manufacturer to trick out an istrument at a price that couldn't be beat.

Another favorite is World of Strings in Long Beach, Ca.

GC? I don't know, it's hard to go against their buying power, and they took back two fairly high end guitars I returned last summer without blinking.
 
i go to the GC in Brea Ca, and the guys are super cool. you just gotta build a little repore with a salesman and know what you want when you go in. i've had them suggest stuff i really liked, they knock off the price without me asking, i bring in low prices off the internet and they drop it even more...and the best part is i can stay all day and play whatever i want.

my only complaint is the kid in the corner playing metalica through a mexican strat and a super loud marshall solid state head, and the guy in the guitar room who thinks ovations are the best acoustics in the world.
 
BillyFurnett said:
1. Research your potential purchases so you can avoid hearing how Jesus is using that piece of gear on his "Second coming" world tour!!
Click to expand...
ROFLMAO!!!!!

Didn't he play with David Bowie on that tour???

:D :D
 
willovercome said:
... and the guy in the guitar room who thinks ovations are the best acoustics in the world.
Click to expand...

ROTFL...

I love Ovations, but only for certain kinds of stuff. The tone is pretty signature and when it's on, it's really on. The rest of the time it gets left in the dust by just about everything else. I gotta admit that Al Dimeola could make me a convert... but he doesn't play chords...:D

Yo, Bearman... Book August '04 NOW, pal!:D :D
 
BillyFurnett said:
She brought it in with a note saying it was mine, but mamagement declared it was Donated" to the store not given to me and if I didn't like it "Oh well". I walked right out!

Click to expand...
I hope to God that you walked out with YOUR amp.

Please, tell me you did.
 
They wouldn't even give me the note back either!!!
I SERIOUSLY had to walk away without the amp that day , but more importantly I had to walk away without commiting a foolish and regrettable act of violence as well.
Boogie has a killer tone, but I didn't want to be their spokes person if you know what I mean. :)
 
i would sure as shit have walked out with that amp. in fact, if they argued, i would have called the cops and then started grabbing it, because no retail crap job is worth forfeiting something like that.

guitar center has a decent selection and potentially great prices, just don't expect anyone to know what they're doing.
 
I went over to GC today at lunch. I forgot how much I hate that place. I don't give a shit about customer service, selection.. what I hate is the other people there cranking amps to 10. If these people were any good, I would actually enjoy it. But I can only hear the same nu metal riff for so long.

So I go into the high end acoustic room, which is more my flavor anyway, and guess what... same type of headbanger in there playing a Gibson like it's a 7 string electric.. chung chung chung. Nu metal unplugged isn't any better.

Me experience isn't specific to GC, so it's not a slam on GC. My favorite little local shop can be just as bad sometimes.
 
i frequent that same GC, jr.....

the one off redwood road, right?

it's a bit of a zoo....

but, i've never had (knock 3 times) a bad experience there....

i go in, know what i want, i've already called ahead to scope out the prices, i've got my printout of the best deal on the net, i ask em to match, they always match it, i walk out, with only a little bit of a buzz in my ear from all the noise.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top