Why I I Got Kicked Out of Guitar Center

[bfields]

I am fortunate that I was never within driving distance of a Guitar Center. Over the years I have read one bad story after another about GC and would never bother to visit one of their stores for any reason.

 

No particular love for Guitar Center, but at the same time, online comments aren't always a great way to judge a business--people who have a bad experience are much more motivated to comment than people who don't.

 

For what it's worth, I've bought a bass guitar and tried a few keyboards at my local guitar center, and didn't have any real complaints. And I hear they can vary a lot from store to store.

[The Real MC]

And I hear they can vary a lot from store to store.

 

Yes they do. The Rochester and Binghamton GCs in NYS both had their inventory drastically reduced. Way less guitars and amps, and not much for keyboards other than DPs, MIDI controllers, and virtual synths. Last week I was in Florida and the GC store in Orlando had far larger inventory - way more guitars and amps, and decent selection of keyboards including a Prophet-10.

[EscapeRocks]

I also know that GC can vary from store to store as far as inventory, quality of inventory, and quality of staff. Even here in the great Dallas-Fort Worth area, there are a couple stores that are great, and a few that I will never go into again.

 

I am fortunate that my closest one is one of the good ones. They know me well, and my main guy has been there for several years and knows his stuff. Always works with me on deals, and is fun to exchange ideas and thoughts on gear.

[MikeT156]

When I was in New York back in the Sixties and the Seventies, I use to make a stop at Manny's Music on Music Row on 48th street. My band bought a lot of equipment from them, we were treated well, and were able to get some great prices when we decided to buy a whole lot of equipment the same day. Back in those days, we made arrangement with a bank in our home town to have Manny's call them to verify our check was good so we could leave with the equipment. We were in awe of all the signed photos of rock's who's who on the wall in their store. What surprised me was we went back the following year to buy more equipment and they remembered us. Considering we were nobody, I was impressed.

 

The good old days are gone forever.

 

 

Mike T.

[MathOfInsects]

The good old days are gone forever.

Well, those were also the previous generation's Bad New Days, so I think it's helpful to remember that time didn't start ticking when we came around.

 

I have a hard time not seeing the ability to scour the entire world for the lowest price on a piece of gear in seconds and have it delivered within days, without ever leaving our house if we choose not to, as some kind of Golden Age of equipment acquisition. And I think we also forget that the way a lot of us make music--by pushing keys on piano-like instruments that make their own sounds--is not in the majority any more. No retail store owes us our own wing, any more than Manny's owed the previous generation a Pipe Organ department.

[Docbop]

Growing up in SoCal I remember going to the original Vox Guitar Center in Hollywood because it was one of the few places to see Vox gear the Beatles used. Sad see the Vox gear was about all you could do because they had it roped off and you had to convince them you were really ready to buy something to get to try it out. Then Guitar Centers started sprouting up all over SoCal,but music was booming too so GC and local stores were all doing good business. GC was also hiring good sales people away from local stores. That lasted for quite awhile but GC stores were started to compete with each other and slowly they started closing some of the weaker stores. Good thing back then GC did have good prices and carried all the good stuff. GC now started leaning on the big manufacturers to stop selling to the local stores and most did or they stopped offering good prices to local stores making hard to compete with GC. But for customers it was good time for getting deals because you could play the stores against each other or you could find a lot of inventory for the item you wanted to find a great instrument.

 

What really ticked me off with GC when they bought my favorite local music store I had done tons of business with for myself and as a roadie and recording engineer. It seems odd GC was interested in them because GC had opened a big store about two miles away. All of us old customer thought okay another GC, or they would move all our old sales people to the GC two miles away. No GC bought the store (and it's separate pro audio store) just to get the customer list, they didn't even want the inventory. GC bought a great music store opened for forty years just to close it down. They didn't hire any of the old staff, they told the old stores owner to sell off all the inventory he can for whatever he wanted they would take what little was left. The old store owner because as big an ass and just told the staff the closing date and leave sooner if you want, bye. Staff he had for 30+ no severance pay no nothing. Over the years the owner had slowly bought up all the property the store was on and some of the surrounding stores and now the property is worth millions and he still treated is old staff like crap. So the GC and the old store owner really left a bad taste in my mouth.

[The Real MC]

The biggest thing I miss about mom-n-pop stores are the non-sales floors. For example a store I used to frequent had piles of stuff in the basement that didn't go on the sales floor. Years later that stuff would gain new interest. I loved to go pearl diving in that basement, found some real bargains. GC stores don't have basements.

[Tom Williams]

The good old days are gone forever.

No retail store owes us our own wing, any more than Manny's owed the previous generation a Pipe Organ department.

I have it on good authority that Manny's maintained a pipe organ department with all the major brands -- Aeolian, Estey, Moller, Wurlitzer, and Emenee -- with demo units in the catacombs under NYC, where Vincent (Beauty and the Beast) and the Ninja Turtles lived. I believe there was also a secret passage from there to Wanamaker's, but they only carried one model.

[Aidan]

The biggest advantage we have over the 'good old days' is the price of professional quality equipment. Back then, the CS80 I lusted after was priced at around 4,800UKP â the equivalent of more than 28K today, or the cost of a really good car. No wonder my parents were impervious to my pleas for one! With 28K in my pocket these days, I could pretty much empty the keyboard department of most brick-and-mortar stores.

[MikeT156]

The good old days are gone forever.

Well, those were also the previous generation's Bad New Days, so I think it's helpful to remember that time didn't start ticking when we came around.

 

I have a hard time not seeing the ability to scour the entire world for the lowest price on a piece of gear in seconds and have it delivered within days, without ever leaving our house if we choose not to, as some kind of Golden Age of equipment acquisition. And I think we also forget that the way a lot of us make music--by pushing keys on piano-like instruments that make their own sounds--is not in the majority any more. No retail store owes us our own wing, any more than Manny's owed the previous generation a Pipe Organ department.

 

Back in the Dark Ages, those of us had a handle on what dealers offered low prices for musicians that were in their store to BUY something. Manny's son had a guitar that customers could use to demo AMPS and effects. He did not want his inventory scratched up, so either use the demo guitar or bring your own.

 

48th street in New York was an experience, with both Manny's and Sam Ash competing, as well as smaller dealers that had to pay 48th street rent. End of the month was the best time to pirce shop.

 

Sure, we can search the Internet for the lowest price, but finding out what store sends NEW PRODUCT in the original box, unopened is not something we are guarantied searching the Internet.

 

Mike T.

[Morrissey]

I am fortunate that I was never within driving distance of a Guitar Center. Over the years I have read one bad story after another about GC and would never bother to visit one of their stores for any reason.

 

No particular love for Guitar Center, but at the same time, online comments aren't always a great way to judge a business--people who have a bad experience are much more motivated to comment than people who don't.

 

For what it's worth, I've bought a bass guitar and tried a few keyboards at my local guitar center, and didn't have any real complaints. And I hear they can vary a lot from store to store.

 

 

This thread seems good as any to share a recent anecdote about buying a used keyboard from a non-local Guitar Center, which I just did for the first time. I bought the keyboard through GC's website. No complaints about the purchasing experience.

 

The bad: (1) the GC where the keyboard was located took a few days to get around to shipping it, and (2) the keyboard arrived in significantly worse cosmetic condition than GC advertised. Lots of scratches, cracked end panel, etc. I'm quite certain the damage was caused by the previous owner or from being on the GC display floor. In other words: not shipping damage, and definitely on GC for not disclosing condition correctly. There were photos of the board online when I bought it that did not show these imperfections.

 

The good: (1) the board is fully functional; I'm happy with it; and (2) I took the board to my local GC to show them the damage, they conferred with the GC store where the board originated, and I was quickly offered a very fair discount on the purchase price to compensate for the incorrect condition. And if I wasn't satisfied with that discount, they would've readily refunded my money.

 

Not an earth-shattering story but perhaps a helpful anecdote to add to the mix of GC experiences in this and other threads.

[HammondDave]

Just leave the store and slash his tires. It will make you feel a lot better.

[The Real MC]

Just leave the store and slash his tires. It will make you feel a lot better.

 

Not a wise idea to advocate violence.

[o0Ampy0o]

Just leave the store and slash his tires. It will make you feel a lot better.

 

Not a wise idea to advocate violence.

Pretty sure that was irony and not intended as advice.

[Adan]

Just leave the store and slash his tires. It will make you feel a lot better.

 

Not a wise idea to advocate violence.

Pretty sure that was irony and not intended as advice.

 

Typical HammondDave clownish provocation. Love you, Dave!

[hardware]

Corporate types fear being cancelled. Take to LaLa Land on Twitter.

Evil capitalists bow quickly to the WOKELings who surely will jump in.

Even AnQueefa anarchists might side with you. You"re in Oregon.

 

Good Luck