GC venting

zackthompson · #1 12-20-2011, 07:38 PM

I have to vent about my GC experience. I went in there to trade in my Acoustic 8x10 cab thats been for sale for a while for a Markbass 121p 2x10. Seems like a decent trade, a $650 cab for a $530 cab. I expected I would probably have to add maybe $100 cash in with the trade, which i was willing to do. The highest they offered me was $200. $200 for an 8x10 cab?!?!?!?!?!?! They said they buy them from the factory for $200 new. So they make $450 profit off of every cab sold. I do believe i'm in the wrong business haha. There, i'm done venting. Any similar stories?

**Staccato** · #2 12-20-2011, 07:40 PM

1/2 what they're selling for (used) on flebay. That's the policy at the location, here. Sounds like you're run into the same policy-different store.

Someone insulted me responding to my CL ad, I gladly traded a guitar for the same amount to GC, and got another axe hanging on their wall. The one that I traded away was a scratchless, near new axe-set up by a good rep. luthier. The guy answering the ad-should have looked at it-before throwing out a lowball offer since he could have grabbed it for less than half the street price-if he'd kept the lowball/insult to himself.

sevenorchids · #3 12-20-2011, 07:44 PM

You do realize that Acoustic is the "house brand" of Guitar Center, right? Of course they get them for $200 from the factory, they "own" the factory. No middleman on that transaction.

Same as Simmons for drums and Williams for Pianos. Absolutely nothing wrong with either of those brands, or Acoustic, they are just going to get things MUCH cheaper when they own the supply chain.

JimmyM · #4 12-20-2011, 07:54 PM

Nothing wrong with the Acoustic stuff at GC is a matter of opinion. The cabs are made with MDF. That's fine for inexpensive practice amps, but not so good for someone who will be moving it around.

elgecko · #5 12-20-2011, 07:54 PM

You do understand that the second you wheeled it out of the store, it lost value and was no longer worth $650, don't you?

Quote:

Originally Posted by zackthompson

...$200 for an 8x10 cab?!?!?!?!?!?!...

A used, Acoustic 8x10? They sell them used for $279, $200 sounds about right.

lowendgenerator · #6 12-20-2011, 07:59 PM

Two universal truths.

NEVER buy new, and NEVER trade at GC.

billfitzmaurice · #7 12-20-2011, 08:00 PM

The reality of retail is that they won't give in trade more than half what they'll resell it for. A cab that goes for $650 new isn't worth more than $400 used, so their offer was fair.

JimmyM · #8 12-20-2011, 08:09 PM

810's don't have good resale value for some reason. My guess is the size makes wives mad enough to pressure their husbands to do whatever they have to do to get rid of it immediately, and that brings the overall market down. I could get a lot more for my 73 810 by parting it out than selling it whole.

SurferJoe46 · #9 12-20-2011, 08:10 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Nothing wrong with the Acoustic stuff at GC is a matter of opinion. The cabs are made with MDF. That's fine for inexpensive practice amps, but not so good for someone who will be moving it around.

I call sour grapes, James.

I've been tossing my Acoustic gear around for over two years so far and there's no mush on the corners, screws falling out not have any of the drivers come loose and fallen out.

I also don't play underwater, but that isn't part of any venues I've been in so far.

The grill cloth however, leaves something to be desired, but I'll change it out this Spring anyway.

Sorry to urinate on your opinion, but so far I don't have any troubles - not like you've insinuated anyway.

coreyfyfe · #10 12-20-2011, 08:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by SurferJoe46

I also don't play underwater, but that isn't part of any venues I've been in so far.

I played at a venue this past weekend that had a water leak dripping onto stage right area, right into someone's pedal board even. The unlikely happens.

JimmyM · #11 12-20-2011, 08:33 PM

Ya, everything's great until it isn't

But hey, opinions are what it's all about. I got no problem with your yellow rain of terror. Acoustic isn't horrible stuff. It at least sounds decent. Not the best I ever heard but not bad. But MDF for an 810 is a deal breaker for me.

saustindavis · #12 12-20-2011, 08:38 PM

My local GC offers 60% of what they sell them for used, which is set by corporate. I asked what I'd get for my Blues Jr. and they said $190ish. I think $200 sounds low for your 8x10, but they have policies. If you don't like it, just sell it on Craigslist and take the cash in for your new stuff.

domdec314 · #13 12-20-2011, 08:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JimmyM

But MDF for an 810 is a deal breaker for me.

Like you'd concider buying anything that wasn't Ampeg.

Foamy · #14 12-20-2011, 08:40 PM

When I was getting back into bass a few years back, I picked up a Behringer 1x15, and it was MDF. That MDF'er was like 90 pounds. I can't see lugging something likely twice the weight around. But hey, you're young. ;-)

JimmyM · #15 12-20-2011, 08:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by domdec314

Like you'd concider buying anything that wasn't Ampeg.

Believe it or not, I have, indeed, bought non-Ampeg stuff on occasion. But Ampeg's doing great things these days, so as long as they keep it up, I really don't have much of a need for anything else. Even when I wasn't using Ampeg, I was still trying to cop that SVT sound in a smaller package.

cycler · #16 12-20-2011, 08:52 PM

Weight ! you missed the point.

Quote:

Originally Posted by SurferJoe46

I call sour grapes, James.

I've been tossing my Acoustic gear around for over two years so far and there's no mush on the corners, screws falling out not have any of the drivers come loose and fallen out.

I also don't play underwater, but that isn't part of any venues I've been in so far.

The grill cloth however, leaves something to be desired, but I'll change it out this Spring anyway.

Sorry to urinate on your opinion, but so far I don't have any troubles - not like you've insinuated anyway.

SurferJoe46 · #17 12-20-2011, 09:06 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cycler

Weight ! you missed the point.

Sorry. My weight is private and personal.

VanillaThundah · #18 12-20-2011, 09:06 PM

Normally I would call BS on a figure like "we buy them at $200" but in this case, it's very VERY plausible. Working at Best Buy in the past, we could see the cost price for the Musical Instruments department gear and what it really cost to carry it. Most Squier (CV of VM) and Fender basses had $100-200 of markup, with the American ones closing in closer to $400 of markup. Anything involving speakers and wood sold together was insane markup. My guitarist bought a Marshall 4x12's cab (1960A) for less than half the list price.

If any GC guys want to correct me on this (I've been told this by their salespeople) please do, but I understand this to be true. GC works like a very very large consignment shop. The MFG sends them equipment that they order in certain ratios and it doesn't cost GC anything to carry them there, they don't have to BUY product to HAVE product in the store. When the item sells, the cost price goes to the MFG or supplier and the rest goes to GC. So in this situation, the guy is explaining that they have no point in buying it used because they could easily sell something new, even marked down, and make more profit. This is why it's usually best to just sell to somebody on here or on CL.

Pilgrim · #19 12-20-2011, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zackthompson

I have to vent about my GC experience. I went in there to trade in my Acoustic 8x10 cab thats been for sale for a while for a Markbass 121p 2x10. Seems like a decent trade, a $650 cab for a $530 cab. I expected I would probably have to add maybe $100 cash in with the trade, which i was willing to do. The highest they offered me was $200. $200 for an 8x10 cab?!?!?!?!?!?! They said they buy them from the factory for $200 new. So they make $450 profit off of every cab sold. I do believe i'm in the wrong business haha. There, i'm done venting. Any similar stories?

You simply don't understand the economics of trades. They made you a fair offer.

fourstringdrums · #20 12-20-2011, 09:43 PM

A good rule of thumb is to figure that you're going to get 10-15%, 20% TOPS if it's something worth it, of the list price as value for your trade-in. So $200 is about right. If it wasn't a brand they specialized in you probably could have gotten $240 from them or so.

It's not GC, it's a' fact of all trading at music stores, you're going to get robbed unless you have something special.