The Guitar Center Praise Thread

Joe Nerve · #1 04-12-2005, 09:47 AM

Yeah - this it the 20,000 Guitar Center thread - but I urge you to move along if you feel the need to post negatively. This thread is only for those who appreciate the place. I had an experience yesterday and would like to share it.

I was fiddling with a crappy bass and crappy amp, and a salesboy approached me. I must admit, I was at first fearstricken as I was sure he was about to try and sell me somthing - but this kid had something to offer. A lesson to all salespeople in music stores. He said hi. Than he asked if I'd been playing a long time. Then he asked what kind of gear I used.

BRILLIANT!

If all salespeople would use these 3 steps, I believe they'd never annoy us again. He made no assumptions, only conversation, and I'd be really happy to give him a sale. He did not try and teach me anything, or tell me anything I might already know. I hope they're training em all to work this way - it seems so simple.

Also, I notice most of the complaints people have about GC is how loud and annoying it is in there. Uhhh... don't go on a saturday afternoon, uh duh! I went at 5PM and I was one of 4 people in the place. It's a great place to check out warwicks, fenders, mm and a bunch of other great equipment... oops, did I slip fender in there? If you want to check out other stuff, go somewhere else - those stores will carry whatever 10 brands they happen to carry.

I like guitar center. That's all.

HunsBassist · #2 04-12-2005, 09:57 AM

I love Guitar Center! a month and a half ago, they opened a new one in Orlando. It's within walking distance of my house!!! My Squier Standard Fretless P-Bass is being worked on there right now. My only complaint is how high up all the good basses are, haha. I'm not a short guy (5'8 at 13) but it's still really inconvenient. Other than that, it's the greatest store ever made!

I-Love-Ratm · #3 04-12-2005, 10:16 AM

Man I'd kill for a Guitar Center in Ireland.Having Musicman and good Fenders is sooo foreign to me!

Michael Jewels · #4 04-12-2005, 11:44 AM

Joe, I'm assuming you were in the one on 14th St.?

Did you see the $9,500 P-bass in the back room? I forget which year it is.

I want to try that Desert gold Bongo, but if they take it off the wall for me, I know I'll buy it. I have no willpower when it comes to basses and cameras.

I was never for or against GC, but since Sam Ash seems to have less top end stuff on display, (no more Musicman) I might become a GC convert.

Mike

Stephen S · #5 04-12-2005, 01:16 PM

I've had way too many bad experiences with Guitar Center, So I decided to go to Sam Ash for my recording equipment, when I got there I decided that Sam Ash is where equipment goes to die. I turned around and headed to Guitar Center, I not only got a very helpful salesman who steered me away from buying the more expesive less needed things, but he also gave me a discount. So this is my thank you to The Bald Jason at Guitar Center San Bernardino, if more salesman were like you, I'd be even poorer and cramped in my room.

Petary791 · #6 04-12-2005, 01:43 PM

Yeah I really like guitar center! I don't see why everyone hates them. Maybe mine is really good; they just moved to a big place.

In fact, i'm going there tonight to get a patch cord and a power all.

powerslave · #7 04-12-2005, 01:53 PM

G.C. is great for what they offer and prices are hard to beat! also a great place to check stuff out so you can go to a Music Store that is involved with your community so you are in a sence giving back to your comunnity rather than feeding the corporate G.C. beast.

This just happens to be one of the few and far between times that someone is actually happy with their sales people; does lightning strike the same place twice?

Glad to hear someone had a good experience

reiver1 · #8 04-12-2005, 04:21 PM

There's nothing inherently wrong with being the WalMart of music.

I hear they're opening one here in Jacksonville sometime this year. We'll see.

tappel · #9 04-12-2005, 04:50 PM

FWIW, I've heard that GC, at the corporate level, is making a conscious effort to improve the image of their sales force. Maybe Joe's experience is a case in point. Glad to hear it.

Tom

Broach_insound · #10 04-12-2005, 05:06 PM

Seeing that you are in NYC you probably went to the GC in NYC and that is one of my personal favorites out of the GC's in my area I live like 30 mins from the city.

Nadav · #11 04-12-2005, 06:32 PM

I bought both my amp and my only bass in GC. I guess I was just lucky, but I got a great sales guy, who helped me go in the right direction without any pressure. He sold me my fender jazz, returned my fender jazz, sold me my Ibanez 6 string (for $70 less than the original price, naturally), gave me a new Ibanez when I came back more than 30 days later with a broken bass boost/cut.

Although I was about ready to kill some people when I was over at the local GC to buy a strap last week (don't play at full volume, especially if you don't know what the hell you're doing), GC is still the only option for me to buy anything in the fender/ibanez/spector league.

slugworth · #12 04-12-2005, 06:47 PM

There's a GC about 5 min. from my house. It's one of the smaller ones so their selection of bass gear isn't that great, being mostly lower end amps and cheaper imported basses, but I get all my accessories there, and did buy my Eden stuff back when they used to carry it. I got a good deal on a Warwick from them and just picked up a Neumann mic last week and got $300 off list. They're generally ok, but the sales staff seems to turn over constantly. It seems there's a whole new crew every time I visit.

Slug

Selta · #13 04-12-2005, 06:57 PM

I've only bought small stuff from them, but every expirence I have with them has been positive. I'd pick up the bass I'd like to play, and go ask a dude for a cable. Every time they asked which amp I'd like to plug into, and then they'd hand me the cable. I'd go out and have a good time trying basses and such. One time I had about 4 employees standing around me, and got compliments on how good I was at bass (when all I was doing was running through scales and the few chords I know). All in all, from my expirence, I think it's a good place.

Ray

Viviuos · #14 04-12-2005, 07:03 PM

Ok, mines not a GC (we dont have one in omaha) but my place is pretty close I would say. But I still like going there, not so much because of the staff or the selection but because of the people that hang out there. This one time I was putting a bass back up on the wall and out of now where this old black dude asks me how I liked it. (you know the cool old black guy who is missing a few teeth and tells really cool stories) I told him I didn’t really like it. So he hands me the one he is playing, and tells me to start playing something. I do a little jazz bit and he says, "Keep dooin that". He goes and picks up a guitar and starts jamming. How cool is that.

Joe Nerve · #15 04-12-2005, 07:42 PM

actually it was the guitar center in queens on northern blvd. conveniently located but a few short blocks from taco bell.

Indi86 · #16 04-12-2005, 09:47 PM

The Buffalo GC has an almost literal pile of Musicmans they just can't sell. Some of the prices are getting almost ludicrously low. Everything from Sterlings to Bongo 5's. Their staff is hit or miss though. A couple of the guys are intelligent and helpful, a few are "underpower myth" purveyors.

LoJoe · #17 04-13-2005, 08:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tappel

FWIW, I've heard that GC, at the corporate level, is making a conscious effort to improve the image of their sales force. Maybe Joe's experience is a case in point. Glad to hear it.

I'm thinking that must be true. I went in last Friday afternoon in search of an acoustic electric guitar. I was in the high dollar room trying out some Martins and Taylors. They had this guy in there tuning up all the guitars. He told me they had a new process where they checked all the guitars for proper tuning, and replaced dead strings periodically so people could just grab them off the wall and have a great playing experience. He asked me which one I was interested in and offered to re-string it right there on the spot.

Their 30 day no questions asked return policy is great too. I took a high dollar Taylor home, tried it out over the weekend, and then took it back. The sales guy did have to hand me over to the manager for a slight used car salesman "How can we put you in this guitar" last attempt, but I simply said it just wasn't for me and they swiped my card and it was done. I apologized to the sales guy for the hit to his commission, and he was very cool about it saying he looked forward to helping me on my next purchase, shook my hand and gave me his card.

I checked the sign over the door on my way out to make sure I was in the right store!

Mitchell Royce · #18 04-13-2005, 09:21 AM

I've found that when you go in at the off-times the staff at GC is a lot friendlier and generally in a better mood. I've found Satuday mornings to be especially good.
I used to go to the Halsted GC in Chicago when I still lived there. The drum department guys were some of the best ones. When I bought my drum machine I got to chatting with the salesman(a great drummer, actually) about how my band didn't have a drummer and he ended up giving me a free CD from a friend of his that used a Drum machine similar to mine. Great stuff, and it was actualy a pretty good CD too.

kobass · #19 04-13-2005, 10:27 AM

I have nothing but good things to say about my local GC (South Attleboro, MA). I always deal with the same guy there (Rich). I've special-ordered two Pedullas and I bought my M-Pulse 600 there as well. (The 0% financing is a helluva deal if you pay it off within a year. ) I've always been treated courteously and professionally (even before I bought anything). I would have bought my Aggie cabs there if they carried 'em. The last time I stopped in there, the guy I deal with had a day off. I was hanging out in the bass room and another salesman approached me and asked if I had played the Bongo 5 yet. When I told him "no," he insisted that I check one out. I did, and I was pretty impressed! There was no pressure, he just wanted to enlighten me, which he did. Just my $.02 YMMV.

Hurley · #20 04-13-2005, 11:35 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kobass

I have nothing but good things to say about my local GC (South Attleboro, MA).

I've been disappointed with the setups of some high-end basses there, but I've always had positive experiences in that store.

I picked up my DigiTech Bass Synth Wah there for $30, taxes included.