Guitar Center is ridiculous

[coryt]

Sent them a request for info on a used bass they have on their website - which IMO is one if the worst music gear dealer sites I've ever tried to navigate. Never got a reply, but apparently I made it onto their spam list.
They sent me this ad for a 48 hr long sale in which any one item is 12% off. There are the usual exclusions at the bottom - no used items, no other coupons, etc - but then there is a tiny link that says some manufacturers have chosen not to participate. I clicked on it, and here's the list. I can only think of a few brands GC carries that aren't on it:

65amps, A Designs, ADAM Audio, AKG, Allen & Heath, Alvarez, American Audio, American DJ, Ampeg, Antoine Courtois Paris, Aphex, Apogee, Apple, Armstrong, ART, Arturia, Audio-Technica, Audix, Auralex, Avalon, Avanti, Avid, Azumi, B&S, B3 Guitars, Bach, BAM, BeatKangz, Bedell, Behringer, Belkin, Benchmark, Benchmark Media Systems, Benedetto Guitars, Besson, Bixonic, Black Cat, Blackheart, Blackstar, Blue, Bogner, Bosch, Bose, Boss, Breedlove, Bricasti, Brio, BSS Audio, Buffet Crampon, Bugera, Bundy, Carl Martin, Casio, Cerwin-Vega, Chameleon Labs, Chandler Limited, Charvel, Chauvet, Cleartone, Cloud, Conn, Cordoba Music Group, Courtois, Crate, Crown, Cusack, Daking, Dangerous Music, dbx, Dean, Death By Audio, Diamond, DigiTech, Disney by Washburn, DLS Effects, Drawmer, Dunnett, Drum Workshop, EBS, Eden, Edirol, Elation, Electro-Harmonix, Electro-Voice, Elysia, Emerson, EMG, Eminence, EMMA Electronic, Empirical Labs, Empress Effects, Engl, Epiphone, ESP, Euphonix, Eventide, EVH, F. Loree Paris, Fano Guitars, Fender, Fishman, Focusrite, Fox, Fuchs, Fulltone, Furman, Gallien-Krueger, Galway, Gator, Gemeinhardt, Genz Benz, Getzen, Gibson, Gibson Custom, Gibson USA, Giffin Guitars, GNI Pedals, Godlyke, Gold Tone, Golden Age Project, Grace Design, Great Divide, Great River, Gretsch, Guild, Guyatone, Hagstrom, Hans Hoyer, Hao, Harden Engineering, Harman, Haynes, Hercules, HHB, Hohner, Holton, Ibanez, ISP Technologies, J Puchner, Jackson, JamHub, Jasmine by Takamine, JBL, Jet City Amplification, Jody Jaz, Jupiter, K&M, Kanstul, Kawai, Keeley, Keilwerth, King, Koll Guitars, Korg, Kramer, KRK, Kurzweil, Kush Audio, Langevin, Leblanc, Lexicon, Line 6, LovePedal, LP, LsL Instruments, Ludwig, Luna Guitars, Mackie, Mad Professor, Malekko Heavy Industry, Manley, Mapex, Markbass, Marshall, Martin, Martin-Leblac, Maxon, Meinl, Meinl Weston, Mesa Boogie, Millennia, Miraphone, Mixosaurus, Mogami, Mojave Audio, Moog, Morgan, Music Man, MusicXPC, N-Tune, Neumann, Neve, Nord, Novation, NS Design, Olympus, On-Stage Stands, Option 5, Orange Amplifiers, Ortofon, Ovation, P. Mauriat, Pacific Drums & Percussion (PDP), Paiste, Parker Guitars, Pearl, Peavey, Pelonis Sound and Acoustics, Perris, Phonic, Pigtronix, Pioneer, Powell, Prelude by Conn-Selmer, PreSonus, Propellerhead, PRS, Purple Audio, QSC, Quik Lok, Radial Engineering, Rainsong, Randall, Rane, Reunion Blues, Rickenbacker, Rivera, RME, Roc-N-Soc, Rockbag by Warwick, Rockbass by Warwick, Rockcase by Warwick, RockStand by Warwick, Rode Microphones, Roland, Royer, Rupert Neve Designs, Sabian, Sample Logic, Schecter Guitar Research, Scherzer, Schilke, Schreiber, Schroeder, Schroeder Guitars, Selmer, Selmer Paris, Sennheiser, Serato, Shure, SKB, SM Pro Audio, Softube, Solid State Logic, Sonare, Soul, Soundcraft, Squier, Stanton, Steinberg, Steinberger, Stephanhouser, Sterling by MusicMan, Summit Audio, Sweet Sound Electronic, SWR, T-REX Engineering, Takamine, Tama, Tapco, Taylor, TDK, Tech 21, Telefunken, Thermionic Culture, Toadworks, Tobias, Tone King, Tortuga, Traveler Guitar, Traynor, True Systems, Tube-Tech, Two Rock, Ultimate Support, Universal Audio, Vestax, Violet Audio, Vito, VMI, Voodoo Lab, VOX, W. Nirschl, Waldorf, Wampler, Warwick, Washburn, Weber Speakers, Western Digital, Xotic Effects, Yamaha, Yamaha Band & Orchestra, Yanagisawa, Zildjian, Zoom, ZVex Effects

[charliefreak]

A little bird tells me there's about half the exclusions if you call in. As for the used item, You'll defiitely need to call the store that it's at- GC.com has very little control over used items.. In the past, I've called the store and simply asked them to send it to a local store and buy it there. Get the 1 year used warranty in case you change your mind!

[hover]

One in a long line of reasons I don't patron them beyond the fact that they carry the flats I like if I need them in a pinch...otherwise, I order a box from a local store, or juststrings.com...

[ffutterman]

Looks like you could still get a discount on new Carl Thompsons and Ritters. You could save $1,200 with that!

[throughthefire]

Originally Posted by coryt

Sent them a request for info on a used bass they have on their website - which IMO is one if the worst music gear dealer sites I've ever tried to navigate. Never got a reply, but apparently I made it onto their spam list.
They sent me this ad for a 48 hr long sale in which any one item is 12% off. There are the usual exclusions at the bottom - no used items, no other coupons, etc - but then there is a tiny link that says some manufacturers have chosen not to participate. I clicked on it, and here's the list. I can only think of a few brands GC carries that aren't on it: {list of every music brand in the world}

Did you try to go into a store and make a deal? 12% isn't that much of a discount. I've often gone in swinging cash and made better deals than that at GC. If you're a keen buyer (but not too keen - you should be able to walk away), they'll work with you. Especially helps if you are a regular, so they know you'll buy when the price is right.

[MNAirHead]

12% is a ton when they have a operating loss

[charliefreak]

Originally Posted by MNAirHead

12% is a ton when they have a operating loss

Depending on the product. You've gotta figure a greater mark-up for the brands they carry the most of. I can see someone doing12+ off on something like mackie or ampeg, but the "name" companies like yamaha (combo)/bose would be would be tough to move so much on. Especially if you look at lists like these for various companies, you're gauranteed to see those 2 names on it. Same for brands like fender/gibson US where the name valur exceeds the monetary value of the actual product.

keep in mind,
Companies like this do have proprietary brands as well that are still manufactured in the original factories as they were before they sold their sole distribution. The mark-up on these can be anywhere from 70-90%. If you did want a brand off of that list, that is a full price sale for that guy and I gaurantee you can get at least 12% of any single item you order in free proprietary accessories.

I do agree, it's a funny marketing technique. But it seems to work for them and it also helps beginning musicians (target audience) get more accessories and thing they otherwise thought they didn't need, but had no idea how much theyd use them if they had them.

[throughthefire]

Originally Posted by MNAirHead

12% is a ton when they have a operating loss

Maybe, but that's not my problem.

Possibly the reason they have an operating loss is because they have too many staff in the shops at quiet times, and they discount stuff at the drop of a hat. They have management issues that I'm not able to solve, so while I'm able, I'll continue to persuade them to discount heavily.

[jordak]

Originally Posted by coryt

Sent them a request for info on a used bass they have on their website - which IMO is one if the worst music gear dealer sites I've ever tried to navigate. Never got a reply, but apparently I made it onto their spam list.
They sent me this ad for a 48 hr long sale in which any one item is 12% off. There are the usual exclusions at the bottom - no used items, no other coupons, etc - but then there is a tiny link that says some manufacturers have chosen not to participate. I clicked on it, and here's the list. I can only think of a few brands GC carries that aren't on it:

65amps, A Designs, ADAM Audio, AKG, Allen & Heath, Alvarez, American Audio, American DJ, Ampeg, Antoine Courtois Paris, Aphex, Apogee, Apple, Armstrong, ART, Arturia, Audio-Technica, Audix, Auralex, Avalon, Avanti, Avid, Azumi, B&S, B3 Guitars, Bach, BAM, BeatKangz, Bedell, Behringer, Belkin, Benchmark, Benchmark Media Systems, Benedetto Guitars, Besson, Bixonic, Black Cat, Blackheart, Blackstar, Blue, Bogner, Bosch, Bose, Boss, Breedlove, Bricasti, Brio, BSS Audio, Buffet Crampon, Bugera, Bundy, Carl Martin, Casio, Cerwin-Vega, Chameleon Labs, Chandler Limited, Charvel, Chauvet, Cleartone, Cloud, Conn, Cordoba Music Group, Courtois, Crate, Crown, Cusack, Daking, Dangerous Music, dbx, Dean, Death By Audio, Diamond, DigiTech, Disney by Washburn, DLS Effects, Drawmer, Dunnett, Drum Workshop, EBS, Eden, Edirol, Elation, Electro-Harmonix, Electro-Voice, Elysia, Emerson, EMG, Eminence, EMMA Electronic, Empirical Labs, Empress Effects, Engl, Epiphone, ESP, Euphonix, Eventide, EVH, F. Loree Paris, Fano Guitars, Fender, Fishman, Focusrite, Fox, Fuchs, Fulltone, Furman, Gallien-Krueger, Galway, Gator, Gemeinhardt, Genz Benz, Getzen, Gibson, Gibson Custom, Gibson USA, Giffin Guitars, GNI Pedals, Godlyke, Gold Tone, Golden Age Project, Grace Design, Great Divide, Great River, Gretsch, Guild, Guyatone, Hagstrom, Hans Hoyer, Hao, Harden Engineering, Harman, Haynes, Hercules, HHB, Hohner, Holton, Ibanez, ISP Technologies, J Puchner, Jackson, JamHub, Jasmine by Takamine, JBL, Jet City Amplification, Jody Jaz, Jupiter, K&M, Kanstul, Kawai, Keeley, Keilwerth, King, Koll Guitars, Korg, Kramer, KRK, Kurzweil, Kush Audio, Langevin, Leblanc, Lexicon, Line 6, LovePedal, LP, LsL Instruments, Ludwig, Luna Guitars, Mackie, Mad Professor, Malekko Heavy Industry, Manley, Mapex, Markbass, Marshall, Martin, Martin-Leblac, Maxon, Meinl, Meinl Weston, Mesa Boogie, Millennia, Miraphone, Mixosaurus, Mogami, Mojave Audio, Moog, Morgan, Music Man, MusicXPC, N-Tune, Neumann, Neve, Nord, Novation, NS Design, Olympus, On-Stage Stands, Option 5, Orange Amplifiers, Ortofon, Ovation, P. Mauriat, Pacific Drums & Percussion (PDP), Paiste, Parker Guitars, Pearl, Peavey, Pelonis Sound and Acoustics, Perris, Phonic, Pigtronix, Pioneer, Powell, Prelude by Conn-Selmer, PreSonus, Propellerhead, PRS, Purple Audio, QSC, Quik Lok, Radial Engineering, Rainsong, Randall, Rane, Reunion Blues, Rickenbacker, Rivera, RME, Roc-N-Soc, Rockbag by Warwick, Rockbass by Warwick, Rockcase by Warwick, RockStand by Warwick, Rode Microphones, Roland, Royer, Rupert Neve Designs, Sabian, Sample Logic, Schecter Guitar Research, Scherzer, Schilke, Schreiber, Schroeder, Schroeder Guitars, Selmer, Selmer Paris, Sennheiser, Serato, Shure, SKB, SM Pro Audio, Softube, Solid State Logic, Sonare, Soul, Soundcraft, Squier, Stanton, Steinberg, Steinberger, Stephanhouser, Sterling by MusicMan, Summit Audio, Sweet Sound Electronic, SWR, T-REX Engineering, Takamine, Tama, Tapco, Taylor, TDK, Tech 21, Telefunken, Thermionic Culture, Toadworks, Tobias, Tone King, Tortuga, Traveler Guitar, Traynor, True Systems, Tube-Tech, Two Rock, Ultimate Support, Universal Audio, Vestax, Violet Audio, Vito, VMI, Voodoo Lab, VOX, W. Nirschl, Waldorf, Wampler, Warwick, Washburn, Weber Speakers, Western Digital, Xotic Effects, Yamaha, Yamaha Band & Orchestra, Yanagisawa, Zildjian, Zoom, ZVex Effects

Legally, those manufacturer's can set a minimum advertised price for their product. This helps big companies like those listed above sell across multiple dealer networks. Usually, the store manager will do it for you anyway (or at least 8% off) but GC is under contract to print that exclusions list.

[jordak]

Originally Posted by jordak

Legally, those manufacturer's can set a minimum advertised price for their product. This helps big companies like those listed above sell across multiple dealer networks. Usually, the store manager will do it for you anyway (or at least 8% off) but GC is under contract to print that exclusions list.

...but Guitar Center still sucks

[bobbybass85]

IME that list is to cover their butts in certain situations. That said I've frequently been able to use those coupons on items listed in the list. (Squier, Fender, SBMM etc)

Just try to use the coupon. If the coupon is the make-or-break for the deal then the worst that will happen is you leave with empty hands and a full bank account.

[bassbully]

Originally Posted by jordak

...but Guitar Center still sucks

Then don't go there. I know a couple of guys who work at my local GC that I go to time to time. They are great guys and very experienced players in our area. I get great deals and am treated very well..why? I am kind, honest, professional and know the retail game.

[bassplayerbob]

Bought my crown amp and a jackson bass with the 50 dollar off coupons before. They said they would just make it an in store discount.

[coryt]

Originally Posted by charliefreak

A little bird tells me there's about half the exclusions if you call in. As for the used item, You'll defiitely need to call the store that it's at- GC.com has very little control over used items.. In the past, I've called the store and simply asked them to send it to a local store and buy it there. Get the 1 year used warranty in case you change your mind!

That's why I contacted them, to find out which store it was at so I could call them direct. But they never got back to me. And unfortunately there are no GC's anywhere near me, it would be a strictly mail order type deal.

[hdracer]

Originally Posted by bassbully

Then don't go there. I know a couple of guys who work at my local GC that I go to time to time. They are great guys and very experienced players in our area. I get great deals and am treated very well..why? I am kind, honest, professional and know the retail game.

^^^ This,
You get what you give.
I used a 20% off coupon to get my Fender Bassman 100T.
I don't think there is anything they sell that I can not use a coupon or sale code to get the discount on.

[charliefreak]

Originally Posted by coryt

That's why I contacted them, to find out which store it was at so I could call them direct. But they never got back to me. And unfortunately there are no GC's anywhere near me, it would be a strictly mail order type deal.

That's even better! call them up and ask for a manager. Give they'll almost definitely work something out with you. I had my ol' vette shipped from austin to Indianapolis and the store manager was really cool about it. It was a lot like working out a deal on here or CL.

[bryan gibson]

Originally Posted by jordak

Legally, those manufacturer's can set a minimum advertised price for their product. This helps big companies like those listed above sell across multiple dealer networks. Usually, the store manager will do it for you anyway (or at least 8% off) but GC is under contract to print that exclusions list.

This period. Contractual legal-ese stipulates that they cannot advertise below posted MAP. In-store, however, they can do whatever they want-just like a regular store. I've even got them to apply the 15% discount to used stuff before. Walk in with cash/coupon in hand, and you have all the leverage

[charliefreak]

Originally Posted by bassbully

Then don't go there. I know a couple of guys who work at my local GC that I go to time to time. They are great guys and very experienced players in our area. I get great deals and am treated very well..why? I am kind, honest, professional and know the retail game.

+1 on this chief. My buddy Troy Seele works part time at the GC in Greenwood IN when he's not on tour with Iced Earth. They're mostly good people, and while the sales attitude might be better (more laid back) at your mom & pop store, I've honestly found more "working" musicians in GC's than in the mom and pop stores. I always just figure that they have a better pool to choose from. And their application process is more difficult and broad.

[BawanaRik]

Originally Posted by jordak

...but Guitar Center still sucks

I have to be honest. I don't shop there a lot. I mean maybe once or twice in the past ten or twenty years. I didn't neccesarliy buy anything on those visits. But as far as suck?

I just figured I'm not their target demographic. The people that I know that like it spend a fortune on new gear then bring it back and repeat. I buy used gear and if I don't like it resell. I don't need to spend hundreds on the lastest amp sim. I have a Deluxe Reverb and a Blockhead as well as an Eden and a RedHead.

I'm covered.
I did read about a TB member buying a beauty of bass for low bucks recently. Still not enough to get mo out of my chair and driving to GC.

But sucks? It just seemed like one of the many big box store dotting the hiway. Guitar Depot. If you don't like them try the local guy that every area has. Many of them really could use the business.

Just asking but has anyone actually had a real bad expirence with GC or are folks getting primed for an Occupy Guitar Center thing this summer?

[mjac28]

My tech Jimmy works at guitar center guy is a phenom I usually pick something up when I have him do work for me the GC on my area has a decent used section but if you play guitar,drums or keyboard you would be in heaven.