A Little Guitar Center Love (S. Austin)

[ebonalley]

I've read GC get eaten up from time to time on this forum and just wanted to share that I've had nothing but positive experience with the S. Austin location. I have no association with them but thought it was worth sharing. A perfect example happened yesterday. It was like 106 degrees so I brought my 4 yo dgt in to walk around. She found a mini drum set she liked and the worker there was kind enough to offer and provide her a brief lesson. I've also brought my bass in on two occassions and the technician seems very knowledgable and on both instances went and beyond without added price. He just seems to have a general appreciation for his job and for music. So if you're in town, don't be afraid to check it out.

[N.F.A.]

There is a GC in Dayton that has given me excellent service the last two visits. Friendly, helpful, no hard sell or breathing down your neck, etc. I'm aware of the negative stories. It's nice you started a thread to show some positivity too.

[charlie monroe]

Guitar Center sells a lot of music gear. Probably more than any other brick and mortar enterprise in the nation. TalkBass has a lot of members. Members of TB buy a lot of music gear. Probably as much as, or an appreciable fraction of, any other online community.

Folks, things are going to get pear shaped now and again.

It seems like better than half of the gripes I hear about GC are of the "They wouldn't give me $350 for the bass I paid $475 for three years ago, so I had to sell it on CL" variety. Followed closely by "I didn't plug it in at the store and when I got to the practice space it had a scratchy pot" with a little "When I looked at it closely at home, I found some heinous lacerations on the back, and a tuning machine was bent." thrown in.

Last but not least, can we hear a rendition of "The demo basses are missing knobs and are set up like horse dookie, but you'd never know it because it is impossible to find a patch cord."

I have never set foot in a GC. I have therefore never been raped by them, nor have I scored big on something. I am not afraid of shopping there, and the next time I see a GC, I will likely go in.

While I am there, should I choose to purchase something, I will do so armed with the confidence that I am an informed and observant consumer, and I will ensure that I receive that for which I have paid. In much the same manner that I would behave in any other retail shop.

When you guys drop a lot of coin on a bass or amp that you have literally been dreaming of, take all the time you need to make sure that it is the right one. Do not set yourself up for disappointment by making brash decisions. tl/dr