Another GC complaint

[Soundchaser11460]

I hate Guitar center,I used to work there and I know the vast majority of salesman there don't give a crap about their bass room. I had called them recently and spoke to a guy I knew when I worked there,so I got talking to him and he said he remembered me.I was talking to him about ordering a Peavey Cirrus 4 in Ruby Red.He said give me ten minutes to call Peavey and I will get back to you,which he did.He told me they have it in stock.We worked out the price and it was cool.I told him I would be in.The next day I walked in with my son and saw the guy.He said hey how are ya doin.I said great.He walked by me around 7 times more,saying nothing.I tried to get his attention several times to no avail.He was not busy,but kept on walking back and forth suddenly ignoring me.I turned to my son and said,lets get out of here.So we left.This was my buying experience there. :scowl:

 

[JanusZarate]

The GC in El Cerrito (just outside of Berkeley) is actually rather nice - I've befriended an employee there who helps me score some great deals from time to time. They're all generally cooperative and helpful, and willing to negotiate for a sale.

I'm always surprised by the customer service quality there, because in Sacramento, it's nothing like that... you'll find stuck-up employees, a disappointing selection, rampant noise, and mispriced items.

Nowadays, most of my buying is done through a great local shop in Berkeley (Starving Musician), which happens to be the only dealer in the area for a ton of boutique effects. Plus, they keep a good stock of popular effects brands, and their permanent 2-for-1 string sale is nice. The rest of their inventory isn't always great, but it's a deal haven if you're into the used market, and it changes all the time. Last time I was there, they had a Ric 4003 in a Fireglo finish, a left-handed Fender Musicmaster, and a lucite bass.

 

[Warpeg]

As the thread starter, I must also admit that I was an employee of this store when it first opened (2002). I worked in the drum department (Yeah, I play that instrument, too--please no booing). The store didn't seem to have nearly as many badly setup basses/guitars at the time. I've since moved up north and work as a manager in a slightly smaller music store. www.metronomemusic.com

There was a brand new Ibanez EDB405 there. The action was so high that I put my thumb between the 12th fret and the strings...my thumb didn't even touch either! I was about to ask where they were stashing their arrows.

I also noticed that all of the amps and cabs where just thrown into random piles in the bass room. Like another TBer said in this thread, I only found one amp that was plugged in, which was a Fender Bassman 300 (nice head, though). The new stuff was just as dirty , ripped, and worn as the used stuff. Unfortunately, GC Columbus is the nearest Ampeg dealer within a 75 miles radius of where I live.