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Another GC thread about being disappointed

#21
Sorry, that Vibro Champ thing is a sought after amp for most guitards.
I am a guitar player attempting to learn the Bass. Flame away.

My story was also to point out that there are some knowledgeable folks at GC and some that are not so.
 
#23
jazzonlyjazz said:
Are you allowed to do setups on music stores' guitars? I thought that was only for expert employees only...

I live in CAN and we have Long and McQuade and only the vintage vintage really expensive ones are set up properly. By this I mean the ones in the 3000-5000 range CAN. The other expensive models, like the Am. Std or stuff, they're terribly set up. I'm not doubting some may have come that way, but I'm pretty sure most of the employees tweak something here and there and often make it worse. It was what turned me off from ALMOST buying a Stingray a couple years back.
Click to expand...

Please explain why a nation wide chain would do something that would put off a sale?
 
#26
A single bad experience can overshadow even a string of good ones.

In my case, my experience with GC left a bad taste in my mouth.
It was only for a relatively small transaction (maybe $200)
But the results of that one bad transaction wound up costing them
when it came time to spending around 25-30K building my studio.
I took my business (and money) elsewhere, and let 'em know it.
Haven't been back.

The 'penniless musician' who walks in the door today
may be the one who spends a ton of $$$ thereafter..........
 
#27
A setup done right makes all the difference. I bought a budget violin from an online store for my wife for Christmas (she's always wanted to learn to play the "fiddle"). Tried tuning it myself but wasn't happy, so took it in to one of our local music stores. They set it up beautifully, installed higher-end strings, the unit sounds like a freaking dream now. Guy even said he was pretty impressed with how good it sounds given its cost. Should keep her in good stead until she gets quite a bit better (if she decides to do that) and we can upgrade her at that time.

Needless to say, kickass customer service, I'll be taking all my gear there from now on for repairs.
 
#28
jazzonlyjazz said:
Hey you tell me. I'm no genius. I'm just saying. I see a lot of the employees just standing there and doing nothing. Might as well fix up a few instruments and stuff
Click to expand...

Those employees are barely paid enough to show up, much less care. I've seen people in GC walk around the bass room picking stuff off the wall and just leaning it against the amps when they're done. It's a very low reward job.
 
#31
8 years go, when I lived in Appleton, the GC there hired a friend of mine, to do fret end dresses and truss rod adjustments. Every Fender in that store had fret sprout, from the cheapest Squier to the most expensive Custom Shop and signature models. (No other guitars had this, such as Epiphone, Yamaha, Ibanez, etc.)

Basses in most music stores are not set up. When I was a tech at a few music stores, I set up the basses in my spare time. They definitely sell faster when they are properly set up.

Take note GC employees...your basses will sell faster if they are properly set up. Truss rod, fret ends, string height, properly cut nuts. Just DO IT, or hire someone who can.

That friend of mine would be in the store to do the setups. Customers were encouraged to bring their own instruments in for setups, which the store charged for, but the price was cheap...usually $10.

I don't know if he's still there.
 
#32
There is a Guitar Center right up the street from where I live. They had a mid 70's Mapleglo Rickenbacker 4001 in great condition there in their high end room, so I stopped by to check it out. While overall, the bass was in fairly good shape, the setup was absolutely horrible. The neck had way too much relief, and the action was so low it was unplayable.

Oddly enough, it had been sold by the time the next weekend rolled around. I'm hoping that someone who saw its potential bought it.
 
#33
I put in job applications to two GCs in my area with the specific intent on improving their bass departments. Never heard from either manager. So I called both stores up to find out what else I had to do to at least get an interview..........no managers, just some hack salespeople sounding like they had more than cinnamon on their toast for breakfast. They were useless in trying to get information. With a promise that the managers would call me, I left it at that. Never heard from either one. Bass departments are still a mess. Basses not set up, amps all in disarray..........oh, well.
 
#34
Most stores do not do set ups for several reasons. First, it takes time. Imagine if they did a set up on every guitar and bass in the store. Second, everyone has a different preference of how they want things set up. When I find a bass I like, I ask them to do a quick set up before I try it. I have yet to have a store refuse.
 
#35
I've been G.A.S.ing for a Musicman bass (Stingray, Sterling, Ray 34, SUB Ray, whatever). I went to my local GC about a week ago and played a Stingray ($1500), a Sterling ($1400) and a SUB ($289). The SUB was the best set-up out of the three. The Stingray was poorly set up with a fairly high action and horrible, horrible intonation. The Sterling was okay but the strings felt old and the hardware was crusty. I no longer want any of those basses.

I guess the cure for G.A.S., for me at least, is to visit my local GC.
 
#36
Brought my setup gear to gc last night.
Fits in a small box.
Was told i wasnt allowed to do that.
I asked if they wanted to earn a future purchase, they said yes but they cant let me set it up. We can give you a free setup after a purchase i was told.
I asked how am i to try out amps and basses for purchase if i have to guess how they will sound after a purchase, especially used?
Was told of return policy.
Just walked back out.
Wanted to look at amps but cant try out with a poor bass.
And well cant try out 90% of the basses because of poor setups.
I mean a little off yes but i picked up a new squier vintage jazz and a used 1k+ ric and the necks looked like crescent moons with action i could put my finger between neck and string.
 
#37
My peeve is they are paid on commission - and are PUSHY!

And most of the time the bass' seem ok, the guitars too. Of late they suck. Played a used MIM fender jazz...well, it wasn't playable actually. way out of tune, buzzing frets.

It's christmas, they're busy and it's a cut throat pay scheme so I get it. I'll be back in january when things calm down.

Did buy an amp from them over the phone - after gettig one of those coupons in the email..one that of course excludes 99% of what they sell. I got 10% off, free shipping (not cheap on a 1/2 stack) and free cable (not the best, but free is, well, free). Ended up being about the $100 savings the coupon was for.
 
#38
Steve Dallman said:
8 years go, when I lived in Appleton, the GC there hired a friend of mine, to do fret end dresses and truss rod adjustments. Every Fender in that store had fret sprout, from the cheapest Squier to the most expensive Custom Shop and signature models. (No other guitars had this, such as Epiphone, Yamaha, Ibanez, etc.)

Basses in most music stores are not set up. When I was a tech at a few music stores, I set up the basses in my spare time. They definitely sell faster when they are properly set up.

Take note GC employees...your basses will sell faster if they are properly set up. Truss rod, fret ends, string height, properly cut nuts. Just DO IT, or hire someone who can.

That friend of mine would be in the store to do the setups. Customers were encouraged to bring their own instruments in for setups, which the store charged for, but the price was cheap...usually $10.

I don't know if he's still there.
Click to expand...

Its interesting to me to see how widely people's experiences and opinions differ from each others. Your store had problems with Fender fret sprout, and I've been in one of the stores near me (not GC, a mom and pop) and heard their techs refer to Gibsons as "moneymakers". It's really no wonder that I was so confused starting out, or that TB gets 1200 "What bass should I buy?" questions a day.
 
#39
Another GC thread about being disappointed

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I lowered my expectations and decreased the frequency of my visits to GC and now I am not dissapointed.
 

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