Where I live we have a GC and a Music Village. I have purchased 3 basses new at our local GC store. I bought 1 sight unseen from the Queens store. They insisted that I also get a hardshell case to help protect it in shipment. I have been happy with my purchases to this point. I do look for the same salesperson I usually have dealt with when I go in though. They are really the best choice we have here.
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Another Guitar Center Fiasco
- Thread starter sandmangeck
- Start date
The local GC here in Silicon Valley California is a nice place, can't complain. They keep the place in a nice shape.
It is true that you can't get discount on the spot, but watch out for all kinds of weekend sales that are announced at the web site, or via email.
--Kent
It is true that you can't get discount on the spot, but watch out for all kinds of weekend sales that are announced at the web site, or via email.
--Kent
Umm, that shouldn't even be on the shelves unless it's sold "as is" and there is someone there to explain why.:scowl:
I sold Guitar Center my GK 4x10 cab that had 4 blown speakers. They gave me $150 and didn't even turn it on to test it LOL.
A couple weeks later, I put the money towards a "Green Tag" special on an SWR 350x at the same Guitar Center. Got it for $350 out the door, as is, and I've never had a problem with it - still use it everyday. That was the GC on Route 59 in Naperville, IL. It's a newer store - just opened the last couple years...felt good to rip them off for a change.
A couple weeks later, I put the money towards a "Green Tag" special on an SWR 350x at the same Guitar Center. Got it for $350 out the door, as is, and I've never had a problem with it - still use it everyday. That was the GC on Route 59 in Naperville, IL. It's a newer store - just opened the last couple years...felt good to rip them off for a change.
I guess I've been lucky as most of my GC experiences have been positive. I purchased two basses from the Manhattan GC without incident.
A few months ago I was in Southern California visiting family and my brother wanted to look at some mics and a mixer at the GC in Orange County. So I went with him just to mess with some basses while he was doing his thing. I sat down and was playing through the Boss effects with the bass they had next to the rack. A little while later, a clerk came up and she asked me if I liked any of the pedals. I told her I was interested in the overdrive and chrous but I was only visiting so wasn't really looking to buy anything. She asked me if she could at least make me an offer so I said sure. She walked away, came back 5 minutes later with a sweet offer. I politely refused and she came back a little later and said her manager had given her free reign to offer pretty much anything (within reason). So after some back and forth, I ended up getting both pedals (new in the box), with cables, with a power supply, with a daisy chain for about a hundred bucks. She even offered to throw in the Dynamic Wah pedal (which I was also messing with) for another $70. I passed on that but ended up talking to her for a fairly long time about music and pedals and basses, etc. All in all a very good experience.
A few months ago I was in Southern California visiting family and my brother wanted to look at some mics and a mixer at the GC in Orange County. So I went with him just to mess with some basses while he was doing his thing. I sat down and was playing through the Boss effects with the bass they had next to the rack. A little while later, a clerk came up and she asked me if I liked any of the pedals. I told her I was interested in the overdrive and chrous but I was only visiting so wasn't really looking to buy anything. She asked me if she could at least make me an offer so I said sure. She walked away, came back 5 minutes later with a sweet offer. I politely refused and she came back a little later and said her manager had given her free reign to offer pretty much anything (within reason). So after some back and forth, I ended up getting both pedals (new in the box), with cables, with a power supply, with a daisy chain for about a hundred bucks. She even offered to throw in the Dynamic Wah pedal (which I was also messing with) for another $70. I passed on that but ended up talking to her for a fairly long time about music and pedals and basses, etc. All in all a very good experience.
seems to me sir, that you have several very dissatisfied customers here at talkbass. i would sit down with the powers that be, SHOW THEM EVERY THREAD HERE THAT DEALS WITH GC and make them read every single one. i used to work for huge music store that didnt listen to their customers or their employees and they shut down and a few owners are now serving time for embessilment. wherehouse music.
your company has a crapload of problems that need to be addressed or your company will be going bye bye. i for one, never go there anymore and most of my musician friends refuse to shop there. i'd rather drive a little farther to get better service.
I've had one good purchasing experience 2 years ago from the GC here in Columbus, Oh. There was a manager named Andrew who sold me a GK 700rbII. I called them and asked them if they had any in stock. They said "Yes we do", and I was on my way. When I got there Andrew was waiting for me to tell me that he was wrong and the one they had was on hold for someone who came and got it before I got there. So he let me take home an Ampeg B2re, which sounded ok but lacked a lot of what my GK has. Then I was able to take the Ampeg back when they got the GK in and I traded it for the GK head. He said that they were going to throw in a couple sets of new strings for me for all the hassle. I was pretty happy with the deal I got.
Then last week I go looking for my GK manual. I find it in a clear plastic ziplock bag with my receipt from GC. I read the receipt again and was astonished!!! They actually CHARGED ME for those freakin' strings! How could I have missed that 2 years ago? It was bought with a GC credit card so I can see how I didn't notice right away. I just grabbed my amp and strings and walked out. GC ripped me off, 2 YEARS AGO, and I just found out last week.
I feel pretty dumb.
Then last week I go looking for my GK manual. I find it in a clear plastic ziplock bag with my receipt from GC. I read the receipt again and was astonished!!! They actually CHARGED ME for those freakin' strings! How could I have missed that 2 years ago? It was bought with a GC credit card so I can see how I didn't notice right away. I just grabbed my amp and strings and walked out. GC ripped me off, 2 YEARS AGO, and I just found out last week.
I feel pretty dumb.someone said it earlier-you gotta know your GC. I live in an area where it is relatively easy to get to two GC's. The one closer to my house (GC Highland Park) is smaller but there are some cool sales guys there. I got a good deal on a used fretless vette and do most of my business there. There is a bigger one in Arlington Heights that has more selection but except for a few exceptions I have found the salespeople there (especially in live sound/lighting) to be a$$holes. Me and my friend went there ready to drop 300 on some lighting equipment only to get some fat idiot behind the counter who made us wait twenty minutes to tell us they didn't have the lights along with treating us with a sense of pissy entitlement. I guess you could say GC is what it is
Ive had good and bad experiences at GC. Been going to them since the 70's. When I lived in the Bay Area, I went to All 3-4 in the area, and had pretty good luck. Then, about 6 years ago, I bought a 5'er that had a P-J setup that sucked, so I went to GC Medford, OR. and told the salesman what I had, and that I wanted to get an EMG setup for it. He sold me a P-J setup, and I went home to install it. B string just never sounded very good and i was dissapointed. Then I found out that he had sold me a P-J setup for a 4 string-not for the 5. I went back and complained, but of course that salesman didnt work there anymore and I was screwed. Still havent been able to afford a pj5 set. A couple years later, They had a Christmas sale with 18mo no interest, no payments. So I bought a few things.
Well, the salesman entered it in wrong, so the company that does their financing didnt know I was on the no payment plan and kept sending me bills-which I ignored knowing I didnt have to pay for a while. Well, that screwed up my credit. When I finally became aware of the problem in April, I went back repeatedly and talked to the original salesperson, the manager, and anyone else I could get ahold of and each time they got on the computer, told me what the problem was, and hit a few buttons and said it was fixed-it wasnt.
Finally, they got a new manager who took care of it immediatley, (Jonathan ROCKS!!) and he has taken VERY good care of me since.
I have noticed that the prices are getting out of hand, and I have been making most of my big purchaces on ebay, but for strings and things they are convenient.
Well, the salesman entered it in wrong, so the company that does their financing didnt know I was on the no payment plan and kept sending me bills-which I ignored knowing I didnt have to pay for a while. Well, that screwed up my credit. When I finally became aware of the problem in April, I went back repeatedly and talked to the original salesperson, the manager, and anyone else I could get ahold of and each time they got on the computer, told me what the problem was, and hit a few buttons and said it was fixed-it wasnt.
Finally, they got a new manager who took care of it immediatley, (Jonathan ROCKS!!) and he has taken VERY good care of me since.
I have noticed that the prices are getting out of hand, and I have been making most of my big purchaces on ebay, but for strings and things they are convenient.
I even buy my strings somewhere else now. I can't trust anyone at my local GC anymore. I seems like everyone wants my wallet. GC has helped me find out about Sadowsky strings, since I no longer buy DR's from GC anymore.
and it really sux that they have cornered the music business marked as well. The town i live in had 4 mom and pop music stores before we got a gc about 2 years ago, now only 2 are left, its a shame. And they can do whatever they want cuz gc is all we have, the only other large music store there is is a samash about 30 miles away, and I know of 4 gc's within the same area, so you could say they have our market cornered.
last time i went to guitar center i needed a single string. a high C for my 6 string bass. he gave me a guitar string. when i said "i think youve made a mistake.." he went on to explain that a guitar string will fit perfectly fine on my bass. i guess because of my age (16 at the time?) he assumed i had no idea what i was talking about..i started getting annoyed and said something like "i play a 35 and a quarter inch scale bass. a guitar string isint going to reach to the tuning peg not to mention the ball at the end of the string is too small..i'd like a bass string please" annoyed, he took the string back and then gave me another brand guitar string.
the only thing i now buy from any guitar center is my amps- because markbass isint available anywhere else =(
the only thing i now buy from any guitar center is my amps- because markbass isint available anywhere else =(
When I was looking to upgrade my bass I would visit both GC and Ash plus a local indie. I felt like a ghost in all three places. If you dont walk in and tell them what you want they just ignore you. And while I like to shop that way sometimes I never felt comfie takin an axe off the wall and plugging it into an amp I was unfamiliar with. But as far as GC center went they didnt even have anyone in the bass area to help you if you wanted it...the drum salesman were real helpful (I was thinkin of buyin the wife some congos) I ended up buying at GC cuz they happened to have a RIC hiding in the back. Now that I've dropped a big wad there the manager is real helpful. money talks
Ahh - capitalism at it's finest. They rip people off on trades (buy low) and rip people off on used gear (sell high).
Oh and BTW that black bass that Lesfunk thought the sales guy was being so cool about? Ya, he probably didn't want to sell it to him because he's a nice guy - he was probably trying to upsell him on something else.
Oh and BTW that black bass that Lesfunk thought the sales guy was being so cool about? Ya, he probably didn't want to sell it to him because he's a nice guy - he was probably trying to upsell him on something else.
Oh, and i forgot to mention that i have to drive 20 miles to get to a gc with a nice bass selection cuz the one in my town doesnt even have a bass room, just a little corner where they threw all of the bass stuff, and the a lot of their good basses are hung up on this thing thats almost to the ceiling so you can almost forget about just trying one out.
I walked into a local Mom & Pop store here in Medford the other day with my son. He was looking at an acoustic guitar, and asked to see one behind the counter. The owner (who hadnt seen me yet-or maybe he had) says "Are you going to buy it?" So I walk up and say "How would he know, if he hasnt played it yet, or asked you the price?" He gets it down and hands it to my son (who looks like he'd rather be somewhere else) and my son starts to play it-doesnt like the sound. So he hands it back and turns to leave (he doesnt want to deal with this guy, but now I'm irritated) so I say "What about that one?" Well, the guy takes out a polishing cloth and wipes all the fingerprints off before he puts it back and gets the other one down. We went through the whole wall
Then as we were leaving, I see the beautiful standup bass and ask if I can play it. The guy goes through the same litany. I truely dont know how he gets anyone to buy anything from him. And it sure isnt his prices!
Then as we were leaving, I see the beautiful standup bass and ask if I can play it. The guy goes through the same litany. I truely dont know how he gets anyone to buy anything from him. And it sure isnt his prices!
I was really glad to read this thread. ya see, i've never had a good experiance at GC, but i figured it was because i am bias.
i am salesman at a local mom and pop music store so hance that natural hatred for GC. but i'm glad to find that i'm not the only one who can't find good service, good basses, or good prices at GC.
and maybe its just because i am a salesman or maybe its cause there usually are no helpful salesman there but two of the last three times i was in GC i spent time explaining/demonstrating stuff to confused customers. haha
i am salesman at a local mom and pop music store so hance that natural hatred for GC. but i'm glad to find that i'm not the only one who can't find good service, good basses, or good prices at GC. and maybe its just because i am a salesman or maybe its cause there usually are no helpful salesman there but two of the last three times i was in GC i spent time explaining/demonstrating stuff to confused customers. haha
One of these days that will come back and bite you on the ass. Karma is a bitch.:scowl:
