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Bass + Guitar Center =

#21
I endured GC last week because I was visiting another city and really wanted a used bass they had for sale. (Carvin BB75)
Price was $500 I wanted to pay less. the sales guy was deluded "these go for 7-8 THOUSAND dollars on the Internet"
I said, "then why are you selling it for $500 in the store? Maybe you should sell it on this magical 'Internet' that you seem to believe in".
I asked for a lower price and a bag.
He said, "well I will look to see if there is a case or bag in back I can give you."
He walked away and disappeared for quite some time. Then I saw him helping someone else and I was suddenly invisible. It was like he was trying to snub me.
After staring at him another minute I walked out.
At closing time I walked back into the store and he made a beeline towards my and said "OK $450, but no case"
OK :)
He literally ripped the bass out of another customer's hand and handed it to me! Oh, man.
 
#24
echoSE7EN said:
I tried this method last weekend. I knew for a fact that my local GC had a B:Assmaster in their "boutique" case. I also know exactly where that display case is located within the store. As I approached the display case, I could see the pedal from ten feet out. A GC employee was walking toward that general direction, and asked if I needed any help. I said, "Yes. I would like to pick up this B:Assmaster."

He took it out of the display case, walked five feet to the counter, and then said, "Oh. I'll run in the back and grab the box."

"Okay."

No joke. Ten minutes later he appears with box in hand.

"Okay, guy, I can take care of you now. Sorry for the delay."

"No worries."

"Uh...it looks like all of the registers are busy. Give me a second."

"Okay."

No joke. After five minutes of standing there, no register has opened up. He walks out from behind the counter and begins helping someone else. I was so peeved. I walked out of the store. On the sidewalk, I hear, "Sir!?"

"Yes?"

"I'm sorry for the delay..."

At this point I interrupted him and simply stated, "My wife and son are waiting in the car. I knew exactly what I wanted, where it was located, and this should not have taken more than 10 minutes, tops. I'm sorry, but the amount of time waiting is one thing, but you walking away to make another sale before our transaction was complete is simply rude."

He apologized again. I have no spite for the guy trying to make a sale, but seriously...I getting ready to drop $250(+) on a pedal, and this guy walks away to sell a $50 crap unit to some 13-year kid that detuned the guitar the second he sat down, cranked the amp to 11, and just stomped on the distortion unit.
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he should've gone to the registers to help clear the line so he could ring you up.
 
#25
The other day I went to guitar center to try a bass rig I really was looking into getting. I wanted to try a tc rh450 into a Mesa powerhouse 212. When I asked the guitar department manager if I could try the rh450 with the Mesa 212 he looked at me for a second and said its a 115. So I walked over to the cab to show him it's a 212 but he refused to accept that so he looked it up in the system... But that wasn't enough. After 30 seconds of playing, an emplyee plugged in a bass into an 810 rig and slapped real loud for a long time. He wasn't with any customers which was weird. But yeah I try to avoid that place. I needed some dr strings and theyre the only people near me to sell them. But now I buy all my strings from bass strings online! So I only go to guitar center to exchange any broken cables because they have life time warranties.
 
#26
bassteban said:
I go to GC when I have diarrhea. :)
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aahhhaahahaa.......ohhh I have a story to tell you guys. I was in GC one time and this kid (maybe 15) was in the bass room, trying some basses out.. I walked in looked around for a little bit, I looked back and the kid was gone. a couple of seconds later the room started smelling like poop. soooo I guess the bass room doubles as a restroom now.
 
#27
I have no problem with guitar center. One time, though, I saw a kid maybe 14 in there, and he was crazy. He picked up a telecaster and had to have his mom put it back up for him as he said "heavy guitar" over and over. There was a bass drum without a head on it sitting on the floor, and crouches down, sticks his head in it and screams "ohh Pinocchio!!!" that was the weirdest thing.
 
#29
sorry guys, can not empathize.. there isn't a CG within 100 miles of where I live

we have a fender dealer/store, and the owner is very, very good, but the guy he has giving guitar lessons is a fool. We have a small music store, with very limited selection, but who specializes in helping school band students (I always try to throw a little money at this shop), and we have one shop that is low budget, and deals mostly in used gear (I think it is going out of business)...Plus we have one pawn shop that is a little expensive, but with a great selection.... and this is all within a 30 mile radius

I am well known at both the music counter and the gun counter in the pawn shop (not for selling either)
 
#30
GC is an awesome place to "buy" stuff. Everything else not so much. If your there to A/B stuff, not so much. If your there to try stuff out, not so much. If your there to learn stuff, not so much. Never go there to get something fixed. Warranty exchanges may go well.

I once went in there to buy some stuff and first stop was string dept where I found rack screws ($5) where I asked to take them to the PA dept and pay there. "NO!!! I'll take them to the PA guy for you". Obviously worried that I would steal them. So when I was done in the PA dept I paid the bill and was checked out at the door by the first guy. He looked at the receipt and his look was priceless. You see the PA guy had thrown in the screws free.
 
#32
wshines1892 said:
The esay answer is to go to local stores!
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The easy answer is to buy online. I buy most of my stuff from Musician's Friend or Amazon...yup...even if the local store has it. As a customer, I can be kind of a "grumpy old guy" and I have painfully little patience for waiting around. I'm a quick shopper. I do my homework, I know what I want, I show up with money...I don't expect to wait unless the sales staff are all busy with other customers already. I know the local shops don't like it but this generally means that I'll show up at the shop to test drive the gear then I'll go home and buy it online--unless the salesman is ready to go when I am. I don't feel bad about it in the least either. My loyalty is to ME not to some local merchant. The internet has opened up more options for me and increased the competition. If the corner shop can't compete...bye.

If it's any consolation to those who would be offended at my stance, the "local merchant" in my case is BestBuy (we don't have GC here yet). We do have a locally owned shop but they consider themselves more of a boutique and they're too special to be bothered with helping me since my name isn't Keith Urban so I don't even bother going in there.

Well, we DO have a Fender dealer here too. Those guys are very friendly, helpful, and professional. They just don't meet all my shopping needs.
 
#34
Can't complain about the one here in Tampa (Hillsborough Ave) Those guys always treat us right complete with Green room, chicken wings, Women with low morals and kids and enough blow to make Charlie Sheen call in sick...really, though, it's a pleasure to walk into this store.
 
#35
totallyfrozen said:
The easy answer is to buy online. I buy most of my stuff from Musician's Friend or Amazon...yup...even if the local store has it. As a customer, I can be kind of a "grumpy old guy" and I have painfully little patience for waiting around. I'm a quick shopper. I do my homework, I know what I want, I show up with money...I don't expect to wait unless the sales staff are all busy with other customers already. I know the local shops don't like it but this generally means that I'll show up at the shop to test drive the gear then I'll go home and buy it online--unless the salesman is ready to go when I am. I don't feel bad about it in the least either. My loyalty is to ME not to some local merchant. The internet has opened up more options for me and increased the competition. If the corner shop can't compete...bye.

If it's any consolation to those who would be offended at my stance, the "local merchant" in my case is BestBuy (we don't have GC here yet). We do have a locally owned shop but they consider themselves more of a boutique and they're too special to be bothered with helping me since my name isn't Keith Urban so I don't even bother going in there.

Well, we DO have a Fender dealer here too. Those guys are very friendly, helpful, and professional. They just don't meet all my shopping needs.
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I pretty much agree with you about online shopping. My wallet dictates the majority of my shopping choices. Why should I waste gas and time driving all over God's creation to acquire gear, when I can do it from the comfort of my office or home.

However, I generally do not buy a lot of new basses (With the excpetion of my new tribute gig which required certain basses). If I want a bass, it's usually something different or quasi old. Kinda like and old Aria Pro, Ibanez Musician, or 1980's Fender Jazz Bass Special.

My main quest is usually parts, which GC never really carries a lot of.

This is what I see ALOT of at my nearest GC. So annoying!

Cannibal Corpse Frantic Disembowelment on bass guitar - YouTube
 
#37
I was in GC and happened to be standing close to the service counter by the guitars when this girl walks in with a Fender guitar in a case and asks, "Do you buy used guitars?"
The employee says, "Sometimes, what do you have?" She says, "It's electric. It was my dads. I don't know much about it." Now I am curious to see just how bad he is going to beat her up.
He says, "Okay, let's have a look" and opens the case. I get a little closer and can see that it is a USA Strat in really nice shape. He gives it a look and with a frown says, "Well these don't sell very well used". He turns around and points at the wall and says, "You can see we have lots of them new, people usually want new ones. A used one like this would only sell for about $150. We usually will pay about half of that. We have to make a few bucks on the deal."
She says, "Gee that's a lot less than I was thinking."
He says, "Okay we can go $100 but that's it. You can put an ad in the paper but you won't get much more than that"
She says, "I guess if that's all it's worth okay."
 
#38
Liam Wald said:
I was in GC and happened to be standing close to the service counter by the guitars when this girl walks in with a Fender guitar in a case and asks, "Do you buy used guitars?"
The employee says, "Sometimes, what do you have?" She says, "It's electric. It was my dads. I don't know much about it." Now I am curious to see just how bad he is going to beat her up.
He says, "Okay, let's have a look" and opens the case. I get a little closer and can see that it is a USA Strat in really nice shape. He gives it a look and with a frown says, "Well these don't sell very well used". He turns around and points at the wall and says, "You can see we have lots of them new, people usually want new ones. A used one like this would only sell for about $150. We usually will pay about half of that. We have to make a few bucks on the deal."
She says, "Gee that's a lot less than I was thinking."
He says, "Okay we can go $100 but that's it. You can put an ad in the paper but you won't get much more than that"
She says, "I guess if that's all it's worth okay."
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Jeez...if I were you I would've said something to her - even if its only a year old thats NOT RIGHT :mad:...and if its getting on to "vintage" age then she's an idiot for not at least checking it out online first (hell - I'd have offered to buy it off her there and then if she was gonna let it go for a hundred...)
 
#39
addylewis said:
Jeez...if I were you I would've said something to her - even if its only a year old thats NOT RIGHT :mad:...and if its getting on to "vintage" age then she's an idiot for not at least checking it out online first (hell - I'd have offered to buy it off her there and then if she was gonna let it go for a hundred...)
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While it's not cool to make spot offers in the guy's store, I have no problem with informing the kid that she should ask for more--possibly much more.

If the guy is a known crook that you usually don't buy from, then by all means, start an auction right there. :D
 
#40
Liam Wald said:
I was in GC and happened to be standing close to the service counter by the guitars when this girl walks in with a Fender guitar in a case and asks, "Do you buy used guitars?"
The employee says, "Sometimes, what do you have?" She says, "It's electric. It was my dads. I don't know much about it." Now I am curious to see just how bad he is going to beat her up.
He says, "Okay, let's have a look" and opens the case. I get a little closer and can see that it is a USA Strat in really nice shape. He gives it a look and with a frown says, "Well these don't sell very well used". He turns around and points at the wall and says, "You can see we have lots of them new, people usually want new ones. A used one like this would only sell for about $150. We usually will pay about half of that. We have to make a few bucks on the deal."
She says, "Gee that's a lot less than I was thinking."
He says, "Okay we can go $100 but that's it. You can put an ad in the paper but you won't get much more than that"
She says, "I guess if that's all it's worth okay."
Click to expand...
I hope you manned up and said something to her. I think I would have at least whispered in her ear, "Don't do it. It's worth much more."
 

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