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Best Buy Music Center

#42
Craigster said:
Here in San Bernardino there is an instrument dept in the corner of the BB. It's kinda' an afterthought. Not much there that holds any interest (for me at least) Opened right after the 1st of the year. I did find a line 6 150 watt combo amp there and got the dept mgr down to 250 for it (they were having a dept opening sale) also bought some GHS 5 string Boomers for 17 a set.I stop by from time to time to see if there is anything new:hiding: but nothing. GC :spit:is down the block and about 5 times the size but it is a junkyard and I only stop in there if I have an emergancy. There is another GC close to the office where I go and it's 10 times better than the one in San Bernardino, but it's 1/3 the size. The local SA is in the mall amd holds no interest either. Would LOVE to have a local Mom & Pop store that had more than over priced junk:crying: but I guess you can't have everything. I guess its going to be time soon to go into Hollywood and check out the stores there:hyper:
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The San Bernardino store music section has actually been there a couple of years now. They have some decent MIA Fenders basses, Strats and Les Pauls. Not much of a amp selection. I have never bought anything there. But I will occasionally go into the music section just to look when I'm at Best Buy for other reasons. And yeah the GC bass section around the corner from Best Buy has gone down hill quite a bit and everytime I go in there I don't last long and come out empty handed.
 
#44
jcullen24 said:
Oh good GOD, now I'm really envious! Dangit, texas is the last in line for everything!

Jim
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not really..TX has like 8 stores, NY - 0

Not that I'm complaining or anything, there's a GC right across the street from a Best Buy, so go to one, go to the other...


But I feel this is a good thing, for the little guys if anything. How often to you see young kids in a music store to "see" real instruments? Or even at GC? I don't. I can't see any Parents taking a kid to a music store if the parents don't know squat about instruments to begin with. They'd probably feel a bit intimidated.
But in a Best Buy, instruments would be rubbing shoulders with products EVERYONE is familiar with. I thing tis fact would loosen inhibitions about "giving it a chance" and a kid may walk away with a bass rather than a Guitar Hero setup...
 
#46
JimiLL said:
+1,000,000,000. Cereal.

Go look at some of the kids on youtube and see how amazing they've become at this guitar hero, and just imagine if they had put that towards a real instrument:rollno:
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Helps them with rhythm and time, though. I can guarantee you that playing Dance Dance Revolution in high school gave me a solid idea of what different BPMs feel like.
 
#47
Went to Best Buy in Pasadena, CA. I was pleased and amazed to see their music store because I've got some gift cards laying around (I don't know why people give these things as gifts, can you imagine how much free money these companies make on lost cards, or unused portions of cards? It must be enormous amounts of money!)
Anyways I came out with a DC plug for a stompbox. All the rest of the stuff was mediocre, run of the mill stuff. Nothing I would throw big bucks towards. But Best Buy is known for occasional big blowout sales, and am curious to see how low they will go on gear they want to turn over. We'll see, after christmas.
 
#50
Howdy.

I'm fairly good friends with the management... They're conducting a test.

Please remember - they're not after TB snobs - we're the ones that would say "that King Status isn't Grey Enough" etc.

The fun thing (for me) is that they have been listening and acting on my gripes about Guitard Center.

They have one in Bloomington (corp headquarters) and Roseville.

I've gotten some sweet deals on some commodity stuff there their sale and closeout stuff is pretty good. Most of the staff are sincere.

Still not the Knut Koupee etc that I loved as a kid - but then again the Fenders of the world pushed the family run stores out of the biz.

Timmy
 
#51
ODDBALL said:
I got a chance to see this shame this weekend.
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Two or three of the Best Buys in the KC area have a music center and, while it's not the greatest selection and/or quality, I don't find it any more "shameful" than the "Wal-Mart of Music Stores" GC and its mountains of over-priced junk. One plus for Best Buy is that the staff don't work on commission so they won't be as likely to convince you to buy something you don't need or want.

If you can, support your local music shop and keep your money local. But if you don't have that choice, Best Buy is no more evil than any other corporate monster. Besides, as some have already said, at least it's giving another outlet for people (esp. kids) to get their hands on halfway decent equipment at fairly reasonable prices.
 
#52
I could care less if BB sells musical instruments, more power to them. I buy online most of the time or if I find something that I really like I'll buy it right then and there. I don't see anything shameful about BB selling musical instruments, don't let it get to you so much.
 
#53
Hey All. I work for Best Buy. A couple of things - just as MNAirHead said - the demographic is obviously and certainly not necessarily for working musicians or musicians that fit the niche that most of us fall in. Also - there is absolutley NO correlation between GC and BB.
As stated, I think this is great for kids or anyone thinking of getting into playing without being overwhelmed by an intimidating GC salesman (my opinion). The guys that I've met in the Roseville store used to work for GC and decided to work for BB instead so the Musical Instrument stores aren't necessarily some kid off the street being thrown into a world they don't know.

and MNAirHead - I miss Knut Koupee too. :(
 
#54
Been there, guitars and basses looked fine to me, but being a drummer as well I checked their percussion and almost cry. They have 1 brand of cymbals and 3 different drumsets. That corner of the store almost made me tear up. Basses looked like there was a wide enough range
 
#55
Craigster said:
Here in San Bernardino there is an instrument dept in the corner of the BB. It's kinda' an afterthought. Not much there that holds any interest (for me at least) Opened right after the 1st of the year. I did find a line 6 150 watt combo amp there and got the dept mgr down to 250 for it (they were having a dept opening sale) also bought some GHS 5 string Boomers for 17 a set.I stop by from time to time to see if there is anything new:hiding: but nothing. GC :spit:is down the block and about 5 times the size but it is a junkyard and I only stop in there if I have an emergancy. There is another GC close to the office where I go and it's 10 times better than the one in San Bernardino, but it's 1/3 the size. The local SA is in the mall amd holds no interest either. Would LOVE to have a local Mom & Pop store that had more than over priced junk:crying: but I guess you can't have everything. I guess its going to be time soon to go into Hollywood and check out the stores there:hyper:
Click to expand...

With a bit more effort, could have fit a few more Smilies in there. Good try though.
 
#56
eastcoasteddie said:
But in a Best Buy, instruments would be rubbing shoulders with products EVERYONE is familiar with. I thing tis fact would loosen inhibitions about "giving it a chance" and a kid may walk away with a guitar rather than a Guitar Hero setup...
Click to expand...
Sadly I had to correct this to the far more likely situation, but however I definetly agree with the idea, even a guitar is better than a guitar hero. Hopefully we will see a rise in musicians because of this. With the trade off being more idiots who can't play, but there is always a price to be paid.
 
#57
We have one here, opened last summer, it was one of the first in the nation, IIRC.

I've been in a couple times. There's nothing really special about it. Prices on par with the local Guitar Center, selection same deal. It's almost like both stores are using the same buyer. Basses anywhere from $129 starter models up to $1,500+ Fenders and Gibsons (and I actually saw some Gibson 6-strings in this store topping out around $2,200 - YIKES!).

The Best Buy is much QUIETER and less pushy than the GC. Also there is a soundproof room you can go and plug into amps which is nice. Overall though, very sterile environment, no vibe. Also I have a hard time giving them much cred when they don't even have a bulletin board up. I mean really, any REAL music store has a bulletin board, right?

And, agreed with bassanddrums, the drum selection is pretty paltry. Which is good cause that means more biz for my friend that runs the drum dept. at the local Ma and Pa.
 
#58
I love my local Mom and Pop shops. I always shop in those kind of stores. Nice people and great stories. If I am ever in Best Buy I will always check it out, for deals and used stuff. Do they have used stuff?

Shaun
 

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