GC is doing a big sale this weekend here in portland or. assume its a national thing. and they say more stuuf on sale on monday so if they have what you want for a price your good with .. maybee you can save a little on monday.
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GC: Is that so wrong? (Not a troll)
- Thread starter Adam Bomb
- Start date
I don't know many shops that DO carry rotosound tapewound strings...
tapewounds are pretty specialised and usually you have to shop online to get something like this...
GC is about catering to the general music public...boutique geare is NOT their thing...I think that's a GOOD thing, don't you?
I generally have had good experiences with my GC...I live ten minutes away, so I have plenty of chances to play with stuff, and I have only TWICE played an out-of-tune bass...one of the times it was maybe a half step on the G.
What ever you do, play the instrument you are buying before you buy it, do not buy new in box thats crap every single bass is different. That jazz bass you played may be one in a million, you could play every bass in that exact model and never find one like it. If you go mail order you never know what you will get, it might be amazing or it could suck big time. Each tree gets a different amount of water while growing and has a different "tone". So 2 alder basses of the same model, cut the same size, same hardware, same exact size proportionally but have different weights/"tones". Don't mater where you get it. If there is any bad MOJO attached to your potential new bass it is from you projecting your bad experience with the wrong sales person on to your instrument.
My 2 cents
My 2 cents
The only instrument I've ever purchased from GC was a Squier FVM Fretless for $274. The salesclerk's personality was pretty amped up, and so he was into def making a sale. He got me a brand new stick out of the box instead of the bass on the sales floor. He commensed to do a setup on the bass, only to find out when I got home that he did the setup a 1/2 step sharp, in other words instead of E, he did it in F - unbelievable. So when I retuned the bass in E it buzzed all over the place. It wouldn't be that be a deal, except for the fact that the whole time he's doing the setup he's telling me how good he is at doing setups. Anyway, the bass is a decent fretless. I play it on 2-3 songs with my main band and that suits me just fine. Where I live we have 2 GC's and I go there once in a while to get strings, cords, straps, stuff like that most of the time. I take what I like about the place and leave the rest.
I'm only ever offended by two things in music shops -
1) The quality of the bass.
2) The price.
I'll put up with bad service for 30 minutes and stay quite pleasant if I'm sure it's a good deal. Here in Australia, the prices are so high that it seems music shops can afford to provide better service. Paying $2000 for a Japanese Geddy bass apparently covers being called "Dude" really nicely and getting a handshake when I hand over the cash. It still means I'm being ripped off.
1) The quality of the bass.
2) The price.
I'll put up with bad service for 30 minutes and stay quite pleasant if I'm sure it's a good deal. Here in Australia, the prices are so high that it seems music shops can afford to provide better service. Paying $2000 for a Japanese Geddy bass apparently covers being called "Dude" really nicely and getting a handshake when I hand over the cash. It still means I'm being ripped off.
Tell me about it...at the Westheimer Guitar Center, their bass salesman is currently a guitarist who knows nothing about the basses. Nice guy, but he didn't have a clue what to say.
I know what that's like... There's a shop about 1/4 a mile from my house that I go to all the time. The guys there all know me by name and I know them all. It's great to just go there and ask them how their doing and how their kids are and stuff. If I ever need work done on an instrument, I know I can take it there and they'll do a great job. One time I told one of the guys about how the tips of the strings on my stratocaster always poke my fingers open and the next time I had work done on it, I noticed they had bent down all the tips just for me... It's just a great feeling!
Since I found this shop I don't think I've ever enjoyed going to Guitar Center for more than a few minutes; and I've only ever bought a set of strings from GC; I don't think I'd ever buy much else there.
I swear that I am not trying to start a war. Also, if this is the wrong forum, please move.
This morning I woke up and buying a bass at GC did not seem like as bad a thing as it did even yesterday.
After a gig the other day I was talking to a youngin and I was in Full Mentor Mode and I said, "And never buy a bass from Guitar Center. Cables and stuff, fine, but never an instrument. Buying an instrument from Guitar Center is like buying a body part from McDonald's." I swear to effing gee, I really said that. I wrote that. I was in full Full of S*** mode.
Anyway. I have been wanting a J-Bass. Partly to have something different; partly because I like all the knobs. (I definitely need some sort of second electric bass, as a backup on stage.) I use the GC site as a research resource; I saw all the Squier J-Basses they carry and I have been meaning to bug you guys about them. (I dont have big hands and I heard that a J-Bass might be easier to play.)
So today at lunch I go to GC to look at FX pedals. (My rule about GC allows for buying pedals.) I try out the Boss Dynamic Wah. I need a bass to do this. So I grab a P-bass cuz that's what I play and I try the pedal. Then a lightbulb goes off, and I go get a J-Bass. A Squier, like I want. Plus, I accidentally grabbed a *fretless*. So I am holding basically the bass I now really want. It's $300. (Within my budget.)
And I'm thinking, Why not?
I have 3 other options that I am aware of:
--Mail order: from Fender, another TB'er, whatever. Have my baby get dribbled like a basketball from Kalamazoo to Berkeley.
--Subway Guitars: Historic Berkeley institution. Funky cool, fun, great. Owner, named Fat Dog, sells great used basses and makes his own as well. Three or 4 years ago I went in there knowing nothing and Fat Dog took pity on me and hooked me up with a beautiful 30-year-old Japanese P-Bass copy (Aspen). You can go in there and play guitars and talk politics for hours and buy something or not, it doesn't seem to matter. The problem is that, this time, I don't want a 30-year-old P-bass copy. I want a new Squier Jazz bass (and now, a fretless one). I also want a Geddy at some point, I think. I would rather buy those basses from Fat Dog, but he doesn't sell new. I doubt he even sells those basses used; his selection is so random.
--Rocker Guitars: San Fran. Coolest music store I know. Half-store, half-museum: You can play a $3000 upright even if, like me, you should be barred from playing uprights by law. Every guitar is tuned and available to play, and, if you want, buy. Rocker sells new and used. They can probably get me any Fender I want. The problem: All Sales Final. What if I change my mind? What if a saddle is loose or something? I gotta ship a bass back to the factory?
I am not posting because I want someone to talk me out of buying at GC. I want someone to remind me why I felt so strongly against doing so.
Indeed, most GC sales clerks that I have dealt with seem a little frustrated and impatient. But why would I inconvenience myself, at all? To spite them?
I think I still agree that if a new bassist is, say, looking for an amp, if he lets a GC clerk talk him into buying a specific rig, that rig may or may not be right for that bassist. But, in this case, wherever I go, I am going to march in and say, "One Fender Squier 4-string fretless Jazz Bass, please." And whoever hands me that bass, that bass will have come off the same assembly line as all the others.
So, will my bass have bad mojo? Not if it's mine...
Thank you for reading.
--Bomb
Well, I've bought 3 of my four instruments from GC. I was able to get a discount on one of them. GC is not as evil as many think it is, imo, but that depends on alot of stuff. For example, the number one reason people seem to hate it is because of suck employees, which does happen. GC is not as dangerous, however, if you resist their wiles(I've told them 20 times I don't like Markbass amps but they forget that every time I'm there
). Anyways, I wouldn't let the fact that it's GC stop you. It won't suck because it was sold at a GC.
I'd agree that a guitar from Guitar Center is like a body part from McDonald's. Guitar Center is the WalMart of guitar stores, pushing everyone out of business and always having the most generic uninspiring products
yeah man, it's a real crapshoot at the one by IH-45 and FM1960....so idk how much better that one would be to the one in Westheimer. I'd go to Rockin' Robin but they tend to be pretty pricey
Today starts the 4 day Labor Day sale with "THE LIST". This sale is usually done just on Labor Day, but this year it's all weekend. The list is exactly that: a list of what has extra discounts and/or clearance prices. It varies by store location and is downloaded to all the stores from Westlake Village. The local stores don't have an option as to what gets put on the list.
Bottom line is you could find something really nice for a good price or not. Depends on what store you go to and what they have on sale. I was in my old store yesterday and everyone was printing POP's and getting things ready for today. I'm not looking for anything, but for those of you that are, it might be worth a trip.
Bottom line is you could find something really nice for a good price or not. Depends on what store you go to and what they have on sale. I was in my old store yesterday and everyone was printing POP's and getting things ready for today. I'm not looking for anything, but for those of you that are, it might be worth a trip.
There's nothing wrong with buying from GC. You just have to know all the answers to your questions before you walk in because the staff will not be able to answer them, alot like shopping at Wal Mart.
I'm good, playing a lot, not buying so much. You must be off to college, eh? Stop by this weekend and say 'hi' to Dave.
When did they start that policy?
I was there a few months ago and talked them down on the price along with a trade in.
I agree, They will exchange things with no questions asked for gear within the same price range. At least they did that for me.
i always have mixed feelings about GC. I haven't ever really bought anything big from them bass-wise, strings, cables etc.
actually, the little guitar amp i got a month ago (VOX ADVT15XL) works really well as a quiet bass practice amp too- lots of tubey punch [plus its a nice amp for the amount of time i spend playing guitar]. i'm happy with that as a dual-function buy, and i feel that the price i paid was fair.
but the atmosphere is not my favorite. i hate being approached by douchey short employees [it always seems that the shorter ones are worse...] that are trying to give me the hard sell on something i have no interest in. That said, some of the guys are decently chill and occasionally helpful. and they do have a bigger selection of things that i might be interested in from time to time. honestly i use it as much for research as i do for actual shopping, so i don't have a whole lot of ground on which to complain seriously. it's a resource i use. if there is something for a good price that i want there, i have no qualms buying from them. it's just not that often that i find things that meet those qualifications there.
actually, the little guitar amp i got a month ago (VOX ADVT15XL) works really well as a quiet bass practice amp too- lots of tubey punch [plus its a nice amp for the amount of time i spend playing guitar]. i'm happy with that as a dual-function buy, and i feel that the price i paid was fair.
but the atmosphere is not my favorite. i hate being approached by douchey short employees [it always seems that the shorter ones are worse...] that are trying to give me the hard sell on something i have no interest in. That said, some of the guys are decently chill and occasionally helpful. and they do have a bigger selection of things that i might be interested in from time to time. honestly i use it as much for research as i do for actual shopping, so i don't have a whole lot of ground on which to complain seriously. it's a resource i use. if there is something for a good price that i want there, i have no qualms buying from them. it's just not that often that i find things that meet those qualifications there.
Exactly.
Go there check their stuff out if you don't like it for what ever reason, don't buy it. IMO in some cases it's better than buying online, at least you get to try it out before buying. And you get a 30 day cool down period. I've purchased 2 amps and a couple of cabs (seperate times). I tried them in my band situations, they didn't improve my sound enough to justify the purchase so I brought them back. Every time I have done that I tell the sales guy up front that if I don't like it, it's coming back. My basses however I buy used locally. I let the the seller take the new purchase hit. It seems to me people bash GC more and more now because it's the cool thing to do because everybody else is doing it.
