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Good Guitar Center

#41
GC in Fairfax, VA is a great store - 1st class staff make the difference.

Shame they don't have more basses, but there is usually some good 2nd hand gear and always some good bargains. I got a new $850 Bongo 4 there a couple of years back!

However, give me a good boutique store any day!
 
#42
There're three GCs locally I believe (Northridge, Sherman Oaks, Hollywood) and they're all pretty good. All stores' staff are nice and don't bother you if you wanna just play the instruments. My fav is GC Sherman Oaks. They have a good sized bass selection, almost always have something unusual to check out, and, last I went, had great setups on almost every bass on the floor.
 
#43
This has been said by me before, but I think it's like any shop you walk into. There are some boutique music stores in Chicago that sell high end gear and generally have the feel of walking into a shop on Rodeo Dr, Beverly Hills, a little uncomfortable for me because everything is expensive and there's not alot of "hello, can I help you with anything?" I've spent 1/2 an hr and never talked to anyone. And then there's GC, the opposite, but for my experience it's been 90% great.

My local GC doesn't seem to have a staff turnover issue, at least among the experienced people. Every time I walk in, I'm greeted and treated very well. Any questions I have are answered intelligently or researched until they can be. There's about 4 or 5 fellows that have been around for quite awhile and I've never been disappointed. Of course I'm not 18yrs old anymore and I have spent a bit of money over the years. So I guess my treatment might be one of respect as well as the hope to make a bit of commission, which I have no issue with. Sure, I'd like not to have all the noise around me that's associated with GC, but it's a minor inconvenience for me. Thumbs up!
 
#44
well, I have had mostly good experiences in there. GC in N. Olmsted, OH.

My approach?

1. Be cool to the salespeople. Treat them like they are humans (which they are.) Even if you know way more than them about gear, don't be a bad customer. In fact, I talk to them all the time about different woods, pickups, strings, etc. I like to teach when I can. I work in a partial retail environment, and will gladly try to help out someone (whether $-wise or not) who is cool to me. "You catch more flies with honey than vinegar" as Granny liked to say.

2. Go there frequently, get to know the assistant managers well. They are they ones who can usually do the deal for you.

3. Deal with one salesrep, as has been suggested.

I've gotten some decent deals there, and have pretty much the same volume gripes as everybody else.
 
#46
Someone mentioned the one in Orange, CT (near New Haven.) Never had a particularly negative experience there. I'm just down the street and drop in when I can. I think their bass selection has fluctuated, but there is always something in there that I'd love to have.

Used to live next to the one on Northern Boulevard in Queens. Don't know if it's still there, but I always liked it. Friendliness instead of pressure, honest pointing out of flaws in used gear, which I happily still bought. They'd just opened the downtown one when I was moving out, so never been in there.
 
#48
capnsandwich said:
............... every once in a while i'll find a nice bass like Pedulla or Alembic sitting on the wall but i wouldn't necesserily buy one that's been sitting out in the open with 300 people's fingerprints on it. i did, however, realize that i love Alembic fretless 5's from a bass i played there....
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Ive never purchased anything at GC before, only visited it. Is that true? That whatever you like there, you buy it? I was hoping theres a stock of untouched guitars in the back somewhere, but I guess not. I would be extremely unhappy if the instrument was listed as new, but there were chipped parts of the instrument and you had to pay for the same high price because some idiot bumped it into a wall or an amp.

I might order online instead now.
 
#49
I quite like my local GC (on San Pablo in El Cerrito, CA). Most employees are helpful but not pushy. So far I haven't heard any of them spout complete nonsense. The new equipment is well maintained and the used stuff isn't too trashed. I got a great deal there on a used Pedulla Rapture. I pointed out the scratchy treble pot and some peeling paint--they reduced the price by 33% and threw in a hardshell case. Also the Concord, CA GC ain't too bad.

Many GCs in big cities have been annoying, though the one on Clark in Chicago had its charms. The worst one I've been in is the Alta Arden GC in Sacramento--idiot employees (with a couple notable exceptions), a pitifully neglected bass department, and absurdly high prices on used gear.
 
#50
The local GC in Tallahassee is, well, to be nice-there. Selection for bass amps is poor, unless one is considering starter stuff. The bass guitar selection is...nothing I'd be interested in. The live sound area is very weak. Percussion is...okay. Staff is friendly. They want to be helpful, but they don't know what they are trying to sell.

Here, for the knowledgeable player, the mom and pops are still the go-to. Pricing is as good, or better than GC. Still, I welcome their presence in the community.
 
#52
sorry, nothing good from me. i go to the commack, ny store
for strings, i'm standing in the isle between the counters kind of leaning in looking at brands of strings they had on the wall ( i wear glasses and was doing my best to see). along comes the guy who's "doing security" and tells me "don't cross the line". sure enough, they had a yellow duct taped line on the floor. sure enough, i had crossed it to look. i explained , i'm having trouble reading the brands (i was wearing my glasses, crisssakes). thats all, i'm NOT touching anthing. his retort was "if you cross the line again, you'll have to leave".

well, i didn't cross again , i LEFT. HAVEN'T BEEN BACK SINCE.
that was 5 years ago, i'll NEVER go back there.

nothing like being treated like a potential SHOPLIFTER.

mind you, i was 45 years old at the time, married, full time job, homeowner, like i'm gonna shoplift and go to jail over GUITAR STRINGS (or anything else for that matter)

i was truly INSULTED at the way i was treated there by a man in their employ. what a schmuck!
 
#53
I have always had excellent service at the Natick, MA GC , especially when I wear some article of clothing that my wife picked up while she worked for a big firm. When a 40-something year guy walks into the Natick, MA store with a fleece jacket from some high-tech firm or a Fidelity Investments sweatshirt, he gets good service. ;)

This might work for you 20-somethings who could pass as computer programmers - pick up one or two of these articles of clothing at your local Goodwill or Salvation Army and see what happens.
 
#54
I have no problem with Guitar Center. I got a used Stingray for $700 and and Ampeg 215 (used also) for $200. Dont listen to their sales guys. They will take money off the prices like any other guitar store.
 
#55
The people at my GC are just terrible. They have no idea what things do,the difference between this thing and that is.They could tell me its awesome product, but not tell me what so awesome about it. I go to a smaller music store because the people know me and I can get stuff at a VERY reduced cost.I have nothing against GC but the people at my local GC are terrible! :mad:
 
#56
cricketfever32 said:
this thread was meant to glorify guitar center, not bash it even more, and it really depends on the kind of people working there, not necessarily the store itself
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Location probably plays a large part in the feel and reputation of a GC; a GC frequented by hordes of kids isn't going to be one I will patronize unless my hands are tied by time, availability of product, or a very significant discount.

I don't recall ever being in a GC that was quiet enough for me to hear the subtle nuances of an instrument or component, and the cacophony of loud background music, countless wannabe guitarists, crowds, and stressed-out store employees creates an unpleasant shopping experience for this middle-aged bassist.

Although shopping for grab-and-go items, like strings or cables can be tolerable, when I'm purchasing items that requires careful listening or thoughtful consideration. I prefer to buy from establishements with more of a professional and understated vibe, and buy from employees whose behavior demonstrates maturity and judgement that I've seldom witnessed at the Guitar Centers I've visited.
 
#57
Jazzdogg said:
I don't recall ever being in a GC that was quiet enough for me to hear the subtle nuances of an instrument or component, and the cacophony of loud background music, countless wannabe guitarists, crowds, and stressed-out store employees creates an unpleasant shopping experience for this middle-aged bassist.
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Not to mention the wannabe Fleas in the bass section.:hiding:

Also, I'd rather support my local shops--when they're worthy and have what I want, that is--than GC. I recognize that some mom-and-pop music stores have poor selection or bad customer service, of course.
gomez hacienda said:
There are some boutique music stores in Chicago that sell high end gear and generally have the feel of walking into a shop on Rodeo Dr, Beverly Hills, a little uncomfortable for me because everything is expensive and there's not alot of "hello, can I help you with anything?" I've spent 1/2 an hr and never talked to anyone.
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Gomez, I'm curious about which local shops you had that experience in. Chicago Music Exchange was like that for me at first, but once I went up and asked them a question, they were very helpful. And Bass Club Chicago has been great when I visit, they couldn't have been cooler. (I hope they get their new location nailed down soon.) Only other place I've been thus far is Music Gallery up in Highland Park, and they treated me well even though I came at the end of the day and didn't buy a thing.
 
#58
GregC said:
Gomez, I'm curious about which local shops you had that experience in. Chicago Music Exchange was like that for me at first, but once I went up and asked them a question, they were very helpful. And Bass Club Chicago has been great when I visit, they couldn't have been cooler. (I hope they get their new location nailed down soon.) Only other place I've been thus far is Music Gallery up in Highland Park, and they treated me well even though I came at the end of the day and didn't buy a thing.
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Yeah I was talking about the CME and Make n Music (they only pay lip service to basses there) The Halsted GC must have some customers with coin. They have a nice Fender room and a high end room if you want to try those one-off babies from yesteryear. I bought my Markbass there and got great service. The bass dept is starting to expand as well.
 
#59
In the Raleigh, NC GC there is a guy named Cory that works in guitars. I have spent a lot of money at GC and this guy has always treated me right to the point if he is with a customer I will wait just to deal with him even if it takes an hour to finish with the other customer.

I think they need seperate rooms, one for the play it as loud as you can wannabees and one for people who are serious about buying some equipment. I have dragged amps into the room where they keep vintage guitars just to try things out in peace.
 
#60
CrashClint said:
I think they need seperate rooms, one for the play it as loud as you can wannabees and one for people who are serious about buying some equipment. I have dragged amps into the room where they keep vintage guitars just to try things out in peace.
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That's what I loved abut the Queens GC. Bass room.

I was 21 or so when I moved out there, and was still a little bit of a newbie, and having access to decent basses and amps taught me a lot about what was out there. Bought my eden amp used there at a good deal, and bought plenty of other gear as priced, so their business model definitely worked with me!
 

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