Yup, Markbass (yuck), Acoustic (yuck), (mostly low end) Ampeg amps. Ibanez, Fender, EBMM basses.
Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Guitar center is going under!
- Thread starter Sunset Shalom
- Start date
-
- Tags
- center guitar center
I also am not a supporting member. I have been checking TB out to see if it's for me or not. I find it informative, for the most part, don't really care for some things that are posted here but willing to be fair about it. I thoroughly check out where I spend my money,just sayin.
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
You go and taste/try different wines. The owner hopes you become a purchasing customer if you find something you like. Same way, a music store with a membership would have equipment not normally available at your GC, with instruments set up properly to play. Your wankers can't touch them, so they stay in good shape.
I buy stuff EVERY time I go in for the same reason. However, I will not mail order a bass because I'm SUPER picky, and returns are a pain in the ass (for me) because I have to miss work to get the bass (because I don't want it to be stolen, and send it back. I would probably send back 9 out of 10 anyway. Plus Sweetwater, much as I like them, is ALWAYS out of stock on everything I actually want. Been waiting weeks for my Aguilar 4j-70 pickups.
If I"m willing to drive an hour I can go to a shop that stocks a full line of Fender/Squire plus Musicman, Lakland, and Rick. Amps they have mesa, gk, genzler, ampeg and some times Aguilar. They actually stock bass effects and pickups too and tons of string options etc. They probably outsell the local GC's by 2 to 1, from a little dinky shop with no parking.
You can order right in the store and have it sent directly to your house, free shipping still applies and the local sales guy gets commission still.
That's called a force out. Common practice in retailing. They ship the retailer products they didn't even order, and are required to sell them or eat the cost. Part of the 'privilege' of selling their brands.
That is not going to happen. I live in Nashville and there are a few "mom & pop" shops here (that is if you consider: Corner Music, Carter Vintage guitars, Gruhn Guitars, Rumble Seat Music: mom & pop stores), and I'm convinced the thing that's keeping these establishments afloat are tourist and internet sales. Whenever I go into Gruhn or Carter there's always a bunch of tourist browsing around looking like tourist. Thing is though, they spend money... lots of it, buying expensive stuff, I've seen it. GC not as much because there's no mystique surrounding GC. But if GC takes a dive more of these outlets will take a dive as well.
- Aug 21, 2003
- 11,619
- 18,696
- Disclosures
- A-Designs Mike Lull GK Tsunami Cables GHS Strings RMI Basswitch Nordstrand Pickups Darkglass
I'm not sure about that...I think you players are going to want to try stuff still...At least to certain degree some of them.
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
If I were younger, and still buying more equipment, I would pay for the privilege, although I think it would only work in larger towns and in cities, where you would have enough members to make it profitable for the owner. A good bottle of wine costs a LOT less than a good bass or amp.
I'm not so much worried about the price, because compared to some of my other hobbies this stuff is cheap.Mom n pop stores carrying gear you can afford at good prices will not come back if GC goes under. Period.
Two good friends of mine own a mom n pop. They started out carrying nicer gear and providing great customer service. These days, live music gear is almost an annoyance to them. The only things that sell are entry level pieces and they only sell them to people who have money burning a hole in their pocket and can't wait 48 hours for an internet order to arrive for 15% less than they have to charge. Their profits come from church, school and commercial PA installs as well as band and orchestra rentals and maintenance contracts. They make virtually nothing on the kinds of gear we here at TB frequently use. They honestly wish they could drop all of that stuff but it creates foot traffic. Guy comes in for a new microphone for his church and you sell him a new PA install. Guy comes in for guitar strings and you sell his band a new compact PA system. That's the only thing basses and guitars and amps are good for in their world. Starter packs this time of year makes them about $12 a pop. Hardly worth stocking the 30 or 40 they will stock. But they do it hoping this young guitar players come back and buy a PA in 5 years or their mother signs their sister up for a flute rental.
The nearest GC is 75 miles away. What kills the market for them now is the interwebz.
I'm not beating up the interwebz or cryijng for mom n pop stores either. I like the free market just the way it is. Some survive and some don't. But their competing for our business always works out for us in the long run. It wouldn't hurt my feelings at all to see Fender Pro Player and Rumble stuff in Sam's Club for a hundy less than GC sold it for. D'addario XL Nickels and Chromes for $9.95 a set on the shelf at Wal-Mart? Sign me up!
I don't need a dear old friend with a smile and a cup of coffee waiting on me when I go to buy a bag of orange picks and a Fast Fret. I don't have time for the coffee anyway.
I know of a local shop that is in the same boat, mostly doing the school band thing and repairs and selling a few guitars/basses/amps. So they start stocking less and the people that did buy the stuff stop coming in to buy what they do have, so it is a self-defeating situation.
On the other hand I know of 1 or 2 local shops, one especially, that excels at selling the stuff we like here plus guitars drums,etc and have been doing it since the 60's. Not a fancy shop, low overhead, I'm guessing, but the move product, and the customer service is insanely good. There are two guitar centers in the same town, and I'll guess that this one shop moves as much as either of them. It's the only local place that if you see something you want, you better buy it or it might not be there. They also sell online with a good website, finance stuff, know their products, etc.
IIRC the debt isn't due until 2020. As long as they keep up the coupon payments, nothing happens before the debt is due.
I still miss Mars music. That was a great store for a couple of years. GC wont be missed by me.
GC may be dying....but dying slower than a cowboy in a 50's B movie....
I actually like GC and the return policy as stated here. I am normally more knowledgeable than the staff there but I do buy some things there if need be. Never any questions asked when I return a bass, always happy to return. Sometimes their pricing on used basses is crazy good, but sometimes WAY overpriced, which goes back to lack of experience with some staff. To the Mom-n-pop topic, every local shop around here has very limited selection and never anything past Fender, so when the GAS kicks in for any higher boutique-type---not having a GC to try before you buy would suck. Online purchases have come along way(Sweetwater, etc) with return policies but then you have to package back up and ship back versus going to my local GC to return. I guess we shall see!
As opposed to relying solely on the model of offering a free service with the hope that buyers will purchase and/or upgrade later on. In a typical retail environment (and I would extend this to online retail AND services like TB), since there are no requirements, nor any financial incentive, for a potential buyer to become an actual buyer, there simply is the implied expectation on the part of the seller that customers will purchase something once they try it out. When that doesn't happen it can create a bad relationship. You get freeloader syndrome from buyers, and angry less-than-customer-friendly sellers. Sellers can try to restrict access, but that can in turn make potential customers feel resentful. Unless you're a telcom, angry customers mean no business.
The case of Costco/Samsclub is somewhat unique, in that they have the draw of providing such a wide range of goods and services. I know I have purchased things there that I normally would not have sought out elsewhere, because it just happened to be there. Anyone who hasn't done that at Costco is a liar. Period. It's the thing that makes them what they are. I'm not sure this can be applied directly to music gear. As wide ranging as music gear is, it's still all music gear. But I think the idea shouldn't be tossed aside, either. At some point retailers are going to have to find a way to adapt, or die off. Nothing to lose by trying bold approaches, IMO.
An add popped up on my facebook the other day for a DIY electronics retailer, doing a "project every month" club thingy. I'm intrigued to say the least. What about "bass/guitar/pedal/amp of the month"?
One major downside, of course, is that business becomes account-based. Gym memberships and vacation clubs are a perfect example of that model gone awry.
Just thinkin' aloud.
