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Guitar Center Opinion?
- Thread starter bordinco90
- Start date
At the risk of being struck by lightning......
I actually kinda like GC. The one near me has a reasonable selection, many things to play, and the staff is very friendly. The bass salesman I dealt with only sells basses and bass amps there, he's very smart, and has a very good personality.
It's always busy in there and whenever I go I find people playing basses; some are better than me, some are not as good, but each time I've met somebody cool and have seen a new technique or cool bassline I went home and tried out.
As far as buying, GC has an advantage over a local shop if you're strapped for cash. Lots of times, if you have good credit, you can walk out with equipment you need (or want) with 0% interest for as much as 18 months. Unfortunately, smaller shops can't do that and their sales are COD. If you can manage money well, that's an advantage for both the player and the store.
Like many things, GC has it's place. The key is probably finding a good GC and a good sales associate you like. If you're okay with "big box store" style customer service, and you know what you want, what to look for, and don't need a lot of help, it's a decent option.
I actually kinda like GC. The one near me has a reasonable selection, many things to play, and the staff is very friendly. The bass salesman I dealt with only sells basses and bass amps there, he's very smart, and has a very good personality.
It's always busy in there and whenever I go I find people playing basses; some are better than me, some are not as good, but each time I've met somebody cool and have seen a new technique or cool bassline I went home and tried out.
As far as buying, GC has an advantage over a local shop if you're strapped for cash. Lots of times, if you have good credit, you can walk out with equipment you need (or want) with 0% interest for as much as 18 months. Unfortunately, smaller shops can't do that and their sales are COD. If you can manage money well, that's an advantage for both the player and the store.
Like many things, GC has it's place. The key is probably finding a good GC and a good sales associate you like. If you're okay with "big box store" style customer service, and you know what you want, what to look for, and don't need a lot of help, it's a decent option.
Shoulda gone to the one in Phoenix, or the one in Avondale.
Yep. I really like the stores listed above.
The two worst ones I've been to were in Killeen, TX and OK City, OK.
I've never been in a GC. Living in the sticks, online shopping works for me.
I'm giving GC a tryout as we speak. I've been hunting a RC-300 loopstation. My goal was to land it at 15% off with no shipping or WA state sales taxes.
I called GC to see if I could get one with their 15% off President's Day coupon offer.
The GC employee was: very helpful, quick to check out and verify the deal, had the unit shipped to my nearest local store in Oregon (free shipping, no taxes) took my credit card payment and done. Maybe ten minutes total. They didn't stock any of the strings I need for my Dingwalls or I would have added some to the order.
Once the unit arrives, (due in Monday) I've got two weeks to get by there and pick it up. I'll do that some time when I'm headed into town for some other reason.
Email communication has been detailed and up to date. So far so good. I've got no complaints.
Sometime next week I'll walk into a GC for the first time. We'll see how it goes.
I'm giving GC a tryout as we speak. I've been hunting a RC-300 loopstation. My goal was to land it at 15% off with no shipping or WA state sales taxes.
I called GC to see if I could get one with their 15% off President's Day coupon offer.
The GC employee was: very helpful, quick to check out and verify the deal, had the unit shipped to my nearest local store in Oregon (free shipping, no taxes) took my credit card payment and done. Maybe ten minutes total. They didn't stock any of the strings I need for my Dingwalls or I would have added some to the order.
Once the unit arrives, (due in Monday) I've got two weeks to get by there and pick it up. I'll do that some time when I'm headed into town for some other reason.
Email communication has been detailed and up to date. So far so good. I've got no complaints.
Sometime next week I'll walk into a GC for the first time. We'll see how it goes.
I feel the same way.
It's not for everyone, and I understand why, since musicians come in so many configurations and experience levels, but I love GC. I get what I want, every time, at a fair price. They almost never let me down. Then again, I keep the expectations realistic, and I'm a pretty experienced self-sufficient musician who knows how to negotiate diplomatically.
And they like my money over there.
I think if you're a shopper or unsure what you want, it's a bit like going into a clothing store and buying off-the-rack. You're stuck with the sales clerk and the existing inventory, both of which may or may not be a fit. And the associate is not really all that motivated, because he deals with shoppers all the time who try on fourteen articles of clothing and then leave empty-handed. In other words, time-wasters.
But if you could get something more like a tailor-made suit from an experienced sales clerk, that would be a big improvement, right?
Well, I believe you can. I use combinations of price-comparison, sales/discounts/coupons, and I work that on-line center to death. The on-line inventory, combined with free shipping and 30 day return gaurantee, is killer. How do you beat that? Gear delivered to your door, 30 days to try it out, and then a simple trip to the nearest brick and mortar for a no-questions-asked return if you don't like it. Incredible. In the store, you're only seeing a fraction of what's available. I learn who the cool sales associates are, the knowledgeable ones who make useful suggestions and will bend the rules to make you happy, and the names of managers, and I avoid the dweebs. I once bought FOUR of the same amp for in-home auditioning. It took a sales associate a little extra time and effort to round them all up, some had to be transferred from other stores around the country, but he made the sale and I kept the cherry after returning the other three. And, I treat EVERYONE who works at GC with the utmost respect, whether they have "earned it" or not. I think many overlook this important people skill when shopping. It pays off handsomely.
There are ways to tailor GC to your specific needs. But you have to first understand your needs and how to get them met. Don't expect someone to hold your hand and anticipate what you want and need (unless you're a beginner). Do your homework and be proactive.
I think most people who rag on GC probably aren't following some of this really good advice and other strategies for a positive experience.
GC just earned a big +1 from me, despite my post above. I ordered a used power conditioner online, and inside of 12 hours, a rep called me and explained that there were some small defects that couldn't be seen in the photo. I opted out, and my purchase was refunded inside of 24 hours. Though I think the item description should have included those defects, it was still ultra-cool of him to call before shipping.
i was at the gc in miamisburg oh, and it was pretty cool. much better than the gc's here in chicago. they dont have the high quality/high end stuff if thats wat yer lookin for. gc has its place in the music world for alot of stuff though.
- Sep 4, 2010
- 3,304
- 2,730
- Disclosures
- Endorsing: Martin Keith Guitars
No complaints here. You just need to be patient, take your time in the store, know what you want, do the homework online as to what they have in stock. I traded in a pair of old heavy power amps (thank God, for not having to ship the monsters through ebay) and walked out with a MB200 + $100 cash or so. Most 'reputable' stores here woudnt' have accepted those amps, period. Also found a beat up but great sounding old GK 800RB for $300. Good deals in any circumstance, as far as I am concerned.
Guitar Center has been good to me. Where else can you go
and try out so much new stuff?
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and try out so much new stuff?
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I like the Southfield, MI Guitar Center. I have bought much through that store and if & when I can afford an AM Standard Telecaster, I will more than likely order it there.
Their bass selection is pretty good though hardly a specialty selection but, the region's players probably don't demand boutique type selections. Plus, it's probably costly to stock expensive instruments that can suffer wear when being subject to so many customer types.
I am a rack buyer type customer usually anyway. Everyone's different.
Their bass selection is pretty good though hardly a specialty selection but, the region's players probably don't demand boutique type selections. Plus, it's probably costly to stock expensive instruments that can suffer wear when being subject to so many customer types.
I am a rack buyer type customer usually anyway. Everyone's different.
Really? I think our GC sucks pretty bad. Crap gear for the most part and good luck trying to find someone that actually knows anything about instruments or amps. I think the Fresno GC is more like a Walmart with cheap guitars. Fact is, Fresno doesn't have ANY decent music stores anymore, unless you're a drummer - we do have a FANTASTIC drum shop called Bentley's. Hopefully the new Sound Stage will bounce back from the buyout and become a top shelf store again, but I'm not holding my breath.
- Oct 18, 2012
- 6,683
- 5,538
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Fender, Spector, Ampeg, Curt Mangan, Nordstrand Pickups, Korg , Conquest Sound
I have had more good than bad experiences. My biggest frustration with GC is that most of their basses are low to moderate price and quality. They rarely if ever have an MIA Fender or anything else that I am interested in. I also do not like their coupon policies. Last night I received a 15% coupon via email. It came from a Regional Vice President. When I tried to use the coupon to buy a Fender product, it was rejected. Almost every major manufacturer is excluded from coupons. They claim that the manufacturers restrict the use of coupons but there are many ways that retailers could get around this.
The people have always treated me fine. My biggest gripe is that their instruments are not well cared for at all. A lot of it is probably due to the droves of hacks that play them from day to day but they could at least be set up when taken out of the box and tuned on a somewhat regular basis. Most all the time, they're not.
