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Guitar Center Rant

#121
DyerWolf said:
Huh? Would you mind breaking this down? It just seems a little unlikely. You have 4 new basses there that have an MSRP of at least $1100, and then 5 used, some of which retail for an MSRP of over twice that.

I know people get some serious bargains at GC sometimes, but that's an average of $700 a bass and really the only one that could conceivably go for that much is the used Rumbelfish.
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CS Hamilton - $1000
MIA Jazz New - $450
MIA Jazz Used - $500
Alembic Epic IV - $600
Alembic Epic V - $800
Rumblefish - $350
Corvette FNA - $500
SR4 30 - $1260
Bongo - $750
 
#123
I'm with BobKos. It's like going to a hair stylist. You find one you like and stick with them. I just deal with one salesman. He gives me a deal (got a good deal on my Fender Jaguar Bass with case in May) and I ask for him again. I even call the store to see what day he works to make sure he's in - and I live 150 mile from that GC.
 
#125
King Biscuit said:
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"10 years ago nobody gave a crap about 70's Fenders."

And I still don't!
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20 years ago, before we had any real choices... all i cared about ANY fender is that i could afford it as "that kid" in guitar center.... now that i can afford any high end instrument i want i still go into GC and play the hell out of their soundgear basses. lets face it... fender nostalgia has a place in my heart... BUT... when it boils down to it.... as a bass player i would rather have the killer action and EMG sound of an Ibanez for $200.00 that i am not afraid to break out in a bar gig and just PLAY....

and all GC stores got them. most of the GC bashing involves some kid in his learning curve that you were at some point in your life like me.

but now YOU ROCK! and SO DO I!... personally i thank GC for being the store where i could by my first guitar with my own money... and today my kid could do the same.
 
#129
After going in there today I have more respect for them. They still dont carry my strings but they had some great deals. I ended up going with my friend since he wanted a bass and I couldnt let him buy a destroyed bass from guitar center. As for the list they had lots of great deals an ampeg svt 8x10 for 750$ and and ampeg svt cl head for 1300$ and many others.
 
#130
midol.jpg



Take two.
 
#131
Visirale said:
Though I can't stand the customers sometimes. The people who go in there and start shredding thinking they're something special. It seems so many middle-aged men come in and start slapping it up like they're Flea or someone... And I just wanna go up to them and be like "Really, do you ever actually get to play bass like that in a real live context?"
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And one day the middle aged man might turn around and say:

"Real live context? Yes, actually I play stadium gigs all over the world with my band....the Red Hot Chili Peppers"
 
#132
i for one love guitar guitar center, I go into my local store and i am greeted by most of the employees. i have one guy i do all my business with and he treats me like a king, as he should, i have spent alot of money there. as soon as i walk in he usually walks up to me with a cord tells me what new gear came in, tells me to have fun, and then leaves me be to try anything in the store. if i find some thing i like he always gives me the best price he can.and he always looks to see if there is an unopened one in the back, i dont even have to ask. yeah some times there is a bass missing a knob,or has a couple little dings in it and they have it marked as new, but thats what happens when you let any person walk in and play whatever they want.ussually if it is the only one in stock they will mark it down or put a new knob on it or whatever it needs.i have saved thousands of dollars on gear over the years there, and continue to this day. they have some amazing sales as well and yesterday my salesguy even called me to tell me an amp that i have been wanting was on sale for a rediculous low price, i got a Brand new Aguilar AG500 head yesterday for $599 thats half of what anyother place has it priced at.the foot pedal was missing so he said if they couldnt find it by monday than they would order me a new one for no charge it even comes w/ the factory 3 year warranty.this is only one of the amazing deal i saw yesterday. they had a bongo for $699 a ken smith burner in mint cond for $500 and so much more.i am a happy customer and will always give them my business.:D

p.s. only wished they carried LAKLAND!!!!!
 
#135
It sounds to me like the anti-GC crowd is mostly directing its rage at the culture that develops inside of GC. In that I sympathize--I'm not a fan of the noise and general disrespect for the instruments in GC and Sam Ash.

But I'm thankful GC and Sam Ash exist, allowing me to play a huge selection of instruments for evaluation. That's a pretty amazing service they provide.

Exposing such an enormous inventory of musical instruments for the public to play on comes bundled with an inherent symbiotic relationship with a subculture of disrespectful chronic "customers".
 
#137
primitiveworker said:
But I'm thankful GC and Sam Ash exist, allowing me to play a huge selection of instruments for evaluation. That's a pretty amazing service they provide.
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Very well put. We were all that little novice kid once -- some of us more polite and respectful than others. When I was coming up, I remember it being a very intimidating process to actually put my hands on an instrument in a music store. Most salespeople asked me to hand over my jacket so as to avoid scratching the instrument; it felt not unlike going through post-9/11 security at the airport.

The limited selection offered by many small shops at the time often prompted "expert" sales people to overly extol the virtues of the instruments they had on hand. I recall one guy telling 13-year-old me with great authority, "ANYTHING Gibson is far better than ANYTHING Fender!" Note: I was trying a Gibson Grabber (I luv'd Gene Simmons), and the store didn't stock Fenders.

The place where the most valid instrument preference is formed is in the hands and ears of the player; GC and Sam Ash put the goods in the hands of their customers with minimum fuss. I wish I had been so lucky when I as a sprout.

Lowbrow
 
#140
Visirale said:
Haha, I doubt it. It's usually some guy in a tie with a suit over one shoulder that looks like he's on lunch break from being a wachovia exec.

Might not be that common but I've at least seen it a few times.

I don't know, I don't mind it it just comes across as a mid-life crisis of bass playing. Amusing at least...
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Whatsamatta, you think my suit is funny? You don't like my style? So I'm a clown? I'm here to amuse you?
 

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