GUITAR CENTER Scheme's

[Bass Viking]

What's wrong with it? Looks like it needs a setup.

I like finding stuff like this. People who don't know better will dismiss it. I've bought several great basses for peanuts that started out like this.

I once rented a Squier P bass that was unplayable due to mile high action but was fine after a setup. On the other hand, I saw a used Lado bass with super high action in a store. It had low tension strings on it and I wondered if the truss rod was broken and this was an attempt to make it playable. It was a neck through. The price was over 2 grand! I wouldn’t touch that thing unless the store could get it into playing condition.

 

[LBS-bass]

This is the mistake I saw so many people making when I was selling gear. Yes, you might have paid a lot of money for something when it was new, but that means nothing in terms of what it will realistically be worth to a buyer used, years later. Everyone thought their expensive, old stuff was worth far more than it really was. Technology changes rapidly, and no one wants big heavy cabinets anymore.

I recently took several pieces to GC and I knew what they would realistically sell for because I looked them up on the used market. One was a fairly desirable SWR cabinet that I had tried to sell online, but no takers. They offered me exactly what I expected to get, and their offer was fair. What did I accomplish? I cleared out a massive amount of needed floor space and put some dollars in my pocket that I didn't have earlier. Gear is NOT an investment. Sometimes you get lucky and things become desirable enough that they hold value, but the majority of stuff you buy will eventually become obsolete. That's just the way it works.

 

[LBS-bass]

GC will pay 60% of the price they intend to sell your gear at the USED price. That said, the used price is usually around 60-70% of the new price for an item.

for example: if an item new retails for $1000, GC will usually put it up around $700 used. That means, the seller of the used item probably was paid around $420 by GC.

This might be true for some things, but it's more accurate to say that things depreciate based on their resale appeal, period. Nobody wants that old 8-bit sampler or that MIDI sequencer that was built in 1993 to hook up to some specific keyboard that nobody owns anymore. You can't sell that kind of stuff. Advancing technology makes everything obsolete, eventually. Belief in these sorts of formulas is what disappoints a lot of would-be sellers when they find out that their ancient gear doesn't have much value in the real world.

When I was working in music sales, the internet was just becoming a factor. Ebay was a new thing. People would come in all the time looking for unrealistic offers on their used gear and Ebay was the great leveler. "You don't like this offer, you're welcome to try to sell it yourself online for that price." Sometimes they did, often they couldn't and they'd come back two weeks later to accept the offer originally made. The only truth about resale value is that the market dictates what everything is worth.

 

[Brad Johnson]

I once rented a Squier P bass that was unplayable due to mile high action but was fine after a setup. On the other hand, I saw a used Lado bass with super high action in a store. It had low tension strings on it and I wondered if the truss rod was broken and this was an attempt to make it playable. It was a neck through. The price was over 2 grand! I wouldn’t touch that thing unless the store could get it into playing condition.

Which is something that you can request at the store. I've seen people walk out in a huff instead.

 

[Brad Johnson]

This might be true for some things, but it's more accurate to say that things depreciate based on their resale appeal, period. Nobody wants that old 8-bit sampler or that MIDI sequencer that was built in 1993 to hook up to some specific keyboard that nobody owns anymore. You can't sell that kind of stuff. Advancing technology makes everything obsolete, eventually. Belief in these sorts of formulas is what disappoints a lot of would-be sellers when they find out that their ancient gear doesn't have much value in the real world.

When I was working in music sales, the internet was just becoming a factor. Ebay was a new thing. People would come in all the time looking for unrealistic offers on their used gear and Ebay was the great leveler. "You don't like this offer, you're welcome to try to sell it yourself online for that price." Sometimes they did, often they couldn't and they'd come back two weeks later to accept the offer originally made. The only truth about resale value is that the market dictates what everything is worth.

This is true. The only thing I'd add is don't assume, research. Things that folks assume are worthless may actually not be.

 

[Brad Johnson]

This is the mistake I saw so many people making when I was selling gear. Yes, you might have paid a lot of money for something when it was new, but that means nothing in terms of what it will realistically be worth to a buyer used, years later. Everyone thought their expensive, old stuff was worth far more than it really was. Technology changes rapidly, and no one wants big heavy cabinets anymore.

I recently took several pieces to GC and I knew what they would realistically sell for because I looked them up on the used market. One was a fairly desirable SWR cabinet that I had tried to sell online, but no takers. They offered me exactly what I expected to get, and their offer was fair. What did I accomplish? I cleared out a massive amount of needed floor space and put some dollars in my pocket that I didn't have earlier. Gear is NOT an investment. Sometimes you get lucky and things become desirable enough that they hold value, but the majority of stuff you buy will eventually become obsolete. That's just the way it works.

While generally true, it really depends on who is buying what. Because of how I buy the vast majority of my gear is still worth more than I paid for it and as such I usually sell at a profit. That is an investment.

 

[Balog]

It is worth more.

As you yourself have demonstrated, it in fact is not worth more. GC isn't going to pay more because you have an emotional attachment to it, nor because you have a frankly sus dislike of gear manufactured in Asia.

 

[Allegrus]

As you yourself have demonstrated, it in fact is not worth more. GC isn't going to pay more because you have an emotional attachment to it, nor because you have a frankly sus dislike of gear manufactured in Asia.

True ... the price of something is simply whatever the market will bear. DOD Meatbox is a great example of how 'what it's worth' has got NOTHING to do with what I paid for it.

What is disappointing here is that these are not 'schemes' from vendors trying to rip people off like the OP claims and IMO, the thread requires some 'correction' from moderators. I hope the answer he gets from corporate GC is "We are glad to maintain a relationship with reasonable and informed customers".

 

[LBS-bass]

While generally true, it really depends on who is buying what. Because of how I buy the vast majority of my gear is still worth more than I paid for it and as such I usually sell at a profit. That is an investment.

Some things actually appreciate, and buying used will always give you a better shot at recouping the value. So if resale value is something that is important to you, this is one way to take some of the sting out of that. People buy used things at good prices and flip them all the time. I don't buy used gear for that reason, I buy used because it's more affordable. I like to think about what I "lose" on any resale as a rental fee. If I've owned something for 10 years and I "lose" $300 on it, that's a $30 per year rental, which doesn't sound so bad to me

 

[cbassman55]

This might be true for some things, but it's more accurate to say that things depreciate based on their resale appeal, period. Nobody wants that old 8-bit sampler or that MIDI sequencer that was built in 1993 to hook up to some specific keyboard that nobody owns anymore. You can't sell that kind of stuff. Advancing technology makes everything obsolete, eventually. Belief in these sorts of formulas is what disappoints a lot of would-be sellers when they find out that their ancient gear doesn't have much value in the real world.

When I was working in music sales, the internet was just becoming a factor. Ebay was a new thing. People would come in all the time looking for unrealistic offers on their used gear and Ebay was the great leveler. "You don't like this offer, you're welcome to try to sell it yourself online for that price." Sometimes they did, often they couldn't and they'd come back two weeks later to accept the offer originally made. The only truth about resale value is that the market dictates what everything is worth.

I am aware of all the deprecation of equipment, also the lack of need for heavy cabs but my main point of argument is that I called GC before hand to get a ball park figure on the top end so I could make a decision to load and travel the distance. My bottom price was $300. He said $250 and did not even try to offer a penny more knowing it was tested and in very good shape. He said he would sell it for $400.00. I wasn't mad, I was discouraged because he could have easily gave me a top end estimated quote going off of eBay over the phone. If he would have said $300.00 or lower I would have said " no problem, thank you!" and still go without loading it.

 

[LBS-bass]

I am aware of all the deprecation of equipment, also the lack of need for heavy cabs but my main point of argument is that I called GC before hand to get a ball park figure on the top end so I could make a decision to load and travel the distance. My bottom price was $300. He said $250 and did not even try to offer a penny more knowing it was tested and in very good shape. He said he would sell it for $400.00. I wasn't mad, I was discouraged because he could have easily gave me a top end estimated quote going off of eBay over the phone. If he would have said $300.00 or lower I would have said " no problem, thank you!" and still go without loading it.

I understand your frustration, but it's likely that management holds them to a hard line on what they are able to offer, because used gear takes up valuable space on the sales floor and it's space they can't use for new items. They have to make a certain percentage of profit on these items in order to make it worth the risk. Where I worked it was 40% of what we thought we could sell it for and not a penny more, because the used gear was often hard to move and it would sit there depreciating month after month. Were you able to sell it elsewhere, eventually? How did it all work out?

 

[cbassman55]

This is the mistake I saw so many people making when I was selling gear. Yes, you might have paid a lot of money for something when it was new, but that means nothing in terms of what it will realistically be worth to a buyer used, years later. Everyone thought their expensive, old stuff was worth far more than it really was. Technology changes rapidly, and no one wants big heavy cabinets anymore.

I recently took several pieces to GC and I knew what they would realistically sell for because I looked them up on the used market. One was a fairly desirable SWR cabinet that I had tried to sell online, but no takers. They offered me exactly what I expected to get, and their offer was fair. What did I accomplish? I cleared out a massive amount of needed floor space and put some dollars in my pocket that I didn't have earlier. Gear is NOT an investment. Sometimes you get lucky and things become desirable enough that they hold value, but the majority of stuff you buy will eventually become obsolete. That's just the way it works.

Very true!

 

[cbassman55]

I understand your frustration, but it's likely that management holds them to a hard line on what they are able to offer, because used gear takes up valuable space on the sales floor and it's space they can't use for new items. They have to make a certain percentage of profit on these items in order to make it worth the risk. Where I worked it was 40% of what we thought we could sell it for and not a penny more, because the used gear was often hard to move and it would sit there depreciating month after month. Were you able to sell it elsewhere, eventually? How did it all work out?

Totally correct! They say you get what you pay for. This Mesa Desiel Power House 2-15 road ready cab is nothing short of quality. I am not attached to it on a sentalmental level, only because it is a very well built great sounding cab that can handle the road easily. I see they are still selling the Mesa 2-15 cabs. Yes they are still heavy with a heavy price tag ($1800.00 +) Will people still buy them? Yes! Will I buy another one? No! Because I own one. Owing a 8-10, 2-15, 410, single, 2-10 and 15" cabs allows me to pick my rig for the occasion. Thinking back, I'm glad I didn't sell the Mesa.

 

[cbassman55]

View attachment 3711564

One thing GC could do is give one of those really fast fine print read-outs stating they are under no obligation to give you the quoted price that was given over the phone once you arrive in-store. But, I’m sure there is a reason why they don’t do this. No doubt it’s due to unethical people, ruining the system and such.

No it's called wisdom. Having balls to speak my mind.

 

[cbassman55]

I think the key word is "accountability". OP is still essentially blaming GC when all he had to do was take 10 minutes and figure out the used market value of the item.

When I sold my big amp to GC recently, they tested every channel, knob, etc. I not only expected that, I welcomed it. Once you basically sign it over to GC, they're responsible for it so they're going to ensure it works. If they said to me "Not interested", while it would have sucked, I wouldn't complain about it.

The other thing about condition is that what if it looked great but smelled of cat urine and they promised you $X? Or it was in OK condition but only farted when notes were played? All possibilities. I'm sure that wasn't the case but you get the idea. That's why they're not going to give you numbers on lots of things they do not know. Pictures don't tell the whole story and they don't know you from Adam or Eve.

They gave you a fair offer. You just thought it was worth more than it is and it's clear you still do.

I wouldn't bother escalating at GC - locally or nationally. You're not going to get the answer you're hoping for.

So, what do you do now? Selling it on eBay or reverb where shipping will cost more than the cab is worth is a non-starter, IMO. Selling locally on CL or FB, you'll have to waste more time with flakey buyers than you did with GC and maybe get a few bucks more. Maybe. It might have been better for you to suck up the $50 just to be rid of your outdated gear.

No! I'll keep it and they should have come up $50 to make a $999.99 sale. There lost with waisted employer time. Profit margin went out the door. LOL

 

[S-Bigbottom]

Totally correct! They say you get what you pay for. This Mesa Desiel Power House 2-15 road ready cab is nothing short of quality. I am not attached to it on a sentalmental level, only because it is a very well built great sounding cab that can handle the road easily. I see they are still selling the Mesa 2-15 cabs. Yes they are still heavy with a heavy price tag ($1800.00 +) Will people still buy them? Yes! Will I buy another one? No! Because I own one. Owing a 8-10, 2-15, 410, single, 2-10 and 15" cabs allows me to pick my rig for the occasion. Thinking back, I'm glad I didn't sell the Mesa.

This is all the Bass Cabs they are selling.
CLICK>MESA/Boogie®

The Subway Cabs are built strong (USA made Mesa quality) and currently one of the top selling line of cabs.
2x15 60lbs.
1x15 39lbs.
This is the market now and they have adapted and mostly lead the charge of it.

 

[friskinator]

Totally correct! They say you get what you pay for. This Mesa Desiel Power House 2-15 road ready cab is nothing short of quality. I am not attached to it on a sentalmental level, only because it is a very well built great sounding cab that can handle the road easily. I see they are still selling the Mesa 2-15 cabs. Yes they are still heavy with a heavy price tag ($1800.00 +) Will people still buy them? Yes! Will I buy another one? No! Because I own one. Owing a 8-10, 2-15, 410, single, 2-10 and 15" cabs allows me to pick my rig for the occasion. Thinking back, I'm glad I didn't sell the Mesa.

The only 2x15 cabinet I see on the Mesa site is the Subway. The one you own is out of production.

 

[cbassman55]

This is all the Bass Cabs they are selling.
CLICK>MESA/Boogie®

The Subway Cabs are built strong (USA made Mesa quality) and currently one of the top selling line of cabs.
2x15 60lbs.
1x15 39lbs.
This is the market now and they have adapted and mostly lead the charge of it.

Awesome! Mesa/Boogie Subway 2x15 - 2x15" 800-watt 4-ohm Bass Cabinet

 

[cbassman55]

The only 2x15 cabinet I see on the Mesa site is the Subway. The one you own is out of production.

Mesa/Boogie Subway 2x15 - 2x15" 800-watt 4-ohm Bass Cabinet

 

[LBS-bass]

No! I'll keep it and they should have come up $50 to make a $999.99 sale. There lost with waisted employer time. Profit margin went out the door. LOL

You're forgetting that the thing they aren't selling to you will be sold in no time to someone else. GC is primarily a showroom for their online sales through Musician's Friend and their own branded website. They really don't care very much about in-store sales, sorry to say.