GUITAR CENTER Scheme's

[4001]

That means I could actually play that bass. High Action = Better Tone???

I hope you have really strong fingers...

 

[ThinCrappyTone]

What do these schemes own?

agree

 

[two fingers]

Here's a sold listing off of Revern for your cab at $400.

Mesa Boogie 2X15 Diesel Bass Cab Mesa Boogie 2x15 Standard Powerhouse Cabinet | Reverb

Here's a non road ready version that sold for two fitty.

Mesa Boogie Diesel 1992 Black Mesa Boogie Diesel 1992 Black | Milo's Boutique


Maybe their estimate of market value isn't way off?

60% of new value on a twenty year old passive ridiculously heavy cab these days is unrealistic. Maybe that's the closest to a "scam" that they came giving you the impression that you could expect that.

Your cab is not worth $600+ dollars. Period. Not in today's market. It doesn't matter what it sold for new 20+ years ago. It's not a "vintage collectable" piece.

The market is going the other way.... lighter and louder. You are evidence of that very fact in that you are trying to go from Mesa Diesel to Markbass.

Sorry about your long drive. They may have given you the wrong impression. But your analysis of today's market value of your cab is at best "optimistic", but likely closer to just blown out of proportion.

 

[FenderP]

we used to sell to hollywood and we waited plenty long - they didn't even had the excuse that they had to call hollywood

It's a newer policy. If it's 25 years old or more, the gear has to be appraised by Hollywood. Imagine being on the East Coast at 10AM and finding out after you schlepped the fridge of an amp there they're not open yet lol GC won't let you leave the gear so you wait or take it. All worked out for me but they should be open about that part of the process.

if you're in the l.a. area, sometimes with good or desirable vintage gear, you can do better with norman's rare guitars, especially before namm when he needs more gear to sell at the show.

I've been to Norm's. Their prices (IMO) can range from fair to "***! That's way overpriced!". GC Hollywood had slightly more realistic pricing on a lot of their vintage basses (see: over $3k at Norm's for a 70s Fender Jazz or Precision vs. generally $2,000 - $2,500 at GC). Norm's had a great mutt P fretless I almost regret not buying for good money but I didn't have it at the time.

Plus, Norm's is across the street from CD Trader and Cici's Cafe

with my husband's schecter 7-string guitar - a C7+ that he bought new in hollywood in 1999 - the store manager called a bunch of guitar centers to see if any had bought or sold that model in the last year. none had, they just had sold C7 models, so he did some research online and found what i found - no one had sold one or had it for sale in the past year. he offered us 50% of the new price we paid in 1999. i bet a lot of guitar centers wouldn't have bought it at all with no sales history, but it's handy to do business with the manager sometimes - he is a guitar player and was intrigued. i bet the guitar is still at that store.

The guy who was dealing with me was totally shocked I didn't haggle with Hollywood's price. Why would I? It was a fair valuation. Plus what I got was going to be pretty much a straight up trade for a piece of used gear in that store. I didn't haggle on that price as I literally paid nothing walking out the door. Good day for me.

 

[FenderP]

I hope you have really strong fingers...

So I've been told Basses with low action are almost unplayable to me.

 

[dramatwist]

While I understand the OP's frustration, you have to have a "thick skin" when selling used gear. Have I picked up some great deals on used gear? Absolutely. Have I had to take a gut-punch when selling gear with some age on it? More than absolutely. Nature of the beast.

I regularly scan CL, eBay, Reverb etc. for used gear and after 50 years as a musician, I can tell when the asking is outrageously overpriced. People tend to think they have something special, when in reality it's old stuff that no one wants anymore.

I have old gear that just sits in the man-cave, because I like looking at it. When I play out, it's usually a DI into the PA... not willing to lug around 100 lbs+ anymore... just not going to happen. If I can't go DI, I don't take the gig... simple as that.

 

[Taustin Powers]

I voted „Discussion“!

 

[mmbongo]

Well one thing is for sure here.

The OP will not be back.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

If someone calls Guitar Center with questions and you get a answer that you believe there sale reps are experienced and knowledgable in there department. I am not one to complain but after my trip to GC and experience, I am no longer a customer of Guitar Center. (Little Rock, AR). I called Guitar Center in Little Rock. I asked a rep about appraising my equipment. I was told they will pay cash to the seller at 60% of the price of new equipment, providing the equipment is in good to excellent, good condition.
I asked if I could take good quality pictures to send to GC for a close quote as to what I could expect for a quote.
He told me no, that I would have to bring it in. I explained I had a
2 hr:45 min trip to Little Rock with my Mesa Boggie Power House Desiel 2-15 EV road ready (anvil high quality) bass cab, and other equipment to sell. My in tensions were to purchase a 800W Mark Bass combo. $999.99/$1200.99 while I was there. Well I get there, we unloaded my cab. Two sales men right away made comments " wow this is the road read bad boy! They seem very interested. "First Scheme"
One sale rep said we need to test it!. So we headed to the bass section of the store. He placed a Ampeg SVT porta Bass 500 on top, plugged it in. I let him know this cab was in perfect working order and was a bad ass rig. He grabbed a bass but he seem to look for a certain one. He plugged it in and turned up the master full and the gain at 3. Right away it was distorting, I looked at all his knobs and adjusted to all straight up. It was still sounding distorted. Right away, he tells me me speakers were blown! .I told him no way. I asked him if it was a active bass. He said yep. I told him to use a passive bass to try because I told him it sounded like the battery was dead. He grabbed another to plug in, I seen he grabbed another active bass. I said dude, just try a passive bass so we know the battery is not dead. He picked out a passive bass, he plugged it in and it sounded totally awesome. At that point I had second thoughts about trading it in. I told him he should always use a passive to test. But I believe he was trying to use a bass he knew the battery was dead that would cause the speakers to sound blown.
Once he put it through the paces my cabs passed hands down. He rolled it back to the main room to get a price. Those cabs sold for $1800 + for the anvil road ready Desiel Power house model.
Can be biamped or full range. The sales man came to me and said he could only give me $250.00 for my Mesa Boggie hand made in the USA made of aircraft construction techniques. I was like man, you got to be kidding me!
He said he would sell it for $300/$400. He told me that they need to make a profit margin. I told him Guitar Center's profit margins has already took a lost, knowing it took 1 hr 30 minutes for both of them to do everything possible to cut my quote.
I explain to one of the reps that I seen other used equipment that was Chinese cheap built junk for more money compared to my American made Mesa Boggie 2-15 power house. He decided he would not even go up $50 to $300.00
I then replaced the front panel anvil case , locked it down and started to roll it back to my van. He said to me, " I thought you wanted to buy a bass rig?". I said yes, I was very interested in a $999.99 Mark Bass but that $50 you could not come up cost you a big time sale. I could see the look on his face.
I told him I'm done with Guitar Center.
Years ago, I once went to another music store that I had to drive 3 hours. The manager gave me a $30 cut on the price knowing I had to travel that far. Customers always look for deals knowing most of us are just weekend warriors and won't get rich.
Sweet Water has a customer satisfication policy. Guitar Center has a customer screw over policy. And finally my rant is over.
Has any one had a similar experience?

I sell all kinds of stuff to guitar center. You're not understanding that 60% is not 60% of the original sale price. It's 60% of what they're selling for used right now. And, that's not ebay listing prices. It's sold item prices. You get 60% of the price they intend to sell it for. You get 60, they get 40. You get your item immediately off your hands and cash in your pocket. They also give you a 10% coupon for your next purchase. Which can immediately add a hundred to your trade in if you planned on buying the 1000 dollar markbass amp.

 

[Allegrus]

I don't see a problem with how you were treated. I do see a problem with how you expected to be treated.

 

[beaglesandbass]

My experience with trading in gear has always been “expect about half of what they’re going to sell for”

If I buy a $2000 bass this year it would be asinine for me to expect them to give me $1200. I might be able to get that selling myself. They’re probably going to give me 600-700 while they try and sell for 1200

 

[Joelc73]

Just so we're all on the same page: Does 'Scheme' = 'Scam' in this context?

 

[dave64o]

They know every trick in the book to rip you off. Driving a long way is a signal to them that you will let it go for less. That’s expected. You’ll have to sell it privately to get more. Shipping will cost a crazy amount.

Are you saying that they are simply aware of every trick in the book or are you claiming that they actually used multiple tricks to try ripping off the OP?

Given then online evidence cited in multiple posts in this thread, it seems that the offer he got was actually a fair (as in perfectly reasonable, not “not so good”) to good one.

 

[Smooth_bass88]

OP, where u at

 

[beans-on-toast]

Are you saying that they are simply aware of every trick in the book or are you saying that they actually used multiple tricks to try ripping off the OP?

Given then online evidence cited in multiple posts in this thread, it seems that the offer he got was actually a fair to good one.

A business will try to optimize their profit. It usually isn’t about being fair. It can be more fair if it is part of a trade in purchase package The first thing a retailer will do is find a reason for offering less. Using a bass that is distorting to claim that the speakers are in rough shape is an old trick. It’s important to see through these sort of things.

Prices vary depending on the city and time of the year. Sales are often higher at the beginning of the summer tour season. Tax refunds also boost sales. Condition means a lot in setting the price. Without all the specifics, it is had to say if the money offered was fair or not.

 

[singlemalt]

Last 2-15 cab I had sold for $100. And I lowered the price by $25 in exchange for help getting it up the stairs and out of my basement.

Did I get ripped off?

I’d have been happy with someone just hauling it off.

 

[FenderP]

it is had to say if the money offered was fair or not.

Quite a few folks on this thread have put links to what OP's stuff sells for used right here in this thread versus what they were offered. It was pretty fair.

So no, not hard. A little bingoogle goes a long way.

 

[seamonkey]

GC will give you $250 this month. If you wait a month it'll be $200. Wait too long and they won't bother at all.

 

[dave64o]

Quite a few folks on this thread have put links to what OP's stuff sells for used right here in this thread versus what they were offered. It was pretty fair.

So no, not hard. A little bingoogle goes a long way.

That would have been my response.

FWIW, read through the many threads here from people who got great deals here on TB from suckers who sold an item for less just to keep it in the TB family or simply didn’t realize the value if what they’re selling, not the mention all the people who took advantage of items from retailers that priced an item incorrectly. It’s not just businesses that are out to screw people. There are lots of us here who don’t operate fairly, either.

Still, in the end, the OP was offered a very reasonable price and, not knowing what was actually offered, walked off in a huff and wasting a days worth of driving and possibly more than $50 in gas to make that drive. I’d still say the OP is the one who screwed himself in this case, not GC.

 

[MynameisMe]

View attachment 3709769

How could you not hear him with all that yelling?
Cry, cry, cry.
Another GC hater post.
I have two GC's in the city limits.
The employees and management at both are great.
I know what to expect when I deal with them.