Guitar Center Struggling

[Jeff Hughes]

one of the independently owned stores around here recently shut down - he just couldnt afford to stay open any longer with no income/revenue while being forced to close its doors .......
Michigan Music Store Owner Weeps as He Loses His Dream Due to COVID Lockdown

Music and textiles is an interesting combination of low profit margin business models. How many masks were in that vid? The store owner had one around his neck at least I think that is what it was.

 

[Obese Chess]

Being loaded with private equity debt strikes again.

 

[GlenParks]

Just picked up a Traynor 300t curbside.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

The 'GC going under' threads come and go with the seasons 'round here; they're living a troubled retail life as are a lot of retailers. I wish them the best, as after it's all said and done, there's lots of jobs at stake for the long-termers there.

A real and unspoken danger to their dilemma is IF they were to go down, how on Earth would the major players who stock their stores (the Fenders, Gibson, Yamahas, Rolands, and on down the line) be affected? It would keep me up at nights in Corona or Nashville and elsewhere trying to figure out how to make that volume elsewhere, especially as GC, like all big-box stores, tends to weed out and kill a lot of local businesses, in our case a lot of mom and pop music stores.

Like a big ship sinking, it would could create quite a suction and take a lot of things with it. Scary.

On a personal level, it's always been somehow ironic that a place with a big sign out front that says GUITAR CENTER has always had such a limited selection of strings. Funny, innit ?

‘Maybe there will be smaller specialty stores like there were back in the 60s. Based on what level you were looking for, there were stores that catered to beginners. Then there were the ones for hobbiests, and finally the ones that catered to the working pro.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Just picked up a Traynor 300t curbside.

I’ve bought a fair amount of used gear from GC over the years. Frankly, in the used gear market You can find some incredible bargains. But with GC you got a 30 day satisfaction guarantee.

 

[MordBass]

The guys at GC Villa Park have given us some great deals on accessories for a couple of our charity projects over the years too (apologies for the counterfeit PF shirt my wife innocently purchased for me)...

View attachment 3841474

OMG I was there that day hahahahaha. I was trying out some basses and saw you guys there.

 

[GlenParks]

I’ve bought a fair amount of used gear from GC over the years. Frankly, in the used gear market You can find some incredible bargains. But with GC you got a 30 day satisfaction guarantee.

Actually right now with covid they are offering something like 180 days.

 

[2F/2F]

Pretty much every online buying experience I've had with GC/MF has been a disaster. I do wish they would go away.

Sweetwater has far better service, and a better representation of their products, IME.

 

[Swerve]

I returned a pedal to GC a few weeks ago and I’m still waiting for a refund. Called twice and they keep saying wait another 24-48hrs. Wondering if I’ll get that refund at all now.

 

[johnnynitro]

I hope they open soon. I'm wanting to trade my JP90 for a GC gift card . I need a few things now that I broke down & got a PBass. Or Sam Ash.

 

[casualmadness]

I personally hate my local GC. Terrible service, not much in the inventory that I care about, lackluster employees (I could tell numerous stories.) Additionally I hate musicians friend as I’ve had terrible customer service from them. However I’ve had fantastic service from Sweetwater and have bought a lot from them. I hope GC and MF survives but I’ve written both of them off.

 

[IamGroot]

I like playing instruments and amps before I buy them.

If I had to rely on the advice from TB I would be screwed.

On the other hand, I think my gear buying days are just about over.

 

[stringthrough]

Reverb as a whole and Amazon to a lesser degree has been my go to for gear lately. Guitar Center mostly has low end stuff that doesn't interest me and I know that Sweetwater gets a lot of love here, but I don't see it. No sales, but we'll make up for it with a little bag of candy and a follow up sales call from a guy that doesn't really know much about bass.

Sweetwater: Great website (detailed pictures, weights, etc) and hassle-free acceptance of returns. Other than expert buying advice, not a whole lot more you can ask for from a retailer. Try that with GC, Sam Ash, Amazon and many of the sellers on Reverb (admittedly there are some 1st tier resellers on Reverb but you have to be careful from who you buy).

BTW, I have no affiliation with Sweetwater whatsoever.

 

[gln1955]

I would miss the GC used site. As for the stores near here, my expectations are very low when I go in (rarely) and they are met.

 

[Methaneman]

Yeah, lame that I cannot go into GC and look at all of the neglected basses that needed a setup months ago... but seriously, I think it's lame that I cannot go to get a set of strings...I'd wear a friggin' mask if I needed to but if I can go grocery shopping and go to the liquor store for beer and the pot store for weed,( I wouldn't pay their prices) then why should GC and hobby shops (cause I build models too) be closed? It's not like ten thousand people are crammed in stores like that. I need a couple sets of strings and a few cans of paint. I DON'T want to order them online because I want it back to normal.
We're learning more everyday about how this virus, while deadly to some, is NOT to MOST.
OPEN UP !!

I couldn't have said it better.

 

[redmoe]

My local guitar centers are open again. I went in to trade a guitar in on a new American p bass. Trades have worked out well for me in the past as they offer the 10% price reduction on the new purchase. Well to my surprise they have dropped that offer. Strange that they would drop a long standing incentive in a somewhat dicey economy. On top of that the bass was filthy, had a ding on the back and was more like a bow than a bass. Decided to drive a little further the next day a picked up a nicer bass for less from a private shop.

 

[Ace Of Bass]

My local music store sadly closed a couple of years back...the one a few towns over doesn’t have anything I’d buy or need ....I have to go online for supplies, but I usually buy my Basses through mom & pop shops somewhere else that sells old gear....I normally find them on Reverb or Gbase but I’ll normally call the shop directly and do a deal over the phone so that they get a bigger piece of the pie outside or Reverb and I can still haggle a bit...I guess that counts...

 

[BobKos]

Also, putting on my mean hat!

Please don’t not refer to them as “your local”.
Is Best Buy your local music store? Is Starbucks local? GC ain’t local and they do not know you.

I disagree with this. I have 2 GCs I use. Both stores have salesmen there that know me by name. They are LOCAL people working in a guitar shop. They care about their customers. They are not the stereotyped GC dumbass employee. One of them is a vary accomplished luthier with his own brand sold nationally. So while GC is a corporate entity, the employees that make it up are far from foreign faceless, nameless order processors. They're people doing a very difficult job for sometimes little or no reward other than a minimal pay check. I respect them for doing what they do. I couldn't do it.

 

[IamGroot]

My local GC has a great guitar tech.

 

[Jeff Hughes]

I think the problem with GC staff is that they probably lack senior employees who teach the newbies how things work.

When I went there long ago, there was also a mix of age groups working the floor.

Now, in my observation, it is mostly young guys in bands.