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Guitar Center Vintage

collicsws6z28

collicsws6z28

Jan 29, 2007
787
13
#1
Has anyone purchased from Guitar Center Vintage before? The listing online includes zero details. I was curious if they check the guts for dating the instruments or do they solely go off the serial? Anything I should be aware of?

Thanks
 
#2
They go off the "expertise" of the Guitar Center employees at whichever store the bass was sold to, as far as I know. I saw them buy an old Martin acoustic apparently from the 50's. Two red-eyed smelly hipsters valued the guitar at $700. I'm not sure where they got that number from. The guy took it.
 
#3
I've been told by a local guitar center that all the 'vintage' stuff is priced by corporate after they disassemble the instruments, take tons of detailed pictures, and send them off for evaluation. One dude at a GC near here even told me he blacklight checks old Fenders for evidence of refinishing.
 
#6
They have a special vintage department. When a seller brings in an instrument more than 25 years old, they need to take pictures and send them over. The vintage department then figures out what it is and prices it.

As for the level of detail they get into, I think it depends on the instrument and it's possible sale price. For a piece they're only going to get $500 for, they're not going to kill themselves on it (just pictures). If they're going to list it for $5000+ then I think they do a little more leg work (disassemble and detailed pics).

I've seen them take "detailed" pictures with a bad cell phone camera in awful light. As an amateur photographer there is no way they can make a good judgement call on what's real vs. fake or whatever with shots like that.
 
#8
Wish GC would go the way of Daddy's Junky Music-Out of Buisness-They simply Make money ripping people off.

You can offer a fair price without being insulting.

Prices I have overheard them offer people for good instruments makes me sick.

I once told the manager of the GC here in CT I'd give him 275 for a Ibanez Roadstar 2 bass they had on the wall for 399.00. He told me there was nothing they could do. Saw it on the wall there 2 years later-probably gave the person who walked in 50-75 worth of store credit. Ok though, I got 3 of these in mint condition off evilbay for less than 200 each.
 
#12
I think the store manager is still in his teens-

Really hate to talk about people but sales people who have little or no knowledge about their prodcut really piss me off.

Was told by a Ford dealer that the truck I wanted wasnt available in the color I wanted.

Really-wow-learn your product or let someone else have the job.
 
#13
BawanaRik said:
Probably the "Burst Brothers" in Hollywood
Click to expand...

They don't work for GC anymore, haven't for some time. Story I got from someone who worked for them was that the two guys went and registered "Burst Brothers" as a trademark or copyright. Gc found out about it and told them they had to turn it over. They refused, so the guys started their own thing.

And those two cats look nothing like hipsters, btw.
 
#15
6stringpanda said:
Wish GC would go the way of Daddy's Junky Music-Out of Buisness-They simply Make money ripping people off.

You can offer a fair price without being insulting.

Prices I have overheard them offer people for good instruments makes me sick.

I once told the manager of the GC here in CT I'd give him 275 for a Ibanez Roadstar 2 bass they had on the wall for 399.00. He told me there was nothing they could do. Saw it on the wall there 2 years later-probably gave the person who walked in 50-75 worth of store credit. Ok though, I got 3 of these in mint condition off evilbay for less than 200 each.
Click to expand...

GC is no better or worse than any other guitar retailer. If you don't like the price GC et.al. offers, use craigslist or ebay.

I will never EVER understand people complaining about prices retailers offer for used gear. If you think retailing used instruments is easy, open your own shop and offer "fair" prices for used gear. You'll be in business for 2 months, if you're lucky.
 
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#16
Retailers can offer their instruments at any price they want (whether that's market value, way overpriced or underpriced). But no one is forcing you to buy it from them. If you don't mind paying what they want, great, you bought yourself a new bass. If you do, move on and buy from someone else. There are so many more places to buy from these days (physical stores, online, garage sales, etc.) that you're bound to find what you want at an agreeable price sooner or later. The only way not to get screwed is to know what you are buying and what it is worth.
 
#19
Having gone through their process, I can tell you how they handled mine.

The shop local to me (Virginia) forwarded about 75 pictures, & multiple phone calls to Hollywood GC's Vintage guys.
I was told that the guys in CA are the go to guys who make the call for anything of value.

So at best the bass you're looking at was reviewed by the people in that local store, and possibly the guys in Hollywood.
 

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