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Guitar center wiped out!

#101
This was my local shop today. I was told because of the holiday, but there was stuff gone that sat on the wall as long as I can remember.
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#105
2F/2F said:
Do you also think that McDonalds is "food?" :D:D:D
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To be more specific ... I got a great deal on two QSC powered monitors and bags, and paid ‘em off on the GC no interest for 48 months plan. I got a new Ashdown RM-800 in perfect condition for $299, which on whole, compares well to my Trickfish and Bergantino amps. I’ve bought mics, a digital recorder and used cymbals at the Tacoma store, and I bought a killer Peavey VB-2 at the Lakewood store, also new and discounted. The guys I dealt with seemed to know what they were selling and were friendly and professional. Of course, I’ve been treated well at McDonalds too, and I like their Egg McMuffin, which seems like food to me. So, I guess I’ve somehow failed to get your point.

Edit: Hold The Phone! I think I’ve figured it out!! No Rogue basses or Chicken McNuggets for me!

There!
 
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#107
Clark W said:
Apples to oranges, there's a lot more places to buy towels than there are instruments.
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Yes but I have spent $25K + online on musical instruments and equipment in past 17 years- $550 total to GC, a used powered Cabinet bought back in August.

Plenty of places to buy instruments.

I wish no ill on GC. My only experience was online and decidedly positive.

Am hoping for a leaner GC that focuses a bit more on service and is able to survive and fill the niche that a lot of us seem to need.
 
#109
Nighttrain1127 said:
Right Now most Guitar centers only have 20 or so basses where normally they have 70+. From what I was told they can't even order new stock when they sell something. Don't know if this is the Predicted end of GC or not but it does not look good.
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The GC I go to has like over 100 guitars taking up a huge wall, with amps everywhere. Then there's the bass section, with about 30 basses and a couple amps.
 
#111
I use towels to wipe off my sweaty bass between songs...

Oh I got a used backup Pigtronix Philosopher bass compressor for $50 bucks but the GC shipping from Jersey was $14 bucks but still. Great pedal!
 
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#112
DrMole said:
Yes but I have spent $25K + online on musical instruments and equipment in past 17 years- $550 total to GC, a used powered Cabinet bought back in August.

Plenty of places to buy instruments.

I wish no ill on GC. My only experience was online and decidedly positive.

Am hoping for a leaner GC that focuses a bit more on service and is able to survive and fill the niche that a lot of us seem to need.
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Service will depend on employees. The GC near me has several local pro musicians working there so the knowledge base available to the customer is pretty dang good. But like any business with multiple locations, some will be better than others. And there's some real nightmares out there I'm sure.

Another thing about my local GC, they have a huge bass room. And pre covid, wow, it's a kid in a candy store experience. Still is, but the selection is currently at about 40 basses and is normally double that. Nowhere else locally even comes close to offering that experience. The locally owned shops tend to lean towards the guitar side of sales and offer very little in the bass dept. Every now and then they'll have a used bass or two or three, but you can forget about amplification. In the past few years at my fav locally owned place, they have had one used Eden combo.

So for me, no, there's not plenty of places to buy bass stuff without going online and I'm not buying a bass without putting my hands on it first unless I absolutely have to. I currently have 7 basses, none of them were bought online. 2 were new at GC, the rest are used and from individuals.

I've been playing bass since 1977 and the only time I bought a bass online was in 2018 from Sweetwater. That whole deal wasn't a good experience from the get go. Knob falling off within an hour of unpacking, horrendous setup, etc... I still deal with SW, but only recording gear and bass parts. And I got a new sales rep shortly after the bass debacle in 2018. Things have been fine with them ever since, but I still have no interest in buying a bass online from anybody.
 
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#115
Rumors of Guitar Center's death have been greatly exaggerated for years. Some stores will close, certainly—and the company will be run differently, but I don’t anticipate it going away completely.

I could joke about wanting it to die, but the truth is IMHO the company going out of business wouldn’t be good for musicians or even for other music stores because it would make the make the market for instruments and gear smaller in the aggregate.
 
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#117
getBAK said:
GC's Chapter 11 screwed their vendors out of a collective nearly $1-billion in debt. I don't see many being interested in giving them more stuff
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Now that could come into play down the road when manufacturing is back to normal. We may even be seeing it some now at GC but it's so hard to tell because everyone's inventory is low. Was at SW's site earlier and a lot of "More on the way" than I have ever seen on that site. Will be interesting to see where things are 6 months from now, hopefully for the better.
 

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