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Is Anyone Here Generally OK With Guitar Center?

N

nocontrols

Apr 2, 2011
915
31
#1
I don't love the place and I'm aware it's basically a giant depository for generic instruments in need of a set-up being sold by teenagers or somewhat clueless slacker-types but I'm not really anti-GC.

In other words: Does anyone here feel anything towards Guitar Center other than burning, venomous animosity?

They've never done wrong by me and I've used them a bunch of times. Recently I asked if they had an instrument that was hanging on a hook in a different color, the sales guy said "No, that's not available" and I had to correct him and tell him that it was.... when he found it online, he apologized and we went about our transaction. That's the worst thing that's happened to me at GC. That's barely even a mistake, just a normal, forgivable human error based on the fact that nobody in the world has a total and complete knowledge of the entire spectrum of available musical equipment.

They've never damaged my gear, they've never made a mistake running my credit card, they've never taken my mother hostage and demanded ransom.... just well-meaning, if not expert, music sales people.

Am I alone on this?
 
#4
Well, I will be going back tonight to pick up a bass I special ordered so if they ordered the wrong one or charged my credit card fifteen times or the bass arrives in a hundred pieces or someone punches me in the face on my way out of the store, I will report back and rescind any positive comments I might have made about GC. I doubt those things will happen but you never know... we'll see.
 
#8
pringlw said:
I don't have a problem with them but if you've been in one you've been in all of them. I find them boring for that reason. No "treasure hunt" at Guitar center.
Click to expand...

This is true. I find it to be devoid of surprises. You know what you're gonna get... you know how much it'll cost. You know it might be slightly dusty or finger-smudged from being out on the floor but, generally speaking, it'll be brand new and just one quick set-up away from perfection. You know you'll deal with a teenage and/or slacker-y retail employee who might not be an expert schooled in guitarology but he'll help you get what you need and he won't be as clueless as if you hired someone's grandma or something like that.

In general, I find the GC experience to be really predictable but sometimes you want what you want and you want it new and you want it for a fair price and you want to touch it first so, heck, why NOT Guitar Center? It winds up being not horrible and is the last place on earth to make my blood boil.

ON THE OTHER HAND, I could tell you about a music retailer from a town in Pennsylvania that was an absolute jerk... I won't name names yet but this was a mom and pop place (which are supposedly music havens) and I was treated horribly.

I find that mom and pops are a bit like the girl with the curl: When they're good they're very, very good and when they're bad, they're horrid. Guitar Center is just kind of standardized and easy to predict, making it a more boring but safer place to buy gear.
 
#9
If I need something quickly, & I know they have it, then I'll stop in. But I order most of my accessories online (usually better prices online, too) and I haven't been in the market for any instruments or amps they sell in years, so...

...that said, I've gotten some great deals on used stuff from GC over the years. Used is where you find it; I've never walked away from a GC on a used deal over price, we always worked out a fair price. Usually wound up dealing with the manager on those; the teen-age salesperson ran & hid!
 
#10
pringlw said:
I don't have a problem with them but if you've been in one you've been in all of them. I find them boring for that reason. No "treasure hunt" at Guitar center.
Click to expand...

Ive got two within 40 min of me and both are completely different IMO. The one a little further away always seems to have some buried treasure of sorts when it comes to basses.

In general though I go in their armed with pricing knowledge cause their in store prices are ALWAYS at least $5 more.
 
#12
I don't have any problems with gc...they are what they are. There is one guy at the edina store who just really can't seem to connect with me on what I am trying to tell him I want, and he is always the guy to I seem to get stuck with when I ask for assistance, but overall I don't have love or hate for gc
 
#13
Epitaph04 said:
*raises hand*
Click to expand...

+1
1sm111iknow1.gif
 
#14
The online store has been great, and the local store is fine if you avoid certain salesmen.
The older employees are pretty knowledgable, and the store manager plays guitar in a couple of bands I run into from time to time.
 
#15
I found my mint condition MM Stingray 5 string at the Baton Rouge store for under a grand! I've looked at the web site recently and they've wised up since then... That was a on of a kind deal I think. I don't like that they let all the kids go in there and put their mitts on all the equipment, scuffing them up and damaging them. Sometimes the "ask for assistance before you touch" is a good thing. I used to not think like that but I do now. As far as accessories and lowest prices around, you can't beat them. They're like the "Wal Mart" of music equipment.
 
#16
On the one hand, one time a friend and I had to wait for at least half an hour for some help in the Live Sound and Recording section because there was only one guy on staff and he spent forever talking to some guy about all the ins and outs of every possible product he could buy. All we had to do was buy some small cables for theater tech, and rehearsal was getting held up because neither of us could be sure the thing our director asked for actually existed (turns out it doesn't).

My first guitar (not my first bass) was purchased at Guitar Center, and they actually had it marked down because of how badly it had been mishandled in the store. Both of the tone knobs had been replaced, screws were missing from the scratch plate, and somebody had tried to carve some writing into the back.

On the other, I got my Squier Thinline Tele there for a really nice price since it was used, but without a scratch on it. After trading in the above mentioned guitar, it was something like $80, maybe a bit less. It's also one of the places I go for harmonicas.

In summary, it's not my first port of call (there are a few smaller stores I prefer scattered around town), but if they email me a really nice coupon or if they're the only place that might carry what I'm looking for (like my Pignose amp), then I'll go give 'em a shot.
 
#17
I mentioned this in another thread, but it's worth repeating. My experiences with Guitar Center are good. My local store is East Brunswick, NJ. I started shopping there in 2004 and always treated well. Even when something comes up, the staff corrects it right away.

We should have reasonable expectations when shopping at Guitar Center. It's a retail chain and the experience there is going to be different than that of a small "ma & pa" shop.
 
#20
I have spend plenty of money there. They are the only local place that carries higher end stuff. I buy my strings a George's though. GC won't stock them even though I asked. I always go to a local guy for cables and stuff, but he is a Peavey dealer. If I ever want Peavey I will go to him.
 

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