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Is Anyone Here Generally OK With Guitar Center?

#41
Rockmusician said:
I had great luck at Guitar Center until the assistant manager left for another job a couple of years ago. Now I can't stand going there.
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Same here.... a good sales rep left an store in IL and now he was replaced by a complete tool.

-The basses hanging on the wall are definitely hit or miss....mostly miss.

-It is a good place to go to try out popular mainstream gear to see if you like it.

-As far as trade in goes, it depends on the sales rep. One offered me a slightly lower than expected trade value for a bass and told me i might be better off trying to sell it out right. The tool (mentioned above) at the other store, offered less than half of the used going rate and tried to plead with me what a great deal he was giving me.

All that said, GC is ok and sometimes they have good deals going. Experience in the store is like many other - depends on the personnel.
 
#43
I've never had a bad experience at GC and I've been to quite a few different stores. The only experience that was remotely negative was when I went into the "vault" and played a couple vintage p's and stingrays. None were set up with an action lower than a crossbow.

I did get my 2001 Modulus FB5 for 1150.00 out the door from a GC...
 
#44
I prefer backing the "mom & pop" stores but the GC stores wiped them out!!
As far as dealing with them I recently needed some power and found a demo qsc at one store and the next town GC had another one. The other store matched the cheaper price plus told me that qsc was having a rebate for a 100.00 on each unit, I paid about 800. for good power (2)(plx 3102), and a 200. rebate, great deal. Recently took a chance and bought a USA P-Bass from an Ohio store for 629.00 (advertized at 755.00)clean as a whistle, option bridge, hot rod pups in a bag along with stock pups. Huge suitcase (Fender) and 16.00 for shipping.
Mentioned to the young man that I'm searching for "Blue Rugged" Yorkville cabs, he called me 2 weeks later and gave me the number of another GC store (Indiana I think)with a 2x10 for a very reasonable price and the shipping was ridiculous for a 50lbs box. (29.00 I think)
I don't expect expert advise at these franchise places, I want good deals especially on used gear and I want no BS when discussing prices.
So far I have NO complaints about the GC stores in fact they've been very respectfully & helpfull.
Right now I just found a used in great shape Mapex Pro M (birch shells) fairly thin, maybe 6.5 plies 6mm. 5 pcs. in a ****y orange stain and with the righrt combo of heads will mic up very nicely!!! 200.00 bucks, new they were probably 799.00. Not a great deal but a good one. Their 50 miles away so I'll go take a peek and see what else is "under" a counter hahaha!!! I miss the Bankos Ct./ Manny's NYC etc. of the world but its all passed me bye now. Time to roll with the punches!!
Doc.
 
#47
:cool:

I have had great luck at GC.
On a hole, 80% of the help don't know jack.
They teach all there employes the GC stall.
Tell you they will be right back, then you don't see them for 20 minutes.
This is to get you frustrated, and take a lesser deal.
If you wait them out, and cash is king, deals can be made.
Start low and hold your ground.
Also, end of the month is best time to deal with them.
They want to meet there monthly quoters.
Never deal the first week of any month.
Also check tags on instruments.
Anything missed marked on floor, has to be sold at that price.
I got a 1957 Fender RI P-Bass bass once, missed marked for $759.00
Should have been $1199.00 at the time.
Everyday is an adventure at GC.
 
#49
Justbleazy said:
GC=My Toy R Us.

I do A LOT of research before I buy anything so there are times I know more than the employee about a particular product. Like everyone has mentioned, the used store online is where it's at. I bought a mint Fender P-Bass Special Deluxe w/ a warranty and case for less than $500. Thats almost stealing!!
Click to expand...

I do the same thing. I'll look online for used stuff at my "local" stores (6 in 120 mile radius) and then drive over if I see something cool. For instance, new/overstock Jay Turdster '51 P reissue for $89 last week:) I just needed the neck, so what the hey. I also scored a used MIM Jazz last fall for $255.
 
#50
the one in atlanta had an employee who came in my bar from time to time. we became pals and he would get me some really good deals. when the atlanta store stopped stocking mesa bass gear, he gave me the heads up and i got 2 new powerhouse 4x10s and a new powerhouse 1x15 for something like cost plus 10% or 15%. he's gone now, so i don't know if my good GC experience was because of him or because the company allowed him to do what he did. so far though, other than being a little impersonal, no real complaints
 
#51
GC to me is just like Walmart. It's a place to get good deals, customer service is hit and miss, and people are generally underpaid and there's a lot of turnover. Some Walmarts like some GCs are good, some a horrid.

I'd like to support mom and pop shops, but when they are charging close to list price and your having to pay almost double for everything it becomes difficult. Tell you the truth I've had as many issues with bad customer service and overbearing sales guys at small shops as I have at big ones.
 
#52
Only at gunpoint , and even then.......
See I happened to be in the Good 'Ol USA a while back and ran into the Epiphone LTD Explorer Bass. I though hell ya I'd like one of these and proceeded to order one up here in the Great white north.
'No go', says they 'continental USA only we will NOT be getting any ever'
No big I figure I needed an excuse for another Bob Evans run so I call up the nearest Store In Buffalo and inquire if they still have the one from a few days ago. No says they but we have new in stock and will transfer one in we'll call when we have it.

Anarchy begins here

No call, missed connections, but whatever I finally get a hold of my contact
'New in box" says I
"Absolutely, I just checked it in"
" Excellent I'll see you Sat"

Arrival Sat morn and give the Hey I'm here lets make a deal thing, here's my shiny new CC and lets do this thing.
I always try and remain chipper as I've worked retail and it sucks
So into the back vanishes my contact. I figure as she's the one who checked it in this'll but take a moment.

Time Marches On

After 10 Minutes of waiting I know they're up to no good. I'm pretty adept at smelling f***ery when it's in the air and right now it reeks. 20 minutes later out she pops with this thing that's not new in box, actually looks like it was lurking in rentals and needs TLC.:eek:
Lame excuse is they're not responsible for transfers.
Good Lord they gotta think I'm a rube
So our whole conversation about new in box but 2 days ago was what I say, drug fueled hallucinations?
Well if you want a new one we'll order one and you can come back:help:
REALLY??!!???
What to burn more fuel and go through this again? Not bloody likely.
I ended up with it as I wasn't coming back, ever. I did beat them up on price, and they begrudgingly admitted that maybe it wasn't mint, I harped about the usual suspects (Strings) But give these pinheads one red penny never, ever again.
Just as a counter to what I faced I recently visited the West Coast, BC, and happened to check out the Vancouver Long and McQuade. If you've never been GO it's bass section is as large as some front line stores. Anyway I found something there, Dingwall fan fret 5, and fell in lust. Point of Order: Even the band has said I'm not allowed into music stores unescorted. So after yakking it up for a while I bought it. They shipped it for FREE across Canada in less than 4 days, they GAVE me a hardshell case so it'd be safe. They mummified it in a larger box and sent it on it's way, when I e-mailed for a tracking # I had it almost immediately.
Anyone else here see the difference? Anyone? Beuller? Beuller? Beuller?
 
#53
I've worked there for almost 2 years now. Fun place to work for. But it is what you make of it. Tough to make a decent living there, that's for sure. The perks outweigh that though...having insurance rules. Having the ability to take up to 3 months off a year for touring, and still have a job....that REALLY rules. Being around gear all the time is pretty sweet.

Each store is what it's employees & customers make of it too. My store is on a dead end street in a suburb north of Chicago, but we've got a good group of customers that help us get some cooler gear into the store. I'll be honest, not a ton of bassists, but I know there are some TB members here that I've met, dealt with, made deals for(yes, I do that haha), and had great conversations with.

Depends on the people you find in each store. Mine is pretty awesome right now, but we've also lost some of the crappier people. Some/most stores aren't so lucky to have that.
 
#54
I don't shop there very often, but that's largely because I've shifted over to more "boutique" brands as a result of TB.

I appreciate that, for a brick and mortar, they offer a large inventory of products that range from entry level to pro at competitive prices and they're available for you to use with almost no restriction. Those benefits are the cause of the faults unfortunately, because you can't offer low prices without skimping somewhere (staff quality), and access to all merchandise will contribute to ear piercing wank fests and trashed floor models. That's the cost of admission.

I've dropped many thousands of dollars over the years there, and I'm glad they're an available option, even if they can't please everyone all the time.
 
#59
I've only bought small accessories there, as I tend to buy used gear. They never hassle me about looking at stuff that I will never buy. Last time I went, the gentleman at the sales counter told me that he was a bluegrass player. We chatted for a while.
 
#60
they're not so bad. whenever i buy a bass at GC they set it up perfect before i leave, no extra charge. to me that's just awesome. they've also been very good with some post-sale issues i've had. they never hover over me or try to pressure me into a sale. and i mean they're not gear gurus but they generally know what they're talking about. they also have a good range of pricing and quality, which makes it easy to do A/B comparisons on, say, American Fender vs. MIM Fender.
 

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