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Is GC dropping MarkBass?
- Thread starter Dr. Cheese
- Start date
Stopped in one of my local GCs a while ago to buy some FastFret. They had one MarkBass combo, no Acoustic combos (GC owns the brand!), no Ampeg 
, no GK, a couple of small Rumbles. Reminded me of why I never go to that store 
, no GK, a couple of small Rumbles. Reminded me of why I never go to that store 
The (most) local GC for me is about an hour plus away in San Antonio. It's an ok store with (at least) employees who do in fact give pretty good service. The last time I was there was just before COVID when I bought my MIM Precision. I've been pretty much a Sweetwater guy for many years and bought my last three Ampeg combos from them sight unseen. A BA108, BA210, and RB210- all have served me very well. I've played through a few MarkBass setups in the last couple of years. Kind of on the fence with them. Nothing really bad, but also not so impressed either. Kind of meh I guesss. YMMV
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
Remember, the vast majority of in person buyers at GC are younger beginners (or their parents/ grandparents). That generally means lower priced and better known items. MB is neither.
It always has been unless bright yellow is your thing. I own Markbass because it is super reliable high quality gear.
My local GC (Braintree MA) never has more than a handle of bass amps, usually Rumbles, and used ones (usually ampeg) on a random basis. I cant remember when I last saw any MB amps there. They never have more than around 25 basses on display, but nobody else does either. Guess thats why they call it Guitar Center.
In general, I’ve found the Fairview Heights store rather barren. Do the Bridgetown and Crestwood locations have a fuller inventory?
They have the stuff online but MB screwed themselves with making three versions of every cab and combo. So it’s unlikely that a store is going to have all three, you get to try one and then wonder how the other two sound. Do you you buy the one you tried or wonder what the other two sound like like and leave the store with nothing? Meanwhile, Rumble and Ampeg combos are selling at a steady pace. What would you stock?
i dont know how often it needs said. guitar center is the walmart of instrument shops. mostly beginners and casual players shop there. how many of those people are dropping that kind of money to be buying mark bass? it never really fit their business model, so its not surprising if they arent stocking much.
Markbass
ADDRESS:
PARSEK SRL – Via Po, 52
66020 San Giovanni Teatino
CHIETI ITALY
ADDRESS:
PARSEK SRL – Via Po, 52
66020 San Giovanni Teatino
CHIETI ITALY
GC came out of Chapter 11 over two years ago. They still have debt but they're not in danger of defaulting any more. Obviously something could happen that changes that, but it would have to be more drastic than regularly paying their bills, which is what they were previously having difficulty with.
They’re private equity owned so the whole thing is just a vehicle to create cash value via sucking the blood out of it (not that businesses ever aren’t out for cash but I think there is a distinction to be made) and so we’re just going to see the widgets that sell. My GC has a stingray 5 and whatever the latest +2K Fender is in a locked rack ABOVE the bass area doorway. The rest is Squiers and Sub-Rays, Schecter and maybe Ibanez if you’re lucky. Amps are all just rumble combos and Ampeg. No GK, no Warwicks, none of that exciting stuff anymore. Good place to score $300 p-bass if you need one but otherwise the excitement of shopping there is long gone.
In Europe when a beginner buys a Sire because it's as affordable as a Squier ... and because the shops here can't afford to buy the whole Fender's range to be able to sell squiers (you know...that stupid FMIC resellers policy), a few months later he buys a markbass combo because it's the amp that goes along well with a Sire bass, Marcus Miller's reputation here sells a lot. Most of the time the Micromark 801 8" driver. They can even get a discount on it if they buy it at the same time they buy the Sire bass, that's what Michenaud store does in Nantes, they sell them like bananas !
They also buy some Ampeg combos... that are prone to an awful lot of QC problems ! so as the owners were pissed off getting back Ampeg combos, they're now selling MB ones. Not cheap, but it works, and it's reliable.
I think GC’s serious financial condition has more to do with what they’re currently carrying than anything else. A distributor teetering on the brink of bankruptcy doesn’t give a supplier warm fuzzies. If a distributor goes into foreclosure, the supplier can kiss any stock they have on the floor goodbye despite the fact they still legally own it. It’ll just get liquidated along with everything else in the distributor’s inventory. The supplier will then get to queue up with all of the other creditors in hopes of receiving pennies on the dollars owed them.
MarkBass might have put GC on C.O.D. rather than a consignment basis and GC doesn’t have the cash flow for it.
MarkBass might have put GC on C.O.D. rather than a consignment basis and GC doesn’t have the cash flow for it.
This was exactly my thought, when I saw the name of the thread. I'm surprised that a lot of people don't have them on C.O.D.
A few years back, I realized their financial issues were affecting their stocked models. Most stores had "top-of-the-line" Gibsons and 7enders and absolute "bargain" models. Nothing in-between (although, they did have some mid-level Epiphones and Squiers).
Been to a Sam Ash lately? The ones near me have an even less interesting selection of basses than the local Guitar Centers (which are similar to what you describe). Unlike GC, Sam Ash can't blame Bain Capital for that, because they're still independently owned (by the Ash family, in fact).
Stores like Sweetwater are able to do well selling a much broader variety of instruments, so doing this is not inherently risky, although it might require more staff specialization than the big box stores can be bothered with.
The strategy of focusing on lowest-common-denominator merchandise is a conservative management decision. It doesn't necessarily relate to their financial or corporate status, since Guitar Center and Sam Ash are about as different as can be in that regard.
There can be tremendous variation from store to store with GC. The three CT locations I've been in vary greatly, from quite good to awful. The two Manhattan locations were pretty well stocked with all levels of gear last time I was there, but Sam Ash has a nice selection there too, so GC gets quite a competitive nudge.
I went to my local GC on Friday. They had one of the new Little Mark 58R heads, which it took they guy a while to find. They also had a few of the new line of combos and a few of the new cabs. Definitely had the 410 and 115 pure cuz I tried them. But overall it's pretty much all entry/mid level offerings on the bass wall and a ton of rumbles and ampeg combos on the floor.
The local Sam Ash is even worse. They might was well not pretend to have a bass department. I even struck out stopping by on my way home from work for a speak on cable or 1/4" speaker cable. I would have accepted either at that moment.
The local Sam Ash is even worse. They might was well not pretend to have a bass department. I even struck out stopping by on my way home from work for a speak on cable or 1/4" speaker cable. I would have accepted either at that moment.
I’ve not been in a while but I think they usually do, but when possible I avoid most things “St. Louis”. For me Fairview is very close, and I can order and have shipped there very quickly, if it doesn’t meet my expectations I can immediately return it.
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
If GC goes under, I expect someone would buy them, even if they close physical stores.
