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Oooh...Guitar Center...
- Thread starter RyRob813
- Start date
I would have told the salesman to sod off. I'm the customer...I got there first and the other fella can wait.
Seriously...when the first sentence of your post is "I've had many annoying encounters in Guitar Center"...I question why you go back. Surely St. Paul has more than one guitar shop, and in this day and age...there is more selection than just Markbass in the lightweight amp selection.
QUOTE]
I was asking myself the same question on the drive home haha. I'm actually in my hometown near Pittsburgh right now, so GC is the unfortunate only choice in nowheresville for anything decent to look at. I wanted to go and look now, as I'll have no vehicle when I'm back at school in MN. And yes, I have found a plethora of different lightweight options, but I LOVE the markbass tone, but still wanted to make sure of that before I purchase, considering the price tag
Loving all the gc bashing, I enjoy these threads so much I decided to start one
Did you go on a weekend? Sounds like you did.
If you ever want to seriously check out a piece of equipment go on a weekday.
Take Maki's advise it that's not possible. Trying the amp in a band situation is always best.
If you ever want to seriously check out a piece of equipment go on a weekday.
Take Maki's advise it that's not possible. Trying the amp in a band situation is always best.
This is why I always figure out what I want before I go, and then I play whatever it is just to make sure it isn't broken or something. Makes it quick and as painless as possible.
The drummer in our band works at Guitar Center. He manages a newly opened store in Canton, MI. He told me they have a Bass Room there with only bass gear & NO guitar players.
He said it's awesome. I still have to check it out for myself, but I believe him. Why?
He's a good drummer.
Overall, I like Guitar Center. I've done o.k. there.
He said it's awesome. I still have to check it out for myself, but I believe him. Why?
He's a good drummer.
Overall, I like Guitar Center. I've done o.k. there.
Aren't all GC's like that though, I've been to several and they all had seperate bass rooms.
The GC closest to my house does not. The bass 'section' there is an abbreviated version of the guitar stuff. It's just out there, exposed to the 'atmosphere' of a typical GC: the overhead music, the shredders, the mega-slap dudes, the mall-rats, etc. Canton, is a few more miles down the road.
The few out in the Tennessee area have seperate bass rooms, but suprisingly the three I`ve been to out in California have all had open-air bass areas in the middle of the guitars... Kinda weird if you ask me.
But anyways, the bass rooms I`ve been in have been far from a blessing. It`s cramped, half the amps don`t have power, and any of the basses you`d actually want to try out are too high up on the walls to reach.
But anyways, the bass rooms I`ve been in have been far from a blessing. It`s cramped, half the amps don`t have power, and any of the basses you`d actually want to try out are too high up on the walls to reach.
+1 for truth.
I went in to my local GC last week to get some DR nickel lo-riders that they told me they had. The guy on the phone must not have known the difference between nickel and SS cuz thats all they had.
After getting the strings I was directed to the "guitar guy" to have them put on (dont have the time or I'd do it myself). I went up and told him the situation and his reply: "I cant do it, Im the only one in guitars AND basses tonight. Were short staffed." It was a Wednesday at like 7 pm and we were the only two guys in the entire guitar section. The guy in accessories told me the same thing right after he said "Yo leme call you back" to his buddy on the phone after I interrupted their conversation. Again, we were the only people in the entire section.
I got my starter bass there, but I can't say that I much liked the place. The staff really didn't seem to know anything about bass so I ended up just grabbing something. Still, I was just looking for a cheap piece to cut my teeth on so I imagine that it worked out better than some aficionado trying to shove upgrades up my nose when I didn't have the slightest clue about basses and amps.
Fortunately there's this store called Bass Central up the road from my workplace; they actually have a forum here and the feedback from people seems good. I stopped in for a couple minutes just to check the place out but it was dead and these two dudes were just sitting there looking at me like I was interrupting. I bugged out since I wouldn't be able to buy anything on the spot. At least I'll be able to get my real gear there once I decide to upgrade. I still don't know anything about how to judge gear, so I suppose I'll still get screwed when it comes time to upgrade, but at least there will be a better selection and a chance to getting useful help instead of that vague BS that the Guitar Center clerks fed me.
Fortunately there's this store called Bass Central up the road from my workplace; they actually have a forum here and the feedback from people seems good. I stopped in for a couple minutes just to check the place out but it was dead and these two dudes were just sitting there looking at me like I was interrupting. I bugged out since I wouldn't be able to buy anything on the spot. At least I'll be able to get my real gear there once I decide to upgrade. I still don't know anything about how to judge gear, so I suppose I'll still get screwed when it comes time to upgrade, but at least there will be a better selection and a chance to getting useful help instead of that vague BS that the Guitar Center clerks fed me.
Lunchtime on weekdays is a reasonable time to go to GC, if for some reason you have no other choice. No kids in there.. but the sales guys will be bored and you'll have one of them stopping by every 30 seconds asking if you need help. Annoying, but better than the alternative.
Sneaking out to music stores at work is a great way to forget about your boss being a douche.
Sneaking out to music stores at work is a great way to forget about your boss being a douche.
Why do so many people not "insist on being serviced?" Seriously. If you're going in the store to try something out, or better yet have an intention to buy, make it known and do it. If an employee does not serve you... find another or manager who will. Chances are if you walk in with your own bass to test amps... you're interested in an amp. If you allow yourself to be shoo'd away from an amp, go find someone who will assist you.
If you're just going in to screw around, then don't be surprised when you're treated like someone who's only there to screw around.
It's a business, not a hang-out.
It irritates me how so many people are so easily deterred anymore, then complain and whine as if they suffered some kind of life-long scarring abuse.
IMHO.
If you're just going in to screw around, then don't be surprised when you're treated like someone who's only there to screw around.
It's a business, not a hang-out.
It irritates me how so many people are so easily deterred anymore, then complain and whine as if they suffered some kind of life-long scarring abuse.
IMHO.
i live in the St. Paul area also and am pretty fed up with GC
if you find a good M&P shop in the area could you PM it to me or post it on here? it would be highly appreciated
if you find a good M&P shop in the area could you PM it to me or post it on here? it would be highly appreciated
I never actually play anything in GC. Just pick it up to see if I like the feel of it and then bring it home from there.
Not surprising that they're in the same mall - the same people that own GC also have a stake in Burlington Coats and Toys R Us, amongst other national chains.
The majority of our country's retailing & restaurants have morphed into this state, it's not pretty. If anybody is interested in an interesting look at how our cities and their retailing/commerce/street planning have evolved, check out 'The City in Mind' by James Howard Kunstler, a great read.
