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Some humble advice to Guitar Center

#101
NoSlapForYou said:
Did I say it was one bass? I see issues like that constantly.

Look, if it happened five minutes before that's one thing. But if you go back three days later and the knob is still missing, that tells me no one's giving even a cursory glance at the instruments.
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If the bass was new,I could understand that.
It it was used;why should they spend money to replace the knob?
It was bought like that.
 
#102
NoSlapForYou said:
Instruments vary so much, even within brands. I own two of the same brand, set up by the same person, and I like one of them much better than the other.
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Should they feel different?
Should it make a difference if they did?
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#104
There are two GC in the San Diego area, both have a "repair" bench staffed with; employees? Independent Contractors???? Who knows. What I do know is that I would never trust any of the employee's to set up a bass. And the guys behind the bench are there to serve the paying customer first, not store inventory. The sales staff will only toss a bass on their bench if they know there will be a sale on the other side of it. Or after the sale. I have never been successful in getting a bass set up before I bought it, unless I grabbed a wrench and sat there myself and did the work. (They let me)
 
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#105
Funny you should mention that... I experienced this only a few hours ago. After listening to a YouTube video raving about how Fender Player Series Precision basses arrive from the factory "already with a perfect setup with no adjustment needed", I went to GC (already knowing that this claim was BS) just to see if I liked the instrument enough to purchase... I did. But oh lord, was it the sorriest excuse for a setup in the history of stringed instruments. Thankfully I know how to setup a bass but I kid you not when I say I could have practically fit my pinky finger between the strings and fretboard. Meanwhile, several GC salesmen were standing around idle when they could have been doing rough setups on instruments. What a clown show. Rant over.
 
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#106
Doug Parent said:
There are two GC in the San Diego area, both have a "repair" bench staffed with; employees? Independent Contractors???? Who knows. What I do know is that I would never trust any of the employee's to set up a bass. And the guys behind the bench are there to serve the paying customer first, not store inventory. The sales staff will only toss a bass on their bench if they know there will be a sale on the other side of it. Or after the sale. I have never been successful in getting a bass set up before I bought it, unless I grabbed a wrench and sat there myself and did the work. (They let me)
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I bring my own tools. If I see something that I like, I've been known to wench on 'em right there in the store :)
 
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#109
NoSlapForYou said:
I get what you guys are saying about cutting costs on labor. And I also understand that most of their inventory will eventually sell regardless of condition. But I still think some of their stock would move faster if it was playable. I've definitely seen basses/guitars sit there for a year or so, and I suspect it's because no one made the simple necessary changes to make them appealing to customers.

We're talking about one full-time guy doing setups. I'm not sure how much someone like that would make, but it seems to me that his weekly pay would be offset by 4-5 extra guitar sales a week. In other words, fewer than one a day. The smaller stores seem to manage to maintain their instruments despite having a much smaller staff and lower profit margin.
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We don't have GC in Australia, but it's a problem in music shops here too. It doesn't take much time and effort to set up a bass to 'factory specs'.

But I don't think it should be limited to one person. All staff should be trained how to do it. If they know enough about guitars and guitar playing to sell them, they should know how to set one up.

I dare say there are quiet times in the store. Instead of hanging around drinking coffee and playing guitars, maybe the store managers should be asking their staff to maintain the guitars.
 
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#110
Smooth_bass88 said:
I've had very good experiences at Guitar Center. But then again I see the good in things.
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Do I shop at Guitar Center? Yes, several times a year. No other choice besides CL, eBay, etc. I try to see the good in things as well. However... GC corporate is just like any other huge company. If you get a good employee helping you, great... but don't expect the shareholders to GAS, unless the share prices go down.
 
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#111
NoSlapForYou said:
Do you think they would do this for me at any GC if I asked? I wouldn't care if the intonation was a bit off as long as I could feel what the instrument played like with a reasonable string height.
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If you are buying, the tech will adjust the action to whatever you need.

No one sets up the demo guitars, so a new one will probably come out of the box with the same setup.

(the only time I see well-setup guitars at GC, is when somebody returned them within the 45 day return window)
 
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#113
g-dude said:
Here's what really bugs me about guitar center: depending on where you live, their inventory can suck really hard.

You can see this in SoCal really well.

Go 25 miles to the east of their HQ to Sherman Oaks, and they have a great selection. Go 25 miles to the west of their HQ to Oxnard and their selection sucks.

Unless you're in what I'll call an "A" market, you're never going to find anything in a GC that's worth putting up with the fact that you're going to a GC.
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Hi from Oxnard :D
 
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#117
The closest GC to me has really changed. It must be everyone shopping online, but there isn't anything in there anymore except for the kid who is just starting out and a lot of PA equipment.

A few years ago it was a great place, with knowledgable local musicians working there. They really knew the business. Now it's sort of like Walmart like everyone says.

I don't think it's really their fault, it's just a different world now. Even at it's best though, there was never any bass gear in there that I was interested in at GC.
 
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#118
I do agree with the OP but a lot of comments here feel like first world problems.

Coming from a small town in France where the biggest store carried at most 20 guitars and 5 basses, the first time I made it to GC in New York or Ishibashi in Japan I was in awe. So many instruments lined up. Many of them beautiful and affordable.

I get the grumpy grandpa thing but sometimes you should remember to count your blessings.
 
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