Went into Guitar Center, Wow

[stuntbass77]

Not one MIM, MIJ, or MIA fenders or any other brand! I didn't go in for a bass but felt I should check out their stock. I the VM jazz basses look very well made but all were very heavy, not that it matters in terms of time. I must saying the neck joints were outstanding and very tight.Times must be really tough that they had no fenders,music man, Warwick Rock bass, Or higher-priced Ibanez.I remember a time when it was the opposite.A lot of the lower priced basses nowadays are made much better than they used to be and that's a good thing but still no real options.for people who don't live near big city may have to go to my mom and pop Store and those stores cannot always afford to carry much stock. Sorry for any errors, dictated but not read

 

[pcake]

they still had 'em in the hollywood ca store a week and a half ago and they had lots of premium ibanezes, but they didn't have any fender amps except for practice amps, and the store was clearing out TC, had dropped danelectro sometimes this year. they didn't have any ibanez mikros (which are sometimes listed on their website as their best selling bass, so it seems silly not to have them) nor any violin basses - they always have had at least one in stock.

in fact, they have removed or aren't replacing so much inventory that they had rearranged the entire guitar and bass section to have wider walkways, which i've never seen done there and i've been going to that store since 1972.

 

[jd56hawk]

And I'm in rural Pa and my GC always has a few...as of today, seven new and a '78 lefty P bass.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

Always a decent selection at the GC & Sam Ash I visit, but the local Fender dealer stocks Squiers almost exclusively.

The few American Fenders he has stay behind the counter.

 

[stuntbass77]

GC

And I'm in rural Pa and my GC always has a few, not to mention the other two or three GCs I visit not far away.[/QUOTE

sadly I remember a time when most of the instruments were mostly middle of the line basses (think MIA and MIJ fenders, stingrays, and others). I can go into Chicago and still find GC's and Sam Ash's and other even higher end shops and find those kind of basses, it's just the decline that is a bit disturbing. Economy is nowhere near as being back to what it was, even though the media and politicians will say it's better now then a few years ago.

 

[jd56hawk]

Gotta hand it to guys like Jay from New Jersey Guitar and Bass Center...his store is about the size of a one-car garage but he has more guitars and basses in it than quite a few Guitar Centers!

 

[SirMjac28]

My local GC has nothing I wish they would just shut it down and be done with it.

 

[PortlandBass77]

Clackamas GC in Portland always has USA Musicman, USA Fender, and usually at least 1 Japanese Ibanez.

 

[Haji]

Back in the day, meaning the early to mid 80's, the San Diego Guitar Center stocked Fender, Ibanez, Gibson, and Charvel on the low to mid end, to American Jackson, Alembic and even Pedulla on the high end. they had pretty much everything that was available at the time.

 

[5fingerfrenzy]

My GC here in VT has always had horrible quality inventory. Is the musical instrument industry considered a dying buisness? Maybe a decline with today's youth, because of musical styles? Hip hop, electronic music? I don't know for me it's just depressing to walk in and see the same tasteless instrument choices. But that is just my opinion, and or maybe the demographics. Sorry for my rant. I'll go back to the TB classifieds section and keep my mouth shut.

 

[Hounddog409]

I was just in a GC in northest Ohio. They had plenty of Fenders, both MIM and MIA. Also Ibanez, MM, and even a new Rick hanging on the wall.
Must be a regional thing.

 

[fretter]

They probably sell more gear through Musician's Friend and Music123, as people shop more online. Maybe they're getting ready to downsize their brick & mortar presence.

 

[jd56hawk]

A lot of people don't like Guitar Center but they've come through for me.

$379.99 and $599.99...both brand new!

 

[BboogieXVII]

GC is supposedly getting back into the black by keeping a tight inventory, whatever that means.

The phoenix area GC's seem to still be carrying a fair amount of new Fender stuff even have a special little rooms dedicated to such.

Ernie Ball Music Man, hard to find, high end Ibanez seems to top out at the 700 series or so.

 

[pacojas]

our local store has a dozen great basses and two dozen average ones. the worst part is their lack of string sets.

 

[spaz21387]

Clackamas GC in Portland always has USA Musicman, USA Fender, and usually at least 1 Japanese Ibanez.

But alot more of the lower priced stuff. I was in there about a week ago that black sterling ray 34 that buzzes on the first fret is still there. It has been since summer 2014... there was 1 blue double humbucker musicman. Alot of high end ibanez maybe 3 mia fenders the rest were squiers and subs. Id say 80% of the clackamas gc is stuff under $400

 

[west al]

The only thing I'd go into my local GC for, would be a MarkBass amp. But I like my Ampeg, so I'm not going in GC.

 

[boamedt]

Not one MIM, MIJ, or MIA fenders or any other brand! I didn't go in for a bass but felt I should check out their stock. I the VM jazz basses look very well made but all were very heavy, not that it matters in terms of time. I must saying the neck joints were outstanding and very tight.

funny enough i had some work done on my vmp5 and had to take the neck off....wow not only did it take a while to wiggle it out i actually chipped my paint getting it back in, because it was so darn tight. it took me a half hour to bolt on the neck! Thats a neck pocket! i have seen much worse in the fender select basses.....there was such a side gap in the bass thati actually shoved 4 playing cards in the fender select neck pocket on the side of the neck

 

[jd56hawk]

My local GC just sold a 5-string fretless Italia. It was hanging up in there on Saturday but now it's gone...just got in a Lakland Bob Glaub signature bass and a Dean Psychobilly Cabbie.

 

[MegaSwing]

Don't care for the culture in my nearest GC. I'm beyond it. Haven't been there in at least two years. I only go into brick-and-mortar music stores when I'm out of town, and they're never GCs.