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Went into Guitar Center, Wow

#141
LowStringNinja said:
Definitely! There's certainly a trend that they shoot for 80-85% new cost on 'excellent condition', but I've noticed items in certain areas where either a lot of trade happens or where an item may be unusual where they obviously mistook a brand's product for a lesser line of the product..like a premium guitar priced as it's standard line counterpart :)
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True, I like Lakland Skylines I have bought and kept 4 from GC's used site. All of them had upgraded electronics/pickups, some not even visible in the picture or told to me by the sales rep on the phone, all were listed as standard models and they even got that wrong twice !! On the other hand I have also returned 5 or 6 over the last few years too !!
 
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#143
This is hanging up on the wall at the GC up here in Totowa.
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Plymouth Meeting GC has one, too.
A bass like this makes a trip to either store well worthwhile.
 
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#145
Mike_1978 said:
How important is the neck joint fit? My '78 P has a gap you could drive a Buick through.
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I don't think it changes the tone. I do think it is a sign of good CNC and with today's machinery I would think this would be quite easy to obtain. My favorite bass (a MIA fender jazz has a tiny gap on one side and I knew this when I purchased it) sound amazing and doesn't seem to move because of it. As someone how does some woodworking myself I don't understand this. I also had an MIA P bass that also had a very tiny gap also, again not a big deal as far as tone. I bet you won't find this on a Music Man or Lakland as it seems to be a fender think. When you pay what fender asks for their MIA basses you would think you would get better fit and finish (just my opinion, doesn't make me right) ;)
 
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#147
Bajo Clarkko said:
I really miss the Guitar Trader. Lauren hooked me up with a lot of great deals there over the years. Those were a really good bunch of guys. They are sorely missed.
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So true, GT was fairly close to me, and I preferred giving them my $ instead of GC. Now, I'm pretty much in the middle of the 2 remaining GC's...Repair Zone is picking up more retail sales (strings,gigbags,etc), but didn 't have Dunlops last time I was there., yeah...I miss Loren, such a great guy!
MJ
 
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#148
In my experience, GC's inventory is always changing. I never purchased anything from them, but they seem to have a decent selection of instruments to choose from for beginners. I go there once in a while to see if they have any used basses that might be interesting.
 
#149
I prefer going to the small biz solo music stores. You get more personal service. Even if they don't carry something, they can always special order with 50% down and their final price will rival almost any big box dealer give or take a few dollars.

Look for the little guys and help them out!
 
#150
GC has just never had anything bass I'm interested in. I'll buy instrument cables, speaker cables, maybe a mic stand etc. The "local" music store always has some interesting pieces, a Rickenbacker maybe, or a USA P bass, Jazz bass etc and you can find some interesting used stuff. I found my USA L 2500 there used. i'm G&L all the way so it's on line or nothing that isn't hours away.

GC at least in my area has some great salespeople though, excellent musicians and really knowledgeable, it's not a bunch of dweebs like you often hear about on this site.
 
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#151
stuntbass77 said:
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 :)
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They have all those brands and quite a few of them at GC Arlington Heights IL. The other chicago stores aren't so deep. Must be a strategy that works for them.
 
#152
Went in last weekend to my local one in Atl- Holy suck Batman!
Lots of junk, demo basses that should be sold for $100 off list minimum, listed at full price. And plenty of strange, crappy used basses all about $200 more than they should be sold for.

No thanks. Your chances of finding something worth playing and owning in there are slim.
 
#154
I have bought a few straps, a cord and a stand from guitar center. Besides that all I have ever bought there is stuff I made money off, a few used basses but also new stuff they discountinued or had sales on and I flipped. Same with musicians friend. These sales don't happen often now but 2010-2013 was good times at there expense. Now I only buy strings there if I'm in a hurry and need a set on the fly.
 
#155
MegaSwing said:
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.
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Our local brick & mortar stores have the same junk (just less of it), bad service, attitude and ineptitude as guitar center, but with a 50-75% higher price tag. They are the reason i usually shop Sweetwater now.
 
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#156
pacojas said:
our local store has a dozen great basses and two dozen average ones. the worst part is their lack of string sets.
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Mine's enormous (Central Houston store) and they stopped carrying LaBellas, went in there to buy a pair and zip zilch nada. They had EB's, DRs, D'Add, Fender, Dunlop, and Rotos. I don't think they even carry GHS anymore.
 
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#158
pcake said:
i would think that one of ares's bigger mistakes is to build more guitar centers. there are lots where i am, yet they added a new one not long ago. it costs money to start and stock a store, and i'm within an hour and a half of 7 stores that we go to plus it looks like several MORE we haven't been to in the OC and brea (is brea part of OC?). i know los angeles is pretty packed with people, but it seems like they're cannibalizing their own sales to have so many stores in the same area. they used to put other stores out of business - the valley couldn't support west l.a. music, the carvin store and sherman oaks GC, but why would similar areas have enough buyers to support multiple GCs?



are you seeing people take lessons at the stores that offer them?

btw, when i recently went to the hollywood store, all the used non-vintage gear was gone!
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I have never seen a single student enter or exit the lesson area. Only staff. Granted, I don't go to GC often, and I'm not really paying close attention, but it seems that at my GC it was a waste of time and money.
 
#159
Jah Wobble Fan said:
Guitar Center sold me this awesome Les Paul Junior for just $99.

As soon as I save $139 for the amp, I'm gonna get famous and by my mom a house.

View attachment 723492
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All crap aside, I expect many musical empires have been launched with less. :)

Some of you people should be happy there's any sort of local walk-in shops left with how the Internet sales have utterly wrecked most actual stores who weren't prepared.
 

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