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What would YOU like from Guitar Center?
- Thread starter xjeremiahx
- Start date
1) Maintain their stock better - Too often perfectly nice instruments/amps are missing knobs, out of tune, abused and damaged so that it's just frustrating.
2) Get some good brands - get rid of at least SOME of the Chinese kiddie gear and get more real builders
3) I'm okay with sales staff being on commission - but I'm not okay with sales staff being ignorant of the gear they sell or lazy about selling it.
4) Get rid of the "no haggling" thing on new gear.
2) Get some good brands - get rid of at least SOME of the Chinese kiddie gear and get more real builders
3) I'm okay with sales staff being on commission - but I'm not okay with sales staff being ignorant of the gear they sell or lazy about selling it.
4) Get rid of the "no haggling" thing on new gear.
Bought a bass at Bass Center of LA years ago. GC sued them over the name (I am not kidding). They changed the name to LA Bass Exchange, which is now called "The Amp Store". Guitarists won. *Sob*.
I'd like someone to setup the basses so they are playable and clean the cotton candy residue off the strings each morning
+1. They should have a techie do a quickie on all the basses and guitars they have on the floor. Also, they should do something about the employees being so... in your face. I'm not saying that all or even most of them are but I don't need a robot blasting me with specs while I'm trying to play a bass. I know they're trying to get stuff sold but (and this is an honest question) are that many people that walk into GC so unsure that they need a person there to tell them what they themselves want? When I go into any music store I go in with the possibility of three things on my mind 1) Try some basses that I've never played before, 2) Spend some time with a bass that I've been interested in a while 3) Buy accessories, none of which require assistance beyond handing me a cable and taking my money. I'd be totally cool if the sales people were just chatting or just talking about stuff but all they do is tell me things that I probably already know about the bass in my hand or the amp that I'm playing through.
Sorry if I'm ranting a bit but that's my only real concern.
I'd like more accessibility to the amps. At least at the store in Memphis it's impossible to tell what heads are connected to what cabs and it's impossible to get behind the rigs to set them up however you'd like. I can understand why they wouldn't want people who don't know what they're doing fiddling around with that sort of stuff, but I still wish I could.
One thing I would like to see is more room, It seems when you go in the store here, it is so crowded with Inventory that there is no room to walk around. There is room for maybe 2-3 folks on the bass walls and the only one for play.
Also, maybe train staff to tactfully move the kids on when someone is trying to actually buy an an instrument as opposed to beating the heck out of one for his friends.
Just a couple of thoughts.
Also, maybe train staff to tactfully move the kids on when someone is trying to actually buy an an instrument as opposed to beating the heck out of one for his friends.
Just a couple of thoughts.
The Warwick store in RI is quite possibly the worst GC I've ever been in as far as selection goes. The worst one as far as setups is the next closest in North Attleborough MA. Last time I went in there they had a limited edition GC 40th Anniversary 'Ray 5 and three 'Ray Classic 4's, and all of them had so little relief in the necks that even tuned to pitch the strings were laying down on the frets (opposite problem from what most of you describe). Oh, and the 40th has a huge gouge in the side of the neck by the headstock (which their "tech" offered to fill with wood filler and sand).
I gotta check out the Boston store one of these days. Somebody told me it's pretty cool.
I know the one in La Mesa, CA where my parents live is terrific.... wide selection (they even have some EBMM guitars), knowledgable and helpful staff, and the instruments, while not perfectly set up, are at least playable.
So, to respond to the OP's original question, I guess that's what I want: selection, knowledgable staff, playable setups. I don't care about the kids shredding at ridiculous volumes... that's just part of the territory.
+1, I miss the old Ampeg/SWR/GK switching systems they used to have. Where they used to have like 4-5 heads connected to 4-5 different cabinets and you could just plug into 1 input and switch back and forth. I think that went away when they stopped actually carrying stock.
i have no realistic wants or needs from guitar center that have yet to be met. the two ones local to me are pretty typical, i've dealt with morons before who argued with me that a guitar string "thats the right gague will fit just fine on your 6 string bass.."
i totally 100% agree that the instruments on the floor are gennerally in very poor condition. but i dont think getting them to regularly instpect all floor instruments is a realistic expectation. itd be nice, and probably profitable for them (people who know what theyre doing will be pleased by a nice setup, and kids will think this guitar is "best for metal" because it has low action. we'd all be happy, and inevitably buy more stuff there..)
i totally 100% agree that the instruments on the floor are gennerally in very poor condition. but i dont think getting them to regularly instpect all floor instruments is a realistic expectation. itd be nice, and probably profitable for them (people who know what theyre doing will be pleased by a nice setup, and kids will think this guitar is "best for metal" because it has low action. we'd all be happy, and inevitably buy more stuff there..)
There is a place about two doors down doing lessons now... never been in there, but noticed it when I dropped by the GC about a week ago.
there are at least 3 guys in my local GC guitar department who know me by name, and a hand full more in the store know who I am by face. I get great service, they all know my gear as well as my interests. We have 4 full walls of basses with a lot of amps(at least 10 pieces of Markbass equipment at all times) and for the most part, things are set up decently. I think a lot of it stems from good store management and a sales crew who actually care about what they are pushing and know their stuff.
Aside from the way general care out into my local GC, I love the fact that I have made friends just by being a regular there and now have people recognize me without seeing me from my playing. They will call me if they get some new bass gear in that they want me to try, and anytime I'm in the bass room I get asked to sample some stuff, not with the hopes of a sale, but more so to get my opinion about the gear so they can better sell it later on. It goes a long way when the sales people know that their customers are educated about the merchandise and aren't afraid to ask questions.
Personally, I think a station dedicated to repair work and set ups would be awesome!
Aside from the way general care out into my local GC, I love the fact that I have made friends just by being a regular there and now have people recognize me without seeing me from my playing. They will call me if they get some new bass gear in that they want me to try, and anytime I'm in the bass room I get asked to sample some stuff, not with the hopes of a sale, but more so to get my opinion about the gear so they can better sell it later on. It goes a long way when the sales people know that their customers are educated about the merchandise and aren't afraid to ask questions.
Personally, I think a station dedicated to repair work and set ups would be awesome!
Yeah - I saw that place too. But I was thinking more along the line of GC having lessons and rooms for that.
It's called: "Riff's Music".
Google-Image Here
The front door of GC is where the white Corvette is.
filter out the wannabes, who come in, grab a guitar and play something horrible for twenty minutes, at top volume. I suggest restricting stock access, only allowing sales to get the instruments, and have them talk with the customer about the guitar and what style of music, before handing it over. Then setting a time limit on tryouts. This will also end the damaging of the display instruments, too. I think some of the amps should be in a sound proof room, too.
Name tag code what each sales person does best. That way, I don't get stuck with a guy who doesn't know bass when I need info.
One other thing. GC needs to charge for baby sitting. The store I go to, Moms will drop their kids off to wander around the story in prepubescent packs. Suggest an no un attended under 14 year old policy.
and up the hourly pay.
Name tag code what each sales person does best. That way, I don't get stuck with a guy who doesn't know bass when I need info.
One other thing. GC needs to charge for baby sitting. The store I go to, Moms will drop their kids off to wander around the story in prepubescent packs. Suggest an no un attended under 14 year old policy.
and up the hourly pay.
Treat their employees better, so when I go in and ask for someone he still works there. Our local GC has a ridiculous turnover of employees.
It will ALWAYS be The Bass Exchange to me, and is still my first stop for all things Bass (even though Justin is no longer there).
There are some good posts here, and most are honest and realistic in their responses.
There are four GC's in the Phoenix area, and I get pretty good service most of the time, but occasionally there are those times when I'm completely ignored, whether they're busy or not. The idea someone had about their name tags having their area of expertise would be helpful, too. I hate it when I have to chase down an employee, only to find he/she doesn't know much about what I'm interested in.
And I can't agree more with having the instruments set up. I just bought a Ray34 the other day, but since each store has the display only (no stock), I was stuck with the one that had been abused the least. First store had one with a slight backbow, and the strings rattled all over the board. At the second store I had better luck...this one was much better but still needed a decent tweaking to get right. And although the Ray34 isn't a $1500+ high-end bass, it isn't an entry level Affinity either. You're not gonna sell too many $700 basses that are unplayable.
And lastly, have a volume limit, especially in the guitar section. I've tested out basses sitting 2-3 feet from the amp, only to be drowned out by some undiscovered rock star playing Crazy Train from across the store.
There are four GC's in the Phoenix area, and I get pretty good service most of the time, but occasionally there are those times when I'm completely ignored, whether they're busy or not. The idea someone had about their name tags having their area of expertise would be helpful, too. I hate it when I have to chase down an employee, only to find he/she doesn't know much about what I'm interested in.
And I can't agree more with having the instruments set up. I just bought a Ray34 the other day, but since each store has the display only (no stock), I was stuck with the one that had been abused the least. First store had one with a slight backbow, and the strings rattled all over the board. At the second store I had better luck...this one was much better but still needed a decent tweaking to get right. And although the Ray34 isn't a $1500+ high-end bass, it isn't an entry level Affinity either. You're not gonna sell too many $700 basses that are unplayable.
And lastly, have a volume limit, especially in the guitar section. I've tested out basses sitting 2-3 feet from the amp, only to be drowned out by some undiscovered rock star playing Crazy Train from across the store.
make sure all of the amps have speaker cables. even better would be that ampeg switching system (my local sam ash has one installed, really cool) but i always walk in there, go to plug into an SVT-CL and 810, i always check if there is a speaker cable and seems like there never is one. they really need to make sure they have cables on all the tube amps at least to protect the stock!
I'd like to see the trade in policy function more like a pawn shop. They put all kinds of unnecessary restrictions on what stock they're allowed to take in, it's ridiculous!
Luckily for me, there's a Sam Ash near me that has a genuine "mom and pop" shop vibe to it. The staff is knowledgeable and courteous, and the gear is generally well maintained. One of the guys on staff "bought" a pedal from me for more than he was initially going to so that I could do a straight trade for a Boss CE-3. The Boss was 50, the pedal I traded in was valued at 35. THAT'S service, folks
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Luckily for me, there's a Sam Ash near me that has a genuine "mom and pop" shop vibe to it. The staff is knowledgeable and courteous, and the gear is generally well maintained. One of the guys on staff "bought" a pedal from me for more than he was initially going to so that I could do a straight trade for a Boss CE-3. The Boss was 50, the pedal I traded in was valued at 35. THAT'S service, folks
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more bass stock, but what bass player doesnt want that from a music store. and you guys are killing me with not carrying a variety of bass brands, in particular lakland, g&l, and agulair and keeping some eden would be nice as well. i know that kind of stuff may be a hard to keep in stock at every store but i dont think you should have to keep it in every store, maybe just the higher volume ones. i am lucky enough to have three guitar centers within an hour drive of me where i am at and if you could just have something in stock at one of the three i would be more than willing to take a trip to either one and test out and more than likely buy the gear i want.
