Shout out to Guitar Center

[TBman]

GC used to make it easy to get gas. Now with most of the "good" guitars up high, out of reach, I won't be able to just pick up a D-28, play it, gas for it and then go back and buy it.

Otherwise the staff has always been friendly and helpful. I'm not about to ask someone to get a ladder, risk falling or dropping an expensive guitar just so I can try it for a possible future purchase. I do buy guitars, but now my gas will be mostly YouTube and manufacturer website fueled.

The possibility of buying from them has been greatly reduced.

[Daveyo]

I have a love,hate relationship with guitar center
Most of the time the people are very cool but I have run into
A couple of rude employees,I still go there,
It's a great place to try out guitars that I would not have
The chance to try anywhere else
Yeah,I like guitar center
David

[gjtalis]

I guess it all comes down to what you are looking for in a store, letting you test drive the merchandise is one thing, having them provide you with useful truthful knowledge is another . ... I once had a sales manager at guitar center tell me I should buy a Taylor guitar if I wanted to sound like James Taylor because that is what he plays on

[guitar george]

Originally Posted by gjtalis

I guess it all comes down to what you are looking for in a store, letting you test drive the merchandise is one thing, having them provide you with useful truthful knowledge is another . ... I once had a sales manager at guitar center tell me I should buy a Taylor guitar if I wanted to sound like James Taylor because that is what he plays on

Looks like you listened to the guy based on the 3 Taylors in your signature.

[Tahitijack]

There are three components to every retail store. GC can only control two. I found a great guy at my local GC decades ago. He was promoted several times and eventually promoted and relocated to the Hollywood store. We still stay in touch and I make my way to the that location from time to time. So, my point is to find someone you trust and only do business with him or her. If you make it to the Hollywood store, tell Allan in the platinum room his old friend, Jack in the OC said hello.

[gjtalis]

Originally Posted by guitar george

Looks like you listened to the guy based on the 3 Taylors in your signature.

Lol yeah but for some strange reason I still don't sound like James Taylor when I play, I'm sure I'll figure out why one of these days

[gip111]

Bought many guitars from GC. Couple of times there were issues I didn't noticed till I got home and they were replaced no questions asked. I feel the store is more for people that already know what they want and are at least somewhat knowledgeable on guitars.

[erhino41]

Originally Posted by gjtalis

I guess it all comes down to what you are looking for in a store, letting you test drive the merchandise is one thing, having them provide you with useful truthful knowledge is another . ... I once had a sales manager at guitar center tell me I should buy a Taylor guitar if I wanted to sound like James Taylor because that is what he plays on

I was told that Bob Taylor made his first guitar out of a pallet he found out back of his factory. How do you have a factory already if you've never made a guitar?

Now, I know they made a guitar out of pallet lumber, but it was nowhere close to the first.

[djg]

Originally Posted by Riverwolf

Refreshing.

I have just never understood all the bashing.
Like, do the folks on tool forums sit around and bash Home Depot?

We play guitars and there is a store just for us, pretty cool.

Well, not just for us . . . they also sell drum kits.

But I've never entirely understood the bashing either. I do most of my shopping elsewhere -- of my 3 steel string guitars, 2 were bought locally (from locally-owned businesses), 1 via mail, from a forum sponsor, and 0 from GC. It's not my favorite shop or the sort of thing I picture when I picture a guitar shop, but I've never been treated badly when I've stopped in, and it's easy enough to see that they have something to offer.

[mtdmind]

Come to think, I have never run into any rude empoyees at GC, either. Wish some of the customers are more respectful of the instruments that they have been allowed to play, though.

[mrjop1975]

I've done some business at the local Guitar Center. I did purchase at one time almost 2 years ago used a Sigma by Martin DM-1 that was advertised with a case. It was sent to the Champaign store, and the case never showed up. The manager immediately called the store it came from, and apologized to me. I wound up having to get a set-up done on that Sigma anyways, but because of the case not showing up, I had a bit taken off the price of the set-up. The case did show up about the time I picked up the guitar from the set-up so it did work out in the end.

[Mr. Paul]

I've gotten two guitars from GC. I traded a used Lowden for a used Lowden and was treated pretty fairly.

I bought a Martin OM from them and returned it after discovering a split in the bottom 8 inches of the fretboard. They refunded promptly and courteously while talking about either returning it to Martin or selling it at a discount. It's still for sale there if anyone wants it, full price.

[tippy5]

Originally Posted by polarred21

I've seen kids standing up guitars on the floor on the head stock and spinning them like toys, no one around to tell them different. They closed that store and opened the one in Cary, it's okay but not as big.

Thanks for the laughter. Someone has to do a cheap utube vid on that.

[SongwriterFan]

Originally Posted by Rudy4

The problem is there was fine print to note a few "exceptions" that aren't eligible for the discount. I clicked to view the manufacturers who were ineligible and found a list of 139 manufacturers; virtually any name brand I could think of.

Our "special customer relationship" has gotten off on a wrong foot. Is this how customers are hosed there?

Most of the "exceptions" listed are simply because GC isn't allowed to ADVERTISE lower prices (MSAP agreements) on a lot of brands like Taylor, Martin, etc.

But GC *will* honor the discounts on those items. You just have to ask them.

There are a couple of exceptions to this . . one being Bose.

[DukeX]

Originally Posted by SongwriterFan

Most of the "exceptions" listed are simply because GC isn't allowed to ADVERTISE lower prices (MSAP agreements) on a lot of brands like Taylor, Martin, etc.

But GC *will* honor the discounts on those items. You just have to ask them.

There are a couple of exceptions to this . . one being Bose.

Yep, they always have for me, including my Taylor 324.