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  #31  
Old 12-12-2017, 08:52 PM
Steadfastly Steadfastly is offline
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If they filed for bankruptcy protection, they would likely just re-organize and close down their most unprofitable stores.

Last edited by Steadfastly; 12-14-2017 at 12:46 PM.
  #32  
Old 12-12-2017, 09:00 PM
Wuchak Wuchak is offline
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I hope they don't go under. It's a great place to check out gear and their prices are competitive. I have always had a great experience at my GC but I haven't bought anything at mine in a long time, but then I haven't bought anything but strings in a long time and tire kicking isn't so much fun anymore now that my OM-21 has cured my GAS permanently. I can't even go there or to other local shops because nobody stocks Retro MLJ13's.
  #33  
Old 12-12-2017, 09:12 PM
ilikeguitar90 ilikeguitar90 is offline
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I'd hate to see them go under, they are by far the easiest place to mess around and try a huge range of guitars. Not to mention they have a huge used inventory with a like 30 day return policy even if you end up not liking whatever you purchased. They may sometimes have crappy employees but I would hate to see them gone.
  #34  
Old 12-12-2017, 11:25 PM
Birdbrain Birdbrain is offline
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Default Watch what you buy there...

Yesterday I spent a half hour in two GC stores around Denver. At the first, at least five of the ten guitars I sampled were unplayable. High frets at the body/neck joint and had the strings spanking when I played up the neck. And this was in the Good Room, including Gibsons and Breedloves and a GS Mini. What could cause this high rate of defects? Do they buy them this way?
  #35  
Old 12-13-2017, 12:04 AM
Scootch Scootch is offline
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My local GC is jam packed with stock right now. I'd hate to see them go. They are about 1/4 mile from Sam Ash so it makes a fun evening or afternoon now and them. And I do buy stuff there. Big stuff sometimes.

As far as mom and pops, I've not been in many around here, even before the big guys, that I really liked. Guitar stores half stocked with Crate, Ibanez, Washburn and Alvarez. Sometimes Fender.

And currently our local GC has excellent staff. At one time they were arrogant little teenagers, but right now, they all seem to be pretty useful folks, some young some older, most long term employees.

I'd think they might start shutting down stores in cities that have more than one store, maybe some in areas that aren't supporting them well. I'd just hate to see them go.
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  #36  
Old 12-13-2017, 06:21 AM
lgherb lgherb is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Ex-Nashvillian View Post
Yesterday I spent a half hour in two GC stores around Denver. At the first, at least five of the ten guitars I sampled were unplayable. High frets at the body/neck joint and had the strings spanking when I played up the neck. And this was in the Good Room, including Gibsons and Breedloves and a GS Mini. What could cause this high rate of defects? Do they buy them this way?
Could be the extremely arid climate of Denver.
  #37  
Old 12-13-2017, 07:21 AM
Shades of Blue Shades of Blue is offline
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Originally Posted by tbeltrans View Post
These "Guitar Center is dying" threads remind me of the weather people around where I live - if they predict snow every day, eventually it will come true and they can claim victory.

Tony
This is what I think about it. Same with Gibson. I thought they closed up shop 10 years ago?

I keep saying it, but the issue with brick and mortar stores is pricing. Everyone with any experience buying guitars knows that you can get MUCH better deals online. So people go to GC and SA to test out their gear, and then they buy online. I've done it, and I think most of us have.

Why would anyone buy a slightly "used" guitar from Guitar Center for 15% off (add back tax and you are talking 7-8% off) when you can get a much better deal on a brand new guitar online? It just doesn't make sense to me. People say they want that exact guitar, and I get that, but manufacturers are so consistent today it is almost a non-issue.

My last few trips to GC have been fruitless ventures, but that is just me. For years it has been all I've had. But, one of our local mom and pops is growing exponentially and has taken on PRS, Martin, Taylor, and Fender. It's great! They dont have a ton of stock, but you can try out different things and "occasionally" get a good deal. They still don't discount nearly what an online shop can.
  #38  
Old 12-13-2017, 09:35 AM
Hoyt Hoyt is offline
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In Atlanta there are 5 or 6 GCs. The main store is the best by far.

I was in there last week -- for the first time in months -- and they had the usual assortment of standard Martins and Gibsons, although now they are hanging on the wall but locked to the hanger.

They had just gotten in a custom Martin 0-14, which I had never seen before, and a Gibson L-0 and an L-00. The 00 was really nice sounding and playing. The slightly smaller Gibson had a huge neck, although I kind of liked it. There were a few other unique guitars too.

Specialty local shops are better, but that particular store always has some unique, nice guitars that you don't find in other GCs.

Hope they survive, and truthfully, they didn't look like a store about to go under. But who knows.
  #39  
Old 12-13-2017, 09:47 AM
Carbonius Carbonius is offline
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I started this thread mainly as a heads up... that didn't need to be offered apparently. I've never been in a GC. I just wanted to be sure my American friends knew about it. It would certainly effect how I spend my money for 2 reasons;

1. There should be some awesome sales next year. If I could wait, I would.

2. I personally wouldn't buy an extended warranty through GC, as they will most likely not be around to service it. Money wasted!
  #40  
Old 12-13-2017, 10:07 AM
Steadfastly Steadfastly is offline
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Originally Posted by Shades of Blue View Post
This is what I think about it. Same with Gibson. I thought they closed up shop 10 years ago?

I keep saying it, but the issue with brick and mortar stores is pricing. Everyone with any experience buying guitars knows that you can get MUCH better deals online. So people go to GC and SA to test out their gear, and then they buy online. I've done it, and I think most of us have.

Why would anyone buy a slightly "used" guitar from Guitar Center for 15% off (add back tax and you are talking 7-8% off) when you can get a much better deal on a brand new guitar online? It just doesn't make sense
Because many feel they will get a better one if they go and play it first. Even many electric players think this. With the return policies the online store have, why worry about this?
  #41  
Old 12-13-2017, 10:14 AM
tbeltrans tbeltrans is offline
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Another music interest I have, aside from purely solo instrumental fingerstyle guitar, is orchestral type music made with old school synthesizers. Artists such as Yanni, David Arkenstone, and Suzanne Ciani come to mind.

Roland, over the past year or two, has been releasing limited editions in miniature, but fully functional, recreations of some of their classic analog (and one digital) synthesizers. These are called the Boutique series, and they sell for about 10 cents on the dollar compared to their original counterparts such as the Jupiter 8, the D-50, the Juno 106, the SH-101, the JX-3P, the VP-330, and also a recreation of the Moog Model D in conjunction with Studio Electronics. In that product line are also the drum machines TR-808 and TR-909. With the exception of the all-analog SE-02 they made with Studio Electronics, they all use Roland's relatively new ACB modelling silicon, which does an amazing job of recreating these analog instruments.

All of these miniature units has the full programming interface of buttons, knobs, and sliders, of the originals. Roland has other products that allow for loading the modelling of various classic synths, but these don't have the real interface designed for that model. Some of these units are already discontinued and commanding high prices on the used market, while the rest will be discontinued sooner or later.

I would have never known about, or considered, these devices except that I have seen and heard them at Guitar Center. Between Guitar Center and one of the local used music stores, Music Go Round, I was able to get the entire series. The Music Go Round was selling at quite a discount, repackaged units from Roland that were apparently used as demos, refurbished and repackaged, and sold at a very good discount. I have been able to reconstruct the midi studio of hardware that I could never otherwise afford.

In their used department, I was able to purchase an absolutely mint 2012 Taylor Fall Limited Edition nylon string crossover guitar at a very reasonable price. The fit and finish of this instrument is on par with the 2016 914ce that I also purchased at Guitar Center.

Both of my nylon string Godin guitars came from there. One is the ACS SA, and the other the Encore 7 string. The 7 string was quite inexpensive as a used model, and the 6 string was discounted quite a bit during one of their "Guitar-a-thons".

For me, Guitar Center is a place to "try before you buy". When I do "try", I "buy" there, rather than somewhere else. I don't "try" unless I fully intend to "buy" if the thing meet my requirements.

In this manner, Guitar Center does provide a real service to the community because they do stock many products that the other, smaller music stores, simply can't or don't. When local music stores do carry products I need, I give them priority. But Guitar Center serves a very real purpose too.

Tony
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  #42  
Old 12-13-2017, 10:34 AM
guitar george guitar george is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shades of Blue View Post

Why would anyone buy a slightly "used" guitar from Guitar Center for 15% off (add back tax and you are talking 7-8% off) when you can get a much better deal on a brand new guitar online? It just doesn't make sense to me. People say they want that exact guitar, and I get that, but manufacturers are so consistent today it is almost a non-issue.
Because the slightly used guitar might be perfect as to looks, feel, set-up tone etc. You have been able to check it out. Manufacturers might be consistent today, but, it is consistently not-so-good in my opinion. When I go to a guitar store, there are very few guitars that would be what I would want to buy. The chance of getting a really good one "in the mail" is pretty iffy. Pictures and words can never be a substitute for checking it out.
  #43  
Old 12-13-2017, 10:40 AM
Shades of Blue Shades of Blue is offline
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Originally Posted by guitar george View Post
Because the slightly used guitar might be perfect as to looks, feel, set-up tone etc. You have been able to check it out. Manufacturers might be consistent today, but, it is consistently not-so-good in my opinion. When I go to a guitar store, there are very few guitars that would be what I would want to buy. The chance of getting a really good one "in the mail" is pretty iffy. Pictures and words can never be a substitute for checking it out.
True, but I found a killer D-18 in a local shop. Owner offered me 10% off, plus tax so I would have paid $2385. I ordered from a forum sponser and saved $500....that's a lot of dough and the guitar I got is even better than the one I played in the shop.

I totally get what you are saying, but the deals that can be had online make the risk worth it to me. I've ordered from the same sponsor multiple times and he must have a special deal with Martin and Taylor because his wood is stunning....wait...what?
  #44  
Old 12-13-2017, 11:03 AM
SongwriterFan SongwriterFan is offline
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Originally Posted by Carbonius View Post
2. I personally wouldn't buy an extended warranty through GC, as they will most likely not be around to service it. Money wasted!
The warranties they sell are through a third party, so I'm pretty sure it'd still be honored. You'd need to provide the proof of purchasing the item and warranty, though.
  #45  
Old 12-13-2017, 11:11 AM
CT77 CT77 is offline
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Shades of Blue View Post
Why would anyone buy a slightly "used" guitar from Guitar Center for 15% off (add back tax and you are talking 7-8% off) when you can get a much better deal on a brand new guitar online? It just doesn't make sense to me. People say they want that exact guitar, and I get that, but manufacturers are so consistent today it is almost a non-issue.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steadfastly View Post
Because many feel they will get a better one if they go and play it first. Even many electric players think this. With the return policies the online store have, why worry about this?
I have to wonder what the balance is here. I tend think Shades of Blue represents the stronger sentiment here and I'd wager it's only likely to grow in that direction as well.
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