Guitar Center Visit: Lying or just Stupid?
 

Stopped in to the Guitar Center in Glen Burnie, MD today to pick up some strings and a tuner. Noticed a well used Martin acoustic hanging on the wall and decided to take a closer look at it. It was clearly a DM model from the old Road series from a few years back... clearly marked "DM, Made in USA" label inside the sound hole, no finish, hog back and sides, and was in fair condition. I've had a couple of these in the past and knew what I was looking at. It had no tag on it so I asked a salesman to give me the asking price. As he was looking it up on the computer I noticed the serial number plate attached to the neck block inside said "Martin D-16GT" with a serial number from the year 2002. I pointed this out to the salesman who was just as surprised to see this as I was. I told him there was no way this was a D-16GT since, if for no other reason, the "GT" stands for Gloss Top and this guitar clearly had no gloss finish on it at all. He decided to seek out the manager for an explanation. When he returned, he told me that the manager explained that the computer listed that guitar as a D-16GT and that, maybe...….now get this...."that it was an older model and that all the gloss HAD WORN OFF OF THE TOP OVER TIME." I told him that that was an absolutely absurd assertion, not withstanding why or how someone could even apply a DM paper label from a DM inside a legitimate D-16GT. He then pointed to the serial number plate inside and said, "Well, there's the serial number and that's permanent." I pointed out that that plate is simply glued on to the neck block and that I have had 2 Martins in the past where that plate has fallen off and had to be re-glued in place. I told him that if his manager told him to tell me that, that he is either lying or very ignorant about Martin guitars. I pressed the salesman for his own opinion, which he would not give me, referring only to what the manager had told him to say. He looked up the guitar on the inventory computer which had it listed as a D-16GT and quoted me a price of just under $900. I told him that a DM went for less than that brand new back in the day. He said the best he could do was knock off another 10%.
Makes me wonder: was the manager lying or just stupid?
Caveat Emptor, people.

How about inexperienced?

PS: Your post was very hard to read. Paragraph breaks are your friend.:)

Maybe the manager is just inexperienced or didn’t care one way or another? Lots of people in those stores are not all that educated about the products that come through their stores, and some see no real need to be.
Buyer beware at all times is my thought. If something doesn’t look right, move along if management doesn’t see it the same way.

"Too big to fail?"


Bob

If I knew what was up, and they didn't, I'd just smile and walk on.

Our conversation would have been over at that time as well. You already told him his boss’s answer was a lie or he/she was ignorant, why would (or should) he even try? I would have left you standing there with your mouth still moving.

Well -- one way to look at it is:

Guy walks into a guitar store and says this guitar is cheaper than what Martin indicates on the neck block and what the store inventory indicates, and suggests lowering the price.

Salesman and manager either exhibit skepticism, or have no plan B. And haven't memorized the many, many models that Martin produces.

Situation unresolved.

At least it was an entertaining trip to a GC.

So, I'd be interested to find out what the real lesson is here. Is it that someone actually goes to the trouble and inserts a neck block from a different guitar into another one? Why? And why would anyone do that with an El-Cheapo Martin to begin with? Scratching my head over this one... :confused:

This.

Now, imagine that the guitar was mis-marked and priced well below it's true value. Would you try to educate the manager? Would you be upset if they refused to raise the price...or would you grab it, pay the absurdly low price, then come here and post about what a great deal you got on a mis-priced guitar?

Poor product knowledge.

A false id plate inside a lower model - probably traded as a D-16GT and entered into the system as a D-16GT.

Somewhere a scammer is laughing.

Our newest GC has a responsive manager, which is good because I have yet to visit without identifying a tagging error. Just part of the landscape at this point unless you happen to find a self-motivated employee with an acoustic bent. More accident than intent though if it happens.

I too was in the GC in Glen Burnie today (around 11:00 A.M.) on my way back home to Easton. All I can say is I'm glad I didn't make a special trip over. The acoustic room was very disappointing. The area outside the acoustic room (where the sub $300 and sub $500 guitars are) was a mess. Empty display racks in there. I was in the Laurel store yesterday and they had some really nice acoustics. A couple Taylors with the V bracing - don't remember the model #'s but one was $3,000 and one was $5,000. They had a couple used guitars that were way over priced. Had a Taylor with a large smashed in spot on the top and it was within $200 of a new one. Also had a used Martin with a substantial ding on the top and it too was within $200 of a new one. I don't know how they priced them, usually GC is fair but they were way off on those two. Wife played a GS mini koa she feel in love with. Laurel was much neater, quitter and better stocked than Glen Burnie this time.

I wish we had the time to have gone to the Towson store or the Seven Corners store in VA. Both of those stores are usually top notch.

This is not meant to be a GC bashing post - just to chime in that you never know what you're going to find or how nice a particular store is going to be.

GC is notorious for not having the correct labels on their acoustic guitars, both in person and online. You just have to know that going in and do research before handing over your card or clicking "buy".

The GC by my house is dominated by electric guitars as that must be the demographic here apparently. Most of the sales associates at this GC also lack knowledge of their acoustic inventory. I even had one associate ask if I had any questions when I was looking the electric guitars over, and when I told him that I was primarily an acoustic player he said, "Well that's unfortunate". I don't think he meant it in jest either!

LOL! This is precisely why I've not bought a guitar there in 11 years. They are getting their butts handed to them by the online market and I can't say I'm upset about it.

Experiences of this sort, as far as not understanding their used inventory, I have found common with this company. I have gone over some of their inventory online and often things don't add up or make sense. As far as used inventory I've wrote them off along time ago. I've seen them advertise a new Martins as having a pick up in them when they clearly didn't. I emailed them and they never did change it.

In fairness, Martin has come out with so many different models in the past twenty five years that I find it virtually impossible to keep up, and I’m neither lying nor stupid. If the manager didn’t know what he had, maybe he had a few thousand other things to keep up with that day.

By the way, back when I was working retail, if a customer got that vitriolic about one of my fellow employees, whether my manager or anyone else, I would have said: “Nice talking to you, sir,” and walked away.


whm