share your experiences with guitar center

[abn556]

I bought one guitar from the big GC in Houston back in the mid 90s. Its a Gibson semi hollow body that I still have. GC in the Houston area has 4-5 smaller satellite stores and one large store. The last time I was in the big GC, all the nice stuff in the back rooms - the nice acoustics and electrics were all locked on the racks. Anything over $1000 is locked up. When I asked to play something, I was told that the guy who knows where the keys are was out to lunch and wouldn’t be back for an hour. I don’t have the patience to wait an hour for someone to find the keys. This particular store didn’t seem very interested in selling anything.

[Bob Womack]

I've had good experiences with my local GC. There was a time when we had two chain superstores (Mars & GC), two local superstores, and a couple of viable specialty guitar stores. The local specialty stores wilted, Mars croaked, and one of the local superstores shrunk to a tiny store specializing in repair. My luthier/tech had his bench there but has moved it to the huge double garage attached to his home. That leaves the other superstore, which retrenched a bit and now is a large music store that regularly carries at least two upper line guitar brands and a bunch of other stuff. However, they basically hold to near-MAP prices. The other option is Guitar Center. GC here is a fairly nice place with some more mature staff with more knowledge and experience. I typically draw one of the older sales staff because they know me. They have their good electrics behind the front desk and up high where you have to ask for help to get them down. They've done that for years, and as a result the good guitars aren't typically shop worn. The acoustics are now locked up in jail. You have to understand that there was a rash of people walking in, grabbing a good guitar, and running out. These days insurance won't cover your store unless you tell the staff not to resist thieves. It is the way of things, and the good guys suffer.

I've developed relationships with the staffs of both of the remaining shops and it typically serves me well. I can usually still get a decent discount from GC. They know I do my homework and don't ask for a deeper discount than they can afford. And I don't string them on... I ask for help when I get near a sale. I also don't play the gear there and buy online. If I ask for help and play the gear for a while and I like it, I buy from them. I don't order from other GCs for delivery at mine because the pics and descriptions aren't reliable. I also refuse to play the system - buying and returning rather than renting, or buying knowing I will return it. I go by Amy Grant's Father's saying: "A good deal is only a good deal if it is a good deal for everyone involved."

Bob

[tbeltrans]

My experiences with the 4 local Guitar Centers have all been positive. Mostly, I deal with the one closest to me, but the sales people I have encountered across the stores have all been knowledgeable and don't fit the negative cliches I hear all too often.

In recent months, I have ordered for delivery to the local GC, both new and used synthesizers. I get the veteran's discount purchasing through the local shop and deliveries have always been on the date indicated when the item ships.

In the most recent case, I ordered a particular used midi sequencer from the GC in Plano, Texas through my local GC (no veteran's discount on used items). The store manager in Texas called me directly because they had lost the power supply. He offered to discount the purchase $50 and return that to my credit card. I agreed since the device runs off USB power and I have plenty of that and the appropriate cables anyway.

The item arrived right on time and so did the refund at my bank.

Tony

[columbia]

45-day return policy on most things, and their ignorance of their inventory can sometimes work in your favor.

[stephenT]

I'll only go to a Guitar Center if I need something TODAY. I'll call, make sure they have what I need and ask the salesperson to put their hands on it and leave it at the desk. I've been told "Oh sure, we have it", drive the half hour and,..

In my experience the acoustic guitars at GC are so mistreated I'd never consider shopping them for an acoustic. I'll generally shop Sweetwater or Vintage King on line for gear and buy my acoustics from Ted at L.A. Guitar Sales.

[Rosette]

I like their return policy on used guitars. At the end of last year I traded some stuff for a used Lowden and I felt they were very fair with the trade offer.

[CharlieBman]

While I have not purchased anything from GC recently, I have purchased several acoustic and electric guitars from them over the years, as well as a lot guitar accessories, PA, and recording equipment. Thinking back I honestly can't think of a single incidence when I felt the slightest bit dissatisfied. I have 2 GC's, each about an hour drive from me, and my experiences with both have been exemplary.

There are over 300 GC's in the US. Extrapolating bad experiences with one to the entire franchise is not reasonable.

[cip]

Guitar Center is the best place to buy guitars if youre in the USA bar none.

1. 45 day return policy
2. 0% financing up to 48 months - thats 0% financing for 48 months. the advice 'if you cant afford to buy it outright dont finance it' is only relevant if youre paying interest. with guitar center its 0%.
3. huge used selection that also falls under the 0% financing, and also the 45 day return policy
4. huge selection
5. retail stores everywhere, if you do decide to return, you dont even have to pay shipping if there is a store close to you.
6. Guitar Center also has 'sales engineers', and unlike sweetwater, they will actually hook you up if you a good customer.

The only cons aren't really cons because they have a 45 day return policy.

The only con people can say about GC is that some of the store guitars may not be absolutely perfect because anyone is allowed to play the guitars.

Personally I don't care that some pimple faced teenager is playing terribly on my possible future guitar, because ultimately, guitars are made for playing.

If there are any issues at all, theyre going to be A. minor cosmetic blemishes. me personally im an active musician so those scratches and dents are gonna be there in a week anyway. and B. If there are actual things broken, they'll give you an even crazier discount. C. Unless things are catastrophic, and they never are, they can always be fixed. The amount they discount on scratch and dent is always much more than the actual cost of fixing.

Small stores and dealers don't have good selections and don't have good return policies, nor do they have good financing options.

A friend of mine bought 2 guitars for over $10k at a prominent small dealer a couple weeks back that had a return policy of 2 days. 2 DAYS. He returned one of them, and they didn't even want to accept it. He had to pay return shipping. The other guitar, he discovered a bad pickup on it, and when he contacted this prominent store for help, they actually told him to stop calling because he was past the 2 DAY return policy.

Guitar Center is the best place to buy guitars in the USA in my opinion if you can live with the possibility that the guitar you want may not absolutely be perfect. and ultimately, the expensive guitars worth buying usually are perfect anyway because they're locked up. If they aren't, they'll give you a discount on it.


Also, just because its not guitar center doesn't mean it won't also be 'mistreated' or have some defect. I bought a $1,000 guitar from Chicago Music Exchange that had a ding on it and the bridge was coming off... They claim they have some big inspection checklist before they send out guitars, BS.

[Sarhog]

Originally Posted by cip

me personally im an active musician so those scratches and dents are gonna be there in a week anyway. and B. If there are actual things broken, they'll give you an even crazier discount. C. Unless things are catastrophic, and they never are, they can always be fixed. The amount they discount on scratch and dent is always much more than the actual cost of fixing.

You’re making great progress cip. 4 days ago, you were a beginner guitar player. Whats your method?

[donlyn]

share your experiences with guitar center

Mostly pretty good overall, having visited a few over the years.

But I've only ever bought stuff from one particular GC.
Shout out the the GC in Boston on Boylston St behind Fenway Park, and Dean in the acoustic room. I usually get to visit there a couple times a year.

I find it pays to have some ideas going in. And to be able to follow some impulses. Try stuff, but spend wisely.

Be well and play well,

Don
.

[Puddleglum]

Originally Posted by Jeffreykip

I love Guitar Center - I think if we didn't have it, we'd dream of it.

I believe this quote says it well. ^^^

In the DFW area where I live, there are so many GCs that one could literally spend the entire day visiting different ones. I've been going to GC since 1992 and have bought a ton of stuff from them over those years. Yeah, I've ran into some boneheaded staff a time or three, but that's more human nature than a fault of GC. I've had far worse experiences at small shops, though I also love small shops. It's just life to deal with difficult people.

Bob Womack mentioned Mars... Man, I loved that store! I was genuinely saddened when they closed. It was much more than a guitar shop: it was one part shop, one part music school, repair shop... It was great.

I'll also say that I only have contempt for those that play the system to their own benefit. Renting guitars, demoing and abusing guitars with no intention to buy, buying multiple instruments with the intention of only keeping the best one, etc, is shameful behavior IMO. I run an eBay business and have at times been the recipient of such behavior and it stinks. People will buy things, knowing full well that even with tracking they can claim they never got the item and eBay will refund them. They get the item and all their money: but they are also sowing corrupted seeds that will be reaped later on in their own life. A life lived that way cannot be done so with impunity indefinitely. What goes around comes around, as the old folks used to say.

[ghostnote]

Most of my experiences at GC have been positive, and I’ve never had a really bad one. The worst I can say is that there have been times I didn’t want to pay what they were asking for something. I’ve only bought a couple of guitars there over the years, but I’ve bought lots of other stuff, mostly used items - that’s where I’ve got my best deals. You have to get there at the right time for a good deal to happen, like at any other place. I think because GC is so large, people expect every store to have a giant pile of great used items priced really cheap. It doesn’t work like that; sometimes things are overpriced, sometimes that super-cheap great deal is available.

[MrDB]

The closest one to me is about 40 min away. I've been there many times, bought several guitars from them. They don't have much in the way of high end stock in the acoustic room, that's a complaint from acoustic guys as the vast majority of the store is dedicated to electrics and amps.

However, what can't be topped is the 45 day return policy which others have alluded to.

In several purchases I've had 2 guitars shipped to the store, then went and played both for quite some time before choosing one and returning the other. The convenience they offer trumps many of the other issues IMO.

[PassingThru]

My GC experiences and purchases have been positive. Sometimes you have to visit more that one location to find the "good". On the Carbon Fiber thread below check post number 14 for an example.

https://www.acousticguitarforum.com/...d.php?t=678780

[cip]

Originally Posted by Sarhog

You’re making great progress cip. 4 days ago, you were a beginner guitar player. Whats your method?

No method, as a beginner the progress is going really slow. But Im trying to learn as much as I can from my teacher, YouTube and on here. Giving myself grace with the knowledge that many players spend their entire lives on the craft.