Guitar Center Bashing

captwingflap · #1 11-13-2018, 05:30 PM

Could never understand why Guitar Center gets no love. They offer quality merchandise at competitive prices and have the best return policy in the world. I am fortunate in that I live in the New York metropolitan area and have my choice of literally hundreds of music stores and can go and play anything I want. But what about the folks that live in East JaBib? For them Guitar Center and the online retailers are a good deal. I'm glad they are here and I hope they do well.

jim1960 · #2 11-13-2018, 05:33 PM

Now I have to tell my Guitar Center story.

About 15 years back I was in the market for another acoustic guitar. I hit up all the local shops but nothing I played got me very excited until I went to the local GC and played a Larrivee they had hanging on the wall in the high end room. The tone was wonderful and the playability was excellent. I didn't want to make a hasty decision so I decided to come back in a couple of days and if I still loved it, I'd buy it. I went back and after playing it again I decided to buy it. It was busy on the showroom and I had to wait quite a while for a salesman to show up but I was keeping myself entertained with the guitar. My fingers got tired after a bit and I stopped playing. My hand slid across the top below the bridge and I could feel the center seam in the top. That's not good. Closer inspection revealed that the top was separating. It wasn't something that you could easily see with your eyes but the problem was definitely there. I was bummed because there was no way I was buying this guitar now.

I continued to wait for a salesman to come in because I wanted to alert him to the problem. Unless you ran your hand over the seam, it was very easy to miss and I didn't want someone to get stuck buying a guitar that needed a big repair right off the bat. A salesman finally shows up and I point out the issue. He tells me the guitar would be removed from the floor.

A couple of weeks later I decide to go back to that GC and see if they have any new acoustics since my last vist. I go into the high end room and there's that Larrivee still hanging there with the full price tag on it. I figured the salesperson I told forgot to deal with it, so I point out the separated seam to another salesperson and he assures me that guitar will be taken off the floor. I go back two weeks later again and there it is... still hanging there and still at full price.

That's when I realized they just don't care if they stick a customer with a problem. Some poor sucker was going to buy that guitar and before they owned it for a week it was going to need to into the shop to get the top re-glued. I have no use for a company that would do that to a customer.

rwmct · #3 11-13-2018, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by captwingflap

Could never understand why Guitar Center gets no love.

Really? I have read a lot of threads on GC, and generally both fans and non-fans of GC are generally quite specific in why they feel the way they do.

Goodallboy · #4 11-13-2018, 05:42 PM

Guitar Center has it's issues and any entity employing barely above minimum wage employees have the same problem, that being lack of concern for the customer and an absence of exemplary service. You get what you pay for every time.

I don't go there shopping for an instrument, I go there for something I don't want to wait to arrive by mail. A set of strings or the occasional microphone cable. When I do happen to play their instruments they're all terrible, no matter the brand. I expect this so I don't get disappointed.

Manage your expectations to avoid being let down.

Wade Hampton · #5 11-13-2018, 05:43 PM

You’re making a sweeping assumption there, Jim. You had a bad experience with that particular Guitar Center, but that doesn’t mean all of them are run that way. In my experience a great deal depends on the attitude of each individual store’s manager. Those Guitar Center stores that are run by good managers are great.

Wade Hampton Miller

jim1960 · #6 11-13-2018, 07:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

You’re making a sweeping assumption there, Jim. You had a bad experience with that particular Guitar Center, but that doesn’t mean all of them are run that way. In my experience a great deal depends on the attitude of each individual store’s manager. Those Guitar Center stores that are run by good managers are great.

I'd feel the same way about a mom&pop shop if the same thing happened there. I don't see why I need to give GC a second chance if I wouldn't give it to the little guy. GC has even less reason to allow stores to keep damaged merchandise on the shelves since their buying power should give them some leverage with the manufacturers from whom they purchase.

#7 11-13-2018, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by captwingflap

Could never understand why Guitar Center gets no love. What about the folks that live in East JaBib? For them Guitar Center and the online retailers are a good deal. I'm glad they are here and I hope they do well.

It's Retail Stockholm Syndrome. The predatory practices of the behemoth companies drive enough Mom & Pop stores out of business that eventually people are just grateful to have the Big Box that killed them. Welcome to the future. Free shipping!

Steadfastly · #8 11-13-2018, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

You’re making a sweeping assumption there, Jim. You had a bad experience with that particular Guitar Center, but that doesn’t mean all of them are run that way. In my experience a great deal depends on the attitude of each individual store’s manager. Those Guitar Center stores that are run by good managers are great.

Wade Hampton Miller

We are often too quick to paint everyone with the same brush if they belong to the same organization where we had a negative experience. Some stores are great, some stores are so, so and some have their issues. With such a large organization, that is bound to happen. Some of those employees are not very highly paid so you are not going to get top notch sales people at times. We should expect that.

I have only been to one GC, the one in Buffalo and had nothing bad at all to say about the times I have been there. I found the staff very polite and as helpful as possible.

ljguitar · #9 11-13-2018, 07:30 PM

HI cwf

You will doubtless hear 'stories' of less than stellar experiences at the hands of some employee or manager (likely local musicians working there to have the $$$ to be able to gig).

I for one hope Guitar Center and Stores like them are around when my 5 yr old grandson is old enough to need gear!

bufflehead · #10 11-13-2018, 07:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Steadfastly

Some of those employees are not very highly paid so you are not going to get top notch sales people at times. We should expect that.

Yep. Guitar Center insists on hiring guitarists whenever possible. We all know what flakes those folks can be.

Rumblefish · #11 11-13-2018, 07:36 PM

GC’s can vary quite a bit depending on the employees. The company doesn’t seem to provide great training so your experience can be all over the map. I tried to purchase a very expensive instrument there recently and the salesman really turned me off and I took my business to a forum sponsor. On the other hand I’ve had some great interactions and purchased many things there over the years when I lived far from any pro gear shops and I’ve met some very knowledgeable staff at some locations.

LOSTVENTURE · #12 11-13-2018, 07:50 PM

My only problem with GC has been the noise that the humidifier makes. The high end acoustic room is fairly small, and there are two humidifiers running full blast all the time. I have trouble hearing the guitar at all, forget about listening for any quality tones.

AZLiberty · #13 11-13-2018, 08:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wade Hampton

You’re making a sweeping assumption there, Jim. You had a bad experience with that particular Guitar Center, but that doesn’t mean all of them are run that way. In my experience a great deal depends on the attitude of each individual store’s manager. Those Guitar Center stores that are run by good managers are great.

Wade Hampton Miller

I tend to agree with wade. We have 6 or 7 GCs in our Metro area and every one is very different. North Phoenix is the best. Tempe was the best but the new store is the new smaller corporate footprint without a separate high end acoustic room.

The big problems with GC are:

1- they mostly sell at full MAP, so you can generally get a better price elsewhere. The big exception is GC/MF exclusive SKUs. Those can be very decent deals.

2- they often do not take care of their inventory.

3- 50:50 chances that some tone deaf idiot is wailing away on a drum set or electric guitar

I was in the Tucson GC on Saturday. They had, loud jerk pounding on a drum set, at least one "New" guitar with a center seam separation, as well as a Martin (GPRS1) that had rusty strings and a neck with enough forward bow to make it just about unplayable.

I did play one of the new Martin 000RSG guitars. Made of Siris (whatever that is) but looked and sounded like a rosewood OM. Couldn't bring myself to pay $1200 for a Mexican made guitar though.

Oh, and they had every Taylor over $1000 locked up, but not the Martins. Makes no sense.

They also had a great deal on an older Breedlove, but GC has started putting out used instruments before the pawn hold ends, which is legal, but somewhat sleazy. So I couldn't actually buy it.

mjw61 · #14 11-13-2018, 08:19 PM

It's like giving a tattoo, you can do 1000's of tattoo's and never hear a thing.. do one bad tat and everyone hears how bad you suck. you just can't please everyone all the time, we are human. i love GC . i never want to leave the store. i go there and before you no it you have been there for hours. its just a matter of opinon, and we all know what that is...just enjoy.

rokdog49 · #15 11-13-2018, 08:49 PM

I am not at all surprised at the "lack of love" for GC's.
It's consistent with all the other instances of negative generalizations folks make based on very limited experiences or no experiences at all.
Look at all the negativity and bias about various guitar brands that manifest themselves on this forum based on one bad experience or heresay.
I for one, never dismiss anything based on one or two bad experiences. I also don't dismiss an entire company on the same basis.
I don't take to heart the opinions of those who do so and I make my own judgements.
I find GC to be just like lots of other big box retail. It's hit or miss. Some good, some not so good. I've had more good than bad so here's a little love for GC.