Guitar Center 2016 Review.

[Rmz76]

How is Guitar Center doing in 2016? Here's my take.

I remember when the first Guitar Center opened in my hometown (today we have five of them in the greater Houston area) things were different then. It was under different ownership and the sales staff seemed happy. They had more flexibility to negotiate deals and it was something they could actually make a living doing to supplement their working local musician income.

That Guitar Center is long gone.

For me Guitar Center has become a place to demo guitars I want to buy on-line. Trade in musical gizmos I don't want to waste the time listing on reverb and accessories I must have same day. As an on-line retailer I go through their used inventory daily. They do occasionally have great deals on used gear and the return policy is good but overall the brick and mortar experience is horrible.

Here's how my last three visits have gone. I enter Guitar Center and head to the acoustic room. My local GC is an older layout with two acoustic rooms a large room for inexpensive guitars (read: sub $1000 non-premier brand) and a room for high-end product. To demo the Bose tower PA my local GC keeps a dynamic mic and mic stand plugged in and ready to go in the high-end room. People use this space as their own little practice hall (or imaginary private concert). There's always someone in that room playing and singing and not just demoing but doing this for 10,15,30 minutes.... What's more when I've gone in I've gotten the uncomfortable eye.... Another problem is that other players have zero courtesy. Want to try out that Martin CEO-7? Of course you do, is it in tune? Of course it isn't. Are the strings dead? Of course they are. Guitar Center does not treat their high-end guitars well. They treat them like garbage. My local GC has a Gibson J-35 marked down several hundred dollars as "scratch and dent" inventory and I don't see a scratch on it, but yet the Martin HD28VS they have tagged at full MAP $3599 has scratches on the back and they intend to sell this as a new instrument.

If you forget your tuner, forget trying to demo anything. Even if you can tune by ear or have in mind to get the instrument in tune with itself it seems as soon as the guitar is in your hands and you are trying to adjust the tuning pegs, someone nearby will begin playing loudly.

Before leaving if I decide to buy a set of strings or picks it's always the same waiting game. There is no clear line at the register, just a disorganized mess. It's hard to distinguish who's getting help next. Sales staff are now all high school and poor college students who decided to pass on that job at the mall because Guitar Center was hiring. Most are not knowledge about the product they are selling and in my opinion are not qualified to be handling selling a $1000 guitar much less a $5000-$10,000 instrument.

I do go there often to try out new models and hopefully meet a few local musicians. But it's far from the store it once was. The no hassle return policy once lured me in but it just makes little sense.

This week I purchased a new GS Mini. MAP was $529. Guitar Center sales clerk would not discount the price. So I would have paid $529 + local sales tax and my out the door price would have been $578. Sweetwater discounted the GS Mini to $475 and that was my out the door price. No tax. No shipping fees. I ordered it Tuesday around 4 PM and it arrived this morning. They had four in stock and I picked the exact serial number I wanted based on top grain, etc... and I got that guitar. I was also told they do an intonation check and perform truss road adjustments as needed to get action where it should be.

As the salesman said "we can't call it a setup because setup implies we are taking requirement from you and matching those, we do make sure it's setup to standards and if a guitar has intonation problems, etc.. it doesn't go out to a customer". They also provide a two year warranty. I paid over $100 less than what Guitar Center would do and I don't have to worry about some five year having coughed his germs all of it from being on a showroom floor.

I guess some will disregard all the advantages some on-line retailers provide just for the convenience of a local Guitar Center. My only compliant with Sweetwater is they changed the strings on the GS Mini and didn't do correctly (another thread on that coming) but considering the savings it's hard to complain too much.

[Shades of Blue]

Originally Posted by Rmz76

For me Guitar Center has become a place to demo guitars I want to buy on-line.

Shop owner's must loathe this behavior. No wonder brick and mortar shops can't survive. I've got a local shop and I will always give them a shot at my business. Most of the time, they don't carry what I'm looking for, but on the rare occasion they do, I will try to buy it from them and they usually work with me accordingly on price to get my business.

[rmyAddison]

Guitar Center serves a purpose, the bashing doesn't, don't like it don't go, it's not difficult, there are many alternatives.

I juts bought a guitar from one of our sponsors here because they are "one of our sponsors here", and they help make this forum possible, that influenced my decision, and they have great prices........

[MD1983]

I have had similar experiences at my local GCs (there are several of them). As a result, I stopped frequenting GCs a few years ago. It's kind of hypocritical to bash them yet keep going there and treating it as your free demo room.

[CT77]

Originally Posted by rmyAddison

Guitar Center serves a purpose, the bashing doesn't, don't like it don't go, it's not difficult, there are many alternatives.

This isn't bashing. It's an unfavorable review based on real experience and it's valuable because it's honest.

Unfortunately, I can confirm the OP's experience - GC in general is not in a good place right now. That said, individual stores do vary and I'm fortunate to be near a few that are still well run.

[T Texas]

Originally Posted by MD1983

It's kind of hypocritical to bash them yet keep going there and treating it as your free demo room.

No kidding!

[rmyAddison]

Originally Posted by md1983

i have had similar experiences at my local gcs (there are several of them). As a result, i stopped frequenting gcs a few years ago. it's kind of hypocritical to bash them yet keep going there and treating it as your free demo room.

bingo !~!~!

[MrMartyr]

All of those mistreated guitars you speak of are floor models. For every guitar on the floor, we try to keep at least one brand new guitar that is sealed in its factory shipping container. All you have to do is ask and we will happily fetch you an untouched guitar from our back stock. People always cry foul that we have all of these high end guitar out "where anyone can get their grubby hands on them." We do this because we are in the business of selling guitars. Nobody buys a car without test driving one first. Guitar Center views those guitars as an operating expense. It takes money to make money.

As for the people who turn our high end room into their own personal studio, we give them no choice but to leave. We have a job to do. If someone wants to record a video or have a jam session with friends...we let them know that we have studio space for rent. We had a situation just last night. Guy wants to look at Taylors, we take him to the high end room. Two guys are in there playing and singing with a camera on a tripod. Our CSM takes the customer into the room and these guys are like "Uh, do you mind? We are tring to make a youtube video in here." Our CSM replies. "I do mind, because you are interfering with my ability to do my job and serve my customers."

After working there for three months, I've gotten really good at knowing WHO our customers are. They are the people who BUY things. They are NOT the tire kickers, not the youtubers, and they certainly aren't the people who try in store and buy online. So, before anyone complains about poor customer service, one must first ask themselves "Am I their customer?"

[73Fender]

GC needs some love, has to be a brutal business model. I'd be sad if they shut their doors, not that I really go there much but I wish them luck.

[SFCRetired]

Guitar center is a place where I expect people with big pockets to go buy a guitar and then sell it to me used when they want to sell it.

But Yeah I get where you're coming from. I'm going to go ride some guitars at GC this weekend in KC. Now if they happen to have what I want in a used variety, I would buy from them as quick as I will anyone. I'm actually hoping they have what I want in stock. But it's not looking good according to their websites.

I ask a salesperson to change some strings once and his reply was "I just changed them a few days ago" But he changed them and I ask what strings he put on it. he said "I won't put anything but D'addario"

That's not what was on the guitar before he changed them. I bought that guitar.

I'm getting ready to retire early and how I wish I had a GC I could go work at Part Time.

[MrMartyr]

Originally Posted by SFCRetired

I'm getting ready to retire early and how I wish I had a GC I could go work at Part Time.

Check the website for job listings. We are often looking for part-time people in operations. While this is primarily a warehouse job in the mornings, afternoon and evening shifts usually consist of covering the door. You would basically greet people as they come in and check their receipts on their way out. We have several people at our store who never lift a box because they work the door exclusively.

[TBman]

In one of my local GC stores I get the American Idol wannabes, but generally they're pretty good so I'll grab a guitar and go in the other room. Everything isn't about me, so I share the world with others, lol.

I keep going there to check out and compare the Taylors and Gibsons to see what I like best. I would buy from this store as the strings may be old, but the guitars are in decent shape. I don't have to have something that is absolutely perfect, but I won't buy something that has nasty damage either.

[GraceMusik]

Originally Posted by MrMartyr

We had a situation just last night. Guy wants to look at Taylors, we take him to the high end room. Two guys are in there playing and singing with a camera on a tripod. Our CSM takes the customer into the room and these guys are like "Uh, do you mind? We are tring to make a youtube video in here."

Wow...talk about presumptuous! SMH...

[Trawlerman]

I am a big fan of GC. My store is always clean and well-stocked, they allow you to play high-end models, and I find the sales staff professional and helpful. I have purchased a 000-15 and Dread Jr. and have had great experiences each time.

I doubt I will ever buy a guitar online, sight unseen. There are just too many variables between models of the same guitar, and I don't want to deal with the hassle of online returns.

In short, I will pay a little extra for service/advice, and the ability to play guitars on-site. I am thankful they are in business.

[T Texas]

Originally Posted by Rmz76

it's hard to complain too much.

Well you found a way, good job!