Live Sound & Production

[BillESC]

http://thetoneking.com/wp/life-support-how-long-until-they-pull-the-plug-on-guitar-center/

[Vinny D]

I would hate to see anyone lose their job in todays economy, but I wouldn't shed a tear if GC closed up shop.

[lonotes]

I read the OP, then when I tried to go back to the thread list things just hung up and wouldn't do anything. I tried two or three times more with the same result. Then I tried one more time and got a message that said the forums were closed for maintenance. Just like old times.

[guitarman3001]

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Vinny D wrote:
I would hate to see anyone lose their job in todays economy, but I wouldn't shed a tear if GC closed up shop.

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Not for anything but they have shot themselves in the foot.  People nowadays have a lot less disposable income and GC stores seem to refuse to carry the lower priced items that can be ordered online through their own websites (GC, MF, M123, WWBW).  Instead they just carry the higher priced items which people can't afford, so the people are forced to buy online.  

Best Buy has a similar problem.  For example, walk into a BB store and you'll find the cheapest HDMI cables they have are like $25.  You can buy an identical cable online for $5.  

With a few exceptions, GC retail stores are pretty much the same.  

Also, I can call M123/MF and get 15% off almost any item just by asking.  I will also get free shipping and not have to pay tax.   GC, at least the ones I've personally been to in Miami, SD, Nashville, and NYC, have all refused to offer any kind of discounts.  So, I end up going online and getting the same item for a net cost of about 20% to 25% less.  When you're looking at a $500+ purchase, that adds up.    It's like GC doesn't even try anymore. 

[BillESC]

With the debt load they're carrying perhaps they can't afford to discount.

[guitarman3001]

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BillESC wrote:

With the debt load they're carrying perhaps they can't afford to discount.

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They discount without a problem through their online sites.  It's the retail stores that seem to have a problem.  

[RoadRanger]

[Mogwix]

I've noticed that the HC community is very republican. A lot of people were upset that Romney lost the election.

A lot of angry HC members jumped ship in response to poor management of the forums, Then, we find out that Romney's company bought and subsequently destroyed the conglomerate that runs Harmony Central? Whoa!

Romney left Bain Capital in 2002 and probably would not have had anything to do with this anyway, but it's still kind of funny.

[oldschooler]

I was a good customer before the Bain takeover. I had a few good salesmen and they would work me a deal. I think one year, I brought 10k from GC. When my salesmen weren't able to make me the deals and only pricematched I lefted.

[nchangin]

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guitarman3001 wrote:

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Vinny D wrote:
I would hate to see anyone lose their job in todays economy, but I wouldn't shed a tear if GC closed up shop.

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Not for anything but they have shot themselves in the foot.  People nowadays have a lot less disposable income and GC stores seem to refuse to carry the lower priced items that can be ordered online through their own websites (GC, MF, M123, WWBW).  

I guess I don't agree, problem I have when I go into GC (midwest anyways) all they have is the cheaper lines, I never see the higher end stuff for demoing.

Also when wheeling and dealing in the store they will always do a price match if they see it online for a lesser price or you can show it to them.

[Craigv]

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Mogwix wrote:

I've noticed that the HC community is very republican. A lot of people were upset that Romney lost the election.

A lot of angry HC members jumped ship in response to poor management of the forums, Then, we find out that Romney's company bought and subsequently destroyed the conglomerate that runs Harmony Central? Whoa!

Romney left Bain Capital in 2002 and probably would not have had anything to do with this anyway, but it's still kind of funny.

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 We don't want to go in a political direction with this. The simple fact is that it wasn't Romney's company for five years before the GC buyout. It seems much more likely that the huge size of GC and the economy going south right about the time of the buyout had more to do with GC's fortunes than any legacy ownership. Bain wasn't a dismantler, and if anything their cash has helped keep GC afloat long after it would likely have failed under its prior publicly traded status.

[guitarman3001]

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nchangin wrote:

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guitarman3001 wrote:

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Vinny D wrote:
I would hate to see anyone lose their job in todays economy, but I wouldn't shed a tear if GC closed up shop.

---

Not for anything but they have shot themselves in the foot.  People nowadays have a lot less disposable income and GC stores seem to refuse to carry the lower priced items that can be ordered online through their own websites (GC, MF, M123, WWBW).  

I guess I don't agree, problem I have when I go into GC (midwest anyways) all they have is the cheaper lines, I never see the higher end stuff for demoing.

Also when wheeling and dealing in the store they will always do a price match if they see it online for a lesser price or you can show it to them.

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I've never seen the cheaper end stuff like cables, cases, accessories, etc... here.  Even components like crossovers, amps, speaker stands, etc...  all they stock is the more expensive stuff.   They never stock the lower end "Musician's Gear" brand and other low prices brands like that.  

And as for haggling, they refuse.  Sure, they'll match an online price if you can show it to them but like I said, I can call M123 and almost always get a flat 15% off their advertised price just by asking.  No such luck at GC.  

Oh, and I've had times when they have outright refused to honor their own coupons and I had to make an issue out of it.  I was at a GC in San Diego and was picking up a relatively inexpensive acoustic guitar.  They had emailed me a coupon code for 15% off an item over X dollars.  This guitar qualified.  I went into the store, told the salesman what I wanted, he took it to the register and rang it up, I told him to please apply the coupon code they emailed me, and then he said "oh..no...we can't honor that because this item is already discounted..".    For about 15 minutes I tried getting them to honor it and they flat out refused and said it didn't apply to that item.

I calmly went outside, sat on the bench outside the door, pulled out my smartphone, went to their website, added the item to the cart, applied the coupon code successfully, got to the "checkout" page, selected the option to order it online and pick it up at that store, and then went back into the store, showed it to the guy and basically said "look, either you can ring up the sale yourself and honor your own coupon code or I'm gonna hit the "pay" button here, order it online with the code applied, and walk out of here with the exact same guitar you're holding in your hand.  You can get the credit for the sale or I'll order it online, but however you want to do it, you guys are going to honor your own coupon  - you decide."   And they finally came to their senses and honored their code.   

I've had many similar experiences at several different GCs all over the country.   If they're in financial trouble, it's their own fault. 

[Mogwix]

Yeah, I know. still kinda funny though

[dcastar]

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Craigv wrote:

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Mogwix wrote:

I've noticed that the HC community is very republican. A lot of people were upset that Romney lost the election.

A lot of angry HC members jumped ship in response to poor management of the forums, Then, we find out that Romney's company bought and subsequently destroyed the conglomerate that runs Harmony Central? Whoa!

Romney left Bain Capital in 2002 and probably would not have had anything to do with this anyway, but it's still kind of funny.

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 We don't want to go in a political direction with this. The simple fact is that it wasn't Romney's company for five years before the GC buyout. It seems much more likely that the huge size of GC and the economy going south right about the time of the buyout had more to do with GC's fortunes than any legacy ownership. Bain wasn't a dismantler, and if anything their cash has helped keep GC afloat long after it would likely have failed under its prior publicly traded status.

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Exactly.

Having said that...  I could see "Guitar Center" going into bankrupcy, and coming out as smaller, "regional" run music chain stores.   Or "Guitar Center" just becomes the main company that runs the franchised regional chains...     

Plenty of ways to divvy up a company as big as GC.

[guido61]

Would Guitar Center be missed?

Chains like Guitar Center and Best Buy represent the worst in American retail, IMO.  Big enough and powerful enough to be able to run a lot of smaller retailers out of business when they enter the marketplace, yet they offer mediocre selection, poor customer service, barely-knowledgable staff, and not-the-lowest pricing.  

Nothing irks me more than to go into GC, stand around for 20 minutes waiting for service, only to find out that they either don't stock the item I'm looking for, or the kid trying to help me knows nothing about the item.   If I want shitty service, I'll just shop online and not have to be annoyed by all the wanna-be guitarists wanking at full volume in the next room.

[RoadRanger]

I stop into a GC every couple years just to remember how much they suck .

[stevmac1]

I typically don't patronize the chains unless I absolutely can't get what I want at a local, independant dealer. I don't preach it or act snobbish about it, it's just the way I do business.

When we go out to eat, buy hardware, furniture,and even groceries we patronize local businesses. I'm guessing 80+ percent of the time...

steve

[Vinny D]

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RoadRanger wrote:

I stop into a GC every couple years just to remember how much they suck .

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I told my girlfriend two years ago that if I ever said to her I want to swing into guitar center for a minute to just beat me over the head with something, the thought never even crosses my mind anymore!

Hate the store, hate the people that work in it (my local one anyway), Plenty of good local dealers in my area to not have to give the evil empire any money.

[nchangin]

Everyone has varying opinions, for us in small towns GC is my backbone for equipment. The situation they are in I could see Best Buy swoop in for the buy out. I cannot stand Best Buy, I tried to get a 6 foot 2.0 USB cable the other day, 30 bucks, yes 30 bucks....seriously? No thanks I will go online.

I do agree about GC policies vary from store to store, they say buy used gear, only on their terms. They have varying excuses why they won't buy back equipment. Like local GC wouldn't take in some voco pro mics because of the germ factor, yet the same store on a different day was more than happy to trade in a D112. So I have been on the BS side of it as well.

[heath_eld]

Down here in Australia the Allans Billy Hyde music group collapsed last year with debts a lot smaller than that. Most of it got brought out by the second biggest music retailer in Australia and from everything they're releasing it seems to be back in the hands of music lovers. The original Billy Hyde store was brought out by the late Billy Hyde's son who sold it a few years ago - the store looks great, good gear and friendly sales people just like the old days.

Not sure about either groups prospects though. From talking to my musician friends, who actually buy pro gear, they either buy online, or they do what I do these days and buy at specialty pro stores (factory sound for example is a pro level audio store). Personally I dislike buying online but I like my stores to know their stock well.