I think my Guitar Center is doomed

[guitarman3001]

 

My guess is the guitar manufacturers have set the prices on their gear so that every store has the same advertised street price. If you've noticed at places like Victor Lizt Music during a sale they sell new items but they have to list them as used or blems to get around the manufacturers.

 

 

I've noticed differences of as much as 100.00 on the listed/marked price of some guitars between different vendors like GC and sam ash. Ironically, GC and MF and M123 often list different prices on the same item also.

[Doctor Morbius]

I've noticed differences of as much as 100.00 on the listed/marked price of some guitars between different vendors like GC and sam ash. Ironically, GC and MF and M123 often list different prices on the same item also.

I have too. Not often but it does happen.

[Doctor Morbius]

Guitar Center is doomed I tell you! DOOMED!!!

 

[brentrocks]

i think GC has always sucked....i just get strings there because their price is good....their stock never changes....used stuff is all that intrests me

[RooSTER-b]

Ah yes, those were the days weren't they? I thought they were $199?

 

You should know!

[Doctor Morbius]

You should know!

Guilty as charged, Sir.

[RooSTER-b]

 

Guilty as charged, Sir.

 

 

The point I was trying to make when I started this thread, was not "oh, poor me....I can't get killer deals anymore" it was that since Bain has taken over, GC's pricing policies, stocking policies, and even trade policies (they will only take certain brands in on trade now) have changed. This is indeed fact. They will still sell off some of their crap at a discount, but that will be determined by them, not the customer. It is almost as if their stores have now become "try it here and buy it somewhere else" only. Yes, their merch is already discounted, but it is all beat to hell. If you go into the acoustic room at my GC, you will find high dollar Breedloves, Martins, and Taylors stacked on top of one another. It's amazing. Yes, I do expect to buy their stuff at a heavy discount just based on the abuse it has taken.

[aliensporebomb]

 

We have four in the Mpls/StPaul area too... I think it's two too many, but the two newest stores are the "GC Jr. stores". Back when there was one, that place was BUSY, and always had a lot of cool gear going in and out of it. It kinda makes one think a little...

 

 

That store that used to be across from Har-Mar mall where Erik's Bike Shop

is now was incredibly busy and had a really wide selection, they even had

Alembic electric guitars for heavens sakes!

 

I bought a lot of gear from them and Guitar Center single-handedly

ended up killing some longtime Minneapolis music store institutions

like Knut Koupee' music (later the last ditch desperation of

"Musicians Warehouse") among others. I bought far more gear

at Knut than I ever did at Guitar Center back in the day.

 

When they opened the store in Edina, a 5 minute drive from the house

I ended up going there but it wasn't quite as interesting - I'd guess

during the Mars Music days the inventory was diluting and there were

more price wars.

 

But my most recent electric guitar purchase ended up being a guitar

that looked brand new but was actually 11 years old. Strange. The

inventory at my local guitar center looks 11 years old and not new!

 

There's some very nice inventory there but the prices match and

are mostly high end Fender/PRS/Jackson/Gibson/Ibanez (neckthrus)

among others.

 

Still, Bain must have seen it as a good deal - it does seem like with

Best Buy getting into the music retailer biz and "Guitar Hero" making

guitar more popular than ever before that everyone and their brother

at least want to try guitar out.

 

That's financial growth right there and for everyone lamenting the

days of the amazing sales there's another who wants to buy a guitar

RIGHT NOW and might not really understand the whole "guitar buying

subculture, the subtle language of negotiation, and the visits just to

buy strings".

 

Ah, youth.

[Doctor Morbius]

 

The point I was trying to make when I started this thread, was not "oh, poor me....I can't get killer deals anymore"

I understand, but you know how people on here react sometimes. A lot is oft taken out of context or blown way out of proportion.

 

 

 

it was that since Bain has taken over, GC's pricing policies, stocking policies, and even trade policies (they will only take certain brands in on trade now) have changed. This is indeed fact. They will still sell off some of their crap at a discount, but that will be determined by them, not the customer. It is almost as if their stores have now become "try it here and buy it somewhere else" only. Yes, their merch is already discounted, but it is all beat to hell. If you go into the acoustic room at my GC, you will find high dollar Breedloves, Martins, and Taylors stacked on top of one another. It's amazing. Yes, I do expect to buy their stuff at a heavy discount just based on the abuse it has taken.

And I agree. Their sale/trade/negotiating policies are a lot less liberal than they used to be.

[aliensporebomb]

 

And one of them (in Roseville) shares a parking lot with a Best Buy that has a music store. The other Best Buy music store is in Bloomington, about a half-mile away from the Edina Guitar Center. Best Buy is making no secret about what their plans are, once they go nation-wide. They're not looking to expand the market; they are looking to take it away from GC.

 

 

I visited that location right after they opened the music store within the BB

store on 494 there in Bloomington, not far away from Casa Sporebomb.....

 

They have a lot of very nice stuff but it was amazing, the last time I was

there, some 8 year old kid was banging on a $2300 Slash Les Paul like it

was a Squier strat copy, two more little kids were banging on the Roland

V-Drums (also big ticket items) and another little kid was playing horrible

chords on the Korg synth with the Vocoder and yelling "POOOOOOP!" into

the mic. Funny, but if you were really buying that Slash LP you might

be upset that some kid young enough to quality as not having a real

consciousness was bashing the headstock of a two grand guitar on the

ground.

 

I was seconds away from the "gimme that kid before you hurt someone"

speech.

 

It defied every music store loud saturday afternoon shredfests you've

ever heard as "the little kids who jam" went to town and there was no

surpervision whatsoever and it was literal insanity, people were fleeing

for the exits and the sound was brutally loud. What the heck?

[RooSTER-b]

 

I understand, but you know how people on here react sometimes. A lot is oft taken out of context or blown way out of proportion. And I agree. Their sale/trade/negotiating policies are a lot less liberal than they used to be.

 

 

I hate to keep beating this horse, but it just seems crazy to me. When you operate a business based on a "business model" with no regards to demographics etc. that just seems insane. Sure, they will probably sell a ton of starter packs and beginner guitars, but they are going to lose the "enthusiasts" like ourselves. Maybe they read this stuff? If so......you're {censored}ing up! I bought 7 guitars from my GC within 6 months of grand opening, but I can't anymore. It's changed THAT much. Each store manager should be able to "know" his clientele, and treat them accordingly. Now, each customer is the same as the next. You and I are no better than the kid abusing the inventory. That's bad business. That's Wal Mart.

[aliensporebomb]

Oh and speaking of cool stores in Minneapolis?

 

Lavonnes in Savage - great guitar, bass, and acoustic selection, nice

selection of amps too. Low key and I've bought tons of stuff there,

really cool.

 

Twin Town in Minneapolis - good selection of the "old standbys"

(fender, gibson etc) but AMAZING selection of pedal effects, it's like

a pedal effects DREAM STORE, with a cool used selection as well

as amps and such. They've got some very nice strats and teles

too.

 

Willies - nuff said, that place is the place you'd go if you won the

lottery. Crazy.

 

I've not yet visited Solidbody Guitar or whatever that other vintage

place is on the north side of town.

 

I'm sure I'm overlooking some places.

[guitarman3001]

 

I hate to keep beating this horse, but it just seems crazy to me. When you operate a business based on a "business model" with no regards to demographics etc. that just seems insane. Sure, they will probably sell a ton of starter packs and beginner guitars, but they are going to lose the "enthusiasts" like ourselves. Maybe they read this stuff? If so......you're {censored}ing up! I bought 7 guitars from my GC within 6 months of grand opening, but I can't anymore. It's changed THAT much. Each store manager should be able to "know" his clientele, and treat them accordingly. Now, each customer is the same as the next. You and I are no better than the kid abusing the inventory. That's bad business. That's Wal Mart.

 

 

I agree with that 100%. That's how they have lost me. I've spent untold thousands of dollars there. Now I'll take my business elsewhere. If I don't feel like I can go in there and get a better deal than I can elsewhere, not to mention they stopped stocking anything even remotely interesting to me, I'll go somewhere else. If things end up that no one anywhere is willing to haggle or give a better price or better service or more attention to me when I'm there with a thousand bucks in my pocket, there's no reason for me to be loyal to anyone. I fear that it's gonna turn into a walmart industry.

[KwadGuy]

 

I hate to keep beating this horse, but it just seems crazy to me. When you operate a business based on a "business model" with no regards to demographics etc. that just seems insane. Sure, they will probably sell a ton of starter packs and beginner guitars, but they are going to lose the "enthusiasts" like ourselves. Maybe they read this stuff? If so......you're {censored}ing up! I bought 7 guitars from my GC within 6 months of grand opening, but I can't anymore. It's changed THAT much. Each store manager should be able to "know" his clientele, and treat them accordingly. Now, each customer is the same as the next. You and I are no better than the kid abusing the inventory. That's bad business. That's Wal Mart.

 

 

Yes, but if the reason you bought those 7 guitars previously is because they were selling them at or below cost, and the reason you haven't bought anything since is that they are no longer willing to sell at or below cost, then they don't want your business.

 

And remember that the "cost" of a guitar is not only the invoice, but also the cost of floor space, the cost of salespeople, etc. Each store manager can "know" his clientele all they want, but they STILL can't sell at or below cost if the store is being properly run.

 

Bottom line is: If you only want to buy when you can get a steal then they don't want or need you as a customer.

 

Now, if you were saying that the only reason you don't buy guitars there anymore is that they aren't providing Cadillac service, and that if they did then you'd be willing to pay Cadillac prices, then I'd say they have a problem and, in fact, are NOT properly addressing their clientelle. But you can't have Cadillac service and sub-WalMart prices.

[RooSTER-b]

 

Yes, but if the reason you bought those 7 guitars previously is because they were selling them at or below cost, and the reason you haven't bought anything since is that they are no longer willing to sell at or below cost, then they don't want your business. And remember that the "cost" of a guitar is not only the invoice, but also the cost of floor space, the cost of salespeople, etc. Each store manager can "know" his clientele all they want, but they STILL can't sell at or below cost if the store is being properly run. Bottom line is: If you only want to buy when you can get a steal then they don't want or need you as a customer. Now, if you were saying that the only reason you don't buy guitars there anymore is that they aren't providing Cadillac service, and that if they did then you'd be willing to pay Cadillac prices, then I'd say they have a problem and, in fact, are NOT properly addressing their clientelle. But you can't have Cadillac service and sub-WalMart prices.

 

 

No. I paid full price, and once again, that's not the issue. The issue is, their inventory has become more limited, and it's VERY shopworn, and the customer service is markedly worse. I don't mind paying the same price as MF, but not for stuff thats got chunks missing. When I ask you how much for the Epi g-400 with the 6 inch gouge in it, don't insult me and act like I've never been in your store before, much less spent thousands. They didn't act that way 7 or 8 months ago, so it must be Bain. They used to call me as a courtesy and tell me when cool new stuff came in, or when they might be blowing something out. Not because I expected it, but because they appreciated me as someone who shopped there frequently. Believe me, I have a very unassuming demeanor, and am shy when asking for discounts etc.

[Folky_Grunge]

 

I hate to keep beating this horse, but it just seems crazy to me. When you operate a business based on a "business model" with no regards to demographics etc. that just seems insane. Sure, they will probably sell a ton of starter packs and beginner guitars, but they are going to lose the "enthusiasts" like ourselves. Maybe they read this stuff? If so......you're {censored}ing up! I bought 7 guitars from my GC within 6 months of grand opening, but I can't anymore. It's changed THAT much. Each store manager should be able to "know" his clientele, and treat them accordingly. Now, each customer is the same as the next. You and I are no better than the kid abusing the inventory. That's bad business. That's Wal Mart.

 

 

Exactly.

 

Another form of bad business from them is their employees. Most of the time, they don't know what they're talking about, and even if they do, they don't want to help you. Most of the other complaints about Guitar Center (damaged instruments, unnecessary noise, etc.) is annoying, but the employee issue is a way bigger deal for me. It shows a lack of respect and regard for the customer.

 

For example, the other day I was in a store because I was looking to trade in my TS9 and SD-9 for a Jekyll and Hyde, and I asked a salesman if the store did trade-ins. The first thing he told me was that I should put the pedals on craigslist (after actually knowing what I had), because I would get more money. When I told him that I wanted to see how much trade-in value I would get anyway, he took my pedals to the appraisal guy in the store, talked up the value of my stuff, then decided I wasn't getting enough (which I knew anyway), and told me to put them on craigslist (which I did). The guy didn't care about taking my money, he just wanted to help me out. When was the last time someone had an experience like that at GC?

[BASSDAD]

 

I've had similiar experiences regarding rather small discounts for damaged items before the takeover. Let them site a while and the price will come down. I will actually be sad to see them close stores. Even in as large of a market as Dallas, TX, there still isn't another store that comes close to having their inventory variety. I really wish MARS hadn't gone under. Perhaps Sweetwater or Sam Ash will open a store here.

 

 

Sweetwater is a one man operation. The only fashionable thing in Fort Wayne:cool:

 

They don't do the franchise thing. Sweetwater is literally owned by one dude. One very rich dude...

 

Now I can't wait for the FW GC to close. 90% load of douchebags there. Assistant managers having a $225 difference on trades, lack of product knowledge.They even called people the weekend of Memorial day to ask them to come in for the sale. And it was a friggin joke. $625 for a faded SG like it's a favor. I got mine in late March for $507 from a different GC.They wouldn't do it for $579 cause of the increase. Wonder how the other GC did it? Now, I willl say they can pick some racked up, tattooed, bleached, checkout/accessory chicks. They'LL be a Shangrla and Showgirls when GC goes down.

[KwadGuy]

 

No. I paid full price, and once again, that's not the issue. The issue is, their inventory has become more limited, and it's VERY shopworn, and the customer service is markedly worse. I don't mind paying the same price as MF, but not for stuff thats got chunks missing. When I ask you how much for the Epi g-400 with the 6 inch gouge in it, don't insult me and act like I've never been in your store before, much less spent thousands. They didn't act that way 7 or 8 months ago, so it must be Bain. They used to call me as a courtesy and tell me when cool new stuff came in, or when they might be blowing something out. Not because I expected it, but because they appreciated me as someone who shopped there frequently. Believe me, I have a very unassuming demeanor, and am shy when asking for discounts etc.

 

 

Then I would say that, yes, if you are that kind of customer and they have lost your business, then they ARE doing something wrong. Now, I would have to say that the fault may lay with the local store and not with Bain. I am sure Bain didn't say "don't treat the customers who provide a decent profit margin superior experience". In fact, these are the very customers you are trying to keep. So either someone at your local store took home the wrong message, or else they are simply demoralized by the changes that Bain has generally brought.

 

I would actually suggest that you lay your your complaints and contact Bain. "I am a regular customer who has purchased multiple guitars at your asking price and now you guys suck blah blah blah." If they have ANY clue, the lest you'll get is a call from a corporate customer relations person, and you might actually bring about some change...or even get some sort of apology coupon/merchandise/something.

[guitarman3001]

Now, I willl say they can pick some racked up, tattooed, bleached, checkout/accessory chicks. They'LL be a Shangrla and Showgirls when GC goes down.

 

OMG yes!!!!!! That's the one nice thing about going there. Every time I walk in there is always a hot, and I mean freakin HOT chick at the door doing the whole check-in/check-out thing.

[The Bear]

I think you will see Bain putting GC up for sale in 24-36 months.

In the 90s' I worked for a company that was bought and sold every 3 years.

Like clockwork.

10 years-3 owners/investment firms.

This was happening to all companies in our field if construction.

They come in, make drastic, accross the board changes in policy, managment and stock.

They hold on to the company for 2-3 years and put the Assets up for sale.

That's what Bain bought.

They invested in GCs' assets, and in 2-3 years they'll sell these asstes for a nice profit.

This is what they do, and why they buy and stock the same old thing, and why they won't go out of the set parameters on pricing. on pricing.

When they do sell it's easier for them to sell assets that are higher in value and that are related to large manufacturers.

 

They are also selling 45 stores in the States and opening 4-5 stores in Europe.

There's will they will make their big profits before selling out again.

 

I may be wrong, but I don't think so.

[Minitruth]

 

I think you will see Bain putting GC up for sale in 24-36 months. In the 90s' I worked for a company that was bought and sold every 3 years. Like clockwork. 10 years-3 owners/investment firms. This was happening to all companies in our field if construction. They come in, make drastic, accross the board changes in policy, managment and stock. They hold on to the company for 2-3 years and put the Assets up for sale. That's what Bain bought. They invested in GCs' assets, and in 2-3 years they'll sell these asstes for a nice profit. This is what they do, and why they buy and stock the same old thing, and why they won't go out of the set parameters on pricing. on pricing. When they do sell it's easier for them to sell assets that are higher in value and that are related to large manufacturers. They are also selling 45 stores in the States and opening 4-5 stores in Europe. There's will they will make their big profits before selling out again. I may be wrong, but I don't think so.

 

 

I agree, they are following the currency. Soon, Euroland will be the land

of cheap guitars, 'cause the USD is toast.

[MojoFilter]

I will never be setting foot in another Guitar Center, as long as Alto Music in Middletown NY is around.

 

It's what you really wish Guitar Center was, and never is.

 

I want Guitar Center to fold as quickly as possible...and then I might make an exception to "never going"...as long as I can get in on the liquidation sale.

 

I despise Guitar Center.

[Athiest_Peace]

The local GC has never impressed me. I went there 3 or 4 times, and each time I went in i looked at an Epi Elitist Lp. Missing a volume knob, the tip of the selector switch was gone, and the last 2 times it had a broken high E string. they didn't even try to trim the string, just let it hang there like it was fine. I always asked what the best deal on it would be, and every time was told " the price tag is our best deal". Oh, I know all about the profit/ loss situation. and I know that eventually some kid will comed in and use mom n dads credit card to buy the LP and think he's got the best guitar for a good price. But I have had much better luck going to the mom n pops and saying I want this for this price...and normally i can get it for that price. Of course I have gone to the same 2 mom n pops for the longest time, so that does give me an advantage. They know if I go in looking for something and making an offer chances are that I'll walk out with it that day. Sadly that advantage at the guitar shop is very dangerous for me when i get home from the guitar store and face the Mrs.

[xStonr]

 

You can't haggle prices anymore - but you can find the lowest price on the internet, write down the URL and GC will match the price. They did that on the acoustic guitar I bought last month...

 

 

That is exactly what I do whenever I go to a guitar store, be it GC or the mom and pop store. They will usually match it without a problem.

[jrockbridge]

My last 2 guitars purchased from stores were an American Deluxe Strat from ProSound and a used Parker Nitefly from Graner music. Rather than bitch about GC, I shop elsewhere....works for me.