Members Firebrand Posted June 12, 2012 Members Share Posted June 12, 2012 All that aside, the m&p in my home town was terrible. Terrible service. Crappy upkeep of instruments in their store. I helped a small used only store grow to be viable competition, which it was. And it did well until a statewide franchise with a GC kind of structure moved into town. That place was great, but they wouldn't touch used so the store I helped grow (Mr Gigs) did real well until the two men who started the store passed away. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members fatbackribs Posted June 12, 2012 Members Share Posted June 12, 2012 guitar center is in such trouble in fact, that they just opened a new store in north portland a couple weeks ago. I don't see these two statements as being mutually exclusive. If G.C. can't pay their debts and they have shareholder demands and confidence to manage then they may as well double down and keep the loans coming in. G.C. has announced a couple of new stores opening up in Norcal that will also feature rehearsal spaces and lessons. At the same time the G.C. in San Francisco seems to barely keep up with current guitar lines. There was a lot of rumbling at NAMM this year when G.C. announced they were leaving M.A.P., (minimum advertised price,) pricing. I know they had also dumped a ton of dough into vintage gear before the bottom started to drop on the collector's market. Now they are left with a lot of over valued gear on the current market and no way to make a profit from it, let alone break even. G.C. is way too big to go down quick, but the future doesn't look too bright. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members misterstomach Posted June 12, 2012 Members Share Posted June 12, 2012 too big to fail. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members melx Posted June 12, 2012 Members Share Posted June 12, 2012 There are a lot of good alternative to GC these days though, mostly online shops, like Sweetwater, American Musical Supply, PGS, etc. Plus their own MF and Music123. I never really understood why both MF and M123 both exist, since they're the same company (or maybe they aren't anymore). It's to give the consumer an illusion of choice. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members guit30 Posted June 12, 2012 Members Share Posted June 12, 2012 I like to go to guitar center, it and Music and Arts have the best selections of guitars in the Northwest Philly Area. I go to Plymouth Meeting Guitar Center. I used to go to a couple of local stores (still there), but the owners are real jerks. I bought 3 guitars from the one place. I don't plan on going back after they messed up my guitar doing a setup. Nobody will do a setup the way you want it, even though you pay them to do it. Music and Arts have this Eastman Dreadnought That I salivate over when I go there, It is either incredible or Dead, they have no inbetween. They are made for Music and arts by Eastman. They come with an incredible case too. @ GC, they have a 500 dollar PRS Electric I just love, it is the Tremonte version. Lightweight, beautiful tones. Plus, right now, they are friendly. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dZjupp Posted June 12, 2012 Members Share Posted June 12, 2012 i use to love going into music stores, trying out new gear, buying things, etc, etc. then, it seems M&P stores all became real asswads. arrogant and jerks about pricing. that just killed it for me. the only good store in my area (des moines), i used to buy stuff from, then one day i was talking about trading in on another "used" guitar, and the owner walks by overhearing just mere 'talk', i wasn't even to the deal yet, and he just goes off on this tirade to me, like i'd never bought anything from him, and like i had no clue about how buying instruments worked. it pissed me off so much, here i was, for the last 5-6 years buying a majority of my gear from this place and that freaking owner treating me like a 13 year old dumbass. i might buy a pedal new every now and then, but an amp, guitar or anything else, i'll prob never buy new in a store again. heck, if someone sold strings on craigslist, i would most likely never step foot into a music store again. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members ispunk Posted June 12, 2012 Members Share Posted June 12, 2012 I've never been to GC I guess I better them out before all the stores close up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BG76 Posted June 12, 2012 Members Share Posted June 12, 2012 I'm not sure who was stalking who, but both MARS locations in the Dallas area were located within a mile or two of a Guitar Center. Yeah, when I lived in Massachusetts they were right across the street from each other. It was great for the consumer if you were willing to go back and forth all day to match a price. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members dZjupp Posted June 12, 2012 Members Share Posted June 12, 2012 i know when i go to the GC here, they are actually really nice, not dewshy at all, i guess some of them might be, maybe we've lucked out in our area. yes i have been to the ulti-desher GC's here and there, but honestly, the one here is a somewhat dewsh free zone. that could be due a the manager though, i mean i notice when i'm in there they seem to have a "treat everyone that comes through the door the same", which is a good belief to have. unlike the other M&P store here where the owner treats people like garbage leaving his own employees prob embarassed sometimes through the year they get special run fenders from the mim arena. i've seen tele specials with a lil 59 in the bridge, another sweet tele with the 25db boost built in, and now they have 2 special run jags in the burgandy mist and silver mist with bound fretboards, i can't believe those are still there after 6 months. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Trick Fall Posted June 12, 2012 Members Share Posted June 12, 2012 I guess I'm lucky in that my local guitar store is pretty awesome. It's actually best if you are looking to buy something like an amp or guitar o deal with the owner directly as he loves to wheel and deal so you get the best pricing off him. They also do't have as wide a selection as GC or Sam's Ass, but the gear they carry is really well chosen. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members mrbluetone Posted June 12, 2012 Members Share Posted June 12, 2012 I'd better get in there and stock up on some DS-1's then! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Firebrand Posted June 12, 2012 Members Share Posted June 12, 2012 Unless you know the owners of M&P stores in an outside relationship here in Geand Rapids you get zero attention. Honestly before they downsized inventory the non-commission staff at BestBuy were more pushy and rude than GC, with exception to one or two people there. But one of them was fired last January and the other seems to have settled down. My big issue is the stores who give you the evil eye when you look like you might be thinking of taking a squier level guitar off the wall to check it out. I have yet to make a major purchase from the local GC but they still treat me like a valued customer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members OnWingsOfLead Posted June 12, 2012 Members Share Posted June 12, 2012 This is nowhere near true. GC has opened about 20 stores in the last 2 years, and are making money, not losing it. The Fender and Ibanez selections in stores have actually grown tremendously. Been working for GC Raleigh for 4 years. We aren't hurting Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members plaidbeer Posted June 12, 2012 Members Share Posted June 12, 2012 i know when i go to the GC here, they are actually really nice, not dewshy at all, i guess some of them might be, maybe we've lucked out in our area. yes i have been to the ulti-desher GC's here and there, but honestly, the one here is a somewhat dewsh free zone. that could be due a the manager though, i mean i notice when i'm in there they seem to have a "treat everyone that comes through the door the same", which is a good belief to have. unlike the other M&P store here where the owner treats people like garbage leaving his own employees prob embarassed I agree with all of this about GC. I've never had a negative experience with any of the employees at any of the GCs I've been to going all the way back to the late 90s. I don't like it that they refuse to negotiate on used gear, but I have never encountered any jerks or been treated badly. They've been nothing but helpful every time I've been there and I've bought a lot of my used gear there as a result. I know this sounds shilly, but I don't work for them nor do I think I could because of their pay system. In a weird twist, the owner of the local music store where I grew up (loved that place as a kid/teen) now heads up the guitar department at one of the GCs here in Dallas and has been there for years and seems happy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members macadood Posted June 12, 2012 Members Share Posted June 12, 2012 CCR. PGS will win the wars of toan Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members onyxrhino Posted June 12, 2012 Members Share Posted June 12, 2012 Oh let's go back to the days of Mom and Pop stores. I remember the biggest one in my town. The only pedals they stocked were Ibanez Soundtanks. Never once saw an offset guitar in there. Oh, and the owner wouldn't stock guitar strings heavier than .10. I asked for .11s once and he told me I wasn't supposed to use strings that heavy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BG76 Posted June 12, 2012 Members Share Posted June 12, 2012 Oh let's go back to the days of Mom and Pop stores. I remember the biggest one in my town. The only pedals they stocked were Ibanez Soundtanks. Never once saw an offset guitar in there. Oh, and the owner wouldn't stock guitar strings heavier than .10. I asked for .11s once and he told me I wasn't supposed to use strings that heavy. That's the thing. Like I said, if you were in a bigger market the stores were great. I grew up in Massachusetts and Providence and Boston had great stores but the smaller towns like I lived in had places like you describe. I remember the days when the only place to get guitar strings on a Sunday was Sam Goody in the mall (at $12.00 a set for Brite Wires) - of course back then kids actually wanted to learn how to play guitar and not just buy guitars so the mall/chain record stores sold books, etc.... We had a couple local stores that either charged MSRP or really close to it or had stuff in stock that hung on the walls. I used to be so excited when the new AMS, MF, etc... catalog would come in. The upside (which would not exist today) is that there were a lot of small used gear stores where today's "vintage" stuff was just used gear and was priced accordingly. I'm talking about oddball 60s/70s stuff not pre-CBS Fender or old Gibson stuff. Today online would not have those types of stores back. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Snowden Posted June 12, 2012 Members Share Posted June 12, 2012 I guess I'm lucky. I grew up with the coolest M&P store. Father and son owned. The son would fit in perfectly on this forum, actually. They carry Eastwood, Reverend, Danelectro and are working on getting Catalinbread and Earthquaker Devices up in there, along with the usual. They also have a guy that'll build pretty much anything effects-wise for you. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members driverhasabomb Posted June 12, 2012 Members Share Posted June 12, 2012 The upside (which would not exist today) is that there were a lot of small used gear stores where today's "vintage" stuff was just used gear and was priced accordingly. I'm talking about oddball 60s/70s stuff not pre-CBS Fender or old Gibson stuff. Today online would not have those types of stores back. That's pretty much exactly what Musicgoround is like in Louisville. Tons of 70's on up oddball {censored} priced for less than you can get it on ebay before shipping. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members arcadesonfire Posted June 12, 2012 Members Share Posted June 12, 2012 That was the joke. :poke: And I don't think it's subliminal. From the trailers, some sort of economic inequality is a big part of the plot. Interesting. All the billionaires out there had better start living up to the standards set by Bruce Wayne. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Reaganomics! Posted June 12, 2012 Members Share Posted June 12, 2012 Oh let's go back to the days of Mom and Pop stores. I remember the biggest one in my town. The only pedals they stocked were Ibanez Soundtanks. Never once saw an offset guitar in there. Oh, and the owner wouldn't stock guitar strings heavier than .10. I asked for .11s once and he told me I wasn't supposed to use strings that heavy. Hey kid, you like Peavey? How bout Fernandes? No? too bad! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members BG76 Posted June 12, 2012 Members Share Posted June 12, 2012 Hey kid, you like Peavey? How bout Fernandes? No? too bad! You have to move up to that stuff! Try this Series 10 and Gorilla! How about one of these fuzzy Quantum jobs? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 1DZReverendDavidLee Posted June 12, 2012 Members Share Posted June 12, 2012 ..I personally don't like buying a guitars off internet. To many times I've gotten guitar and it wasn't right. I wanna play them hear them before I purchase them.Thank you. I used to go to the local Fender dealer and try out 20 some strats before the one that felt best for my hands and feel went home with me. I guess that makes me a dinosaur but since it's my money I'm spending, I guess I can live with that. Some of you obviously had some real {censored}ty local Mom & Pop stores and that's too bad. We had a main Mom & Pop store here for over 40 years and ol Fred had the best selection of Fenders & Gibsons than anyone anywhere. If your amp fried right before a gig on a Friday night - Fred would tell you to grab whatever you wanted off the show room floor and tell you to see him later. Obviously Fred had to know you and have done business with you, but once you earned his trust - you were good as gold forever. He was great to deal with and he always rewarded you for your loyalty to him. GC doesn't hold a candle to Fred. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members Reaganomics! Posted June 12, 2012 Members Share Posted June 12, 2012 I actually had a pretty good Mom & Pop store near my hometown that had Gibson and G&L stuff, and I do think they undercut GC pricewise. They packed up and left before I really knew anything about music or gear. There is a countertop place there now. OH WELL. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Members 1DZReverendDavidLee Posted June 12, 2012 Members Share Posted June 12, 2012 i use to love going into music stores, trying out new gear, buying things, etc, etc. then, it seems M&P stores all became real asswads. arrogant and jerks about pricing. that just killed it for me. the only good store in my area (des moines), i used to buy stuff from, then one day i was talking about trading in on another "used" guitar, and the owner walks by overhearing just mere 'talk', i wasn't even to the deal yet, and he just goes off on this tirade to me, like i'd never bought anything from him, and like i had no clue about how buying instruments worked. it pissed me off so much, here i was, for the last 5-6 years buying a majority of my gear from this place and that freaking owner treating me like a 13 year old dumbass... I also live in Des Moines and I already know who you're talking about. And I agree with everything you just said. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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