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First time at GC


FromAbove

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Posted

It looks like it'll be my first time in a Guitar Center this weekend. Shopping for a bass (duh). What hints can you all give for a noob? Are there any special tactics that the sales people use? I've looked at their website. Is what they advertise on there usually what they stock in the stores or is it hit and miss?

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Posted

I've never bought an axe from GC.

 

Lots of PA gear though, a Markbass head, some effects, straps, hardware, cables, etc. And a Fog Machine!!!

 

I've had pretty good results with GC. No problems at all with the gear.

 

I've bought most of my basses off the 'Bay. (5 of 7).

Either I've had good luck or all Reverends and G&Ls are awesome axes.

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Posted

They'll tell you list and then offer the price that everyone else is offering, (if not a little higher), and try to make it sound like they're doing you a favor. Check out the HC reviews to find out what most people are paying for gear and negotiate from there.

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Posted

My rule of thumb for buying any new gear regardless of retailer:

 

If they won't budge to at least 20% off RRP, walk away. You will ALWAYS find a retailer that is willing to do a better deal.

 

and if you want advice about what you are keen to purchase, ask here on the forum where someone who has used it will tell you exactly what is good/bad about it. Don't take some dweeb at GC's word for it.

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Guitar Center is like the local beat down used up whore. You try her out, maybe put it in her butt..you know, do things you would never do with a respectable girl..and then you go find a slightly used good girl somewhere else.

 

Seriously I don't ever buy anything from them. Most of the time the salespeople suck and they rape you in every way possible. I go there to try stuff out and then go to find whatever it was that I like used on ebay or in the classifieds:D

 

 

Dan

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Posted

So they will move on their prices? I've walked on alot of "deals" before and not really cared. I came in without a new bass and I can leave without one. Next question then, what do you look for when you buy off of e-bay and such? Obvious defects in the pics? What else? I've always wondered about that. Same with buying a vehicle from there.

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Posted

There are deals to be had at GC and yes they will move on their prices, but they are pretty F'n stubborn. As far as ebay, I check their feedback first. Then I check the auction and verify that it is what they say it is, then I do a completed auction search and see what it's been going for. Then I do a search and find similar items and watch all of them. I will also normally contact the seller and ask some stupid question to see if they respond and how quickly and how they answer.

 

 

 

dan

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Posted

Don't go to GC expecting a negative experience because then you will find a fault (it's called a self fulfilling prophecy).

 

Bring an ad of the best price you can find ANYWHERE and they will match it. Then you have 30 days to decide if you want to keep the bass.

 

I once bought a $950 Stingray in a case. You can haggle but be realistic. Tell them your price right off the bat and work from there. Remember, the clerk that we all diss in these boards needs to make money too.

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Posted

 

Seriously I don't ever buy anything from them. Most of the time the salespeople suck and they rape you in every way possible. I go there to try stuff out and then go to find whatever it was that I like used on ebay or in the classifieds:D

 

 

That's usually what I do as well, but I will buy from GC. As long as I'm getting good deal I could give 2 {censored}s where it comes from. The GC that I go to has a bad habit. They have their computer setup so I can see it too...so when they look something up, I know what their cost is right off the bat. Kinda puts them at a disadvantage already. Since I go to the same guy all the time, I usually get most stuff for cost. He can make money on some stuff though...

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Posted

Of all the big box music stores I've dealt with, I've had the fewest problems and bought the most gear from GC. I've got about $7K in PA gear from them, my SVT bass rig (both...the -4PRO and the -CL).

 

I've never had a sales person give me a problem, and they've always worked with me to arrive at a price I'll like.

 

The things I've not been happy with are trying instruments....it's simply always too noisey there. No matter when I go, there's always some douchebag wanking a Les into a Mesa. So I've never bought a bass there, but I'm sure if I really wanted, they'd let me try one in the specialty amp room. Next bitch is that I once returned a set of monitor wedges, and the sales guy had to get a return auth from the store manager, on the phone, who proceeded to try to get him to upsell me some other speakers via the phone, even after I told him I was on my lunch and had limited time. This really pissed me off and I hunted the guy down in the store and basically told him he was an unprofessional asshole and did lose my business for the replacement speakers (about $2000 worth).

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Posted

go in knowing what basses you want to play.

 

i went in once to check out Jazz basses. the salesguy handed me a Spector. probably gets a better commission on the Spector.

 

you're in the driver's seat. use the salesperson for help, not advice.

 

do your homework on prices for what you're interested in. know what the basses sell for online. GC is the big-box version of a music store. they may offer lipservice to customer satisfaction, but volume is king.

 

the dealing really starts if you want to add on to your bass purchase. straps, cables, pedals, etc.

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Posted

Don't go to GC expecting a negative experience because then you will find a fault (it's called a self fulfilling prophecy).


Bring an ad of the best price you can find ANYWHERE and they will match it. Then you have 30 days to decide if you want to keep the bass.


I once bought a $950 Stingray in a case. You can haggle but be realistic. Tell them your price right off the bat and work from there. Remember, the clerk that we all diss in these boards needs to make money too.

 

+1 This is exactly right. :thu::thu::thu::thu:

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Posted

As for basses, if you see a few you like, have 'em do a quick set-up for you, so you really know what they feel like.

GC rarely has their instruments set up properly. You might find a Korean Spector that happens to have a good setup and a Warwick with a horrible setup. People go there all the time and come out with skewed views of what good basses feel like.

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Posted

i just wish that the sales people at guitar center and similar places were not musicians but just people who knew specs and general information about the products they were selling. that way when i go in there i dont have to listen to some rambling bull{censored} about how i would like something because this jag off does! i usually tell the sales guy i will come get him when i need him.

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Posted

It really depends on the salesperson you get. I went in, found a Precision that just felt good in my hands, and sounded great. The salesperson (some kid), refused to drop the price a dollar. I said "sorry, not taking it." I came back in a week later. The bass was still tucked away, so i grabbed it and walked up to another sales guy (older guy). He was super friendly, and gave me the price I wanted on it. He made the sale in front of the kid who refused to deal.

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Posted

One more thing. Cultivate one of the clerks. You may pay a bit more than what you want for an item today but you'll reap some perks later (you always go to him regardless of what department you're shopping in). My fave GC clerk knocked off $120 from the price of a V drumset, threw in a free Pearl pedal and discounted a drum throne for me one time. Of course, I always went to him for all my purchases before. And I never haggled on cheap items.

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Posted

Thanks for all the replies/advice. Going to GC sounds like buying a used car at a lot. haha

 

mike fitzwell, that's the GC I'm going to. Also going to try to find that Henri's Music. Any tips?

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Posted

Find a salesperson, and go to that person everytime. On your first purchase, they might budge a little, they might throw in a strap or a cheap gig bag and a stand. The more you buy from that salesperson, the better they will treat you. I've been buying gear from the same guy for 5 years, and I never pay more than 10% over cost, most of the time less than that. Like Undead Sycip said, if all you want is cheap small items, just pay the asking price.

 

 

Going to the same guy everytime pays off. My sales guy has been promoted to the store assistant manager, but then stepped down cause he made more money as an awesome salesperson. I can go in there any day of the week and borrow whatever amp/bass I want and try it out at a gig. That's the kind of respect you can get, but you have to respect the salesperson too.

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Posted

My experience is that GC has a pretty poor selection of basses and bass gear. I'd say go to look, then check out some online dealers. For instance, Bass Northwest has very good deals, and they are quite reliable and I believe trustworthy. And selection.. it is just mouthwatering.

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Posted

 

mike fitzwell, that's the GC I'm going to. Also going to try to find that Henri's Music. Any tips?

 

 

The Appleton GC is smaller than the one in Milwaukee, but has a much better selection in the bass department. There I've seen used USA G&Ls, Peavey Cirrus, MTDs and on the used amp side Genz, Bag End, and Epifiani among others. The sales staff seems to be helpful and leave you alone if you're just playing around with stuff. As for dealing, I've found if you're straight with them you get the best results. Don't throw out unreasonable prices and they'll treat you with respect.

 

Henri's Music in Appleton is cool. Their selection, especially their used stuff, can be small. But they're a full service shop and are very knowledgeable in their products. They list their used items from their three locations on their website and I've been able to get some deals on the non-consignment stuff in the past.

 

Aside from those two stores, I don't bother with any other stores in GB/APL/OSH which I've found to carry next to nothing in inventory.

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Posted

Be patient. Be prepared to be in the store for a lot longer time than you budgeted. If it's anything like the GC near me, the sales staff that they stick behind the accessories/effects counter are the most inexperienced and often the most arrogant and least willing to deal.

 

If you have a certain model of bass in mind, ask if they have more in stock than what is on the rack. You may not want the beat up model that every kid has smacked the {censored} out of. Especially when it comes to mass produced instruments like Fenders, for example, they are not all created equal. Try them all until you find what speaks to you.

 

Conversely, if the slightly beat-up floor model speaks to you or feels good in your hands, use that as a bargaining chip. The floor models are harder to get rid of because they have used strings and swirlies in the finish because they've been played. Get 'em to discount deep for those reasons!

 

Good luck!

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Posted

Get this-no shopping for me this weekend. To make a long story short, I'm missing a key for my house. I'm not leaving the area with a key hanging out there somewhere. Off to Menards tomorrow to get new locks for the house. By then, it'll be to late to head off to Appleton. Have to be back Saturday afternoon so it's not worth the drive for us to go. Pissed as can be. Probably won't get a chance to head south until at least Christmas if not later. For a {censored}ing key! Arggghhhh!

  • 5 weeks later...
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Posted

Resurrecting an old post of mine. I finally made it to Appleton this weekend and my first GC experience. The first thing I thought, was cool, a wall of basses. Then the wanking that was going on was pretty tough to wade through. I was looking for a bass strap. Didn't find one that I liked but that store has a lot of equipment. To much noise going on all over though. Guys were plugged in all over the place. I also went to Henri's in Green Bay without any strap luck. Another cool looking store if searching for a bass.

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