So I went to Guitar Center

For the second time in a week. I just needed a case for one of my boards. The place didn't actually annoy me the last few visits though, and it scares me. I think I might be stupid again.

Seriously though, there haven't been as many people (well, almost nobody!) in the keyboard area when I've gone. So It's been easy to demo stuff and actually hear myself. Also some actual cool sales people there. Friendly, honest, helpful...everything that I though Guitar Center was incapable of.

The downside to this is that everything that they are selling all sounds bland and uninspiring so there is really no reason to spend any time (or money) there right now. If they get an SH-201 in then I wanna toy with that, but all the new gear just makes me go .

There was a Radias rack by all the midi controllers and softsynth stuff but I know {censored} about MIDI setups and couldn't get it going.

They need a vintage room. Some old electric pianos, maybe a nice acoustic or too. A Hammond and Leslie back in the corner, a few Minimoogs in a stack. Maybe a Waldorf Wave. The good stuff. And to get into this room of awesomeness, you must demonstrate some level of proficiency in music. Maybe name the notes of a C major triad. This would keep many customers out, and make for a very good room.

And the OASYS sucks.

I always have a good time and get great deals at my local GC. I tend to buy nearly all my stuff used online, but if i do need a new piece or cables, GC it is.

Only problem is - they never carry any of the stuff I want!! Wheres my used V-Synth for $750?

In the keys room at my guitar center they have all these cool posters of old analogs with pics and text that looks like it came strait from VSE. Its like being in retro coolville.

The closest thing to analog they have for sale is 1 micron.

Yeah, we have those posters too at our local store. The past few times I've stopped at the GC keyboard area, the sale guys who cover it have swooped on me like vultures. That last time, when I bought the Mogami cables it went:

"So what kinda board do you need this for?"

"Voyager"

"Moog?"

"The kind you don't sell here."

"Ohhhhh, yeah I've heard of those."

The local music store that is in competition with GC wants to hire me to manage their keyboard department, even if I can only work on weekends. How cool would that be? I could play around on stuff all weekend and maybe sell a Privia or two! Maybe that would allow me to finally become the KSS Arranger Keyboard Guru.

If I'm not mistaken, Moog actually did sell Voyagers at GC in the beginning, but they realized that GC sucks even for the vendors so Moog terminated the relationship.

The reason they are boring is because they all have the same inventory. I went to the Houston store, NYC store, and the one here and they are all the same. I actually get unispired going in there.

I should feel lucky then, I'm in a town of about 300 000 people here in Ontario and I have a loooot of synths at my disposal. Long and McQuade rocks a lot of the time, but they don't have enough stores across Canada.

Right now at my L&M they have an A6, electro 2 73, vsynth, fantoms, motifs, tritons, some VA, and lots more. noot bad.

the GC by me is pretty friendly, and generally not idiots (though there are a few trolls, I know to stay away from). For the most part, they give me deals. Of course, Ive also been shopping there since they opened 10 years ago, so they know me.

My friends' band just travelled to somewhere in Nebraska to play at the grand opening of a new GC store there. The store asked if the band wanted to borrow instruments for the show - the band basically told them, nah, there is nothing here we would wanna use.

Reminds me of a totally unrelated story: My band played for the grand opening of a sporting goods store in an area right across from the watches with our backs up against the women's jogging bra section. Between songs, you could hear well endowed shoppers schreeching the metal hangers back and forth on the racks.

yo billy, you gonna work at prosound?

ask around first, i hear they are not a very good company to work for.

do you know lee @ computers n music?

The Seattle GC has a Voyager on display. The thing is just sitting in the middle of the keyboard area, completely hooked up to giant speakers, and not a soul using it. Except me.

I sat for about an hour a few weeks ago, just tweaking it. I don't think anybody knows what it is, or how to use it.

Weird.

They also had a PEK a few weeks ago but it's gone now.

Being a former guitar department manager for GC, I always find it interesting regarding the comments on GC.

Many of the observations are correct, unfortunately. The employees can be hit or miss. Finding, training, and keeping good people is tough. Especially when some of the better qualified people who hang out in places like this to complain about GC are too "cool" to work there.

As far as getting deals go, GC isn't any different than any other music store, or even car dealer for that matter. The guy you speak to get's paid off PROFIT. I guarantee that if you walk into Manny's, LA Music, Ed Roman's (God help us) as a first time customer, act cold to them, you aren't going to get the best price. It comes down to a "relationship". If you are friendly, and refer business and don't beg for cost on every piddly item, you'll make an impression. Instead of going to them and trying to get all your big items at whore out prices, also go to them for some day-to-day items and pay the asking price.

Think of it from the other side.....if you were going to give away your paycheck by doing big discounts, are you the type of customer you'd do it for?

Sure, the sales dood has to work to make you some deals to win you over as a customer, but if you want the great deals, you also have to work to win over the sales dood.

Yeah, most GC's have almost the same inventory, so unless it's one of the few that has extensive used inventory, if you've been in one, you've seen them all. There are a few exceptions, but not many.

Some people speak dreamily of the good 'ol days with mom and pop music stores. I remember many of them going back to the 70's, and frankly, the selection generally sucked, the sales people weren't really any more knowledgable about gear, and you paid more.

I worked music retail for two years (kybd dept mgr), at this place:

http://www.baileybrothers.com

It was like living in hell for those two years.

Originally posted by BillyWa My friends' band just travelled to somewhere in Nebraska to play at the grand opening of a new GC store there. The store asked if the band wanted to borrow instruments for the show - the band basically told them, nah, there is nothing here we would wanna use. Reminds me of a totally unrelated story: My band played for the grand opening of a sporting goods store in an area right across from the watches with our backs up against the women's jogging bra section. Between songs, you could hear well endowed shoppers schreeching the metal hangers back and forth on the racks.

My band played the grand opening for the GC, in Montgomery, AL.

Everyone involved with GC was very cool to us, they hired the sound company of *our* choice, and paid us a grand for two 45-minute sets.

They even made sure we had the check before we started, and then cashed it for us, when we were done.

Originally posted by Awake77 I always have a good time and get great deals at my local GC. I tend to buy nearly all my stuff used online, but if i do need a new piece or cables, GC it is. Only problem is - they never carry any of the stuff I want!! Wheres my used V-Synth for $750?

Dude they were willing to match riksmusic at GC for a NEW V-Synth but never called me back to confirm with Roland they could special order one. So, like you Awake, I'm on the used market for one now.

Originally posted by Awake77 I always have a good time and get great deals at my local GC. I tend to buy nearly all my stuff used online, but if i do need a new piece or cables, GC it is. Only problem is - they never carry any of the stuff I want!! Wheres my used V-Synth for $750?

Dude they were willing to match riksmusic at GC for a NEW V-Synth but never called me back to confirm with Roland they could special order one. So, like you Awake, I'm on the used market for one now.

Hey LT!

My geetar player works there now and I was thinking of working there on weekends for fun... Does not sound like fun, so I doubt I'll get around to it.

Several people have told me to check out computers n music, I need to.

I find that the sales staff at my GC is very immature and annoying to deal with. In fact, since they've opened the GC, it totally put Sam Ash in a slump, but yet I still prefer to go to them since their keys selection remains the best around here, the sales staff is mature and know what they're talking about, and it's a little easier to get deals because with the popularity of GC, they have some room to move on price in order to make a sale. The only question i ever ask at Guitar Center is "do you have x in stock". I don't need an introduction to the product; that's what the internet is for. And secondly, I don't really like asking a question to a dumbass kid who then in the middle of your conversation, turns to his buddy and starts with his "dude" conversation. Give me a break; you're at work.

Guitar center and Sam Ash, same company, no?

But isn't that the definition of a "gear whore"?

No.

Guitar Center, Inc. owns:

-- Guitar Center

-- Musician's Friend.com

-- Music & Arts Center

-- Harmony Central

Websites damn similar.

Originally posted by MartinHines But isn't that the definition of a "gear whore"?

Of course!

It's like the car business. Every customer wants to buy a new car at cost, and get full retail for their trade.

Musicians Friend = Guitar Center, AFAIK.

Same parent company, or somesuch.

Sam Ash is it's own entity. 8th Street's a subsidiary/partner/conglomerate of something else, though, isn't it?