My first Guitar Center experience [rant]

heliker · Unread post by **heliker** » Thu Jul 08, 2004 12:50 am

What follows is just a rant I had to get off my chest.

I just moved to a city with a guitar center and went by to check it out: I have to say I'm dissapointed.

I've always heard such good things from the folks on this site and everyone seems to have fun there, but I really didn't like it. The place was big but cramped - guitars and equipment everywhere, but not neat, just kinda warehouse style. And noisy!!! Everyone had their electrics plugged in and cranked up, I certainly couldn't hear much from the couple acoustics I tried, even in the special acoustics room.

Their fabled selection just wasn't there. Sure, you could try Martins, Taylors, Takamines, Fenders and Yamahas, but nothing else. None of those beautiful small name companies that put out great guitars. I wanted to try a Laravie, not a chance Maybe I'm just spoiled, but every local 'ma&pa' shop I've been to has had easily twice the selection they had. And their prices were nothing special. My local favorite will match any price I can find, local, on the web, any price at all, so their 'below MSRP' was just average.

But besides all that, the people there were miserable. Every punk teenager grabbing an electric, blaring power chords and (if they were "good") ascending a major chord as a 'riff'... Just there to show off. I only saw one guy who showed any respect for the instrument. He was actually there to play a few and listen to the instrument and get a feel for its strengths and weaknesses. Everyone else was just there to try to show off, to pretend to be something. Bleh.

So all in all, a bad experience. I don't get what the big deal is? GC seems to me to be the epitome of everything bad in a big box store. Bleh. Have you all had a better one? Should I give another GC somewhere else a try?

Sorry for the rant! I had to...

everydayDMBfan_18 · Unread post by **everydayDMBfan_18** » Thu Jul 08, 2004 12:54 am

The noisy part reminds me of my Sam Ash, my GC isn't too bad.

GC is alright, but yeah Ma&Pa stores are nice, but I dont think they'res any around where I live...I think Philly has the closest to me

saleen · Unread post by **saleen** » Thu Jul 08, 2004 1:14 am

I am also not a fan a GC, too much corporate america, I only go there for strings and small things that I know that they have. You can also talk them down pretty easily on their prices which is nice. I make sure and just go in get what I want and leave, usually I only have to hear a bad version of stairway to heaven 3 or 4 times before I leave. I really can't stand stores like wal-mart and GC as well as many other big corporate conglomorates but they do provide some good services. I hate going to wal-mart but I know that sometimes they are going to have the cheapest stuff which is still cool.

everydayDMBfan_18 · Unread post by **everydayDMBfan_18** » Thu Jul 08, 2004 1:22 am

The only thing I have found Walmart to be noticably cheaper in is..cereal..thats it. Other than that it just a little bit off

Ranting Thespian · Unread post by **Ranting Thespian** » Thu Jul 08, 2004 1:29 am

From everyone I have talked to, and tons of people I have seen post on here (not recently, but last year), most dislike GC stores. Me, I have some around here:

Ward Brodt Music Mall - they have good stuff, and tons more than guitars, but no one knows what they are doing, I mean SERIOUSLY, they know nothing about guitars, and act as if they do, and just try to get a sale as hard and fast as possible

Madison Music - great guitars, they are the main martin and taylor dealers here. It is so uptight, and restricted, and uncomfortable, and the person has to sit there with you when you play, for the whole time.

Spruce Tree Music - I went there once, they all looked at me negatively, and treated me like shit, and they had tons and tons of acoustics, but packed into such a small place, it was bad

Good & Loud Music - I LOVE this place. Everyone knows me there, awesome prices, I get strings under 6 bucks that cost more than 8 at ward brodt, and more than 12 at madison and spruce tree music. They will let you play all day and night, as long as you respect others. They have great selection of electrics and acoustics. They really know their stuff, and everyone hates Ward Brodt, lol, and I like to trash Ward Brodt there, lol. Good & Loud is the best music store I have been in and have seen. I wish I could work there, or be ther eeveryday!!!!!!

hcole · Unread post by **hcole** » Thu Jul 08, 2004 10:58 am

The only GC i've ever been to isn't too bad. It's my least favorite but it's not like the horror stories I hear people tell on the board. They have a good selection of Taylor, Martin, Gibson and such. They don't carry Larrivee (any more) and your not gonna find small name makers there so don't go there expecting to get your hands on one. If you have a mom & pop that you like and matches prices then I would just stay away from GC.

Macht · Unread post by **Macht** » Fri Jul 09, 2004 12:16 pm

Indepent/Non-Chain Ma and Pa stores are the greatest music stores ever. They will eventually get to know you and give you discounts and crap. I go to this guitar store and its awesome, they're like sup Josh? We ordered X guitar, go check it out. I've stayed for hours just jammin on their instruments.

I'm just babbling on and on, but I love that store so much. They given me free strigns sets sometimes. They took 20 bucks off my DD-6...

Ranting Thespian · Unread post by **Ranting Thespian** » Sat Jul 10, 2004 1:40 am

Macht wrote:I go to this guitar store and its awesome, they're like sup Josh? We ordered X guitar, go check it out. I've stayed for hours just jammin on their instruments

Same with Good & Loud Music. as long as you respect everyone else playing and trying out, you play whatever. They have told me to check out new guitars, too, not to buy them but to play them. Also, for the EXPENSIVE acoustics, they don't let people take them down without their permission and guidance. Me, as a regular? They take it, shove it into me, and go do their job, lol, ah the trust from good local guitar stores.

Same with Corey, if you need your guitar looked at, or set up, you would have to bring it in, sign a slip, do this and that, leave it there, come back when it's done . . . blah blah blah. Now, Corey knows me and has done it so many times. If I come in, he's not busy, he pulls out his tools, tunes it up, I give him a 20, in under 30 minutes, it's done, lol! Why? Because I am a regular, and they respect me. I actualy have sold 4 different things to people at the store, yet I get no paycheck, lmao.

heliker · Unread post by **heliker** » Sat Jul 10, 2004 11:46 am

Hehe, nice. See, thats why I love the local stores! They're always owned by people who love music and guitar, so they're guaranteed to be pleasant and informed and cool people, and above all respectful. I think thats the thing that really got to me at GC, no one there seemed to respect the guitars or the music at all, employees or customers. So it made me mad.

I'm glad other people have had the same experiences, now I don't have to go try another GC somewhere else... I'll just stick with the local places I can find. They appreciate my patronage and can teach me a thing or two while I'm in there

crowdedstr · Unread post by **crowdedstr** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 1:04 am

not surprising at all -- guitar center sucks.

hd28v · Unread post by **hd28v** » Thu Jul 15, 2004 9:25 pm

I've always heard such good things from the folks on this site and everyone seems to have fun there

If people's idea of fun is getting bugged by 2-3 sales guys and playing guitars with 6 months old strings that are out of tune then count me out. I am sure there are some good Guitar Centers but I am not happy, nor go to the one by me.

There guranteed losest price is BS also. Look hard and you will find much better prices or comparable prices on better guitars. Research, research, research.

HendrixWS · Unread post by **HendrixWS** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 12:35 am

I usually hate GC but I went to the one in downtown chicago yesterday and it was good I mean the guitars are still on the wall but they sound good and look better than the most GC guitars I've seen and heard. Changed my opinion about GC a bit.

DrFartbrain · Unread post by **DrFartbrain** » Sun Jul 18, 2004 12:13 pm

My nearest GC in Totowa isn't that bad of a place. The acoustic room is actually fairly quiet and insulated, so you can get away from the power-chord morons in the front. But this one time, I saw this sweet Pearl 7 pc. drum set, and as I asked for a pair of sticks to try it out and show off my sweet little Say Goodbye riffs, some moronic pre-teens started beating the crap out of every other set. They wouldn't let me play. I will never go there for percussion stuff ever again.

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My first Guitar Center experience [rant]

My first Guitar Center experience [rant]

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