Guitar Center

[Kalle]

What is everyones opinions on them?

[bobbob1313]

Good if you don't like being helped.

 

Or if you like being helped by 20 year old metal heads who, instead of helping you pick out a guitar, grab the first thing with dual humbuckers they see and play the same slayer riff over and over and over again.

[a.miller]

They sell used and returned gear as new, for full prices. I have a friend that works there, so I can get a good discount, but even then....I have nearly sworn them off. Another friend bought a $3400 set of mic preamps, which only 14 of 18 worked and the sales rep asked if he would just use them "the way they were" before admitting that they weren't new and that someone had returned them. So, needless to say, I've spent a fair amount of money there in the past but have been so angry with them, that even with the available discount recently purchased an ES-335 elsewhere. No way am I putting out my good money for a used/damaged/shitty condition item. My $.02.

[CalebMac]

I've purchased two acoustic guitar pickups from them, one a seymour duncan and the other an Lr Baggs m1. The seymour duncan was missing pieces, the m1 was broken.

[WaronWar]

I always try to go to an indepdent store but if I can't, then I go to SamAsh instead.

[danelectro]

I like GC. It helps to make friends with a salesman or manager if you plan on being a repeat customer. I usually get a discount from the guys I know and they treat me with respect, if I walk in they greet me by name. Like any big store they get some jerks working there. The only department that I don't like buying stuff from is drums, I never get a discount there.

[sunshine bends]

Ma and PoP stores are hard to find in Southern California these days.. I dont like guitar center but it will do and I go. I just recently purchased a Martin DSMGC.. this is a custom martin for Guitar center will it is a great guitar it is a Martin d-15 just with a solid sitka spruce top. I ignore the reps in a wierd sort of way.. but hey the distribute musical instruments by the boat loads man and that is cool no matter how you look at it .. more music more peace.

[anodyne]

i don't like buying new instruments. i also don't like sweatshops. given that, there's really no reason to shop GC.

[sunshine bends]

Martin Guitars in Nazereth Pennsylvania is a sweatshop ? regardless of buying from guitar center a Martin is a Martin..newer martins have to get old too you know.

[anodyne]

i'd guess that for every martin guitar center sells, they sell half a dozen (at least) indonesian cheap "starter" guitars. i thought about buying a 000-m at GC once, but the way they have the set up at the two around here is so unfortunate. they sound/play poorly (all of them, across the board) at my local GC. when you make an awesome guitar sound like crap, you need to stop selling guitars.

[bobbob1313]

Good if you don't like being helped.

 

Or if you like being helped by 20 year old metal heads who, instead of helping you pick out a guitar, grab the first thing with dual humbuckers they see and play the same slayer riff over and over and over again.

 

I was at GC the other day helping my friend pick out a bass, and while she was looking for one, I decided to play the Ibanez reissue of Jack White's old sears guitar (sounded pretty good) and the sales guy comes over and starts criticizing my playing, telling me I hold the guitar incorrectly or some shit. I just about pulled a Keith Richards and hit him upside the head with it.

[sunshine bends]

i'd guess that for every martin guitar center sells, they sell half a dozen (at least) indonesian cheap "starter" guitars. i thought about buying a 000-m at GC once, but the way they have the set up at the two around here is so unfortunate. they sound/play poorly (all of them, across the board) at my local GC. when you make an awesome guitar sound like crap, you need to stop selling guitars.

 

 

Yeah I agree with this.. but if you happen to purchase a Martin or top of line guitar from GC then have it setup by a good luthier in the area like I had too. Look, I will say it again I dont like GC either they are all wierd at work at least,.. maybe good people though at home. I didnt like that I purchased my guitar there I feel I cheated a local guitar shop out. But all in my real immediate area are long gone .. I use to go to a place called guitar oasis (vintage music gear) where I purchased 90% of my equipment (small ma and pop) they now have a store in Tennessee. I miss them very much.

[anodyne]

the mom and pop place around me were total dicks who WISHED they could be GC (they opened several stores in the area, most folded once GC moved into this market). the GC goobers are selling crud and crudded up gems, but at least they were NICE. the mom and pop folks acted like total rockstars for selling overpriced strings. i feel like a moron having paid list price in my formative years before the advent of popular use of the internet.

[FaintingGoat]

I use to go to a place called guitar oasis (vintage music gear)

 

I remember that store. Those guys always had the coolest Rickenbackers straight from the factory. I love even the standard Rics (330's, 360's, 620's, etc), but Guitar Oasis would special order standard models with toaster pups, accent tremolos, third pickups on semi-hollowbodies, 381's, and so on. Also, they were just cool people. I still have a flamey after market Strat neck w/ a maple cap from them. It's been over ten years since I moved out of that area. It's sad to hear they left too.