Over heard at GC the other day

Could find the post on funniest things overheard Ina music store so I'll start here.

Two young customers were discussing one of them acquiring another effects pedal when his friend said" man ,you can't use that many pedals, your amp is too small. It'll blow up!!!!
I smiled.

Surprised the store employee didn't agree with him and try to sell him a larger amp!

Kidmo he didn't say it happened at guitar center so lets give him the benefit of the doubt.

Kidmo he didn't say it happened at guitar center so lets give him the benefit of the doubt.

Actually he did, it's in the thread title... ;) haha. I agree with kidmo

Was this the Towson store? I haven't stepped foot in there for many years for that reason.

That's not to say that the other GC's are much better. I get in and get out, because I just cannot stand it. And - I do it on a weekday at around 1pm when the store is primarily empty.

I actually will typically just run in so that I can check the construction of some piece of gear that I'm interested in, and may not even try it out. IMO, it is not an environment for trying out gear.

I don't think I would ever buy a pedal from there, though. I mainly go in to check out practice amps or "interesting budget guitars." I got an unusual Epi LP a little over a year ago (at the Glen Burnie location). I didn't really want one, but it played really well (no fret buzz), and it has this fantastic wraparound bridge on it. And the price was ridiculously low. The funny part is that the salesman was trying to get me to buy Planet Waves locking tuners for it, that cost about the same as the guitar itself.

..."Yeah bro - this is what ALL the guys put on this guitar when they buy one!"

I understand that folks "tough it out" to try before they buy, or GC is really their only option. And I can see how the GC-only specials can be appealing.

But I'd rather be spared the experiences altogether. It's the same crap that goes down with any big box store, whether it's Walmart, Home Depot, whatever. Would you go to Best Buy hoping to get some expertise from their sales staff? Probably not (maybe there's a rare case of an employee knowing his/her stuff).

Interesting rumor! :roll:

I was in GC the other day and over heard two employees talking:

Emp. A: "What's your favorite effect?"
Emp. B: "Chorus"
Emp. A: "Chorus! Nobody uses chorus."

Emp. A continued to go on about how much chorus sucks and only losers use chorus.

Then Emp. A set up a delay pedal on the demo amp and began to play.

Emp. B: "Is that chorus?"
Emp. A: "No it's a delay pedal"
Emp. B: "It sounds just like chorus."

Then Emp. A setup a vibrato pedal.

Emp. B: "What pedal is that?"
Emp. A: -no answer-
Emp. B: "That sounds a lot like chorus"
Emp. A: "No man, it's vibrato."
Emp. B: "They sound a lot alike"
Emp. A: "Yeah a little."

Could find the post on funniest things overheard Ina music store so I'll start here.

Two young customers were discussing one of them acquiring another effects pedal when his friend said" man ,you can't use that many pedals, your amp is too small. It'll blow up!!!!
I smiled.

Are you sure you heard him correctly?
Maybe he said "Man, you can't use that many pedals, your head will blow up!"

Wow. I have never experienced any of this at my local Guitar Center. The staff is pretty knowledgeable about the stock they have on hand. There are some moments of ignorance when it comes to some vintage models (e.g. Mosrite) but that is such a niche market so I cut them some slack.

To be honest I don’t recall the local “mom and pop” shops being any better. Sometimes they can be a lot worse.

^^^ works for GC...

^^^ works for GC...

LOL!

^^^ works for GC...

Actually, I don't but it seems that it is the norm here to bash GC for some reason. I personally never had any problems as a customer. Maybe I'm a little more thick skinned or have realistic expectations.

I am just waiting for the great “how dare they ask to check my bag as I leave” debate to begin.

Oh, great, another GC thread... :neutral:

Actually he did, it's in the thread title... ;) haha. I agree with kidmo

Oh ya...lol

Actually, I don't but it seems that it is the norm here to bash GC for some reason. I personally never had any problems as a customer. Maybe I'm a little more thick skinned or have realistic expectations.

I am just waiting for the great “how dare they ask to check my bag as I leave” debate to begin.

I can honestly say, I've never had a great experience at GC, but I've never had a bad experience, either. I was only ever run out of a store by the clerk's condescension, attitude and lack of willingness to help at a local shop.

And to think, I almost bought 3 pickups -- sight-unseen -- from that shop, but, the a-hole attitude kept from ever going back (even though they had a Carr amp I was eyeballing).

That was the day that I decided to but from GC or directly from manufacturers when possible.

"Dude, nice cargo shorts"

I enjoy shopping at the local GC (you all know that) but I'll tell you this.......there are a couple girls in Brookfield who work the pedal/string counter and they are very smart and very helpful and they know brands and tones.

There are a couple young guys work work the string/pedal counter who don't make a lot of sense (I'm being kind). If you need pedals or strings in Brookfield talk to the ladies.

My GC is great. They remember me, a clerk named Dan always says hello and also will make sure the new guys know that I am a regular who spends regular money in there.

My latest overheard conversation in GC was two kids discussing that epiphones are really gibsons that didn't pass qc. That's why the corners of the headstock are cut off. But that the epiphone in question is just as good as the expensive gibsons, it probably just had a small paint flaw somewhere.

And mine have several rooms with a glass door that have nice guitars and amps to try out guitars. They have even moved in an amp like one I have here at home, that way I could see how guitars sounded through my setup

Guitar Center... how many things have I overheard... I shudder to think.

A- Dude what amp do you like?
B- Marshall
A- Dude ***** Marshall you need a Mesa Boogie!
B- Dude I don't like Mesa Boogie
A- But Dude it JAMS!

And then my personal favorite that I heard between an employee and a customer.

E- So you like the Deluxe Reverb?
C- Yeah I like it just fine.
E- Well are you going to be playing gigs, or just playing at home.
C- A little of both, I play out a few times a month.
E- Well then you need a bigger amp, like a Mesa Boogie, all the pros play Mesa Boogie's not Fenders. Even the dude from Creed plays a Mesa Boogie!

I couldn't make something up that good.

The fact is GC is the Wal-Mart of guitar shops..

If that is good or bad, that's for YOU to decide..

Was this the Towson store? I haven't stepped foot in there for many years for that reason.

That's not to say that the other GC's are much better. I get in and get out, because I just cannot stand it. And - I do it on a weekday at around 1pm when the store is primarily empty.

I actually will typically just run in so that I can check the construction of some piece of gear that I'm interested in, and may not even try it out. IMO, it is not an environment for trying out gear.

I don't think I would ever buy a pedal from there, though. I mainly go in to check out practice amps or "interesting budget guitars." I got an unusual Epi LP a little over a year ago (at the Glen Burnie location). I didn't really want one, but it played really well (no fret buzz), and it has this fantastic wraparound bridge on it. And the price was ridiculously low. The funny part is that the salesman was trying to get me to buy Planet Waves locking tuners for it, that cost about the same as the guitar itself.

..."Yeah bro - this is what ALL the guys put on this guitar when they buy one!"

I understand that folks "tough it out" to try before they buy, or GC is really their only option. And I can see how the GC-only specials can be appealing.

But I'd rather be spared the experiences altogether. It's the same crap that goes down with any big box store, whether it's Walmart, Home Depot, whatever. Would you go to Best Buy hoping to get some expertise from their sales staff? Probably not (maybe there's a rare case of an employee knowing his/her stuff).

Yeah, why buy a pedal at GC when you can drive across town and buy the same pedal at the same price (without the 15% discount that GC occassions).

GC may not be a great environment for trying out gear, but I can buy something, take it home (my best place for me to try something out), try it out, and if I don't like it, have 30 days to take it back.

I don't expect the GC sales people to be experienced at anything but using the cash register (or maybe finding a cable so I can plug into an amp). The rest I can figure out myself.

Just my -$.02

I find the GC close to me has gone downhill over the years, but I am not going to trash it. I think different departments within the store have different levels of expertise when it comes to employee knowledge. The worst place to get advice seems to be in the electric guitar/amp section where you mostly have kids selling to kids. The older guys with any serious knowledge like to hide out behind the vintage desk and not offer any help unless you want to talk about the vintage gear. The acoustic guitar department seems to be hit and miss with who is on duty in there. The other sections, including recording equipment and drum departments seem to have very knowledgeable employees, but you often have to seek them out, they do not freely offer any assistance with anything.

I don't expect the GC sales people to be experienced at anything but using the cash register (or maybe finding a cable so I can plug into an amp). The rest I can figure out myself.


I agree, I prefer to do my own product research and let my ears tell me what I need to know. I've had nothing but good experiences at GC. Am I still allowed on TDPRI?

I bought a guitar yesterday from the local independent store. I try to support them as much as possible, but I almost felt like the clerk was trying to discourage me from buying it. Maybe he had eyes on it himself. He just didn't seem all that excited about making a sale or going out of his way to upsell me or anything. Maybe he's kind of jaded about his job. Or low key.

And I didn't hear anyone say anything stupid the whole time I was there.

I bought a guitar yesterday from the local independent store. I try to support them as much as possible, but I almost felt like the clerk was trying to discourage me from buying it. Maybe he had eyes on it himself. He just didn't seem all that excited about making a sale or going out of his way to upsell me or anything. Maybe he's kind of jaded about his job. Or low key.

And I didn't hear anyone say anything stupid the whole time I was there.

I bought a Deluxe Reverb from a local shop and the clerk straight up told me that he wanted to buy it for himself.

I told him that it probably wouldn't be too long before they got another one in.

Oh boy, another opinion thread.

Opinions are NOT like as*holes, because
everyone only has one as*hole. If people had
as many of those as they do opinions, we'd
be very bizarre looking, and no one would ever
get a date.

Now for some fact: GC is great, and GC is awful.
GC is a great and terrible place to try gear. They
have the best and worst customer service. They
have the best prices and worst prices.

You get the idea.

Wow. I have never experienced any of this at my local Guitar Center. The staff is pretty knowledgeable about the stock they have on hand. There are some moments of ignorance when it comes to some vintage models (e.g. Mosrite) but that is such a niche market so I cut them some slack.

To be honest I don’t recall the local “mom and pop” shops being any better. Sometimes they can be a lot worse.

My experience has been the same. I've bought multiple guitars from GC and it been a
good experience each time. My local
Mom & Pop act like they could care less that I came in the store.

The fact is GC is the Wal-Mart of guitar shops..

If that is good or bad, that's for YOU to decide..

I don't think that's a fact at all. I think you're trying to compare GC to a massive chain store but I have to give GC more credit.

I like Home Depot. I think Guitar Center is more like Home Depot.

I can go to Home Depot on a Sunday and take a free class on how to hang a door or replace a toilet. I can go to GC on a Sunday and take a free Pro Tools or Propellerhead class. No classes offered at Wal-Mart.

Most of the people at Guitar Center are gigging musicians or extreme enthusiasts. Most of the people working at Home Depot know the products in their isle and they do repair work at home (especially the old guys). I've never met anyone at a Wal-Mart who has a passion for the things that they sell.

Home Depot carries some good brands. Guitar Center carries some good brands. Wal-Mart carrys stuff that was made in the arm pit of China. I bought frozen salmon fillets at Wal-mart one without reading the label.....it was fish from China. That ride from China to my saute pan is pretty spooky.

Just my opinion....(worth little or nothing). I can't compare Guitar Center to Wal-Mart. I believe that Guitar Center brings more value to the equation than a Wal-Mart store.

I noticed Guitar Center/Musician's Friend is selling Behringer pedals now.

My Guitar Center is staffed by guys that remember your name and often engage you in interesting conversations.

I've gotten a few good deals at GC. No complaints at all.

Yeah, why buy a pedal at GC when you can drive across town and buy the same pedal at the same price (without the 15% discount that GC occassions).

GC may not be a great environment for trying out gear, but I can buy something, take it home (my best place for me to try something out), try it out, and if I don't like it, have 30 days to take it back.

Why burn any gas at all, to try a pedal that you are only going to take home to give a re-evaluation, only to find out that discount or no, you stand a good chance of returning it, thereby spending more gas, and getting bummed about not receiving 15% off, when you can:

- purchase online
- have it shipped in as short as 24 hours
- get free shipping
- have it delivered to your door
- try it out at home
- return it within a certain timeframe if you don't like it
- only have to use gas to take it to USPS/UPS
- only have to pay return shipping
- don't have to pay sales tax

...when you break it all down like that, going to GC sort of becomes like resorting to instant gratification. I think that a lot of times "try before you buy" actually means "get it to try faster than by any other means." And faster means more gas, sales tax, etc. But no one ever breaks it down like that.

Sales tax is 6% where I live - that's about $8 on a pedal that costs ~$130. Let's say I return the pedal, so that's two trips in the car. Let's say gas is $3.50 a gallon, and I use a gallon and a half. Add $5 to the total.

In comparison, order something online. That's usually free shipping, or probably not that much if the sale is not international, because a pedal doesn't weigh much, doesn't take a big box to ship in. So best case scenario is $0 shipping, worse is maybe $10 shipping.

So the total cost at GC for a $130 pedal is about $141, but with a "carryover loss" that pushes it up to about $145 if I return it (assuming you want another pedal, you don't get a refund on the gas you used).

A $130 pedal bought online with free shipping costs $130, period. If I return it, the price jumps to what it cost at GC if I didn't return it. If it is bought online w/$10 shipping and it's not returned, the price is basically the same as GC, but I didn't even have to get in my car to go get it. And if I return it, the price is a little more than GC - probably $5 more, unless the post office/UPS is very far away.

...The returned online purchase seems like an aggravation, because the "carryover loss" is totally off the average purchaser's radar when they go to return something in a store. But whether it's gas or return shipping, it's still a loss!

I won't touch discounts or coupons. They can either be something wonderful if its a purchase you knew you were going to make, or they can be a hook in your mouth to get you to go for something that you otherwise wouldn't. So including them in a cost comparison is pointless.

I'm guilty of shopping at GC too. Sometimes I don't have a choice. All the parents on the little league team I coach chipped in and gave me a $200 gift card to GC because they all know I play. I can't really chastise them for not knowing that GC is heartless corporate killer of local music stores. The same thing happens every Christmas or whatever from family members. I always smile and say thanks. What else can you do? Beats getting a sweater. I suppose there's some way I could trade the gift cards in or sell them on eBay or something...who knows.

Overall I can't complain too much about the GC sales staff, but it is true that they don't know every detail about every product. On the other hand, I went to a local store (non GC...I'll not give the name) here in DC which is supposed to be like THE legendary place in Washington for guitars, and the staff there couldn't be bothered with me. They all reminded me of the musician equivalent of Comic Book Guy on the Simpsons!!

I always smile and say thanks. What else can you do? Beats getting a sweater.

I do the same thing. Smile and thank them. They don't know, and what good would come of explaining it?

But I do remember my sister-in-law getting me a gift certificate to another music store. I told her I wanted a certain pickup, but would put off getting it until the end of time. The store charged a ransom for it, and my haggling got me nowhere.

I did kindly ask family members to stop giving me Best Buy cards, but that's another kettle of fish, I suppose.

What you can do, gently and sublimely, is educate them about gift cards that are good anywhere. My mother-in-law caught onto that w/o the need for any subtle prodding - just gave me a $50 Visa gift card.

...What you need to do is basically make it hard for anyone to decide what to get you, and then you'll get the "good anywhere" card!

I don't lump in the gift cards with any of the stores and how much/little I like shopping at them. Like you said - it's better than getting a sweater.

I thought the main jist of the original post was primarily spotty/absent service from GC, mainly because of an untrained sales staff. No more, no less. I don't see much point in muddling up the discussion with other facets of their business.

If I could go into a primarily "neutral" environment on the majority of times I walk in there, I'd have nothing to say about them one way or the other.

I thought the main jist of the original post was primarily spotty/absent service from GC, mainly because of an untrained sales staff. No more, no less. I don't see much point in muddling up the discussion with other facets of their business..

The original post doesn't mention staff at all. It is about a conversation between customers...:neutral:

My neighborhood Guitar shop sucked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I walked in to buy a pedal, it was about $150. I ask the clerk if I could try it, he said no(I should have left then and there). Since I had researched it and heard it I just said "I'll take it". When I pulled out my credit card the clerk had this odd look on his face, I asked if there was a problem. He said "I would prefer cash". I ask "do you accept credit cards?" he replied "yes we do, but I would prefer cash from you"....................I replied "F$#@ You and left the store". Thank you GC, you've always accepted my business and Credit Cards with a smile(Hollywood and Sherman Oaks CA.)

I like a shop that brings you a complementary coffee while you're playing Enter Sandman or Politician.

My neighborhood Guitar shop sucked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I walked in to buy a pedal, it was about $150. I ask the clerk if I could try it, he said no(I should have left then and there). Since I had researched it and heard it I just said "I'll take it". When I pulled out my credit card the clerk had this odd look on his face, I asked if there was a problem. He said "I would prefer cash". I ask "do you accept credit cards?" he replied "yes we do, but I would prefer cash from you"....................I replied "F$#@ You and left the store". Thank you GC, you've always accepted my business and Credit Cards with a smile(Hollywood and Sherman Oaks CA.)

Geez, what a douche. Is that the first time you had shopped there or was there some previous history? You did the right thing in my opinion.

I was at gc the other day and i made the mistake of saying i was there to buy an acoustic. He was so incredibly helpful! " this is a fender, this is a takamine, this is a yamaha" the knowledge the dude had eas mind boggling!

The original post doesn't mention staff at all. It is about a conversation between customers...:neutral:

Wow - my bad. I've heard similar exchanges between staff and customers. I'm happy to have gotten this wrong, then.

Geez, what a douche. Is that the first time you had shopped there or was there some previous history? You did the right thing in my opinion.

I had never been there before. It always seemed dark and uninviting, so I would go to GC instead. I had heard that smaller shops were better so I decided to try it out..bad idea. It's called "Normans Rare Guitars" and I'll never go back and if anyone asked me about them I tell them what happened...........it's all I can do:cry:

MY GC is kinda hit-and-miss, there's a few good guys in there, and some idiots... kinda like Home Depot, actually... :lol: BTW, that's the Clearwater, FL store...

I've heard so many of those EXACT same kind of comments that the OP had in ANY music store, I've just about tuned them out like static... those kind of comments are certainly not limited to GC, Sam Ash, or any other large retailer (though the Sam Ash in Clearwater is MUCH better than it used to be!), I've heard them in fact in Mom-and-Pop stores more often (mainly because I go there more often!!!)... and almost always, both commentators are under the age of 21, and are into whatever is the band of the moment (Slipknot, Metallica, Slayer, Iron Maiden, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Led Zeppelin, Cream, The Beatles...)

I'm sure I can remember some of those crazy things I've heard over the years in music stores... if I can remember anything... if I could hear... if I... :lol:

Franc Robert (approaching geezerdom!)

GC gets a bad rep but the ones I've been in haven't been too bad. Columbus is the one I frequent the most. My complaints normally are geared towards other customers than the staff. The few times I've needed to deal with them, I've found the salesmen very friendly and accommodating. The only problem I ever had was with the store in Pittsburgh. Went up to see Foo Fighters, saw a nice MIJ Boss Phaser in the used case for CHEAP but couldn't get help to get it out. I ran out of time and had to leave to make the concert.

The next day, me and the wife stopped in on our way back home only to find they sold it. I emailed them about it and the store manager offered to get me 1 from another store, ship it to me for free and charge me the same price (sans sales tax). I got what I wanted, for the price I originally expected to pay with only a few days wait.

Not a bad experience overall, just one that could've been avoided but they quickly remedied it.

Coming to a Guitar Center near you:

Blonde at the accessories counter - I'll have a Big Mac and Fries.

GC employee - What's a Big Mac?

My neighborhood Guitar shop sucked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I walked in to buy a pedal, it was about $150. I ask the clerk if I could try it, he said no(I should have left then and there). Since I had researched it and heard it I just said "I'll take it". When I pulled out my credit card the clerk had this odd look on his face, I asked if there was a problem. He said "I would prefer cash". I ask "do you accept credit cards?" he replied "yes we do, but I would prefer cash from you"....................I replied "F$#@ You and left the store". Thank you GC, you've always accepted my business and Credit Cards with a smile(Hollywood and Sherman Oaks CA.)

I had never been there before. It always seemed dark and uninviting, so I would go to GC instead. I had heard that smaller shops were better so I decided to try it out..bad idea. It's called "Normans Rare Guitars" and I'll never go back and if anyone asked me about them I tell them what happened...........it's all I can do:cry:

That's a really nasty story Telefunken, especially if the attitude to you and the use of a credit card was racially motivated. Norman's Rare Guitars is an internationally known business that I always thought would be a cool place to visit. Now I have a bad taste in my mouth.

That's a really nasty story Telefunken, especially if the attitude to you and the use of a credit card was racially motivated. Norman's Rare Guitars is an internationally known business that I always thought would be a cool place to visit. Now I have a bad taste in my mouth.

Unfortunately this is why I gravitate towards "Corporate" types of retail establishments, because the workers have to answer to someone higher and their personal preferences have to be left out of the work place. Of course there are exceptions, but this has been my experience. I can't change the world so I just let things like this go, and move on the something/somewhere more positive...........and neutral!!

I don't get hassled at GC at all. The guys and gals are always really helpful and friendly. A store's staff and organizational culture, no matter if its a mom and pop or a behemoth is largely dependant on the boss's atttitude, knowledge and experience, not the building or moniker stuck on it.

My neighborhood Guitar shop sucked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I walked in to buy a pedal, it was about $150. I ask the clerk if I could try it, he said no(I should have left then and there). Since I had researched it and heard it I just said "I'll take it". When I pulled out my credit card the clerk had this odd look on his face, I asked if there was a problem. He said "I would prefer cash". I ask "do you accept credit cards?" he replied "yes we do, but I would prefer cash from you"....................I replied "F$#@ You and left the store". Thank you GC, you've always accepted my business and Credit Cards with a smile(Hollywood and Sherman Oaks CA.)

Telefunken, that sounds like The Amp Shop! What shop was it?

Sorry, i didnt keep reading. Norm's caters to celebs, they don't care about the little guys!

I will say that Southern California is the exception to the general stupidity of Guitar Center. The West Hollywood GC is excellent as is the Sherman Oaks GC I shopped there more than any mom and pop shops when I lived in LA.

Telefunken, that sounds like The Amp Shop! What shop was it?

The Amp Shop is OK, I bought a lot of pedals from them and had my amp and guitar serviced. They are not extremely friendly, but they are not rude either. The best and friendliest independent shop I've been to is TrueTone Music in Santa Monica (got a Dr.Z from them).

I still don't mind 'em so much. I picked up a (heavily) used Ampeg/Lee Jackson 4x12 last week for $159 at the Fairview Heights store. Yeah it was beat, yeah I had to re-screw the baffle plate to the box/frame, but that was a 45 minute job. I already had it taken apart to rewire 16ohm down to 4ohm, so no big hassle. Best of all, it had 4 new casters, and the original Eminence 75w speakers intact. The sales guys don't always know everything there, but I'm old enough looking (mean enough?) that they don't try to BS me. Also, they have a 30-day return policy, which is a godsend when buying used/beat up crap. Besides, no one there has ever told me "money talks and BS walks" and left me standing in the middle of the store before. Note to the local "Pro shop" that told me that...I did have $500+ in my pocket at the time-your loss...

My neighborhood Guitar shop sucked!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I walked in to buy a pedal, it was about $150. I ask the clerk if I could try it, he said no(I should have left then and there). Since I had researched it and heard it I just said "I'll take it". When I pulled out my credit card the clerk had this odd look on his face, I asked if there was a problem. He said "I would prefer cash". I ask "do you accept credit cards?" he replied "yes we do, but I would prefer cash from you"....................I replied "F$#@ You and left the store". Thank you GC, you've always accepted my business and Credit Cards with a smile(Hollywood and Sherman Oaks CA.)

wtf?!

I don't mind my local GC since some of the guys there really do know their stuff and I guess I've bought enough stuff there that they've taken the time to learn my name and preferences. There's only one guy there (mid 20's something dude) who gets on my nerves because no matter WHAT I'm looking at, trading in or say I have at home he has or had had one too.. seriously, every pedal, amp, guitar, piece of software... it's uncanny how alike we are... ;)

-DJ