Another debacle at Guitar Center. - Page 2

David Barnett · December 20th, 2007, 06:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sax4blues

I don't push with non-helpful people anymore, whether in person or on the phone.

Agree. Ya' have to choose your battles...

stephent2 · December 20th, 2007, 06:42 PM

I was hot for a new Apogee Duet and my local GC said they had one. I called and arranged a price ($50 below street) and asked it be put aside and got the fellow's name.

I called again before I left the house, spoke to the GC guy, confirmed the price and that he still had it, all was a go. Took me 10 minutes to pay and leave once I got there and it was all fairly painless.

I recommend this approach for any dealings w/ GC, even strings, saves one from the pain.

OaklandA · December 20th, 2007, 06:47 PM

Here in the Phoenix metropolitan area I've seen GC evolve from horrible to actually pretty decent places to shop. In fact, I prefer them to the so-called mom&pops.

To the OP...I'd suggest a brief well worded email or letter to Guitar Center's home office. I'm guessing they'll do something to make up for your slight. The big chains usually respond well to that.

woodman · December 20th, 2007, 07:10 PM

GC is just a component of the WalMart/Home Depot syndrome. Mom and Pop dun sold out and headed for the hills in most places. here, it's GC or Sam Ash, take your pick. when possible, i drive 20 miles across the county to Sam Ash and avoid GC, which is less than five miles away. your locale may vary!

Brutalblues · December 20th, 2007, 10:17 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by rocksteady Max

That's funny ... I own the PocketPod and there's no software inside the box ... you have to download it from the website ... anyway, it's a nice little box but it's very cheaply built.

So does that mean that if a GC employee were to take one out of the box for the first time that it would not function unless the software was downloaded to it first?

If that were the case, there might have been a breakdown in communication if the salesperson didn't explain the situation properly or if someone didn't catch the explanation correctly......

601210 · December 20th, 2007, 10:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Brutalblues

So does that mean that if a GC employee were to take one out of the box for the first time that it would not function unless the software was downloaded to it first?

If that were the case, there might have been a breakdown in communication if the salesperson didn't explain the situation properly or if someone didn't catch the explanation correctly......

I think he meant computer software...

Le Jab · December 21st, 2007, 05:56 AM

Unlike other UK members on this board, I would personally welcome GC to our shores. I am fed up to the back teeth of our music retailers - especially London. Any move which intensifies competion has to positive. We are ripped off daily, paying pretty much twice as much as our US brothers, and we also have to endure attitude. The vast majority of Denmark St shops are all owned by the same cartel, and very few break out of the fixed price agreements. A GC would shake the mix. I wouldnt mind if the small stores we have currently provided a half decent service.
This year alone I have had a (recommended) luthier return a 2k acoustic to me with a worse set-up than when I gave it to him - uneven frets, buzzing etc ...I have had the perennial problem of a shop selling a guitar for me, and then waiting over 2 months for my money (£1.4K) enduring countless 'cheques in the post' etc....I have had a Denmark St shop try to sell me a masterbuilt tele with wrong C.O.A. - been told emphatically by salesmen 'facts' that I know to be downright lies (wearing a suit makes guitar shop sales people assume you know jack), been ignored when money was burning my hands, tried many top-end guitars with tired and worn strings - and once when I pointed it out - told they would 'change the strings if I was going to buy it' ...DUH !! We get GC service with none of the price concessions. Bring it on, if only to shape up the domestic retailer.

PeterUK · December 21st, 2007, 06:04 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Le Jab

Unlike other UK members on this board, I would personally welcome GC to our shores. I am fed up to the back teeth of our music retailers - especially London. Any move which intensifies competion has to positive. We are ripped off daily, paying pretty much twice as much as our US brothers, and we also have to endure attitude. The vast majority of Denmark St shops are all owned by the same cartel, and very few break out of the fixed price agreements. A GC would shake the mix. I wouldnt mind if the small stores we have currently provided a half decent service.
This year alone I have had a (recommended) luthier return a 2k acoustic to me with a worse set-up than when I gave it to him - uneven frets, buzzing etc ...I have had the perennial problem of a shop selling a guitar for me, and then waiting over 2 months for my money (£1.4K) enduring countless 'cheques in the post' etc....I have had a Denmark St shop try to sell me a masterbuilt tele with wrong C.O.A. - been told emphatically by salesmen 'facts' that I know to be downright lies (wearing a suit makes guitar shop sales people assume you know jack), been ignored when money was burning my hands, tried many top-end guitars with tired and worn strings - and once when I pointed it out - told they would 'change the strings if I was going to buy it' ...DUH !! We get GC service with none of the price concessions. Bring it on, if only to shape up the domestic retailer.

Blimey! Get yourself to the Midlands. We've got some fabulous music stores with great staff.

I echo your sentiments about Denmark Street. I always feel I need to shower after I walked down there. Yuk!

Peter

Mid Life Crisis · December 21st, 2007, 07:18 AM

Best guitar shop I've been to in the UK is Coda Music, with branches in Stevenage and Luton (both about 30 mins by train from London). They also do online. I've bought five guitars from them, between myself and my sons, and always had good service. They stock a huge range of Fender and Gibson as well as the rest of the big names. They also seem to be much cheaper than anywhere else.

I have no affiliation with them at all by the way.

chet · December 21st, 2007, 08:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by mark norwine

Cough...cough....sputter....

Spoken like someone who's never been in the Springfield, NJ store. A bigger "teenage wasteland", run by incompetent wannbees can't be found.

I will burn my guitars...all of them....before I ever go there again.

~~~~~~~~~

Then, again.....

I don't think Bain Capital Partners, LLC has ever acquired anything that they haven't loaded with debt, dissected, disassembled, parted out & ditched at a profit. That's who Bain is....That's what Bain does.

So....my not-so-scientific prediction is: Don't worry about it. It will be over soon enough.

I've found some nice amp and guitar deals in there. I don't really need a salesman to wait hand and foot on me. I already know what I want. The guys at the accessory counter there are usually pretty helpful too.
They usually have a good selection of stuff. They had a couple of nice '51 Precision Basses that I drooled over last time I was there.

68tele · December 21st, 2007, 11:31 AM

I've had good experiences at both the Manhattan & Brooklyn GCs. Buying/returning/exchanging, no problems whatsoever. I think some of the posters on these frequent luv-2-hate-GC threads are quaffing rage-o-hol right before they go shopping.

stevieboy · December 21st, 2007, 12:02 PM

This is not meant as a defense of the sales guy in question, but really from a buyer's point of view the week before Christmas is probably not the best time to be going and checking out gear. The stores are packed, the sales people are operating on adrenalin, and are in a sales feeding frenzy. Most people are walking up to the counter with their credit card out saying "I want a pocket pod, please!" And the guy is thinking, I'm going to sell every one of these I have in stock in the next couple of days, I don't want to open one up because I'm just going to have to rebox it for the person who is going to have to have it tomorrow.

Again, no excuse for his rudeness, but I know I'm not going into any store this week for any reason except to buy gifts and get the heck out, hopefully with all my limbs intact.

Skully · December 21st, 2007, 12:14 PM

I don't actually enjoy going to Guitar Center much. I could complain about the clerks and this and that, but there's a level of b.s. and/or attitude at any store with commissioned sales people, nevermind ones that are musicians.

And compared to both the mom & pops and crappy little chain stores of my youth, GCs are a wonder! A dream! To me, the glass is more than half full.

mistermullens · December 21st, 2007, 12:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stevieboy

This is not meant as a defense of the sales guy in question, but really from a buyer's point of view the week before Christmas is probably not the best time to be going and checking out gear. The stores are packed, the sales people are operating on adrenalin, and are in a sales feeding frenzy. Most people are walking up to the counter with their credit card out saying "I want a pocket pod, please!" And the guy is thinking, I'm going to sell every one of these I have in stock in the next couple of days, I don't want to open one up because I'm just going to have to rebox it for the person who is going to have to have it tomorrow.

Again, no excuse for his rudeness, but I know I'm not going into any store this week for any reason except to buy gifts and get the heck out, hopefully with all my limbs intact.

I definitely would have given the guy a break if they were busy, but they weren't. I was the only person in the guitar department and I probably would have bought it if I liked it.

chet · December 21st, 2007, 12:38 PM

You just ran onto a jerk with an attitude. I run into them all the time here in NJ and not just in GC's.

Call corporate and file a complaint but I wouldn't let it bother me too much.

HOBBSTER01 · December 21st, 2007, 05:08 PM

The GC here in Chattanooga, TN. is the usual as far as knowledgeable sales associates go,with the exception of the store manager Chris L.
He has gone out of his way in the past to ensure that my experience was a pleasant one going so far as to call me at home to make sure I was pleased with the service I had received when a return was necessary.
I will shop there as long as he manages this store.

goldtopper · December 21st, 2007, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fierce_carrot

We've got a great GC here. Everybody is usually helpful, but not the most knowledgeable. More often than not they don't have a clue what I am talking about, but thats to be expected as I seldom buy gear that everybody else has.

Having been in GC and other stores, I have a tremendous amount of empathy for their employees. Based on the sheer number of total idiots walking around in those stores, most of them don't have a dime to their name, yet constantly wasting employees time...if it were me...I'd be tempted to go postal on a couple of customers from time to time!

Excellent post!! My GC's are ok too. I just figure when I go in I'm on my own.

XKnight · December 21st, 2007, 11:56 PM

Me likes them GC lots and sometimes for very longtime. They have lots of guitars I gets to plays anytimes I wants and sometimes whenevers. I loves English two even if I cant speaks it in American. Bye Bye nows!!

beep.click · December 22nd, 2007, 01:12 AM

I've been fortunate to have many pleasant experiences at Guitar Center. They greet me by name, and they're always very nice -- despite me returning quite a bit of stuff. They're even nice while I'm returning stuff.

Wasn't always that way, though. It was pretty awful, 5-7 years ago.

I suspect it varies with the individual store's management and staff. My local Sam Ash is especially prone to that; I was at a point where I didn't want to go in there, ever again. I gave them "one last try," though, just recently, and it was all good again. So I bought a guitar...

garytelecastor · December 22nd, 2007, 01:53 AM

I went to privatereserveguitars.com and to be honest I didn't see any real deals on the site.

garytelecastor · December 22nd, 2007, 02:38 AM

I went in to GC last weekend on my way to a gig and bought two thumbpicks, and they originally wanted $2.80 for the two. I gave the guy behind the counter one of the "you got to be ****** kidding me" looks and he dropped the price to $1.60. I only buy off of the mom and pop types of stores.

jamesbookert · December 22nd, 2007, 07:18 AM

well, everyone is unfriendly in the north east, and guitar center is no acception. i just don't go there anymore.

boris bubbanov · December 22nd, 2007, 08:04 AM

I might be the champeen Guitar Center shopper. I travel cross country by car, and a break looking at and playing guitars stokes me for the next leg of the travel better than a meal. (And I'm too keyed to nap.)
What I see varies so dramatically, from location to location, time of day and day of week. I mean, gigantic differences. I grabbed a couple SKB FS6s for a real decent price yesterday, the salesman remembered a guitar I bought from him in serious detail, and that was six months ago.
So if you hate your local GC, try one in the Gulf South or along the I-10 corridor to California.

Bubbanov

I don't recommend Mobile's GC

December 20th, 2007, 06:42 PM	#42 (permalink)
stephent2 Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Atlanta, GA. Age: 57 Posts: 2,235 20 Photos	I was hot for a new Apogee Duet and my local GC said they had one. I called and arranged a price ($50 below street) and asked it be put aside and got the fellow's name. I called again before I left the house, spoke to the GC guy, confirmed the price and that he still had it, all was a go. Took me 10 minutes to pay and leave once I got there and it was all fairly painless. I recommend this approach for any dealings w/ GC, even strings, saves one from the pain. __________________ 3. If they can get you asking the wrong questions, they don't have to worry about answers. - - Thomas Pynchon

December 20th, 2007, 06:47 PM	#43 (permalink)
OaklandA Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Arizona Posts: 1,544 28 Photos	Here in the Phoenix metropolitan area I've seen GC evolve from horrible to actually pretty decent places to shop. In fact, I prefer them to the so-called mom&pops. To the OP...I'd suggest a brief well worded email or letter to Guitar Center's home office. I'm guessing they'll do something to make up for your slight. The big chains usually respond well to that. __________________ ________________________ _________________ ___________ That's what she said.

December 20th, 2007, 07:10 PM	#44 (permalink)
woodman Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Mint Hill, NC Age: 62 Posts: 5,672	GC is just a component of the WalMart/Home Depot syndrome. Mom and Pop dun sold out and headed for the hills in most places. here, it's GC or Sam Ash, take your pick. when possible, i drive 20 miles across the county to Sam Ash and avoid GC, which is less than five miles away. your locale may vary! __________________ Truth is stranger than fact ... www.myspace.com/woodymitchellmusic BAND PAGES: www.myspace.com/stragglerswing (Stragglers - Western Swing) www.myspace.com/loafersgloryband (Loafers Glory - '70s country-rock)

December 21st, 2007, 05:56 AM	#47 (permalink)
Le Jab TDPRI Member Join Date: Nov 2003 Location: London England Posts: 71	I would welcome GC to the UK Unlike other UK members on this board, I would personally welcome GC to our shores. I am fed up to the back teeth of our music retailers - especially London. Any move which intensifies competion has to positive. We are ripped off daily, paying pretty much twice as much as our US brothers, and we also have to endure attitude. The vast majority of Denmark St shops are all owned by the same cartel, and very few break out of the fixed price agreements. A GC would shake the mix. I wouldnt mind if the small stores we have currently provided a half decent service. This year alone I have had a (recommended) luthier return a 2k acoustic to me with a worse set-up than when I gave it to him - uneven frets, buzzing etc ...I have had the perennial problem of a shop selling a guitar for me, and then waiting over 2 months for my money (£1.4K) enduring countless 'cheques in the post' etc....I have had a Denmark St shop try to sell me a masterbuilt tele with wrong C.O.A. - been told emphatically by salesmen 'facts' that I know to be downright lies (wearing a suit makes guitar shop sales people assume you know jack), been ignored when money was burning my hands, tried many top-end guitars with tired and worn strings - and once when I pointed it out - told they would 'change the strings if I was going to buy it' ...DUH !! We get GC service with none of the price concessions. Bring it on, if only to shape up the domestic retailer.

December 21st, 2007, 12:02 PM	#52 (permalink)
stevieboy Friend of Leo's Join Date: Mar 2003 Location: the valley Posts: 2,207 6 Photos	This is not meant as a defense of the sales guy in question, but really from a buyer's point of view the week before Christmas is probably not the best time to be going and checking out gear. The stores are packed, the sales people are operating on adrenalin, and are in a sales feeding frenzy. Most people are walking up to the counter with their credit card out saying "I want a pocket pod, please!" And the guy is thinking, I'm going to sell every one of these I have in stock in the next couple of days, I don't want to open one up because I'm just going to have to rebox it for the person who is going to have to have it tomorrow. Again, no excuse for his rudeness, but I know I'm not going into any store this week for any reason except to buy gifts and get the heck out, hopefully with all my limbs intact. __________________ "One of the best bands ever. These guys were such perfectionist"--Youtube user comment

December 21st, 2007, 07:18 AM	#49 (permalink)
Mid Life Crisis Tele-Meister Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Cambridge, England Age: 42 Posts: 470 6 Photos	Best guitar shop I've been to in the UK is Coda Music, with branches in Stevenage and Luton (both about 30 mins by train from London). They also do online. I've bought five guitars from them, between myself and my sons, and always had good service. They stock a huge range of Fender and Gibson as well as the rest of the big names. They also seem to be much cheaper than anywhere else. I have no affiliation with them at all by the way.

December 21st, 2007, 11:31 AM	#51 (permalink)
68tele Tele-Holic Join Date: Apr 2003 Location: Northport LI Posts: 647	I've had good experiences at both the Manhattan & Brooklyn GCs. Buying/returning/exchanging, no problems whatsoever. I think some of the posters on these frequent luv-2-hate-GC threads are quaffing rage-o-hol right before they go shopping.

December 21st, 2007, 12:14 PM	#53 (permalink)
Skully Friend of Leo's Join Date: Jun 2003 Location: Glamorous NoHo Posts: 3,803	I don't actually enjoy going to Guitar Center much. I could complain about the clerks and this and that, but there's a level of b.s. and/or attitude at any store with commissioned sales people, nevermind ones that are musicians. And compared to both the mom & pops and crappy little chain stores of my youth, GCs are a wonder! A dream! To me, the glass is more than half full. __________________ Myspace.com/skullysounds

December 21st, 2007, 12:38 PM	#55 (permalink)
chet Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Aug 2004 Location: The Jersey Shore Posts: 6,021	You just ran onto a jerk with an attitude. I run into them all the time here in NJ and not just in GC's. Call corporate and file a complaint but I wouldn't let it bother me too much.

December 21st, 2007, 05:08 PM	#56 (permalink)
HOBBSTER01 Tele-Meister Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: North GA. Posts: 353	The GC here in Chattanooga, TN. is the usual as far as knowledgeable sales associates go,with the exception of the store manager Chris L. He has gone out of his way in the past to ensure that my experience was a pleasant one going so far as to call me at home to make sure I was pleased with the service I had received when a return was necessary. I will shop there as long as he manages this store. __________________ The Hobbster

December 21st, 2007, 11:56 PM	#58 (permalink)
XKnight Tele-Holic Join Date: Nov 2007 Location: TX Posts: 617	Me likes them GC lots and sometimes for very longtime. They have lots of guitars I gets to plays anytimes I wants and sometimes whenevers. I loves English two even if I cant speaks it in American. Bye Bye nows!!

December 22nd, 2007, 01:12 AM	#59 (permalink)
beep.click Tele-Afflicted Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: California Age: 49 Posts: 1,602	I've been fortunate to have many pleasant experiences at Guitar Center. They greet me by name, and they're always very nice -- despite me returning quite a bit of stuff. They're even nice while I'm returning stuff. Wasn't always that way, though. It was pretty awful, 5-7 years ago. I suspect it varies with the individual store's management and staff. My local Sam Ash is especially prone to that; I was at a point where I didn't want to go in there, ever again. I gave them "one last try," though, just recently, and it was all good again. So I bought a guitar... __________________ "It looked like a giant green gum drop to me."

December 22nd, 2007, 01:53 AM	#60 (permalink)
garytelecastor Friend of Leo's Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,303 18 Photos	I went to privatereserveguitars.com and to be honest I didn't see any real deals on the site. __________________ éí 'aaníígÓÓ 'áhoot'é Redd Volkaert is a Jedi Knight at one with the Force!!!

December 22nd, 2007, 02:38 AM	#61 (permalink)
garytelecastor Friend of Leo's Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: Minnesota Posts: 3,303 18 Photos	I went in to GC last weekend on my way to a gig and bought two thumbpicks, and they originally wanted $2.80 for the two. I gave the guy behind the counter one of the "you got to be ****** kidding me" looks and he dropped the price to $1.60. I only buy off of the mom and pop types of stores. __________________ éí 'aaníígÓÓ 'áhoot'é Redd Volkaert is a Jedi Knight at one with the Force!!!

December 22nd, 2007, 07:18 AM	#62 (permalink)
jamesbookert TDPRI Member Join Date: Jun 2006 Location: Boston Posts: 69	well, everyone is unfriendly in the north east, and guitar center is no acception. i just don't go there anymore. __________________ James Bookert myspace.com/thepeasantry myspace.com/thefixedgears

December 22nd, 2007, 08:04 AM	#63 (permalink)
boris bubbanov Poster Extraordinaire Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: New Orleans, LA + in the past Posts: 7,154	I might be the champeen Guitar Center shopper. I travel cross country by car, and a break looking at and playing guitars stokes me for the next leg of the travel better than a meal. (And I'm too keyed to nap.) What I see varies so dramatically, from location to location, time of day and day of week. I mean, gigantic differences. I grabbed a couple SKB FS6s for a real decent price yesterday, the salesman remembered a guitar I bought from him in serious detail, and that was six months ago. So if you hate your local GC, try one in the Gulf South or along the I-10 corridor to California. Bubbanov I don't recommend Mobile's GC

December 22nd, 2007, 08:07 AM	#64 (permalink)
thekillingjoke Tele-Meister Join Date: Oct 2007 Location: Plymouth Age: 21 Posts: 359