I Went To A Guitar Center Last Week

[unixfish]

My sister was in town, so I was entertaining my nephew while she visited mom. He is 16 and a guitar play, so I took him to a Guitar Center in the west side of Cleveland.

The inventory is back up; there was not blank wall space, but almost everything they had was sub $1000 guitars, and most of that was sub $600. There were amps out, nothing high end, and no Tone masters. It's as if the store went down market to beginner gear. I am starting to see this all over - lots of intro / less expensive guitars, not much else.

We were both pulling things down, trying them out. My nephew looked at a Jaguar, and was wondering if it would be OK if he gave it a try. I told him "You are with me, and I'm a middle-aged plus guy in a dress shirt. They are not going to tell me 'No'." I just kept handing him anything he found interesting.

My nephew needed strings - they did not have any Ernie Ball 10s in stock. Odd.

Overall, an odd experience. Maybe the lockdown meant they sold a lot of less expensive units, and they are reacting to the market?

 

[Greggorios]

Very similar experience here.

 

[JL_LI]

I’ve been to GC twice in the past two weeks, the first time to buy D’Addario EXL110W nickel wound strings with a wound G to try. I went back a second time to buy the rest of them off the rack. It was a good day. Barnes and Noble is across the parking lot with no line in the coffee shop. I got a triple tall latte, the closest thing here to an Australian flat white.

 

[ChicknPickn]

Maybe they keep the expensive stuff in a vault. Retailers are wary these days.

 

[985plowboy]

I try and stay out of GC and any other GAS inducing locale.
I will admit that do stop by GC occasionally and the last few times I just had to…I walked out really sad. Last November I drove to the NOLA GC to do some Christmas shopping. I bought a Martin Guitars T-Shirt. Only thing in the whole store that was of any interest.

Glad to hear things are looking up.
Kinda.

 

[Chiogtr4x]

I'm definitely 100% naive about running a biz, but maybe GC is just stocking items ( budget) that folks right now, can afford?

I don't go to GC, but with my budget,.I'd be happy if most everything in the store was on the cheaper side (assuming not junk)

 

[Chip]

My sister was in town, so I was entertaining my nephew while she visited mom. He is 16 and a guitar play, so I took him to a Guitar Center in the west side of Cleveland.

The inventory is back up; there was not blank wall space, but almost everything they had was sub $1000 guitars, and most of that was sub $600. There were amps out, nothing high end, and no Tone masters. It's as if the store went down market to beginner gear. I am starting to see this all over - lots of intro / less expensive guitars, not much else.

We were both pulling things down, trying them out. My nephew looked at a Jaguar, and was wondering if it would be OK if he gave it a try. I told him "You are with me, and I'm a middle-aged plus guy in a dress shirt. They are not going to tell me 'No'." I just kept handing him anything he found interesting.

My nephew needed strings - they did not have any Ernie Ball 10s in stock. Odd.

Overall, an odd experience. Maybe the lockdown meant they sold a lot of less expensive units, and they are reacting to the market?

You might want to head down 77 to the GC in Fairlawn. I got to play this all original 1967 Telecaster last week. I’m so glad I had the chance to play my birth year Tele!

Unfortunately it’s a bit out of my price range.

 

[WRHB]

The high(er) end electrics are in a small expensive room. Our local GC keeps the $1500 plus guitars and amps in there. If you don’t see something just ask. I don’t know if they all have a pricey room, but ours does.

 

[Buckocaster51]

You might want to head down 77 to the GC in Fairlawn. I got to play this all original 1967 Telecaster last week. I’m so glad I had the chance to play my birth year Tele!
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Unfortunately it’s a bit out of my price range.

It does have a maple-capped neck.

My '67 is MUCH, MUCH, cleaner.

 

[drf64]

You might want to head down 77 to the GC in Fairlawn. I got to play this all original 1967 Telecaster last week. I’m so glad I had the chance to play my birth year Tele!
View attachment 974799 View attachment 974801 View attachment 974803 View attachment 974804 View attachment 974805 View attachment 974806 View attachment 974807
Unfortunately it’s a bit out of my price range.

Were you wearing a dress shirt?

 

[tfarny]

Similar recent experience at a Sam Ash here. Nothing I looked at was remotely of interest to me whereas before there was always something cool to drool over

 

[Willie Johnson]

I suspect the retailers are trying to sell people their second guitar--a lot of people picked up the instrument for the first time over the pandemic.

 

[Chip]

Were you wearing a dress shirt?

Nope, a 20 year old flannel shirt

 

[Chip]

It does have a maple-capped neck.

My '67 is MUCH, MUCH, cleaner.

I love those crusty threaded saddles!

 

[unixfish]

You might want to head down 77 to the GC in Fairlawn. I got to play this all original 1967 Telecaster last week. I’m so glad I had the chance to play my birth year Tele!
View attachment 974799 View attachment 974801 View attachment 974803 View attachment 974804 View attachment 974805 View attachment 974806 View attachment 974807
Unfortunately it’s a bit out of my price range.

That GC is actually a bit closer to where I live. My sister was staying up by the CLE airport.

 

[Mike Eskimo]

Yes - the big one in Southfield MI is much the same .

Fill an empty store full of shipping container firewood.

The acoustic room ? Sooooo much crap.

The tiny “good” room ? Half a dozen numbskull overly flamey LP’s and overpriced 70’s champs and Mustang basses.

The rest of the store packed with import Gretsch’s and the like.

They did have a new Martin I have been wanting to check out but the rest of the store bummed me out so much I just wanted to leave - and did.

 

[TX_Slinger]

My local store used to sit around the $200-$500 mark on guitars and a couple months ago when I dropped in to pick up the last unopened Headrush MX5 they had in stock before prices went up 25%, they had upped their game with a lot of Duesenbergs and nicer Schecter and Gretsch stuff. There was one Tonemaster on the floor which is the one they'd ship you as NIB if you wanted one

 

[uriah1]

Probably basic mkt. 80% sales are at x value.

 

[Marc Morfei]

My local GC seems to have everything. Tons tons tons of inventory. Stacks of boxes everywhere all the time. Like 6 months worth of boats from China got unloaded all at once.

They seem to have high-end stuff, as long as you're looking for Strats and Les Pauls. But yes, mostly $500-$1,000 guitars, which I suppose is the sweet spot for the average consumer. Lots of amps, too, as long as you want a Fender.

 

[WRHB]

My nephew needed strings - they did not have any Ernie Ball 10s in stock. Odd.

When I buy Ernie Ball 10’s I usually buy 10-20 packs at a time. You must have gone in there as I was leaving