Went to Guitar Center yesterday.

[tfarny]

GCs are a crapshoot and the you-know-what had done a number on inventory. Same with Sam Ash or other stores. My local large retailer, Alto Music, is mostly unopened boxes now, waiting to be sold online.

 

[TeleTex82]

I live on the north side of Indy. At 1 mall we have a GC, Sam Ash and a Music Go Round within walking distance of each other. GC is FAR better than the other two. MGR is the worst. Their used prices are laughable and they’ve started stocking no-name new junk guitars. Their trade ins are the worst of the 3 as well.

That's surprising, the MGR around here offers the most money by far. GC/Sam Ash are usually 40% of retail, MGR is typically around 47%, a little more if its a nicer piece.

 

[backporchmusic]

I have great things to say about the Richmond Va store. Always helpful, nice people, do business on a first name basis.

No complaints really.

 

[Tmcqtele65]

I just moved from Western PA to Eastern TN, and have loved the Guitar Center locations in both of those places. Other than the downtown Pittsburgh music stores, the alternatives would have, at best, one major brand of guitars - hopefully the one you want - and at worst some no-name brand of clone guitars. Staff at both the Monroeville PA store and the Knoxville, TN store have been friendly and helpful. I also purchased a ton of stuff from them online for Christmas.

 

[String Tree]

Went yeasterday after noon.
Bought some Slinkys for my Tele.
TheirInventory throughout the store is only a shadow of what it once was.

 

[Lonn]

That's surprising, the MGR around here offers the most money by far. GC/Sam Ash are usually 40% of retail, MGR is typically around 47%, a little more if its a nicer piece.

Our north side GC gives 50-60%.

 

[Happy Enchilada]

When trading with GC, Joe Pesci said it best in "Lethal Weapon":

THEY @#$%&! YOU AT THE DRIVE-THRU.

You will ALWAYS lose when you trade ... unless you have a pre-war Martin or '57 Strat you found in a closet when you moved into a new house or were gifted to you by Uncle Fester. Bank on it. It's not a question of how much (or how little) you can get for said axe, but how much you want rid of it.

Over the years, I've had decent luck consigning gear at local music shops or trading with them. They seem to shoot me straight and yeah, they need to make a profit to stay in business, but they know they'll see me again, and they don't want to damage their rep because people tell friends about bad deals more often than good deals.

When I buy gear, it's either from a couple of smaller independent guitar shops or from a fellow musician on Reverb.
Used to use eBay, but I think Reverb has better quality stuff and better anti-fraud policies.

 

[Peegoo]

12 Strats is about six more than the local GC had last time I was there...

Holy cats. I have more than that in my house.

 

[RobRiggs]

Holy cats. I have more than that in my house.

I was thinking the same thing