General Oh Guitar Center

[member 603]

I just visited two GC's in the Orlando area looking to grab some new gear..... What was once a place filled with musicians, great players playing, exchanging ideas, in a inspirational environment has turned into $100 guitars, shitty amps, and wall to wall cables for sale (more than actual basses, or high quality guitars).

Not just in Orlando too, I hit up a few in Dallas, Chicago, and California this year.... All the same experience, it's sad what's happened to this place.

 

[Rambo John J]

I just visited two GC's in the Orlando area looking to grab some new gear..... What was once a place filled with musicians, great players playing, exchanging ideas, in a inspirational environment has turned into $100 guitars, shitty amps, and wall to wall cables for sale (more than actual basses, or high quality guitars).

Not just in Orlando too, I hit up a few in Dallas, Chicago, and California this year.... All the same experience, it's sad what's happened to this place.

My Pops would concur
Dad was looking for a decent starter Guitar for my lady....he went in there and came back and said they don't got shit, he agrees with ya.

We were looking for some thing in $400-$700 dollar range

He ended up giving her a 2,000 dollar Ovation he doesn't use

He has a quiver of Instruments like you do...He has some old ass Martins and sweet shit like that

But he only plays the First Old Martin he saved up for, it put him the dental school playing dive bars in nebraska...sounds so amazing

We have one old school family run Guitar shop in town luckily, it is loaded with great instruments and great service/knowledge.

 

[gangsterkathryn]

The one that just opened next to my store has been packed. You wouldn’t have guessed the other locations are suffering.

 

[member 3289]

I love what they've done with their stores honestly

 

[Rambo John J]

I love what they've done with their stores honestly

are you a musician?

 

[member 603]

I love what they've done with their stores honestly

In what way? They use to be a store all the pros hit if they were touring and needed something, or regularly gigging musicians would frequent for jam sessions and meet ups, now they seem to only cater to the "we need a starter guitar for my 10 year old, who will probably be bored and give it up next year" crowd.

 

[MMAHAWK]

Yeah it’s like that around here too. Went there for years with my cousin, who is a musician. It’s basically went the same route as car audio at most box stores, selling cheap garbage.

 

[Rambo John J]

In what way? They use to be a store all the pros hit if they were touring and needed something, or regularly gigging musicians would frequent for jam sessions and meet ups, now they seem to only cater to the "we need a starter guitar for my 10 year old, who will probably be bored and give it up next year" crowd.

as usual, he is trolling...non productive comments and posts as usual
prob never been in 1

 

[Lukewarm Carl]

The one that just opened next to my store has been packed. You wouldn’t have guessed the other locations are suffering.

Most of them aren't suffering for business. They're just different. They've lost the identity that helped them get a great reputation.

Their previous CEO left my old company for Guitar Center. He's great at generating dollars but it's at the expense of the core. He's the WME and the founder was more Lorenzo.

 

[gangsterkathryn]

Most of them aren't suffering for business. They're just different. They've lost the identity that helped them get a great reputation.

Their previous CEO left my old company for Guitar Center. He's great at generating dollars but it's at the expense of the core. He's the WME and the founder was more Lorenzo.

I went back and reread the post, I completely misunderstood.

 

[Lukewarm Carl]

I went back and reread the post, I completely misunderstood.

You've been posting with Song and Throb too much.

 

[gangsterkathryn]

You've been posting with Song and Throb too much.

Oh, without a doubt.

 

[Kingtony87]

I just visited two GC's in the Orlando area looking to grab some new gear..... What was once a place filled with musicians, great players playing, exchanging ideas, in a inspirational environment has turned into $100 guitars, shitty amps, and wall to wall cables for sale (more than actual basses, or high quality guitars).

Not just in Orlando too, I hit up a few in Dallas, Chicago, and California this year.... All the same experience, it's sad what's happened to this place.

True Story

The Internet killed that place.

 

[member 603]

True Story

The Internet killed that place.

And that's what I don't get, when I'm buying a new bass, I have to play that thing at least 45 minutes to really feel comfortable on spending the $800-$1400 or more on it... I can take 3 of the same models and all three will sound/feel/play differently.... So how can people just order them online without playing them first? I can't, never was able to. Strings, cables, straps, accessories, etc, those I can order online, but instruments and amps, I need to dig into them for a while before I commit.

 

[Kingtony87]

And that's what I don't get, when I'm buying a new bass, I have to play that thing at least 45 minutes to really feel comfortable on spending the $800-$1400 or more on it... I can take 3 of the same models and all three will sound/feel/play differently.... So how can people just order them online without playing them first? I can't, never was able to. Strings, cables, straps, accessories, etc, those I can order online, but instruments and amps, I need to dig into them for a while before I commit.

Places like reverb and guitar center online have great return policies. Most gear I've bought i have already played or tried out in the past. And there is far too much used fear floating around now. There's already a small profit margin on new gear. Gc sold a bunch of used gear before. But craigslist, fb marketplace, and reverb and all the gear groups on fb helped a ton of musicians in the same scene swap gear.

 

[Rambo John J]

And that's what I don't get, when I'm buying a new bass, I have to play that thing at least 45 minutes to really feel comfortable on spending the $800-$1400 or more on it... I can take 3 of the same models and all three will sound/feel/play differently.... So how can people just order them online without playing them first? I can't, never was able to. Strings, cables, straps, accessories, etc, those I can order online, but instruments and amps, I need to dig into them for a while before I commit.

 

[silentsinger]

They’re pretty close to filing for bankruptcy.

They just started stocking Chapman which make some choice guitars and they’re flying off the shelves apparently, maybe that will help them out a bit.

Right miserable bastard at my local GC, the guys in Fairfax were all cool.

 

[sparkuri]

I'll play stairway all day even in the new and degradated locations.

 

[Ted Williams' head]

That's a shame. We only have a few small music stores here so when I went to the States I would always stop into a bunch of Guitar Centers.

I guess I can understand it, though. You've got Gibson going bankrupt and people saying guitars aren't "in" anymore because everyone just listens to rap and pop.

Personally I always buy used guitars and basses. As long as people took care of the guitar, you can just get a high end guitar at a mid level price.

 

[Hauler]

Back in the day, I was in a GC type store and started playing "One" by Metallica. It was pretty popular amongst the metal heads at the time. Another dude on the other side of the room started playing along with me on his bass. Then it got really cool when another dude jumped on a drum set they had set up in the store and did his best Lars.

By no means was it tight, but for 3 dudes who had never seen each other before that moment it wasn't bad.

Unfortunately nobody had the balls to grab a mic and sing, and I only have 1 brain so I can't do both at the same time like Hetfield.

 

[Pitbull9]

I just visited two GC's in the Orlando area looking to grab some new gear..... What was once a place filled with musicians, great players playing, exchanging ideas, in a inspirational environment has turned into $100 guitars, shitty amps, and wall to wall cables for sale (more than actual basses, or high quality guitars).

Not just in Orlando too, I hit up a few in Dallas, Chicago, and California this year.... All the same experience, it's sad what's happened to this place.

Sam Ash in my area would make you proud. Stuck to their roots. Im going to start playing again and they have it all.

 

[silentsinger]

That's a shame. We only have a few small music stores here so when I went to the States I would always stop into a bunch of Guitar Centers.

I guess I can understand it, though. You've got Gibson going bankrupt and people saying guitars aren't "in" anymore because everyone just listens to rap and pop.

Personally I always buy used guitars and basses. As long as people took care of the guitar, you can just get a high end guitar at a mid level price.

Gibson need to drop their prices. They've just brought out a new range at around the $3500 level. There's too much competition for them to hang at that level.

Plus when I went to the factory they well fully booked so I couldn't go on their tour. Bastards.

 

[Rambo John J]

I meant this in all flattery...I love musicians ripping sick riffs and dope bass lines
@Rhino is the man

that movie is still so good...I saw it a week back and it was hilarious..

 

[Deleted member 1]

Businesses seem to forget their Halo customers and the hardcores are too easily.

Guitar Center could easily put shitty guitars and overdo their margins all over the place and be fine.

But they desperately need to create a good hangout place that makes a culture grow. The three or four local guys that spend all their time jamming out in the corner and not buying anything create an image and a halo effect for the Casual Shopper for the teenager that wants to be like them one day.

True Story

The Internet killed that place.

I disagree. It's just like Toys R Us. There isn't a lack of toy sales and local toy stores are currently booming. Kids still play at a brick-and-mortar at Target for instance.

Guitar Center should make a badass website and allow for showrooms to be the culture centers.
They'd still sell a million cables and strings and all the high margin items that you need immediately and don't want to wait on the internet. And for internet purchases they would become defacto place to buy.

The internet hasn't killed them. Mismanagement is killing them. Theyll make money in the short-term and then run the same fate as places like Toys R Us

 

[silentsinger]

Businesses seem to forget their Halo customers and the hardcores are too easily.

Guitar Center could easily put shitty guitars and overdo their margins all over the place and be fine.

But they desperately need to create a good hangout place that makes a culture grow. The three or four local guys that spend all their time jamming out in the corner and not buying anything create an image and a halo effect for the Casual Shopper for the teenager that wants to be like them one day.





I disagree. It's just like Toys R Us. There isn't a lack of toy sales and local toy stores are currently booming. Kids still play at a brick-and-mortar at Target for instance.

Guitar Center should make a badass website and allow for showrooms to be the culture centers.
They'd still sell a million cables and strings and all the high margin items that you need immediately and don't want to wait on the internet. And for internet purchases they would become defacto place to buy.

The internet hasn't killed them. Mismanagement is killing them. Theyll make money in the short-term and then run the same fate as places like Toys R Us

Their website is terrible and never up to date from a stock perspective. You order, they take your money and then say it's discontinued or whatever.