General Oh Guitar Center
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Amazon and Walmart will eat their lunch then.
Look at Amazon, investigating smart brick and mortar.
And Walmart going towards more net focus with local stores as a distribution network.
The hybrid of the two is the future. Any large company not paying attention is going to get left behind.
Use the storefront for culture, identity, and distribution logistics.
Guitar Center should really think of itself as as Guitar Culture Center which might include smart cooperation with other music focused enterprises being plugged into their stores.
When I was younger I'd go to music stores just to listen to people play. I wouldn't even have anything to buy - just go there to hang out. Although I usually ended up leaving with something.
Eventually I became one of the guys that could grab a random electric off the wall and plug it into an amp, noodle around for a few minutes and end up having people listen to me.
My favorite times were when a dude would be chording out with an acoustic and someone would rip off a solo to what he was playing. Seeing music being created right there on the spot was pretty cool.
When EVH came out with his custom Music Man guitar - like 1990 or 1991 - the owner took it out of its glass display case and let me play it through a Marshall stack. That guitar was more than I could afford 20x over and he knew that, but I'll never forget that day.
At least locally, Guitar Center has sucked monkey balls for a long time. Even for strings or something small, it is the last place I want to give my business. It's just a bunch of unenthusiastic millennials that have no concept of customer service, and in my experience they don't even know enough of the products to be of any help. The last time I went to buy strings there I asked for a set of Bluegrass strings (which are half med, half light - and obviously for an acoustic). I was told with conviction that those strings didn't exist, and he handed me a set of electric strings and said "just try these". I don't play electric so it took me a minute to catch on what he had handed me. I said "what are these, I've never used these before" He said in the most condescending tone "Well, Jimmy Vaughn uses them, so I guess they're probably good enough for you". I wanted to drag that smug fuck over the counter.
About 3 years ago I bought a relatively inexpensive acoustic guitar at GC. Like @Rhino was saying, I wanted to play something before I bought (I was looking to buy on Craigslist, but went to GC so I could look at one up close). I told the sales guy what price I was seeing on the classifieds and he pleaded with me to buy a new one from him. He gave me 40% off to get very close to the used price I was looking at. He gave me the deal because he told me they hadn't sold an acoustic guitar in over 3 weeks
. Gotta move way more guitars than that if you want to keep the doors open.
Maybe (and hopefully) folks have better experiences at other locations, but GC is kind of a joke in Austin IMO. They got fucked in the hiney a bunch of times too during past years of SXSW. Guys would come "buy" gear for their shows, play it for a week, and then return it. Kind of funny in a way. I'm pretty sure they have changed their return policy during festivals now though.
About 3 years ago I bought a relatively inexpensive acoustic guitar at GC. Like @Rhino was saying, I wanted to play something before I bought (I was looking to buy on Craigslist, but went to GC so I could look at one up close). I told the sales guy what price I was seeing on the classifieds and he pleaded with me to buy a new one from him. He gave me 40% off to get very close to the used price I was looking at. He gave me the deal because he told me they hadn't sold an acoustic guitar in over 3 weeks
. Gotta move way more guitars than that if you want to keep the doors open. Maybe (and hopefully) folks have better experiences at other locations, but GC is kind of a joke in Austin IMO. They got fucked in the hiney a bunch of times too during past years of SXSW. Guys would come "buy" gear for their shows, play it for a week, and then return it. Kind of funny in a way. I'm pretty sure they have changed their return policy during festivals now though.
That's what actual are shows are for.
Local venues and music scenes are where culture happens in the music scene. Music gear lasts a lifetime and places like reverb, craigslist, and Facebook groups made it wicked easy for those in that scenes to swap and sell gear with each other. Hell there are ton music stores that make decent $ selling on reverb.com .
Coming from a guy who bought his last bass amp from Guitar Center (online though)
They're still handy if you can't be arsed swapping out pick ups or general maintenance, and they're pretty well priced for that. EMG are making everything so easy at the moment to do everything at home , so they'll be losing business there too.
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Guitar center should start a reverb.com competitor then. Some items come from them, some don't. Just like Amazon.
My point is that guitar center isn't a victim of external forces. They are just being poorly managed when they have the advantage of all these showrooms/distribution network that they are mismanaging. It's internal failure.
They have an online store, i bought my last bass amp off of it. But i don't think it's been updated since 2003.
And i agree they arent a victim. They didn't evolve and were surpassed by better services.
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I spent HOURS... Seriously 3 hours in Austin Vintage Guitars last year when I was in the town working at ACL... That place was INCREDIBLE. I'm going to be back in Austin this year for ACL and I'm looking forward to returning.... Hell I may even buy a new bass thereAt least locally, Guitar Center has sucked monkey balls for a long time. Even for strings or something small, it is the last place I want to give my business. It's just a bunch of unenthusiastic millennials that have no concept of customer service, and in my experience they don't even know enough of the products to be of any help. The last time I went to buy strings there I asked for a set of Bluegrass strings (which are half med, half light - and obviously for an acoustic). I was told with conviction that those strings didn't exist, and he handed me a set of electric strings and said "just try these". I don't play electric so it took me a minute to catch on what he had handed me. I said "what are these, I've never used these before" He said in the most condescending tone "Well, Jimmy Vaughn uses them, so I guess they're probably good enough for you". I wanted to drag that smug fuck over the counter.
About 3 years ago I bought a relatively inexpensive acoustic guitar at GC. Like @Rhino was saying, I wanted to play something before I bought (I was looking to buy on Craigslist, but went to GC so I could look at one up close). I told the sales guy what price I was seeing on the classifieds and he pleaded with me to buy a new one from him. He gave me 40% off to get very close to the used price I was looking at. He gave me the deal because he told me they hadn't sold an acoustic guitar in over 3 weeks
Maybe (and hopefully) folks have better experiences at other locations, but GC is kind of a joke in Austin IMO. They got fucked in the hiney a bunch of times too during past years of SXSW. Guys would come "buy" gear for their shows, play it for a week, and then return it. Kind of funny in a way. I'm pretty sure they have changed their return policy during festivals now though.
Not to mention that their quality control has fully gone to shit over the last few years. My buddy is obsessed with it, and trades pics with people online of blemishes and flaws on brand new Les Pauls sitting in guitar stores. He snapped a pic a few weeks back of one at a local Long & McQuade where the black paint on the front of the headstock had dripped onto the brown wood on the sides. And this is like you said a $3000 guitar or whatever.
That's a great shop. They have some awesome gear that comes through their doors. I was watching a tele there for a while....but it was $6800 so I wasn't really going to buy it hah. But, it is FUN to hang out there. That's the point.
Straight music is pretty good too. It's basically what I think Guitar Center should be trying to be like. They don't have all the vintage stuff, but they have low throgh high dollar guitars/basses/banjos/mandos etc., and they also do pianos and band instruments. For a standard music shop, is cool.
You should try to do a tour or visit at the Collings guitar shop. They are the dopest acoustics made today IMO. It's pretty cool to see their shop and how they do it.
I've had my brothers two Collings here for the last couple of weeks. They feel/play perfect. He's going to have a hard time getting them back from me
It would be a goddamn shame to see Gibson go down. I've had a couple of Gibsons. One I miss really bad and wish I had never sold it.
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That's really disappointing.
I own a les Paul studio circa 1995 that is incredible. I think I paid about 900 bucks for it back then. It's an amazing guitar. I'll never sell it.
Looks like this one
Gibson Les Paul Studio
Even all the comments talk about hunting that period for a workhorse with a high quality sound.
I would have hoped they just kept getting better
M
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I myself have never owned a Les Paul, but I believe the consensus is that the 90s and early 2000s were a great period for Les Pauls.
Of course though you can get a great Les Paul in a shitty era and a shitty Les Paul in a good era, but 90s Les Pauls are usually sought after I think.
I'm not the most up to date fella there is, and I don't pay a whole lot of attention to things like this. But I had no idea they were struggling. I have just always assumed they weren't steady.
Where do you fall into on the Les Paul vs Strat debate?
Always been more of a Strat guy... most of my favourite players were playing them. SRV was my favourite.
But I do like how a LP can make a great metal guitar.
Nice guitar. I'll buy it from you for $75. FIRM OFFER. You should really take this deal while you can. I'd actually be doing you a favor here. I can PayPal you now?
In all seriousness, I had no idea Gibson had slipped. Damn shame if so. And that is a sweet guitar!
I've been battling with this question for about a year now. I only play acoustic, but I've been really wanting an electric. I just can't decide what I want. Most of the time I've been leaning towards a Tele. But I have also researched strats, LPs, and some of the semi hollow Gibsons. I can't ever make a decision.
Clapton started out with an LP but switched to Strat because he felt it was a superior guitar.
I love the teles, they get you labelled as a blues twanger but they're very versatile.
You should be happy all the broke wannabe hipsters have their guitar starbucks to hang out at.
I'm sure it all boils down to personal preference in the end.
I'm not worried about labels, im not a pro musician. But I get what you're saying. I agree about the teles being versatile, that's been a big part of me liking them. I'm looking for a jack of all trades electric, I just don't know what that is for me yet.
The blues do sound good on a tele though!
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Ooof... They both have such distinct sounds, that's a tough pick... Hendrix vs Page, Clapton vs Marley, Slash and Perry vs SRV and Frusciante.... How do you choose?
My guitar buddy is obsessed with Suhr. They're not cheap, but he's got a mess of them. So sweet but way more than I'd spend on a guitar. I notice a lot of YouTubers playing them now days
^dude ripping some SRV
^dude ripping some SRV