A world without Guitar Center?

I have purchased 9 Marshall amps and 1 Orange amp, 3 guitars, and 3 MG cabs from GC, 2 guitars were in the store, everything else was from online, shipped to my local GC.
I never had a problem with any of the issues everyone else has mentioned.
My local GC rarely stocks what I want, so that was the manner in which I purchased my gear.
Before they opened one in MoVal
I used to go to the store in San Bernardino.
There is only one small shop left in my location. And you can’t try the gear out in his store.

My take on all of this.
All the stores in my old neighborhood have been long gone for some time now.
 
I got my first new Fender guitar at the GC Hollyweird store in 1978 next a Gibson Custom Shop Les Paul and Ovation 12 string USA
a Korg keyboard with flight case Noble and Cooley snare drum Ludwig USA drum set 1/2 price new a QSC K12.2 pair with speaker
stands that's about it most of my gear was from small shops had a great store in town only pro level gear I had a $50,000.00 open account
My friend Reese had a few stores in Washington State got everything at dealer cost when I would visit.
 
I know I’ve bored you guys with this place before. They do carry both new and used. They carry quite a few “vintage” instruments. Saw a very old LP with a 6 figure price on it one time. So, I know some of their prices are a touch high. If you find yourself even a little bit curious…. Check the link below. You’ll see why I felt like a kid in a candy store first time I visited.

Chicago Music Exchange Showroom
 
It won't affect me as Geoff said , we don't have any of those stores here in Canada. We have a Canadian owned company called Long&Mcwade they are a huge here in Canada. They are across the whole country with stores that provide music lessons as well. But there are many music stores Ma and Pa shops still around.
 
About 25 years ago I would frequent GC Fountain Valley, CA (close to work) and GC Brea (close to home). Had been in the Santa Ana and El Toro stores a few times back then too. Hadn’t been to one since around 2001 until I took 3 guitars to sell to the San Bernardino store last year. They were only gonna give me pennys on the dollar, so I left.
 
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Don O said:
About 25 years ago I would frequent GC Fountain Valley, CA (close to work) and GC Brea (close to home). Had been in the Santa Ana and El Toro stores a few times back then too. Hadn’t been to one since around 2001 until I took 3 guitars to sell to the San Bernardino store last year. They were only gonna give me Pennie’s on the dollar, so I left.
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Yea I have never sold anything to them for that very reason
 
Don O said:
About 25 years ago I would frequent GC Fountain Valley, CA (close to work) and GC Brea (close to home). Had been in the Santa Ana and El Toro stores a few times back then too. Hadn’t been to one since around 2001 until I took 3 guitars to sell to the San Bernardino store last year. They were only gonna give me pennys on the dollar, so I left.
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A few years ago, I was in a guitar center in Mass. A ratty little sales creature was following me around asking what I was looking at and what I play. I finally told him I have a few sixties SGs, and I was just looking at the wall before grabbing some picks. “Oh, SGs?” He says... “We just grabbed a ‘68 SG special from a guy for a couple of hundred dollars, then flipped it the next day for $4000.00” I walked over to a manager and said “Your salesmen are telling me about how you screw people on their old stuff, and then flip it high. I’ll shop elsewhere.”

I bought picks elsewhere the next weekend. The only reason I was there, is because it was a Sunday and they were open.
 
SG John said:
A few years ago, I was in a guitar center in Mass. A ratty little sales creature was following me around asking what I was looking at and what I play. I finally told him I have a few sixties SGs, and I was just looking at the wall before grabbing some picks. “Oh, SGs?” He says... “We just grabbed a ‘68 SG special from a guy for a couple of hundred dollars, then flipped it the next day for $4000.00” I walked over to a manager and said “Your salesmen are telling me about how you screw people on their old stuff, and then flip it high. I’ll shop elsewhere.”

I bought picks elsewhere the next weekend. The only reason I was there, is because it was a Sunday and they were open.
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That's bad but lately they have had a decline in employee's who are actually decent. It varies store to store.
There used to be a tech at the GC in Temecula , CA. but he moved on in about a year.The ones localy are are not all that great.
 
ibmorjamn said:
That's bad but lately they have had a decline in employee's who are actually decent. It varies store to store.
There used to be a tech at the GC in Temecula , CA. but he moved on in about a year.The ones localy are are not all that great.
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I built an IHOP at murietta hot springs rd and did another bld up the road from there where I know there is a GC . but I can’t remember one being in Temecula.
Are we thinking of the same location ?

Temecula Motorsports was just south of that location.
 
Ghostman said:
It's like a black hole. Companies get bigger and bigger, sucking up all the smaller stars in their vacinity, and then one day, they implode leaving a vacuum.

Sucks that GC killed all the smaller shops and will eventually be gone.
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I remember when they did their huge Walmart-like expansion across the country. It was late nineties, and the internet and guitar forums were coming along a few years later. At the time, everyone was trash talking their local shops they had gone to for years because GC was cheaper. Not by much, but if you're buying five packs of strings, a bag of picks, and a couple of cables, it will add up to a couple of dollars. Big ticket items were a bit more noticeable in pricing, and selection was better because you're comparing a shop that is 800 square feet to 10,000 square feet. I've never liked CG, and would only use them as a last resort. If I was going to go spent $20 on strings and picks, I wanted to make sure my local store got my money because I wanted him to stay in business in case I needed anything else in the future. There are many more philosophical reasons too, but that would make for a very long post.
 
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GC is the only store remotely close to where I live, (38 miles away) for me to see a product in person, try out playing a guitar or hearing an amp. However, I have only purchased three times from them, and remain a customer of Sweetwater and zZounds per the deals I have been able to get and customer service.

I have also purchased from Monoprice for their take on a Strat, budget priced, and more recently purchased a stack amp, 50 watt head and 2x12 cab for it. I am super shocked on how nuce the amp is and the cab, BUT, I am not going to use it much as I have another more useable amp, EVH 5150 40 watt 1x12 that is my all time favorite, in fact I love it, best cleans I have had as well as the rip roar it gets if you turn it up past 4 even on the clean channel.

I will hope GC stays open no matter what they are about, we need guitar stores to stick around.
 
Naked Strat Brat said:
GC is the only store remotely close to where I live, (38 miles away) for me to see a product in person, try out playing a guitar or hearing an amp. However, I have only purchased three times from them, and remain a customer of Sweetwater and zZounds per the deals I have been able to get and customer service.

I have also purchased from Monoprice for their take on a Strat, budget priced, and more recently purchased a stack amp, 50 watt head and 2x12 cab for it. I am super shocked on how nuce the amp is and the cab, BUT, I am not going to use it much as I have another more useable amp, EVH 5150 40 watt 1x12 that is my all time favorite, in fact I love it, best cleans I have had as well as the rip roar it gets if you turn it up past 4 even on the clean channel.

I will hope GC stays open no matter what they are about, we need guitar stores to stick around.
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Agree
 
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