Guitar Center's NEW CEO Has Things Backwards (I'm worried)
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- Опубліковано 2 чер 2024
- Guitar Center has a new CEO, as of late last year, and his recent comments about GC shifting back to "serious musicians" has me thinking that he might be totally out of touch with what kind of customers Guitar Center attracts. Targeting serious, gigging musicians, won't help guitar center and might just make business even worse. Here's why...
Original article here: guitar.com/news/industry-news...
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Rubric: -5 points for Danzig references. -5 points for not reading the description. -5 points for not watching far enough into the video to answer your own question. -5 points for misquoting me in your comment. 20 points possible. Everyone starts with an A!
The amateur player is the core base of the guitar market
I'd wager 80% of all musicians are amateur players. In the same regard, there have been less than 4000, total players in the NBA....guitar center saying they are going back to their roots of catering to gigging musicians is like Nike saying they are only going to cater to professional athletes...90% of people wearing NIKEs have never touched a sports ball, so, they'd be out of luck, if they did that. Same with GC.
@@robowenmikels 80% lol my ass. it is more like 95% and I think that guess is low. I call myself a musician and buy stuff all the time. I know at least a dozen friends that do the same. everybody I meet that plays is just goofing around. Very few actually pay their bills in this gig.
@jamesbarrick3403 Whether or not you pay your bills with your music is not what makes you a musician, and it damn sure does not mean you're just goofing around.
@@robowenmikelsI think you’re being generous id say it’s more like 95% since seeing bands aren’t really a thing.
@@tooruoikawa8985 Clubs would rather pay a DJ nowadays. It's cheaper, and they only have to deal with one person.
In 2024, many people are trying to figure out how to pay for groceries. We don't have $5K for a Gibson.
wah wah... if you want to play a guitar you find a way to get a good $500 axe
Gibson isn't worth the 5k if you do have it. The only guitars I've ever had since I was 15 that had fret buzz issues, were Gibsons. Oh and an Agile.
@@ciao_knives7604 sometimes people want something they'd like to play but also holds its value well and that's why people who can afford it don't mind paying for Gibson's and I totally get it
I don't have money for 5K in groceries, either.
Yeah but GC's best customers are the doctor/lawyer collectors
Gigging musicians don't want elite expensive guitars they want a workhorse guitar because they know what a beating it will take
No doubt. And then it's more than likely to get stolen by some jerk that's too cheap to go buy one for themselves.
@@timothywhitmire4711 Don't get it twisted, bud....people that steal aren't too cheap to buy things for themselves, they just don't respect you or your stuff, or society, or the difference between "right" and "wrong" and they'd rather take your stuff and relish in the pain and torment, they've caused.
Eh, not entirely true. I've retired a few guitars from gigging because of the risks involved, but most of my main workhorses are not cheap. In the last 25 years, I've gigged primarily with Jems and RG550s, Kiesels, Gretsches, and a Breedlove. I learned a long time ago that trying to make due with low end gear just leads to frustration. It has its place, and not all inexpensive guitars suck, to be fair, but I think you've painted with too broad a brush here.
@@PatternRecognitionMusicI'd say those are workhorse guitars, though. Mid-priced guitars are $700-$1500 these days. We're talking Mexican Fenders, Indonesian Ibanez and LTDs, Gretsch Electromatics, PRS SE, etc., not low-end crap, but not Wood Library Limited Run stuff, either.
Hear hear. I hear the cork-sniffers whining about "only nitro" all the time, and I'm like, hell no, give me a 1/4" of poly over everything. I can slam it into a concrete wall on the way to the stage and the only damage I'll do is a chip in the wall.
This would be like Walmart saying they are going to return to their core audience of gourmet restaurants.
More like amazon saying "it's core audince books lovers"
@@GreenBlueWalkthroughlol yep. I wonder how many folks actually remember Amazon used to be a place to buy books online and not much else.
I mean some people at Walmart know how to eat
Successful businesses make it by appealing to the common man. They quickly overtake the snob high $ market and own them. The profit 📈 is made by moving multiple inexpensive units more so than a few expensive units . There's a lot more Fords sold than Jaguars!
yeah like.. guitar center has always been a complete corporate dumpster fire.
You are 100% right about gigging musicians. The only people regularly buying $3k guitars are the blues lawyer, or jazz doctor types. If you guitar center has to (or decides to) write off the average "wanna be" or "up and coming" musician, then its a ticking clock until they close down.
There is always a market at a given price point especially if it is marketed towards those ppl. However it has got a to point with guitars due to CNC machining, higher QC & competing brands & the internet "word of mouth" that the $2-3-4k guitars will have to be marketed like Rolexes. in other words the guitars won't be better guitars just like Rolex is no better than a Casio at telling the time, they will have to be marketed as sought after by the rich almost like jewellery.
most of the gigging musicians here aren't playing $3k guitars. why bring something like that to a bar or a wedding or something? no one in the audience is going to know or care that you're butchering mustang sally on a custom shop strat.
@@cheezyridr Exactly. Idk anyone that is buying a $3k or higher guitar for gigging at local bars. Maybe up to 3k, if you got some of mommy and daddy's money. To be honest, most guitars under $1000 are dogshit.
@@robowenmikels maybe we have different definitions of dogshit. i have 2 guitars under a grand that will go head to head with my les paul custom any day, in every way except pedigree. i've built better partcasters on my kitchen table than anything fender has ever sold. gibson is a lifestyle brand that just happens to make guitars. there's no shame in that. they're no different than harley davidson or sergio valente. some of us can afford to spend alot to have something that's refined in ways not related to it's intended use. but not every purchase is made that way. a basic hammer will still drive a nail.
@@robowenmikels They really aren't. In fact, this channel is a really weird place to be throwing out statements like that given how much time Max has spent highlighting sub $1k guitars.
And this is why Sweetwater exists.
Sweetwater is head and shoulders above Guitar Center.
Well this is true. While my experiences with GuitarCenter have been excellent, Sweetwater is impeccable with respect to customer service, selection, and price. Find some contacts there and rediscover TRUST.
I work at a GC (part time, not a manager or anything), and I really like the changes they have executed so far. The store layout was re-designed to be more open, they gave us a budget for some furniture other than stools, and we can (finally) ring out customers using tap-to-pay. So far so good! I have complained for YEARS that we don't enough cool stuff in... we have like Fender, Gibson, and Gretsch, and barely anything else other than low-end Ibanez and Jackson. The St. Vincent guitar came and went and I never got to hold one! And as far as amps go, the nicest brand new amp that we have in the store is a Twin Reverb, and then it jumps down to like a DSL40, with nothing in between, and no smaller brands. I say HELL YEAH to getting more stuff in... a lot of customers tell us they drive for an hour just to get their strings and see what's new... it would be pretty cool if seeing what's new became the MAIN reason people came in!
i really hope that's how things will continue to go along: broader selection of stuff and just a bit nicer stores that embrace being a place musicians of all levels go to get their hands onto stuff instead of ordering online unseen. I also hope they appreciate their staff and treat those who come and work there and actually are knowledgeble about instruments right to keep them, instead of treating them as just expendable minimum wage sales staff.
It's great to hear the perspective and the news of the internal changes from a GC employee!
100% agree that getting more stuff in, in that space between the lower end and the very high end, would be a great idea. But doing that as a replacement for the lower end stuff, as the new CEO seems to be saying he wants to do, is a stupid idea.
Anyone driving an hour for some strings is RETARDED.
You tell whoever that I said
In December 2023 I applied to a job at Music & Arts. They are part of the Guitar Center brand. The pay was to be just $11 per hour. WHAT? Guitar Center earlier that year was paying $9.50 per hour. Of course they get commission. I told them that I needed to take home at least $30K to consider working there as a very experienced salesman. They wouldn't guarantee that it would happen. I was told that lots of the salesmen were earning around $24K.
How does this CEO expect to keep employees? They already don't have enough people to keep the stores clean and to handle inventory. They also don't have enough people to package and ship things as needed. Guitar Center is failing because they won't hire enough people to be consistently good with service. That is because the CEO and the board of directors want the profits without the service.
Don't expect $10 per hour employees to take pride in their work when they can't afford rent, a car, and health insurance for themselves, let alone a family.
You can't expect employers to carry the burden of govt caused inflation. Those jobs aren't worth that anymore. They can't raise prices enough to compensate for that because online competition is too great and will eat them up. You're seeing this in CA with their new $20/hr nonsense. Places are now reducing staff, cutting hours, or moving to replace people with tech as a result. It's happening. Things are different now and will only get worse with AI and robotics. People no longer have the value they think they do. It's a whoooooole new world.
@@e.l.nortonThe government didn’t cause inflation We The People did by voting for the wrong people for the wrong reasons. The majority voted for this socialist economy we have. They love socialism. Wait until part two. $5 gasoline will be the norm soon.
"socialist economy" lolol no @@rancosteel
@@christheghostwriter SSI, welfare, disability, EBT, do you want me to keep going?
@@rancosteel all of which are predicated on a capitalist economy. Social safety nets are not "socialism." The means of production for most things are controlled by the private sector. You aren't issued an automobile, or sneakers, or your house, or your guitars, or pretty much anything else. That all comes from the capital-fueled private sector. You should go back to school to learn what terms mean before you use them, and you should stop filling your head with right wing media garbage
They could start by not ignoring customers when they walk in the door.
I stop shopping at any store that does not greet customers. A lot of places have that problem. Like Salvation Army...they will greet the person behind me and in front of me but not me. Screw them. Take your 1 star rating and learn to appreciate your customers, or we will go elsewhere or just nowhere at all. I stopped going to guitar center 3 years ago, when their clerk, walked away in the middle of showing me some guitar pedals because he "needed to get a guitar from the back for a paying customer". NEVER again will I step foot into that place.
It’s like a self service store.
Guitar Centers that I have been to have had a lot of young employees, and their generation is just not good with face-to-face interactions, in my opinion. So, they kind of keep to themselves and wait for the end of the shift so they can be free. So, I would not take it personal.
@@JSustain then they’re in the wrong line of work. Nothing personal.
@@bobcole612 I hear you. I feel bad a lot of people in face-to-face customer service. They just were not raised for that type of interaction very well, it seems.
GC is a "Big Box" retailer. I go there for nuts and bolts as needed. For serious instrument purchases, I go to the small "Mom and Pop" shops. If GC significantly changes their customer experience, I will still shop there as I currently do, but if they evolve into a snobby big box store, I will probably shop elsewhere.
You might as well, just not shop there. Because otherwise, nobody gives a shit if you buy guitars from a mom and pop shops but you get your strings from GC. That's a big FU to the Mom and Pop shops of the world. Just go to GC for all your shit then....
Mom and pop shops are the way.
All I want from GC is a better selection of the perishables. The things that bring me in. It’s only after that I might see something else.
That being said, I run a mid-level commercial recording studio. Working class, self funded types of rates. Kids and new musicians are coming in with REALLY nice gear. 2-3k on their pedal boards and 1500+ guitars. I think that first is guitar is one purchase that someone makes, that we all make, but people with multiple guitars I feel often own multiple higher end guitars. Especially the collectors.
Their store needs an update. When I walk into the Guitar Center nearest me I find not enough customer service personnel and the place looks like Spirit of Halloween.
100%!!!!!
Mine too! Depressing!!
Yes I went to the GC in Cherry Hill Nj and did not feel welcomed. I went next door to Sam Ash and spent my money.
sam ash closed all their shops last week
It's not often one can agree 100% with a UA-cam creator on a given subject?
But you nailed it this time Max. Thanks.
Dude! It's not the fact that there are $300 guitars on the racks at Guitar Center, it's the fact that it's the SAME $300 guitars on the SAME racks, ALWAYS..
As a life long player, "premium" gear is code for dentists, stock bros, lawyers with too much money who cashed in their "cool card" to MAKE MONEY when they wanted to be a rock stars!
ZERO working players are showing up to gigs with $4k instruments that can be stolen or damaged. They have to insure that gear.
Working players need VALUE! Inexpensive cables that work well, I/O boxes that are affordable and work well, inexpensive pedals that work well, etc.
The mass majority of players are not professional (myself included). Eventually you realize that more gear isn't needed.
I couldn't even begin to tell you how many gigs I've played with $10k worth of Kiesel, Gretsch and Ibanez lined up at the side of the stage.
My other guitarist will have 6-10k worth of guitars onstage, his amp setup, I don’t know how much it’s worth. I will have maybe $2k in guitars and pedals, and a Marshall I bought for &250. The difference in our sound/tone is indistinguishable, except when we make it so to serve a song.
@TruthAndMoreTruth
You wrote: "ZERO working players are showing up to gigs with $4k instruments that can be stolen or damaged. They have to insure that gear."
You're probably not a church-going person or, if you are, you are in some congregation where the singing is done out of hymnals to a single organ or piano.
There are plenty of "worship leaders" across the Fruited Plain who are singing a set on Wednesday and one or two on Sunday with $4,000.00 worth of Taylor guitar to strum cowboy chords on while they sing. You'll see plenty of American-made Paul Reed Smith electric guitars being used in churches today, too.
"The mass majority of players are not professional (myself included)."
Don't let that stop you from having an opinion on what guitars and gear actually get used in live performance.
it may depend on the part of the country youre in. 4k instruments are pretty common in the northeast, nashville and so cal. Theres ZERO reason to own a PRS but only gig out with your squire. lots of players gig top of the line gear because its more payable and more reliable.
Totally agree, going after the gigging musician is chasing a small niche, and those people are just cross-shopping Guitar Center with Sweetwater, Reverb and Amazon. There are far more beginners and people who aren't sure, but would really like to play guitar.
Having said that, this all boils down to Guitar Center is losing sales to Sweetwater and Amazon. Guitar Center needs to leverage their stores, which can be an advantage if they want them to be. Hold some small events, beginner's nights for people who are on the fence about playing. That feeling when you put a guitar strap over your shoulder and have that instrument in front of you for the first time is so amazing. Invite people in to do just that. Have some staff showing these folks some easy songs, so they can hear themselves. Host local musicians to come in and play, even if it's busking.
Use the stores to create videos for UA-cam. It's mind-boggling that they don't have a massive presence on UA-cam with daily videos that aren't just product specs and guitar pickup selection demos. There's so much they can do at physical locations that Sweetwater and Amazon can't do. It just takes some creativity. Chasing the gigging musicians will be a slow death.
Very well put. GC should hire you to consult.
I am a session and hired guitarist. Do pretty well for myself with a few steady gigs that pay my bills quite well. The last time I dropped in to a GC it was for a last minute buy on a couple of glass slides. I somehow managed to break one between the gig the night before and traveling to the next show. The guy behind the counter was surprised when he asked why I was there. He flat out told me they didn't get a lot of people like me in. Usually it is exactly who you are talking about. I think the funniest part is when he asked what I was playing on the road and I told him I have a couple of Variax guitars I alternate between and a Taylor acoustic. He legit had never heard of a Variax guitar before and I told him to look it up. He looked it up and what it does and straight looks at me and goes "Oh man yeah your an online kind of guy if your working with this kind of stuff". He's not wrong. Heck I even bought my used PRS Hollow Body II piezo from GC... Online after comparing and comparing some more. GC is an absolutely beautiful place. But I think they need to remember where they came from and what they can be. "Give me your beginners. Your just starting out. Your weekend warriors and local bands and players. Give me those who want to truly experience this and learn about the wonderful world it can be. And I’ll give you all the ability possible to become the musician you can be!” This should be the GC creed honestly. Most of us who do this for a living have established relationships already. Mine’s with Sweetwater and most of the no name shadowy people behind the scenes of the machine are more or less the same. I’m not saying it is not for professionals. I’m saying I agree with you that the core of their audience is the future generations of professionals or of those who just want to pick something up and give it a go. Also to be honest I love your idea because when I’m home it would be so much fun to show up at a GC in the evening and just sit in with people who want to do it. To just take in that breath of fresh air and to be around people who love this and just want to give it a shot rather than having the expectation of people already knowing what they need to d. Jam nights and things like that could be a big thing for them especially in local communities like mine. The GC in the city is the only one for a couple hundred miles any direction so they have a huge advantage here. I think they would bring in more people than they realize by becoming a central meeting hub once again for local and regional musicians as much as they would for being a showcase for new musicians. Seriously I’d love to go to something when I’m home instead of hoping that people I know are playing a club or event somewhere. Knowing I might run into them along the way at GC would be a huge bonus. And I mean… If I were to grab a thing or two along the way while talking with friends because hey impulse buy… well then hey it is working right
" Chasing the gigging musicians will be a slow death."
That's the kind of thinking that led to the "pivot" that got them in the predicament they're in now.
I worked my way to my undergraduate degree as a vocalist and lead guitar player in a Southern California cover band from 1983 to 1987. I wasn't affected by the decline in demand for live music, but by '87, many of my friends and associates in other bands were, so I could see the handwriting on the wall.
Guitar Center saw that, too. They reacted accordingly.
What Guitar Center DIDN'T see was the exponential spread of contemporary worship services in churches across the U.S.A.
I got in to playing in churches in '88. The mechanics of making live music were the same in church as they were outside of it, requiring the same gear in church as I'd need in a bar or bar mitzvah. But, as far as Guitar Center was concerned, I didn't exist as a potential customer, anymore, and neither did my church-playing peers.
When I got my first worship pastor gig in '91, the opportunities to do the same staff position had expanded to job opportunities in every state.
"Guitar players don't gig anymore" isn't really true. Live music might not matter in bars or at bar mitzvahs or the bar association banquet ball, but it will ALWAYS be a part of Christian worship.
Guitar Center "chasing gigging musicians" will finally give 1,800,000 church guitar players a reason to shop with Guitar Center again.
What put Guitar Center on the slow death spiral it has been on was the "pivot' from meeting the needs of the serious, gigging musician, to added focus on the beginner and the entry level and not recognizing that for every bar-band warrior who stopped gigging when venues dried up, there is now a church player who has the same needs every other performer of live guitar music has.
I do not go to my local guitar center anymore because everytime i went into the store no one every greeted you,asked if you needed any help,saw 7 employees standing around talking or texting on there phones instead if helping people,none of the guitars even have a basic setup,if you ask for a setup on a $3000 guitar they tell you it will be an extra service charge,a lot of employees but not all think they are guitar gods and hum and ha about helping a beginner out when they come in,and some employees just want to sit around all day jamming on all the gear instead if working.
I know.. basic set up… “ That will be $40”.. and it will be the worst set up you have ever seen. Guitar Center is the reason I got into luthiery and learning how to fix my own instruments.
Same here. Got one around the corner. I’ll never go back.
I took my Kramer pacer classic in to get a pot changed. When I got it back, the new pot was worse than the old one so I took it upon myself to learn the ins and outs of working on my guitar and haven’t looked back.
@@southernpanda33 This is the way. I learned how to set up my own guitars. Save money. Be a manly man, with huge cock. Learn to do your own work. Me cut down tree now for shelter.
They also can't tell acoustic strings from electric....
i prefer to be left alone at the music store. if i have a question i will ask. one experience sticks out regarding the consulting thing. i was in a dirt cheep music store trying out a bass amp. a sales chimp came over and casually reset all the nobs on the amp to his liking. then he said, thats better and left. still blows my mind when i think of it. great, relative video.
Reminds me of the scene in the Sopranos where Richie Aprile translates Tony's statement about respect.
I had a bad experience with my local GC in trying to purchase a floor model Gretsch that was pretty seriously banged up, but I really liked.
Long story as short as I can make it, it was listed as on sale, and the salesperson was absolutely unwilling to knock a few bucks off. I pitched a fit (politely and professionally), contacted GC corporate, and ended up getting a call from the local store’s manager. After speaking with him, I ended up taking the guitar home about a month later for significantly less than I had planned to spend on it. They have actually taken really good care of me since then.
They can be a pain in the azz, but there are good experiences to be had.
Sam Ash just announced they will start to close all stores. It will be interesting to see if that changes the GC CEO’s stance.
Wow. I just looked that up and you are correct.
That is just awful and shows how bad things are now.
Bidenomics jack
Bidenomics jack....... thats the truth
GC's mission was to open a location right across the street from every Sam Ash.
I'm a 71 year old musician who has been playing guitar for over 55 years and I agree with what you said. Times have changed. I bought my last 2 guitars online without playing them first which was unheard of in my time. You're right that we as musicians get our information on products online not in person in a store. Channels like yours. Thanks for the video.
I'm still afraid to do that. Too many neck shape variables these days
@@hankd18 it's a calculated risk, better taken with companies with a track record of consistency and good QC and mitigated by other factors as well (not really my thing, but some people have their "sales rep" at say, a Sweetwater or whatever with whom they've built a rapport and said sales rep has a good idea what the customer wants. Closest I ever came to that was a couple of decades ago I was cool with a salesperson at the local GC and occasionally she'd call up if she came across something I'd mentioned that I would be interested in since she had a rough idea of my particular tastes. Got a couple of guitars from her that way, still have one of them. Of course, they don't make GC salespeople like they used to).
i wouldnt let any of the little shitheads from failed hardcore bands that gatekeep these stores tell me anything lol
My experience at guitar Center is that all of the guitars that are out are horribly Out of tune and beaten up and if that was a $2,000 Les Paul I would be heartbroken just to see it. Then you spend 20 minutes trying to get the one apathetic employee to find a tuner for you.
if you need a tuner to tune a guitar, you have problems guitar center couldn't fix anyhow
@@clemclemson9259 i agree as well. in fact, in another post in this comment section, i actually said that their crappy service is the entire reason i stopped going there years ago. however, that wasn't what i was responding to. anyone with at least 6 months of experience should know how to tune their guitar with relative pitch. it's a basic and fundamental skill. if you can't do it, you're not a guitar player
Exactly ....your not even trying to sell guitars if you wont tune em ready to sell....thats just neglect ... They should have them tuned already ..
The new CEO is absolutely clueless if that's what he thinks , they're going to lose a lot of customers. They already shut down so many stores , the closest one to me is 35 minutes so I hardly go there. PS you're spot on about the economy sucking , I've seen the same guitars on my local Craigslist for 6 months already and I have 4 listed because money's tight and I need to thin the herd , but I haven't even gotten a bite for mine and it's been almost 3 months since I listed them. When I've sold guitars there before they were gone in less than a month , nobody has extra money anymore.....
As I said, they are losing all but the new guitarists...who don't know better.
@@sgholt Truth!
...Yet consumer spending has NOT dropped off a cliff... discretional spending is still significant, Americans are traveling more, flying more, taking vacations, buying the latest Phone or tech gear etc etc...SOMEONE is making out pretty well in this "shitty economy".
Used guitars not selling locally any more is not a reflection of the national economy, it's a reflection of the USED GUITAR MARKET in your area and across the board right now.
it is a buyers market currently plain and simple and there is a major glut of product period, with more on the way... Like MOST industries post pandemic they all went from a scarcity of product, lockdowns, factory shut downs globally, to huge product orders, (Because demand will never change right?!) to over production and then.... Oh Crap! how did that happen...product glut.
The guitar industry, the bike industry etc all experiencing the same thing from 3+ y ago.. lack of stock and product during pandemic lock down, lots of peopel who couldn't spend money normally, who got checks from the govt. began buying guitars, bikes, pets, Pelotons, Zwifts, Home gyms etc. while stuck at home or restricted from work.... prices were up on new and used gear because of crazy demand and people flush with a li'l cash burning a hole in their pocket...AND then it all fell out once ppl got back to work and started spending money on the normal stuff, plus the inflation etc, the supply lines recovered, the huge orders began to arrive and billions of dollars of product orders flooded the market as people stopped buying because they : A- were busy working again... B- spending money on all the other things they couldnt while locked down.. C- no more gov't handout $... D- no need for a new bike, guitar, amp, etc, as many just bought a new one in the last 2 years....
Perhaps people should be willing to consider the reason their used guitars arent selling is because there is a product glut and new guitars are selling for less than they should, so your "reasonable and fair" price is just too high for the current market. No matter what is, it's only WORTH what some one will pay for it and 99 x out of 100 a buyers "fair price" is going to be lower than the sellers idea of the same. Personally I could give a crap about GC the service has been crap for YEARS not the people most of them who work there are jsut worker bees and not very good at it last time i was in for some strings and a cpl other things it literally took almost 30 min JUST to pay for my stuff and leave due to this problem or that problem with the scanner, the cash register, the SKU, the lack of knowledge of the guy trying to check me out & having to call a supvr. over 3x... their days are numbered, they ceased to be relevant to me about 20y ago and I have one close by...I pop in there once in a while and look around mostly their used gear but only because the local music store is only open 3-4 days a week any more because ................demand is down. I worry about the independant music stores, guitar shops and their owners operatrors THOSE guys are dissappearing fast and the ones who are still around gunna have to fight to survive if they can.
@@RaptorV1USA Used market will be poor now because cheaper guitars are far higher quality & that has happened in just a few years. Features on cheaper guitars even exceedwhat is on "standard" models from the likes of Fender or Gibson who will charge more for them or even say they are not required as they try to shill "vintage" specs - "vintage" AKA obsolete.
@@RaptorV1USA Spare me the liberal talking points , you must not have been to ANY stores or bought gas lately. Or maybe you live on another planet , but everything is 3 times what it cost a few years ago. Nobody is spending like they were before , do you pay bills? Have you not gotten gas or been grocery shopping? Nobody has extra money to throw around these days , why do you think cheap guitars are so popular now , sure they're being made pretty decently but I don't know anyone running out to drop 4k on a Gibson. Cheap guitars are selling because they're affordable , plain and simple...
You are spot on. I’m an intermediate guitarist who plays in local cover band, but I have a real day job. I’ve bought a few guitars from GC over the last few years but not one of them was a walk-in to the store. My last walk-in experience was so bad with their “salesman” they need to overhaul that process first.
I’ve been playing guitar for around 25 years, but no one would accuse me of being a serious musician. But I’ve been playing long enough that I know what I want/like and have plenty of knowledge in order to chaperone myself at GC or any other guitar store. The sales folks aren’t much of a help to me. But where I really see them shine is when a parent is there to buy a kid’s first guitar, drum kit, keyboard, etc. “A Guitar Center instrument in every child’s hand” should be their corporate motto going forward.
In USA, the venue with the most live guitar performing musicians is Sunday morning worship service at Church
Consider Tulsa, Oklahoma as an example. Tulsa's population is 412,000. There are 786 churches inside the city limits. The majority of those have evolved from singing out of hymnals to an organ or piano to contemporary worship services with lyrics projected on a wall and singing done to a five-piece or larger band.
Assume 700 of those churches have some kind of contemporary worship service. Even if they only have one "praise and worship team," someone is going to be playing a Taylor two or seven something or other and someone else is going to be playing some kind of electric guitar. That's 1,400 "gigging" guitar players.
But the goal in most churches isn't to have a praise and worship team. It is to have more than one and rotate them.
I think it is highly likely that there are more than 4,000 guitar players in Tulsa who play in churches.
That's just what happens in one example of what passes for "The Big City" in fly-over country, U.S.A.
Tulsa has one Guitar Center location. If you're a church player, the place is pretty much useless. It is stuck in the era of "live stages" with wedge monitors and instrument amps on stage, while the majority of the 786 churches have moved on or are in the process of moving on to "silent stages" with I.E.M.s and "ampless rigs" for the guitars and electric bass guitars. Go in to Tulsa's Guitar Center, and you can easily buy an amplifier. What you CAN'T do is buy an amp modeling pedal. At least, I couldn't when I tried to buy one there. They didn't have a single device of that kind in stock and opined that they couldn't remember when they last had one. They also very clearly didn't understand why anybody would want one or who the people that might want one really are.
The effects pedal selection there is frankly pretty pathetic and it was missing some pretty common things church guitarists use, like the Strymon Big Sky and other stuff that every church player seems to have on their boards.
They do have it figured out that the average worship leader wants a Taylor to play cowboy chords on, though. ;)
LOL make guitars with crosses then..LOL ..Tony Iomi
When I worked for a church their gear was incredible
I live in Bulgaria, so I don't think I'll buy anything from GC in the foreseeable future, but I agree. For every serious gigging musician that I've seen in local guitar stores there are like ten mothers looking to buy their child's first instrument and twenty beginners looking to buy their first instrument.
Plus, gigging musicians aren't constantly in the market for something new, just like electricians aren't constantly searching for new screwdrivers to buy - and for the same reason - they already have what they need. And from what I've seen, gigging musicians aren't that likely to buy expensive instruments to gig with. Is anyone really bringing a 3000 dollar Martin to a dive bar?
I don't think you really want a 3 to 8,000 dollar guitar hanging on the bottom row for someone to bang around on it. If you are a serious player I don't think you will mind waiting a minute for a salesperson to get the guitar for you. The average person who walks into GC is a beginner to intermediate player
100% ... its not fair to the final buyer. Only seriously intorested people should be playing it. You can't have kids picking it up, dropping it, who knows what. And at the same time we WANT kids to get hands on and try stuff. So you gotta accommodate both of those groups and scenarios. Leaving everything within arms reach is just foolish.
I agree.
That's pretty pretentious. If Guitar Center was "Violin Center" then their bottom row would be $3k violins. Most professional concert instruments costs in the 10s of thousands. $3-8k at Guitar Center is still a guitar made 80% by machine that took 10 minutes to assemble and maybe $300 in parts and labor. It's not hand-made, not rare, and only "valuable" because of the list price. So a kid shouldn't be allowed to test out if that price really makes a difference? That floor model is a sacrifice there to get beat up, because even if they lose a few grand, the number of eyes and hands trying it every day helps sell their stock. And there's always the one dude who comes along and will buy the floor model $200 off because it just "feels right," he doesn't care if it's been touched or has a small ding or two.
I just went to GC to pick up some strings and maybe check out a ESP, since I just ordered a Viper. They didn't have any; only $1200-up everywhere. Hooks in the acoustic room where Yamahas and Fenders hung have Martins and Taylors.
It was also dead in there. I've seen graveyards more lively. Anecdotal of course, but didn't look good trying to push up market.
I bet if you asked the CEO what Rectifier Sag is on the spot, he wouldn't know. I remember when Phillip McNight talked about a guy helping himself to a top level guitar and it fell off the hook taking out 2 or 3 guitar on the way down. Doh!
I totally agree with your assessment. As a non-professional, stay-at-home player, I confess that I have spent more than I should have on gear. I've purchased about ten guitars over the last 4-5 years. All of them of the budget-friendly variety. It's easier to talk yourself into spending $200-$300 than $1000. Especially when you're not that great of a musician. Then I also like to have a hardshell case for each. And a coordinated strap. Maybe another overdrive, distortion or fuzz pedal would be nice. While not spending $4000 or more for a single guitar, I do make a lot of smaller purchases that add up. It sounds like Guitar Center doesn't want someone like me as a customer.
In addition to all your great points is the fact that there are not as many places to gig any more. For instance, in my town, there were about a dozen places 20 years ago. Now, we have less than 5. Not sure what caused that. But, to your point, I believe it is much quicker to sell 10 $100 guitars than a single $1,000 guitar largely because the ROI on the instrument is not there anymore for most of us. Unless you can justify buying a $4,000 guitar to play in your bedroom or basement perhaps. And maybe that is where this new CEO believes the trend is today.
Sounds like Houston. If you want to play original rock or metal, you've got BFE and Acadia, and don't expect to make money doing it. Concert Pub is tribute band territory, originals and variety don't fly there. Most bars don't do live music anymore. If you're really good and well established, maybe you can book the occasional gig at Scout. For a while, I was able to consistently play covers once or twice a month at Baytown dives like Dirty D's and City Lites and maybe walk away with $150 on a good night. There's some things to love about H-town, but the local music scene ain't one of them.
There are plenty of places where live music gets played in front of people.
They're called churches.
According to the National Congregational Study Survey, there are an estimated 380,000 churches in the U.S. The majority of them have contemporary worship services now.
Taylor 814's are fairly common sights in churches today. They retail for around 4K. There's more than one church player in my corner of the world playing a PRS McCarty 10-Top, too, and they go for over 5K.
There's still a market for premium guitars that get played in front of people.
I mean I'm pretty serious about being a guitar player. Practice every day, write as much as possible etc.
But I absolutely hate going into a guitar center. Usually only interesting stuff is used, there's only a few people who can ring you up, there's always two different dudes playing really shitty and really loud... its just such an annoying place to have to go in my opinion.
A few weeks ago, I decided I wanted to learn guitar and went to a GC. I told them this was my first guitar and asked what their options were. They tried to sell me a $700 guitar.
I left and went to a local boutique. Got a $120 no name, a cheap amp, other supplies, and lessons. Yesterday, I traded my guitar in for one that was $400 from the same shop. When I can afford a $700 guitar, I'll get one, but it won't be from GC.
The little shop I went to treated me right and I'll keep going to them. They didn't sell me a guitar, they sold me music. If I have music, then the guitars will sell themselves.
Former GC employee here. I understand this channel is kinda built on finding affordable guitars and getting a good deal which is awesome. However I missed SO many sales from musicians who actually wanted to buy something higher end in store and try it. The GC I worked at was not one of the flag ship stores so the guys who wanted to the nicer stuff would always get their stuff from Sweetwater. I think they’re definitely not going to get rid of the affordable stuff but it’s nice to actually have the nicer stuff in store. If you walk into guitar center now it’s the same low end stuff over and over. Having nicer gear WILL bring people in, people will bring in trades and will try and get those guitars. I think the #1 thing GC really struggle with is their website and point of sale systems. They’re both so bad. I recently went in to my local GC and they’re still using the same one I used years ago and they’re still dealing with the same problems. This is holding up the line and making their jobs way harder than it needs to be. All that being said I hope GC turns it around and they just have a wider selection for a musician at any level. I hope they get a better website and have better resources for their employees so it’s just better for everyone.
Honestly… GC’s core customer purchased a guitar that got played for 6-12 months and has been sitting in the closet for 30 years…
And then came Covid and everyone bought guitars to kill time… unlike some of us, most have no need for a 2nd guitar.
Customer experience is everything. That's why Sweetwater is killing it rn.
My last trip to GC, had cash in hand and wtb a used Roland digital kit they had on the wall. Was told that they weren't going to be pulling it down for me to verify it worked, not even if I waited or came back later as it was a busy Saturday afternoon. You tell me you don't want my money, I'm going to believe you.
I had a great relationship with all the folks at my local GC years ago. Then the company shit the bed and all the good people either quit or got fired.
I thought the new CEO was crazy saying they need to push higher end instruments. All you have to do is look at the economy in general or buy gas and groceries to know that most guitarists are not going to be able to buy expensive guitars. I bought most of my guitars used and even that was a stretch at times. I've gone to GC to check out a used guitar at times only to find corroded strings that made the guitar I was interested in unplayable and definitely one that I couldn't check fret buzz or whatever, so I passed on it. Most of the sales guys at my local GC are not knowledgeable enough for me to waste time talking to them about the guitar/s I was interested in.
There's a reason I shop with Sweetwater and/or Reverb instead of Guitar Center.
Yea Max, I think the CEO’s heart is in the right place, because we All wish everybody could experience that feeling we got when we went to GC when we were kids, but as you said, times have changed & being a formerly gigging musician, we know what we’re looking for before we even go to the shop! And the sales guys usually have no idea what we’re even talkin about! I agree with everything you said bro, the CEO should take heed in your words! Peace!
I've scored deals at GC, where perfectly good, new instruments were scratch-and-dented more than 50% off because apparently no one on staff had heard of such things as truss rods and they thought the neck was warped. So I don't imagine that the staff at those GC's have particularly impressive consultative skills, because GC doesn't want to spend on its employees what people with real consultative skills would be worth. Unfortunately this is part of an overall cultural and business trend to downgrade employees as much as possible, to take money off staff salaries and add it to the business's bottom line, while still pretending that the downgraded staff is just as good as a serious professional staff.
Lots to unpack in that article. I'm 53 years old, when I was in my teens, all the music shops were small locally owned places. I could never afford pretty much any guitar they had on the racks, but would go in and just play different guitars and dream. I never got hassled. I just went into the guitar room, took a guitar down, plugged it in and played around with it. I'm sure the sales people knew by looking at me that I was just a kid with no money, dreaming about owning some of the great gear they sold. Fast forward to shopping at Guitar Center. Pretty much the only time I go there is if I'm looking for something specific. I'll check out the acoustic room, but have never really spent time taking a guitar off the rack and playing it. I'm an introvert, and the sales people always seemed intimidating, so the idea of saying, "hey, can I have you pull down that $6000 Gibson Custom so I can try it out" is a bit daunting. I have also bought a few used items from GC, with mixed results. I also have always gotten the sense that no one in the store gives a shit. Like they're there to sell you the extended warranty on your multi-effects pedal and make their sales figures. And the ones that know guitars seem to have this snobbery about them. Let's face it, we can all buy guitars from just about anywhere. But there aren't many places left where you can walk in, take a $1500 axe off the wall and plug it into a Marshall stack to see how it all sounds. I think GC has hit the wall as far as things they've tried to stay afloat. Our local store did the little lesson pods thing, that lasted all of a few years and in the past 10 years a number of locally owned guitar stores have popped up. So this seems like a last ditch effort to scream to the world, "hey rich people, we're going to cater to you, and train our sales people to really 'sell' you"...sounds like loads of fun. If I worked for Guitar Center and read this article, I'd be putting my two week notice in. Sounds like there is going to be immense pressure on the sales people to sell guitars. I'm sure walking into that place once they become a "high end" boutique for guitars will be a treat. The writing is probably on the wall. You've got a handful of big music vendors, Amazon, Walmart, Reverb, FB Market Place, (Do people still use Craig's List?), then throw in companies like Firefly. I think even the big guitar makers are going to face a crises, especially once the generation that believes that USA made means quality is gone. If you can pay around $200 and get a guitar that is just as good as any brand name guitar selling for 10 times that...and you know nothing about brands...you are probably just going to go with the affordable guitar. I've played a ton of guitars in all price ranges, and you pay a lot of money for the name on the headstock. I guess that's what GC is banking on.
They need to do the exact opposite of this, and they need to have a plethora of options for players looking for quality affordable import guitars. They do *NOT* need a zillion Gibson Les Pauls and Fender Stratocasters in different colors all over their walls. They need *real* diversity of products, so any player looking for any kind of guitar (6 string, 7 string, hardtail, FR, offset, HH, SSS, HSS, 25.5", 24.75, etc etc) can walk in and find anything on the wall without spending $2k for it.
While i agree the problem is that import guitars will be 2000 very soon. A lot already are.
i used to work at GC and i agree. :)
I remember when I was young (you know, back when the dinosaurs roamed the planet) and I would go into my local music store and they would have the mid and lower cost guitars on the bottom row and the "premium" guitars above those, on the 2nd row (but still easily reachable). Everyone just knew by their placement not to take one down from the 2nd row unless they were seriously considering one. And the guys who worked there knew their stuff! So IMO, there should be a variety with lots of friendly expertise.
FYI, while I can't speak to any other models they made (never seen any others), there was a budget Les Paul copy back then, when a nice Gibson Les Paul cost $600, that was a beautifully built guitar that also played beautifully and sounded really great, that sold for $300 (half the price of a LP, so maybe it's "mid"?) and the name on it was "Ventura". I played it a lot and almost bought it instead of the LP, but the guitar shame game over copies was so high at the time that I ended up buying the Gibson. But if it were like it is today? I would have bought it and left the LP in the store and gigged with it without a second thought! H*ll, I'da recorded an album with it! 🙂
So yea, a music store should have different price points, because how many young people go in there to find out there's nothing they can afford? Are they not "serious", just because at 14yo they don't have $Thousands to spend on a guitar? How are they ever going to become professionals, if they can't afford an instrument?
My big problem with GC is they don't value the business of older players. I started playing professionally when I was 15 years old in 1967. I majored in music in college and taught over 38 years. A few years ago I went to my local GC to look at some acoustic guitars. One 20 something sales person looked at me when I walked in then totally ignored me. As soon as I picked up a guitar he rushed over as if he was afraid I was going to drop it. About that time some teen age kids came in and he rushed over and lavished all his attention on them. I'd had enough so I walked out. When I was leaving I had a chance to talk to the manager. He couldn't care less until I pulled out my wallet and showed him I had $800.00 in cash. I told him I was ready to buy that day but not there. Gc should have at least some older sales staff along with younger staff. I'm 71 years old and I still play and do occasional gigs.
I've been checking my local GC's used section for a month now, and I have some stuff to say: Everyone who's come in to look at a high end guitar got it taken down, foamed at the mouth for it for about 5 minutes and then gets it put back up on the 3rd row. The few guitar purchases I've seen take place were for things $300 and lower. My main complaint is how annoying the "guitar wall" is. I'm not sure how other stores do it but I feel like having labeled sections for brands would really benefit everyone. Sometimes I want to come in and just immediately see what new ibanez's - jacksons- ect came in yk, the system they have now will have you walking back in fourth a ton if you're really in there to make a serious purchase. Another thing we need is a couple isolated booths for trying out guitars. Being able to just walk up to an amp and plug in is awesome af, but we all know how annoying it can be when ONE guy just turns his amp up louder than it needs to be and blasts the whole store with his riffs. Lastly, they need to accommodate 7 string guitar players more. It's way past normalized in metal/hardcore and is making its way into other genres. Their selection for it just blows every time, you'd be lucky to see them have 2 on the wall.
I don't know why they need to "focus" on one group or the other. They are all customers so give them what they want. Have a good selection of affordable guitars and the same with high end guitars. There is no reason they can't have both. You can quickly tell what level of assistance a customer needs and be flexible to assist when needed or when you just leave them alone. My local GC has a pitiful selection of high end guitars with no more than 10-15 over $1500 but rows of under $1000. (most under $500)
". . . so it's much harder to justify to yourself -- or your wife . . ." Nailed it, Max. Regarding GC, I hope this guy is successful, but I believe he'll need to rethink his approach, as you've pointed out.
I musta got lucky. My wife encourages me to buy guitars. It's a blessing and a curse.
I worked at GC and Sam Ash, the majority of people who walked in the store were buying mid-range gear. The high end purchasers usually knew what they wanted prior to walking in the store. They could be shifted if it meets their needs then they would buy it. Nowadays it is easier to buy more expensive gear, I use the GC card all the time. Put money down on initial purchase then pay off early.
You're 100% right.
When a GC salesman calls me up, I tell them - You don't give me enough credit to make the big purchases, Sweetwater does. Bose PA system, Marshall stack all went to Sweetwater. Also Sweetwater has a Plek machine that I add to the purchase, GC doesn't have one.
GC is so out of touch. Sweetwater is so dominant, they literally do not even consider Guitar Center a major competitor. You can’t just snap your fingers and fast forward your business 10 years. I guess they can start by using a flash on the camera when they list used items online. They are a day late and a dollar short.
Customer service and pricing are excellent.
I think what a player NEEDS is to be able to PLAY as many different guitars as possible. They do not need to take it home the same day. If one found the guitar that was first the most playable, generally it hit them as looking cool you could wait a couple of days or even a bit more to take delivery. So more stores so one is near everyone and near zero warehoused inventory in them.
You are spot-on with everything you said!
I've been playing for 45+ years and have had been fortunate to play for hundreds of thousands of people. I'm at a point where I typically know more about a product than the salesperson at the store. Also (as you noted), as a seasoned musician I already know what I want when I walk in the store. In fact, at this point in my life, browsing is actually a big pain in the ass because I have already played through so many setups that there is not much that really grabs my attention. Another point: I already own pretty much all the gear I will ever need and (as someone else noted) I don't want to take expensive guitars out on stage and subject them to the risks of damage. A well-built mid-level workhorse guitar usually is more than adequate for most gigs. I'm not going to drop $5k on a guitar and then take it out to Joe's Bar and Grill down the street.
Am I jaded? Perhaps. I prefer to think of it as a combination of pragmatism and experience. GC would do better to keep catering to those young players just dipping their toes into the water. People will pay all kinds of money for their dreams, and young players are full of dreams. Give them some good gear at a reasonable price and let them do their thing as they pursue those dreams. Besides, you don't need an expensive guitar to change the world. Edward Van Halen changed the world with a guitar built from 2nds he bought at a local shop. Stevie Ray Vaughn made all those killer records with a Strat from a pawn shop.
I go to GC on BROAD St. In Richmond, VA quite a bit. It's got a Sam Ash right next to it. I always feel like the workers think they're cooler than you and aren't that helpful unless you ask. They could pick up a vacuum once in a while.
I have played for 38 years and have had lucritive gigs with large casinos and such and I have traded and or sold over 50 vintage guitars. I have kept about 10 but I find the mid range reissues are way better built and sounding than originals. Case in point I played a tobacco 74 strat for years. I sold it the neck was not that great and electronics noisy and I never wanted to cut into it. It was a good guitar but not great same with numerous Les Pauls from the 70s I owned. Now I buy Heritage or Epiphone a lot for players they build them better than the vintage ones. Smoother necks and better electronics. A solid example of this I bought a 70s Ventura Mexican Strat. The Cherry burst, ash body and electronics and neck blow my original alder 70s Strat out of the water. It plays better, sounds better, looks better feels better. It cost me 750$ used. I could go replace it with another 74 oridginal for 4k and have a worse guitar I would have to wait for the right buyer to sell to. Or loose 2k on trade when I get sick of its quirks. I am getting a lot more guitar for less now and going with those better to make 150$ on a sale than loose 2k because collectors are hard to find and not that common. The expensive vintage stuff I got is because it is great stuff but the same is to be said about the mid range stuff I have now. But a more expensive guitar now can often be blown away by a 1200$ one.
Executives have charts and graphs. They don’t put their hands to things so they don’t have intimate information. They have ideas and the power to make decisions. Then they look at charts and graphs to see if they make nice charts and graphs.
I went to a GC for the first time a couple of weeks ago. Nobody greeted me, I walked around for 30mins and nobody offered help, I couldn't even tell who the employees were. When I asked for help at the countrr, I did get it and the guy was patient and helpful. Now I want to buy an amp, but their selection is so limited. Compare a vypyr x2 with an x3? Nope a gtx50 to a gtx100? Nope lt50 with lt40s? Nope Those are common entry level amps and I can't get my hands on them at the same location. Also, nobody in there was looking form $3000 guitars, it was teenagers, parents with their kids, etc. In fact, when I realized the guitar I was holding was $1000 I immediately put it back in fear of breaking it. They need better service and a wide selection to try if they want a playground experience. I'm new but I would spend a lot more time there if i could try a variety of amps and pedals and guitars and know exactly what i like before spending money. They also need their used prices worth it, a used Katana was $200 a new one was on sale for $200. Ordering used online isn't worth it, with shipping it raises the price up to new prices.
Excellent assessment and perspectives Max!
I agree, Guitar Center should re-double their efforts to cater to the interested and beginner level guitarists, and offer them more consultative services since they don’t have the wealth of experience and knowledge of serious musicians.
They also definitely need to improve their online presence, especially the presentation of their used gear. The photos look like a 10 year old kid took them with his flip phone
if you invite abuse ...its impolite not to accept it ...
We've seen this shift , first it was gov, then big tech , now most corporations act and treat people as the ENEMY .
When I was a young kid guitarist, the local shop would let me pick up the highest end guitars and plug in to play, without having to even ask. My parents bought my nice Strat from that shop when the time came. I grew up to shop there frequently and spent lots of money . Eventually they brought in some new folks who had a "hands off, kid!" approach, and they went out of business a few years later. Letting the aspiring kid play a $3,000 Les Paul will pay off down the line. So, there is certainly merit in making the high end gear accessible to demo.
When I was young,that's how it was. I got play stuff that is now only found in museums. I bought a few as well.
Letting an aspiring kid play a $3,000 Les Paul leads to a beat up Les Paul being sold by the store at a loss. Nobody wants to pay for a new guitar that is covered with scratches.
Not if he plays my sub $300 Xaviere and works for a living when he grows up.
Yeah sorry to say but times have seriously changed! I go to different music stores and see a variety of kids. "Some" are respectable about an instruments worth and others walk in with their "it's about me " attitude and literally destroy things just for the sake of it. And some of the parents are just as bad as their kids!
Sweetwater probably has the best music business model. Love the customer service, my representative says in contact with me and when i visit its like going to Disney World. GC and Sam Ash seem more like walmart. The employees could care less if you walk through the doors or not. I stopped in GC a few days ago just to see what was new or interesting. No employees said hello or offered to help or explain any sales that were going on. Thats really the problem in my opinion...oh and the guitars i would like to out are on the top row behind the counter and say DO NOT TOUCH! ASK FOR ATTENDANT!!! Which attendant? The one busy talking with his buddy or playing on his phone or noodling around?
Unfortunately (where GC is concerned), your video really hits the mark. I have shopped at Guitar Center for decades and still proudly keep my gear card handy in the wallet. There has been a shift in the focus and attention of the sales associates, managers and staff at the two Guitar Centers within 50 miles of my home. These folks do not seem to care as much about valuing trades for older gear, nor do they seem sympathetic to new customers asking them newbie questions (I guess I'm just nosy like that listening to other new customers while waiting my turn to discuss something with a GC associate). Whether this stems from a value shift in upper management (particularly the new CEO), or a lack of interest from upper management in how the day to day operations are working concerning their sales associates in the brick and mortar stores would be interesting to understand. At present, my balance on my GC gear card is $0. Lots of credit but I've been spending my cash at Sweetwater and on Reverb. The reason for these two choices is clear. Better customer service and support outside of Guitar Center. Max, you are a great musician and a gem on UA-cam. Your opinion in this subject is truly needed. Thanks for this posting!
I agree with you completely. Gabe better be able to adapt on the fly, because he will quickly be changing his focus more to wannabe/ hobbyist type of players. That is where the money is to be made.
I went to a Guitar Center exactly one time. It was a few months ago. I was in the store for 30 minutes and no one offered to help me. I had a guitar strap in hand I was going to buy and then waited at the locked, glass pedal display because I was going to buy a wah, a noise gate and an overdrive. This cabinet was near the cash register. There was some guy further up that might have been there to book lessons? I'm not entirely sure. And two guys were helping a guy who brought in a few guitars for setups. Not sure why there were three workers and only one other guy there needing service while I was wanting to give them money and didn't even have someone look my way. I put the strap back on the rack, left the store and called Sweetwater when I got home. Ask me if I'll go back to Guitar Center ever again.
My experience at GC in the past few years hasn’t been great. Managers of the stores at least where I live in Illinois, don’t have instrument knowledge. Guitars with obvious scuff and damage are hung on the wall with new prices on them. The only person with real knowledge is the person who adjust guitars and does work on them. The salespeople are very young and do not play guitar. I pointed out a guitar on the wall in the top and asked if it was a Malmsteen. The sales guy said who is Malmsteen? The guitar tech said “ yes it is. I set it up today with new strings.”
He's right about the guitars being locked up. It's ridiculous. I went into my nearest looking to buy a Strat and couldn't find anyone to unlock them so I went to Sam Ash in the same shopping center and bought a Michael Kelly strat. I saved a bunch and didn't have to ask for help.
Is that in Richmond, VA?
Every Guitar Center needs to modeled after the Hollywood GC... it has nicely sectioned off areas appropriate for the items displayed. They have a completely separated downstairs area for high end gear complete with a qualified person at a desk ready to ask you smart questions like "Are sure you can afford to be in this room?"... LOL and..."Can I tune that guitar for you?"
Seriously though, GC Hollywood has maintained the mystique and wonder of Rock N Roll.... the feel of "Legends" permeates the atmosphere. The "walk of Fame" with the hand prints in cement as you walk in should be recreated at every GC... KEEP ROCK ALIVE! Paint a mural of Eddie on the side of your building.
You know dang straight, they aren't going to do any of that. The guitar center in my town has been there for 20 years and you wouldn't even know, if there wasn't a sign at the road. They'd never paint Eddie on the side of the building. They've had 30+ years to model their stores, after the Hollywood store...it's never going to happen.
I've never seen the Hollywood store, but it has been legendary for as long as I can remember. I was recently watching Anthony Marinelli's chat with Bill Wolfer, and they were talking about the Hollywood GC where Bill worked ages ago, and the way you would go there to rub elbows with the who's who of the music business. This all led to Bill borrowing a stack of synths and sequencers to work on a project with Stevie Wonder.
The problem is that a great location is wasted in Hollywood. Use your illusions. Hollywood is a facade. Been there., was disappointed!
@robowenmikels The one in North Myrtle Beach, SC is in a dying strip shopping center wasted in a tourist town that has maybe 60,000 retirees living there year round when a thriving area less than 40 miles away has a year round residence of approximately 275, 000 people, no including tourist, then closer to 400 000. Smartin' up GC. Poor market placement is killing you. Not exactly the sharpest tools in the shed working there from my experiences.
Honestly it seems like the guys heart is in the right place. We shall see.
But his head isn't.
As a professional musician. ie someone who makes most of their income from it. First GC isn’t my first choice. Second I don’t buy that much gear. I have 2 guitars & 2 amps. And that’s it.
I agree 100 percent with your comments. I went to the guitar center to buy a midi guitar for my son but they didn't have any so I bought online. Also I play the drums and the drums are always broken and not tuned and the sticks are all mixed up and tossed around. None of the guitars are in tune either. Basically the stores are very messy so I stopped going and I shop now online for my drums, guitar, and keyboard purchases. I think just cleaning up the stores would help.
Guitar Center stores are a mess. The showroom models are all broken with busted knobs, warped necks, missing strings, no tremolo bars, loose bridge parts, loose tuners and a million other issues. Most can't even be tuned properly as they need setups out of the box since they are Chinese crap knockoffs (especially Jacksons). How can you try out guitars in this condition? I tried to find a working amp to plug into while testing out guitars, and none of the amps worked. Got the sales guy to come over and he had no clue why none of the amps worked, either.
As a risk, I bought a new Jackson JS22-7 for $199 that wouldn't even make a sound after unboxing it at home because the action was so bad. I spent three hours fiddling with it trying to get it playable until I gave up and brought it back. You can't operate a serious business like that.
Big issue is missing tremolo bars and even cases. Gotta be some way to fix that.
All good points Max! Thx for your insight!
I agree with what you said about high end guitars because it does become a limited market with the number of people who are going to buy these guitars. Where I live there was a small chain of guitar stores called Ben Jack's , which had been in Northwest Arkansas for many years, that were sold to an individual that wanted to shift to selling high end guitars. After just a few years, they went out of business because the high end market was just not there. With everything being on line, the way for guitar stores to survive would be with guitar lessons and guitar repairs and upgrades which is something that you can't necessarily do on line.
Loved your content since you legit started out (with your old name, which I forgot already lol). Good stuff, brotha 💪🏾💪🏾
Always enjoy your content. Thanks! 😁
This is spot-on. The real issue at Guitar Center is that many of the sales people are not as motivated to perform at as high a level as they are capable of. When you walk in it is often difficult to get their attention at all!
My biggest problem with my local GC is that either they don’t keep the things I want in stock, or maybe they do but don’t keep their online web inventory numbers up to date. I’ll see some reviews of some gear and say to myself, I got to get this ASAP! I’ll look at my local GC’s web page and it shows they carry it but it’s out of stock. So I’ll check online elsewhere and order it same price with free shipping in a couple days. Lost sale. I would have driven over there and bought it right away.
Great video and I agree though having atleast one "expert" on staff would be nice. Though they most likely should train there staff to handle the beggineers the best and if an expert arises give them a bonus... Which I think my local guiatrs cneter is the way it is because every successful retail store in my area is that way be it Gamestop, best buy, Ace hardwear or guitar center.
Guitar Center has entered the Winn Dixie (if you know what that is) business purgatory. We go there if we have to. Winn Dixie does have the worst slogan ever, "getting better all the time", which means guitar center, like Winn Dixie, will just try to keep up as much as possible, but not grow and not die... I suspect they will close retail centers slowly across the nation until there are only a few that remain.
I agree that they should have associates with all kids of musical backgrounds in there to help out..like when I go I mostly see people playing rock and stuff like that..but the biggest problem is people go in there especially if your a guitarist and your looking for a certain sound and your not sure how to get that sound...well different stations with different pedals and guitars set up will definitely help out...like in my case..I play worship music at my church and I love the big overdrive ambient sound but how do I get that sound? And what guitar do I use..so I say based off of someone's knowledge you have a compete setup just for that style and have a sign above it and that would target specific types of people and the sound they are trying to achieve
I agree pretty much with Guitar Max. Another food for thought, is when I go into my guitar Center here in North Florida, I see damaged guitars reduced in price. I'm assuming from a shopper who has dropped it. I couldn't imagine having a $2500 guitar in reach just for anyone, or who is maybe not supervised? Another thing I like they do is the 45 day return policy. Can't believe it's so long. I hate the fact that they did away with the layaway. I like to put equipment I don't need right away, and don't want to spend all my cash in one drop but would like to get whatever it may be. Kind of like holding it for me. I would offer a free instrument class for anyone who purchases an instrument, on that specific instrument. Maybe 3 months 1/2 hour a week. Maybe have an online school that when buying an instrument that has tutorials to learn. With addition on a beginning consultation one on one with an instructor and meet up again (ZOOM meeting) at the end of the 3 months for further help? IDK seems like there are all kinds of things that could be done.
I had a great experience at guitar center in Austin Texas.
I didn't know anything but I knew what I wanted.
I bought a Yamaha bass and a 40 watt fender bass amplifier.
The amp tanked and I exchanged it for a 100 watt amp.
No problem what so ever and the guys were helpful and friendly.
35 years ago I went to my first Guitar Center, and he's right, it was magic. I haven't bought a guitar from them since 2018 because that guitar and the 2 before it I had to setup to make it play. I had to ask if they had tools so I could set the guitar and make it playable, and it took them about half an hour to get close to what I needed. All those years ago it was hard to find a guitar that was even barely out of tune, even the cheapest used guitar was fully set and ready to play. I know it's a different time, but it isn't like they had less guitars on the walls then. However, they had the custom stuff high and away then, sure you could play a new Gibson Studio or maybe a Jackson Pro, but the LP Customs, DK1's, SL1's, signature Strats and such, those were out of reach.
yep, you got that rite,I giged from 86 till 2009 . made enough to pay for most of my gear ,But in 97 a fender american standard was only 650.00 and my matching tele was only 500.00 still got them and they play better than new.wouldnt touch the non smoking clubs for todays money for nothen.Those days are gone.
I worked for GC for a year and only sold a premium guitar maybe twice or three times at the most. 99% of the people I sold guitars to were beginners or people looking to buy a mid tier guitar. Thank god I’m not at GC anymore.
The problem with my local GC is that it’s got little inventory and it’s all entry level junk, especially the Williams keyboards and low level MIDI stuff. They used to have a mix with at least some of the latest keys, and that’s what I think they need going forward, a good mix because that stuff is missing. They never have anything new, like the latest Fantom or Montage, ever. Nor is a Helix or Quad Cortex to be found. Hard to make a decision on these things when they are not there to play. They used to, 15 years ago. Glad Sweetwater is only an hour and a half away.
I say make Guitar Max the main purchasing agent. All the great and affordable guitars would fill the stores. Modern amplifiers cranked and arpeggios out the ass on full display.
There absolutely is a need for a place where we can go and play guitars in person to see if we like them or not. So I hope Guitar Center succeeds with in remaining in business for the long haul. My problem with Guitar Center is that they sell used guitars as new. I love the return policy, it’s great, but once someone goes home with a guitar, it is now considered used. I bought a Gibson Les Paul a couple years ago, and didn’t notice a huge amount of buckle rash on the guitar until the second I got home and took it out of the case. I immediately returned to the store and returned it. The manager was not present when I returned it, but I saw him a day or two later sitting in his office, so I went in to talk to him and the dude outright said that I was me who caused that issue. From the minute I bought the guitar to the minute I returned it was probably a total of 20-30 minutes. The buckle rash on that guitar was severe and surely caused by the same individual playing it over the course of weeks… I traded in a Martin D-28 that had bought at that very store two years earlier and it was in pristine condition with not even a single scratch on it(but, yeah, that was me that fucked up that guitar in like 30 seconds! Trust me, me and that manager had some words, and if it was younger me, I would have beat the shit out of him for having that audacity to insult me like that…anyway that’s just one example. That was at the Summerlin store in Las Vegas. Ever since then I’ve been getting all my guitars from Sweetwater. They are amazing! That was until two days ago, I just picked up a Fender American Vintage II Tele from the other Guitar Center in Las Vegas. I really just went in to play it to make sure I like the neck profile. While I’m playing it the sales guy came over to me and told me “he would take $500 of the price of the guitar right now” If I was interested in buying it. I told him I would think about it… that was about 20% off the list price, which I can get at other stores, so not really a factor… he than comes back over to me to tell me he would do it for $1994 out the door - that’s more like 28% off, and that Is one hell of a deal. I bought it. All excited, didn’t look over everything and when I got home I realized that inside the case as accessories for a strat and not the accessories that come with my Vintage Reissue… also the stickers were removed from the neck plate of the guitar(leading me to assume someone bought it previously and removed those stickers), called them up the next day, which was yesterday, and explained my situation. Was told that the original case, with accessories and certificate of authenticity was sold with a different guitar by mistake and that they could not or would not be able to provide me with those items…. All I care about is the guitar, but come on - that’s some straight up BS. If they can fix their issues with that type of stuff, things will be much better for them, and if they can’t or don’t, they will probably cease to exist, unfortunately
One problem with Guitar Center is I can go to Zzounds or American musical supply and get a 12 payment plan interest free. That allows me to get the things that I want immediately and they take it out of my checking account monthly. There is no credit card application. Guitar Center does not do this. If I need something today I can still drive to the GC. But usually its a harmonica, strings, picks or to try out an amp that I can buy on those other websites with the pay as you play plans. I agree their used inventory is impressive. And I do like the acoustic guitar room.
I got a fender strat from guitar center for my brother's birthday 1,300 beautiful guitar, he said it one of his go to ones that he will never part with. I saw a SG that was purple burst that I just love playing, I brought it because of it's great sustain when holding a note and the neck is nice, easy to slide up and down the neck. When I got it I didn't realize that it was made for a deal that Gibson was making a model for the woman in rock. They named it the goddess series. I didn't even notice that it said it on the cover, where the truss rod is. Hell of a guitar.
I know a gigging musician who just bought a Squier Affinity he will be using for gigs. He started young and has been playing for decades and is frugal when it comes to gear. On the other hand I'm retired and decided to learn to play and likely have much more money invested in my gear. You will not find $1000 guitars in his collection but find several in mine. I agree with your evaluation of the new CEO plans, and hope he is a quick learner.
At the GC I frequent almost all of the guitars (even the cheap ones) are locked up.
No one greets you and they have almost nothing in stock.
I usually only buy basic supplies there (strings, picks, cords).
I hope the music industry doesn't turn into what happened to the scale modeling industry.
I am a hobby guitar player. I am also a scale model builder.
There is a parallel here.
I started gathering interest in learning music at age 13, yet I was still an avid model builder (since age 6). I still build to this day at 53.
During the late 1970s and 1980s Model kits could be found almost everywhere. Hobby shops were places where you could find exclusive items, specialty supplies, tools, and rare imported model kits that couldn't be found anywhere else. YET we could go to other places like Walmart, or K-mart, Venture (before the 2 went out of business) or even TOYS-R-US, which also sold plastic models. All the domestic companies that were here in the United States, AMT, MPC, Revell, Monogram Jo-Han, LINDBERG, and TESTORS to name a few, could be found at those retailers.
During the 1990s Model kits started getting so well-manufactured in tooling and accuracy that the model kits were getting more expensive. Many highly sought-after kits were coming from overseas. Import taxes drove up the prices for kits so high that the TARGET audience the 8 to 10-year-old kids couldn't afford the prices listed, that retailers were offering.
even parents of the RICH KIDS weren't interested in paying high prices for those items.
At the turn of the century, places like Walmart and any other places that sold plastic models started reducing their stock or entirely cutting out the sale of the hobby.
I come from CHICAGO which had been the epicenter of plastic modeling of the US at one time. We had the most hobby shops in the area throughout the United States, we also Had MONOGRAM models in Morton Grove and Testors model paints in Rockford. So the hobby was well affordable.
Scale modeling is still alive and well in Europe and ASIA, but not here in the US.
Music. . . Let the specialty shops have the exclusive serious musicians.
When I was 13 my first new electric guitar was a HARMONY "V" with a neck as thick as a baseball bat, from J.C.PENNY.
when I graduated high school and had my first REAL full-time professional job I decided to buy myself a good quality made Guitar.
I bought a used 1980 Gibson V for$350.00 from GC. The year after, I went back to GC and I purchased A 1992 Gibson Explorer for $475.oo brand new.
ln 1992 I learned that JACKSON started a midline production of their popular designs now marketed for under $1000.oo (before Fender bought them).
Although the Jackson was purchased from another retailer, it was still nice to find a quality guitar without having to take out a loan to buy one.
GUITAR CENTER is the largest chain of Guitars and Music instrument retailers throughout the U.S.
I still have that 1980 Gibson V that I purchased in 1991 because it was most affordable not to mention available.
It's the amateur musician who's the core customer of that chain.
If the CEO decides to cater to only those EXPERT musicians, than Just like expensive scale models, sales will drop horrificly and no one will want to buy anything from GC, simply because every last item in the store is just way too over priced for the average kid or hard working customer wanting to get in on learning to play Guitar or any other instrument.
Guitar Center is the Walmart of Musical instruments NOT Whole Foods equivalent.
I really hope The CEO doesn't do this this isnt necessary
This will only contribute to their own demise.
All the stuff he says sounds exciting but I agree with what you said completely. Grew up in the 80s and it’s not coming back.
Seems to me a man Named Henry Juszkiewicz ran Gibson into the ground trying to make it an "upscale lifestyle" company. Guitar Center has always appealed to Moms buying the kid a first guitar, garage band players and bar band musicians. These are also the customers most likely to come back to trade up as they get better.
Great timing on this vid, and great conversation. I saw a blurb on this article last night on my tablet, as I was about to drop off to sleep for the night. And I had to laugh at the "blurb." The heading was something to the effect... New Guitar Center CEO says the Company needs to cater to Pros and carry more high-end gear. Something about remembering it's core customer. And I had to laugh. I actually think there's some truth to what he says. But I feel he is missing the bigger point. Agree with you 100% Max, and others here in the comments as well. Sure - carry a few more high end guitars to keep those guys happy. But come on. Their core Customer in my eyes is Moms, Dads, Grandmas and Grandpas coming in with Junior to hook him or her up with a Kit. Or a Squier Strat or Epiphone.... maybe a Jackson Dinky or the like.... and a modeling amp to get them started with some "sound." The other core group is Grandpas, Uncles, young men and middle aged men like me, who get bored and want to look at 200 guitars.... and go home with something new.... and AFFORDABLE! Something that won't cause a divorce.... and yeah. What is a gallon of milk now days? $7 ? Groceries, gas and everything is killing the average family right now. And salaries aren't increasing at the same rate... of course. Yeah - I think this guy doesn't get it. My biggest gripe about Guitar Center.... I have (2) in my market. And I can go into either one.... and it's the same damm thing..... every. Single. Time. Again - I get it. Moms and Kids crying for a guitar and amp. Totally get that. But.... for the love of God.... can they carry some different types of stuff in the $200 - to $750 range? And not the same 200 guitars every single time I walk in there? I've got a great guy in m y fave store. He's amazing. The other store... I will not go in there any more. The Manager is a tool... and the emplyees follow along. Everyone is unhappy and jerkish. The other store.. pretty good. Staff could be a little less condescending sometimes. But they/re actually pretty good. My 2 cents on G-C.
That's "ceded", not "seeded". Do magazines no longer employ editors?
Perfect comments about experience musicians going into the store and actually avoiding staff. First, I can't put three cords together, I just enjoy making noise with a guitar. :) BUT I am knowledgeable about other products outside of music, and I absolutely hate going into a store where I actually know more than the sales staff. This usually happens at places where they pay very little, because knowledge usually has a price tag.
Guitar Center is a place for newer less experienced people can go in and get advice on what would work within their budget. Serious musicians don't usually need advice if anything they can give it. They can usually order what they want on-line. Or if your super serious as in famous they get given equipment through sponsorship. Eric Clapton, Jimmy Page, Steve Via ect...are not running down to the local GC to buy anything.
Yeah i thought the same thing when I heard him say that.
I do agree that their higher end guitars are a pain to get at. It's usually not worth the effort to wait in line for 30 minutes to get an associate to get one down. And I think we're also seeing a time where gigging musicians are preferring lower priced guitars rather than taking their $6000 PRS Core on the road.
I work in a GC ( 4 yrs P/t) in one of the flag ship stores. Got the chance to speak with Gabe Dalporto during his audit/walk-through of certain stores. Can confirm dude's a snake. The disconnect between corporate and otg retail is insane. The Peter Principle is in full effect across every store (probably). Worst part is I've seen the OG Managers with +15 years in the company, straight up leave within the last year alone. He definitely got major pushback from these ideas, because new management is robotic. Worse part is the focus is too linear on guitars, instead of studio/live audio equipment which is the second most asked question. The only reason I have the best sales in the store for being P/t. Is because I know how to sell "Pro-Audio" and set them up. I've sold more of that stuff to "gigging musicians" than anything else.
TL;DR: Corporate is blind to what would actually keep them from shutting down.
As a working musician these changes sound great, but like most working musicians I hate guitar center. Dude totally missed the market
Hard agree, Max. This sounds like a very bad plan for GC.