I take the time to time stamp the entire show for your connivance This Podcast is sponsored by Patreon and Channel members www.patreon.com/phillipmcknightKYG?fan_landing=true Subject Index 00:00 Intro 02:00 Jazz guitar for a beginner? 03:40 Pedal Giveaway 04:50 Why Guitar Centers New Plan Is Not Going To Work 27:27 1st set of KYG winners 34:00 What is my least expensive guitar? 39:00 Gibson uses stickers on custom shop guitars neckillusions.com 42:16 Noise Gates? 44:25 We want to give this guitar to a local beginner 48:29 New Gibson Studios seem better than PRS S2s 51:00 Bad Dad Joke 57:00 I was embarrassed to share the story. The Craziest Guitar Of The Week 1:29:00 Buy guitars without touching them 1:36:00 Red Cross help give.helpsalvationarmy.org/give/166081/ 1:42:00 Shipping prices now 1:45:18 2nd set of KYG Winners! 1:49:48 The best holding iron? amzn.to/4dv7yn3 1:53:40 Thank you
You are correct. The used wall is the most exciting part of going in any given day. I guarantee you for every one guy that wants to buy a high-end guitar. There’s at least 10 guys that wanna buy a $300 guitar.
Do you think they're removing all guitars except for expensive ones? For every high end guitar any store will have dozens of more affordable instruments.
Former GC salesman and manager here. GC should improve their website and online sales, and allow the stores to focus on beginner and intermediate level, with a small amount of "high end" gear available in-store. They haven't changed their strategy in any significant manner since the 80's, and what changes they do implement will leave you scratching your head.
for real. Guys that want to spend a lot of money in 2024 on a guitar aren't going to wander into a GC on a Saturday and fall in love with something they weren't expecting to find on the wall. They're going to have a model or range in mind, a finish, etc. They're going to zero in on exactly the instrument that they want and either special-order it or find it online from somebody that knows how to sell premium/one-off/limited/specific instruments online with detailed listings and lavish spreads and a strong customer service department to smooth over any bumps in the process (ie Sweetwater). They're going to hear about a guitar online and look for it and then buy it, not drive to a store to "see if they have it to test it out". They're not going to settle for the instrument that they want in a finish that they don't want "because that's what they had in stock". They're going to go online every single time, even the staple goods like strings and picks that you used to pick up behind the counter are way easier to just overnight. Guitar Center should focus on the kid walking in with their parents looking to spend some christmas money- the people who want to buy a $200 guitar, and a case, and some strings, and a tuner, and a strap, and an amp, and don't forget the picks--and they don't know any of it so they need a salesperson to help them out. It's incredible how boneheaded the C-suite at that company can continue to be.
As a musician, I completely disagree. If I'm shopping online, it's not with GC. But I would do business with them if they had those nice amps and guitars that I could actually try before I buy. And a beginner is going to come in and buy a $300 starter kit, then not buy anything except maybe strings or a distortion pedal for a long time. A professional musician is the one that's going to come in and buy that $2500 amp and make your sales goal. Not saying they shouldn't carry entry level stuff, because they absolutely should. Just carry a few of them, and then focus on the $800-2000 range that working musicians will actually be interested in.
@@TheRealxVincent I completely agree. I buy guitars in the same price range as you. Usually I buy online because there aren't any places that have them in stock locally. But there is one guitar that I bought for about $1400 at GC because they had it, I got to play it and it was absolutely perfect, I knew I wasn't going to find a better one. Each guitar is unique and I would prefer to play the actual guitar that I'm buying. But if I have to order it I'm not going to order from GC.
I've sold two guitars to my local GC. Both transactions went well. They told me up front that they offer UP TO 60% of what they will sell it at (I got the 60% - both were in good shape, clean, new strings and in tune) - then they did a little research online and came back to me with an offer. The trick is you need to KNOW up front that you don't sell to GC for the best deal - you do it for the convenience of getting immediate cash.
GC actually pays well for a middleman. Typical pawn shops usually only offer 1/3rd market value on items, and maybe up to 50% if its a high value item thats a quick and easy sell for them. GC has paid me more than I was able to get for it on craigslist or offerup.
I wish GC carried more quality mid-tier guitars. The $500 - $1000 range. I also wish they dusted the guitars and changed the guitar strings more often. In fact, if they set up all the guitars to play well with low action, I'd definitely make more impulse purchases when I pull a guitar off the wall and try it out. Too often the new guitars are dusty and grimey, have corroded strings, sometimes they're even missing strings, and the setup is atrocious.
Why they don't do that? Same reason the grocery store doesn't go through every aisle after every 30 minutes and turn all the boxes and bags and stuff where the logo on it faces out. Same reason you find Saltine Crackers in the dog food aisle sometimes.
As someone one who has to take the best possible pictures of Folk Art to post online, most every picture from all the different GCs are all quite terrible. Pictures sell…
Not only are the pictures terrible - the descriptions are useless. An instrument graded as 'good' shows 4 small, fuzzy pics taken with an iPhone whose lens hasn't been wiped off in a year. There could be a head stock break and you wouldn't see it. No way I'm spending 1000+ on an instrument where the entire description is 'case included'.
The main thing about GC that keeps me coming back is the used section! I have found some pretty good deals there. I've bought 2 used guitars from them in the past 2 months. I also like that i can trade in gear with them. I've done several trades with them over the years and gotten some good deals. Really hope they figure it out.
Former GC salesman here…No salesman wants to be given a task that takes them away from making money hence the reason why trades take so long. There’s no money in it for the individual salesman who is now stuck dealing with a major hassle.
Its also because there's usually only one employee in the store who can buy used gear. And for vintage or high end specialty gear, they have to run it by someone at corporate.
I went into my closest GC in Sherman Oaks here in L.A. for the first time in a while recently. It was apparent right away they had changed their attitude…I was immediately approached by a sales guy..I think he was a manager asking me if there was anything in particular I was looking for…I was very initially taken aback but he directed me to what I asked for…set me up with an amp and left me alone..so fair enough they are upping the customer service…now it was not very busy late afternoon but it was o.k. . I also asked about trade in policy and he was right up front about telling me , any gear we will generally pay about 50% in credit of what you might get from a private party. I appreciate the upfront info and overall it was a good experience. I hope they stay in business…I prefer in person transactions with guitars . Thanks as always for your great info Phil!
The guitar center near me only has low end, inexpensive guitars. Or super expensive (in the little room). Very little in-between. I think GC would absolutely thrive as a quality used store
Same at my local GC. Useless place. I just go to the local guitar store in town. I do my best to help them stay in business. I’d be indifferent to the GC closing.
I've been in to two different local GC's in the last week and the visual improvements to the guitar displays is drastic and was long overdue. Its yet to be seen whether putting the expensive guitars more in reach will be a good or bad thing. I still wish the workers spent more time cleaning/tuning the guitars on the wall to make the experience that much better... but based on being overworked and underpaid, I get it.
The problem is that kids come in and beat the crap out of everything they can get their hands on playing metal! They downtune every guitar they touch and after wailing away on it at max distortion on a cheapo amp, they slap it back on the wall and never buy anything. The overworked employees have no time to put into retuning all these guitars, much less wiping them down, especially now since all the Gibbys are on the bottom row. If it's expensive and within reach, these are the ones the kids go for first. They never buy. The ones who are interested in buying high end guitars don't want one thats been on the floor!
@1:50 I originally qualified as an Electronic Engineer , when the question about soldering irons came up I was like "if he doesn't mention Weller I'm going to lose trust right here" and NO disappointment of any kind, you mentioned them THREE times! I'm just affirming that even outside of guitar ... you definitely know your gear. Bravo!
I think “pro” is being used as a code word for “not a beginner and possibly someone who makes good money on another job”. All tennis shops brand themselves as “pro shops” but ain’t many pros I’ve seen shop at most of them. Similarly most amateur bands I see play, including my own, have a guitarist playing an instrument in the 2000-5000 range.
Guitar Center has been missing the mark for decades now, although I have still purchased from them from time to time. That being said, EVERY time I go to GC, no matter what I am there for, I always head straight for the used gear section, because its almost always different. Used gear moves so the inventory changes regularly. I can spend an hour on the used guitars/amps alone, all before I pick up whatever I intended to purchase. Their new policy will fail. Hiring a CEO with such an ancient vision seems like the nail in the coffin
Amen. But, I can tell you this much… I haven’t made a purchase at a GC, or Sam Ash for that matter, solely due to the indescribably stupid, socially-inept losers they started hiring, right around the late 2000 (give or take). And, that end of things has just gotten worse. I’ve walked out of those stores p!ssed off without having picked up a single instrument for that reason. I think that has destroyed the big box stores as much as anything else. One of the reasons for that is because a true pro isn’t about to work at a place like that, because GC or SA are absolutely horrible employers, as well.
@@phillamoore157Last purchase at GC was 15 yrs ago. A engineer friend who knows guitars worked there after retirement. He was basically a guitar collector and watched out for great guitars. I went to buy a Gibson SG and they were all trash. He finally showed me a PRS that was really sweet and gave me a great deal on a custom 22 emerald 9 top. Went back maybe once more couple yrs later and he had quit, but the usual goons were there. Never went back. They could care less what you want.
Reverb is a joke for us in Sweden. Mostly used gear priced higher than new and insane fees and policies for sellers. Everyone here buys and sells at our local sites that have great shipping deals and good affordable protection for buyer AND seller.
Guitar Center needs to learn to make rice before they start making sushi -- maybe take care of the instruments on the floor and see if that helps before they try to peddle even more expensive stuff. Yeah i'm interested in a Charvel MIJ Guthrie Govan but not if it's missing a string, the trem is all screwed up and the strings feel like floss.
That’s where you are screwing up ! If you like a certain guitar AND you know what that guitar is capable of , you use the OBVIOUS defects to drive the price down during the negotiations WITH THE INTENT of fixing all the defects . Say you see that Charvel and it’s priced at $1,500 with a missing string , trem issues etc , offer them $1,200 knowing in the back of your mind it will take $200 to make it better and you just saved $100 bucks and your rig is like new after the set-up from your personal luthier .
GC needs to expand their synths department. The reality is synths are more popular than guitars now. They should increase their inventory of synths, new and used, and have more demo units on the floor with more headphones, instead of connecting a bunch to a loud monitor where everyone has to hear what you're playing and only a couple people can demo something at a time. And they should reduce or expand their merch and lessons department depending on how well they're performing.
Guitar Center in Santa Maria is AWESOME. Their New and Used guitars selection is always changing. Their In Store Specials are really good and sometimes un unbelievable of the deals you find. so maybe you're bad experiences are at a Guitar Center location that is not well-run and managed.
The local GC in Hallandale Beach, FL was touch and go for a while after COVID and they didn't have much stock, but now it's well stocked and I always see people in there playing instruments and buying.
I completely agree about being good at the trading. There is another reason they should be good at this; because the margins on new guitars are pretty thin. On used gear, margins are good or very good. I have seen GC do a bad job of identifying tidying gear. Online, I’ll see a PRS single cut used for $2,000, zoom in on the picture and it’s an SE, clearly on the headstock. Same with all the les Paul models, selling them as standards when it’s a studio plus, or a Traditional as a Classic, etc.
Eart hollowbodies are INCREDIBLE! THE NEWEST offset has zero reviews but trust me, the eart 335 and the hollow tele are my favourite hardtails by a long shot. I play them more than my Gibson now, theyre really that good and reliable
There's like 8 GCs in DFW. I went into the Lewisville store and they had more guitars then they have ever had. All the high end stuff is unlocked and you can fiddle with it.
Another fine show, Mr. Phil!!👍Many of my "Pro" friends are into "shopping components" (new/used) for their own builds...and I've been doing the same. Main reason we'd be in a G/C @ this point is to check out the Used Gear on hand; which does tend to support Yr. argument. Adrian Belew is an avid Lace P'up fan, too. They're featured on his "Beat Era", Mustang-based "Twang Bar King" as well as his Sig Model Custom Strat'. They sound good on yours, 2!
I’ve only made 1 significant purchase from GC in the last 10 years and it was a used LTD. I always like to see their used wall, but as far as what’s “new” it’s always the same stuff. You are absolutely right in saying we already know what’s in there
Former GC Guitar tech here. Yes, yes, and yes… I agree with all of you. But one additional thing: the CEO says he wants the store to be more oriented towards the professional musician. What he does not seem to understand is that it’s harder than ever to be a professional musician; And pros make even less money than they used to, relatively speaking. Just because you’re going to offer more high end gear doesn’t mean that they’re automatically going to have customers who can afford it.
In our experience it does, the moment high end guitars hit our shelves we would sell a few a week. The bread and butter will always be guitars under 1000 but why wouldn't you want to see some good guitars alongside it. Not to mention GC doesn't even sell new Suhrs or Collings or Larrivees and other "boutique" guitars. 2000-5000 is just the price of admission nowadays for American made guitars. Should GC not offer expensive instruments at all? Should they only be available via shipping? If you want to compare a Pro II Strat to an AVRII should you have to buy both to test them? Or should you be driving to wherever the nearest high end guitar shop is to pay a premium for mom & pop overhead even if it's hours away? Logically everyone saying it's not GC's target audience is wrong. Over half of the store will still be Epiphones, Squiers, mexi Fenders, Schecters, etc.
You can say that GC lowballs on used gear, but by the time you pay out the crazy fees to Reverb and potentially ship the item across the country (not to mention your time and aggravation), I start to feel less bad about selling to GC.
I use the green Scotchbrite pads to knock down the gloss nitro finish on my Gibson necks. Sometimes that nitro can be too sticky and this remedies that without scratching it up. Eventually it works its way back to gloss so no big deal.
You’re absolutely right. I use GC primarily to see what used stuff they have. I love the fact you can search the entire country for gear. Yes, they need to upload more photos and put more than “this product comes with a case” under the description. I think they need to have a good amount of inexpensive guitars. Most beginners are going to flock to GC. Intermediate players who have a little more money to spend might buy their first USA Strat or play a couple of Gibsons to try them out. There’s no need for high end stuff unless it’s used. My very first custom shop guitar which was my first “high end” guitar, was sold to me by a GC rep who cold called me and made a hell of a deal. It turned out to be one great instrument and I rarely buy guitars online without playing them first.
I went to Phoenix GC and saw that they are hanging guitars by marked brand sections and some higher end guitars like Les Paul Standards were in the lowest rows, not on the top (out of reach) row. They still had higher end guitars locked up in separate room.
That robbery story is the most interesting story I've heard in a long time. I'm sorry this happened to you but I'm so glad you got that great guitar, and an interesting story, out of it. And you got a relic job thrown in. I managed a cellular phone store for many years and someone tried to rob us repeatedly, through the same pane of glass, 4 times in a few month span of time. I could see them break the glass, enter the store, walk to the first of 2 bolted steel doors, shake it for a few seconds, then leave. They never got anything, but we had to pay the glass company $3000. I started to think the guys worked for the glass company:)
I just recently brought in an amp to Guitar Center to trade. Was a good experience I have to admit. First off, they had sent an email about a “Trade in, trade up” event. So IMO they invited me. I went there early before the store got busy, and the amp was in excellent condition. I also took the proceeds as a store credit, so I think they were more generous. I pretty much got what I was expecting. Yes, less than what I could’ve gotten selling it privately, but no hassles. I have one amp left to sell, but it’s got some issues so I know GC won’t take it. Gonna have to deal with eBay for that one 🙄
I've been buying my guitars online for over a decade now. In 30 years of buying/playing/selling, I have an idea what each model already is going to feel like. From my Wizard neck on my Jem, to my Gibson R8 baseball bat, and everything in between.
GC. Yeah, I don't see how a major chain should be a premium shop. Next to GC, my closest mom/pop shop is Norman's and they are way easier/faster to deal with. As for sales, I'm back to advertising/selling locally.
Whether this is a dumb move or not, I have to say, it's a lot more fun going into GC now and be able to try a bunch of really nice guitars. Last time I held a Murphy Lab LP was in a vintage shop that was appointment only, while the owner hovered over me. It was also the only one they had, a 58'. Walked into my local GC and they had like 6 Murphy Labs and several really nice LP's that were a pleasure to play. Got to play some Gibson acoustics as well. These are guitars I never am able to get within 10ft of normally. In truth, I go there for strings and picks, never have bought a GC guitar in my life. Sure is fun to try some great instruments though and if I was flush, with prices where they are at now, a few of those Gibson's were reasonable.
Yeah, I went in there the other day, they had a bunch of three and 4K Les Pauls on the rack where a two year-old could touch them. Of course I indulged. Seems like they used to have anything more than $700 under lock and key.
Hollow body (Thinline) Tele preferably with humbuckers. Squier, Harley Benton, and I think Eart do one. Fat humbucker sound with a bit of air. Works well for any genre but great for jazz, blues, funk and fingerstyle/chord melody.
I went to drop off my guitar at GC for a set up and waited an hour to pick it up. They want you browsing. As for selling only high end, they don’t. That store was full of low end instruments and amps.
It would be great if GC became a good place to trade in gear locally. I have 2 guitars that I would love to trade up for a better guitar. I'm not going through the shipping hassle, and I would need the trade in to afford the new one. GC might benefit from filling this niche!
What I like about GC is the return policy, everything else is not so good. I never buy from their inventory, every time I have attempted to purchase an in house item they cant find all the things that go with it like the case, along with any pertinent Papers and the COA. If your spending top dollar for a high end item It is expected to have everything that goes with it. I have purchased guitars but directly from their warehouse and shipped to my home but had to verify it was from warehouse and not a store. Lately only use them for accessories and such
once again, why doesn’t GC hire Phil as a consultant?? they need his insight to make some smarter moves. GC could be great and valued, but need some help to define it better. Phil would help.
I had to get rid of one guitar about ten years ago so I could get a Epiphone Les Paul.. The Best GC would offer was $90 for my Schecter 006 Diamond with a EMG bridge pickup, ($100). I took the $90 and I still feel like they owe me about $100. What takes them 90 minutes to find out is, after they find the retail price of a guitar, they have to figure out what ten percent is,then that's the value of your used gear..
They need to get their shit together. I've been to several locations, wanting to demo pedals and their demo stations are either broken or not connected properly, no 1/4" cables to connect, and more budget guitars up at the top of the wall, so you can't test them unless you get an employee with a ladder. Lots of guitars are way out of tune, or have broken strings. Even in their keyboard/piano section, half of the keyboards aren't conected to the demo speakers, or they don't have power cables or just turned off. Almost no one asks if you need help or tries to show you new gear. I worked at GC in 2004 and it's a far cry from what it used to be.
I have a ton of gear I want to sell not trade! I’ve accumulated way too much through the years and now I’m getting near the last chapter of life and want to just get down to one acoustic guitar again. I don’t want to trade so what’s my best option ? I’ve tried a few things on FB marketplace place mostly scammers. Years ago I skinnied down my herd and sold a bunch of gear to Sam Ash for cash and their offer was actually fair but it doesn’t seem any places are buying outright. I’m not going to use an own shop because they want to pay a dime on a dollar. I also don’t want to burden my family with have to deal with all this gear when I’m gone. Ideas? And yes Sweetwater wants me to deal with a 1099 and potentially pay taxes on gear I’ve already paid tax on ? I don’t think so.
I have a Music Go Round near me (South St. Louis area) that is so huge, it rivals our old Guitar Center from 20 years ago! It recently had to move to a bigger building to accommodate, ironically, 2 minutes down the road from our Guitar Center. Meanwhile, our Guitar Center is a waste of time to go into anymore. The store is big enough that they could improve in all guitar price brackets - new high ,mid, and low end, and used! Our Craigslist sucks most of the time. Our Facebook Marketplace is hit or miss at best and we have very few mom and pops left. If our Guitar Center improved, that could make for a great afternoon between them and MGR!
Went to GC for the first time in awhile like years to sell an amp. There was 4 people in the store. They asked if I could drop it off and come back. I live 45 to an hour away. I said no, it took an hour. A customer at the same time came in with 17 guitars and they said they needed a week.
Good analysis of guitar center. Since they started posting used gear, I always thought they had opened a gold mine. They have so many stores around the country that it should be easy for people to trade for cash or credit. I have even got a couple great deals that had to ship from stores across the country. But they seem to muddle the process.
I have two Weller soldering irons with different wattages. I have a 23 and a 40 watt iron. The higher the wattage the hotter the iron is going to be. I have accidentally lifted a trace pad with the 40 watt one because of my inexperience. Be careful
I always look at the GC used wall, and have gotten some very good deals there. I've gotten some better deals at pawn shops, but that has involved a lot of time spent haggling, waiting for call-backs from the manager, etc.,which I'm not always up for.
They should do both. High end variety and expand used market and give folks more for in-store trades and purchases and less in cash.. incentives for keeping the $$$ in their store..
I know the guitar I want...I know the neck size I want, I know the weight I want...Sweetwater and Wildwood give me that information. I can see high quality images of their entire selection...why would I go to guitar center to see one or two examples...vs seeing numerous online?
I think guitar center should be able to order their own inventory in their own store i have 2 near me and they carry models that no one is really interested in and the guitar centers further away have much better selections
Peach cider is made in the Okanagan area of British Columbia, there are all kinds of different varieties/flavours. All of them are basically the same thing as Apple Cider, but they are made with whichever fruit it’s named from. Like Peach Cider, my favourite is Granny Smith Apple Cider, Wild-berry Cider, all kinds. All are about 7% alcohol so like a stronger beer in its alcohol content . Now you know my friend.
The dude is right about trading into GC. I bought a 2006 American Standard Stratocaster at GC for about $700 in 2007. I t was a leftover. I traded in that Strat to Sam Ash in 2024 and got $700. I traded in a mint, like brand new Katana 50 to GC and got $80. Ther are no more Sam Ash stores. :(
I have dealings with red cross and they don't use their donated money very well, in fact they use it poorly. If ever you're looking for a charity that actually works, your local Salvation Army is where it's at. 99% of the donations go to the people who need it. You're welcome
I reckon there are less people with high-end guitars that can actually play (at least to a certain level) than owners of affordable ones. They appeal to people who have money, but who haven't necessarily invested time and energy into learning or in dues paid slogging it out in bands. I think also that the guitar companies know this. While they have professional endorsers and do sell to this group, their main market are those who want status symbols and want to buy in to something without sweating it out.
I've only sold one guitar on reverb and it was a few years ago, but I do like reverb for buying guitars. I've gotten some "minty" guitars at great prices. I've sold guitars to GC in the past and found it fast and easy. But I won't be doing that any more because they really, really lowball. And I never seem to find something that makes it worthwhile to take such a hit. Should GC become more invested in used gear? No thoughts on that since I rarely buy from them. I'm an online buyer.
My friend has worked at GC for 17 years and now they are threatening his and other employees jobs if they don't sell more pro coverage and get more GC credit card applications and still no medium priced guitars, just inexpensive entry level or very expensive but they have those fancy new wall dividers, so they got that going for them.
Concurrent is the word, and from a human standpoint that has one good point, the values the insurance company put on the gear. Glad you got a nice guitar, but I understand the bummer of what you went through
Whenever I go into a Guitar Center, I ALWAYS go to the the used section first and spend the most time there. I only do a quick run through of the new gear.
I've been going to GC for years. What I would like to see is some different amps, guitars and pedals. Instead of the same oh crap, bring in different brands and keep cycling through with other brands, like annually.
GC needs a separate used dept and a dedicated employee for it who specializes in used gear etc, and the ability to act faster on offers, They would thrive, Music go round has largest used selection where I live. Also taking things on consignment might work as well. Clearly they suffer from corporate that doesn't have a clue and they have the ball and chain of the fender and Gibson who only care about selling new gear. Appreciate your channel.
They barely have employees to cover the entire floor, let alone handle an extra special specialized department. Even if it was a thing, the majority of their stores don't have the inventory to support it.
I agree with you about GC, but I'd go one step further. If they offered me the ability to get in-store pickup and setup of any used guitar offered nationwide, it would be tremendous. Yes, they'd be moving gear around at their risk, but they already have a distro chain and low corporate shipping rates too. I wouldn't include amps or pedals due to low prices and weight in the case of the amps, but for guitars it would be amazing.
Selling used to GC is great as long as you manage your expectations. Buying used there are still better deals elsewhere as GC won't haggle on used gear
Gc is close and convenient, but it stopped being a must-visit place a long time ago. You are spot on, they still have the same guitars on the walls. SInce they announced their changes, I've noticed they seem much more willing to let you touch the top row stuff now. It's not really something that will save the business.
Not only is the ISP Decimator the industry standard for noise suppression, Buck Waller, who runs ISP, is a really good guy. What other companies put their actual phone number on the instruction manual?
I'd say that the GC's CEO meaning of "professional" guitar players is richer guitar players. I think his motivation is something like Bentley auto dealers don't sell Pintos.
Personally, I love browsing used gear in a music store. So for me I'd like to see them put a little more effort into their used gear. That's just my 2 cents.
Bob Benedetto has a guitar shop near where I live, also there a GC (ironically 10 feet from Portmans, another music store). Anyways, Bob builds high end guitars and his lead hand will even fire out the occasional "garage-built" masterpiece if you cant afford super high end but you know a guy and you know whats what. I cant put GC and Benedetto in the same category. Theres "pros" and then theres gig players. I know a LOT of gig players, and they are honestly playing their second or third best guitars, moreover; because of theft and because a properly set up and upgraded beater is not a life crisis event when it gets roughed up. I even have a mom and pop store with "The Room" of high end Gibsons, Fenders, Martins, PRS, ect.." AND I can drive up to NC and get custom shop guitars from Casino, which I would not blink at when contemplating a high end purchase. I guess what I'm saying is that actual guitar culture here does not support the notion of "pros" or even giggists going to GC to overpay in enough numbers to validate the business plan. In all fairness, my experience with GC in Savannah has been delightful. Good staff, good people, helpful and a nice avenue to quickly unload used gear. I just think thats what GC is really good at, and I think everybody thinks thats what GC is good at except for the private equity goons who are now running GC.
I like the soldering irons that give me a degree readout which I use to vary the temperature to suit the project at hand. That $112 Weller is definitely a good choice.
@PhillipMcnight Why does a custom shop with a rosewood board have a skunk stripe?? I thought only production Fenders did that....a skunk stripe on all necks to cut down on production costs...
I visit this one Guitar Center just north of Chicago for years. Was there the other day and the store looks great, better than its ever looked. The used guitar dept was totally redone with some chairs and benches making it really comfortable to try out guitars. Nice amps spaced all around so you can plug in and try them out. They used to all be stuck in the corner of the store. Salesmen looked happy it was during the Guitar Center Sale A Thon. Nice selection of upper end guitars on display, those were usually way up by the ceiling now they are eye level. I was impressed with that local store I say keep it up. Hope they stick around.
I avoid Guitar Center as much as I possibly can. I bought a new Epi SG during the pandemic and that went well. I was looking for a good used SG a couple of years later and GC didn't have anything. I'm talking their flagship Chicago store on Halsted. I did find a nice used Epi 335 dot in gold and it took me 45 minutes to buy it because the guy was busy with someone who was on the fence about a much more expensive guitar and my $349 sale was a nuisance to him. That was the last time I set foot in one of their stores except one time I just happened to be nearby and I needed some strings. If they really upped their game with the used market like they did in the 80s they would kill it. Guys like me are everywhere looking for used gear, and the mom & pop stores near me don't have enough of it coming in to make it worth going even once a month (with one exception).
Reverb needs to adopt eBay's anti scam policy. Put sellers payments on hold until 48 hours after item delivery, and put new sellers on a probationary period.
Interesting, thank you for posting. My guess looking at you price and what your cost should be you have 80% margin so I would imagine the fees seem minimal, retailers margins are a little tougher as you can imagine. According to reverb analytics, it doesn’t show you sold very much on that platform though. You have a lot listed but not a lot showing sold. I would love to hear more on why you like these platforms.
@@PhillipMcKnight Yes margins are 80% or better in some cases, but these are not high ticket items. Reverb's audience is my target audience and the least expensive way to build my brand. I just started the business 2 years ago with virtually no startup costs beyond 3D printers and software. Advertising hasn't worked but Reverb Bump feature has definitely helped bring awareness. Reverb accounts for about 30% of my sales, the rest coming from my website, Etsy and eBay. Thanks for checking it out. Keep up the good work.
Guitar Center asks too much for used gear and I have never been able to get a discount on it. "It's store policy we have to wait X number of days until we can come down on the price." Then it's just a few bucks. Also if I order used gear from another store I call them and get a " hands on decription ". The guy at that end always says how nice the item is because he gets credit for selling it. When the item arrives at the local store for me to pick it up, sometimes its a POS. I reject it and the poor guy helping me takes the hit for a returned item. Bad GC program. The hit needs to be on that lying employee that sold it. I haven't bought any used gear from GC in quite awhile. Bad proram. BAD PROGRAM! GO SIT IN THE CORNER.
I went to Guitar Center this week, tried two guitars, a “NEW” american pro II strat, playability was horrible, sharp frets, bad setup, dry rosewood, rusty strings, and it had a 2021 serial number….. then I tried a mint condition USED guitar (2023 serial number, also american pro II strat) priced $400 less than the new one, bought the used one and it is a great guitar (and I own 7 american made fenders) …. Why would you buy a new guitar in that condition? The future of GC is the used section….
I take the time to time stamp the entire show for your connivance
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Subject Index
00:00 Intro
02:00 Jazz guitar for a beginner?
03:40 Pedal Giveaway
04:50 Why Guitar Centers New Plan Is Not Going To Work
27:27 1st set of KYG winners
34:00 What is my least expensive guitar?
39:00 Gibson uses stickers on custom shop guitars
neckillusions.com
42:16 Noise Gates?
44:25 We want to give this guitar to a local beginner
48:29 New Gibson Studios seem better than PRS S2s
51:00 Bad Dad Joke
57:00 I was embarrassed to share the story. The Craziest Guitar Of The Week
1:29:00 Buy guitars without touching them
1:36:00 Red Cross help
give.helpsalvationarmy.org/give/166081/
1:42:00 Shipping prices now
1:45:18 2nd set of KYG Winners!
1:49:48 The best holding iron?
amzn.to/4dv7yn3
1:53:40 Thank you
For your "connivance"!!! (because there are so many scammers out there?) All the best, Phil. I appreciate you.
...Freudians would approve of that typo...LOL. Peace, Phillip.. ☮
You are correct. The used wall is the most exciting part of going in any given day. I guarantee you for every one guy that wants to buy a high-end guitar. There’s at least 10 guys that wanna buy a $300 guitar.
Exactly.
I bought a Casino project for 350$ a New D'angelico premier semi hollow 350$ both required 200$ fralin and gibson pickups and I'm happy .
Do you think they're removing all guitars except for expensive ones? For every high end guitar any store will have dozens of more affordable instruments.
Former GC salesman and manager here. GC should improve their website and online sales, and allow the stores to focus on beginner and intermediate level, with a small amount of "high end" gear available in-store. They haven't changed their strategy in any significant manner since the 80's, and what changes they do implement will leave you scratching your head.
Yeah their photos are so awful its almost funny. Only 2 pics, bad lighting, no detailed shots. Pics are everything. Especially for expensive guitars.
for real. Guys that want to spend a lot of money in 2024 on a guitar aren't going to wander into a GC on a Saturday and fall in love with something they weren't expecting to find on the wall. They're going to have a model or range in mind, a finish, etc. They're going to zero in on exactly the instrument that they want and either special-order it or find it online from somebody that knows how to sell premium/one-off/limited/specific instruments online with detailed listings and lavish spreads and a strong customer service department to smooth over any bumps in the process (ie Sweetwater). They're going to hear about a guitar online and look for it and then buy it, not drive to a store to "see if they have it to test it out". They're not going to settle for the instrument that they want in a finish that they don't want "because that's what they had in stock". They're going to go online every single time, even the staple goods like strings and picks that you used to pick up behind the counter are way easier to just overnight.
Guitar Center should focus on the kid walking in with their parents looking to spend some christmas money- the people who want to buy a $200 guitar, and a case, and some strings, and a tuner, and a strap, and an amp, and don't forget the picks--and they don't know any of it so they need a salesperson to help them out. It's incredible how boneheaded the C-suite at that company can continue to be.
As a musician, I completely disagree. If I'm shopping online, it's not with GC. But I would do business with them if they had those nice amps and guitars that I could actually try before I buy. And a beginner is going to come in and buy a $300 starter kit, then not buy anything except maybe strings or a distortion pedal for a long time. A professional musician is the one that's going to come in and buy that $2500 amp and make your sales goal. Not saying they shouldn't carry entry level stuff, because they absolutely should. Just carry a few of them, and then focus on the $800-2000 range that working musicians will actually be interested in.
@@TheRealxVincent I completely agree. I buy guitars in the same price range as you. Usually I buy online because there aren't any places that have them in stock locally. But there is one guitar that I bought for about $1400 at GC because they had it, I got to play it and it was absolutely perfect, I knew I wasn't going to find a better one. Each guitar is unique and I would prefer to play the actual guitar that I'm buying. But if I have to order it I'm not going to order from GC.
Everyone is s former GC employee at some point.
I've sold two guitars to my local GC. Both transactions went well. They told me up front that they offer UP TO 60% of what they will sell it at (I got the 60% - both were in good shape, clean, new strings and in tune) - then they did a little research online and came back to me with an offer. The trick is you need to KNOW up front that you don't sell to GC for the best deal - you do it for the convenience of getting immediate cash.
You've also got to know going in that Guitar Center isn't every dude in town's personal pawn shop
GC actually pays well for a middleman. Typical pawn shops usually only offer 1/3rd market value on items, and maybe up to 50% if its a high value item thats a quick and easy sell for them. GC has paid me more than I was able to get for it on craigslist or offerup.
I usually couple it with a friends 20% off coupon. Since reverb charges 10% fees - I only loose 10%. Worth it to me vs. dealing with the hassle.
I think GC lost their objective for the customer after private equity stepped in - as happens to most companies that go that route
This is the critical point many people miss.
I wish GC carried more quality mid-tier guitars. The $500 - $1000 range. I also wish they dusted the guitars and changed the guitar strings more often. In fact, if they set up all the guitars to play well with low action, I'd definitely make more impulse purchases when I pull a guitar off the wall and try it out. Too often the new guitars are dusty and grimey, have corroded strings, sometimes they're even missing strings, and the setup is atrocious.
i have always wondered why they dont do that ....
Why they don't do that?
Same reason the grocery store doesn't go through every aisle after every 30 minutes and turn all the boxes and bags and stuff where the logo on it faces out. Same reason you find Saltine Crackers in the dog food aisle sometimes.
They have tons of mid range guitars, what are you talking about?
Guitar center needs to improve their used guitar photos!! But maybe thats the fun, you never really know what your getting lol
As someone one who has to take the best possible pictures of Folk Art to post online, most every picture from all the different GCs are all quite terrible.
Pictures sell…
They have actually gotten a lot better here lately!
Not only are the pictures terrible - the descriptions are useless. An instrument graded as 'good' shows 4 small, fuzzy pics taken with an iPhone whose lens hasn't been wiped off in a year. There could be a head stock break and you wouldn't see it. No way I'm spending 1000+ on an instrument where the entire description is 'case included'.
They also need to quit carrying primarily budget models.
ive seen better bigfoot photographs
The main thing about GC that keeps me coming back is the used section! I have found some pretty good deals there. I've bought 2 used guitars from them in the past 2 months. I also like that i can trade in gear with them. I've done several trades with them over the years and gotten some good deals. Really hope they figure it out.
Former GC salesman here…No salesman wants to be given a task that takes them away from making money hence the reason why trades take so long. There’s no money in it for the individual salesman who is now stuck dealing with a major hassle.
Its also because there's usually only one employee in the store who can buy used gear. And for vintage or high end specialty gear, they have to run it by someone at corporate.
They shouldn't have sales people doing it in the first place.
trade in trade up buddy, I make tons of coin facilitating trades.
I went into my closest GC in Sherman Oaks here in L.A. for the first time in a while recently. It was apparent right away they had changed their attitude…I was immediately approached by a sales guy..I think he was a manager asking me if there was anything in particular I was looking for…I was very initially taken aback but he directed me to what I asked for…set me up with an amp and left me alone..so fair enough they are upping the customer service…now it was not very busy late afternoon but it was o.k. . I also asked about trade in policy and he was right up front about telling me , any gear we will generally pay about 50% in credit of what you might get from a private party. I appreciate the upfront info and overall it was a good experience. I hope they stay in business…I prefer in person transactions with guitars . Thanks as always for your great info Phil!
The guitar center near me only has low end, inexpensive guitars. Or super expensive (in the little room). Very little in-between. I think GC would absolutely thrive as a quality used store
Same at my local GC. Useless place. I just go to the local guitar store in town. I do my best to help them stay in business. I’d be indifferent to the GC closing.
I've been in to two different local GC's in the last week and the visual improvements to the guitar displays is drastic and was long overdue. Its yet to be seen whether putting the expensive guitars more in reach will be a good or bad thing. I still wish the workers spent more time cleaning/tuning the guitars on the wall to make the experience that much better... but based on being overworked and underpaid, I get it.
The problem is that kids come in and beat the crap out of everything they can get their hands on playing metal! They downtune every guitar they touch and after wailing away on it at max distortion on a cheapo amp, they slap it back on the wall and never buy anything. The overworked employees have no time to put into retuning all these guitars, much less wiping them down, especially now since all the Gibbys are on the bottom row. If it's expensive and within reach, these are the ones the kids go for first. They never buy. The ones who are interested in buying high end guitars don't want one thats been on the floor!
@1:50 I originally qualified as an Electronic Engineer , when the question about soldering irons came up I was like "if he doesn't mention Weller I'm going to lose trust right here" and NO disappointment of any kind, you mentioned them THREE times! I'm just affirming that even outside of guitar ... you definitely know your gear. Bravo!
I think “pro” is being used as a code word for “not a beginner and possibly someone who makes good money on another job”. All tennis shops brand themselves as “pro shops” but ain’t many pros I’ve seen shop at most of them. Similarly most amateur bands I see play, including my own, have a guitarist playing an instrument in the 2000-5000 range.
Guitar Center has been missing the mark for decades now, although I have still purchased from them from time to time. That being said, EVERY time I go to GC, no matter what I am there for, I always head straight for the used gear section, because its almost always different. Used gear moves so the inventory changes regularly. I can spend an hour on the used guitars/amps alone, all before I pick up whatever I intended to purchase. Their new policy will fail. Hiring a CEO with such an ancient vision seems like the nail in the coffin
Amen. But, I can tell you this much… I haven’t made a purchase at a GC, or Sam Ash for that matter, solely due to the indescribably stupid, socially-inept losers they started hiring, right around the late 2000 (give or take). And, that end of things has just gotten worse. I’ve walked out of those stores p!ssed off without having picked up a single instrument for that reason. I think that has destroyed the big box stores as much as anything else. One of the reasons for that is because a true pro isn’t about to work at a place like that, because GC or SA are absolutely horrible employers, as well.
@@phillamoore157Last purchase at GC was 15 yrs ago. A engineer friend who knows guitars worked there after retirement. He was basically a guitar collector and watched out for great guitars. I went to buy a Gibson SG and they were all trash. He finally showed me a PRS that was really sweet and gave me a great deal on a custom 22 emerald 9 top. Went back maybe once more couple yrs later and he had quit, but the usual goons were there. Never went back. They could care less what you want.
Reverb is a joke for us in Sweden. Mostly used gear priced higher than new and insane fees and policies for sellers. Everyone here buys and sells at our local sites that have great shipping deals and good affordable protection for buyer AND seller.
Phil ROCKS! Thank you Phillip for all you do and all you are. You're a gift.
Guitar Center needs to learn to make rice before they start making sushi -- maybe take care of the instruments on the floor and see if that helps before they try to peddle even more expensive stuff. Yeah i'm interested in a Charvel MIJ Guthrie Govan but not if it's missing a string, the trem is all screwed up and the strings feel like floss.
Even my $80 Monoprice Indio is set up better than 90% of GC guitar stock.
That’s where you are screwing up ! If you like a certain guitar AND you know what that guitar is capable of , you use the OBVIOUS defects to drive the price down during the negotiations WITH THE INTENT of fixing all the defects . Say you see that Charvel and it’s priced at $1,500 with a missing string , trem issues etc , offer them $1,200 knowing in the back of your mind it will take $200 to make it better and you just saved $100 bucks and your rig is like new after the set-up from your personal luthier .
GC needs to expand their synths department. The reality is synths are more popular than guitars now. They should increase their inventory of synths, new and used, and have more demo units on the floor with more headphones, instead of connecting a bunch to a loud monitor where everyone has to hear what you're playing and only a couple people can demo something at a time. And they should reduce or expand their merch and lessons department depending on how well they're performing.
true, like every les paul or 5 string bass either has finish chipping off at the nut or giant black smudges on the neck from those trash hangers,
Guitar Center in Santa Maria is AWESOME. Their New and Used guitars selection is always changing. Their In Store Specials are really good and sometimes un unbelievable of the deals you find. so maybe you're bad experiences are at a Guitar Center location that is not well-run and managed.
The local GC in Hallandale Beach, FL was touch and go for a while after COVID and they didn't have much stock, but now it's well stocked and I always see people in there playing instruments and buying.
Think of it this way, you are not actually selling your gear to GC for 60%, you are really PAYING Guitar Center 40% to sell it for you..
I completely agree about being good at the trading. There is another reason they should be good at this; because the margins on new guitars are pretty thin. On used gear, margins are good or very good. I have seen GC do a bad job of identifying tidying gear. Online, I’ll see a PRS single cut used for $2,000, zoom in on the picture and it’s an SE, clearly on the headstock. Same with all the les Paul models, selling them as standards when it’s a studio plus, or a Traditional as a Classic, etc.
Should be used stuff. I already use them mostly for used stuff - they will ship to my local store and their return policy is great.
Eart hollowbodies are INCREDIBLE! THE NEWEST offset has zero reviews but trust me, the eart 335 and the hollow tele are my favourite hardtails by a long shot. I play them more than my Gibson now, theyre really that good and reliable
There's like 8 GCs in DFW. I went into the Lewisville store and they had more guitars then they have ever had. All the high end stuff is unlocked and you can fiddle with it.
Another fine show, Mr. Phil!!👍Many of my "Pro" friends are into "shopping components" (new/used) for their own builds...and I've been doing the same. Main reason we'd be in a G/C @ this point is to check out the Used Gear on hand; which does tend to support Yr. argument. Adrian Belew is an avid Lace P'up fan, too. They're featured on his "Beat Era", Mustang-based "Twang Bar King" as well as his Sig Model Custom Strat'. They sound good on yours, 2!
I’ve only made 1 significant purchase from GC in the last 10 years and it was a used LTD. I always like to see their used wall, but as far as what’s “new” it’s always the same stuff. You are absolutely right in saying we already know what’s in there
Former GC Guitar tech here. Yes, yes, and yes… I agree with all of you. But one additional thing: the CEO says he wants the store to be more oriented towards the professional musician. What he does not seem to understand is that it’s harder than ever to be a professional musician; And pros make even less money than they used to, relatively speaking. Just because you’re going to offer more high end gear doesn’t mean that they’re automatically going to have customers who can afford it.
In our experience it does, the moment high end guitars hit our shelves we would sell a few a week. The bread and butter will always be guitars under 1000 but why wouldn't you want to see some good guitars alongside it. Not to mention GC doesn't even sell new Suhrs or Collings or Larrivees and other "boutique" guitars. 2000-5000 is just the price of admission nowadays for American made guitars. Should GC not offer expensive instruments at all? Should they only be available via shipping? If you want to compare a Pro II Strat to an AVRII should you have to buy both to test them? Or should you be driving to wherever the nearest high end guitar shop is to pay a premium for mom & pop overhead even if it's hours away? Logically everyone saying it's not GC's target audience is wrong. Over half of the store will still be Epiphones, Squiers, mexi Fenders, Schecters, etc.
You can say that GC lowballs on used gear, but by the time you pay out the crazy fees to Reverb and potentially ship the item across the country (not to mention your time and aggravation), I start to feel less bad about selling to GC.
I use the green Scotchbrite pads to knock down the gloss nitro finish on my Gibson necks. Sometimes that nitro can be too sticky and this remedies that without scratching it up. Eventually it works its way back to gloss so no big deal.
You’re absolutely right. I use GC primarily to see what used stuff they have. I love the fact you can search the entire country for gear. Yes, they need to upload more photos and put more than “this product comes with a case” under the description.
I think they need to have a good amount of inexpensive guitars. Most beginners are going to flock to GC. Intermediate players who have a little more money to spend might buy their first USA Strat or play a couple of Gibsons to try them out. There’s no need for high end stuff unless it’s used.
My very first custom shop guitar which was my first “high end” guitar, was sold to me by a GC rep who cold called me and made a hell of a deal. It turned out to be one great instrument and I rarely buy guitars online without playing them first.
'Pro musicians' don't usually pay tourist prices.
I went to Phoenix GC and saw that they are hanging guitars by marked brand sections and some higher end guitars like Les Paul Standards were in the lowest rows, not on the top (out of reach) row. They still had higher end guitars locked up in separate room.
There are some local dealers in Jacksonville Florida. Liberty, Kevin's, Mock Shop, and Crazy Dave's. There's a George's too.
That robbery story is the most interesting story I've heard in a long time. I'm sorry this happened to you but I'm so glad you got that great guitar, and an interesting story, out of it. And you got a relic job thrown in. I managed a cellular phone store for many years and someone tried to rob us repeatedly, through the same pane of glass, 4 times in a few month span of time. I could see them break the glass, enter the store, walk to the first of 2 bolted steel doors, shake it for a few seconds, then leave. They never got anything, but we had to pay the glass company $3000. I started to think the guys worked for the glass company:)
Hey Phil, I think you’re spot on with your GC assessment. My guess is that they will not go in this direction and therefore will be closing stores.
I just recently brought in an amp to Guitar Center to trade. Was a good experience I have to admit. First off, they had sent an email about a “Trade in, trade up” event. So IMO they invited me. I went there early before the store got busy, and the amp was in excellent condition. I also took the proceeds as a store credit, so I think they were more generous. I pretty much got what I was expecting. Yes, less than what I could’ve gotten selling it privately, but no hassles.
I have one amp left to sell, but it’s got some issues so I know GC won’t take it. Gonna have to deal with eBay for that one 🙄
I've been buying my guitars online for over a decade now. In 30 years of buying/playing/selling, I have an idea what each model already is going to feel like. From my Wizard neck on my Jem, to my Gibson R8 baseball bat, and everything in between.
GC. Yeah, I don't see how a major chain should be a premium shop. Next to GC, my closest mom/pop shop is Norman's and they are way easier/faster to deal with. As for sales, I'm back to advertising/selling locally.
Whether this is a dumb move or not, I have to say, it's a lot more fun going into GC now and be able to try a bunch of really nice guitars. Last time I held a Murphy Lab LP was in a vintage shop that was appointment only, while the owner hovered over me. It was also the only one they had, a 58'. Walked into my local GC and they had like 6 Murphy Labs and several really nice LP's that were a pleasure to play.
Got to play some Gibson acoustics as well. These are guitars I never am able to get within 10ft of normally. In truth, I go there for strings and picks, never have bought a GC guitar in my life.
Sure is fun to try some great instruments though and if I was flush, with prices where they are at now, a few of those Gibson's were reasonable.
Yeah, I went in there the other day, they had a bunch of three and 4K Les Pauls on the rack where a two year-old could touch them. Of course I indulged. Seems like they used to have anything more than $700 under lock and key.
@szacharym That store is looser than the one I was in. I think the staff isn't great about putting the holy grails back after.
Hollow body (Thinline) Tele preferably with humbuckers. Squier, Harley Benton, and I think Eart do one. Fat humbucker sound with a bit of air. Works well for any genre but great for jazz, blues, funk and fingerstyle/chord melody.
I went to drop off my guitar at GC for a set up and waited an hour to pick it up. They want you browsing. As for selling only high end, they don’t. That store was full of low end instruments and amps.
It would be great if GC became a good place to trade in gear locally. I have 2 guitars that I would love to trade up for a better guitar. I'm not going through the shipping hassle, and I would need the trade in to afford the new one. GC might benefit from filling this niche!
Great podcasts! I absolutely loved my Washburn 335 copy! So sorry I sold it.
What I like about GC is the return policy, everything else is not so good. I never buy from their inventory, every time I have attempted to purchase an in house item they cant find all the things that go with it like the case, along with any pertinent Papers and the COA. If your spending top dollar for a high end item It is expected to have everything that goes with it. I have purchased guitars but directly from their warehouse and shipped to my home but had to verify it was from warehouse and not a store. Lately only use them for accessories and such
once again, why doesn’t GC hire Phil as a consultant?? they need his insight to make some smarter moves. GC could be great and valued, but need some help to define it better. Phil would help.
I had to get rid of one guitar about ten years ago so I could get a Epiphone Les Paul.. The Best GC would offer was $90 for my Schecter 006 Diamond with a EMG bridge pickup, ($100). I took the $90 and I still feel like they owe me about $100. What takes them 90 minutes to find out is, after they find the retail price of a guitar, they have to figure out what ten percent is,then that's the value of your used gear..
They need to get their shit together. I've been to several locations, wanting to demo pedals and their demo stations are either broken or not connected properly, no 1/4" cables to connect, and more budget guitars up at the top of the wall, so you can't test them unless you get an employee with a ladder. Lots of guitars are way out of tune, or have broken strings. Even in their keyboard/piano section, half of the keyboards aren't conected to the demo speakers, or they don't have power cables or just turned off. Almost no one asks if you need help or tries to show you new gear. I worked at GC in 2004 and it's a far cry from what it used to be.
I have a ton of gear I want to sell not trade! I’ve accumulated way too much through the years and now I’m getting near the last chapter of life and want to just get down to one acoustic guitar again. I don’t want to trade so what’s my best option ? I’ve tried a few things on FB marketplace place mostly scammers. Years ago I skinnied down my herd and sold a bunch of gear to Sam Ash for cash and their offer was actually fair but it doesn’t seem any places are buying outright. I’m not going to use an own shop because they want to pay a dime on a dollar. I also don’t want to burden my family with have to deal with all this gear when I’m gone.
Ideas?
And yes Sweetwater wants me to deal with a 1099 and potentially pay taxes on gear I’ve already paid tax on ? I don’t think so.
I have a Music Go Round near me (South St. Louis area) that is so huge, it rivals our old Guitar Center from 20 years ago! It recently had to move to a bigger building to accommodate, ironically, 2 minutes down the road from our Guitar Center. Meanwhile, our Guitar Center is a waste of time to go into anymore. The store is big enough that they could improve in all guitar price brackets - new high ,mid, and low end, and used! Our Craigslist sucks most of the time. Our Facebook Marketplace is hit or miss at best and we have very few mom and pops left. If our Guitar Center improved, that could make for a great afternoon between them and MGR!
Went to GC for the first time in awhile like years to sell an amp. There was 4 people in the store. They asked if I could drop it off and come back. I live 45 to an hour away. I said no, it took an hour. A customer at the same time came in with 17 guitars and they said they needed a week.
Good analysis of guitar center. Since they started posting used gear, I always thought they had opened a gold mine. They have so many stores around the country that it should be easy for people to trade for cash or credit. I have even got a couple great deals that had to ship from stores across the country. But they seem to muddle the process.
Happy Friday! 😊
I have two Weller soldering irons with different wattages. I have a 23 and a 40 watt iron. The higher the wattage the hotter the iron is going to be. I have accidentally lifted a trace pad with the 40 watt one because of my inexperience. Be careful
I always look at the GC used wall, and have gotten some very good deals there. I've gotten some better deals at pawn shops, but that has involved a lot of time spent haggling, waiting for call-backs from the manager, etc.,which I'm not always up for.
I ran into Joey Molland at the Johnson City NY Guitar Center in the used guitar section.
They should do both. High end variety and expand used market and give folks more for in-store trades and purchases and less in cash.. incentives for keeping the $$$ in their store..
The Illictch system is excellent. Have it on a Tele. No more single coil buzz.
Just reported a bunch of sellers on ebay selling the same guitar with the same serial number on a jazzmaster, tele and strat in dark night color,
It can take 20min to buy strings at GC.
I know the guitar I want...I know the neck size I want, I know the weight I want...Sweetwater and Wildwood give me that information. I can see high quality images of their entire selection...why would I go to guitar center to see one or two examples...vs seeing numerous online?
I think guitar center should be able to order their own inventory in their own store i have 2 near me and they carry models that no one is really interested in and the guitar centers further away have much better selections
Peach cider is made in the Okanagan area of British Columbia, there are all kinds of different varieties/flavours. All of them are basically the same thing as Apple Cider, but they are made with whichever fruit it’s named from. Like Peach Cider, my favourite is Granny Smith Apple Cider, Wild-berry Cider, all kinds. All are about 7% alcohol so like a stronger beer in its alcohol content . Now you know my friend.
The dude is right about trading into GC. I bought a 2006 American Standard Stratocaster at GC for about $700 in 2007. I t was a leftover. I traded in that Strat to Sam Ash in 2024 and got $700. I traded in a mint, like brand new Katana 50 to GC and got $80. Ther are no more Sam Ash stores. :(
Lot better options than Red Cross if you want your contribution to really get to the people that are in need. I live in NC FYI.
Hi, Please post I link to a better way to go I will make sure to share it as well.
I have dealings with red cross and they don't use their donated money very well, in fact they use it poorly. If ever you're looking for a charity that actually works, your local Salvation Army is where it's at. 99% of the donations go to the people who need it. You're welcome
I reckon there are less people with high-end guitars that can actually play (at least to a certain level) than owners of affordable ones. They appeal to people who have money, but who haven't necessarily invested time and energy into learning or in dues paid slogging it out in bands. I think also that the guitar companies know this. While they have professional endorsers and do sell to this group, their main market are those who want status symbols and want to buy in to something without sweating it out.
I 💯 go into guitar center and walk straight to the used guitar wall.
YeshYouShall
I've only sold one guitar on reverb and it was a few years ago, but I do like reverb for buying guitars. I've gotten some "minty" guitars at great prices. I've sold guitars to GC in the past and found it fast and easy. But I won't be doing that any more because they really, really lowball. And I never seem to find something that makes it worthwhile to take such a hit. Should GC become more invested in used gear? No thoughts on that since I rarely buy from them. I'm an online buyer.
...and I'm really digging the fact that this is some kind of "Alternate Reality Episode 382". 😉
"FREEDOM OF CHOICE...is what we got!!" 😂🤣🙃
Antek soldering irons are the industry standard along with Weller. Here in the UK.
My friend has worked at GC for 17 years and now they are threatening his and other employees jobs if they don't sell more pro coverage and get more GC credit card applications and still no medium priced guitars, just inexpensive entry level or very expensive but they have those fancy new wall dividers, so they got that going for them.
Concurrent is the word, and from a human standpoint that has one good point, the values the insurance company put on the gear. Glad you got a nice guitar, but I understand the bummer of what you went through
Whenever I go into a Guitar Center, I ALWAYS go to the the used section first and spend the most time there. I only do a quick run through of the new gear.
I've been going to GC for years.
What I would like to see is some different amps, guitars and pedals. Instead of the same oh crap, bring in different brands and keep cycling through with other brands, like annually.
I sell all my used gear through GC. It’s mostly painless accept for time issue you mentioned. I hope GC listens to your advice.
I bought fretboard stickers from Jockomo, a Japanese company. Good quality at a decent price.
GC needs a separate used dept and a dedicated employee for it who specializes in used gear etc, and the ability to act faster on offers, They would thrive, Music go round has largest used selection where I live. Also taking things on consignment might work as well. Clearly they suffer from corporate that doesn't have a clue and they have the ball and chain of the fender and Gibson who only care about selling new gear. Appreciate your channel.
They barely have employees to cover the entire floor, let alone handle an extra special specialized department. Even if it was a thing, the majority of their stores don't have the inventory to support it.
?? Thanks for your answer on jazz guitars ❤
I agree with you about GC, but I'd go one step further. If they offered me the ability to get in-store pickup and setup of any used guitar offered nationwide, it would be tremendous. Yes, they'd be moving gear around at their risk, but they already have a distro chain and low corporate shipping rates too. I wouldn't include amps or pedals due to low prices and weight in the case of the amps, but for guitars it would be amazing.
Fun fact the crate stealth isn’t actually all tube despite it literally saying so on it.
Selling used to GC is great as long as you manage your expectations. Buying used there are still better deals elsewhere as GC won't haggle on used gear
Gc is close and convenient, but it stopped being a must-visit place a long time ago. You are spot on, they still have the same guitars on the walls. SInce they announced their changes, I've noticed they seem much more willing to let you touch the top row stuff now. It's not really something that will save the business.
Not only is the ISP Decimator the industry standard for noise suppression, Buck Waller, who runs ISP, is a really good guy. What other companies put their actual phone number on the instruction manual?
Im for gc to focus on used. Bought 2 great used basses at gc, over the years. Rather look at 100 used guitars than 200 new.
I'd say that the GC's CEO meaning of "professional" guitar players is richer guitar players. I think his motivation is something like Bentley auto dealers don't sell Pintos.
The only reason I go to GC is to look at used pedals.
I recently took some estate sale finds to sell at GC for a quick turnaround. It literally took 1 hour 45 minutes. They overpaid, but geez....
Wichita KS Guitar Center must be their best store cuz they rock 🤘
Personally, I love browsing used gear in a music store.
So for me I'd like to see them put a little more effort into their used gear.
That's just my 2 cents.
can you do a deep dive on an evh guitar? sorry if you already did ! hello from chicago...
Bob Benedetto has a guitar shop near where I live, also there a GC (ironically 10 feet from Portmans, another music store). Anyways, Bob builds high end guitars and his lead hand will even fire out the occasional "garage-built" masterpiece if you cant afford super high end but you know a guy and you know whats what. I cant put GC and Benedetto in the same category. Theres "pros" and then theres gig players. I know a LOT of gig players, and they are honestly playing their second or third best guitars, moreover; because of theft and because a properly set up and upgraded beater is not a life crisis event when it gets roughed up. I even have a mom and pop store with "The Room" of high end Gibsons, Fenders, Martins, PRS, ect.." AND I can drive up to NC and get custom shop guitars from Casino, which I would not blink at when contemplating a high end purchase. I guess what I'm saying is that actual guitar culture here does not support the notion of "pros" or even giggists going to GC to overpay in enough numbers to validate the business plan.
In all fairness, my experience with GC in Savannah has been delightful. Good staff, good people, helpful and a nice avenue to quickly unload used gear. I just think thats what GC is really good at, and I think everybody thinks thats what GC is good at except for the private equity goons who are now running GC.
I like the soldering irons that give me a degree readout which I use to vary the temperature to suit the project at hand. That $112 Weller is definitely a good choice.
@PhillipMcnight Why does a custom shop with a rosewood board have a skunk stripe?? I thought only production Fenders did that....a skunk stripe on all necks to cut down on production costs...
I visit this one Guitar Center just north of Chicago for years. Was there the other day and the store looks great, better than its ever looked. The used guitar dept was totally redone with some chairs and benches making it really comfortable to try out guitars. Nice amps spaced all around so you can plug in and try them out. They used to all be stuck in the corner of the store. Salesmen looked happy it was during the Guitar Center Sale A Thon. Nice selection of upper end guitars on display, those were usually way up by the ceiling now they are eye level. I was impressed with that local store I say keep it up. Hope they stick around.
I avoid Guitar Center as much as I possibly can. I bought a new Epi SG during the pandemic and that went well. I was looking for a good used SG a couple of years later and GC didn't have anything. I'm talking their flagship Chicago store on Halsted. I did find a nice used Epi 335 dot in gold and it took me 45 minutes to buy it because the guy was busy with someone who was on the fence about a much more expensive guitar and my $349 sale was a nuisance to him. That was the last time I set foot in one of their stores except one time I just happened to be nearby and I needed some strings.
If they really upped their game with the used market like they did in the 80s they would kill it. Guys like me are everywhere looking for used gear, and the mom & pop stores near me don't have enough of it coming in to make it worth going even once a month (with one exception).
Reverb needs to adopt eBay's anti scam policy. Put sellers payments on hold until 48 hours after item delivery, and put new sellers on a probationary period.
They need to take time to list all the guitar’s specifications
Reverb allows my small business to have a level playing field with the big guys. At a relatively small cost.
Interesting, thank you for posting. My guess looking at you price and what your cost should be you have 80% margin so I would imagine the fees seem minimal, retailers margins are a little tougher as you can imagine. According to reverb analytics, it doesn’t show you sold very much on that platform though. You have a lot listed but not a lot showing sold. I would love to hear more on why you like these platforms.
@@PhillipMcKnight Yes margins are 80% or better in some cases, but these are not high ticket items. Reverb's audience is my target audience and the least expensive way to build my brand. I just started the business 2 years ago with virtually no startup costs beyond 3D printers and software. Advertising hasn't worked but Reverb Bump feature has definitely helped bring awareness. Reverb accounts for about 30% of my sales, the rest coming from my website, Etsy and eBay. Thanks for checking it out. Keep up the good work.
Guitar Center asks too much for used gear and I have never been able to get a discount on it. "It's store policy we have to wait X number of days until we can come down on the price." Then it's just a few bucks. Also if I order used gear from another store I call them and get a " hands on decription ". The guy at that end always says how nice the item is because he gets credit for selling it. When the item arrives at the local store for me to pick it up, sometimes its a POS. I reject it and the poor guy helping me takes the hit for a returned item. Bad GC program. The hit needs to be on that lying employee that sold it. I haven't bought any used gear from GC in quite awhile. Bad proram. BAD PROGRAM! GO SIT IN THE CORNER.
I went to Guitar Center this week, tried two guitars, a “NEW” american pro II strat, playability was horrible, sharp frets, bad setup, dry rosewood, rusty strings, and it had a 2021 serial number….. then I tried a mint condition USED guitar (2023 serial number, also american pro II strat) priced $400 less than the new one, bought the used one and it is a great guitar (and I own 7 american made fenders) …. Why would you buy a new guitar in that condition? The future of GC is the used section….