Biggest Changes In the Last 10 Years In the Guitar Industry
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- Опубліковано 28 кві 2024
- Baxter and Sean talk about how the Guitar Business has transformed over the last 10 years. From online to direct, The business is not what it was just 10 short years ago.
115 NE Broad St, Southern Pines, NC 28387
910-725-0807
Shop@Casinoguitars.com
SHOP HOURS : MON - SAT 11AM - 5PM, SUN 12-4PM - Розваги
There is nothing that can take the place of trying out a guitar before you purchase it. Period.
Sweetwater begs to differ
Correct, BUT the problem I have with that is most of the guitars on the floor have been used, scratched up and abused (Just go to any Guitar Center) and see. I always would want one new in the box as I think once that when they are out on the floor and get played and dinged up it is very hard for me to pay the price as new because they are not. I do not care if it's a $500 purchase BUT do care once it gets into the $1500 and over range. The small mom and pop music stores are far better in this regard but the only one in my area that has been around for over 2 decades has went out of business.
@shane011471 I drove to Casino Guitars to pick up a guitar once. I like in KCMO. I would love to go again.
@@johnwashburn3793 I think as time goes on and more and more brands are going direct it is going to get much harder for the mom and pop shops to stay in business selling new gear and it makes me sad to even say this. Loved going to my local music store but they are now gone.
That's why I hesitate to order a guitar online. Being a left it's not like we have a huge selection at shops. Mostly some fender made in Mexico squire stuff maybe an epiphone MAYBE.
I've purchased two guitars at the store and enjoyed the experience very much. Recently I purchased a 00-28 Martin in March and Baxter you and my wife had a conversation about Law and Order for about 15 minutes. I much prefer to support a local business if all possible
I do not live in Southern Pines, but our grandkids do. Every time we go there to visit. I make time to go to Casino Guitars, and buy something - strings, a strap, something - even if I don’t really need it. It’s just to see these cool guys and hang out there a little while. There’s no friendlier, more knowledgeable guys than these guys. Keep doing what you’re doing!
TONE WOOD ! The biggest change ive noticed is this new hatred of beautiful woods and good quality parts. Until the last few years i NEVER heard of a player who rejected the importance of resonance. And ive Never met a player that couldn't hear the differences between cheap and good quality pickups and hardware. I never thought i would live to hear people call an artist like Paul Reed Smith, a charlatan!
I think the hatred stems from all the cheap gear beginning to sound amazing. I know this is going to sound ridiculously pretentious and bombastic - but I can't find another moment like this in my tiny bird brain - this is kinda like what the Gutenberg Bible did to interpretations of years and years of biblical text. All of the sudden we don't have to take someone's word for it and can figure it out ourselves (or at least read/hear it) and the mystique was (generally) lost.
For what it's worth - I like the fancy wood tops and such - I just can't afford them aside from one or two guitars - and I wouldn't really spring for them for acoustic properties outside of my classical/acoustic guitars.
@@LumaTo I cant afford them either. The only two "fancy" tops i have are both veneers. Ive always loved all guitars, its in my blood, but the ridiculously gorgeous woods and finishes in the old Carvin catalogs that fueled my early imagination. And as far as resonant woods are concerned, they dont have to be exotic beauty woods to be great tonaly! You may not care if a guitar vibrates and feels alive when you play it but i sure do. A dense, overly heavy slab, with way too much paint and crap on it, feels lifeless when you play it? Im all set. I really dont care how good Glen Fricker can make it sound in the mix, for that one recording, im gonna have that guitar for decades. It would be nice to love it more than just "it sounds fine".
I think this stems from Chinese bots and the like. Who else benefits the most from selling less expensive things. Economics are different today.
Yeah, that's an intentional shift being pushed by the companies that manufacture the cheap knock-offs. (In horrible working conditions with unsustainable environmental impacts.)
It's literally a meme in the firearm community ("just as gud"). Hopefully as people gain experience it will go the same way for guitars.
Seeing people bragging about their Amazon guitars and calling someone like Paul a liar is crazy town.
@@tom.m Amen. I feel bad for the people who say that there's no magic in guitars, because it means they've never experienced that feeling when you really love one and it loves you back. I have a 50 dollar Tele copy, that looked like it came out of Sids room from Toy Story! Once I sanded it down and gave it a proper fret level and set up, it's amazing. Loud, clear, balanced, razor sharp intonation, killer sustain. Every time I play it something I never would have played, on any other guitar, comes out. Maybe none of its brothers and sisters were any good, who knows, but THAT ONE is magic. I have Strats, a Schecter, a PRS, among others, and the first one I always pick up is a 50 dollar repair rack special! That's Magic
I'm not sure what's going on but Baxter went from having "Great Hair" a couple of days ago to today, slowly sliding back into his "Squirrel Nest" regular hair style.
What we truly need is to vote for Baxters new hair style.
Dreds, Crew Cut, Peter Frampton circa 1978 style who knows?
He was talking about "Bob and Weave", aren't those hairstyles?
I gada give the Gibson Garage credit, I went within the first 6 months of them opening, and I couldn't imagine having a better experience. All the staff seemed so excited and were so welcoming and accommodating. I thought that place actually lived up to the hype and yall know I'm no Gibson fanboy (fuck nitro). The posters, apparel, etc I thought really made it a full spectrum experience where you want to come back and see whats the new poster or the new hat, along with the new guitars. I hope things haven't gone down hill already and that the experiences your clients had were just people caught on a bad day.
I think you guys have a great place in the market. Even with the big companies going direct. I have some great friends and family that work in the big box stores and when it came to ordering my custom shop Fender I went with you guys. It was mainly due to my 1st interaction and the continued service. I reached out to a few shops like yours and not saying I got treated like a “tier kicker” or poorly but you could tell the enthusiasm was not there unless I shelled out cash for their time or I was being led to a product they had available, not what I wanted. Baxter and the team are just as awesome as their UA-cam personas.
This channel was the reason I chose Casino to order my custom shop Strat through. It’s been the best guitar buying experience I’ve ever had, and can’t wait for it to arrive in a day or two! I dealt mostly with Jonathan, who has been incredible all the way through and always helpful whenever I’ve needed guidance or clarification. If I ever order another custom shop (who am I kidding, WHEN I somehow manage to afford another custom shop) I’ll definitely be ordering through Casino!
Something wild happened… my buddy took over the online store for a mom and pop here in Jax fl when the shop closed. He and the guys ran that online business successfully for a while and now they’ve opened a showroom. How awesome!!!❤
I worked in a local shop in college up until 2013, and back then acoustic guitars were outselling electrics around 60-40.
Electrics seem to be clearly more popular now. And my how the pedals have proliferated.
I buy almost everything from these guys and I'm about as far away in the US as could get from them. It's all about the communication as a customer with the store. The personal touch they put on the whole process is really the key for me and it was what drew me to this store and their ability to approach the business as a whole and each transaction with a sense of humor is a good thing because sooner or later, you're going need that sense of humor in this business. If you don't have one, you better get one or line up a psychiatrist up because one or other is going to come in handy.
I so wish I lived near you guys just to come and d hang out and talk guitars, regardless if I buy one. The atmosphere there must be insane!
How can we buy a Casino Guitars shirt?
The difference between buying from a major dealer and someone who owns a garage full of Harleys because they love them so much is significant; both have their place and merit appreciation from different perspectives.
You guys are essential. Even if Sweetwater didn't outdo you, Fender's website won't either. When I bought my guitar from you, I valued your personal opinion on it as an instrument because I couldn't be there to test it myself. Seeing you play and enjoying it reassured me that if a skilled guitarist likes the setup, it's a good choice. That personal connection influenced my decision to choose you over Sam Ash, even though the price was the same. Maybe I prefer the underdog vibe, or maybe it's the authenticity. I’d rather give my money to you guys than to a large corporation.
What makes you guys standout is your web presence-you've brought the small guitar shop experience into my living room. Fender will have a hard time replicating that. Genuine passion for guitars and wanting customers to love them too is hard to fake, and we definitely feel the love. The TV show is gonna carry you IMHO. It's why I went to your website. Your hundreds of miles away. I wouldn't have even known you existed.
BTW.. You guys didn't suck. The customer experience kicked ass. Very responsive etc. Fender Custom Shop (I mean the web site not the actual fender custom shop)... Ive heard poo poo things about dealing with them. They took forever, nobody answered, they got a guitar that was different.
I tell you what.. the guitar I ordered.. was exactly what arrived. not only that, but it was setup well, little card. I mean that kicked ass.
wth Sean, no camo green?
I stopped by and wasn't even a customer and you guys still treated me like I actually WAS worth your time. I'd have a hard time believing anyone had a bad experience at Casino Guitars.
I know two different guitars shops in Troy NY USA. Love Of Fuzz which is an amplifier repair shop and Collar City Guitar and we also lost a couple of guitars shops because of the owner age out.
baxter reminds me of andrew reynolds
I don’t buy locally. You guys are not local. But this is where I buy after my first purchase with yall!
MerleFest sounds fun.
With all the Models that are offered now, it becomes critical to find a guitar that feels and sounds right. Mom and Pop shops care for their guitars more than the big box stores. My local store changes the strings and does some setups when you purchase a guitar. Go to a Guitar Center and find a guitar that was played by someone eating their taco lunch. The top and fretboard are often a mess. That would never happen at my local store.
Went to the Gibson Garage and it was a wonderful experience. Ending up buying a color exclusive to the store. Guitar was cleaned, strings changed and setup to how I wanted it. My local store could never carry all those models and colors.
Brick and mortar stores are doing well in affluent areas such as Southern Pines and are struggling in economically depressed areas like Peoria, IL. Guitar purchases are mostly driven by lifestyle and disposable income. It's not like the 70s when there was more widespread prosperity.
Sean said RE the big brands going direct, "They hate us." I think the comment was made in jest and I hope it was because nothing could be further from the truth. They love you, because you are their show room. You are their 'try before they buy direct' showroom. And not only do you provide them that service for free, you actually pay them to do it. So they win twice. If I were in Baxter's shoes, first I'd feel stupid, and then I'd be angry.
They don’t love you, they use you then sell the same guitars cheaper then you. It’s a disgraceful business model.
Also, Baxter, I love your George Gruhn shirt and I expect you have a snake or lizard in your front pocket. ❤
Where is the support when your online purchase has issues.
Biggest change for me was getting back into the guitar industry ten years ago after not having a decent guitar for 30 years.
I’ve been playing guitar for a long time but took a long break to play mostly drums. Got back into guitar during Covid, along with everyone else, and found myself annoyed with some developments and a little overwhelmed with others
Fender is a little nuts rebranding their strat and tele lines; used to be standard, American, deluxe, and then custom shop, but I don’t know what anything is anymore. Their amps are basically the same though
I thought I knew a thing or two about pedals but coming back in I was overwhelmed with the number of new pedal companies. The upside is there is a lot of good cheap stuff! Downside is not knowing what anyone is talking about because there are so many pedals!
The thing I believe drives this trend of eliminating the middle man. Is that this cost has become the whole profit margin. If you eliminate this unnecessary expense, by either raising the initial QC of the product. Or increasing the online presence to provide some level of information beyond the basics. People are still gonna buy just as many guitars, just maybe not rely on a local shop for any comparison. I don't believe any long standing brick and mortar store that offers lessons and luthier work will be negatively effected. Many players will still go into the stores and wanna play $299 dollar Squire's one after a nother, to find the "good" one. That's never gonna change. It's just the nature of the beast.
Can't even imagine working at Sweetwater, and trying to deal with the literally thousands and thousands of guitars that get returned despite their infamous 55pt. bullshit chart. Honestly, in my experience with them. This 55pt nonsense meant nothing, when there were still numerous issues with every single guitar I've ever bought from them. It's all good and dandy, if you believe what they're selling you. I'm telling you firsthand, that it's nothing more than a sales pitch. Do you honestly think they're doing all that shit to every guitar they get? They put any kid they can find on them benches. They can't even tell if the trussrod is completely lose and rattling. I've had numerous Epiphones come that way from Sweetwater. It's pretty commonly known that Epiphones come with no set up whatsoever. Tuning the guitar and glancing at it briefly doesn't change that. Everyone assumes Sweetwater does like a complete set up on them all? The exact opposite. They do as little as possible and off it goes!
The Plek Machine? Don't get me started on that! For awhile there Sweetwater was advertising PRS SE's as getting free PLEK jobs with every purchase! I just burst into histarical laughter! Sure....... they are! Every one of those $400 dollar Indonesian imports from Cortek is getting a $300 PLEK job done for free, huh? OK sure thing, man. I believe that? Fuck'n hilarious!
Ah, you mentioned Chuck Levins. I can't count the hours I've spent there in my life. I bought my first guitar there. I bought my 1977, D-35 there. I bought a 68 blue paisley telecaster there. Two other guitars which I own were bought at Chucks, as well as many amps, PA's, etc. It is an icon in our area. It was a sad day when Mr. Levin passed away.
It's the same with Bill's Music House in Catonsville, MD near Baltimore. And it was very sad when we lost Bill recently. I am glad that the family is carrying on. Bless them and prayers for them.
@@maximusindicusoblivious180 -Great to hear Bill's family is carrying the torch! Chuck's family were always deeply involved in the business and have continued on since Chuck passed away. A number of local music stores have come and gone, while Chuck Levin's Washington Music Center is still standing.
Sure don't see many Estebans at any shops and The Shopping Network does not sell them any more.
This is the best guitar channel on UA-cam. These guys and Phil McKnight... Hearing playing all of the time when you're trying to work or relax is annoying. They just talk like a few of the fellas. Sean is cool but Johnny rob and Baxter should be famous lol
the big box guitar stores are being disrupted by amazon guitars
I will say that, while my main genre tends to be more metal-based, if I'm in the market for something like a strat, you're the kind of shop I'd want to go to first. Perhaps once I have a job again I can make that happen.
I'm friends with a small local music shop owner and every company that he's a dealership for has gone dercect online and it's killing the shop lessons is the only thing keeping the place open
In 10 years what used to be a market driven by buyers 10 years ago that seldom if ever bought anything Online to a Market that now almost Lives online as brick & Mortar Stores disappear
If I’m praying for others to know what I know. You best believe he hears my prayers.
So what bourbon is that behind you
I try to buy most of my gear from my local store, no interest sweetwater is convenient sometimes. Baxter's hair looked like Sean's 4yrs ago.
It's a battle for our "disposable income" which is a shrinking market these days.
Is that Baxter’s son?
When Peavey allowed dealer's to sell their gear on the internet ...... what a disaster !
Just bought a J&D electric guitar in China. Chinese brand and Chinese made, bought in China. $350
Where's the magic word? ✌️❤️🎸
My wife was just asking the same question
Only in the usa are Martin and others selling direct, customer service has gotten worse, the ole b stock switcharoo, the horror stories about online buying and the product not showing up or scam sites, i much prefer calling into a shop and getting great service and getting advice from people with a good customer service and product knowledge. Cartels are still operating in Europe and the uk , look at the prices,
Casino Guitars kissing booth! Are those still a thing?
Cigarette and sandwich musta been James era Casino. Look it up if you are new
Going direct is one thing but reverb stores too? It’s only a matter of time guitar stores won’t exist anymore and they will regret that greedy decision.
I'd rather Mark Agnessi NOT be there if I went to the Gibson Garage . Play Authentic ! 😮
I do not get how you as an independent praise Sweetwater. They literally want to destroy your store. The same with McKnight praising mom and pop stores but being affiliated to, you guessed it, Sweetwater! Beware who you praise because they want to destroy your local business. They are definitely not friendly competitors. But, I really hope you thrive because you care.
I got news for ya! Folk don't need many guitars in reality.. The overselling & outrageous expectations of the market will kill it all by itself. You can't manufacture guitarists!!
1)Sorry guys, but I will die on this hill and say the big boys are selling direct as a response to the small shops all following Sweetwaters business model. Once the small shops started garnering MORE business online than from in house sales, the big boys went "Wait...hold on...WHAT do we need THEM for?!"
When my local shop had less and less new gear for me to try out because it all "Presold online" I knew this was coming. Its like the small shops forgot "HEY! You're supposed to be here for me to TRY the gear, not just warehouse it for your online sales and make me HOPE I get to see it...." if when I started buying guitars, THIS would have been the business model....i'd probably have way less, if any.
2)The Gibson Garage is NOT a guitar shop. Its a Gift Shop. They will not haggle I am sure and you probably will not find lower end reasonably priced guitars in that venue. You probably WILL see Slash in there because A)He does not want to go to guitar shops and get mobbed and B)He can afford ANYTHING in the Garage and if he can't the guys will probably just HAND him whatever he is looking at. Us geeks will not get that treatment. In fact us geeks will be told "PLEASE put the expensive Murphy Lab 59 down or go wash your hands."
3)Customer Experience - In the end this will be the difference between a shops staying power and it disappearing. THIS is why the Big Boys selling direct will fail in the end. Fender et all will NEVER have this be their main focus. THEY want the sales numbers and the "Empty Pegs". But I will always gravitate towards a place like my local shop or Casino, because YES you want sales to keep the doors open, but ultimately you guys know that if your customer base is NOT happy....that makes or breaks EVERYTHING.
This is why I say, if all the big box stores go....oh well. If all the local shops go.....the big boys are in BIG trouble. Guitar sales as we know it even right now...will drop like a hot rock.
In response to #2, the Gibson Garage absolutely does have some the “more affordable” Epiphone (and Gibson) models in the building on display and for sale. That being said, they do not have the lowest end Epiphones, but if that’s what you’re looking for there are 3 Guitar Centers and a Sam Ash in metro Nashville.
Bring in Schecter and Ibanez
Just gets old casino only talkimg 5 brands constantly. So many other "big boys" out there besides the over priced "legacy" brands
@InjectBleach-em9tg As you say...
Why would they talk about brands that they don’t sell?
@@charlesbolton8471 True story. Just gets old and stale