Hidden Secrets of Guitar Center
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- Опубліковано 26 лют 2019
- Hidden Secrets of Guitar Center and why some shops will try to sell you the wrong guitar.
The Dirty little secrets of the big box guitar shops reviled, and why small shops with great service will always rock!
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You guys are killing me with the truth!
I'm watching you two dudes and I'm thinking John Cusack and Jack Black... This is your *HIGH FIDELITY!*
🤣👍🏼
I worked at the Hollywood GC in the early 90's. It was cut-throat, toxic, and nasty, and that was on a good day. Plus, they treated their employees like crap. But, the Japanese yen was high and the tour buses pulled up to the front and I sold more "Black Beauty" Les Pauls then you could shake a stick at list price. Sold a PRS Dragon to a Kennedy, and sold a 67' Strat to a woman in her 50's for her 20 something "boy toy" rocker. My best memory was when Angus Young wanted to buy my '73 SG that I had in there for a fret dressing and I said no.
Cool ..did you tell Angus no...or one of his associate's?
@@marksc1929 there were only three that came in. Angus, Malcolm, and their manager brother. I let Angus know that my SG was essential to my essence and he understood. 😎
@@donnmontoya3397 ...great story....thx for sharing "
@newagetojo FU A-Hole . You don't know dick. I was there , they were there, you weren't, go fuck yourself!
Cool. Hollywood GC in the early 90's. Killer. I picture Airheads and Wayne's World. Tell you what... 😓 I'd eat some DUSTY old box for a vintage Strat. Facts.
I worked at GC once. Thank god I got a call for a tour and quit at the end of my first week. They basically train you to take advantage of newbs and moms coming in to buy stuff for their kids.
Recently I was lucky enough to visit Nashville, Memphis and New Orleans as a bucket list trip from the UK. We went in about every guitar/drum shop there was in each City. All the guys in all the stores were great, and I include GC in that, except for one. It was a mid sized privately owned store with a good selection of guitars, but the guys were so unfriendly, my brother and I were taken aback as we had nothing but great hospitality during ou trip. Shout out to the guys at Sun Studios!! Eventually I bought a Telecaster in GC New Orleans. I tried about 7 or 8 different models. No pressure, no hassle and even had my own booth to play in for over an hour. I guess there's good and bad everywhere guys.
A tele is a pretty awesome souvenir.
I'm sorry for your one bad experience; I call those kind of people goons- they don't know what the hell they're doing or talking about. Generally speaking most stores in the United States are friendly, with an occasional exception.
@@marcelhaik8035 YEah, wouldn't let one experience colour (thats how we spell it lol) my view. We get the same thing here in the UK.
The best gutiars I have ever bought have been from pawn shops where the sales people probably don't know anything about gutiars, but if you try it out and you know what to look for in buying a used gutiar and you have the knowledge how to work on guitars and set them up yourself you can get a good gutiar for much less money
Not my experience here, the Pawn shops price their stuff like it is new & will not deal much. It wasn't always that way. In the 90s, before internet, I got an 83 Explorer in good condition. for $200. still have it, just sayin
The pawn shop I get my stuff from specializes in guitars. They even have a tech who sets them up. But I've always done pretty good with them
@@jerrystephenson1172 I see this a lot, but you can usually point out the high price and give them an offer. From my experience this usually works as long as your not low balling.
I found you guys through the PRS factory tour vid - love the vibe of your shop!! And the personalities. You guys make me smile. I worked for the “Big Shop” as well - and the one thing I have to say that didn’t make it into this video - is where these shops can be amazing. Used gear. They have hands down the largest inventory - and always the least expensive prices so they stay competitive with the online marketplace. Sucks to sell or trade INTO those places - but buying from is magical. Plus - you have their return policy if something doesn’t work out. I always check there first for used gear just in case. In one instance I found a Two Rock Classic Reverb head for like $1500 less than anything else close to it. It was less because of some scratches - and because they didn’t know what they were selling. Tagged it as a 2014 50 watt head. I bought it immediately - when I got my hands on it - found out it was a 2007 - s/n 11!! And 100 watts...so pre PBG original K&M Two Rock. Amazing find. All cause of big box used. You can take advantage of the man if ya know how!! ;)
I ordered a Stratocaster from Guitar Center. It arrived at the store with a badly bowed and twisted neck. A couple years later I ordered a Gretsch 12 string which never arrived. I was offered a display which had been exposed to moisture. I buy from Sweetwater now.
Basically the exact same thing happened to me. Our local guitar center used to be great. I wouldn't buy a pack of pics from them now.
I've been to Guitar Center a zillion times. Never bought a single item I didn't want.
Same here but it wasn't for a lack of trying from some idiot salesman who just wanted to get me to buy the most expensive guitar instead of one that I love the sound and playability just because I have a lot of money!
thank you...!!!!!!!
I'll be honest the guys at the GC near me have been pretty up forward about selling me a guitar. I think it's because I already have an idea of what I'm looking for.
Know what you want and carry yourself with authority. Nobody can make a grown up do something they don't want.
I think you missed the point. What if you are not sure what you want? Maybe you are a beginner and you need someone you can trust to help you navigate the choices. You are way more likely to get honest help and information from an independently operated shop than from a large chain. This is true in any industry, not just musical instruments. Also, what if what you want is not the best thing for you. Again this applies to many industries, not just musical instruments. I can't count the number of times I have brought a car, computer, guitar, faucet into an independently owned shop looking for a replacement part when instead the salesman just fixed it for me free of charge. This just doesn't happen at a large chain. These are the sorts of things that build long term relationships. Unfortunately, the value that honest human interaction brings to these situations is being lost.
Agreed. Same as in car sales. Blame the salesman AFTER YOU made a bad decision.
newagetojo Great waste of guitar related topic material to air your clearly personal opinion. Why don’t you go to a conservative political channel and comment about your guitar experiences! Insufferable , opinionated , close minded , under educated proud boy !
I worked at Guitar Center in the early 90s and everything that is being said is completely true. It’s very unfortunate GC has unfortunately ruined the retail experience of music stores. Thankfully there are still some awesome people out there that refuse to follow their lead. Stores like Riff City Guitar, Brickhouse Music, and Capital Guitars in the Twin Cities have given me faith that it’s about the musician not about the commission.
I was just at a local guitar center and it was a 7/10 experience, one guy said they didn't have the amp I wanted while the other one said they had it and he brought it out immediately, I ended up buying it and thanked the guy!
That’s actually pretty awesome! Thanks for sharing and congratulations on getting the amp you wanted as well!!!
@@CasinoGuitars woah! It's surprising to see channels reply to older vids, thanks for the reply and I hope you have a great day!
@@matthashobbies that was a nice comment you had and of course, thanks for taking the time to share!
There's good and bad stores and sales associates everywhere. I bought my very first guitar at a Guitar Center in St. Louis. I was prepared to buy new and had a saved up for something of quality. I'm middle aged so I don't fit the profile of a beginner nor do I look like I know what a guitar is yet alone want to play one. The kid (he looked like he was 18 at most) learned a little about what my situation was and bottom line he got me into a very nice and affordable used Fender Squier and Peavy amp, which many years later I still have today and both work well. I walked away trusting the store and had extra cash leftover to take the family out to dinner. I have since purchased many guitars from them and other Guitar Centers. About the only thing I run into is that I think most sales people judge me before helping me. They don't think an average looking, middle aged balding guy dressed conservatively is a capable and knowledgeable player. I have come to know my guitars but once in awhile I'll get the - "so you're looking for a guitar for your son or daughter right?" I just say yes and act all surprised when they tell me what makes a fine guitar worth the money it is. It makes me laugh more than it makes me mad. They are just trying to make a living like the rest of us. I enjoy all music stores of all types. I'd like to visit this one. These guys seem like you could have a few laughs and get a great guitar at a fair price. The behind the scenes add on sales is what happens with all franchise stores in every industry. Furniture, clothing and any other retail stores. It's about the profit level and if you don't produce as a salesman, you're out after 2 months. It doesn't matter if you're the most likable person. You're out. Thanks for posting.
I highly doubt you were greeted like that
This comment section saved me 19 minutes. I do appreciate that!
My daughter didn't even apply, but was recruited to an independent , long time family owned music store . The owner had already heard about her through the grapevine.
All his employees were frustrated heavy metal guitarists or drummers . My daughter plays trumpet, french horn, and dobro . Now he has someone who can related to all the customers for orchesta instruments, and reach out to the bluegrass and traditional country community .
We find that if you have a good balance of players and styles it really helps across the board. We only carry guitars here, but having a great personality, being respectful and friendly goes a long way to reaching a wide variety of customers that walk through your door. Glad to see that your daughter found a good employer and hopefully she can rub some bluegrass off on those heavy metal guitarists! :)
There's this thing salespeople call "Choice Anxiety". If you give the customer too many choices, they cannot make up their mind and then buy nothing. That's why successful salespeople will pick out a single guitar (or cellphone, or whatever it is) and recommend that saying "This is the perfect one for you".
That makes sense, we just think a guitar is something that you make keep for a lifetime and hand down to your kids. For us it takes more thought and time than it takes to decide between the Galaxy S9+ and the iPhone X. If you don't buy today thats ok they will when they are ready. We hate to see our customers throw a guitar on Reverb, Craigslist or Facebook because a salesman didn't want them to get walk out the door empty handed and they didn't get a guitar that worked for them.
Tom A....it is true....much of the time but it really depends who you are selling to. If a 12 year old walks in and wants an acoustic ....the main concern is to get them into a piece that will not shred their fingers...so they dont run away from it....thats why I returned a Yamaha I bought for my daughter for Christmas and bought us both a nice used J45...which she played for an hour instead of ten minutes...due to the amazingly soft action. If...however...you have a 17 year old guy that wants an American Standard Strat...well...its a pretty good bet you are not picking out anything for him...he knows what he wants...even down to the colour...you are the guy taking it down from the upper hanger for him...and then just cheering him on. That even goes for the Flying V highlighted in this vid....if he really wants it. Lets face it, there is no way generally speaking, that you would ever talk a buyer..even a young buyer to go for a Tele...if they see themselves playing a V...
Last time I went to Guitar Center, the employee argued with me over the strings I wanted. She claimed that playing 11’s on a Strat will ruin the neck. After the 7th or 8th time she asked, “Are you sure you want those?” I said, “You’re right. I DON’T want those strings. I want the ones down the road at Mars Music.” Haven’t walked into a GC since.
However, I will buy from their online used gear section. Some great deals pop up on there.
SRV played with 11's and bent them like they were 9's!! Great choice my friend!!
SRV played 13's and I'm sure he knew more about making a strat sing than the entire employee population of GC 😂
SRV is my hero. I’ve been playing 11’s on my Strats and Tele’s since about 2001 with zero problems. Even went up to 13’s tuned down 1/2 step at one point. I wasn’t man enough for a wound 3rd. A good setup is all a guitar needs to accommodate any gauge.
I've got one Tele, had it almost 18 years, and it's had 13s on it since the day I brought it home. Never a problem.
@@patrickgrady8866 I could have sworn he played 13's./ Troy Scheer: I just saw your comment.
My local GC tech is the only reason i still go, even though i have basic repair and set up knowledge. He's an older man with an over-qualified expanse of knowledge of gear and repairs. But if i have a minor issue that i can't solve myself, if he can fix it in less than 5 minutes, he'll hand me my guitar back without charging me anything. If he ever leaves that location/company, I'll be taking my business with him because he has a loyal customer in me. He's a big reason why I've gotten so inspired to learn basic repairs and setups. I hope one day i could be in a similar position as him and make people feel happy and satisfied that they trusted me to repair/setup their gear so they can get back to doing what they do best, playing music and sharing that gift with their audience
The Stratocaster is the most versatile, designed beautifully and ergonomically. Has not changed its shape for over 60 years! In fact it’s copied by numerous others. It’s the electric 🎸for me.
My eyes kept gravitating to that pink telecaster on the wall between you guys 😁
SAME. i love tele's and that pink is great!
I've been going to guitar center for years, never had a bad experience... Bought a Taylor from there.
The two good experiences I had at GC were when I walked in, demonstrated immediately that I knew my stuff (in one case a lot more than the associate which is a little scary) and they left me alone except to pull down guitars I couldn’t reach. A newbie is at their mercy, and the first guitar is crucial.
10 years ago I was looking for a Strat with no local shops except the GC available. The "pro" guy dealt with me for 6 months over it. Everytime they'd get a new batch of USA standards I was trying them. Then one time I went in and he said I've got one you have to try. He was absolutely right and it was the one I ended up with. Gave me a discount, a free hard case, and I walked out the door for $200 less than I could have gotten it all online anywhere. Everything I bought for the next 5 years (while he was still there) was through him.
Small or big guitar shop, the owner is selling guitars to make a profit, and regardless of how 'nice' the people might seem, they're looking to move inventory, and will always push the inventory with the biggest profit margin. Which may or may not be the most 'expensive' item.
Not true.
I’m a 40 something blue collar dude, and I was intimidated as hell walking into a “guitar store” last year. I wanted to get started playing again, and didn’t know what the heck I was looking at. However I knew I wanted a black guard Tele. The sales guy was super nice, but kept steering me towards acoustics. Finally I was like, bro I want a Tele. So he showed me a Squier Affinity, which was ok. But the neck was too narrow for my fingers, and I could tell it felt... “affordable”. I asked to see the Tele high on the wall, and he says it’s kinda of expensive. I finally got him to take it down. I played the little I knew, fell in love with it, and walked out of the store with an “expensive” student guitar AND an amplifier. 🤣
Man that’s awesome you got the piece you wanted! All shops can be a bit scary and pretty awesome that you found your guitar despite it all. Great share and thanks a ton!
@@CasinoGuitars I wish you guys were in my area, I would never leave.
Stores that have a corporate structure are run by local people who run their business vastly different. Having worked in this structure it’s different in every store within the chain. The top tries to oversee things and direct but people do what they do. In other words almost every GC will be a vastly different experience for the consumer. It’s called in the work world...”that’s not how we do it here”.
Ben Logan there’s supposively different tiers of GC. Some places have low level GC’s others are top tier.
I’ve found small shops (or rather employees of them) are often, frequently, or just as likely to be indifferent to me as a customer as would be possible in any large store. To the extent that people matter in a shopping experience, it’s been my experience that the small stores fail at that as much as large store can. I’m not defending Guitar Center. I’m saying the small stores often have serious, employee deficits AND you get a lack of selection relative to bigger stores as a fun, extra bonus!
Very true... you cannot generalize like these guys do. People are all different and there are good and bad ones at GC and mom and pop shops.
I went into a couple of big box guitar stores recently. The one store didn't have many guitars at all, especially nothing I was looking for. The second store I went into, a different brand store, had an interesting guitar that I liked (a Gibson ES335) behind a counter on the wall. I kind of stared at it for a couple of minutes, expecting a sales person to come over. I didn't see anyone. Strange. Then I looked around the corner a little and there were a half dozen guys talking behind another counter. I was wondering why no one noticed me. I decided to walk around the store looking at every thing they had, and made my way back to the guitar I was interested in. It was a $2500 Gibson, so I thought that a sales person would be interested in getting that sales. I stared at it for a few more minutes and no one came. Needless to say, they didn't sell that guitar to me that day. It's probably still sitting on the wall.
I’ve been to Wildwood Guitar in CO, that place is unbelievable! Super deluxe inventory of beautiful pieces. And the staff know their shit.
As far as the Guitar Center in my town, it was fabulous when it first came here. It had a great mix of items for beginners and experts alike. The staff was helpful and knowledgeable as well.
But then after a few years the store took a huge downturn. All the high end gear disappeared, the little room they had set up to try the Mesa Boogie’s and nice Les Paul’s and PRS’s went away. They quit selling Mesa Boogies altogether. And they replaced all the premo gear with cheap stuff. And many of the experienced sales staff are gone. The guys there today don’t seem to know their gear at all. I would MUCH rather buy from a local store then just order off of the net, but my local GC is not worth going to. And I used to love that place :(
P.s. what’s wrong with the car business!
When I was a kid (about 13 or 14 maybe?) my parents agreed to buy me a stereo for my birthday. I went into a local chain electrics shop called Curry's (they still exist) and they had an in-house brand called Matsui. I asked a member of staff about a stereo I liked the look of (I can't remember the brand now) and he directed me to a similar sized Matsui stereo. We bought it. I got it home and the sound quality was abominable; it had this awful boxy, shallow sound. Years later I heard that this was a known tactic called "switch marketing" and it was common in the travel industry; if you liked a holiday in Marbella from a catalogue that isn't theirs, they will direct you to one in theirs. A few years later I was in the market for a portable stereo (you know, the old radio/tape/CD ones from the mid-90s) and my sister had a Matsui one and when I said I might buy something, I said "well, definitely not Matsui" and everyone thought I was a big snob, it became a family joke! In the event I bought a JVC I was very satisfied with, because a schoolmate had one that sounded good to me.
i haven't been to a guitar shop in over a year (11 electrics, one acoustic) but love the memory of an independent (gelbs) twice making 2 Epis get brought home. a lp std + and mic g400. quick bridge and neck adjustment. After almost 10 years for the 'paul and 8 for the G400, they still play great. oh, almost forgot my last amp buy, from GC, Peavey Vypyr 15 for $49.00. Turned out to be great after a move.
Bob Wilcutt, definitely one of the nicest guys in the guitar industry. I've spoken with him a few times on understanding early Schecter guitars and authorized dealers, which he was.
Be on the lookout for our series on the best small shops in the US. They will be one of them!
Guess I'm just one of the lucky ones the guitar center by the Lehigh Valley mall in PA is fantastic! The people there are great the tech is top shelf. Never been pushed into anything and been given a deal on everything I wanted!
My girlfriend lives in Trenton, and the GC you're talking about is about 20 minutes from her home. We're in there about once a month. I've also gotten some excellent deals on used guitars and amps. I've never been bothered by sales people, or pushed into buying something I didn't want. Granted a lot of the sales staff are kids, and don't have much knowledge about what they're doing, but fortunately I do. I prefer the smaller shops, but I go to all the places. I mean, I like steak, but I have hamburgers and pizza regularly too!!
I saw a great looking MIJ Fender tele I think it was a 63 remake with double binding and 2 humbucker pickups. It was a natural ash finish and all the hardware was gold. It was on the top row. Before the salesguy got the guitar he handed me a credit application to fill out which I did as he took his time getting the the guitar. His manager took the credit app and the salesguy, who looked to be 16 maybe, handed me the guitar and a pick. He was going to get a cord to plug into an amp but I stopped him. I like to try electric guitars without an amp first. The guitar was a beauty. Not a scratch on it's 1/2" thick polyurethane finish. I put the pick in my pocket because I don't usually play with one. I strummed a chord then played a few notes. Huh, I got no feedback from the guitar at all. I really dug in and played it and nothing. I couldn't feel the strings vibrate. I couldn't feel anything through it. I handed it to the kid and told him the guitar is horrible, give it a try. He of course stayed in character and started a hard sell. They the good news, I was approved for $500 more credit than the guitar was priced. I told the manager the guitar was terrible. I was ganged up on by all the salesmen and sales women who line up with every telecaster in the store. I guess if you look at a $1k priced used guitar on a weekday morning when all the drum beating kids are in school you get attention. Well, of course once I played the $1400 Tele I handed it to the sales kid and told him this is what a good guitar should feel like. I walked out empty handed.
What I did want to mention on GC that I don't care for. I see people sell or trade guitars to them that include nice hard cases. I don't believe I've ever seen a used guitar sold there that included the case it came in with. Oddly, they don't sell used cases either. You can get them to include a cheap gig bag but not the hard case it was traded with.
One very nice thing about GC is you can return anything within 30 days.
Thats a good point!
45 days for used gear!😊
I typically have it narrowed down to 3 maybe 4 guitars by the time I'm ready to make a purchase on a new guitar. I think the guitar sells itself, and the salesman these days are pretty much obsolete. I realize this video is probably more geared toward entry level guitars/players but still, it's not terribly difficult to research before hand, then spend time playing some guitars and making a decision with your ears, hands, and eyes
Do you still have that shell pink telecaster?
THANK YOU for this video!!! This is what my friend and I talk about all the time about GC. Oh and I didn't know that Paul Stanley cut his hair and owns a guitar store...
If you didn't live in LA before say 1980 or if you weren't born yet you have no idea how cool the original Guitar Center was. This was before the owner/owners sold to Corporate National Interests. They developed a price system that really crushed some Mom and Pop stores, like an average discount on a Les Paul or Strat of at least 25%. Maybe some limited editions got a smaller discount. It was an amazing high volume store that carried great great stuff. Way before the bogus warranties, etc...
Was NOT ready for that Willcutt shoutout! Sending love from Kentucky thanks for the recognition! Willcutt Guitars and the Doo Wop Shop are the BEST in our region hands down
Hey Daniel, we love Willcutt. We are doing a series on the best small guitar shops in the US, and Willcutt is one of them.
I absolutely love GC, I’ve never been pressured into buying anything, always get a discount and most of the people I’ve dealt with at my local GC are cool as fuck!!!! I know you guys aren’t really bashing them, but there are always a few people that will try to sell u something u don’t want just to make a commission off of you.
well i played a Flying V as a beginner when i was 10, a piece of wood, a jig saw, a schaller pick up and an old neck , 4 screws and old bridge + plus a Grundig tube radio ( fish eye) as an amp ..that was cool! ( v easiest to cut..not more and not less)
Guitar center and Musicians friend are the same company
GC is taxed... MF is not... same item numbers and used info for same merchandise... never heard of M123?
Musicians' Fiend?
newagetojo Music & Arts is also a division of Guitar Center. They mainly deal in keyboards and band instruments.
This is such a good video, it really resonates with me and my experience with mediocrity in the music industry. I’m 60 and still playing live shows, and in all this time I have yet to walk into a music store and not get ignored, bullshitted, or outright lied to. I think I’m a nice guy. I strike up conversation wherever I go, but I am so sick of the ‘Oh, I’m a rock star waiting to happen and this is just my day gig” attitude. Most brick & morters where I live (Northeast Ohio) have gone the way of the dodo bird and frankly it’s their own fault. To be fair to the local market, I can think of one possible exception and that’s Woods’s in Kent, Ohio (Small independently owned since the 60’s). I am in perfect agreement with you two gentlemen that GS needs to drastically alter their business model to cater to real people instead of the narrow market they do now, and it all starts with honesty and good old fashioned customer service. Unfortunately brick and mortar shops in all areas of retail have gone way too corporate for my taste.
I am from the Akron area myself, there is a really good new shop in Cleveland if i remember correctly, It had a lot of boutique stuff. Dr. Z Carr amps ect. Our shop is small and we look at it as a David and Goliath situation. We focus on the details and killer service. We find ways to connect with people all over the world and build relationships and try to have fun in the process. We look at our shop kinda like Cheers. People just want to spend time here. We have to problem speaking the truth about the good and the bad things with GC. Heck we are even shooting a series on our favorite independent guitar shops!
I worked at sam ash, and this is what I'll tell you.
Salesman at that company are grossly underpaid just as described here. The guys making good money are all at the high volume stores and there arent a lot of them. The company has extremely turnover at the store level. And there are brand such as samson that are sam ash made and we would get more comission for those. However, not a day in my life would I push that crap, because it would just come right back the next day as a return, and I called it boomerang merchandise because of it.
Personally, wheeled for my customers hard. Trying to get deals were not smoke breaks. Sometimes I could pull it, sometimes I couldn't. I loved my job and my favorite part was helping people find the gear right for them. I loved talking shop, and simplifying stuff for customers. It made them feel a lot more comfortable picking something.
The service and setup plans are worth it at sam ash on good stuff. Saves you a ton of money because manufacturer warranties are garbage. The progressive leasing is a huge scam, but their credit based financing is dope.
Thanks for taking the time to share your thoughts! And sincere thanks for what it sounds like is still a strong love for music!
@@CasinoGuitars it was kind of a sucky job at the end but nothing could ever kill my love for music! :)
Maybe I’m weird, but EVERY single guitar I’ve bought at a store - was 100% on purpose. I went in knowing EXACTLY what I wanted.
Effectively I would simply examine the axe, then have sales guy ring it up. A few sales necessitated them ordering the unit either from a warehouse, or another store.
Unfortunately, a couple times the unit which showed up - really didn’t fit the description of “new.”
I had a rather pricey Les Paul show up, and I could only guess it had been “rented” (bought, used, returned) for a gig.
Another one was an SG - turned up looking like Gibson’s QC guy must’ve had Flu the day he signed off. While it played just fine, cosmetically it was a “B-Stock” item, all day long.
As for Robo-Tuners, the “G-Force” system - I really like it on my Gibsons which have it. It’s manufactured by Tronical GMbH in Germany, and available to fit most headstock designs, aftermarket.
Once you take just a few minutes to familiarize - it sure beats tuning by ear, or dragging a clip-on tuner around.
Just pick up a guitar, push a button, strum, and you’re ready to noodle around on the couch, unamplified should you choose.
No to mention - taking the system off and replacing with manual tuning keys of one’s preference - no big deal!!! The headstocks are all fully finished underneath.
Thanks for the info, I still love guitar center, but at least now I know what I’m in for when I go there.
The folks working at my local big box store are super friendly and knowledgeable.. all there because they love music and want to share that with folks.. now they did try to sell me an expensive case once, lol.
We know lots of good guys that work at GC too! It's not always the workers but the corperate structure of GC that can be problematic. Glad you have a good team where you are at!
I work at a smaller “guitar store” and this is how the commission structure used to work about 5+ years before I worked there. Y’all will be pleased to know it’s totally different now and allows much more for a team-based vibe and doesn’t call for as quite much pushing. There are definitely still times where the company will be trying to push a certain product or brand but we never like sending a customer out with something other than what would work best for them. Obviously the pro coverage is a bit of a sales pitch as well but it has saved lots of customers a lot of money as well. They actually quit doing the string club cards too
Thanks guys enjoyed video learned a little too.
Every day before the store opens the manager goes over what's on the "spiff list". That's the items where every sale of those items gets you cash money out of the register at the end of your shift. It maybe picks a peddle, strap or a guitar case sometimes even a certain model of guitar, but as a underpaid sales person you grow to depend on 'spiff" money everyday, for lunch gas a bill that's due ,that $20,to a $100 dollars or more a day, "tax free" helps get you thru till next payday.It's sad but human nature to look out for #1, so you push that item before another.If someone asked me "what's the best..?.", I always answered the spiffed whatever.I think everyone in the store did.
Thats a great answer and insight into the way GC works on the daily with practical everyday examples of how the cash end of day money may drive a sale a certain way.
i can't remember the last time i bought something from Guitar Center...terrible customer service, never heard back on several things they ordered for me (a couple of times, they didn't even put the order thru), never find what i'm looking for, ridiculous mark-ups on accessories, and staff paid on commission (no incentive to really "help" you with anything)...don't recommend them, unless you're in a pinch and need something quick (a new guitar cable, etc)...
What a great show I've found here. I'll be back when you are! Peace guys. Keep it up. Lovely feel here in topics of music. That's great. Peace.
I would advise to play as many guitars as you can find. The right one will speak to you. It's like buying shoes. A fit is a fit.
Guitar center in Houston is top notch. I recommend checking it out, also south paw guitars a few miles away.
Erik Eue great advice! We love south paw guitars as well! Awesome selection:) thanks for sharing!
Ugh...not a fan of GC. Ordered multiple guitars and specified to not send me a floor model. 3 of 4 were covered with belt scratches/scratches to the top and had likely been noodled on for hours. I'm done with them after this. Plus I found a great local store in San Jose with great prices, great selections, and true love of guitars.
Glad to hear that! Keep supporting your local place!
@Kaptain Kid
Nope, I ordered "new" guitars. Only one was actually new. To boot, after promptly returning this "new" guitar, when GC ordered me a replacement, they lost the order for 16 days. It took four trips to GC and a huge amount of time to get this sorted. 16 days, no guitar/no receipt/no confirmation/lost order....but 600$ charge to my cc. I had to threaten them w/ a cc chargeback ultimately although I don't like doing that. It was a last resort.
End result, I ended up getting a new 65' reissue Princeton 12" Jensen blackface for $850 ($1100 tag) total for my troubles.
Their rediculous and convoluted ordering process has made me never want to order through GC again. I may browse their used gear in the future but thats going to be the extent of my gc patronage.
I worked in operations for Guitar center and it was absolutely soul crushing. The management sucked all the joy out of working in a music store. I have had a lot of bad experiences with the Gibson's built over the last several years so every time a customer asked me what I preferred I would pick up a PRS.
PRS's are nice guitars but for my taste a really fine Gibson can't be beat, as I don't find the PRS really very distinctive, but still a good "utility" guitar.
Hey guys I’m moving to the Fort Worth Texas area. Are there any shops you would recommend in that area. I live in Fort Wayne currently so I’m a bit spoiled because Sweetwater is right down the road but I really don’t want to go to a Guitar Center.
Very informative. Thank you!
If you go into anywhere not knowing what you want, you’re bound to get something not right for you.
Bradley Furer I think the general purpose of a sales associate used to be to provide the information you need to figure out what you want. We’ve merely become accustomed to them being useless. There’s nothing wrong with not knowing all of your options. I’m guessing if you walk into Casino Guitars, you’ll end up with far different stuff than you would at GC because the staff has fewer disincentives to helping you make an informed decision. I think that’s their point.
To my knowledge commissions are no longer part of the equation for GC personnel...since at least a couple of years ago.
I thought the same.
I was in GC last week and heard two of the employees talking...one was telling the other about the commission program....
I worked briefly for Guitar Center and while I unfortunately fell victim of a shady Asst Manager that would change sales made by the new hires into his sales, leading to his constantly having top sales and high commission each month, I actually took care of each of my customers. I worked there in 2004 and STILL to this day, will get stopped by someone I helped and they thank me for taking the time to get them the right instrument for them. I would have them do some things that didn’t make sense to them then, but later made sense as they learned. The fact they still remember me, and every one has been shocked when I tell them I was fired not long after starting to work there. Even had one guy slip me a $20 as his way of showing his appreciation for how much he felt I had helped him.
My GC store is very good! My guys there know what they are talking about and understand that I do as well!! My go to guys will not sell me junk no matter what the price! They have never steered me wrong!
Glad to see you have a good one close by! Thanks for sharing your experience with the folks here on the sub!
There's an independent shop here that a famous player named Joe visits quite often. But for some reason I never felt comfortable when I'm there. It's like they don't want non famous people in there.
The information in this video regarding GC is about 10+ years out of date.
Yes, it’s much worse now! Lol
I didn't know they had sales people at GC. Try to get one of the guitars down from 30 ft. up that wall and see just how fast employees disappear.
bull shit
Was just in guitar center today and asked for a certain color and he brought out the only color they had and said “yeah they just look a little different in person”
PEOPLE DO YOUR HOMEWORK FIRST.
Generally buy used. Never had anyone at GC tell me to look at anything that I wasn't talking about first. about 110 guitars over 20 years (not kept, most sold eventually) and perhaps only 5 from GC, but never any serious issue. I know what i"m buying and GC often has the best deal now. I've called and told them about a guitar they had listed and what low market is (if they're a little high and may not know it) and they meet it and I get the guitar.
Bought an amp on ebay from a mom and pop shop here that's been hurt by internet sales over the years. Didn't know who it was from, just in the same town. They sent me two. by accident. I took one back to them in person (15 minutes away) and they made fun of me for being so dumb as to return a free amp that they didn't notice yet that they sent. They weren't kidding.
It sounds like GC is probably a bad place to *work*. That's not my biggest concern when I'm buying things.
Wow. About them making fun of you for bringing back their costly mistake. Wow is all I can say.
I would have never guessed that the guitar center people are commission based. Why can i go in there with a pocket full of money and no offers me help?
Same thing always happens to me
So i walked in there yesterday and tell a worker i want to buy a looper boss looper pedal. He tells me they are in the case and points to the back wall. He then tells me that if its in the case than they have it in stock. I told him i allready know its in stock because i checked online. He then walks away. I walk to the case and see the pedal i want. I then walk all the way back to the counter were the guy is standing and tell him "yeah its in the case". He then tells me that someone will have to get the keys. At this point im thinking. Why didnt i just check out online and do instore pickup? This guy deserves no commission at all for his laziness. I was in a hurry also. He gets the keys and then asks me if i want to try it out. I said no I just want to buy the thing. 25 minutes later I walk out with the pedal I wanted. Geez...
@@Iamadroid I'm surprised they had it in stock.
Liked the video. But can you make it in full screen. The small video is brutal in 2019
Exactly! I tried to to finish the whole video but couldn't becau6of the small screen
newagetojo but why? All your other videos are full screen.
I'm 7:30 into it and the only data presented thus far is that Guitar Center salesmen are encouraged to sell Mitchell Guitars because they own the brand.
Service plans at 8:00
Must be that particular store then. I've never had a GC salesman even mention Mitchell to me.
I bought two Mitchells for the kids they love them I have owned very expensive guitars, and I was still impressed with the quality of the Mitchell for the price... jelly?
Can you recommend a good voice reverb pedal to run to my powered speakers? Thank you.
Mark Miller I know a guy who is full time professional musician in Memphis. He runs his vocals through a Boss Fender ‘63 Reverb Pedal. It was discontinued about two years ago and is somewhat hard to find now as well as being priced at or above what they sold for brand new.
I never had this problem in Guitar Center.
...My salesmans are really nice and helpful!
...I decide not the my salesman!
😎🎸
Arm yourself with knowledge!
@@briansherwood139 If it took you 27k to figure that out you might want to find a new hobby lol.
@@briansherwood139 No one here actually cares about your checks except you. And for clarification I wasn't the one questioning your checks either, you might want to learn how to read properly! My comment was about the fact it took you 27k to figure out everything allegedly had bad intonation or expensive stuff that wasn't working lmao.
Brian Sherwood - Why not post a dick pic, laid out on a ruler? Turn this into a real “measuring contest.”
Point is, rulers can be rescaled in Photoshop - and phony paystubs are easy to fab up.
Get over yourself!!!
@@briansherwood139 Kind of proves you're not very bright. And quite frankly, not buying a word of your story.
There’s a lot of bed head going on here.
He is in a Greta Van Fleet cover band!
Drove me absolutely crazy the whole way through the video... I kept wondering if it was by accident... or if he actually intended to look like he'd slept on the couch at the store the night before and never looked in the mirror. I finally decided that it was one of those 'on-purpose,' messy look hairdos gone wrong. Unfortunately, it took me 2/3 of the video to come to that conclusion, so I don't know exactly what they were talking about. LOL
working at GC was a great experience for me and i made some lifelong friends there but yes because of the commision structure and low base pay, some guys (not my friends, maybe 3 out of 30 there) were all about the commission... but even those guys wouldn't try to sell you a mitchell over a yamaha acoustic because of extra commission or whatever... I mean at the time that was the only GC in Houston. it was busy. last time I went into one, it didn't seem that busy so they probably changed the way they pay their people. plus we have so much better internet now! Do your own research before even going to a store! especially if you are young or are a parent who is paying... when parents came in with a young kid, they'd naturally have their own personal guide to the world of musical wonder sometimes before they even opened the door. :) but that did not mean they were ever sold "the wrong guitar". i was 22 yrs old and had 2 other jobs at the time that paid way better so I eventually quit but to make an ok living at guitar center, you had to hustle like a salesman. Like the pro audio guys were always calling churches, studios, etc with news of big deals on packages etc.... OR... stay long enough to get those coveted register spots on the weekends with the best traffic and just stand there and ring up the commissions like that main register in accessories.. The guy on the floor who helped you choose the right guitar or amp or pedal for you, those guys rarely passed their "break even point" sales quota to even get any commissions... that was me ha! especially since i was only part time. but like i said, that was almost 20 years ago. maybe they have changed it to make it better for the customer. they still use that awful green dos program though so I don't know... hey just make sure the guy who actually helped you, rings you up... :) if you need to think about it, ask about commision... ask if there's wiggle room in the price (especially at the of the month) and do your own research! I have not bought a new instrument in so long... if you know your stuff, just like in cars etc you can actually sell an instrument for more than you paid for it. But seriously, the wrong guitar? i bought my first "real" electric guitar -a 96 "texmex" daphne blue fat tele- at that same GC just 5 years before getting a job there... the sales guy knew his stuff. I have bought and sold so many instruments since then... that is the only electric guitar that I will never sell. it's my favorite.
I have had pretty good luck at GC. I got a great deal on a used American Stratocaster there.☺
I touch one of those Mitchell basses the neck had very sharp fret ends . Many of the basses where not set up property the 1500 dollor fender p bass also sharp fret ends i think the rosewood shrunk the bass room was not well maintain
Its attention to detail that you find in a smaller shop that carries just guitars. When you have hundreds of product lines across the store in Drums, Pro Audio, Guitars its hard for them to maintain.
Guitars do not come setup. You can have any guitar setup by GC. Some will do it if that's part of the deal.
I have a question about your shop, as a newbie with a family do y'all have reasonably priced guitars at your shop?
We have entry level fender acoustics starting at 199. Depending on the age and experience of the player we can help you find the right fit for what the goals are.
If i buy a new guitar should i have the store check it our to see if it should have a setup?
You can always have the shop take a look at it before you take it with you. Some times its just as easy as saying can you lower the action or just check this or that out for me. We are always happy to do that kinda stuff! Some of our customers drive from pretty far away.
Excellent advice
I have had a personal beef with GC most of my life because not matter which GC you go to anywhere on earth they only have one left-handed guitar. And it’s always a black and white entry level Strat.
Guitar Center has been good to me, just got to be savy
They have been good to me as well. Bottom line is people are all different... you find a good knowledgeable sales person and go WHEN THEY ARE NOT BUSY... you will get excellent service and learn plenty. Most of the time I would sell GC gear that I picked up off craigslist for pennies. Made a few bucks over the years doing that... just a hobby though.
It's like they said. There's good and bad.
Have an idea of what you're looking for before walking through the doors. In fact most of time it even helps if you spend time looking at guitars before you even talk to one of the employees. Pretty much every time I've done those two things all they try to do is up sell me a warranty package no weird commission tricks. The one I go to has even steered me away from buying a crappier guitar over a better one at the same price on more than one occasion.
You guys are a hoot. Seems like most of the music I listen to these days has a connection to North Carolina. What are they putting in the water? I may visit this fall.
Guitar Center is fine, if you already know what you're looking for. I worked in repair shop for years and we used to get a lot of work out of there in the 2000's, before they started doing them in-house. I'd be
In there and find myself almost every time grabbing a customer one of their reps had been speaking to, because they'd been telling them something WAY off from what was true: they'd tell them it was mahogany when it was basswood, telling them the push-pulls do one thing when it really does the other or (my favorite) explaining how to adjust a single-action truss rod as if it was double-action. I moved to working almost exclusively on amps about 8-9 years ago, I don't even want to hear what they're telling them now.
What I don't like is it seems like if a customer is interested in something the clerk doesn't play, they're clueless. Now I love going to Guitar Center because I've learned a long time ago how to game their system when it comes to price matching, "we'll beat the price by $X," and all that. Nothing pleases me more than walking out with something after hearing the guy at the counter ask his co-worker "how the hell can it be possible that we have to sell this at this price?" I remember buying a Nova Delay a decade ago for like $147 or something when they were $280 or something like that. Didn't keep it long, it sucked more tone than an original Fuzz Face and a 50' coil cable. I ended up with a DD-20 that I was surprised to find I liked.
*Gear tip: I had originally bought a DD-7 and it was the worst sounding digital delay I've ever had the misfortune to own for 36 hours. Every Boss DD before and after would keep your guitar signal in an all analog path, while the processor made the repeats. For some reason they decided to run the guitar signal through the processor. People talk about something "sounds digital," this is exactly that. I think the Digitech RP200 or whatever it was from back in the 1990s sounded better, and that sounded terrible.
The first Guitar Center I walked into was when I went in the Navy, in San Diego. I had played in clubs in NYC for a while and was not a nube but being on military pay lacked funding. So I see these Fenders from Japan (I own one now but this was back in 89) and there were no prices. So they give the price and ask how I'm paying and they start talking about financing by the month. What am I buying a car here?
they know their market... they assume every musician is broke and does not understand finance so well. Sorry musicians, they do know their market and they are right.
I was trying out acoustics there one day, and it killed me to overhear the sales associate push the wrong item on unsuspecting moms who are just trying to find something for their beginners. When he left the room the two ladies walked up to me to advise them instead - because they saw I knew guitars and had asked me a few questions before the associate showed up.
Hey guys, how far are you from Charlotte NC?
The Gibson Billie Joe Armstrong J-180 Acoustic guitar
This so true hahaha
*walks into guitar center*
Me: “I want a tele”
Guitar center employee: “awesome here’s an SG custom”
I went to a GC in Georgia. One sales guy started and continued conducting my purchases. I didn't know about guitars, construction , woods,set vs bolt on necks and tone differences. What are your favorite bands and guitarists. One day, Sales guy, holds up a beautiful mary Kay Strat for thirteen hundred dollars new with case. I didn't know what Mary kay had to do with guitars. Hmmm, must be a good one. I'm an older American and grew up trusting most people I met. Well hard lesson in human nature. Point is you are correct. The right guitar. Les paul guitar guy. And have a 2017 bought a week ago now. Paul Reed Smith ce24. It is a step up in some ways. Thanks, Buy.
Here at our shop, its at least 15 minutes of Chit chat before we even get into talking guitars. Hard to get a feel for someones playing or taste or wants in 1 minute.
Eastside guitars..woodruff rd..greenville sc..top notch😀😀😀😀😀
Wildwood is amazing. Bought my 2013 Gibson Les Paul Studio in tobbaco burst from them.Btw it had no robotuners. Honestly have had good dealings with Sweetwater also.
Don’t ever buy the service plan. Like Johnathan says, they won’t actually fix your guitar or replace it. The money you spend on that guitar center insurance could be spent to fix it if something minor goes wrong. Maybe if you snap the headstock it’s worth it but you’ll have to pay to ship the guitar somewhere and then wait around and even then I’m skeptical that they would follow through on their ‘insurance’.
I’m glad I discovered you folks. It’s hard to find an independent in some markets anymore on account of GC. If I have to go big box for certain items, I just buy online and not worry about dealing with the big box personnel. BTW, did I hear correctly that the dude who looks kinda like Dave Grohl’s chubby cousin used to work for Gibson too in addition to GC?
I worked Pro Audio GC La Mesa CA. Place is not the same. I was there when they first moved to the current location and left years ago. I had them do something for me on my fretless this past summer..pitiful work. They didn't even have ONE FRETLESS there in the whole shop! They used to have a few really great guys in Pro and Guitars. I asked them to look up a few of the big managers for SO CAL and they didn't know and or couldn't find them in the records. Still using the same computer software pretty much.
Yes absolutely positively obsessed id buy a second house just to keep all my guitars if i had that many 😅
They're bad mouthing the other "big box brand." They're forgetting and NOT mentioning to say that MOST music store make more on certain items. This does NOT only apply to guitar center. It is the real world! Lol
Try finding a lefty guitar there
We can't usually carry a ton either but we happen to have a gentleman collection from Northern VA that is filled with Lefty Martin Custom Shops, PRS, Taylor, Gibson...all of us righties were actually jealous. He just brought us another 5 or so Martin Custom Shops the other day and they are gorgeous.
Yes it's very true Richard , I'm left handed by birth. But I've learned to play right handed. My only racecourse.☺👌🎸🎵🎵
Southpaw guitars in Texas is a good one. Gaskell guitars in Australia makes custom lefties of big brands that don't make them in lefty. Its a pain but they're out there
Forget it. Years ago, they'd carry a couple of Strats, Teles, and maybe a Les Paul. Today, not a chance. "But we can order it for you".
Never go to a store planning to buy something expensive without doing a mountain of research. Sales people don’t care about what is good for you they care about sales. Even if they aren’t on commission they may not give a shit enough to actually ensure you get what would serve you best. So do the research and know what is what. Play the guitars and pick one that sounds and plays great. Every time I’ve gone to a guitar store to buy a guitar I had one guitar or brand in mind but ended up with something else... just based on how they play and sound. You may think you want something but then you play it and think different.