The “part of the community” comment hits home. This shop is every bit of that. I walk in and am greeted by name. Never ever pressured to purchase, even though 6 of my guitars have come from this shop. The “Casino” experience is everything I love about the place and I consider myself fortunate to live 10 minutes away.
I was fired from Guitar Trader in San Diego because I didn't make the SALE! I made several loyal customers, but that didn't matter, they had just learned how to use computers, to learn who was making the most money, but not who were their best "people people"! I was "serving the brand" not selling the instruments! I was building the name of the store, making it a more comfortable place to come in again and again!
LOL. I read that title and actually said out loud, to my phone, "What do you mean IF?" While I took lessons as a kid, the guitar I learned on was crap. So, of course I quit for a long time. The only plus side of this is I had "adult money" by then and could afford nice guitars without having to finance them. I fell into the "You need to finance things to build your credit rating" trap when I was young. I learned that's how the people with money get rich taking money from those without money. If you can pay with cash you don't need a credit rating.
Back in the day when I would actually go into a guitar shop, I got profiled a lot. "Are you looking for a gift for your husband or boyfriend?" "A PRS? Isn't that blue one so pretty? Oh, you want to play it?" "Wow, you play good for a girl" (or some variation of that). The profiling has cost a few sales persons a $2-3k sale. Sometimes it was worse in the recording/live sound departments. I am also an audio engineer and taught at one of the local colleges. The look on some faces when they got called out on wrong or dumb statements was priceless. Besides buying a pack of string or picking up an order, I have not gone into a guitar shop in 5-6 years. I just got tired of the profiling and other bad experiences. The local stores were almost as bad as the big chain stores.
When I walk in a guitar shop, I want to be left alone until I ask for help. I’ve been in shops were they start trying to sell me something that I don’t really want! So, yes!!! Car dealership mentality!
A lot of guitar stores thankfully leave me alone, but there are some that definitely are kinda like vultures. Walked into one store and this guy comes up to me and starts trying to sell me a tele, and he WOULD NOT STOP. I'm like dude calm down. Yes it's a pretty guitar, but that Charvel over there is more my thing😂
There was a local shop that felt like a used car lot to my friends and I. There were no prices on anything and the owner gave you a number off the top of his head. He would give different prices to different people for the same guitar or amp. Not surprised that they’re long out of business.
As ar as guitar shops go, i think it's hard as a business to balance being "no pressure" with also placing yourself at the service of your customers. Someone new to the instrument could be too intimidated to ask for help even if invited to do so, whereas some people just want to see if you have anything cool to fall in love with. Nobody ever left a 1 star review that said "They were too helpful". Yet plenty get mad if they don't get helped. I love how Wildwood works. You pass a desk where someone asks what you're looking for and then they set you up with an amp and private room to try things. They keep bringing you guitars until you fall in love with one or until you decide you can't quite afford it or whatever. No judgement, no cold shoulder if you don't buy. I was so impressed on my visit last year that even though I didn't buy that day, I made a resolution to buy from them for sure when I was ready- and I did. Good customer service is so rare anymore. The downside of Wildwoods way, I suppose is that it's not a good store to browse in but I don't know it can be beat if someone is actually in the market. I'd love to check out Casino someday, the YT channel has a nice vibe, I hope the brick and mortar is the same vibe :-)
@@216trixie I dunno.... they are so dang nice I don't see how they could annoy anyone. You might prefer to shop elsewhere but annoy? I can't see it. lol It would be like being angry at Mr. Rogers.
Having watched u guys for nearly a year now I could have explained the way u do business without even really knowing..good people do good business by customers... sometimes that means taking a little less $ to get a little more love... because the level of care is more important to most than the quick couple bucks in discount...stand up guys doing business focused on customers...not competitors...keep doing things right!🎶🎸❤️☮️ customer service first....the rest will take care of itself
My local guitar center is pretty decent in how they handle these things. Store of the younger guys there can get super pushy about the financing but most of the people are really cool.
It be cool if on a player series you could pick the neck, tuners, bridge, strings and any other option from the dealer and the the order goes to the factory or to see if they already have made one with those specs.
Sometimes they don’t even know what they are selling. I went in and got a squier 70’s VM strat for $167 (CAD). They thought it was a higher end bullet. There was a part where a large part of paint had been knocked off. Also, previous owner changed the black plastic to cream. Still when I tried to tell them it was a 70’s VM. Based off my observations (Squier logo, double string tree and plastics), they said I was wrong. So I got a great deal on that one. On top of that the headrest took I bought came up a dollar more then was on the tag and after I brought that to their attention they asked if I was okay paying the dollar more then was advertised. Too bad they didn’t hire me when I applied.
@@216trixie Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. I’ve also heard the women you meet at AA Meetings are good dates; they have terrible boundaries but are good dates.
I think more guitar shops need to lean into the Crazy Eddie style marketing. I want big bombastic lunacy. Entertain me while you try to sell me junk I don't want or need. As a bassist it's the worst. Nothing like being told by a 20 year old guitar player how "no one uses tube heads for bass".
@@aperezdeal that's what I mean. Where are the wacky commercials with over the top characters? Where's the pizzaz? The showmanship? All the giant instrument retailers have these boring voice-over ads on social media. Complete snoozefest.
@@danielphillipsmusic9145 We used to have that around here. The Bebop Shop was a great music store. Great late-nite commercials. I bought loads of gear from them back in the '80s. Though the shop is long gone now, their commercials are on youtube somewhere, I'm sure of it.
I’m. Partial to the financing idea . If u want the Gibson r9 or a Murphy Lab 1959 535 Or some beautiful PRS that’s so far out of reach it make it’s available. A regular guy or a girl do has the ability to get that one guitar they always wanted vs The people that have the money to get it like the high in collectors or the musicians Rockstar but anytime you finances something there’s always pitfalls like you said my question would be ,do you take this 59 Murphy Lab 535 or this R9 or this PRS quilted top with exotic woods to gigs or Does it stay locked up in your house in a safe place
Good honest guitar shops are like good honest car dealers, they are a rare breed. Both pruducts are there for the dealers to make money from. The difference is that a good dealer will make you feel comfortable and show an interest in what you want and can afford to buy. Just selling a finance package to enable you to buy a product that is not affordable is not the way to see any returning customers. I wish we had a Casino Guitar shop where i live in the UK.🙂
If you buy one or two custom shop guitars from a GC Platinum room you will get assigned a personal gear advisor who will call you, no lie, once a week trying to get you to spend some more $$$$$.
@@rontheguitarcollector I left a 2k amp in my cart online, and they started calling the next day leaving messages asking if "they can help me with my pending order" almost everyday now... sigh.
Most shops (of all types) jump you when you come in. If you say you're looking they'll leave you alone... even if you have genuine interest in something. I can't tell you how many times I've been looking and stumbled on something I want, only to be ignored so I walk out and they lost a sale. The flip side is I absolutely reject the hard sale tactic. If I feel pressure, I'm out no matter how much I need what you're selling! When I worked in music stores I would give someone 5-ish minutes, and ask "What can I help you find?" If they said nothing, I'd leave them to it and approach again if they looked lost or interested in something. I did pretty well with that tactic and that's pretty much what I expect from folks in shops. Most of my buying is online now though. I call up and ask what sort of deal I can get on "x" and then buy it or not.
Another group is Crying out Highlander, 2 Shops that Do Business similar to you Mad Music in St Petersburg,Fl and Wooden Angels (Formerly B Side Vintage) in Gainesville, Fl that fit Guitar to you First
I have two local guitar shops. One carries more cowboy boots than pedals (they had one used danelectro pedal) and amps (im not even sure they had any, maybe 2 or 3 tops) combined. I love the staff, but their selection is mediocre at best. The other i really dont like the staff but the selection is great. I went in and asked for a specific pedal and had to tell the guy four times that i wasnt interested in the other pedal he was offering. His reason "its a better overdrive, it even has gold knobs!" If what i came in for is good enough for several of my guitar heroes, it's good enough for me. I don't care if the knobs are black plastic or gold plastic or if it is a better overdrive cause i was buying it with intent of using it as a boost.
I bought a PRS McCarty 594 Double Cut 10 Top ( yes be jealous ) 9 months ago. I just paid it off. It was daunting and odd to pay that much and I wanted to make it “mine” ASAP. Had to pay it off this month. I didn’t want to die and have my wife owe 2 years on it ( not that I’m dying ). Edit: got it at Sweetwater so no interest. Who has 6k just laying about.
Where are the balloons...? Let me ask my manager. No...If you're going to finance this guitar, you need to have this guitar insured if you want to take it home with you today... And by the way...You're going to need these accessories... If you're taking this guitar on the road...ESPECIALLY to Wisconsin, you HAVE to get an undercoat to protect from salt...That would be important to you wouldn't it...? Now...The available extended warranty...
You guys are soooo right. Wish I lived near you / worked for you lol (need an aspiring tech?!) Anyway, I want to go in. See if they have any of the guitars I've been interested in so I can PLAY them and just vibe. But noooo. I'm suddenly trapped in an infomercial. I'm shy lol torture !
I use the promo deals on sam ash to pace my guitar buying. Since its 0% i dont mind spreading out the purchase and I consistently get a nicer guitar every 2 years.
Normally, I’d agree with you because I’m anti-consumerism. But when it comes to guitars, I’m 63. If I want a good guitar these days I need to pay 2x what a small TRUCK cost in the late 70s. I’m good enough and have played long enough that cheap guitars just won’t cut it. I don’t buy buy buy like some and I only finance a zero interest.
I'm good with salesmen. I was in the liquor store over the holidays looking for a. Interesting whiskey that I haven't tried yet, and this guy that I've never seen there before asked if I had questions. He kept trying to steer me toward Kalua so much I'm pretty sure he was a Kalua rep. I brushed all his Kalua pitches off, and was able to squeeze recomendations out of him for a really nice rum, and a fantastic rye. I did not buy any Kalua.
If guitar shops were like used car lots, I would probably do more online shopping... I hate that whole process. I don't even go into furniture stores because the business model is similar. And really, at some point, the product they are selling in the financing. It doesn't matter what you buy. In a way, the customer becomes the product... I'm grateful and thankful for the local, home-grown guitar shops. And for y'all at Casino Guitars 😉 Thank you 🙏
Hey Casino! Thanks again for the great content. Let's say you have 5k to spend on 1 killer guitar or 3 very nice guitars. What do you do? Get a nice Strat, a Tele, and an LP, or the best version of one of them?
Hey, I'm a banjo player!... Here I am though. (Since I do have guitars...) well, I'm a 'blues banjo player' (Not bluegrass).. and I play the guitar with only 5 strings.... in banjo tunings
There is one aspect of the "Car Dealership" you didn't touch on. It may be because its not overly prevalent. Haggling. Some shops will get you discounts off the cost they list..or "Sticker Price" I notice its kinda hit and miss recently, some shops will, some wont because they feel the sticker price is already a great deal. I wont be surprised if they stop doing this altogether at some point. I love going into my local shop. Zero pressure, great employees who are knowledgeable and friendly and who will work with you to get you that guitar you so desperately want. A lot of times its HARD to walk out NOT buying something because they are so willing to help, but when I have to, there is no issue and they never treat me differently. So its a dealership with no stress. I can test drive ANYTHING and come back when I can afford it and still get a great deal...or sometimes a BETTER deal if it was a hot seller at first and then cools off. I have to say though....they never offer up a Sliver Sky. Maybe you guys will do an SE one for 100k? 75K? Just because you're great guys and love your viewers?! :)
I have 2 GCs and 2 Mom & Pops within an hour of my house. The little M&P has a small selection and I go there for accessories because it's 5 min from work, but the luthier is top notch and does my repairs exclusively. Laid back shop. The very large M&P is Manchester Music Mill. I love the store. Very much like a community... except for the guitar floor manager who raises my hackles when I see him. I'm more of a keyboard guy who picked up the guitar because "seems easy" (joke is on me). The keyboard/drum/pro music/vintage equipment building (store is across 2 buildings) is run by a different guy. That guy will hang out and chat and treats you like you've been coming there for years and his best customer. Plus he gives really great advice and is a pro audio / lighting master. GC people will ask to help, then leave you alone if you dismiss them. Which I like as well. If you asked me if I wanted help and say no, trust me... I'll find you directly and work with you to the completion of sale if I need/want something; so long as you're not like the MMM guitar mgr. LOL.
@@MadRiverMoCo If we're going to distort my great-great uncle's toast (which he kind of stole from the French Revolution.. shh) and where the state motto came from... it doesn't quite work: "Love free or die: Death is not the worst of evils." But then again... love can be evil... so I'm in a quandary. LOL
You mean with lack of inventory and leftover guitars no one wants? On the rare occasion I go to a brick and mortar music store, all I want is a cashier not a salesperson if I actually find something I want to buy. I do my own research, I buy online and rarely return anything, going back well over 15 years. I look at some of the brick and mortar music stores that are online, looking at the inventory / lack of inventory there's no need to visit in person. Long gone are the days of Rudy's, Manny's, etc., in NYC when you could spend a day looking at gear and run out of time, and if it existed you'd find it there. I schlepped plenty of gear back home on subways and trains from NYC back in the day.
Hey Baxter, what's your home rig like since you live in an apartment? I just moved into one myself and have no idea what to do beyond 1 on the volume knob haha
I usually go to my bank when I don't want to pay the full amount up front on a big purchase. Yea there's a lil interest,builds credit though but I feel better than goin through the sweetwater payments. Most times I just pay cash on used stuff though
@@216trixie I'm not dumb enough to borrow anywhere close to 10 grand for any piece of gear but my bank would loan it to me so what are you talking about?
My dad was a car salesman. To this day when I buy a car I go on the lot and buy the car. I don’t finance I just buy it. A confusing experience for the salesperson.
Answer- They would suck! A great guitar shop (really any music instrument shop) should allow a client to take a stroll, get intimate with an instrument or two, and the people working there should be ready to answer questions. That is the experience I enjoy anyway!
I used to like it when I would pick up a guitar at GC and in minutes I would be offered a 15% discount if I wanted to buy today. Irritating at times, but way better than now. No discount, no help, nobody seems to care that I walked in and the workers are seriously doing nothing at times.
We need a used car salesman style movie/short film!!!,set at casino guitar ….✨⭐️staring all of you guys in the casino shop…there are many used cars dealerships movies to draw inspiration from…but I’m thinking you guys are more like ..the 2009 movie (the goods)Baxter as Jeremy priven.Jonathan can be will Ferrell, his best friend an best facial hair in movie 🎥 😎😎🤩🍿
The only time I financed a guitar is when I somehow got around 45 percent off an American fender from a super friendly Guitar center manager. I’ll never get that again.
In a way GC feels a lot like a car dealership... the wrong kind of attentive sales folks - or complete and utter abandonment. I hate shopping there. I do have a couple favorite independent shops that I visit and who are great to just hang out with and buy the occasional guitar, amp, or pedal from...
Bottom line is GREED has gotten out of control here,especially on used gear ! good,bad ??? I think in the long run,it will be bad but we will have to wait and see,on the upside I just sold my 2015 MIM strat plus top for over twice what I paid for it,which is great but DAMN it's getting hard to even afford the SE's,MIM or Epi's now days,I mean a "cheap"guitar now cost $1,000.00 WTF ! LOL
I love my local mom and pop music shop. As a female guitarist, I feel I have been patronized at a big box chain store. I may look younger, but I don't need to be "man-splained" guitars ...been playing for 30+ years dude...
You guys are just teasing us about the PRS Silver Sky.....your not giving it away...Baxter is going to keep it and use it to buy Girl Scout Cookies in trade lol.......
Aside from superficial changes and colours, what has changed over the last 50 years in the highest selling guitars? If guitar shops were like used car sales shops, they would be selling guitars that looked and functioned in precisely the same way as 20 year old used cars did 50 years ago!
I always ask the following question in a guitar shop no matter the cost of the guitar that I am looking at. "So, how much do you really want for that $300 guitar?" LOL Its a real ice breaker.
The “part of the community” comment hits home. This shop is every bit of that. I walk in and am greeted by name. Never ever pressured to purchase, even though 6 of my guitars have come from this shop. The “Casino” experience is everything I love about the place and I consider myself fortunate to live 10 minutes away.
Thank you so much for those kind words! And just think, we didn’t even know we had a “casino “ experience:)!
Thanks you sincerity again!
I was fired from Guitar Trader in San Diego because I didn't make the SALE! I made several loyal customers, but that didn't matter, they had just learned how to use computers, to learn who was making the most money, but not who were their best "people people"! I was "serving the brand" not selling the instruments! I was building the name of the store, making it a more comfortable place to come in again and again!
LOL. I read that title and actually said out loud, to my phone, "What do you mean IF?"
While I took lessons as a kid, the guitar I learned on was crap. So, of course I quit for a long time. The only plus side of this is I had "adult money" by then and could afford nice guitars without having to finance them. I fell into the "You need to finance things to build your credit rating" trap when I was young. I learned that's how the people with money get rich taking money from those without money. If you can pay with cash you don't need a credit rating.
I'm happy when salesmen leave me alone. A guitar shop is like a candy store and I dont need someone to help me look around.
Back in the day when I would actually go into a guitar shop, I got profiled a lot. "Are you looking for a gift for your husband or boyfriend?" "A PRS? Isn't that blue one so pretty? Oh, you want to play it?" "Wow, you play good for a girl" (or some variation of that). The profiling has cost a few sales persons a $2-3k sale. Sometimes it was worse in the recording/live sound departments. I am also an audio engineer and taught at one of the local colleges. The look on some faces when they got called out on wrong or dumb statements was priceless.
Besides buying a pack of string or picking up an order, I have not gone into a guitar shop in 5-6 years. I just got tired of the profiling and other bad experiences. The local stores were almost as bad as the big chain stores.
Oh, I hear ya on that one! And I get the same crap at a car dealership. Sooo many lost sales.
I can understand that sales people might think or assume something but to actually verbalize it and come right out with it is sooooo stupid
When I walk in a guitar shop, I want to be left alone until I ask for help. I’ve been in shops were they start trying to sell me something that I don’t really want! So, yes!!! Car dealership mentality!
Hopefully that trend changes across the landscape:)
A lot of guitar stores thankfully leave me alone, but there are some that definitely are kinda like vultures. Walked into one store and this guy comes up to me and starts trying to sell me a tele, and he WOULD NOT STOP. I'm like dude calm down. Yes it's a pretty guitar, but that Charvel over there is more my thing😂
The Tesla Cybertruck starts at like $40k. That's insane for a truck that stands up to small arms fire. I think I need one.
There was a local shop that felt like a used car lot to my friends and I. There were no prices on anything and the owner gave you a number off the top of his head. He would give different prices to different people for the same guitar or amp. Not surprised that they’re long out of business.
Oooh, I just thought of your predatory used car dealer slogan: "At Casino Guitars, the house always wins!"
You guys always start my day out with great info and lots of laughs. Thanks!!!
As ar as guitar shops go, i think it's hard as a business to balance being "no pressure" with also placing yourself at the service of your customers. Someone new to the instrument could be too intimidated to ask for help even if invited to do so, whereas some people just want to see if you have anything cool to fall in love with. Nobody ever left a 1 star review that said "They were too helpful". Yet plenty get mad if they don't get helped. I love how Wildwood works. You pass a desk where someone asks what you're looking for and then they set you up with an amp and private room to try things. They keep bringing you guitars until you fall in love with one or until you decide you can't quite afford it or whatever. No judgement, no cold shoulder if you don't buy. I was so impressed on my visit last year that even though I didn't buy that day, I made a resolution to buy from them for sure when I was ready- and I did. Good customer service is so rare anymore. The downside of Wildwoods way, I suppose is that it's not a good store to browse in but I don't know it can be beat if someone is actually in the market. I'd love to check out Casino someday, the YT channel has a nice vibe, I hope the brick and mortar is the same vibe :-)
I browse and buy. This store would annoy me.
@@216trixie I dunno.... they are so dang nice I don't see how they could annoy anyone. You might prefer to shop elsewhere but annoy? I can't see it. lol It would be like being angry at Mr. Rogers.
@@AlexGauthier okay, I love Mr Rogers.
Love it .... went from guitars shops / car dealers theme to Bravehart in 3 min..........
I love you guys. You are obviously wise beyond your years.
and the banjo guy always has an accordion buddy...luv your feed...and hey Baxter, you've got a Paul Stanley thing going on ;)
loved the video and appreciate your candor about financing and the industry. Also, thank you for the opportunity to use the word “candor.”
“You get a cot to sleep on.” This is one of my favorite things to listen to in the morning
These two crack me up!!!!!!!
Having watched u guys for nearly a year now I could have explained the way u do business without even really knowing..good people do good business by customers... sometimes that means taking a little less $ to get a little more love... because the level of care is more important to most than the quick couple bucks in discount...stand up guys doing business focused on customers...not competitors...keep doing things right!🎶🎸❤️☮️ customer service first....the rest will take care of itself
My shops here in Tucson are cool, but more importantly...
You finally put a Les Paul on the top row! Hooray!
That was close to the beginning of the House of Guitars tv commercials, love it.
You guys could talk about the phone book and I’d listen all day.
My local guitar center is pretty decent in how they handle these things. Store of the younger guys there can get super pushy about the financing but most of the people are really cool.
I was only a kid but I seem to remember guitar shops being a little closer to the used car dealership model back in the early 90s.
"Crazy Baxter"! His prices are insaaaaaaaaanne!!! :)
This Les Paul was only played on Sunday by an elderly choir member during the Offertory
It be cool if on a player series you could pick the neck, tuners, bridge, strings and any other option from the dealer and the the order goes to the factory or to see if they already have made one with those specs.
You mean the Fender Mod Shop? Yeah they have that.
@@MinivanMegafun100 not for the player series.
Sometimes they don’t even know what they are selling.
I went in and got a squier 70’s VM strat for $167 (CAD). They thought it was a higher end bullet. There was a part where a large part of paint had been knocked off. Also, previous owner changed the black plastic to cream. Still when I tried to tell them it was a 70’s VM. Based off my observations (Squier logo, double string tree and plastics), they said I was wrong. So I got a great deal on that one.
On top of that the headrest took I bought came up a dollar more then was on the tag and after I brought that to their attention they asked if I was okay paying the dollar more then was advertised.
Too bad they didn’t hire me when I applied.
The difference is that no one wants to pay extra for a relic’d car.
No relics. I dont buy my cars at pick n pull, dont find dates at the women s shelter either.
@@216trixie Don’t knock it until you’ve tried it. I’ve also heard the women you meet at AA Meetings are good dates; they have terrible boundaries but are good dates.
@@jts3339 Terrible boundaries? My kind of girl. 😂
@@216trixie I figured as much…
You guys need a Casino Guitars branded Cybertruck.. it’s going to get a lot of attention, might as well make it a business write off too!
I think more guitar shops need to lean into the Crazy Eddie style marketing. I want big bombastic lunacy. Entertain me while you try to sell me junk I don't want or need. As a bassist it's the worst. Nothing like being told by a 20 year old guitar player how "no one uses tube heads for bass".
Having a 20 year old try and sell stuff sounds pretty looney to me.
Crazy Eddie got in trouble for false advertisement/ bait and switch but man he had style.
@@aperezdeal that's what I mean. Where are the wacky commercials with over the top characters? Where's the pizzaz? The showmanship? All the giant instrument retailers have these boring voice-over ads on social media. Complete snoozefest.
@@danielphillipsmusic9145 We used to have that around here. The Bebop Shop was a great music store. Great late-nite commercials. I bought loads of gear from them back in the '80s. Though the shop is long gone now, their commercials are on youtube somewhere, I'm sure of it.
I’m. Partial to the financing idea . If u want the Gibson r9 or a Murphy Lab 1959 535
Or some beautiful PRS that’s so far out of reach it make it’s available. A regular guy or a girl do has the ability to get that one guitar they always wanted vs The people that have the money to get it like the high in collectors or the musicians Rockstar but anytime you finances something there’s always pitfalls like you said my question would be ,do you take this 59 Murphy Lab 535 or this R9 or this PRS quilted top with exotic woods to gigs or Does it stay locked up in your house in a safe place
Good honest guitar shops are like good honest car dealers, they are a rare breed.
Both pruducts are there for the dealers to make money from.
The difference is that a good dealer will make you feel comfortable and show
an interest in what you want and can afford to buy.
Just selling a finance package to enable you to buy a product that is not affordable
is not the way to see any returning customers.
I wish we had a Casino Guitar shop where i live in the UK.🙂
If you buy one or two custom shop guitars from a GC Platinum room you will get assigned a personal gear advisor who will call you, no lie, once a week trying to get you to spend some more $$$$$.
I’ve bought a couple different $2k stuff from GC and have a gear advisor. I had to block their number.
I've bought like 5 out of the Platinum room in the last 4 months, never got a single call. Guess I should be thankful!
@@synonyx you will. Just wait!
@@rontheguitarcollector My response will then be "I haven't bought anything" LOL - thanks for the heads up.
@@rontheguitarcollector I left a 2k amp in my cart online, and they started calling the next day leaving messages asking if "they can help me with my pending order" almost everyday now... sigh.
I would love to hear the story of the bluegrass jam that went awry.
When I call Wildwood guitars I ask to speak to Greg Koch. They love that.
I'm sure.
I ask for Greg when I call Casino Guitars 🤣
@@natashanyxx9486 Nice!
Most shops (of all types) jump you when you come in. If you say you're looking they'll leave you alone... even if you have genuine interest in something. I can't tell you how many times I've been looking and stumbled on something I want, only to be ignored so I walk out and they lost a sale. The flip side is I absolutely reject the hard sale tactic. If I feel pressure, I'm out no matter how much I need what you're selling!
When I worked in music stores I would give someone 5-ish minutes, and ask "What can I help you find?" If they said nothing, I'd leave them to it and approach again if they looked lost or interested in something. I did pretty well with that tactic and that's pretty much what I expect from folks in shops.
Most of my buying is online now though. I call up and ask what sort of deal I can get on "x" and then buy it or not.
I know with guitar center, there 15% off coupons only apply to the brands they own
I both love and hate financing for guitars at the same time. It’s usually 0% interest but it is still a monthly payment.
I financed a Randall head & 4 X 12 cabinet in 2001. I was 21 and going to technical college.
Now that was a guitar/movie/tv show/weird sex joke kinda show. Way to stay off subject. It's what we love about you guys.
Really enjoyed this. Thank you.
Another group is Crying out Highlander, 2 Shops that Do Business similar to you Mad Music in St Petersburg,Fl and Wooden Angels (Formerly B Side Vintage) in Gainesville, Fl that fit Guitar to you First
LoL!!! I thought I was the only one to call it Braveheart II.
It's totally like that already!
I have two local guitar shops. One carries more cowboy boots than pedals (they had one used danelectro pedal) and amps (im not even sure they had any, maybe 2 or 3 tops) combined. I love the staff, but their selection is mediocre at best. The other i really dont like the staff but the selection is great. I went in and asked for a specific pedal and had to tell the guy four times that i wasnt interested in the other pedal he was offering. His reason "its a better overdrive, it even has gold knobs!" If what i came in for is good enough for several of my guitar heroes, it's good enough for me. I don't care if the knobs are black plastic or gold plastic or if it is a better overdrive cause i was buying it with intent of using it as a boost.
I have finance a few things from a guitar shop but I usually go pay everything off after a month or two
the typo in the thumbnail completely changes the context of this video.
⚓️ Thanks Casino 😎
My experience with Guitar Center over the past 35+ years is that the floor staff are a mix of a used car salesman and a pawn shop employee !!!
You guys could start a cooking show and call it 'Fritos and Urine'... pitch it as a 'competition' and you'll be on the air like (snaps fingers) that!
I bought a PRS McCarty 594 Double Cut 10 Top ( yes be jealous ) 9 months ago. I just paid it off. It was daunting and odd to pay that much and I wanted to make it “mine” ASAP. Had to pay it off this month. I didn’t want to die and have my wife owe 2 years on it ( not that I’m dying ).
Edit: got it at Sweetwater so no interest. Who has 6k just laying about.
Where are the balloons...?
Let me ask my manager.
No...If you're going to finance this guitar, you need to have this guitar insured if you want to take it home with you today...
And by the way...You're going to need these accessories...
If you're taking this guitar on the road...ESPECIALLY to Wisconsin, you HAVE to get an undercoat to protect from salt...That would be important to you wouldn't it...?
Now...The available extended warranty...
You guys are soooo right. Wish I lived near you / worked for you lol (need an aspiring tech?!)
Anyway, I want to go in. See if they have any of the guitars I've been interested in so I can PLAY them and just vibe. But noooo. I'm suddenly trapped in an infomercial. I'm shy lol torture !
I use the promo deals on sam ash to pace my guitar buying. Since its 0% i dont mind spreading out the purchase and I consistently get a nicer guitar every 2 years.
This pay monthly shit is pure consumerism at its finest. It’s how people who can’t afford stuff up front get themselves into trouble.
Normally, I’d agree with you because I’m anti-consumerism. But when it comes to guitars, I’m 63. If I want a good guitar these days I need to pay 2x what a small TRUCK cost in the late 70s. I’m good enough and have played long enough that cheap guitars just won’t cut it. I don’t buy buy buy like some and I only finance a zero interest.
Let’s just cut to the chase: I basically need a second job and just have my checks direct deposited into the Casino Guitars bank account.
I'm good with salesmen. I was in the liquor store over the holidays looking for a. Interesting whiskey that I haven't tried yet, and this guy that I've never seen there before asked if I had questions. He kept trying to steer me toward Kalua so much I'm pretty sure he was a Kalua rep. I brushed all his Kalua pitches off, and was able to squeeze recomendations out of him for a really nice rum, and a fantastic rye. I did not buy any Kalua.
If guitar shops were like used car lots, I would probably do more online shopping... I hate that whole process.
I don't even go into furniture stores because the business model is similar. And really, at some point, the product they are selling in the financing. It doesn't matter what you buy. In a way, the customer becomes the product...
I'm grateful and thankful for the local, home-grown guitar shops.
And for y'all at Casino Guitars 😉
Thank you 🙏
Hey Casino! Thanks again for the great content. Let's say you have 5k to spend on 1 killer guitar or 3 very nice guitars. What do you do? Get a nice Strat, a Tele, and an LP, or the best version of one of them?
and the PRS tho?
Does Guitar Center make commission of sales? I bought a LP recently was a weird experience.
Hey, I'm a banjo player!... Here I am though. (Since I do have guitars...) well, I'm a 'blues banjo player' (Not bluegrass).. and I play the guitar with only 5 strings.... in banjo tunings
I bought a banjo from you guys!
Would you rather have one guitar that costs $9,199.00 or 24 guitars that cost $384.00?
Uhhhh, I’ll take option number 1 please.
I’d rather have 10 guitars that cost $920. If I had a 10k guitar, I’d never take it out of the case
Buy the best you can afford. If you have it, buy the 10k.
@@twenty3electronics This is the correct answer, unless your loaded.
There is one aspect of the "Car Dealership" you didn't touch on. It may be because its not overly prevalent. Haggling. Some shops will get you discounts off the cost they list..or "Sticker Price" I notice its kinda hit and miss recently, some shops will, some wont because they feel the sticker price is already a great deal. I wont be surprised if they stop doing this altogether at some point.
I love going into my local shop. Zero pressure, great employees who are knowledgeable and friendly and who will work with you to get you that guitar you so desperately want. A lot of times its HARD to walk out NOT buying something because they are so willing to help, but when I have to, there is no issue and they never treat me differently. So its a dealership with no stress. I can test drive ANYTHING and come back when I can afford it and still get a great deal...or sometimes a BETTER deal if it was a hot seller at first and then cools off.
I have to say though....they never offer up a Sliver Sky. Maybe you guys will do an SE one for 100k? 75K? Just because you're great guys and love your viewers?! :)
I have 2 GCs and 2 Mom & Pops within an hour of my house. The little M&P has a small selection and I go there for accessories because it's 5 min from work, but the luthier is top notch and does my repairs exclusively. Laid back shop. The very large M&P is Manchester Music Mill. I love the store. Very much like a community... except for the guitar floor manager who raises my hackles when I see him. I'm more of a keyboard guy who picked up the guitar because "seems easy" (joke is on me). The keyboard/drum/pro music/vintage equipment building (store is across 2 buildings) is run by a different guy. That guy will hang out and chat and treats you like you've been coming there for years and his best customer. Plus he gives really great advice and is a pro audio / lighting master. GC people will ask to help, then leave you alone if you dismiss them. Which I like as well. If you asked me if I wanted help and say no, trust me... I'll find you directly and work with you to the completion of sale if I need/want something; so long as you're not like the MMM guitar mgr. LOL.
Love Free or Die, my friend, Love Free or Die
Love the Mill and Doug at the music techs best luthier in New England!
@@MadRiverMoCo If we're going to distort my great-great uncle's toast (which he kind of stole from the French Revolution.. shh) and where the state motto came from... it doesn't quite work:
"Love free or die: Death is not the worst of evils." But then again... love can be evil... so I'm in a quandary. LOL
Great, now I gotta go watch Braveheart again
You mean with lack of inventory and leftover guitars no one wants?
On the rare occasion I go to a brick and mortar music store, all I want is a cashier not a salesperson if I actually find something I want to buy.
I do my own research, I buy online and rarely return anything, going back well over 15 years.
I look at some of the brick and mortar music stores that are online, looking at the inventory / lack of inventory there's no need to visit in person.
Long gone are the days of Rudy's, Manny's, etc., in NYC when you could spend a day looking at gear and run out of time, and if it existed you'd find it there. I schlepped plenty of gear back home on subways and trains from NYC back in the day.
Hey Baxter, what's your home rig like since you live in an apartment? I just moved into one myself and have no idea what to do beyond 1 on the volume knob haha
I usually go to my bank when I don't want to pay the full amount up front on a big purchase. Yea there's a lil interest,builds credit though but I feel better than goin through the sweetwater payments. Most times I just pay cash on used stuff though
You cant borrow 5 or 10 thousand from a bank. What are you talking about?
@@216trixie I'm not dumb enough to borrow anywhere close to 10 grand for any piece of gear but my bank would loan it to me so what are you talking about?
@@alexwoolridge94aw I don't know.
My dad was a car salesman. To this day when I buy a car I go on the lot and buy the car. I don’t finance I just buy it. A confusing experience for the salesperson.
maybe its time to start a guitar repo biz
What kind of payments can you give me on that red 355 you keep tempting with back there? The pink Tele? My wife says there can be only one!
Does this mean we're not going to see one of those dancing air-tube guys out front of Casino Guitars anytime soon?
The patriot was filmed near Ft. Mill
Answer- They would suck! A great guitar shop (really any music instrument shop) should allow a client to take a stroll, get intimate with an instrument or two, and the people working there should be ready to answer questions. That is the experience I enjoy anyway!
What's it gonna take to put you in this guitar today?
I’d buy a buy any guitar at all if it was Sophie Marceau (french princess in Braveheart) selling it to me with with her french accent
I used to like it when I would pick up a guitar at GC and in minutes I would be offered a 15% discount if I wanted to buy today. Irritating at times, but way better than now. No discount, no help, nobody seems to care that I walked in and the workers are seriously doing nothing at times.
We need a used car salesman style movie/short film!!!,set at casino guitar ….✨⭐️staring all of you guys in the casino shop…there are many used cars dealerships movies to draw inspiration from…but I’m thinking you guys are more like ..the 2009 movie (the goods)Baxter as Jeremy priven.Jonathan can be will Ferrell, his best friend an best facial hair in movie 🎥 😎😎🤩🍿
"We're going to blow the shit out of high prices!"
@@216trixie 🤣
The only time I financed a guitar is when I somehow got around 45 percent off an American fender from a super friendly Guitar center manager. I’ll never get that again.
You kick the tires, haggle the price, then the salesman says they have to ask the manager. Same
In a way GC feels a lot like a car dealership... the wrong kind of attentive sales folks - or complete and utter abandonment. I hate shopping there. I do have a couple favorite independent shops that I visit and who are great to just hang out with and buy the occasional guitar, amp, or pedal from...
Black Bowling Shirts...HAHA
Guitar Center is a “car sales” shop.
Bottom line is GREED has gotten out of control here,especially on used gear ! good,bad ??? I think in the long run,it will be bad but we will have to wait and see,on the upside I just sold my 2015 MIM strat plus top for over twice what I paid for it,which is great but DAMN it's getting hard to even afford the SE's,MIM or Epi's now days,I mean a "cheap"guitar now cost $1,000.00 WTF ! LOL
If Monty Python made a Braveheart movie I would watch it.
If the guitar shop doesn't have a price matching policy i don't deal with them.
I love my local mom and pop music shop. As a female guitarist, I feel I have been patronized at a big box chain store. I may look younger, but I don't need to be "man-splained" guitars ...been playing for 30+ years dude...
The weird thing is, with inflation your money is worth less then it was 2 years ago, so an interest rate loan you're paying less.
A good shop is more interested in making customers happy and returning the next time they need something.
thats called a mom and dad shop . Sweetwater doesnt really give a crap
You guys are just teasing us about the PRS Silver Sky.....your not giving it away...Baxter is going to keep it and use it to buy Girl Scout Cookies in trade lol.......
I think my comment on yesterday’s video resonated with you 2 fine gents.
Baxter, I was told that your apartment is located on top of Casino guitars is this true?
Aside from superficial changes and colours, what has changed over the last 50 years in the highest selling guitars? If guitar shops were like used car sales shops, they would be selling guitars that looked and functioned in precisely the same way as 20 year old used cars did 50 years ago!
I am the sole banjo player that watches Casino Guitars :'(
But I play the piano, guitar and lap steel too.
That just made me giggle!!!
@@CasinoGuitars Glad to have made your day :)
You know, you would not believe the amount of money I save that would otherwise be spent on dates.
Two more man crushes revealed. Fritos and urine. Just a couple reasons I check back daily.
If gear prices keep rising at the rate they have been then financing is going to end up being the only way any of us can buy new gear
I always ask the following question in a guitar shop no matter the cost of the guitar that I am looking at. "So, how much do you really want for that $300 guitar?" LOL Its a real ice breaker.
This is gold
Imagine if you had to leave your DL at the counter in order to “test drive” the inventory...😜✌️
Baxter Bobblehead in Bermuda shorts Hawaiian shirt playing a Banjo
Look closely and you can see the bobble head and he's in jorts lolol