You get one wish from Guitar Center.........

[phatduckk]

i was at GC yesterday and might pop back in today.

1 thing i noticed w/ the instruments i wanted to check out is that they were way high up requiring a ladder to get to em... couldnt even see the price tag. so a few peices were nixxed in my head to do me being way too impatient to try n flag down a dude that could get a ladder.

 

[EBMM7181]

Like most everyone else, I have had good and bad expieriences at GC - It's impossible to please everyone, though! I enjoy going to my local GC's Marietta & Atlanta They are always well stocked and the Atlanta store has plenty of EBMM stuff, the Marietta store has some, but not as much as Atl.

I love GC's prices and their string selection, they have carry all kinds of bass slinkys, They are the only store near me that has the Hybrid Slinkys, thats the strings I prefer, every mom and pop aroud here only has the Supers, they are good, but I like the Hybrids.

If I could change just ONE thing about my Marietta store, it would be the entrance to the store, it has one of those amusement park type things that you have to walk through the bars, thats a little annoying, but other than that, both GC's here are great.

 

[Bass-sic]

I think the GC's near me have had excellent staff. Very helpful, yet leave you alone when wanted.

I love the fact that you can buy gift cards online now..a big plus.

I think the main thing would be to have the instruments in tune or tuners nearby.

I think having more chairs or straps nearby would be a plus. It is hard to check out an instrument without playing it, and you have to search for a chair or wait for someone to get up before you can do that. So straps nearby would be a great alternative.

Also a couch, TV, and a couple of magazines in a section for the dragged in family member, would be a great plus. It would help clear up the aisles, give more time for the musician to explore and entertain the poor victim dragged into the store that has no interest in the music scene.

 

[philiprst]

One the "case issue"....

In principle, I think it is a great idea to give the customer a choice of buying a guitar with a case of their choosing especially for the lower priced guitars that come with poor factory cases. However, the only problems I have ever had with GC revolve around cases.

I one specific instance the GC had sold the proper factory case that came with a rather expensive guitar I was buying and the salesperson tried to sell it to me in another (much cheaper case). This wasn't a problem since he said he would just order the correct case for me and have it in a few days. I even paid extra for the cheaper case to take the guitar home in (I needed an extra case anyway).

That was exactly 1 year and 2 months ago and still no case. I eventually concluded that he had just sold me the guitar with the cheap case, never placed the order for the correct one and then lied to me for over a year in the hope I would eventually forget about it.

I have had great experiences with GC, great pricing and service. But I think this separate case policy is just ripe for exploitation by the occasional unscrupulous employee.

 

[Kristopher]

From what Marty said in another thread
I think the Knuckleheads are assuming that responsibility for the EBMM stock @ GC
here it is

I'm sure they make enough money to afford either hiring new employees or to train current employees to do a bit of extra work. And I think keeping the instruments in the store in good playable condition is a very profitable move, considering that how an instrument plays probably plays a huge determination on whether or not someone actually buys it.

I think the idea of people reporting problems with instruments is great, but it's my opinion that it's in GC's best financial interest to present what they're selling in the most attractive and presentable way possible. As in a lot of situations, investing a little time and money usually comes back with interest.

Just an opinion, though. I'm not trying to bash anybody, and honestly I spend more time and money in GC than any other music store. The selection is amazing, and the "no money for a year" financing is freaking amazing, along with the fact that I can ask and usually receive a a few bucks off most of the used stuff I end up buying.

 

[roburado]

i was at GC yesterday and might pop back in today.

1 thing i noticed w/ the instruments i wanted to check out is that they were way high up requiring a ladder to get to em... couldnt even see the price tag. so a few peices were nixxed in my head to do me being way too impatient to try n flag down a dude that could get a ladder.

Yesterday, I wanted to try a 30th Ann SR4 that was way the hell up on the top level. I nixed the idea for precisely the same reason. I just played the Bongo and the regular SR4 that I could reach myself.

Okay, here's my wish. Along the same lines as those wishing for less noise, more amp rooms, easier access to instruments, here's my wish.

Let's revamp the entire floor--at least for guitars. Why not scale things back a bit. Most GCs have a wall of guitars that's what...30 feet high? I don't know if this is at all workable, but what if we broke things down. What if we made little guitar boutiques within a GC? Think of them as bigger amp rooms, bigger versions of "The Vault." In each boutique, place certain types of amps that will appeal to certain types of players. Put guitars in each of those rooms that will be most likely to appeal to those types of players. You could make a "vintage" vault for the blues and country players who want to plug their Teles and Strats into Fender Twins, Marshall Bluesbreakers, Mesa Lonestars, "vintage reissues," etc. In another room, put the metal/high-gain guys who may want to blow their money on a Mesa Road King and a PRS, EBMM John Petrucci, or an Ibanez Jem. In yet another room, put the kids who want to play their Schecter 7-Strings through a Line 6 combo. Maybe another room could have the entry-level type stuff, but that might be the same room. Sure, there's something a little bit un-American and less than egalitarian about stratifying the customers like that, but I think that one might get to cut down on noise levels--at least for those likely to complain about such a thing. Besides, there's nothing saying the Schecter/Line 6 kid couldn't go into the Strat and Twin room. It might also make it easier for people who would want to find a certain kind of guitar and a certain kind of amp to have them in close proximity to one another and to be isolated a bit from everyone else. I think it makes a certain amount of sense. Why have the guy who wants a Strat and a Twin and plays only blues and jazz sitting on the other side of a stack of amps from the kid crunching out his detuned riffs on his Schecter and Line 6? Why place the guy playing Dream Theater riffs through a Mesa half-stack 15 feet away from the country twanger? Another idea that could be incorporated is that the rest of the guitar department, if there is any room left, could be like EBMM's set-up at NAMM. Some kiosks of guitars with headphone amps/amp-modeling boxes.

 

[meenahga]

sample ebmm guitars, a little OT

I have only been to a GC one time , in Albany NY, and I thought it was a really cool set up. Lots of amps and gear to try. There was only one EBMM guitar, it was in the vault, a used, somewhat dinged up Axis, not in the greatest of shape, but it was nice to try one just for the feel and sound of it.
I can't really comment on the wish idea for GC as having only been there one time, but I do have an idea concerning getting EBMM guitars out to a larger audience. I've got a couple of Silos, a SS and a Steve Morse, and I wish I could try the other EBMM models to see if I would like 'em ( I probably would). It would be nice if there was one of each model of EBMM guitars to try out at the local GC. I know the concept of letting any and everyone play instruments at GCs is a great one, but often times, guitars can take some abuse because of this.
Here is an idea, just throwin' it out, and it may be cost prohibitive, but maybe EBMM could put out some unfinished ie. bare wood or wood finished in the gunstock/ wax blend, demo models so potential buyers could try em out. Strictly for the feel/ playability and sound. No fancy flame or quilts, just bare bones models, not meant for sale. This way people wouldn't have to worry about damaging the beautiful paint jobs and finishes on the EBMM guitars. This way I could try out that Albert Lee I have so been wanting to, or find out if that Luke neck profile is for me. Maybe have some finished/painted wood samples in the different color options with some sample pickguard chunks to mix and match. Then the customers could play the Petrucci or the Axis SS and decide on which suits them best, check out the finish/color/pickguard option samples, and then place an order for what they desire.
I can envision some flame or quilt or birdseye maple, maybe oval shaped, trans finished plaques with some pearloid pickguard EBMM logo attached as a color choice sample. (Heck, I would buy one just to hang on the wall of my office or music room.) They wouldn't have to be very large samples, so this would keep cost down. Just an idea... maybe some food for thought.

 

[eddybomb]

Well, here in the Motor City area, I have gone to Southfield, Canton, and Roseville. None of the three have Mark Bass unless Canton has started carrying it in the past couple of months. I don't know about any of the other stores in the area.

Thats what I'm talking about, there aren't any in the Detroit area...Saginaw and Midland are the closest to me, but I won't expect to see any there for quite a while. I just can't believe a few Markbass amps can't be re-routed from California to Detroit.

 

[SteveB]

One Rainy Wish

Well, Poppa said wish, and I dream big.. so here goes.

It would be ideal if every GC had one of each model EBMM guitar and bass that was 'not for sale'. These would be maintained to ensure that they were always in good playing condition, even if they got a bit banged up from being handled.

This is the ultimate wish, to be certain, and surely impossible to implement nationwide due to capacity and profitablity issues. But why not adopt some subset of this wish? Perhaps a handful of large market stores could be 'featured' in this manner. Maybe GC could have something akin to the Music Man tradeshow setup with all the instruments hanging around those stations where you can 'plug and play'.. this would also help with the noise/loud wanking issue that others have touched upon. Maybe Poppa can deep discount or loan all those trade show instruments that have a little mileage on them for said purpose?
Anyway, the 'exhibit' could even travel from store to store at some interval if it would be more cost effective to ship all that stuff aroud versus having all the extra 'permanent' inventory.

In such a store, you could try any MM model and then place an order (or locate one among the inventory of the collective GC's). Since we're wishing, let's say the 'demo' instruments even had piezo on applicable models.

.. and eleven moons played across the rainbow.. above me and you.

 

[Randracula]

Genie, O Genie, my one wish is...

For a GC in the desert!!!

Hey Beth, you can always take a trip 30 minutes west to the I. E. We have one in beautiful San Bernardino and my local GC in Rancho Cucamonga

BP, my one wish for GC would be for them to perform regular maintenance on the guitars/basses that have been hanging around for awhile. A little truss rod adjustment, a good wipe down, new strings for anything older than six months and just tuning them once in awhile would go a long way....

 

[lorino]

Guitar Center

Marty,

I work for a large consumer products company (beer) and have a great respect and empathy for GC. You'll never please everyone. You have a network built to move product - and high-end products, and basses, are just a small portion of your portfolio. Afficianados tend to forget, there is no high-end without the middle and the bottom. GC is not a boutique bass store, its a mass retailer.

That said, I think the Home Depot / Lowes model is a good one - mixing big-box mass retail with knowledgeable staff and consumer education. I completely understand the issues around staff turnover, training, and education - that's a tough road. I think you do what you can.

I think Consumer education would be a way to get staff up to speed and create more knowledgeable customers. In effect, create tweaking gear wh*res. Someone mentioned a seminar / demonstration on changing strings - what a great idea. This is similar to what Lowes and Home Depot do in training / teaching customers how to do it themselves. What about a set-up class? This could take the youngsters that are just banging on equipment and make them more interested in 'gear' (and music) and perhaps drive sales. (?)

Another powerful model is the Genius Desk at The Apple Store - What about the Guitar Center Wizard or Bass Guru?

Perhaps some subtle consumer education in the store. Let's say the bass room - how about posters or small displays? This is a humbucker - it does this. This is as J pick-up. Meet EBMM based in.... Emphasis on subtle - certainly don't want to make it look like kindergarden.

So, did I make a wish? I guess it would be the continued focus on staff education combined with consumer education.

I've probably been to 10 different GCs around the country, and in general my experiences have all been pretty positive. Continued success to you Marty!

JIM

 

[glockaxis]

Hey Beth, you can always take a trip 30 minutes west to the I. E. We have one in beautiful San Bernardino and my local GC in Rancho Cucamonga

BP, my one wish for GC would be for them to perform regular maintenance on the guitars/basses that have been hanging around for awhile. A little truss rod adjustment, a good wipe down, new strings for anything older than six months and just tuning them once in awhile would go a long way....

I used to live in Upland and frequented the GC there. Being in the desert now the haul out to GC in SB and RC gets to be a real drag. Add traffic to the mix and fogettaboudet. I wanted to go this weekend for the memorial day sale and just thinking about traffic nixed the idea quickly.

 

[tadawson]

Sales folks who actually know the products, and who are capable of saying "I don't know" when they don't, instead of just spewing BS. I don't recall the specific question, but I asked something about a MM bass once, and was told that MM had been sold to Fender . . . . that kind of stuff needs to go away, FAST! That, and those who tell you they don't carry something, right about the same point in time you see it on the rack behind them . . . . those folks need to be either trained or streeted . . . they are the exact opposite of helpful!

- Tim

 

[Quarter]

Lots of good ideas in here, many covered my thoughts.
My local GC is San Marcos CA and for the most part I have had very good experiences there.
My main beef is, as has been mentioned, inventory based, but specifically I never have seen an Albert Lee there. Do any GC's stock the AL at all?
In any event, my wish is for an AL.

Oh ... I'm an older fart myself and have found that the best time to go to GC is early afternoon on a weekday to avoid all the kids.

 

[petruccirocks02]

+1 on the case issue....

Case in point (no pun intended), I bought a graphite pearl bongo at my local GC, and my friend that works there told me that one of the other employees sold the case separately to another customer. Now because of that, I had to buy a gig bag instead for a bass that cost me $<street price edit>. I think with an instrument as high quality as a musicman, that the cases should stop being sold separately. After all they do come from the factory with that case, therefore they should be sold with that case. It would be different if I bought a $200 bass, but $<street price edit> is a big investment and like my other fine forumites, I like to keep my gear in excellent condition. As a solution to the case problem, if a case to a musicman is sold separately, I think that GC should either order a case for the customer at no charge, or take the price of the case off of the instrument if the case is sold separately. Just my .02.

-Phil

 

[Alz®]

I don't know how realistic this is, but....

How about opening up a store or two or three in the UK? I usually read the whinge threads about GC with amazement... I'd love for GC to exist in this country.

ditto....but come also to Dubai. The existing dealer doesn't have stock. Three of the largest malls in the world are being built/completed and the only brand you can ever find in them is YAMAHA!

I'm cheesed. I would love to be able to order instruments from the states directly or from a local dealer who carries stock, but cannot. However, another manufactured MM/J hybrid (i'm talking of a factory in Chicago here) can be ordered directly from the factory, but am too keen on EBMM's to do this.

 

[DTG]

ditto....but come also to Dubai. The existing dealer doesn't have stock. Three of the largest malls in the world are being built/completed and the only brand you can ever find in them is YAMAHA!

I'm cheesed. I would love to be able to order instruments from the states directly or from a local dealer who carries stock, but cannot. However, another manufactured MM/J hybrid (i'm talking of a factory in Chicago here) can be ordered directly from the factory, but am too keen on EBMM's to do this.

while your at it put a store in Ireland.......we drink beer....lots of it... and we say feck alot
or just send me a bongo so i can try one

 

[ashiin]

An GC with pretty much everything EBMM in stock opened in Hong Kong

 

[UKFIN]

definately a larger selection of quality left handed instruments

 

[Alz®]

How about a symmetrical bass that can be played either left handed or right handed? With a quick release nut and bridge so it can be turned around. This will do away with the RHD/LHD situation in its entirity!