- Thread starter lessthanone
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Last time I checked the link in the OP there were plenty of Axii still on it.
I happen to know for a fact my JP6 (graphite pearl) is still listed as being available in Matthews, NC even though I bought it about amonth ago. Take that list with a grain of salt.
Kenji20022
Well-known member
The list does not update, that's the same list that was there from day 1.
BUC
Well-known member
I'll dive on this grenade: It makes perfect sense to me that MusicMan and Guitar Center want to maintain a great relationship. So, it's probably uncool if MusicMan hosted a site that allowed buyers discuss their deals that squeezed money out of Guitar Center, or any other retailer they do business with for that matter. Retailers would find they couldn't make as much money on EBMM guitars because the buyers were constantly able to drive better informed hard deals, and then GC would probably rather sell other guitars. We don't want that.
I don't work for either company.
I don't work for either company.
Greg Suarez
Well-known member
I understand why GC cannot publish the prices, but it is a big fat honking pain in the ass. I don't know how many stores I have called just to see what the price might be. I ended up getting two MM guitars during the clearance sale, but it wasn't exactly as easy as finding something you like on their web site, and placing an order. You have to call a bunch of stores to find one that still has the instrument you're interested in in-stock (the list does not update with sold instruments). Then you have to trust you're getting an honest condition assessment of a guitar that might have been hanging in one of their stores for a year or more being pawed at by God knows how many people. Then you have to place the order over the phone and give up your CC info to a stranger.
Kenji20022
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BUC
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Is this in response to my post? If so, you need to re-read because you're pointing fingers in the wrong direction. Or alternatively use the very convenient "quote" function to avoid confusion.
Kenji20022
Well-known member
Pretty sure I had quoted it, it was on my phone. And yeah I was referring to your post, I'm not pointing fingers anywhere, I just meant that any kind of opinion from an outside is far from accurate. People were saying that Guitar Center and PRS were splitting before when they had their PRS Clearance sale, they're still there as will EBMM be.
So in fact anything said is just conjecture since we don't work for either company. If you want to discuss it more just PM me.
And the process was pretty simple for my Solar purchase, I called in and asked for several high quality pictures before I made the purchase and placing the order took a quick minute over the phone. That and each call was quick and painless, just ring up ask for guitars and ask if that piece is still there. I wouldn't worry about that person being a "stranger", he's an employee working in a store that has several cameras monitoring what's going on.
So in fact anything said is just conjecture since we don't work for either company. If you want to discuss it more just PM me.
And the process was pretty simple for my Solar purchase, I called in and asked for several high quality pictures before I made the purchase and placing the order took a quick minute over the phone. That and each call was quick and painless, just ring up ask for guitars and ask if that piece is still there. I wouldn't worry about that person being a "stranger", he's an employee working in a store that has several cameras monitoring what's going on.
Greg Suarez
Well-known member
Be careful who you trust with your CC info. I worked at Sears when I was in college, and there were multiple instances of employees stealing CC info just in our store alone.
There were several MM models I was interested in, and I wanted to compare the best value for my money. I had several stores never call me back, and another store literally had lost the guitar I was calling about. Again, I understand why the prices were not posted, but don't think the process was not inefficient for someone who was shopping on price.
Oh, and don't forget the fact that the guitars had been hanging on racks, some for quite a long time, and the quality of an individual instrument varies. I called a store with the StingRay model I was considering and the gold plating already had pitting in it.
The Luke III I bought was at my local GC store for more than a year. I would not have bought that particular serial number if it were not marked down so heavily. When I brought it home I needed to polish the body and condition the fretboard. The salesman was standing around with it asking his manager a question, and he was mindlessly flipping the pickup lever back and forth. I actually asked to see the guitar so I could get it out of his hands so he'd stop stressing the part. If I had to pay full price for that guitar, I would never have bought what was, essentially, a used guitar. With the exception of that Luke III, I never buy instruments off the rack, double-especially from the circus known as Guitar Center.
Kenji20022
Well-known member
Yeah absolutely, I'm not too worried about it though since my credit card company has been pretty awesome about things like any kind of issues. That and I have Guitar Center's Return Policy to back me up if anything goes wrong!
Oh yeah, if anyone ever asks about gear, make sure you're talking to a manager for the department so you at least get someone who can help you out properly. There's been instances where I ask for pictures and never get them sadly.
Greg Suarez
Well-known member
This happens to me C-O-N-S-T-A-N-T-L-Y with used gear. I actually complained to GC corporate about how terrible their entire used gear operation is, and I never heard back about it. Literally.
Big Poppa
Well-known member
Hey just a little reminder....guitar center gets bashed for the condition of the gear...and many times they probably should be...but its customers who show no respect for the inventory and do just horrible things whilst playing stairway to heaven. In the old days you couldnt play guitars without convincing the dealer that you were serious about buying they were in many instances in locked glass cases
Some still do it. Drumcity Guitarland has an insane inventory of guitars...as well as other things. Signs everywhere that have you ask for assistance. It is a smaller shop but it has as many guitars in there as any GC.
One guitar that sits behind the glass is an EBMM Mr. Horsepower, but every single guitar there is handed out under close supervision. That is exactly why I by my gear there. Perfect condition and the tech always goes over them before display and after purchase. They put on whatever strings you want, set it up, answer questions. The only time you get a "floor model" is if it got a bump or bruise during shipment. I wish all stores cared for their inventory this way.
One guitar that sits behind the glass is an EBMM Mr. Horsepower, but every single guitar there is handed out under close supervision. That is exactly why I by my gear there. Perfect condition and the tech always goes over them before display and after purchase. They put on whatever strings you want, set it up, answer questions. The only time you get a "floor model" is if it got a bump or bruise during shipment. I wish all stores cared for their inventory this way.
lessthanone
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lol, No stairway, denied
kestrou
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lifeson1
Well-known member
In regard to the 'quality' of the instruments before you buy - I am NOT a GC basher at all, love the place - been trying to work out a deal on a discounted Koa BFR for a few weeks here. That being said, when I went to the store to check out the guitar, there were two other JP6's on site that the store had accidentally 'dropped' on top of each other. There was a Mystic Dream that had a nice horn ding, but the Blue Pearl just needed to be put out of its misery. It had a deep gash on the body that I can't see anyone purchasing. They had both of those on 'clearance' or on the ding pile.
For anyone looking at EBMM guitars for the first time, or looking at a Petrucci for the first time to purchase, that was pretty embarrassing, and they are still at the front of the store showcase. I'm getting sick just thinking about it again. . . If I was GC OR EBMM I'd get those guitars out of there asap, or at least cased up and marked pretty clearly as gashed up.
For anyone looking at EBMM guitars for the first time, or looking at a Petrucci for the first time to purchase, that was pretty embarrassing, and they are still at the front of the store showcase. I'm getting sick just thinking about it again. . . If I was GC OR EBMM I'd get those guitars out of there asap, or at least cased up and marked pretty clearly as gashed up.
uOpt
Well-known member
My GC had two SR classics on the wall, for 3 years, straight. When I played them both had the strings on the deck, aka solid on the frets. Truss rod needed adjustment which was then done when I insisted, and there happened to be a more proficient than normal employee around.
There is no way I'm gonna believe that there haven't been dozens of other customers who wanted to try these and couldn't. No sale. Bad impression for Music Man for dozens of customers. And this particular GC only has a couple Stingrays, no other MM basses.
Greg Suarez
Well-known member
That's true; too many people have no respect for things that are not theirs. On the other hand, GC should do a better job of maintaining their inventory. If they choose to have a policy of zero inventory supervision, they need to assign someone the job of making sure all inventory is in like-new condition.
The Dayton, OH store is the one closest to me, and it used to be beyond terrible. It was not unusual to see guitars hanging on the wall with broken strings, missing knobs, and physical damage. Plus, everything was scattered with no order: a BC Rich tucked in with the Teles, a used Cort hanging with new Les Pauls, etc. And that store would buy anything anyone brought in and just hang it up. There were used guitars in there that were corroded and falling apart, yet there they hung with a price tag as if mocking the customers and daring someone to buy it. Luckily there was a change in management in that store (and a completely new guitar sales staff) and conditions turned around quickly. While there are no damaged instruments hanging on the wall now (at least of the ones I have looked at), they still could used cleaned and checked every now and then. Like I wrote, the Luke III I bought there needed its body polished and fretboard conditioned. The new management also begun hanging the "premium" guitars way up on the wall out of reach of the rabble. My Luke III was hanging high enough that a ladder was required. The Dayton store is small, so they do not have a closed off Platinum room. The store does have a small enclosed room, but they don't really put anything in it, likely because it's easy to miss it and most of the inventory in there was probably inadvertently being ignored.
All that said, if I drive about 45 minutes south on I-75, the Cincinnati store is awesome. They easily have 2-3x the inventory of the Dayton store, and they have more of the good stuff (probably because the Cinci market is healthier than the Dayton market). The Cinci store also has a Platinum room, which is well guarded by the GC staff (this is where all the MM inventory is kept). The first time I went to that Cinci store and entered the Platinum room, I almost dropped to my knees in tears over the dream candy in there: JPXI's and 12's, Lukes, Custom Shop Fenders, etc. I was only used to being in my local GC, which is 95% made up of $149 Squiers and $199 ESP LTDs. I understand why that is, but it's not terribly inviting for a "Hey let's go to GC and see all the awesome stuff," type of visit.
kestrou
Well-known member
I'm heading to Cincy next Saturday. Zappa Plays Zappa concert that night, and master class with Dweezil that afternoon - going to have to check out the GC there - thanks for the tip!
kestrou
Greg Suarez
Well-known member
Actually, when I go into GC I hear the opening riff to "Crazy Train" more than anything else. The riff I use to test out a guitar is the opening to "Carry On My Wayward Son." I also play the opening solo to "Coming Back to Life" by Pink Floyd to test how well a guitar stays in tune after a lot of string bends.
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