Easy question regarding GC

[jimmyp]

OK guys, I'm not from the US but am living here for a while. I've been looking round all the different guitar stores and have spotted some nice axes -my question is this - I'm not familiar with Guitar Center - are they good, priced competitively, give good aftersales service etc etc. I'd like to know before I spend on a new guitar (yet to be confirmed..)

 

[koogie2k]

They are hit or miss really. The GC here is great. I know alot of the dudes/dudettes there and they are really nice and knowledgeable for the most part.

I have read where some GC's are pure garbage. Not so friendly workers and dumb as a bag of hot rocks.

So, it is up to you if you want to purchase from there, gauge how they help you out or if the dude is trying to sell you something at a ridiculous price. By all means, never pay the list. Talk them down. No tellin' how long that guitar has been sitting there.

 

[scottie]

Hey jimmyp,

Welcome to Orlando, Florida! I've about 1.5 hours away in Melbourne, FL (kinda near
the Kennedy Space Center). Anyway, I've been to at least 1 of the GCs in Orlando, wasn't impressed all that much and ended up buying from Bass Central (kinda funny that I goto a Bass store to buy a guitar, eh?) . They are an authorized dealer and really go the extra mile. Friendly guys, very helpful and I highly recommend stopping in there. Last time I was there they had a few Pets and an Axis, and maybe a Morse. If you don't see what you want, they'll order it for you and give a decent price.

Hope this helps,

--scottie

 

[hbucker]

I have experience with several GC's in So Cal and in the Denver area. As a rule, you're going to GC for the prices, period. Be careful though, many times their price for the guitar doesn't include the case.

On average I've found a knowledgeable friendly salesperson to be the exception and not the rule. Usually, if they're friendly they aren't very knowledgeable. I've had sales people even argue with me over stuff that they were WRONG about.When the Axis first came out a sales guy was adamant that the Axis was IDENTICAL to the EVH in every way. He refused to hear any different and actually yelled at me while stamping his foot.

Service after the sales is usually, at best, a good referral to a shop that will do the work. Rarely do they have anybody on staff who will fix your gear. From what I've seen, they don't even fix their own stock. I see broken gear on the floor all the time. I think they'd rather reduce the price even more and get rid of it instead of spending the $$ to fix it.

Make sure you're getting what you want. If you want an Axis, LP or Strat, play it for a long time. Make sure it's set up the way you want and it plays exactly the way you want it to play. They will not make it better for you. And I wonder if manufacturers sell stock to GC that they've cut come corners on in the QC dept. I've seen some LP's and such at GC that were very sadly set up for a $2.5k guitar.

If you know what you're there for, GC can be a great place to find a true bargain. But it can be a mistake if all you're lookng at is the price tag.

good luck.

 

[jimmyp]

Hey jimmyp,

Welcome to Orlando, Florida! I've about 1.5 hours away in Melbourne, FL (kinda near
the Kennedy Space Center). Anyway, I've been to at least 1 of the GCs in Orlando, wasn't impressed all that much and ended up buying from Bass Central (kinda funny that I goto a Bass store to buy a guitar, eh?) . They are an authorized dealer and really go the extra mile. Friendly guys, very helpful and I highly recommend stopping in there. Last time I was there they had a few Pets and an Axis, and maybe a Morse. If you don't see what you want, they'll order it for you and give a decent price.

Hope this helps,

--scottie

Thanks for that - I was at Kennedy last Saturday. I was just asking to see if they are just a rip off or a place to get a good price - they seem to be offering me a good deal on a guitar (not an EBMM as I'm due a replacement Sil Special very shortly anyway) and the guy and girl I've been dealing with are pretty cool. I'll check out Bass Central when I get a chance as well as Sam Ash and the other usual suspects. I'll let you know if I give in to the dark side and purchase from GC