Great Deal alert

[bovinehost]

GC employees have told forumites (including me) things that were not true. This has been documented many times, here and elsewhere.

I heard on another internet forum that EBMM was no longer producing guitars in San Luis Obispo. Yep, that's right; packed up the whole shebang and moved it to God only knows. Who told me that? Someone who lived in San Luis Obispo, so clearly they knew what they were talking about.

People believed it, too. (Lord Bongo swooped in and corrected the situation, but people were READY to buy it. Humans are so unfailingly weird.)

I do understand the concept that the face of Guitar Center for us, as consumers, shoppers, whatever we are, is that of the guy we're dealing with on the sales floor.

It's been my experience, most of the time, that Guitar Center has been overwhelmingly positive for the musical instrument consumer. Perfect? I'm with you, AD. Ain't nothing perfect. So the way I look at it is that I remember the Good Olde Days when the guy in the ugly tie wouldn't even let me (at 16) touch the Big Bad Fender Precision because I probably couldn't afford it.

Are things better? To me, yes.

It's a balancing act. Yup, sometimes the instruments are a bit shopworn. Wanna go back to when we couldn't touch 'em? And sometimes the sales guys aren't as knowledgable as we are. Wanna go back to the Wurlitzer guy in the ugly tie?

GC often gets a bad rap, undeservedly.

They're the biggest, baddest mofo on the block. It's always satisfying to have a shot at that guy.

We're not so far apart on how we consider this, really.

But I know where I go when I need PA speakers or a cable I need RIGHT NOW or...well, I actually buy gear there. You know, basses and stuff.

Hardly anyone here is your average consumer, least of all me. If I worked at Guitar Center, I might not have as much time to screw off here as I do now. I'm sure that's true. And more than once, I have educated the bass guy at my local GC, and he doesn't seem to mind at all.

(He was scared the first time Jeremy, all of five years old, said, "Hey, those are Bongos! Sterling builds those for you!")

Jack

 

[Big Poppa]

as douglas...you are getting on my nerves and beating a dead horse. Agree to disagree move on.

 

[robobass13]

consider it done BP, just defending a company that I admire, If I can do anything for any of you guys, pm me and let me know

long live EBMM & GC!!!!

 

[phatduckk]

one of the things that really gets me about GC bashing is the fact the for the most part its the informed folks who bash GC anout misinformation etc. Now this is my observation based on what ive read here and other forums.

its a fact that most of us here know a TON about EBMM instruments. I know what i need to know about MMs. No GC employee is gonna make me foget the 2 billion factoids ive learned.

i really dont get why an educated buyer gets mad about stuff. we know the facts and buying an instrument is a choice not a school asignment. walk in equipt with knowledge, see what kind of deal you can get, then make a decision to buy or not to buy. Maybe stuff is "played in", maybe it needs a setup but we all know how to deal with that stuff. If its got some wear odds are you can score some sort of deal. If it needs a setup - then ask for one or just grab your pocket knife (or borrow an allen wrench) and give the magic wheel a quick turn.

the fact is that GC is what it is. its a store that has a ton of stuff, has a helluv an employee turnover (heard that from their CEO in person) but we all also know you can sometimes get an awesome score. if you feel insulted or lied to you can talk to someone else, ask for the manager or leave and go somewhere that probably charges more.

as far as the case thing goes... my favorite local shop does that too. it just looks cheaper that way. theyre awesome guys, nothing shady going on there at all... and the whole inventory reason re: GC having an extra sku totally makes sense to me (ive written rediculous logistics systems for big companies... including the one u buy coffee from in the morning).

anywho.... so, i heard there's an awesome deal on a Bongo at a GC

 

[Big Poppa]

Thank you Phaty and welcome back. Very well put.

Does Marty wish the information is perfect? Yes. Do I? Hell yes.....Do I get frustrated by Mom and Pops that are in a retail coma?? Do I feel that Target and Wal mart are killing off the curious by selling crap? Yes.....

Robo bass I appreciate you stickin up for GC. I have had many behind closed doors knock down drag outs and have total respect for them in the end.

 

[Ken Baker]

anywho.... so, i heard there's an awesome deal on a Bongo at a GC

Uh, yeah, as a matter of fact.

Ken...

 

[phatduckk]

Thank you Phaty and welcome back.

thanks pops. im almost out of the woods as far as work goes. i got home at 8pm which is the earliest in months. a few all nighters here n there.... thinsg should be dope after we launch the site on the 15th but it looks like the 16 hour days are now reduced to 12 hour days

 

[bovinehost]

Ken, is that a lawn mower?

 

[robobass13]

Thank you Phaty and welcome back. Very well put.

Does Marty wish the information is perfect? Yes. Do I? Hell yes.....Do I get frustrated by Mom and Pops that are in a retail coma?? Do I feel that Target and Wal mart are killing off the curious by selling crap? Yes.....

Robo bass I appreciate you stickin up for GC. I have had many behind closed doors knock down drag outs and have total respect for them in the end.

thanks poppa, nothing but respect for you, your company and your products.

 

[Ken Baker]

No, silly, it's a chainsaw with pickups. The lawnmower is off to the right about 25 feet, is red, and says Honda.

Sorry about the lousy podium, not to mention the brown lawn.

Ken...

 

[mynan]

You're not going to believe this...

As I stated on another thread, before considering purchasing my SR5, I was having a brain malfunction and ordered a VAX bass. GC was having trouble getting it and that's when I decided to trade my old bass on an EBMM. Through that whole process, I was in contact with the store manager and he was doing everything he could to help me out.

After reading the information that robobass posted, I called the store manager to thank him for his help and kindly let him know that I was a little disappointed that they didn't have a case available for my SR5. I told him that I was aware of GC policy of cases being a separate item, but that it would have been nice to be able to purchase a case with my SR5.

He told me that they would order one for me free of charge. I am shocked and thrilled. It actually took a few seconds to register. I believe my initial response was "No thanks.....free of charge?.....ok, sounds good".

 

[bovinehost]

Now see?

Sometimes these threads DO have happy endings.

 

[robobass13]

now that is a happy ending, now enjoy that SR5.

 

[bassmonkeee]

Missing cases?

like I stated, the case is exploded or divorced from the instrument

Well, duh. If they explode the case, it's not exactly easy to fit a bass inside a pile of exploded case splinters, right?

As for divorcing, it's a pain to get a divorced pair to sit in the same room together for too long let alone couple like a case and a bass.....


Sorry.

*ahem*



Over many years of purchases from GC, I've only ever had one salesman who could be used to determine how level the floor was by the drool evenly distributed between both sides of his mouth. For the most part, I've been very happy with how I've been treated.

 

[RitchieDarling]

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm......................Let me see....

8 basses......

8 cases.....

0 worries.....

All of mine have come with cases. With one exception. My old DG Bongo H that Motojunkie has now. But that was before they had Bongo cases.

Ritchie