Guitar Center - Is it me?

[Marty Albertson]

Marty....just so you know...I have nothing but great things to say about my local Guitar Center....very professional and knowledgeable staff at the Virginia Beach store. I appreciate all your hard work for us "little" people....

Guys/Gals....just so you know....Marty is a great guy and does the best he can. Not everyone is gonna be satisfied with everything. Big Poppa can atest to that. However, Marty runs a very large organization and things happen....just keep that in perspective....he is here answering questions and concerns. Thanks Marty....

Thanks Koogie......Guitar Center is a better organization as a result of the interaction on this forum. I look forward to seeing you in the desert at the Knucklehead party.

 

[Marty Albertson]

I've been to the GCs in Pittsburg - PA and Greenville - SC, both I have enjoyed my time there... Though, it does make me sad to see the instruments in somewhat of a bad shape... but I love the environment, no pressure, being able to test the instruments and cabs I am interested in. AND you can find the wonderwipes there

ps. Marty, can we have a GC here in Columbia, SC?

we'll have one there at some point.......but not for awhile. We are going to take a break from opening stores and concentrate our resources on bringing the standards at our current stores to higher levels.

Remember......If at any time you see an EBMM instrument in one of our stores that is in disrepair and you feel you can and want to help...you have the freedom to ask the store to allow you to adjust and refresh the instrument. I understand and agree that our staff should be doing this regularly and in most stores I think you will find our instruments are well cared for...but there are some stores where the management is still trying to get a handle on this.

Thanks for shopping at our stores and I hope to see you at the Knucklehead party !!!

 

[Big Poppa]

Marty are you signing up for the desert jeep tour or golf? eheheheheheh

Marty I want to make sure that you bring as many people as you like from GC.......

 

[Visirale]

I shop at guitar center primarily for my employee discount. I don't work for guitar center, but rather music and arts center, their band instrument counterpart. I usually get things at cost or at cost plus some. I get strings for CHEAP. I got two of my basses (my ray and my KSD fretless) from Bass Central. My last bass--marcus miller 4--I got from GC. Got a substantial discount and it worked for me.

I usually get approached if I'm in GC... probably because I'm only 18 and playing the 2k basses, haha. But they're always nice... once they find out I work for music and arts there's almost a fraternal bond established, ha.

 

[mynan]

I always get things at cost plus some too...Marty might be my uncle.

 

[Warg Master]

I like my GC and a few of them recognize me in there! I like the let me play approach alot!!! Usually, after people are done playing the guitars at this GC (at least the ones hanging on the wall) they polish them up before they go back up on the wall... I LOVE seeing this, it's just showing me they at least try to take care of the stuff.... in fact the over all condition of the guitars on the floor has much improved in the last year or so, they are much better then they used to be..... even of a few of them could still stand to see a better set up....

I hope the BFR JP that's coming for me doesn't have any issues caused by the slapping teenager!!!

 

[foolsfortune]

GC Woes

I would LOVE it if the GC in Detroit Michigan had sales people that would give you some space! It is getting better so maybe something was said.

I stopped shopping there for a while as it was getting aggravating.

It's about a 1 hour drive for me and I'm usually driving there specifically to go to GC. As I play a few different instruments (badly) I always arrive with a list which usually turns out badly.

I would get greeted at the door which is nice, and then I'd browse a few minutes and then picka department and start with my list. The problem would arise when people from various departments would help and the "I helped him on this item so I get the commission". Maybe that's not how it is but it's how it felt.

I got things working smoother for me by answering the staff more carefully. When asked "can I help you with something" instead of replying "oh I'm just browsing for now" I'll say "I'll have a look around and come and find you when I need some help"

Then I stroll around each dept and collect the things that I can get myself and I go find the first sales person that approached me andI show them the list. It has worked out great as they have gone and found the thing I needed.

I love GC because compared to my local shops almost everythignI go for is right there and the price included exchange and border taxes (I'm Canadian) is usually less.

Now since Marty reads this (which impresses me), can we have a Guitar Center in Ontario please? I'll even run it!

Mike

 

[phatduckk]

i like GC. i was on the pro list years ago for a while cuz my band at the time was doing well locally & a bunch of the people that worked there knew of us. it was pretty rad.

my only complaint is that the SF GC is on one of the least parking friendly streets in san francisco... and san jose is just too much of a trek. but, really, thats not a gc "problem" at all... im just lazy

 

[Big Poppa]

has anyone noticed like all things there is zero consensus?

 

[Aussie Mark]

has anyone noticed like all things there is zero consensus?

eg. Would you like the forum's assistance to help you choose a color and pickup config selection for your upcoming EBMM bass? You're sh!t out of luck

 

[bovinehost]

eg. Would you like the forum's assistance to help you choose a color and pickup config selection for your upcoming EBMM bass? You're sh!t out of luck

You wouldn't believe how many PMs I get about exactly that. Who on earth would trust MY taste in colors? It's like asking Aussie Mark to buy shirts for you.

 

[silverburst]

You wouldn't believe how many PMs I get about exactly that. Who on earth would trust MY taste in colors? It's like asking Aussie Mark to buy shirts for you.

At least you know where to find a puke green pick guard.

 

[tadawson]

has anyone noticed like all things there is zero consensus?

I think the consensus is that what you will find at GC varies wildly from store to store, and that there is very little consistency between stored. I have not heard a lot of differing opinions about the same store, however . . . (or I am just deaf . . . ) Probably has a lot to do with variation in local store management, and perhaps too little overall guidance/watching from GC corporate . . .

- Tim

 

[Big Poppa]

Tad

I think that Marty alluded to that with the slow down in store openings. As a public company you are forced to grow even if you may not be 100% ready to grow. I think that they opened a new store every 17 days over the last ten years....that is mind boggling. As a private company they can grow when all the ducks are lined up

 

[Spectre]

You wouldn't believe how many PMs I get about exactly that. Who on earth would trust MY taste in colors? It's like asking Aussie Mark to buy shirts for you.

I would

 

[kirkm24]

Are GC's franchises or are corporate owned or a combination of both like McDonald's? This could make a huge difference between stores as well.

 

[Big Poppa]

Guitar Center is a publically traded company with zero franchises

 

[tadawson]

Tad

I think that Marty alluded to that with the slow down in store openings. As a public company you are forced to grow even if you may not be 100% ready to grow. I think that they opened a new store every 17 days over the last ten years....that is mind boggling. As a private company they can grow when all the ducks are lined up

And that's a great thing . . . trust me, I wasn't bashing, just drawing what seemed to be the apparent conclusion. Now that they are darn near everywhere, it's time to "shine and polish" what they have - the physical aspects are already there, now they just need to work on staff attitudes and service (at least in some places). And I personally would not mind if the pro audio departments would actually carry stuff that I consider "pro" and not just mid to low grade stuff of very limited capability, but that may just be me . . . . but my memory tells me that has been sinking over time . . .

- Tim

 

[Big Poppa]

hey tim no offense taken you made very good points and I agree from the pro audio standpoint especially in the seconday market stores. I used Uncle Marty's friendly discount in Spokane to set up a little garage band studio and the pickins were slim.

Believe me these guys know what they are doing and this privatization is the best thing for them. I dont know how you could open that many stores and be profitable and they did it.

 

[T-bone]

Believe me these guys know what they are doing and this privatization is the best thing for them. I dont know how you could open that many stores and be profitable and they did it.

Which is abso-Freakin-lutely astonding to me. I have a small CD/DVD replication company, and a small restaurant (don't ask-long story) and can barely keep up (which is one reason why you've seen less than 200 posts over the past 2 years).

I have nothing but the utmost respect for people like Marty and B.P. Not only have they built a Retail Giant and some of the best intstruments in the World, respectively, but they log in and listen to us knuckleheads. Wow!

My hat is off to you two.

tbone