Guitar Center Salesman...I have heard it all now!!

[whitestrat]

Since Plano does not stock them and not everyone is familiar with EBMM, not suprising that the sales dude was ignorant on the product and of course they are going to try and sell you what they have and are familiar with, they et paid on commision, which you know already.

You know, fing, if all the wrong information this guy gave was only on EBMMs, it's understandable, and also forgivable if they've never sold them. But to mess up information on Ibanez guitars? That's actually somewhat surprising.

 

[Sweat]

You know, fing, if all the wrong information this guy gave was only on EBMMs, it's understandable, and also forgivable if they've never sold them. But to mess up information on Ibanez guitars? That's actually somewhat surprising.

Very true and obviously this is a poor salesman and I sure i know who he is since i frequent all GC close to me, but the overall tone that this thread was going in was making all GC employees loook like idiots which is far from true.

 

[whitestrat]

Very true and obviously this is a poor salesman and I sure i know who he is since i frequent all GC close to me, but the overall tone that this thread was going in was making all GC employees loook like idiots which is far from true.

Having never been to GC in my life, I can't really comment, but I have come across such salespersons in my time...

Perhaps this guy is a drummer?

 

[Sweat]

Having never been to GC in my life, I can't really comment, but I have come across such salespersons in my time...

Perhaps this guy is a drummer?

LOL yep you hit on the head, must be a drummer, or maybe the cowbell dude.

 

[pjc812]

that story put a smile on my face and a chuckle in my belly for all the obvious reasons.

in general it seems to me that guys who play with balls are generally more informed than the avg wanker regarding most brands, no? That explains why they chose EBMM.

 

[Big Poppa]

OK....I think that it is terrible to be misrepresented. It comes with business though and you cant let your blood boil or you will have a stroke. It happens all over the world. As my Dad used to say that if you couldnt figure out why something was what is was it was because the world was primarily run by "D" students. I remember when I couldn't figure out as a kid how someone could be so stupid he explained that if everyone was a genius then there would be little opportunity left. The negative part is having to listen to it or worse that they are spreading what will become urban legend.

I can tell you that GC at times has been challenged in selling and knowing how to present our stuff...these pages are full of examples. I can also tell you that without them we wouldnt have made it as they have been there with faith and purchase orders when most stores gave up on us.

THe lack of supply in Guitars in GC is trying to find a balance. It is also our fault as we just dont make enough. When we spread our limited allocation to them to 200 stores they get lost and beat up. We mutually decided to only offer them in the top stores and as we got that program running then we would go to the next level of Guitar Center.

How's this and Im sure that GC would prefer if I dont say this but.....If your store has our guitars then it is considers a top tier GC........Maybe if the distance isnt too much greater you should shop in the top tier one......

Oh yeah and we are the biggest sales percentage gainer for Guitar Center in our categories....both basses and guitars.....woooooooo hooooo

 

[Ripper]

Been to 2 GCs. Cant remember the first one which is somewhere in the bay area, and another in Van Ness SF, during my 1 month stay in CA a year back..

The staffs are great. They are really friendly and service-oriented. And they give you discount as much as they could, crazy discount sometimes! Give them sometime - they will learn about EBMMs one day, too much fenders and gibsons and ibanezes around.. To me, GC is like a guitar wal-mart, cant blame their staff for not knowing their stuff.. Well, like what fing has brought up, talk to the manager, he should be able to help.

 

[petruccirocks02]

Ok... When was the last album we heard JP use the Ibanez JPM? Liquid Tension Experiment 2? or Falling Into Infinity? I can't remember... I think Scenes From A Memory was already the JP6 right? And that's in 1999? And I sort of remember hanging around the JP forum in those years seeing JP himself selling off his few Ibanez guitars to benefit charity...

Actually Scenes was all the Ibanez. The last time he used the Ibanez was for the first part of the tour, because at the time he was still using his black and white 7, the camo picasso, and a few other JPM's. After that he got his EB's Proto's.

-Phil

 

[Norrin Radd]

This doesn't surprise me at all. Sad really.

When I worked my decade at GC, the best answer I ever gave to customers was "You know what, I don't know - but I can find out for you". Wisdom starts with admitting what you don't know. I found customers appreciated the fact I did not come off as a know it all and were happy that I would diligently seek answers to their questions. I also never offered an opinion unless asked. It's too bad I wasn't as knowledgeable then as I am now - I would have made a much better salesman!

 

[Brand X]

Went to a chain-store in the UK - you know the ones where all they stock is Gibson, Fender, and Marshall amps........anyway - I asked the sales-guy ''How come you've got no MusicMan anymore?'' and the answer that will live with me forever was ''We don't stock them 'caust the necks get dirty when people try them.'

At this point I nearly blew a kidney out of my ass through laughing.

 

[spychocyco]

I've had that salesman before, but not at GC. I'll admit that I've only shopped at one GC, and aside from the case issue, I don't have any problems with them. The salesmen that I've talked to have been helpful and courteous, much more so than my local mom and pop stores. At those, you either can't get help if you go in waving money in the air, or you get a hard-sell on something that you don't want. There are bad salesmen everywhere.

As an example, I went into the local stores a few months ago looking for a new acoustic. I went in looking for a very specific guitar, which they didn't have. I explained that to the salesman, who pointed me to some others. Not being one to see a guitar and not play it, I tried a couple of them. At no point did I give the salesman any indication that I would settle for something other than the guitar I want (I've got a half-dozen I don't really like from doing that, and I'm done with it.) The salesman disappeared and in a few minutes came back, financing agreement in hand, asking me which one of the guitars I was going to buy today, as if it were a foregone conclusion that I was going to buy one of the models he showed me. He lost a sale that day because I was prepared to order the guitar that I wanted it. I ordered it elsewhere.

That hasn't happened to me at GC. I've always been able to tell them politely that I'll let them know if I need some help, and they usually back off. It's why I encouraged my wife to buy from them, and why she ordered my Axis through them.

 

[charlie7]

Went to a chain-store in the UK - you know the ones where all they stock is Gibson, Fender, and Marshall amps........anyway - I asked the sales-guy ''How come you've got no MusicMan anymore?'' and the answer that will live with me forever was ''We don't stock them 'caust the necks get dirty when people try them.'

At this point I nearly blew a kidney out of my ass through laughing.

hahahaahaahhahaah

 

[unclerico]

I really want to scream. I just want to bring a ball over to that store, and smash it on his face.

WHAT A GUITAR NOOB!!!

He also tells me that Petrucci only plays his Ernie Ball guitars live. He asks me, "Would Petrucci play a guitar that only sounds good live in a studio, or the guitars he has been playing for the last 20 years?"

Lol?

Has the noob never seen videos of Petrucci in the studio for 'Systematic Chaos'?

 

[DaPatrooch]

On the subject of EBMMs at Guitar Center, I have a request. BP, is it possible, and I know this is a lot to ask, but is there a chance of more EBMMs at Guitar Centers on the East Coast? Every single Guitar Center I've been to doesn't carry the guitars. To try a Petrucci, my dad took me to New Jersey Guitar and Bass Center, which is supposedly one of the biggest Music Man dealers on the East Coast, but it was an hour away. Boy, did they have great stuff! They had some EVHs, Silo 20ths, Axis hardtails, and other rare things. The JP6 I played was a 2004 LE. The only problem was that it was such a small place, and everyone was on my back when I was testing out guitars. The thing I like about Guitar Center is that you can grab a guitar, go to an amp, and just play in your own little area.

 

[Pittman75]

I agree Petrooch.

I actually bought my JP6 at GC- it was the only one in stock. A week later I went to bring it back because it had a high fret and asked them to ship it for me and they wouldn't. I guess in a week you can make a fret high on guitars now? Anyway- they claimed it was "used". They sold it to me at the new price, however. The moral of the story? Play the guitar before you buy if your at GC. And make friends with the manager. Had I done that- I probably would be playing my Petrucci instead of my ASS right now. Anybody in MA have a EBMM box?

 

[whitestrat]

Went to a chain-store in the UK - you know the ones where all they stock is Gibson, Fender, and Marshall amps........anyway - I asked the sales-guy ''How come you've got no MusicMan anymore?'' and the answer that will live with me forever was ''We don't stock them 'caust the necks get dirty when people try them.'

At this point I nearly blew a kidney out of my ass through laughing.

Actually, this isn't entirely wrong. People try them, they get dirty, no one buys them after, and the store gets stuck with dead stock. I hear them on this... But there's no way round it actually... Not the way EBMM makes their necks...

 

[whitestrat]

Actually Scenes was all the Ibanez. The last time he used the Ibanez was for the first part of the tour, because at the time he was still using his black and white 7, the camo picasso, and a few other JPM's. After that he got his EB's Proto's.

-Phil

It was? But on the Scenes From New York DVD it was balls right?

 

[kneeoh]

It was? But on the Scenes From New York DVD it was balls right?

Yes, JP was using the prototypes for the DVD. If you look carefully, you'll note that the "Home" guitar has the piezo toggle next to the magnetic toggle, and all of them have a more rounded body ala the SS. They likewise have no arm scoop. The recording of "Scenes" was Ibanez. Every album since has been EBMM.

 

[Slingy]

The thing I like about Guitar Center is that you can grab a guitar, go to an amp, and just play in your own little area.

It's also the place where you can find a brand new Luke only two weeks from birth, hanging on the wall strung up with D'Addarios and a string hanging off with a chip in the rosewood glued back in because some nuthead decided to unlock the tuner with full tension and dropped it on something. I really love the deals I can get in these situations though.

 

[Rossie]

Ok... When was the last album we heard JP use the Ibanez JPM? Liquid Tension Experiment 2? or Falling Into Infinity? I can't remember... I think Scenes From A Memory was already the JP6 right? And that's in 1999? And I sort of remember hanging around the JP forum in those years seeing JP himself selling off his few Ibanez guitars to benefit charity...

JP still used his Ibanez during the recording of SFAM...