My first visit to a GC

[J-Nick]

So I was south of the border to visit my girlfriend for the long weekend (she lives in the Boston area) and I wanted to see one of those famous GC stores that we hear so much about on this board. I went to the one on Commonwealth Av. in Brookline (close to the Fenway park).

If you are a F*nder of G*bson fan than this store is for you... Huge selection... As for any other brand: almost nothing. I think they had only one lefty in the whole store (and it was a F*nder)... They did have a very nice Axis ss in honeyburst and a crazy flame top. Very, very nice...

The bass side did seem to have a very nice EBMM selection. They had 2 or 3 30th anniversary and a 2006 limited edition stingray...

Overall, I must say that I was not impressed. I was expecting a much bigger selection. There was nothing in that GC that you wouldn't be able to find in the big music retailer in Canada such as Steve's and Long&Mcquade... And with the canadian dollar doing so well, it wasn't worth buying anything there.

 

[roburado]

Not all Guitar Centers are created equal. Some are much smaller than others. Accordingly, the bigger stores have more stuff and more variety.

Personally, I hate Guitar Center for how noisy the stores always are. I always feel pressured to buy something. I don't think that the guitars are well-kept in many cases. I've seen EBMM guitars (generally the only ones I really care to try) that are missing strings, have corroded strings, etc. I also feel that the GC employees are not as knowledgeable as I'd like them to be.

That being said, I did buy my JP6 at a GC. That's after trying a few that I really didn't care for, because those guitars' set-ups were in even worse than I've written about above. I didn't really get a good gauge on what the guitar was "supposed" to feel like until I tried mine and the fully-loaded mystic dream JP6 that was there at the time. I just got my base model, because (1) I thought I wouldn't use the piezo and (2) I didn't want to pay extra for inlays, matching headstock, and the premium paint job. (I do now, but I'm totally happy with my guitar. I just want more of them. )

 

[J-Nick]

Well I can't say that I have seen any poorly maintained guitars on display. Don't get me wrong, it was a nice store with a nice inventory. I was expecting the small EBMM inventory, this has been covered many times by BP.

I guess that I was just expecting a bigger store. Usually, everything in the US is bigger than in Canada ... but it wasn't the case for this one... maybe it was a small GC.

 

[olorin]

I know that GC on Commonwealth ave very well...thier scammers avoid at all costs. They wanted to sell me a 2 year old fully loaded petrucci with 2 large finish cracks for 1600 plus....yeah right. They have no selection, although I will say if you like low end guitars they are leading the way!!! Try dubaldo music, much better. GC sux...My opinion anyways. Its almost time to get my A@# down to fanueil hall and get my drink on for the 4th. Fireworks on the HAWBAH...

 

[GWDavis28]

J-Nick, I heard that the Danvers one, it's maybe 30 minutes at the most north of Boston has a good selection of EBMM's. I live in the burbs of Mass and the other GC's are just as disappointing.

You went to the store on Commonwealth Ave, that use to be a store call Wurlitzers, but GC bought them out. The other GC's in the area are bigger, with the exception of the North Attleboro store that ones smaller too.

I'm hoping that the Mass GC are gonna get some EBMM inventory in too. the Natick one had 1 EVH, 1 Axis and a bunch of basses, though no Bongo's. they use to have a ton of Bongo's, but they always seemed highon the wall.

Glenn |B)

 

[J-Nick]

I'll check the one in Danvers the next time I go... I picked the one in Brookline because it was the closest the my gf's place (Stoneham).

I love the Boston area... very friendly people, pubs all over the place and great sea food. Fanueil Hall was huber crowded this weekend, very nice atmosphere... Next time I go we also plan on goings to a Red Sox's game... I've heard it's pretty difficult to get tickets though...

Cheers!

 

[olorin]

the danvers one has a Luke, its black with natural headstock thats the only thing EBMM i saw there last week. Maybe they got some more?

 

[GWDavis28]

Olorin, I doubt it.

J-Nick, yah Sox tickets are wicked pricey and unless you get them from somebody who has season tickets your gonna pay thru the nose. Yah because it's the fourth weekend, Boston it's way more crowded than normal.

I grew up in the burbs and have lived here my whole life, I love this area. We are heading to the Cape (aka Cape Cod) this Friday for a nice relaxinf week off!!!

If you haven't been to the cape and the island you should check it out. I use to vacation on Martha's Vineyard, I knew someone that had a house we use to rent.

Good luck at any of the GC in Mass, use the inventory locator on the MM site to see what they've got.

http://www.ernieball.com/mmonline/dealers/ with the zip code 02108 it will show all of the dealer in the area.

Best of luck, Glenn |B)

 

[Tim O'Sullivan]

I went to the CG in Vegas last week, and the thing that impressed me the most was the girl behind the counter had pierced arms!

Seriously, they had a couple of Rosewood Axi and quite a good selection on the whole. Way better than you would get in a store in the UK.

 

[roburado]

I do slag GC, but you can actually find a gem here and there by going from GC to GC. I found a very nice ASS in the L.A. area while looking to try out a Luke. Of course, I found my JP at a GC.

GC are kind of a semi-necessary evil. The chain is so huge, and small mom-and-pop stores generally carry low-end stuff or EBMM basses with few guitars. So, it's probably the easiest way to try out an EBMM guitar unless you can get to a place with a relatively large EBMM collection like Pete's store or Wild West Guitars.

 

[kbaim]

I went to the CG in Vegas last week, and the thing that impressed me the most was the girl behind the counter had pierced arms!

Seriously, they had a couple of Rosewood Axi and quite a good selection on the whole. Way better than you would get in a store in the UK.

This GC seems to be as well stocked with EBMM guitars as any I've been in.

My old bass player said GC has 3 levels of stores A, B, and C. The "A" stores are the highest producing and get the best merch. Not sure how accurate this is...but he was a good bass player.

 

[edensdad]

GC's sold me several pieces of equipment well below internet prices, and I'm happy with them and their selection of most things, but It'd be nice if they had a few EBMMs.

The one here in the Tampa area rarely has any, and when they do it's usually a Bass. When I've asked they usually point out the OLP stuff or tell me they can order one.

We do have a local guy about 60 miles from my house that's always had a great selection of EBMM stuff, but like most smaller stores his pricing is a bit on the high side.

>^..^<

 

[acwild]

I've always been able to get good deals from my local GC. As long as I do my homework beforehand, I never pay retail. The shoddiness of the guitars can be a plus sometimes. I got a great deal on my fully loaded JP7 because the setup basically made it unplayable. The low B string was rusty too. I have no doubt that it turned a lot of people off to it, but that kept it on the rack for me to get a great deal. After a thorough cleanup and setup, this guitar is mint.
I asked why they didn't carry EBMM as I was also looking for an Axis. The saleman said that it's easier to sell Fenders and Gibsons so they won't waste the rack space.