[Rick]

Originally Posted by zimbloth

Rick, I hate to say it but I think you lose in this situation for even considering purchasing a poweramp from a place like GC and/or expecting competence from their burnt out employees.

Just scour eBay for something decent, perhaps the Mesa 20/20 or 50/50 or maybe even a Carvin tube poweramp.

I was just seeing if they sold any so I could compare prices to eBay.

Originally Posted by Metal Ken

Its a well known fact that people who work in the electronics dept. dont know shit about electronics, dunno about the rest of the walmart.

I work in electronics at the Sam's Club near my place and I actually do know a little about it. I'm still learning.

Originally Posted by Benzesp

Dude dont buy from GC, keep it local. Support real Austin business. Try Music Makers or South Austin Music. At least the people there are knowledgable.

Shoot for a used 2:90 dude, you wont regret it.

Cool, I'll keep searching. I haven't been to MM in a while.

[Drew]

GC is hit or miss. I've dealt with some EXCELLENT sales people there, and some pretty lousy ones. You just go in there, try out what you need to, and learn to identify and fend off the morons.

[Rick]

I guess I was just hoping for a miracle.

[kristallin]

Originally Posted by playstopause

Well Wal-Mart sell just about anything, from food to clothes. GC are music instruments stores. So they're specialized in a specific field. Even within each store, there is departments. A seller in the drums departement won't work in the bass department, right? So if a seller works in the guitar and amps department, he should AT LEAST know his shit a bit.

How my GC worked was whoever got hired first got placed in the department with the hiring need, regardless of area of expertise. This way you'd end up with drummers behind the accessories counter this week, and in PA next week, guitarists trying to sell in drums, and so on. I spent more time trying to educate my colleagues, or in other words saving the store's sales numbers, than actually worrying about my own commission.

[playstopause]

Originally Posted by kristallin

How my GC worked was whoever got hired first got placed in the department with the hiring need, regardless of area of expertise. This way you'd end up with drummers behind the accessories counter this week, and in PA next week, guitarists trying to sell in drums, and so on. I spent more time trying to educate my colleagues, or in other words saving the store's sales numbers, than actually worrying about my own commission.

Wow, that's just

[Spinedriver]

Personally, I'd prefer to buy locally simply for the fact that in case something breaks (like my Pod XT did twice in the first year), I can take it right in & get it serviced for free (with the warranty of course). Whereas when buying online, especially used stuff, you're taking the seller's (assuming it's not an online store) word that it's in the shape that actually is, let alone the fact that either a) they may or may not actually ship it or b) it won't get damaged or lost.

Like others have said though, most local shops just don't have the kind of selection online stores have access to. I mean out of the 2 or 3 shops here in town, the only non-tube head for sale is an Ibanez Tone-Blaster, even though there are dozens more available. Their sales are targeted to bedroom / basement band players who are mostly looking for cheap Epiphones or Fenders and combo amps. Mind you, one store just recently started stocking a few Mesa heads, so at least it's a start. Now if only they'd handle a little used gear, it'd be soooo much better.

[InTheRavensName]

thomann \m/ or ebay. I ask here for some guidance, order up and return or sell on if it's not what I want. Soundcontrol had some genuinely decent guys, but their stock selection was limited to Crate, Line 6, Marshall, Gibson, Fender, Schecter, Dean. Foulds is a good little place, and the guys in the guitar section are absolutely sound, but it's a little place, so a) not much choice (a few Ibbys, low end ESPs and Jacksons, hardly any amps) and b) it's expensive, because they can't order in bulk