# Guitar center horror stories?



## kevdes93 (Aug 14, 2011)

hey guys.
iveheard on here some really terrible things about guitar center. i went to my local one for the first time and everyone taht worked there were all very smart and helpful guys. also ive heard that people in other places, at the stores near them, the employees were suburban emo scene kids who have never so much as held a guitar before... are there really guitar centers like this? i shudder at the thought...


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## themike (Aug 14, 2011)

I really don't like going there to be honest anymore simply out of personal opinion. I buy guitars and amps from forums, other things I buy on other merchant sites, and small things I try to buy from local shops to support. 

Lastly a majority of their brands are brands I dont use. The things they do have that I would want have been sitting on a wall and have been raped by every kid who knows that Nickelback and Breaking Benjamin use PRS and insists on playing them.


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## -42- (Aug 14, 2011)

I once went to a Guitar Center...











...while I was there a knowledgable and friendly employee helped me make an informed purchase on a reasonably priced guitar that I enjoy playing.


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## JamesM (Aug 14, 2011)

I will never buy anything from Guitar Center. I've had not one enjoyable experience there.


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## Sikthness (Aug 14, 2011)

The Armada said:


> I will never buy anything from Guitar Center. I've had not one enjoyable experience there.


 
Ive had experiences that were not great there. BUt other times the people there have been very helpful. You just gotta find the right employee. If you are going there looking for a guitar/amp purchase that will allow you to best djent, don't let the 50 year old guy with Grateful Dead tats help you. He may or may not be helpful, but you will have better luck with the 25 year old dude who looks the part, or at least claims to know metal. 

I've left disappointed, but have had plenty of experiences where it was obvious I wasn't completely satisfied with the guitars and/or amps I was trying out and the employee was not pushy or anything, and reminded me that its best if I wait it out, instead of rushing into a purchase that I'm not 100% satisfied with. Dunno what bush league Guitar Centers you guys deal with, maybe I'm just lucky.


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## Mordacain (Aug 14, 2011)

I've not had any worse experience at any Guitar Center than any other musical shop. I been to about 5 in as many different states and they were all more or less the same. All had some young clerks but they weren't anymore rude than the older clerks. I've also been allowed ample time to try things out and its usually my first stop when I want to try out an amp (mainly because my local shops tend to have pretty limited stock).

I actually just ordered my Mustang IV from there for their 47th Anniversary sale. Woot for $100 off!


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## Murdstone (Aug 14, 2011)

The GCs that I've been in are all pretty much the same. Employees don't know what they're talking about and are generally biased pricks. I once had to teach their 'tech' how to intonate a low string


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## ChrisRushing (Aug 14, 2011)

It is what it is...basically the Walmart of music gear. Go in with low expectations and you won't be disappointed when you get anything less than shitty service. 
We have two fairly close by and I usually opt for Sam Ashe over them because it is generally less crowded, less noisy and the staff tends to be slightly more informed. GC tends to have a larger selection but I almost never buy anything but strings/picks from these guys. My motive is typically to try it out in store and then buy cheaper somewhere else online or used. 
I think ultimately the store would be 10X better if they would be more dickish about who they let play and at what volumes and for how long. It is obvious that the horde of six year olds playing the roland drum kits are NOT going to drop 3 grand on them. A little common sense would go a long ways in that place.


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## Church2224 (Aug 14, 2011)

If they carried other high end guitars besides PRS and Gibsons I would like it a little bit more. Every time I go they seems to only carry the cheaper models of every guitar manufacturer, so I lose interest quick. 

They also one time forgot to send out my RG1527 to have new pickups installed and waited two weeks to tell me that....

My suggestion would be to buy gear online from places like Guitar Asylum, Drum City Guitar Land, Custom Metal and Classic Guitars, Fuller's Vintage Guitar, Piney Hills, The Axe Palace, Chuck Levin's, Wilhourby's, ect.


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## yingmin (Aug 14, 2011)

ChrisRushing said:


> My motive is typically to try it out in store and then buy cheaper somewhere else online or used.
> I think ultimately the store would be 10X better if they would be more dickish about who they let play and at what volumes and for how long. It is obvious that the horde of six year olds playing the roland drum kits are NOT going to drop 3 grand on them. A little common sense would go a long ways in that place.



The reason they let you try out whatever you want is so that you buy it from them, and whether or not you think of it as a service, it is. You're taking advantage of their merchandise and their employees and giving nothing in return. If you go in there fully intending to buy somewhere else, you really have no right to ask anything of them. To do this, and then complain that they're not more selective about whom they allow to test out equipment, is hypocrisy. If they see you come in to the store and try out equipment multiple times, and never buy anything besides picks and strings, at what point would they be justified in cutting you off?


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## WarriorOfMetal (Aug 14, 2011)

kevdes93 said:


> hey guys.
> iveheard on here some really terrible things about guitar center. i went to my local one for the first time and everyone taht worked there were all very smart and helpful guys. also ive heard that people in other places, at the stores near them, the employees were suburban emo scene kids who have never so much as held a guitar before... are there really guitar centers like this? i shudder at the thought...



Assuming that the closest GC to you is the one near Albany, NY, I'd urge you to support local (well, regional in this case) businesses and go to Daddy's in Springfield instead.


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## misingonestring (Aug 14, 2011)

I haven't had any real problems at the guitar centers I went to. (Pittsburgh, PA Boardman, OH)


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## fwd0120 (Aug 14, 2011)

Ya know, I gotta agree with the OP and -42-. The talahasee GC is fine. This may be attributed that their staff is all over the age of `30, but they were all professional and fairly knowledgeable. Granted, they aren't great at setting up edge-equipped guitars (neither are any techs down here in stratland). But I say I had a good experience there, and I bought my RG that i totally cherish!


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## Thep (Aug 14, 2011)

Is it me or is it getting a bit old bashing on Guitar Center?

Yes, we all know that it sucks and they are all douches. I don't go there to make friends, seek expertise advice, or to djent on BRJ w/ BKPs through AxeFX IIs and Vaders. It is what it is: cheap and convenient when you need something immediately, with some good used finds that pop up here and there.


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## SirMyghin (Aug 14, 2011)

The Long and Macquade (Canadas big music store) is excellent in Burlington, but my favourite shop is the G&L/PRS/ibby (I think they carry ibby) and such shop. I prefer shopping there as they are a smaller store, and stock G&L. The store owner was very helpful and dilligent when I was hammering out to get my G&L orderred so he earned my business.


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## Sicarius (Aug 14, 2011)

North Houston Guitar Center's pretty alright, too.

The guy I bought my LTD from knows his shit, and I've ran into him a few times out of work, dude's cool. Can't remember his name though..

It's a store. Just like any other store, your experience is going to differ from employee to employee. Some people there are there because they like Basses or drums and get roped into helping out other sections. Shit happens. If your area is predominantly a haven for Hipsters and douche bags, then that's what's going to fill the "young person" slot in the store.

It's not really the "Wal-Mart" of guitar stores. It could be a lot worse.


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## Explorer (Aug 14, 2011)

I've never had a problem with Guitar Center. I've bought gear, returned gear, tried gear, special ordered a few things, and so on.

Like all franchises and stores, one will find better employees and lesser employees. If it's not critical and I know what I want, I'll stick with the lesser employees and explain why one thing is better for a particular application. Often they're interested in learning.

I've read a lot of topics on a forum called something like, oh, The Pedal Page where people bash Guitar Center, and then it turns out the posters were engaging in less than stellar behavior themselves. There are two sides to every story, and I'm glad I don't have to deal with some people and those behaviors. "How can the employees there not know about this particular obscure and niche item? How can they not stock it? Even though I get my information from the only website dealing in all this minutiae (and spending a *lot* of time there), shouldn't everyone there do the same? What, do they have *lives*?!" *laugh*

----

It's nice to go in with no expectations, and just let them do their best. "Wow! 8 strings! A gigbag? That's a huge headstock, let me see... Yup, this Fender bag, what do you think? Great!" 

"Naw... if you want to get the best out of that modeler, you'll want to hit the Keyboard room. Otherwise it's gonna sound fizzy." 

There are good employees out there... but if you already know everything, then there's no way to find out if someone might know more. 

----

Last point? Form relationships. The kids in accessories know that I'll be back, and that I ask for them by name. Other departments know the same. I don't waste a lot of their time, but they know that I'm okay with their making a living. I'm not even above making suggestions to other customers to seal sales. 

Basically, treating others decently pays off. When someone lets you know that they'll knock some points off a keyboard whenever you want, or that they've gotten something in which they know I'll be interested in, I view it as an acknowledgment of reciprocal respect. 

Treat others in the world as you wish that world to be. Often, others will rise to the occasion.


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## Demiurge (Aug 14, 2011)

Certainly, they hire a lot of people that seem to be inexperienced rubes. If you, however, have what amounts to a "horror story" with a store like this, maybe it's not the employees that are the most inexperienced rubes involved.


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## BIG ND SWEATY (Aug 14, 2011)

i think ultimate-guitar has a thread going about this, check it out for some really bad stuff


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## jaketheripper (Aug 15, 2011)

Church2224 said:


> Drum City Guitar Land



The store is about an hour drive away, but its worth it every time. I can't go in there without buying something! Great guys and great service. They take care of every guitar and have an amazing selection. I have nothing but good things to say about them.  I don't need to order anything from them because i can go to the store, but i don't doubt that its still great, i know they set everything up before they ship it.


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## ittoa666 (Aug 15, 2011)

I don't mind guitar center. Their products aren't anything great, but they have the strings I like and such. I don't have a problem with them, but I'd much rather go somewhere better. There's a place in VA Beach called alpha music, and they clean every guitar after you play it. Very nice, and the people are always knowledgeable.


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## Repner (Aug 15, 2011)

I've never been to one since I've never been to the US before, but I love the stories I've heard about them.

Come on guys. We need some dirt here


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## edsped (Aug 15, 2011)

I've met some cool guys, employee and patron alike, just from playing through some of the floor stuff to kill some time or try out something. Of course some of the employees might try to pressure you into buying something and some of them might not know what the hell they're talking about, but it's not like I come there seeking their expertise on anything. It's easy enough to just politely (or not so politely) fend them off.


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## Dayn (Aug 15, 2011)

I went to their online store once. I checked the items available for international purchases... _and there was nothing there_.

It's scary if you're Australian.


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## yingmin (Aug 15, 2011)

Dayn said:


> I went to their online store once. I checked the items available for international purchases... _and there was nothing there_.
> 
> It's scary if you're Australian.



The international shipping part of it is pretty recent. I don't know if it's entirely operational yet, but there will probably be kinks to work out for a while. Really, I'm just curious how vendor agreements are going to play into this. Obviously, if you folks could buy something like a 6505+ for what we pay ($1200ish), nobody will want to buy one from a local shop where they're two to three times as much.


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## Scruffy1012 (Aug 15, 2011)

Line 6 spider. Need i not go further.


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## VILARIKA (Aug 15, 2011)

axle1 said:


> Line 6 spider. Need i not go further.



Of all the amplifiers that are available in GC, there is always one person playing with a Line 6 spider. Always.


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## Malkav (Aug 15, 2011)

yingmin said:


> Obviously, if you folks could buy something like a 6505+ for what we pay ($1200ish), nobody will want to buy one from a local shop where they're two to three times as much.


 
This is pretty much the situation we have in SA, people can buy guitars from American online retailers at a price that's basically a miniscule amount up from the landed cost the agents get them at.


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## Nonservium (Aug 15, 2011)

I kind of enjoy the one closest to me. The employees are cool, most are younger but even the old coots are great guys. I've ordered several guitars through them and not had an issue aside from the RGA8's bridge problem but that's not on them. In fact, I've got an RGD2120z coming in this week.


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## toiletstand (Aug 15, 2011)

Once I asked the girl working by the strings for a .068 string for guitar. She handed me a bass string.


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## Murdstone (Aug 15, 2011)

tltstand said:


> Once I asked the girl working by the strings for a .068 string for guitar. She handed me a bass string.



The biggest string any GC I've been to has is usually around a .054. I wouldn't put too much blame on her.


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## Konfyouzd (Aug 15, 2011)

Usually when I go into a Guitar Center I know what I'm looking for so I don't really *need* the sales ppl except to get me the guitars that are really high up on the wall.


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## exo (Aug 15, 2011)

I've had nothing but good experiences with my local GC staff. It's not just because they recognize me and i've dropped a lot of cash there in the last 6 months, either. they treated me the same way when I was just dropping by every month or so to grab a few packs of strings. they're all generally helpful, willing to talk to you long enough to find out what you're _actually_ looking for in an amp/instrument, and more than cool enough to deal with. i have to wonder if part of the deal isn't that some of the GCs in some of the more metropolitan areas just have some employees jaded by the excess amount of bullshit they deal with because of the higher foot traffic thru the store.


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## MaxOfMetal (Aug 15, 2011)

I've lived in four different states, and have visited close to five times that number in the past. Needless to say I've been to many a Guitar Center, and to be honest I've NEVER had an experience I'd call a "horror story", in fact I can't really say that I've ever really had too negative an experience overall.

I've bought probably close to $10,000 worth of gear over the past decade or so from Guitar Center, and I've had some issues with those products here and there, and to be honest Guitar Center has taken better care of me than many of the smaller family owned shops I've bought from. 

It's easy to pick on the big guys of the retail world, but at the end of the day, from what I've seen they're usually a hell of a lot more helpful than smaller businesses. Granted you often have to meet them half way, something the buying public seems dead set on not doing. 

I think this is the twentieth or thirtieth "GC is Bad" thread I've seen since I've signed up to this place and not ONCE have a I seen a "GC is Good" thread. 

Here's one of my not-horror stories:

Back in about 07' I purchased an MXR M-80 Bass D.I.+, great pedal by the way, especially if you want something that's not an over driven SVT like the Sansamp. After owning the pedal for a couple months, a friend of mine came over to jam, and after a case....or three of beer he managed to spill a bottle, accidentally, all over my pedal board. Thinking I would have to just pick up another M-80 (for ~$100 it wasn't a big deal), I ran down to the Guitar Center in Hallendale, Florida. I brought the dead M-80 in it's box, just to see if they could have it repaired or something via MXR. When I explained my story to the guy at the counter, he simply grabbed my dead M-80, and handed me a brand new one in box. He said "Don't worry about it, happens to pedals a lot, we'll just get MXR are to send us another". Just like that.


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## Razzy (Aug 15, 2011)

MaxOfMetal said:


> I've lived in four different states, and have visited close to five times that number in the past. Needless to say I've been to many a Guitar Center, and to be honest I've NEVER had an experience I'd call a "horror story", in fact I can't really say that I've ever really had too negative an experience overall.
> 
> I've bought probably close to $10,000 worth of gear over the past decade or so from Guitar Center, and I've had some issues with those products here and there, and to be honest Guitar Center has taken better care of me than many of the smaller family owned shops I've bought from.
> 
> ...



+1 to this entire post. I love my Guitar Center. I know every single employee there by name, and they all know me. My main sales guy and I are always trading licks and cool arpeggio shapes, and he always lets me know if something cool comes in that he knows I'd be interested in. No, some of the guys aren't the most knowledgeable, but they're all very friendly and love just chatting gear. It beats the Hell out of the several Mom & Pop shops Amarillo has had over the years, with know-it-all, rude, old blues guitarists working behind the counter.


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## synrgy (Aug 15, 2011)

As in all retail, it's not the store/chain/corporation; it's the employees that make the difference.

I've never had a bad experience at a GC, but I will say that the employees in Fairfax have been much friendlier/knowledgeable than the employees in Arlington.


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## synrgy (Aug 15, 2011)

Razzy said:


> with know-it-all, rude, old blues guitarists working behind the counter.



+eleventy bajillion, there! 

Honestly, I feel like the mom&pop places I've been to don't even let prospective buyers _look_ at half of their inventory, let alone actually lay a hand on any of it. There have been exceptions of course, but what you describe seems to be more of the rule.


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## Behaving_badly (Aug 15, 2011)

Never really had a bad experience, the one around me doesn't really have a high douche meter other than kids playing avenged sevenfold way too loud and way to sloppy on the Line6s and the scene-core style of most of the staff.

one story that isn't really horror
I went in and was playing a Gibson Explorer that I was looking to buy, I was about 15-16 at the time and it was going to be my first big guitar purchase. I was asking the sales guy lots of quesions about it and he was just like "yeah I really don't know much about this kind of guitar." 
I go back next week and play the same guitar and coincidentally have that same guy as my "I'm going to try to sell you stuff so I can get a good paycheck" tag along and he seemed to know all about the guitar! At least he went home and had done his homework


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## Grand Moff Tim (Aug 15, 2011)

I only have one GC story, and it has both positive and negative aspects. None really "horror" caliber, though.

I had just come back from a deployment to the Persian Gulf, so I had a fat wad of cash burning a hole in my pocket (well, check card... but still). I walked in to GC, and when I was approached by an employee asking if I needed help, I just said "I'm lookg to drop about a grand on a guitar today, I'll come get _you_ when I've found something." Guess what? They left me the hell alone until I asked for help. It was as simple as letting them know that that's how I roll.

I went in wanting either an alpine white flying V or an ebony SG. They only had that awful dark red finish flying V, so I picked up an ebony SG Special. I fiddled around with it for a bit, liked how it felt, and asked an employee if it came with a case. He wasn't sure, so he went to go check. While he was away, I noticed that the Gibson logo was friggin' _peeling off_ of the headstock, and was instantly put off. The employee hadn't come back, so I was wandering aimlessly around that little corner of the store when I spied the Teles. I went to pick up a butterscotch blonde tele, and noticed it had what looked like a chunk of hard candy stuck to it, as if some kid had been getting his djent on using a tootsie pop as a pick. 

Not wanting to deal with that mess, I picked up the sunburst American standard next to it, and fell in love almost instantly. I knew I liked teles from when I had a MIM Stanard on layaway a few years back (which I traded in-store for a Hamer Slammer superstrat before even paying the tele off), but this one was just on a different level.

When the employee came back with whatever he had found out about the SG case (I don't even remember at this point, I had stopped caring the moment I picked up the tele), I said I wanted the tele instead, and he went to check if there was a case for _that_. When he came back, he said that for some reason they didn't have as many cases as they had American teles, but if I wanted I could just have a case from one of their American strats (complete with strat case candy and tremelo arm ), so I said hell yes and bought my new tele.

The ups? The employees were friendly, cooperative, helpful, and really seemed eager to make sure I went home satisfied. To top it off, I don't think I overpaid for it at all. I dropped about $1100, and that _can't_ have been much more than the American standards were going for online back in '05.

The downs? Um... a guitar with a piece of candy stuck to it is a down, I guess. I know they have _alot_ of guitars to look after in a GC, so I don't usually complain too much when a guitar is a little dusty, out of tune, or has old funky strings. A chunk of a tootsie pop, though, was a bit over the top. I suppose another down would be not having cases on hand for all guitars that are supposed to come with one according to the manufacturer, but I'm willing to bet that could be due to factors outside of their control, like sending faulty cases back to the factory, or replacing cases that customers come in having spilled one too many beers on (lol Max).

Would I buy another guitar from a GC? From that particular one? Sure. Why not?


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## Lagtastic (Aug 15, 2011)

It's not that the GC near me is bad, it's just the fact that the SamAsh 30 minutes away has much more knowledgeable staff, and much more gear to try out. The head of the SamAsh guitar dept, Martin, went out of his way to get info about a custom 8 string I wanted same day, and tracked down a specific guitar I wanted that happened to be in stock at the Orlando, FL store. Even gave me a discount on it without me even asking.

The GC in our city usually has more customers than the staff can handle, so they have a very nonchalant attitude. There's barely space to walk in there most afternoons. Forget about trying out an amp in peace. Don't even think of going there on a weekend. Plus there's no sound proof room with a selection of amps/heads to play with like at SamAsh.


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## toiletstand (Aug 15, 2011)

Murdstone said:


> The biggest string any GC I've been to has is usually around a .054. I wouldn't put too much blame on her.




wasnt. but im still in the fetal position recovering!


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## Swirljem1224 (Aug 16, 2011)

Lol i watch some kids break a headstock off a 1000 dollar neck thur jackson and run out.I told the guitar tech that the was in the vault room dimebaging the whammy bar and holding the guitar upside down by the bar.They told me there was nothing the could say to them unless the broke something....... ten mins later snapped headstock


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## tbb529 (Aug 16, 2011)

I've had good experiences with GC every time I've gone. One particular instance, they called my house phone to let my dad know that there was apparently some store credit on his account, so I drove up to GC to use it. Once I got there, the employee in the drum department couldn't find the credit we were called about. I didn't think it was that big a deal, but out of nowhere a manager appeared and gave me two 20 dollar gift cards and apologized for the confusion. Definitely the best GC experience I've had.


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## GalacticDeath (Aug 16, 2011)

I've made friends with some of the employees at my guitar center. Sure there are some workers that are less experienced than others. But for the most part I'd say they're pretty experienced and knowledgeable in their areas.


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## Dead Undead (Aug 17, 2011)

yingmin said:


> The reason they let you try out whatever you want is so that you buy it from them, and whether or not you think of it as a service, it is. You're taking advantage of their merchandise and their employees and giving nothing in return. If you go in there fully intending to buy somewhere else, you really have no right to ask anything of them. To do this, and then complain that they're not more selective about whom they allow to test out equipment, is hypocrisy. If they see you come in to the store and try out equipment multiple times, and never buy anything besides picks and strings, at what point would they be justified in cutting you off?



Then why is it that it's all cool when I just chill out in GC but when I actually buy something I get dirty looks? I went to a GC once and the employee was awesome until I went to purchase my Green Rhino and he seemed to get all pissy.

I've never had a problem with the employees at the GC in Jacksonville (more knowledgeable and experienced than other GC employees I've run into...), but the problem there is the selection. Nothing but Gibson and Fender. Luckily they get some good used gear in from time to time.


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## soliloquy (Aug 17, 2011)

not a guitar center, but a music store...

i went in to an instrument store with my girlfriend just to explain to her the difference between different guitars and giving her a crash-course through it all. when it came to binding, i happened to come across a hagstorm that had a spalted veneer top on it with a 3 ply binding on the top with an ivoroid binding on the side. i said that most guitars that have a figured maple cap dont have binding, as it shows how thick the maple cap is. however, guitars that have binding for the most part either have a plain maple cap topped with a veneer, OR no maple cap, just a body topped with a figured veneer top.

the owner of the store heard me and started yelling at me saying that thats not true, as hagstrom has a FULL 20 cm spalted maple cap (i dont think the body alone is 20 cm thick...). i challenged him saying that for 200 dollars, you really think the entire thickness is spalted? we went back and forth for a bit until i hit the never on the guy by saying 'okay, then why dont you remove the pickups and show me! he kicked me out the store...


then a few days later, i was back in that store again. this time a kid and his parents were in the store, and the kid said he wanted to buy a guitar that he can play metal on, and an amp to go with it. the sales clerk pulled out a tele with a lipstick neck pickup (no bridge pickup) and a blues jr. amp saying 'this is THE PERFECT metal guitar! even kerry king and james hetfield use this set up!' and kept going on and on about how perfect this set up is. the dad said 'okay, i'll grab it. but i like to have a new guitar, not a floor model'. so the clerk went to the back to see if he has one in a box. thats when i stepped in saying 'RUN! there is a nice guitar store down the street that actually has employees who know what they are talking about! or, if you wanna take a chance, try rondomusic.com. but dont get anything from this guy!' and went on and on about how stupid the sales clerk is and how he is lying about EVERYTHING and is selling you the most expensive set of stuff a beginner would not use, nor waht he needs!

by the time the sales clerk came back, he thought something was fishy as the family wasn't there anymore. he called his boss, who was that same jerk yelling about the spalted maple cap. this time around he banned me from the store.

they really dont like me there...


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## Cheesebuiscut (Aug 17, 2011)

Murdstone said:


> The biggest string any GC I've been to has is usually around a .054. I wouldn't put too much blame on her.



Thats nuts, the biggest they usually have around me is 46. 

You ask for a .052 and they stare at you like your crazy, well used to my more recent trips seem to have all the old minded guys leaving and a bunch of fresh friendly guys coming in.


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## Dead Undead (Aug 17, 2011)

soliloquy said:


> not a guitar center, but a music store...
> 
> 
> ...then a few days later, i was back in that store again. this time a kid and his parents were in the store, and the kid said he wanted to buy a guitar that he can play metal on, and an amp to go with it. the sales clerk pulled out a tele with a lipstick neck pickup (no bridge pickup) and a blues jr. amp saying 'this is THE PERFECT metal guitar! even kerry king and james hetfield use this set up!' and kept going on and on about how perfect this set up is. the dad said 'okay, i'll grab it. but i like to have a new guitar, not a floor model'. so the clerk went to the back to see if he has one in a box. thats when i stepped in saying 'RUN! there is a nice guitar store down the street that actually has employees who know what they are talking about! or, if you wanna take a chance, try rondomusic.com. but dont get anything from this guy!' and went on and on about how stupid the sales clerk is and how he is lying about EVERYTHING and is selling you the most expensive set of stuff a beginner would not use, nor waht he needs!
> ...



...You did the right thing.


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## simulclass83 (Aug 17, 2011)

soliloquy said:


> not a guitar center, but a music store...
> 
> i went in to an instrument store with my girlfriend just to explain to her the difference between different guitars and giving her a crash-course through it all. when it came to binding, i happened to come across a hagstorm that had a spalted veneer top on it with a 3 ply binding on the top with an ivoroid binding on the side. i said that most guitars that have a figured maple cap dont have binding, as it shows how thick the maple cap is. however, guitars that have binding for the most part either have a plain maple cap topped with a veneer, OR no maple cap, just a body topped with a figured veneer top.
> 
> ...


You sir, are a winner.


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## ZEBOV (Aug 17, 2011)

I haven't really had a bad experience at Guitar Center, but not an especially good one neither. The employees tend to know what they're talking about, but the Guitar Center nearby just doesn't fit my tastes for anything except cables. They won't order any gear that I'm interested in (like Ibanez Prestige basses, Cerwin Vega 21" folded horn subwoofers, etc.) unless I pay for it first, which really sucks. They'll have no more than one 7 string guitar, and it's always a low end Schecter. According to an employee that seems to know his stuff, they have never had an 8 string guitar in stock while he's been working there. When I asked if he's ever heard of an RG2228, he said "Yeah, that's what Tosin Abasi plays." He was certainly familiar with guitars.
The only bad experience I've had there, which is just more annoying than bad, was when I was in the PA room, and every time I touched something that could conduct electricity, I'd get a harsh shock from static. That only happened on one visit out of several. 
I won't go to the local Guitar Center anymore because they just don't fit my tastes. I've never had a particularly bad experience though.


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