WTF is wrong w/ GC?

egan.

egan.

daylightdies.com
Dec 28, 2002
5,431
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38
NorCal
www.daylightdies.com
Just another guitar center complaint....
I went in to try some basses out. GC has put most of the (local stores that kept decent stock out of biz.)
I pulled down a stingray 5 and the action was so low open notes wouldn't sound....just that 'zinnnc' sound. A $1600 bass and they don't bother to even keep it playable.
Ok. Pulled down a warwick thumb......the action was 3/4" at the 12th fret. $3k and unplayable.
WTF is wrong w/ this chain? Obviously neither Musicman or Warwick ship instruments like this. How is it possible to ignore issues like this? Surely GC would make (even) more $$ if the cared at all.
 
GC was sold to a private company last week. Usually that means the end is near.
 
Hey bra, check out this axe, it's the one you want to buy bra. Wow, you're a great player, man are you in a band? So let's go over to the cash register bra. You want some batteries with that bra? How about some extra strings? How about this limited edition U2 Edge guitar bra? It was made for you bra. Here, let me show you some licks bra...
 
Yo, I work for the GC corp. Not the retail store, but I know how it goes. Day in day out, you have people come in a jam on these guitars, and not always treat them with care. While most manufacturers (good ones) send the guitars setup, many are received with poor setup even due to just shipping.

I do think it would be in the customers interest to have someone there who can perform setups (most GCs have a luthier on location) but the time it takes to maintain everything that comes in and out of there is just not reasonable. If you are serious about getting something high end, tell them. I'm sure they will get it up and ready for you. Most of the times though, kids come in and want to jam high end guitars when they can't even afford a nice ESP.

On another note: GC corp was recently purchased - but the president and all operations will remain the same. This is so we can expand over into Europe. In fact GC just bought out one of the competitors, so if anything we are expanding.
 
I went to GC once and the guitar guy was seting up a Guitar, because it has arrived like shit, maybe employes in some stores are just lazy
 
wishtheend said:
I do think it would be in the customers interest to have someone there who can perform setups (most GCs have a luthier on location) but the time it takes to maintain everything that comes in and out of there is just not reasonable. If you are serious about getting something high end, tell them. I'm sure they will get it up and ready for you. Most of the times though, kids come in and want to jam high end guitars when they can't even afford a nice ESP.
Click to expand...

I can understand not setting up every $200 starter pack that comes in the door, but in the $1000+ range it's ridiculous for things to not be playable. I'm not even saying perfect-- I'm talking about instruments being tuneable and having strings that actually vibrate when you hit them.
There are plenty of corporate-efficiency, cost vs. benefit reasons why this couldn't happen. Frankly tho, I don't give a shit. The staff is an issue all of it's own, but I'm complaining about the disrepair of the merchandise.
I'm definitely not going to call in advance and ask them to fix the instruments so I can buy one-- I wouldn't call a car dealership and ask them to inflate the tires before I got there either.
 
Well, everything isn't perfect so don't complain. You can always suggest to them or do something so that at least your comments are heard. But it is really the employees. There are guys at the MF warehouse that will setup and even put your favorite set of strings on a guitar before it ships out. It just comes down to the person and their passion.

You'll call ahead a pizza, but won't for a guitar? I guess then you really aren't wanting to play it. If there was an instrument that I was serious about purchasing I would have no problem making them set it up. In the end, they will do what you want. You can hook up whatever guitar to whatever amp, they'll bust out pedals for you.

I guess if they just stopped allowing instruments to be played on altogether, then they can ensure the setup. I guess it just bothers me how it's the big old bad companies fault.

I have seen beautiful guitars come in from high end manufacturers that still had issues. Hell, I had a Martin guitar arrive UNFINISHED. Seriously, mistakes happen. Even the people who build the guitars are human.
 
wishtheend said:
Well, everything isn't perfect so don't complain. You can always suggest to them or do something so that at least your comments are heard. ....

You'll call ahead a pizza, but won't for a guitar? I guess then you really aren't wanting to play it. If there was an instrument that I was serious about purchasing I would have no problem making them set it up. ...

I have seen beautiful guitars come in from high end manufacturers that still had issues. Hell, I had a Martin guitar arrive UNFINISHED.
Click to expand...

You're right. You totally got me. I drove to guitar center and pulled down multi-thousand $ instruments b/c I didn't want to play them. I should have called ahead and asked them to set up every 5-string over $1k. After all, It's my responsibility as a customer. I should probably throw down a credit card, CV, and endorsement list to prove I'm 'serious' enough too.
Give me a break. This wasn't some random unfounded generalization-- This was my real experience in a real store.

How can I be 'serious about purchasing' an instrument that is unplayable?
And it is a company issue. Great employees will be great. But, certainly the company can dictate policy that would encourage employees to feel a sense of ownership and responsibility for the stock. Frankly, the fact that you're incensed about my disappointment is symptomatic of the problem.

BTW, these issues are not b/c people played these basses. Necks don't go slack b/c some kid did a shitty victor wooten impression. Maybe these instruments did arrive that way. So what? You didn't put that unfinished Martin on the rack did you?
I don't know, perhaps I've just been lucky but my 'D' bass is a $400 ibanez that has NEVER been set up and since I bought it in 1995 and it still plays well.....not perfect...but certainly playable....which is all I was asking of brand new instruments costing 5-times more at GC. It really didn't seem unreasonable to ask. Perhaps I was wrong.

edit:
I feel like perhaps I didn't articulate just how bad these instruments were. These basses didn't have "bad action" they seriously could not be played. The stingrays strings were laying on the frets making it so NOTES WOULDN'T SOUND. The Warwick had action like an upright bass, so there was so much slack in the neck it seemed like there was no truss rod tension at all. Now, I've been playing quite a long time and have taken instruments on planes (baggage handlers), tours (50deg. Fahrenheit difference from stage to trailer) and subjected them to tons of abuse and have NEVER seen an instrument get that screwed up before. Let alone if it's just hanging on a wall. So I was really taken aback at the condition of the instruments. The fact that it was more than one lead me to the conclusion that this wasn't an anomaly.

Also..I did tell the salesman about the issues. And he set them on the rack behind the counter and told me about humidity. haha.
 
I remember ordering my Vintech Dual 72 back in late 2000 from one of the Detroit locations.

One guy was cool about it, but he was still a bit of a trainee. He brings me over to the counter to talk to the kid in charge. He pulls up the order on the computer, his eyes widen, then gives me a dirty look: "Neve? What the hell do you need that for?"

Me: "Actually, it's a Neve copy."

Him: "Yeah, well..... what do you want...."

I cut him off: "Are you going to order it or not?"

What a douchebag! Needless to say, I order all my really cool gear from Vintage King these days. At least they don't give me additude for buying something nice.... unlike that jealous little prick at GC.


Another GC mistake: I bought my Schecter from them about 2 days before last Christmas. The staff was cool. Although I had to call about 4 different locations till I found one in Canton, Mi. The guy running the guitar department held the guitar in the back for about 3 hours to give me time to cross the border & drive out there. The setup was great, but then again, Schecter sets them up right in the factory. Even signed by the guy who did it. Regardless, even though the staff was great, the GC was full of young people with almost no musical skill. I counted 1 good player in the shop. But this was 2 days before Christmas. Can you imagine how deafening the place was? Next time, I'm bringing earplugs!
 
OzNimbus said:
I remember ordering my Vintech Dual 72 back in late 2000 from one of the Detroit locations.

One guy was cool about it, but he was still a bit of a trainee. He brings me over to the counter to talk to the kid in charge. He pulls up the order on the computer, his eyes widen, then gives me a dirty look: "Neve? What the hell do you need that for?"

Me: "Actually, it's a Neve copy."

Him: "Yeah, well..... what do you want...."

I cut him off: "Are you going to order it or not?"

What a douchebag! Needless to say, I order all my really cool gear from Vintage King these days. At least they don't give me additude for buying something nice.... unlike that jealous little prick at GC.


Another GC mistake: I bought my Schecter from them about 2 days before last Christmas. The staff was cool. Although I had to call about 4 different locations till I found one in Canton, Mi. The guy running the guitar department held the guitar in the back for about 3 hours to give me time to cross the border & drive out there. The setup was great, but then again, Schecter sets them up right in the factory. Even signed by the guy who did it. Regardless, even though the staff was great, the GC was full of young people with almost no musical skill. I counted 1 good player in the shop. But this was 2 days before Christmas. Can you imagine how deafening the place was? Next time, I'm bringing earplugs!
Click to expand...

Yeah... I'm tired of "Stairway to Heaven" and "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and just about every early Metallica song because I used to shop at GC so much...
 
Yeah I never really liked my experiences at Guitar Center either. The guys there are usually wannabe musicians who think if they know a Kirk Hammett solo they are a guitar god. I will say though that when I was browsing their audio section the guy was insanely knowledgeable about pretty much everything, which was nice. Maybe he worked off commission, ha. But yeah...Guitar Center really isn't that great. I remember playing a PRS Custom 24 there and the action was awful. What a shame.
 
I cant stand that place because of the elitist attitude of some of the workers. they are either emo snobs or jam band snobs at the guitar center near me(n. attleboro ,ma.) The gear is allways missing parts or set up like one of those old silvertone acoustics I here what egan is saying about the basses too. I like to play bass as well as guitar and when i used to shop there I would play the warwicks and they played well up untill a few years ago when the emo snob revolution overtook that store now I either go to boston guitar works(great selection of high end gear!) and ray mullen music . I can be sure that the guitars and basses are all ways set up and the amps are hooked up w/out some asshole in girl pants staring at me trying to sell me this ultra cool vintage orange amp or what ever they deem to be good.
 
Around these parts, its kind of reversed (for the most part). The small mom and pop stores are the ones who bug you, push you to get the expensive Gibson, high amp, or old school goodie. AND, their always breathing down your back, eyeballing you. Also, their not the emo crew or what not, their sort of the elitist jam band, blues, rock/hard rock guys. Actually, I'm just talking about one store in general (I loath the place). Now, down in Nashville, the Guitar Center is a cool place, and they really don't bug you about anything and the gear is setup well. Although, the absolute BEST times I've ever had in a gear store was when Mars Music was still around. Its was like a big candy store, everything was setup perfect, and you could play anything. I remember firing up a Triple Rec. with an LTD seven string, and all one of the floor guys asked was, "Everything cool here? You cool, dude? Awesome, if you need anything, yell." And he just walked off.
 
The GCs here in VA are all pretty good. Never had a bad experience. I've never bought a guitar from them but I have purchased amps, cymbals, accesories, etc. Almost always helpful and I've never had an problem with some emo kid.

Just like any chain, there will be good stores and bad stores. I bet it comes down to the management at the particular location.
 
I don't mean to bag on the emo kids but they have over taken the store in my area and they are snobby as hell. the jam band guys are just the same, I worked for a guitar shop for a bit who serviced most of the guitar centers in new england and they would just make fun of any instrument other than vintage martins,gibsons and fenders. all they ever played was the allman brothers and the greatfull dead/rat dog. Now, I get a blinding head ache whenever I hear duanne allmans out of key slide guitar playing especially the live solos when he would just go off hitting sour notes on ever 6/10 notes that he hit. I used to like the allman brothers but you tend to pick up on the little things when it is drilled into your skull for 8 hours a day. scensters kill me!
 
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