The loss of small shops would be horrible. Baxter the owner of Casino guitar literally took hours to help me go through every Lowden in the shop and find the magical one for me..He even was so concerned about finding the perfect guitar he changed strings to make sure a Lowden that I passed on was not because of strings sitting… Let’s just say the Lowden I thought I wanted was not the one I left with but man was it a win…. Hats off to Casino for the effort they put into finding the right guitar for the player.. thanks again guys you all rock
I live in the Raleigh area and I really need to get down to their shop in the near future when I'm looking at a new guitar! I long for a non reverse firebird, but they're so infrequently reissued and expensive!
The music store died when no one could afford or carry a variety of inventory. The branded store would suffer the same demise I do believe. Customers want strings, mics, drumsticks and everything else. No one wants to shop 16 different branded stores. You wanna look at all the stuff in one place.
Sure, but the other side of that coin is that it might end up pushing brand loyalty. If you're someone (for example) who leans 70/30 toward the Fender camp (and I know a lot of people like that), this might be the nudge to push you all the way in. Also, I would assume many of these brands would be fine with stores carrying ancillary products that were not a direct competitor toward them.
Manufacturers probably don't do the GC model, but they could do a version of the Apple model - strategically placed brick and mortar shops in targeted markets. They would be able to have their endorsed artists make appearances/workshops at these stores. It could happen.
I think there's a model more like the watch dealer model. Most of the branded boutiques are operated by an independent dealer, though not all dealers have the full boutique treatment. Some models are only available from boutiques, and boutiques have new models stocked first. The details might just mean "heres an entrance to the showroom with the brand name instead of the operator name on the door and it goes straight in to a showroom dedicated to the brand" but then could be connected to the rest of the shop. As a buyer, i'd be really happy to go online and find "hey... Theres a fender showcase store that will have every model available to pick up and try" even better if "and it is next door to a Gibson store and a PRS store and a schecter store" (they could be operated by the same dealer... Could just be entrances on 4 sides of the same building). Right now, at least from where i sit, its "look up the dealers within 100 miles online, check their inventory, dealer A has these versions, B has a different set, C had a different set, and they're all in different directions so i give up, watch a bunch of reviews, and order from something online"
Last week I went to our local guitar shop. I visit them once or twice a year and the owner still treats me like 40 years ago when I was a student with hardly any money. I wanted him to show me a Fender Blues Junior. He showed me instead a Mustang because I wouldn‘t be able to buy the Blues Junior, he said. I finally played the Junior but only for 5 minutes and he didn‘t give me a Fender Strat, but a nice Squier Jazzmaster. I love that guy.
I think the car dealership model as we know it will change. It only exists because networks are already in place as are all the laws and legal agreements that protect them. So it will take a while. But, Tesla doesn’t have that problem. They opened “Gallery’s”. It’s basically just a show room. If a customer wants to buy them they help you order online. I think that very thing could happen with guitars. You want to see and try a guitar, go to a gallery and then buy online. The problem is that every guitar even of the same model is slightly different just due to things like different wood batches. That matters to the older generation but does the younger generation that buys everything online already anyway care?
You didn't tell me about the ghosts when I was there! I live in a haunted house in New Orleans and am fascinated by the topic. HOWEVER, On the topic at hand: I would be in favor of "Car Dealership" model for guitar/music stores. Fender would be the ideal model. They cover more of the musical instrument marketplace than any other single manufacturer. The reality is: Independent music stores simply cannot work on a financial level in all but the biggest cities in the US. Casino Guitars and a handful of others are the exceptions that proves the rule. New Orleans Louisiana, one of the greatest musical cities in the US, can no longer support an independent shop like Casino Guitars. I knew the owner of the old New Orleans Music Exchange very well, and he kept it going personally until he fell over dead from a heart attack unexpectedly in his early 50s. No one was ever able to make that shop work again. The 2-3 people who tried walked away in disbelief that he kept it going as long as he did. New Orleans is a poor community, relatively speaking, despite an overall metro population about 1.2 million. Some outside interest would HAVE to shoulder a significant amount of the initial capital investment, and be willing to support cash flow as needed on on an ongoing basis. New Orleans is a "walk up" town in many ways and therefore very different from Southern Pines. A local shop in New Orleans would HAVE to have significant in-store inventory, and a willingness to work closely with local musicians. (who are often criminally underpaid, but that's another story.) I can't believe a New Orleans' store would be able to count on internet/phone/etc orders for the majority of their business, as Casino Guitars does. Bottom line: I'd welcome a franchise Fender shop in town. Hell, I might even look into developing it myself, LOL!
I’m not buying any new guitars. I think other people are leaning this way to with these price increases of EVERYTHING. I have slowly turned my gear acquisition obsession towards stockpiling things like bulk strings, spare small parts, speakers, tubes, pickguards, luthier tools, capacitors and small things. It’s much cheaper this way 😂 I switch parts and have a rotation of modifications I do to my guitars. I have 3 amps 6 guitars 15 or so pedals and a mini guitar shop of stockpiled stuff. My next quest is acquiring all the tools I need to do a refret.
Terrible idea. I think having Fender and Gibson rooms would be cool. Every manufacturer could have a room or something and have SOME input as to how it is marketed however, the shop owner should remain in control and have final say. If you had to go to different stores you could never do side by side comparisons. My 2 cents. Love ya’lls videos.
This is a trend all over and its a terrible idea! We need local stores with good staff and a product variety. No one wants to deal with a greasy car salesman type shopping for a guitar, or anything else! This penny pinching greed from corporations needs to stop.
If guitar manufacturers like gibson and fender keep jacking up the prices, there will be plenty of guitars in the dealerships and no customers, so yeah, yeah, you will look like car dealerships
@@dw7704 dude i wasn't doubting you, i just didn't know. As far as "internet searches" go ? yep, coulda, but in the interests of discussion here (helps with the algorithm) i asked here. And, i didn;t know about the Yamaha purchase..... so you've informed me of 2 things today/tonight/this morning and i thank you for that. Ptr
@@dw7704 ok, Mr/Ms DW.... Trogly @trog is pretty good. I love his stuff, educational, but i'm not a Gibson fan. Ready ? Guild BM2 i think it was - nope didn't search...yep could have. BM == Brian May. Double cut guitar, 2 colours - his normal deep crimson, but also a green one. I have no cashola due to dire health and spending $$$ on recovery, but if you could locate a green one for me ? I'll trade you and/or figure out something. I have the rare Sun Dew Gold Ibanez Pia.....not wanting to let that go but i have other geeeeeetars 🙂
Most makers can barely deliver quality products at exorbitant prices. Fender and Gibson, I am talking to you. They will utterly fail at direct sales because they are backstabbing those who made them successful. They are failing at their core function, and cannot spell customer service with Vanna White putting the letters in order. Support your local shop.
It's just a simple truth that even though it's not as great an experience, people are perfectly happy buying guitars off online retailers. More and more small guitar shops will continue to die until they're gone. Reverb and Ebay already killed the second hand shops. Now factory direct franchises will finish off the small shops that still sell new guitars.
What you are describing are all the the computer/electronics franchise stores that have come and faded into the past that nobody even remembers. Radio Shack was to Guitar Center for instance. Best Buy's star is fading as we speak. It doesn't work. The model is too impersonal. Buying a musical instrument is a highly personal experience. At the same time the Inter webs are killing small shops because you try it out at the store then buy from Sweetwater. It's a crazy world we live in Master Jack.
If you try a guitar out in the local store, and you like the feel, sound, vibe, and look of that guitar, why wouldn’t you buy it right there, in the local shop? At that stage in the process, what’s the point of then going to Sweetwater? I know Sweetwater has its own guitar techs and its own warranty, etc, but no two Les Pauls or American Standard Strats or whatever are the same. The guitar you love that you’ve played in your local store may not have the same magic when ordered from an online site. Where & when possible, support your local guitar shop.
If you thought the way they treated shops other than GC was bad during the pandemic, just wait until they have their own b&m down the road competing directly with the LGS.
You nailed it - I see it being good to be able to “try before you buy” kinda thing - the Gibson Garage would certainly have a better selection of Gibson guitars that any of my local shops, but I wouldn’t want to actually buy it there. I’d still rather support my local guys. And if you live far from a “company store” you are forked.
Wisdom from my 16 year old son. He said, "Ya know, dad, you can totally just have the guitars you have and just be done with all this crap." 100% genius. 46 years old and I never thought of that.😆
@Plexi417 Not near as fun. But he's killing it because he's good with what he's got and spends time playing and not obsessing over the next toy. Definitely wish I had that attitude at 16. I'm actually kinda jealous. 😒
I think the brick and mortar store will go away entirely. Fender, Gibson, maybe PRS will have flagship stores in major cities and that's it. People want low prices and big selection. Independent stores just don't provide that and the repair services are often minimal.
Nothing more rock n roll than corporate decadence I’m glad I’m married and glad I don’t need to buy any new toys, because everyone and everything is too expensive and too complicated these days I’m old, get off my lawn with your expensive complicated shoes!
This is more about branding and showcasing the products the way that the manufacturers want to put them in the best light while being able to push the entire line and cross sell sister brands than a true desire to be in distribution/retail. They can control the entire experience and get direct touch points and feedback from customers. The downside for consumers is that they won’t get to see other options and impartial advice. It’s probably a good way to learn more in depth about a brand’s products but I will continue to patronize small independent shops and support small/medium sized businesses that give great service and are committed to what they love to do.
It'd be cool to go into a boutique guitar store that had a "Fender mod-shop room" and see all of the color choices and options in person, and examples of cool combinations already made. Then place the order at the store and have the boutique guitar store do the setup and the taking care of things.
I wouldn't be surprised to see the huge brands (Fender, Gibson, PRS) create franchise stores in most large-ish cities that sell/stock the whole range of instruments with more control over the store from the mothership. The Mom and Pops / LGS may end up refocusing on smaller brands, boutique brands, and used stuff. That might be good if you have franchise stores near you (major cities) but not so good if you don't.
Salesman: Ok, this is the best guitar ever made. It will outlive your grandchildren. So I am gonna go talk to my manager and see if I can get you that $50 price cut. Later: So I talked to the man, he will not let me do $50 but I wore him down to a $35 price cut. It is the best deal you will ever see on this guitar. So is it a go? Yeah Ok? Great! So I am gonna get our financing manager in here, pretty sure I can get him to cut half a point on financing. Alright so here ya go! Enjoy you new Fender Bullet!
This is an awful idea. I am not a brand buyer I buy a guitar based on what it is and if I like it or not. I need that selection and to compare brands and models. My hometown has about 300,000 people and we can support one used and one new music instrument store.
Exactly I believe most buyers have a budget in their mind rather than a singular brand. I'd want to compare a 500$ Squier and a 500$ Ibanez with a 500$ Epiphone and a 500$ Washburn rather than go to a shop that only carried a single brand .
The Morlocks were partial to Eloi au gratin for most meals. But, Eloi Supreme pizza was nice for a change, I'm sure! I just read that on the internet, so it MUST be true!
I think a library model would be interesting. Pay an annual membership fee, borrow a certain number of guitars for a set time, and return them. There’d be issues with damage and theft, but people have figured how libraries should work for other things. With how much guitar players buy and return instruments, a library seems to make sense. If you want guitars to buy, maybe a small shop attached. It’d probably also attract people who are interested in guitar but don’t want a financial commitment.
There already are dealerships that do similar things (especially in markets where there are a lot of pro studio players etc.) The big issue is making it cost-effective.
Manufacturers might do well to "rent" space in existing brick and mortar shops. Send you the inventory they SWEAR you need to stock to be a dealer... BUT ON THEIR DIME.
It’s called a pawn shop 😂 It wouldn’t work for music equip only because they would have to give you extremely low values on your gear. GC can at least offset some of their valuations because it’s store credit towards other new gear.
@@Whizzinby777 I don't think them offering people low ball values is something that would hurt the stores profitability. Pawn shop owners aren't normally as educated as the average gear head in my experiemce
I have 4-5 GC within a 30 minute drive of me. Though they have a ton of stock, none of them have more than 4-5 real Fender or Gibson lead guitars on display and they're all 20 ft up for you can't even read the tag. The small independents have even less, with two outstanding exceptions here in Atlanta. I think it's the reality of $2-3k guitars. No one can afford to stock them, nor let them be handled. Local GCs have only 1-2 tube amps. Likewise only low end orange amps. It's a weird thing, leading me to buy used 90% of the time.
small rant. Man has any body been to guitar center lately? All the guitars locked. Damaged guitars hanging in the rack. Like someone reached up and just busted a string. "brand new" guitar. 20 customers standing there. 1 dude behind a counter... Get this.. On his cell phone. Guitars laying on the floor. Damn... Ouch. What happened? They reminded me a of a once super hot model that turned into an overweight drug addicted floozy. Honesty... I can't imagine how the hell they're paying the rent.
the day, the music died ? Bye bye Miss American Pie ? Baxter - your mission is to find who Miss American Pie was/is. Do you accept that challenge ? Ptr Cheers from NZ 😎🎸🤘
Guitar shops aligned with a brand-a Gibson shop, a Fender shop, etc-would be ridiculous and horrible. Let’s not forget the myopic moves Gibson made in the recent past that alienated them from many guitar players. The self-tuning guitar, for example, putting energy and effort into a development no true guitar player ever asked for. Who has ever gone to a guitar shop and wished it sold only one brand of guitar? Or had a more limited selection connected to only one brand and its affiliates? Usually you’re thinking, “Man, I wish they had some Guild guitars or an Alvarez acoustic or some Martin OM models or whatever?” Variety is the spice of life and the spice of guitar-playing. The allure of the guitar shop is the possibility you might find some holy-grail instrument within the variety on display, the serendipity you might stumble upon. Could you get that in a Fender-only shop? Yeah, you probably could, but it would be more limited, the shop more predictable, and over time the allure of guitar-shopping would likely wear thin. In its wake would be just Sweetwater, certainly a great online company, but the in-person guitar community cultivated by robust shops existing in brick-and-mortar buildings where real people can talk guitar, try out gear, hear others making noise & music with this instrument we love-that’s what keeps the guitar buzz humming along beautifully. At least, that’s how I see it.
I don’t understand why BRANDS do not sell online and deliver to music shops for customers to pickup. The shop gets a fee and reviews the instrument. This would inspire a surge of new shops starting up in every town and every city. Multiple shops in big citys. Seems like everyone would win with this model. Example: l buy online or order hence the “mod shop” my guitar. It’s delivered to not a HUGE brick and mortar store but a smallish brick and mortar shop. Customer picks the new instrument, may purchase a few sets of strings, a branded strap, a tuner, sign up for lessons, buy string cleaner small easily stocked items could and would be additional items for sale. Makes too much sense to me. If l was currently a brick and mortar music retailer, there’s no way in this universe I would pay and stock and set on Gibson instruments with their “scree the dealer” MOD shop business model. Fender l guess is just as bad. It’s just fun to hate on Gibson 😂
Fender will fly you to Japan... if: You both wear Fender shirts in every video for at least a year, and all guitars in the background are Fenders (including Acoustasonics). But you get to explorer Japan. Listening, Fender? Support your local shops - I could not agree more! Umm.. Morlocks. :)
MO. Guitar Center could survive as a smaller operation IF they were being run by business minded music geeks. Financial bailouts by private equity fund investors never work for the business. At some point the assets are worth more now than the promise of profits later. So, that type of investor won't actively work toward the success of the company, instead preferring to cash out and move on. Growth is the curse of business (required by investors/publicly traded cos.), change the paradigm to profitability and the problems become more manageable.
The cool thing about that is that you’d be able to try everything that the manufacturer offers. Now you can’t find 75% of what they offer in local shops. Even stores like GC and Sam Ash have very limited selections. So you buy something from Sweetwater and either love it and keep it, or return it. That’s kind of Sh*tty way to shop. Most of us would like to compare brands/ models when we are buying. That makes it difficult. Only the major cities would have enough dealers to satisfy the public. Why do they have to squeeze every last penny out of a purchase. Keep it the way it is. Bring back the mom and pop shops. Gibson is so stupid. They should have a tier level for dealerships and make it so the dealer doesn’t have to spend $100k on guitars. Bronze = All Epiphones and limited Gibson USA’s, Silver is a step up with some better USA’s, Gold All USA’s plus some Custom Shops. Platinum would have top of the line everything with CS ordering. They would be present in more shops and available to more players. Fenders seem to be everywhere but they have so many series it would be impossible to see them all unless there was a Fender store. So if they had a store in the 3major markets, NY, LA and Nashville. I’d have to go to one of those city’s to test it. That means travel, hotels, restaurant expenses. I’d buy a different brand or we’re back at the Sweetwater scenario
The music industry is wayyyyy to small to ever do the car dealership format. Say 5% of people play music. At least 70% are perspective car buyers. Long live music stores!!
First off, let me say that I love the independent music store, and the good ones should be ok. Having spent 25 years in the retail industry I firmly believe that the big 3 (Fender, Gibson and PRS) will quickly build store fronts. I watched it happen with Nike. Nike royally pissed off all their independent stores and destroyed decades of trust by selling direct and it has worked out great for them. I guarantee the guitar world has taken notice and will go to it. There will still be independent stores, but they might not see as many limited or custom runs though.
Drat, that awesome Les Paul custom with the three humbuckers is getting pushed out of the frame again. But i have faith that it'll be back. Eventually. But it's definitely nice to see those vox ac30 amps.
Why did Fender open a showroom in Tokiyo? I've seen your store online. And it looks awesome. If i was within driving distance, I would definitely go there. The Morlocks.
Guitar dealerships are already like Car dealerships now. I've got to the stage where I have no interest in buying amps, guitars, or pedals. Prices are ridiculous, quality is poor, and customer service is even worse. You only need to look at the cash for comment content on TH-cam to see that the industry is a complete farce from top to bottom - with manufacturers pretty much scripting reviews and punishing anyone that doesn't comply.
I agree that I don't necessarily think this would be a terrible idea. At minimum, it would be better than both the direct sales model and current big box music stores (cough...Guitar Center).
The hulk looking kids. Was actually a whole family of green folk that lived in the Appalachian mts. I can't remember why their skin was green but it is true.
I never want to hear the word planogram again. Though I’d heard for the last time..thanks guys. Not sure what the numbers look like, but seems it would be a lot of money to roll out enough company stores to have a big enough reach to matter. Is it that much different than simply working with capable, non GC shops to help make carrying the products more financially viable for them? Because if they go online and people can’t get their hands on something to try it out anymore, then it creates a whole different problem with customer satisfaction, returns, etc.
The underground people that flocked to the siren in "The Time Machine" were called the Eloi. What's really pathetic is I didn't have to look that up. My life is a textbook on how to waste good brain cells.
I know such a place and I actually liked it. Very easy to get an overwiev so I bought me a guitar on the spot becuase I saw it. Small shops tends to be messy and somewhat personal and there are often homies/dudes hanging around so when one picks up a guitar some homey usualy popps up yeahhh yeahhh that is a good or a bad guitar bla bla bla and then cames the shopguy bla bla bla. Please give me a brake here...
The custom shop is the reason dealership model will not surpass independents……the car industry has no analogue for this type of customer gouging. But if shitty lawyer and dentist players want to blow loot on minor details that don’t affect musicianship who cares right?
I really don't know why I watch you guys every day that I possibly can. I am 75 and own about 26 guitars and my wife bought a shirt for with your business name on it. Looks like it came from NYC. I have no plans of buying another but you guys are funny as hell. Thanks for doing the show.
If I want to look at one brand of instruments, that's what company websites are for. If I want to see a variety of instruments (maybe a Danelectro, a Gibson, a Fender, etc, etc) then I need to go to a brick and mortar business establishment and immerse myself in tonal nirvana . My two cents, YMMV.
Odd how everyone in the TH-cam guitarverse seems to be utterly convinced that Guitar Center is failing. To be accurate, I think the terms used here were “winding down” and “imploding,” which could be fairly construed as euphemisms for ‘failing.’ But Guitar Center has been ‘failing’ for 30 years. Is that really what failure looks like? Some would call that ‘succeeding.’ Yes, yes, I know about the bankruptcies. And yet they persist. With apologies to Charlie Sheen: “winning.”
I like GC! Being able to come into one store and sample guitars from budget to custom across brands is fantastic. If GC doesn’t have it, Sam Ash usually does. Would be a shame if they ever succeeded in failing.
It would suck. What if a Fender shop ends up being the only music shop in your town and to try another you have to drive an hour away? Or what if the Gibson store opens and ends up being the only place in town you can try a Gibson? Plus will that be the way it winds up for other instruments, drums at the only drum store in town and only the brand of drums the store has because it’s a certain brands store?
On the subject of the green people, there is that family in Kentucky where their skin is actually blue. I think I looked into it and it was some sort of genetic or silver poisoning thing. Also, guitar dealers sound kind of weird. I like the model of being able to just walk in a store, look at the wall, and pick up whatever I find interesting. To be fair, I think you probably do see more cars that you wouldn't be able try otherwise with the dealership model, so maybe that would be an upside?
Hi. Those were the Fugates of Troublesome Creek in Kentucky. They were blue in large part because of inbreeding. A French man who had the trait moved to Kentucky and married a local woman who also had the trait. It's called methemoglobinemia. The body prododuced excess methemoglobin which does not carry oxygen like hemoglobin, and this results in the blue skin color. Generations of Kentucky inbreeding kept the trait alive and well.
I believe if a guy DID open a Glarry shop and did an A+ set up on every guitar and offered tons of in-house up-grade options and welcomed folks to bring in any guitar brand into that shop for comparison, he'd be surprised how many Glarry guitars he'd sell.
@@rustyshackleford9557 No doubt. I remember when "Made in Japan" was a joke. Now every other car on the road is made in Japan. In 15 years Glarry might be the biggest/best guitar company in the world. Stranger things have happened.
True story, I flew to Tokyo in mid June, went to the Harujuku area to check out the Fender flagship store and it was closed for the weekend! There was scaffolding in front so maybe some unexpected repair work
I love your market/industry analysis. You guys have really found a niche in guitar TH-cam world with this stuff. And it's a great service to help musicians understand how they sit in a larger ecology of manufacturers, artisans, and retailers of various sorts.
The loss of small shops would be horrible. Baxter the owner of Casino guitar literally took hours to help me go through every Lowden in the shop and find the magical one for me..He even was so concerned about finding the perfect guitar he changed strings to make sure a Lowden that I passed on was not because of strings sitting… Let’s just say the Lowden I thought I wanted was not the one I left with but man was it a win…. Hats off to Casino for the effort they put into finding the right guitar for the player.. thanks again guys you all rock
I live in the Raleigh area and I really need to get down to their shop in the near future when I'm looking at a new guitar!
I long for a non reverse firebird, but they're so infrequently reissued and expensive!
The music store died when no one could afford or carry a variety of inventory. The branded store would suffer the same demise I do believe. Customers want strings, mics, drumsticks and everything else. No one wants to shop 16 different branded stores. You wanna look at all the stuff in one place.
Sure, but the other side of that coin is that it might end up pushing brand loyalty. If you're someone (for example) who leans 70/30 toward the Fender camp (and I know a lot of people like that), this might be the nudge to push you all the way in.
Also, I would assume many of these brands would be fine with stores carrying ancillary products that were not a direct competitor toward them.
Manufacturers probably don't do the GC model, but they could do a version of the Apple model - strategically placed brick and mortar shops in targeted markets. They would be able to have their endorsed artists make appearances/workshops at these stores. It could happen.
I think there's a model more like the watch dealer model. Most of the branded boutiques are operated by an independent dealer, though not all dealers have the full boutique treatment. Some models are only available from boutiques, and boutiques have new models stocked first. The details might just mean "heres an entrance to the showroom with the brand name instead of the operator name on the door and it goes straight in to a showroom dedicated to the brand" but then could be connected to the rest of the shop.
As a buyer, i'd be really happy to go online and find "hey... Theres a fender showcase store that will have every model available to pick up and try" even better if "and it is next door to a Gibson store and a PRS store and a schecter store" (they could be operated by the same dealer... Could just be entrances on 4 sides of the same building).
Right now, at least from where i sit, its "look up the dealers within 100 miles online, check their inventory, dealer A has these versions, B has a different set, C had a different set, and they're all in different directions so i give up, watch a bunch of reviews, and order from something online"
Last week I went to our local guitar shop. I visit them once or twice a year and the owner still treats me like 40 years ago when I was a student with hardly any money. I wanted him to show me a Fender Blues Junior. He showed me instead a Mustang because I wouldn‘t be able to buy the Blues Junior, he said. I finally played the Junior but only for 5 minutes and he didn‘t give me a Fender Strat, but a nice Squier Jazzmaster. I love that guy.
Music Go Round was a national franchise model. There were around a half dozen in the Chicago area. Closet one is in Wisconsin.
I think the car dealership model as we know it will change. It only exists because networks are already in place as are all the laws and legal agreements that protect them. So it will take a while. But, Tesla doesn’t have that problem. They opened “Gallery’s”. It’s basically just a show room. If a customer wants to buy them they help you order online.
I think that very thing could happen with guitars. You want to see and try a guitar, go to a gallery and then buy online.
The problem is that every guitar even of the same model is slightly different just due to things like different wood batches. That matters to the older generation but does the younger generation that buys everything online already anyway care?
You guys have great insight in the guitar world. Thanks for sharing
You didn't tell me about the ghosts when I was there! I live in a haunted house in New Orleans and am fascinated by the topic. HOWEVER, On the topic at hand: I would be in favor of "Car Dealership" model for guitar/music stores. Fender would be the ideal model. They cover more of the musical instrument marketplace than any other single manufacturer. The reality is: Independent music stores simply cannot work on a financial level in all but the biggest cities in the US. Casino Guitars and a handful of others are the exceptions that proves the rule. New Orleans Louisiana, one of the greatest musical cities in the US, can no longer support an independent shop like Casino Guitars. I knew the owner of the old New Orleans Music Exchange very well, and he kept it going personally until he fell over dead from a heart attack unexpectedly in his early 50s. No one was ever able to make that shop work again. The 2-3 people who tried walked away in disbelief that he kept it going as long as he did. New Orleans is a poor community, relatively speaking, despite an overall metro population about 1.2 million. Some outside interest would HAVE to shoulder a significant amount of the initial capital investment, and be willing to support cash flow as needed on on an ongoing basis. New Orleans is a "walk up" town in many ways and therefore very different from Southern Pines. A local shop in New Orleans would HAVE to have significant in-store inventory, and a willingness to work closely with local musicians. (who are often criminally underpaid, but that's another story.) I can't believe a New Orleans' store would be able to count on internet/phone/etc orders for the majority of their business, as Casino Guitars does. Bottom line: I'd welcome a franchise Fender shop in town. Hell, I might even look into developing it myself, LOL!
If we get shops that are just fender or gibson or Ibanez that be insane. And be really bad.
I’m not buying any new guitars. I think other people are leaning this way to with these price increases of EVERYTHING. I have slowly turned my gear acquisition obsession towards stockpiling things like bulk strings, spare small parts, speakers, tubes, pickguards, luthier tools, capacitors and small things. It’s much cheaper this way 😂 I switch parts and have a rotation of modifications I do to my guitars. I have 3 amps 6 guitars 15 or so pedals and a mini guitar shop of stockpiled stuff. My next quest is acquiring all the tools I need to do a refret.
Terrible idea. I think having Fender and Gibson rooms would be cool. Every manufacturer could have a room or something and have SOME input as to how it is marketed however, the shop owner should remain in control and have final say. If you had to go to different stores you could never do side by side comparisons. My 2 cents. Love ya’lls videos.
This is a trend all over and its a terrible idea! We need local stores with good staff and a product variety. No one wants to deal with a greasy car salesman type shopping for a guitar, or anything else! This penny pinching greed from corporations needs to stop.
If guitar manufacturers like gibson and fender keep jacking up the prices, there will be plenty of guitars in the dealerships and no customers, so yeah, yeah, you will look like car dealerships
I love you two prattling on here 🤣😂 Doesn’t Fender own Guild ? Guild still has some decent guitars!!
Cheers from NZ 😎🎸🤘
Fender sold Guild in 2014
@@dw7704 really ? who did they sell it to ? A Trump conspiracy person/co ? Or a real person/co ??
@@PeterMoore350 a simple internet search reveals that Fender sold Guild in 2014 to
Cordoba Music Group, Yamaha bought Cordoba in early 2023/late 2022
@@dw7704 dude i wasn't doubting you, i just didn't know. As far as "internet searches" go ? yep, coulda, but in the interests of discussion here (helps with the algorithm) i asked here.
And, i didn;t know about the Yamaha purchase..... so you've informed me of 2 things today/tonight/this morning and i thank you for that.
Ptr
@@dw7704 ok, Mr/Ms DW.... Trogly @trog is pretty good.
I love his stuff, educational, but i'm not a Gibson fan.
Ready ?
Guild BM2 i think it was - nope didn't search...yep could have.
BM == Brian May.
Double cut guitar, 2 colours - his normal deep crimson, but also a green one.
I have no cashola due to dire health and spending $$$ on recovery, but if you could locate a green one for me ?
I'll trade you and/or figure out something. I have the rare Sun Dew Gold Ibanez Pia.....not wanting to let that go but i have other geeeeeetars 🙂
Morlocks!
This will be a FLOP
Most makers can barely deliver quality products at exorbitant prices. Fender and Gibson, I am talking to you. They will utterly fail at direct sales because they are backstabbing those who made them successful. They are failing at their core function, and cannot spell customer service with Vanna White putting the letters in order. Support your local shop.
It's going to be hard to support your local shop if it's not there any longer.
It's just a simple truth that even though it's not as great an experience, people are perfectly happy buying guitars off online retailers. More and more small guitar shops will continue to die until they're gone. Reverb and Ebay already killed the second hand shops. Now factory direct franchises will finish off the small shops that still sell new guitars.
Morlocks were the people living underground in The Time Machine.
I bet they're trying to figure out a subscription model. Like "Adjust the neck? Oh, for the low, low price of $100/month we'll unlock the truss rod."
What you are describing are all the the computer/electronics franchise stores that have come and faded into the past that nobody even remembers. Radio Shack was to Guitar Center for instance. Best Buy's star is fading as we speak. It doesn't work. The model is too impersonal. Buying a musical instrument is a highly personal experience. At the same time the Inter webs are killing small shops because you try it out at the store then buy from Sweetwater. It's a crazy world we live in Master Jack.
Radio Shack was kool in the 80’s. You could buy all the parts to make guitar pedals. 😀
If you try a guitar out in the local store, and you like the feel, sound, vibe, and look of that guitar, why wouldn’t you buy it right there, in the local shop? At that stage in the process, what’s the point of then going to Sweetwater? I know Sweetwater has its own guitar techs and its own warranty, etc, but no two Les Pauls or American Standard Strats or whatever are the same. The guitar you love that you’ve played in your local store may not have the same magic when ordered from an online site. Where & when possible, support your local guitar shop.
If you thought the way they treated shops other than GC was bad during the pandemic, just wait until they have their own b&m down the road competing directly with the LGS.
You nailed it - I see it being good to be able to “try before you buy” kinda thing - the Gibson Garage would certainly have a better selection of Gibson guitars that any of my local shops, but I wouldn’t want to actually buy it there. I’d still rather support my local guys. And if you live far from a “company store” you are forked.
Larry Miller Fender/Squier. Larry Miller is a local car dealership Let me go talk to my sales manager about your offer
Wisdom from my 16 year old son. He said, "Ya know, dad, you can totally just have the guitars you have and just be done with all this crap." 100% genius. 46 years old and I never thought of that.😆
Where’s the fun in that though? 😂
@Plexi417 Not near as fun. But he's killing it because he's good with what he's got and spends time playing and not obsessing over the next toy. Definitely wish I had that attitude at 16. I'm actually kinda jealous. 😒
@@mattsmitchger259 me too not gonna lie. Although I’m mostly there these days. MOSTLY. 😂
I think the brick and mortar store will go away entirely. Fender, Gibson, maybe PRS will have flagship stores in major cities and that's it. People want low prices and big selection. Independent stores just don't provide that and the repair services are often minimal.
Nothing more rock n roll than corporate decadence
I’m glad I’m married and glad I don’t need to buy any new toys, because everyone and everything is too expensive and too complicated these days
I’m old, get off my lawn with your expensive complicated shoes!
This is more about branding and showcasing the products the way that the manufacturers want to put them in the best light while being able to push the entire line and cross sell sister brands than a true desire to be in distribution/retail. They can control the entire experience and get direct touch points and feedback from customers. The downside for consumers is that they won’t get to see other options and impartial advice. It’s probably a good way to learn more in depth about a brand’s products but I will continue to patronize small independent shops and support small/medium sized businesses that give great service and are committed to what they love to do.
It'd be cool to go into a boutique guitar store that had a "Fender mod-shop room" and see all of the color choices and options in person, and examples of cool combinations already made. Then place the order at the store and have the boutique guitar store do the setup and the taking care of things.
If you're a franchise, how do you help someonebuy the right guitar for them? I hope it doesn't come to this.
Franchising local mom & pop music stores is a horrible idea. I would hate it.
I wouldn't be surprised to see the huge brands (Fender, Gibson, PRS) create franchise stores in most large-ish cities that sell/stock the whole range of instruments with more control over the store from the mothership. The Mom and Pops / LGS may end up refocusing on smaller brands, boutique brands, and used stuff. That might be good if you have franchise stores near you (major cities) but not so good if you don't.
Salesman: Ok, this is the best guitar ever made. It will outlive your grandchildren. So I am gonna go talk to my manager and see if I can get you that $50 price cut. Later: So I talked to the man, he will not let me do $50 but I wore him down to a $35 price cut. It is the best deal you will ever see on this guitar. So is it a go? Yeah Ok? Great! So I am gonna get our financing manager in here, pretty sure I can get him to cut half a point on financing. Alright so here ya go! Enjoy you new Fender Bullet!
Love you guys look forward every time to watching you
This is an awful idea. I am not a brand buyer I buy a guitar based on what it is and if I like it or not. I need that selection and to compare brands and models.
My hometown has about 300,000 people and we can support one used and one new music instrument store.
Exactly I believe most buyers have a budget in their mind rather than a singular brand. I'd want to compare a 500$ Squier and a 500$ Ibanez with a 500$ Epiphone and a 500$ Washburn rather than go to a shop that only carried a single brand .
@@rustyshackleford9557 Metoo
The Morlocks were partial to Eloi au gratin for most meals. But, Eloi Supreme pizza was nice for a change, I'm sure! I just read that on the internet, so it MUST be true!
Guitars have become an object of worship.
I think a library model would be interesting. Pay an annual membership fee, borrow a certain number of guitars for a set time, and return them. There’d be issues with damage and theft, but people have figured how libraries should work for other things. With how much guitar players buy and return instruments, a library seems to make sense. If you want guitars to buy, maybe a small shop attached. It’d probably also attract people who are interested in guitar but don’t want a financial commitment.
I haven’t checked them out, but I have heard of libraries that do this
There already are dealerships that do similar things (especially in markets where there are a lot of pro studio players etc.) The big issue is making it cost-effective.
These type of things exist in places like Nashville and LA. But only if you have solid enough credentials and part of the union, etc.
Manufacturers might do well to "rent" space in existing brick and mortar shops. Send you the inventory they SWEAR you need to stock to be a dealer... BUT ON THEIR DIME.
I still prefer the 'mom and pop' shops
This sounds like an absolute nightmare scenario. If this comes to pass I'm exclusively shopping for used gear on reverb.
Honest Al’s guitar sales
Were you thinking of C.H.U.D. Baxter, the 1984 horror movie? the Cannabilisitic Humanoid Underground Dwellers? lol
Is it possible to run a used only store?
It’s called a pawn shop 😂
It wouldn’t work for music equip only because they would have to give you extremely low values on your gear. GC can at least offset some of their valuations because it’s store credit towards other new gear.
I have seen stores that were more used than new, but they still had new
It’s a tough model to sustain, but who knows?
@@Whizzinby777 I don't think them offering people low ball values is something that would hurt the stores profitability. Pawn shop owners aren't normally as educated as the average gear head in my experiemce
I have 4-5 GC within a 30 minute drive of me. Though they have a ton of stock, none of them have more than 4-5 real Fender or Gibson lead guitars on display and they're all 20 ft up for you can't even read the tag.
The small independents have even less, with two outstanding exceptions here in Atlanta.
I think it's the reality of $2-3k guitars. No one can afford to stock them, nor let them be handled.
Local GCs have only 1-2 tube amps. Likewise only low end orange amps.
It's a weird thing, leading me to buy used 90% of the time.
small rant. Man has any body been to guitar center lately?
All the guitars locked. Damaged guitars hanging in the rack. Like someone reached up and just busted a string. "brand new" guitar. 20 customers standing there. 1 dude behind a counter... Get this.. On his cell phone.
Guitars laying on the floor. Damn...
Ouch. What happened? They reminded me a of a once super hot model that turned into an overweight drug addicted floozy. Honesty... I can't imagine how the hell they're paying the rent.
the day, the music died ? Bye bye Miss American Pie ?
Baxter - your mission is to find who Miss American Pie was/is.
Do you accept that challenge ?
Ptr
Cheers from NZ
😎🎸🤘
Guitar shops aligned with a brand-a Gibson shop, a Fender shop, etc-would be ridiculous and horrible. Let’s not forget the myopic moves Gibson made in the recent past that alienated them from many guitar players. The self-tuning guitar, for example, putting energy and effort into a development no true guitar player ever asked for. Who has ever gone to a guitar shop and wished it sold only one brand of guitar? Or had a more limited selection connected to only one brand and its affiliates? Usually you’re thinking, “Man, I wish they had some Guild guitars or an Alvarez acoustic or some Martin OM models or whatever?” Variety is the spice of life and the spice of guitar-playing. The allure of the guitar shop is the possibility you might find some holy-grail instrument within the variety on display, the serendipity you might stumble upon. Could you get that in a Fender-only shop? Yeah, you probably could, but it would be more limited, the shop more predictable, and over time the allure of guitar-shopping would likely wear thin. In its wake would be just Sweetwater, certainly a great online company, but the in-person guitar community cultivated by robust shops existing in brick-and-mortar buildings where real people can talk guitar, try out gear, hear others making noise & music with this instrument we love-that’s what keeps the guitar buzz humming along beautifully. At least, that’s how I see it.
I don’t understand why BRANDS do not sell online and deliver to music shops for customers to pickup. The shop gets a fee and reviews the instrument. This would inspire a surge of new shops starting up in every town and every city. Multiple shops in big citys. Seems like everyone would win with this model. Example: l buy online or order hence the “mod shop” my guitar. It’s delivered to not a HUGE brick and mortar store but a smallish brick and mortar shop. Customer picks the new instrument, may purchase a few sets of strings, a branded strap, a tuner, sign up for lessons, buy string cleaner small easily stocked items could and would be additional items for sale. Makes too much sense to me. If l was currently a brick and mortar music retailer, there’s no way in this universe I would pay and stock and set on Gibson instruments with their “scree the dealer” MOD shop business model. Fender l guess is just as bad. It’s just fun to hate on Gibson 😂
Fender will fly you to Japan... if: You both wear Fender shirts in every video for at least a year, and all guitars in the background are Fenders (including Acoustasonics). But you get to explorer Japan. Listening, Fender? Support your local shops - I could not agree more! Umm.. Morlocks. :)
MO. Guitar Center could survive as a smaller operation IF they were being run by business minded music geeks. Financial bailouts by private equity fund investors never work for the business. At some point the assets are worth more now than the promise of profits later. So, that type of investor won't actively work toward the success of the company, instead preferring to cash out and move on. Growth is the curse of business (required by investors/publicly traded cos.), change the paradigm to profitability and the problems become more manageable.
The cool thing about that is that you’d be able to try everything that the manufacturer offers. Now you can’t find 75% of what they offer in local shops. Even stores like GC and Sam Ash have very limited selections. So you buy something from Sweetwater and either love it and keep it, or return it. That’s kind of Sh*tty way to shop. Most of us would like to compare brands/ models when we are buying. That makes it difficult. Only the major cities would have enough dealers to satisfy the public. Why do they have to squeeze every last penny out of a purchase. Keep it the way it is. Bring back the mom and pop shops. Gibson is so stupid. They should have a tier level for dealerships and make it so the dealer doesn’t have to spend $100k on guitars.
Bronze = All Epiphones and limited Gibson USA’s, Silver is a step up with some better USA’s, Gold All USA’s plus some Custom Shops. Platinum would have top of the line everything with CS ordering. They would be present in more shops and available to more players. Fenders seem to be everywhere but they have so many series it would be impossible to see them all unless there was a Fender store. So if they had a store in the 3major markets, NY, LA and Nashville. I’d have to go to one of those city’s to test it. That means travel, hotels, restaurant expenses. I’d buy a different brand or we’re back at the Sweetwater scenario
The music industry is wayyyyy to small to ever do the car dealership format. Say 5% of people play music. At least 70% are perspective car buyers.
Long live music stores!!
First off, let me say that I love the independent music store, and the good ones should be ok. Having spent 25 years in the retail industry I firmly believe that the big 3 (Fender, Gibson and PRS) will quickly build store fronts. I watched it happen with Nike. Nike royally pissed off all their independent stores and destroyed decades of trust by selling direct and it has worked out great for them. I guarantee the guitar world has taken notice and will go to it. There will still be independent stores, but they might not see as many limited or custom runs though.
The Morlocks
Drat, that awesome Les Paul custom with the three humbuckers is getting pushed out of the frame again. But i have faith that it'll be back. Eventually. But it's definitely nice to see those vox ac30 amps.
"your looking for new guitar? gibson? well we just ran your credit, and for 500$ down we can get you an epiphone."
Why did Fender open a showroom in Tokiyo? I've seen your store online. And it looks awesome. If i was within driving distance, I would definitely go there.
The Morlocks.
Guitar dealerships are already like Car dealerships now. I've got to the stage where I have no interest in buying amps, guitars, or pedals. Prices are ridiculous, quality is poor, and customer service is even worse. You only need to look at the cash for comment content on TH-cam to see that the industry is a complete farce from top to bottom - with manufacturers pretty much scripting reviews and punishing anyone that doesn't comply.
I agree that I don't necessarily think this would be a terrible idea. At minimum, it would be better than both the direct sales model and current big box music stores (cough...Guitar Center).
The hulk looking kids. Was actually a whole family of green folk that lived in the Appalachian mts. I can't remember why their skin was green but it is true.
I never want to hear the word planogram again. Though I’d heard for the last time..thanks guys.
Not sure what the numbers look like, but seems it would be a lot of money to roll out enough company stores to have a big enough reach to matter.
Is it that much different than simply working with capable, non GC shops to help make carrying the products more financially viable for them?
Because if they go online and people can’t get their hands on something to try it out anymore, then it creates a whole different problem with customer satisfaction, returns, etc.
The underground people that flocked to the siren in "The Time Machine" were called the Eloi. What's really pathetic is I didn't have to look that up. My life is a textbook on how to waste good brain cells.
C.H.U.D.'s - Cannibalistic Humanoid Underground Dwellers
I know such a place and I actually liked it. Very easy to get an overwiev so I bought me a guitar on the spot becuase I saw it.
Small shops tends to be messy and somewhat personal and there are often homies/dudes hanging around so when one picks up a guitar some homey usualy popps up yeahhh yeahhh that is a good or a bad guitar bla bla bla and then cames the shopguy bla bla bla.
Please give me a brake here...
The custom shop is the reason dealership model will not surpass independents……the car industry has no analogue for this type of customer gouging. But if shitty lawyer and dentist players want to blow loot on minor details that don’t affect musicianship who cares right?
So what franchise would you become? Also, the ability to visit with one guitar in your mind, and leave with another brand would be lost.
You can spearhead the Association of Super Cool Guitar Shops of America. Your own trade group.
The Yamaha store would be rad. Great lawnmower, great jet ski, great electric guitar, great acoustic guitar 😂❤
I heard the word 'ghosts'.... if Casino has a bit of paranormal activity, you must do a show on it in October. : ) Boo !
You guys will have the coolest car dealership in the US. Congrats on another great video.
As a franchisee, you don't want to be a franchise. I don't think an individual business owner could make it on a single brand in the guitar industry.
I am watching you from my job at a car deallership !!!
This is a laughably bad decision. Only with the idea to make profits.
Guitarvana, Carvana only with guitars. I can get you a comb. Cheap
I personally would prefer the brand-specific store model
The creatures that lived underground in the movie The Time Machine were called Morlocks. (not sure about the spelling.)
Warlocks
@@glockbiker1 the creatures who lived underground from the movie/book the Time Machine are actually called Morlocks with an M. HG Wells novel.
that guitar over Baxter's left shoulder is stunning. What is it?
I really don't know why I watch you guys every day that I possibly can. I am 75 and own about 26 guitars and my wife bought a shirt for with your business name on it. Looks like it came from NYC. I have no plans of buying another but you guys are funny as hell. Thanks for doing the show.
If I want to look at one brand of instruments, that's what company websites are for. If I want to see a variety of instruments (maybe a Danelectro, a Gibson, a Fender, etc, etc) then I need to go to a brick and mortar business establishment and immerse myself in tonal nirvana . My two cents, YMMV.
Also, what does a franchise do with guitars that arrive and have issues?
Odd how everyone in the TH-cam guitarverse seems to be utterly convinced that Guitar Center is failing. To be accurate, I think the terms used here were “winding down” and “imploding,” which could be fairly construed as euphemisms for ‘failing.’ But Guitar Center has been ‘failing’ for 30 years. Is that really what failure looks like? Some would call that ‘succeeding.’ Yes, yes, I know about the bankruptcies. And yet they persist. With apologies to Charlie Sheen: “winning.”
I like GC! Being able to come into one store and sample guitars from budget to custom across brands is fantastic. If GC doesn’t have it, Sam Ash usually does. Would be a shame if they ever succeeded in failing.
A Casino franchise is the only logical answer. 😎🤓
Independent shops rule because of the personal experience.
I only shop at the cricket wireless of guitar shops
Why can't I find that green Gretsch on your site?
Not sure, but they sure are pricing them like it!!
Does this mean there would be a Harley Benton store?
It would suck. What if a Fender shop ends up being the only music shop in your town and to try another you have to drive an hour away? Or what if the Gibson store opens and ends up being the only place in town you can try a Gibson? Plus will that be the way it winds up for other instruments, drums at the only drum store in town and only the brand of drums the store has because it’s a certain brands store?
Were the underground creatures Morlocks?
I was at your shop this past Saturday. I had a blast and Jason was great!
Sorry I meant to say James!
Car dealerships are on the way out !
Your lit reference is a load of Morlocks.
On the subject of the green people, there is that family in Kentucky where their skin is actually blue. I think I looked into it and it was some sort of genetic or silver poisoning thing. Also, guitar dealers sound kind of weird. I like the model of being able to just walk in a store, look at the wall, and pick up whatever I find interesting. To be fair, I think you probably do see more cars that you wouldn't be able try otherwise with the dealership model, so maybe that would be an upside?
Hi. Those were the Fugates of Troublesome Creek in Kentucky. They were blue in large part because of inbreeding. A French man who had the trait moved to Kentucky and married a local woman who also had the trait. It's called methemoglobinemia. The body prododuced excess methemoglobin which does not carry oxygen like hemoglobin, and this results in the blue skin color. Generations of Kentucky inbreeding kept the trait alive and well.
Baxters hair has no rules sleezstacks
I'm going to open up a Glarry store in every major city.
I believe if a guy DID open a Glarry shop and did an A+ set up on every guitar and offered tons of in-house up-grade options and welcomed folks to bring in any guitar brand into that shop for comparison, he'd be surprised how many Glarry guitars he'd sell.
@@rustyshackleford9557 No doubt. I remember when "Made in Japan" was a joke. Now every other car on the road is made in Japan. In 15 years Glarry might be the biggest/best guitar company in the world. Stranger things have happened.
Every other car on the road is not made in Japan... They are made in the USA by Japanese mfgs.
Go get your plaid blazer
Theft prevention.
True story, I flew to Tokyo in mid June, went to the Harujuku area to check out the Fender flagship store and it was closed for the weekend! There was scaffolding in front so maybe some unexpected repair work
True story. The store didn’t open until 30 June. It wasn’t open yet.
I love your market/industry analysis. You guys have really found a niche in guitar TH-cam world with this stuff. And it's a great service to help musicians understand how they sit in a larger ecology of manufacturers, artisans, and retailers of various sorts.