A good guitar is a good guitar no matter where you get it. Pawn shop, boutique , change store, it doesn't matter. If the guitar feels right, it feels right.
I go to a local Guitar Center about 4 or 5 times a year. I can go to the new guitars section and randomly pick 6 or more guitars and find them scratched or gouged and others that have fret sprout. They no longer have anybody tuning them or changings strings. I know the guy that use to work there and was their guitar repair/tech. His job was to take care of the customers guitar. In between his tech work they had him taking care of the stores guitars that needed new strings, tuning or set ups. Then they decided to no pay him for the extra work so he left. He now has his own business doing guitar repair. He's 2 blocks from my house well within walking distance. I don't have to drive for a half hour through traffic to have someone work on any of my guitars any more.
I was in the Guitar Center in Flint, MI last Saturday. Every guitar that I picked up was in tune or very close to being in tune--even the used ones that I picked up. Everything that I looked at in there was clean and tidy. This is in contrast to how it used to be in that store. The clerk was friendly and helpful. Perhaps the management in that particular store is doing a better job than in the past and other GCs that I've been in over the last few years.
Seweetwater is seriously the best. I've purchased a guitar with them and in the shipping process, the toggle switch broke. I called the SW CS and they were more than happy to reimburse the repair cost. They didn't have to do that since it wasn't their fault, but they were more than happy to help without any hassle.
@@pudgydaddy It was a local luthier. I didn't ship it back to Sweetwater. I got it repaired locally and then sent the invoice to Sweetwater so they could reimburse it.
The most annoying staff are those guys that are following you and stare at you whilst you play a guitar out of fear of theft or damage I guess. Also they might sweet talk you to buy that shit . And they ask themselves why people turn to online shops
No joke. My daughter wanted a beginner amp for her acoustic/electric mando and we went to get her a cheap Blackstar 10W or such. The staff member kept pushing high-end combo amps. I mean, Criminy. She was just going to practice in the basement, not open for Metallica.
It's no always apples to apples though. If I want to test things out, Sweetwater isn't really the best option. I've been to several GC's (with varying success, and also with the issues you saw too) and at least been able to try out many things before I bought. They've always price matched for me as well.
I've been sold used guitars as new several times from GC. I've also been berated and accused of stealing at my local guitar center in Albuquerque after I spent several thousand dollars worth of gear there. Never spent another penny with them and never will.
@@RobertEarlGuitars The exact same thing happened to me. Bought a Taylor 12 string and the tuning machine buttons were all tarnished and scratched. Sales rep at MF told me that was common. Common crap.
I posted on the original video when this topic was live and it doesn't surprise me that staff follow and accuse people of stealing in a Guitar Center. Not fair to the trusty custies but whatever min wager they have on shift have probably been chewed out over loss prevention related issues. I know a guy who ran a GC years ago and theft was always a MASSIVE issue both with employees and customers. Before his store closed permanently, it got so bad that they put everything a person could fit in their pocket or otherwise hide easily where it HAD to be gotten for the customer by the employee. He said that any time they saw a couple with a kid walk in the door they knew something would get broken, go missing or there would be an issue otherwise at some point during the exchange with the customers. They even wanted to put in a "baby cage" (basically a play pen) to put the kids in so that it was easier to manage what the kid was doing around the store but it obviously didn't go over well with the company. Dude still claims that managing a Guitar Center is the worst job he's ever had
They also put all the "pricey" instruments up where they couldn't be touched by the customers without getting staff and also put up the cables and stuff so people couldn't plug in. Basically it got to the point where the employees of the store wanted as little interaction with the customers as possible. They wanted to try to make a sale, try to "up" the sale by offering a slightly more expensive or much more expensive alternative, then if that didn't work within a few minutes they wanted the customer to go elsewhere
I assume going on the theory that if they couldn't make the sale within a half hour tops the customer was just going to be milling around the store looking around for problems, annoying the staff or looking around for something to put in their pocket and leave with easily
While I would not buy a new guitar from Guitar Center, I have had very good experiences buying used guitars from them. You have 45 days to return it, so that's plenty of time to see if you really like it or not. I went through 4 or 5 used nylon string acoustic-electrics before I found one that I wanted to keep. Tried out a few Fender Strats before settling on a Fender American Standard that felt right. Some of these I bought in the store and some I bought online. I have no complaints about buying used instruments from GC. Fact is, I would guess that they are probably doing better business selling used instruments these days.
@@jpk8444 The only issue I have with buying new from GC is their "new" guitars have usually been played by 100 people before me, unless it was a special order or something. But I'm open to the possibility. My dealings with GC have generally been great.
Bro, every time I click one of your vids, I can listen to you talk about guitars and gear and the industry for hours. I'm slowly realizing I'm a nerd lmao. 8:14 hilarious!
I told my local GC I wanted to buy a Charvel they have on the wall. It has bad fret sprout but otherwise is in good shape. I asked if they could file down the fret sprout, they told me to buy the guitar first and then make an appointment for 5 to 6 weeks from now and they will look at it. They told me to my face they don't care about the guitars they have for sale and were annoyed that I was asking about it.
@@MashaB-pk8hlthey seemed to stop caring about sales when commission was taken away. I remember 20-25 years ago those guys were looking to deal like car salesmen.
@@neilpatrickhairless I've had a Charvel with the same neck in my house for seven years, zero fret sprout. They have it at the top of the wall, under a bright light with the furnace drying it out all winter long. If it's so easy to fix, why won't they file it down for an easy sale? I told them I want to buy the guitar.
@@marshall2.015 because the salesmen have no incentive to sell it to you. They’re probably told to push people to buy and then get the customer in for service
Bought 3 used Guitars from GC over last few years - and all 3 had to go back for having obvious issues. I drove 200 miles to look at a used GC PRS USA guitar about 10 years ago. Had one pic on the website. When I got there the guitar was absolute trash with big gouges in the body from being thrown around on stage - and the guy who told me it was nice wasn't at work so I couldn't even curse him out for my wasting a whole day driving. They lost me forever.
I know this isn’t a new comment, but I just saw it and couldn’t agree more. The last used guitar I bought from Guitar Center was from their online store. An Ibenez Artcore semi-hollow described as being in excellent condition. They only had one picture of it, but the price was great and I took a chance. When I got it, the back was cracked, two of the tuning machines weren’t attached, and a third machine was a different brand! The instrument looked like it had been in a battle and not on the winning side. The good thing was I have a store not too far away so I took it to them. No questions asked for a full refund. The bad thing? The next day that store had the guitar listed in their used gear, with the same listing they used to sell it to me, even the excellent condition note and only one picture.
My favorite guitar is a Pelham blue Les Paul. Classic with P90s. When I see them on Reverb, they’re usually in the $2500 range. Got mine at GC brand new for $1000 on sale. GC is fine…
My local GC can be hit or miss, but is usually a “miss.” - I once purchased a Fishman SA-200 “new” in the box. I took it home, and upon opening it, found the packaging material missing. There was an address label on the back of the amp, so I did an internet search for the name on the label. I emailed the person - he explained that he had bought the amp in Boston, but returned it when he discovered an input was intermittently shorting out. GC simply boxed up the defective amp and shipped it to another store. Later, I bought a used Acoustic Image amp. Upon getting it home, I detected a burnt smell. I opened the rear panel and found the power supply had melted. I returned the amp, showing them photos of the damage. They simply put it back out for sale again. I found a new Martin acoustic/electric that I really liked. I took it to the front counter to buy it. The salesman told me they had another one still in the box, and he really, REALLY thought I should try that one out before deciding. I played both of them for 30 minutes, and based on tone, playability, workmanship and the materials (wood grain, etc.) I chose the first one. He really, REALLY wanted me to buy the one out of the box - (I suspect he wanted the first guitar for himself) - I bought the first one, which I am still very happy with. The second guitar remained in the shop for several months afterward.
Well... I was naive, bought my first Fender from GC. The nut was REPLACED, TONE CONTROL DID NOT WORK, FRETS NEEDED LEVELING. GC said the guitar had been set up. I'm new, maybe that's the way it works.
Did you play it first and it had all those issues and you bought it anyway... or did you flat out buy it without playing it first altogether? Because either way...
I bought a used Epiphone LP from GC's Plano, Texas location and was surprised it survived the shipping. It was shipped in the cheapest, crappiest cardboard box with only a thin sheet of foam. I immediately inspected it with a magnifying glass checking for cracks. Never again!
My local GC will check their stock to see if they have the guitar you want in the box. Most times I buy the one I have played over getting one I haven't played in the box.
I’m a trucker that used to deliver produce to Walmart and most stores for 20 years, they all get the same quality at time of purchase, what happens to it after the store distribution centers receive the loads is where the products go wrong, it’s inspected when it comes off the truck before it goes into their storage coolers where it starts going bad
As a former warehouse manager, yeah, people are lucky anything leaves most of these warehouses and distribution centers intact. We were forced to use temp workers that couldn't read the boxes, couldn't figure out how to scan or move the boxes, and get caught sleeping IN the boxes more times than it should ever be considered normal. $8/hr. and we were lucky if they stayed more than a week in any case
As someone with a neck injury issue, guitar weight is of great importance to me. That's one of the things I LOVE about buying from Sweetwater, you can pick the guitar you want based on photos and weight. If the others offered that as well, I think it might help boost sales.
That is absolutely one of the good things about Sweetwater. They really DO try their hardest to eliminate some of the inherent issues with buying stuff like musical instruments from a website and having it shipped to wherever
Edit: Found it! Just had to post the question. I wish weight was listed in the specs and that weight could be a filter. Original comment: I'm looking for the weight on Sweetwater guitars and don't see it. Can you help a girl out? Does Phillip have an episode on lightweight guitars?
@@marloteal3385 It would be hard to list it in specs because it can vary widely from individual guitar within the same model--I've seen as much as a pound difference! There is a thing in some of the drop downs to sort by "lightest guitar". But that's it.
This is a bit unrelated, but I think you should do a video about it. I just got a Fender American Vintage 2 Strat from Sweetwater. It only shipped from Indiana to Missouri, but as you know they come in a vintage-style case. Well mine happened to ship, handle-down. So, even though the photos showed the neck properly aligned, when I opened the guitar the neck had been knocked so far out of whack, that the high E was all the way off of the fingerboard. Really dramatic stuff. In fact the neck pocket in the case expanded and widened from the ordeal, and now the case is an even worse fit than it started. Point is, if a bolt-on necked guitar ships handle-down in a vintage case, it is a problem. But there is no mention of this anywhere on the internet from what I can tell.
Guitar Center has great deals on their used stuff, and with a 45-day return policy, you can't get hurt. Also when you call them, they will get the store to send you more pictures of the guitar.
I went to a lot of guitar centers last year looking to try a new satin finish Martin. There is a huge difference between the stores in different areas. The ones in more upscale newer shopping centers have much better selection and staff. The stores in rundown plazas with no foot traffic usually have nothing but garbage and the staff doesn’t give a damn. The GC in Daytona Beach is a good one and reminds me what GC was like 20 years ago.
As for produce, you will get the best produce from a store that has a large customer base of people who primarily eat at home. For the most part, this will be the grocery stores in the poorer parts of town, where eating out is too expensive. Those are the stores that turn produce consistently, so they end up with more fresh produce. At least that's what my dad, a sales manager for a food distribution company had told me. It also seems to check out.
Stores in poor areas often buy produce past its peak. The produce may be perfectly fine for use the day it’s sold but it will be overripe in one to three days.
One (of several) experiences at GC in Braintree, MA. Picked up a mid range price acoustic electric guitar, plugged into amp to try out the electronics....nothing. ( 9V battery was missing). Sales person came by asked how I liked the guitar and mentioned the electronics are not working ( I knew it was do to missing 9V battery) Sales guy replies " ya that one needs a battery" and walked off. I'm thinking he went to get a battery for me. Waited maybe 10-15 min. NOPE ! Never saw him again. I put the guitar back & walked out. He lost a possible sale on that guitar and/or possibly a different guitar. GC motto should be ..... "We're not happy until you're 100% UNHAPPY " ! 🎸
I saw a family buying their daughter her first acoustic and it was missing a string so they had to get strings. The sales people hemmed and hawed that they couldn't string it and they'd have to leave the guitar and strings for the guitar tech and he wouldn't be back for a couple of days. I walked over and asked the family if they wanted to learn how to string it and we went off to amp section and I showed the daughter, and mostly the dad, how to do it. They ended buying clippers and a string winder because I took a few minutes to get them started on guitar. Sales guys were over there doing their usual busy-doing-nothing routine.
I’m not always happy with the customer service experience at GC but I have bought a lot of stuff there, including three guitars, and those are amazing guitars. I tried them out first, and realized they were amazing and impulsively bought them. I’ve also played a lot of meh guitars there. It’s amazing how much like other music stores they are. My biggest gripe with GC is that my local store doesn’t really have a tech; wouldn’t let the one they have touch my stuff when they have a tech available anyway. When you want to buy a guitar and it’s not setup it’s very irritating to be told they don’t have a tech and won’t let me adjust anything on the guitar.
Hey is the guitar center in Mesa, AZ in the thumbnail? I live like 2 miles from there. Also I don't go as often as I used to but I still go and support GC time to time. Mostly I go through AMS but for strings, used gear, and parts I usually run down to GC to meet my needs
WRT GC, when I am shopping for a guitar, I am shopping for a sound and feel, for the buck. Don't care what or where, as long as it is not stolen and not butchered. My Guild D35NT came from Guitar Center, great guitar, great price, replaced a Martin. My go to 70's electric came from a flea market, $25, stellar neck and sound after a bridge fix. My go to 4 string bass was a ma & pa music store. My 6 string bass was a beat-up partial rebuild. My electric upright bass was an Ebay, my acoustic-electric bass was a dealer second. My 1958 guitar was period matched, make matched parts collected over a long time and rebuilt. None are junk, all are stage-worthy, solid music tools. If someone wants to snob away from an option, it's just more options for the rest of us.
if you order from MF they will ship you a GC floor model most times. In any case they come from GC stores that is their "warehouse". If the store has one NIB you will get it but many times you'll get the display model
I have bought a few guitars from GC that are amazing. I did buy a deal of the day was supposed to be a new guitar. Showed up and it was a used guitar and was destroyed while being shipped due to poor packaging. they paid to return it and I got a refund. I dont buy through mail from them any more I go in store where i can hold the guitar
I caught a '91 335 $2000 under market at the Guitar Center in Fountain Valley California. I also got an undermarket deal on a used AC30 with good quality road case thrown in. I often check Guitar Center ads to determine current market values of different instruments. But when they need to move merchandise they will dramatically lower prices.
I love my local and the several other SF Bay Area Guitar Centers! They have a lot of variety and I could spend hours in there! It's the first place I too of going when I'm free for a little bit and can go hang out for a little bit I can't imagine a world without them, to be totally upfront about it. I also shop at my local mom and pop stores, and from Sweetwaterand other online retailers, too! It's just cool to have them around and I really hope they can weather the changes on the market! Thanks for your honest opinion, as always, Phil. You ROCK!
GC good- Locking up the higher end stuff unless you ask. GC bad- getting a "new" guitar that has still been beaten up for months. They're trying to fix this by locking them up, but I've still had a "new" guitar at a great sale price come to my local store that was the floor model, despite the sales person working the phone for 20 minutes to ensure the one "still in the box" is what the other GC is shipping to them.
I tried that with them as well spent hours on the phone to ensure I was getting a brand new guitar. I got sent an Ibanez in a fender box lol. Nothing but problems with them.
@@AdamManley7 well I had purchased an Ibanez the fact that it came in a fender box ticked me off as it was supposedly brand new and full price. Obviously it was used/open box. I hate that.
@@MaurysMusic I prefer a factory sealed guitar, I can do my own inspection and set up on a brand new one. That's the point of brand new to me. I guess if a shop wants to open it and inspect it fine but it should come in it's own original packaging. If it's a return it should be sold as open box. If it comes in non original packaging it's used.
I went into Guitar Center to buy an amp that I had decide to purchase. Just to purchase it. The only person working in that section of the store was fooling with pedals and when I told him that I wanted to buy this amp, the angry look that he gave me for bothering him made me leave the store and never buy anything in Guitar Center ever again.
I go to my local Guitar Center with burnout staff and scratched up guitars just to get my hands on the models I'm interested in, then I make my decision and go home and order it from Sweetwater.
I've had great results buying USED guitars from GC. Good price, condition as described, and rock solid return policy. Like anywhere, be knowledgeable, ask for extra pics and talk over phone if not local, and the negotiate for better price than advertised. Very happy with the purchases I've made from them. YMMV.
They've always treated me right. I've literally never had a problem. Anything big, I order from them and have it shipped to the store because we have bad porch pirates where I live. I've also picked up a couple of really good used guitars there.
I went to GC recently and ended up buying an Epiphone Les Paul Special. There were 4 on the rack. The one I bought had decent frets that could use a little touch up. The one right next to it had the worst overhanging fret ends I've ever seen. They actually stuck out more than the unfinished neck on a kit guitar I'm building. I am certain they would make someone bleed. I don't know how that guitar made it out of the factory like that, much less how it made it onto the wall at the store. I guess if they are factory buying seconds, that would explain it.
I don't buy from Guitar Center anymore simply because, IN MY RECENT EXPERIENCE, the people that work there have zero customer service skills, and most of them have less guitar/instrument knowledge, the techs seem to only work 2 days a week and it takes up to 3 weeks to get a guitar back from a basic set up, and honestly their inventory is very basic. I can go further in detail if you like. That was my experience here in Las Vegas the last two years. Now when I lived in Tacoma, WA in the early 2000s I made two purchases form Guitar Center, you can imagine with the music scene up there how qualified their employees were, it was great. Also, a local music shop in Olympia, WA. Music 6000 was AMAZING, great workers, inventory, instructors, techs, everything. But flash forward to 2023/24 Las Vegas, never again will I walk into Guitar Center.
Also from vegas. I 100% concur. Sweetwater is not infallible(ive had some unplayable guitars and superficial inspections prior to shipping)but its the best option for any gear. Ive tried em all.
Sad... usually its the store locations in bigger cities that seem to run better overall than the smaller town stores. Something about higher end customers demanding higher end service. In the strip mall locations in Backwatersville its usually parents looking for a throwaway guitar for a kid because they think it will cure the kid's ADHD or browsers looking for $3,000 worth of value in a $300 guitar
On the usage of product at GC being used 30 hours. Ive watched many episodes of various TH-camr guitar centric channels going into guitar shops not GC and spend hours trying various guitars. Obviously they are editing out the hours spent, and it is in effort of getting content. But still, we have all been told that we as guitarists will fair better if we can "connect" with a guitar by trying it out before dropping a chunk of our hard earned paycheck on a shiny plank of wood. How many hands that have tried out my prize does not bother me. On the otherhand, Sweetwater sending an unused instrument is nice. Straight from their warehouse. But again...am I going to like the product when it arrives? Im old school. Hands on tactile experience before dropping the cash on it is my preferred method of guitar purchase. Not sure Id enjoy a guitar by mail, not liking it and having to ship it back. 🤷♂️
My local Guitar Center I will never buy from, Misinformed & they have nothing but a bad attitude here in Missouri. Just a shame i am really shocked they are still open to be honest, I had to have ESP contact them to inform them about warranty work .
Our local GC just doesn’t take care of the inventory. Humidifiers are not running and new acoustics have split tops, frets like chain saw. Good place to maybe try things but I don’t care to have to rehabilitate it. Last purchased guitar was 2020 and still rehabbing it. It was like adopting a neglected puppy.
I got the Gretsch Rancher acoustic electric from Guitar Center online and it came in excellent condition. They even did a pre inspection before delivery.👍
As a left handed player currently living in Lexington Kentucky, I would more likely find a lefty guitar on the highway than my local GC. I buy strings there. If I’m in the area. That’s about it. Stew Mac for my tools, auto zone and Gibson for my polishes.
My local guitar center is nice . Employees are always friendly and helpful. Quality is whatever they get from the manufacturer, the employees don't build the instruments. It's one of the few places you can still get the instruments in your hands. Shop carefully.
I bought a used guitar with issues. Went to a small store in Beaverton Oregon and was treated horribly. Took it to Guitar Center in Beaverton Oregon was treated with respect despite my newbie questions and got the help I needed. Love GC.
each guitar center is a different animal. heck the one in Asheville seems to have different staff every year, but they have good deals on minty used stuff
The GC in Atlanta (not the Marietta one) is abysmal. Half the people up there don't appear to even know anything about music. The Marietta one is good but doesn't stock much anymore.
A friend of mine bought a "new" guitar from guitar center. What he got was obviously a demo floor model that had scratches on it. The neck relief was bad. He's put the neck in a jig to get it to sit right. I think that it needs a neck shim as the pickups are too close to the strings and won't screw down any lower. He had to send a new Jackson guitar back to Sweetwater because the paint (white) in the back separated from the wood body. They had Jackson take it and strip the paint job and repaint it. It's due back soon.
The last guitar that I bought from a major chain music store was my Martin and that was 11 years ago. Then I found a couple of locally owned music stores and the prices are way better and the customer service is great!
I wanted to mention that I recently bought the Korg Wavestate keyboard from Korg directly on Reverb. I unfortunately had to return it after having it for several weeks due to health issues that affect my being able to play keyboards. I have to say that Korg delivered the keyboard within a reasonable amount of time, and was very understanding when I asked to return it. My experience with Korg on Reverb was superb. If I can get my health issues corrected to a point where I can resume playing 100%, I wouldn't hesitate to buy from Korg on Reverb again.
I bought the very last left handed red les Paul jr dc tribute from Sam Ash. It was a floor model. They legit wrapped the guitar on bubble wrap and shipped it in a box. No Gibson gig bag. No baby picture. No certificate. no strap. No tool. I was pissed. I threatened to pop all the bubbles before I shipped it back if they didnt correct it. In the end I got all my gibson accessories.
Love Sweetwater. And honestly, I never thought I would love them as much as I do. It isn't the same as going into the guitar store and actually handling the instrument in hand and taking it for a test spin. But I've been working with the same Sweetwater rep for 15 years and the dude knows me well. I trust him. I know that what I'm going to get is top notch and if I ever do have a problem with something, which has happened once in 15 years, they'll take care of me... and not just take care of me... in a way that doesn't put me out. I've spent a LOT of my dollars with them over the last 15 years and will continue to so long as they keep knocking it out of the park. As for Guitar Center, I had issues with them in the past. Gave them another shot recently. Bought a Silver Sky from them and a Friedman IR-X. Silver Sky has electrical issues that they don't want to fix, and the IR-X had power issues. They were giving me such a runaround with it that I went directly through Dave, who replaced the unit immediately. I'm going to end up having to fork money out of pocket to get the Silver Sky fixed unless I really want to send it back to PRS and let their customer service deal with it, and be without my guitar for however long that will take. Not a fan of GC. Also, as you said... they may not get b-stock stuff from the factory but almost everything in there has been played by everyone and their mother. May as well be used gear depending on how long it's been hanging 🤷♂
Last time went to guitar center to buy a guitar I approached an employee to make the purchase and his first words were," what do you want." I said .." what do i want!? Nothing now, ill just buy the guitar from sweetwater." And walked out..
I purchased a PRS SE from sweetwater and the cable jack was very loose. I have to tighten it periodically but I feel like they should have noticed this before it shipped.
Our bass player bought a Squire bass as a backup. Ordered one from Sweetwater. Was never checked. Terrible set up. He called them and explained and wanted to return it. Sweetwater PAID for a local dealer to do a set up. You can’t beat that customer service. Have an issue with them? Simply call them.
I buy most my stuff from mom and pop but they couldn’t get me the 40th anniversary squier p bass I wanted so I took a chance with GC. I actually got a great price on my bass and it arrived fine. I did take it directly to my luthier for setup but I do that every new guitar
I always have chronic “I know more than you” Ron Swanson meme on my mind when I’m in a GC. The last experience I had there confirmed to me that the kid selling guitars had never played, touched, or heard of a guitar before the moment he walked over to bother me while I played a used Les Paul.
Sweetwater does inspect orders to make sure the product is good,Guitar Center hands you a box they never opened or inspected,always open and inspect before you leave.
Really sad. It wasn't too long ago that our area had at least four little mom and pop guitar shops within less than ten miles. All very professional and helpful. Now all gone.
buying and returns : bought a Gretsch resonator and Musicians friend had someone in Colorado to send the guitar .It was poorly packed one box minimal padding and the next was sliced up as if by a razor knife .I tuned it up and tried out the guitar because I knew I was sending this back but wanted to see if I really liked and wanted this model .I liked it and sent it back and the next one came double boxed and the guitar was practically in foam like an ice chest ,best pack ever . I also have noticed offers of open box gear at many places .They show the new price and below is an open box price .I have twice been pretty sure I bought new and still got the open box .
Sweewater is the gold standard. Fantastic company. Their 55 point check they do is such a differentiator. Everything I ever get from them is always set up and playable right out of the box .
I went into Guitar Center to buy a product. They didn't have it on stock So I ordered it on line w/Guitar Center. They shipped it to My local Guitar Center and when I went to pick it up, they had opened it for other customers and employees to check it out. It was a $350 product. The GC Manger didn't think it was a big deal. I wasn't to happy about that.
The Guitar Center near me is understaffed and I can be standing there with cash in hand to make a purchase, and have to wait so long for help, I have just walked out of the store. I won’t go there anymore.
Two stories about GC that stand out to me. Years ago, I brought in a Traben to sell, was wanting to get something different and I didn’t play the Traben much at all compared to my other basses. Not a scratch on it, set up right, the works. The guy at GC leaned it against an amp to get a cable to try it out, ends up knocking into it and smashing it on the floor. We hadn’t even made the deal yet. Fast forward years later at the same GC. I was interested in a Schecter Stealth 4. They had it listed brand new but was completely scratched to hell from people playing it, it had a noticeable popping sound coming from it and the guy at GC says “oh the battery must be going”, proceeds go rip the battery out of the bass and aggressively shove a new one in. I did buy my Ampeg BA15 v2 from that GC but only because I requested if they had any in the back, not the ones on display/the floor models. I would highly recommend you not buy anything from GC. Maybe strings if you’re in the area but that’s about it. Sweetwater is definitely the way to go.
GC is a completely random experience. I bought my first new guitar from GC in 1992 and the neck was warped. I didn't know but lucky for me I lined up a teacher who gave it the once over and said to take it back. I felt a lot of shame and anger at that. When I brought it back they said "Oh wow another one. Ok" like it was no big deal. It was an Ovation CC57 supershallow bowl. A cheapo but still. I'll go randomly into GC over the years but just to see what is up or check out an amp. Every store seems different and reflects the local managers. I went to buy a nephew an acoustic from one in Cary, NC. I didn't know what to expect but wow they had nice guitars that were setup. I didn't expect that and bought. I live in Chicago and Chicago Music Exchange is a 15-minute drive so that is tough competition.
My issue with GC is that it’s a crapshoot unless you’re buying something off the wall. Even if it’s in another store, you can’t seem to get pictures of the guitar or the weight. I know what a postal scale cost and I would have to believe that if they bought them in bulk, they would get an unbelievable deal on them. Also take some pictures with your phone and send them to me. IDK maybe it’s just me.
guitar center is fine. i have honestly had great experiences in chicagoland. that being said, you may find some stuff not to your liking. but the important thing to realize is that we need to support stores that are local to our communities when possible, because once they're gone, we won't get them back. and for those times before a huge show and you need to pick up some piece of gear last minute, its hard to argue with having a GC or sam ash nearby with tons of gear to pick from.
I saw a partscaster (Tele) on Guitar Center's website and it turned out to be near my home. They had marked it down 30% when they realized it was a partscaster. American Standard neck, like new body with a four-way switch. It only took a few seconds to know I was going to buy it. Of course I acted like I might not for a few minutes. It's the best neck I have.
I haven't even watched the video, and i agree. I do have a gear card. Why did i use that in favor of my regular card? beats me? But i do abuse their 45-day return policy. Test the gear at home and then buy a guitar from whomever you feel is most deserving. I have a local guy i shop whenever i can.
The problem I have with my local guitar center is availability of good quality guitars. They rarely have the top tier guitars on the store. Sure you can order them and have 45 days to return. But even the Taylor and Martin high level guitars aren't available to try in store. They may have a one or two, but to get the best value and quality you need to try several to get a good guitar. And that option just isn't available.
In my experiences with my local Guitar Center the majority of employees in our local GC are either not passionate about instruments or forced to work in a department they know little about. IE: I had a question regarding a hi hat stand and a kid no older than twenty years old told me "I don't know man i'm not a drummer, I don't know why they have me working back here."
I had an issue with one of the large stores. Shipping was terrible, not the stores fault. I bought the guitar for the nitro finish and later found out the site made a mistake with the specs and it was not nitro. Spoke with the company and determined to return the guitar. I still wanted to purchase a guitar and planned spending more money but have been ghosted from the store. I also notified them of another mistake on a guitar that is a SSS but specs say it is HSS in large bold print. I have sent emails picking the new guitar along with the serial number. I’ve decided to go to a mom and pop store for my purchase. I’ve never purchased online and there is always exceptions. My experience I think is the exception as I’ve not heard of many issues with this store.
The way you can be sure manufacturers aren't sending sub-par stuff to Guitar center is first they'd have to know when they're building a run that all if is goes there, and second, since they sell more units than anyone else that means the market would be full of your equipment with bad workmanship, faulty paint, etc. You wouldn't survive long as your reputation falls. We need local places to look at stuff, it's hard to run any business never mind one like this with extremely expensive inventory and low volume sales. What you MIGHT find is a cheaper model made specifically for Guitar Center or Walmart, Costco, etc.
I have not seen a GC since 2001. (due to my moving to rural areas in Michigan) My 2 G.C. I had frequented were on opposite sides of Detroit area. I bought many new guitars from Elderly Instruments in Lansing. Mostly Gibson, always a great experience.(Mostly pre 2000) I bought several new Gibson and Fender from Huber & Breese In Detroit suburb. Quality people who Ordered me a Tele Plus back in the 90;s, and checked it out before they called me and it was set up perfectly. I frequented East Detroit Music, whose owner Joe became the owner/operator of Reverend Guitar. Great store, friendly, and all I ever bought from him was accessories.(I make it a habit of buying strings, or something , especially in a small shop any time I visit) There was a small guitar shop North of Oscoda, Mi. and he was a great guy as well. I would buy music books or strings when I stopped in. I had to have a Gibson Gem (P90's) when they came out and paid the list price (NEW) that Gibson advertised at GC for the Gem, and stood waiting for the case. Gibson listed it WITH the case for what I paid. Sales guy told me I was wrong and I suggested that it was shipped to them in a case in a box and I wanted BOTH, and had paid list for the package.I told the jerk that he was going to cost himself a customer and that I had 10 new Gibsons which all came with cases, From Elderly , Huber/Breese and others. I wound up paying for the case, but never would set foot in that place again. I spoke with the manager about it but he backed up the salesman. Bought , and sold many other new Gibsons via the internet, all had cases.
Guitar center is garbage. I ordered a 1700 dollar guitar from one store to another store and it was sent in a 10 dollar Mitchell bag even though I called to confirm the original bag was present. Thank god I opened the package in store to be witnessed by all the staff cause the “excellent” condition guitar was missing a tuning peg and 3 strings just dangling. I refused the package and went to Chicago music and change and got the same guitar with amazing customer service. Guitar center employees couldn’t give a damn about shipping to customers.
I won’t buy from GC again because when I went to purchase a specific guitar they had 2. One new, one used. I told them I wanted the new one and a case. I had to run to an ATM, literally next door, to get the rest of the cash for the transaction. Fast forward to when I got home and took the guitar out of the case, it was the USED guitar. They switched the guitars. To top it off, when they entered it into the computer, they put “AS IS”, meaning I couldn’t return it.
I bought my new American Jackson SL3 in-box from a Guitar Center near the Corona CA Factory. It hadn't been touched yet in the box and still had the shipping labels on them from Corona, CA. So basically like getting it right from the factory. I love buying from Guitar Center 😁.
A bought a 52 reissue tele there that included a vintage type case. They tried to pawn off a cheaper case to me so they could likely sell the case mine came with for a higher price. I never went back!!
I bought a new firefly strat style recently, it looks better than the picture (blue one, it is much darker than the guitarsgarden picture). I love it! It has everything, roasted maple neck, locking tuners, modern body contours, ball end frets. Can't believe anyone would spend more that $200 on a guitar anymore.
People should buy (or not) from wherever they feel comfortable. I buy exclusively from a local shop because the prices are better than the big boys, they have a great inventory, set up every guitar they sell and take great care of me. Over the years, my sons and I have purchased numerous guitars, both acoustic and electric, and have always been satisfied. Everyone has their own experiences.
Phil , enjoy your Vibe! All of my “Guitar Center” experiences state to state have been rememberable; wish I spent my time current, doing this when I was much younger! Now that I’m older and had an Attitude Adjustment (Father Time), I love the physical experience, the joy ride in the stores. Dig checking out the many brands available. A Guitar is what You make of It, no matter what it says on the headstock. 🤟😎
A good guitar is a good guitar no matter where you get it. Pawn shop, boutique , change store, it doesn't matter. If the guitar feels right, it feels right.
Huge if true
I agree don’t matter where it comes from as long as it’s good and what I like
I concur. Also, what feels right for one person may not feel right for another. Pretty rare that I would buy an instrument without playing it first.
Amen
Same goes for a bad guitar.
I go to a local Guitar Center about 4 or 5 times a year. I can go to the new guitars section and randomly pick 6 or more guitars and find them scratched or gouged and others that have fret sprout. They no longer have anybody tuning them or changings strings. I know the guy that use to work there and was their guitar repair/tech. His job was to take care of the customers guitar. In between his tech work they had him taking care of the stores guitars that needed new strings, tuning or set ups. Then they decided to no pay him for the extra work so he left. He now has his own business doing guitar repair. He's 2 blocks from my house well within walking distance. I don't have to drive for a half hour through traffic to have someone work on any of my guitars any more.
Proof?
Buying from any big company you should budget for a setup regardless
I was in the Guitar Center in Flint, MI last Saturday. Every guitar that I picked up was in tune or very close to being in tune--even the used ones that I picked up. Everything that I looked at in there was clean and tidy. This is in contrast to how it used to be in that store. The clerk was friendly and helpful. Perhaps the management in that particular store is doing a better job than in the past and other GCs that I've been in over the last few years.
@stanknugget Yeah, I bet he has photos and affidavits from a lot of people. Because this is important!
@@ALTDOK667 THANK YOU! That’s all I’m asking for.
Seweetwater is seriously the best. I've purchased a guitar with them and in the shipping process, the toggle switch broke. I called the SW CS and they were more than happy to reimburse the repair cost. They didn't have to do that since it wasn't their fault, but they were more than happy to help without any hassle.
I buy from SW because I live close to ft wayne and I get my stuff within 1-2 days
Just curious, who did the toggle switch repair?
@@pudgydaddy It was a local luthier. I didn't ship it back to Sweetwater. I got it repaired locally and then sent the invoice to Sweetwater so they could reimburse it.
lol
Yep. I really like Sweetwater. They never fail to call me after-purchase.
I stopped going to GC years ago because the staff was apathetic and sometimes unfriendly. Sweetwater has the best business model.
The most annoying staff are those guys that are following you and stare at you whilst you play a guitar out of fear of theft or damage I guess. Also they might sweet talk you to buy that shit . And they ask themselves why people turn to online shops
No joke. My daughter wanted a beginner amp for her acoustic/electric mando and we went to get her a cheap Blackstar 10W or such. The staff member kept pushing high-end combo amps. I mean, Criminy. She was just going to practice in the basement, not open for Metallica.
@@MrDlt123 w@nkers
It's no always apples to apples though. If I want to test things out, Sweetwater isn't really the best option. I've been to several GC's (with varying success, and also with the issues you saw too) and at least been able to try out many things before I bought. They've always price matched for me as well.
yep
I've been sold used guitars as new several times from GC. I've also been berated and accused of stealing at my local guitar center in Albuquerque after I spent several thousand dollars worth of gear there. Never spent another penny with them and never will.
I was sold a used guitar as new by Musicians Friend, the guitar shipped from a GC out west.
@@RobertEarlGuitars The exact same thing happened to me. Bought a Taylor 12 string and the tuning machine buttons were all tarnished and scratched. Sales rep at MF told me that was common. Common crap.
I posted on the original video when this topic was live and it doesn't surprise me that staff follow and accuse people of stealing in a Guitar Center. Not fair to the trusty custies but whatever min wager they have on shift have probably been chewed out over loss prevention related issues. I know a guy who ran a GC years ago and theft was always a MASSIVE issue both with employees and customers. Before his store closed permanently, it got so bad that they put everything a person could fit in their pocket or otherwise hide easily where it HAD to be gotten for the customer by the employee. He said that any time they saw a couple with a kid walk in the door they knew something would get broken, go missing or there would be an issue otherwise at some point during the exchange with the customers. They even wanted to put in a "baby cage" (basically a play pen) to put the kids in so that it was easier to manage what the kid was doing around the store but it obviously didn't go over well with the company. Dude still claims that managing a Guitar Center is the worst job he's ever had
They also put all the "pricey" instruments up where they couldn't be touched by the customers without getting staff and also put up the cables and stuff so people couldn't plug in. Basically it got to the point where the employees of the store wanted as little interaction with the customers as possible. They wanted to try to make a sale, try to "up" the sale by offering a slightly more expensive or much more expensive alternative, then if that didn't work within a few minutes they wanted the customer to go elsewhere
I assume going on the theory that if they couldn't make the sale within a half hour tops the customer was just going to be milling around the store looking around for problems, annoying the staff or looking around for something to put in their pocket and leave with easily
While I would not buy a new guitar from Guitar Center, I have had very good experiences buying used guitars from them. You have 45 days to return it, so that's plenty of time to see if you really like it or not. I went through 4 or 5 used nylon string acoustic-electrics before I found one that I wanted to keep. Tried out a few Fender Strats before settling on a Fender American Standard that felt right. Some of these I bought in the store and some I bought online. I have no complaints about buying used instruments from GC. Fact is, I would guess that they are probably doing better business selling used instruments these days.
Why would you not buy a new guitar there though?
@@jpk8444 The only issue I have with buying new from GC is their "new" guitars have usually been played by 100 people before me, unless it was a special order or something. But I'm open to the possibility. My dealings with GC have generally been great.
I just like guitar shops, all of them.
Bro, every time I click one of your vids, I can listen to you talk about guitars and gear and the industry for hours. I'm slowly realizing I'm a nerd lmao. 8:14 hilarious!
I told my local GC I wanted to buy a Charvel they have on the wall. It has bad fret sprout but otherwise is in good shape. I asked if they could file down the fret sprout, they told me to buy the guitar first and then make an appointment for 5 to 6 weeks from now and they will look at it. They told me to my face they don't care about the guitars they have for sale and were annoyed that I was asking about it.
GC must not care about losing a sale if they tell people to come back to see if they can correct a problem for an undisclosed amount of money.
@@MashaB-pk8hlthey seemed to stop caring about sales when commission was taken away. I remember 20-25 years ago those guys were looking to deal like car salesmen.
Yeah you're gonna get fret sprout at the house as well. Time to learn how to use a flat bastard file and 0000 steel wool
@@neilpatrickhairless I've had a Charvel with the same neck in my house for seven years, zero fret sprout. They have it at the top of the wall, under a bright light with the furnace drying it out all winter long. If it's so easy to fix, why won't they file it down for an easy sale? I told them I want to buy the guitar.
@@marshall2.015 because the salesmen have no incentive to sell it to you. They’re probably told to push people to buy and then get the customer in for service
Bought 3 used Guitars from GC over last few years - and all 3 had to go back for having obvious issues.
I drove 200 miles to look at a used GC PRS USA guitar about 10 years ago. Had one pic on the website. When I got there the guitar was absolute trash with big gouges in the body from being thrown around on stage - and the guy who told me it was nice wasn't at work so I couldn't even curse him out for my wasting a whole day driving. They lost me forever.
I know this isn’t a new comment, but I just saw it and couldn’t agree more. The last used guitar I bought from Guitar Center was from their online store. An Ibenez Artcore semi-hollow described as being in excellent condition. They only had one picture of it, but the price was great and I took a chance. When I got it, the back was cracked, two of the tuning machines weren’t attached, and a third machine was a different brand! The instrument looked like it had been in a battle and not on the winning side.
The good thing was I have a store not too far away so I took it to them. No questions asked for a full refund. The bad thing? The next day that store had the guitar listed in their used gear, with the same listing they used to sell it to me, even the excellent condition note and only one picture.
My favorite guitar is a Pelham blue Les Paul. Classic with P90s. When I see them on Reverb, they’re usually in the $2500 range. Got mine at GC brand new for $1000 on sale. GC is fine…
you mean classic 60's slim taper neck? any push pull's
@@geraldfichtner1915 nope - 2018 Classic. Thick neck, traditional wiring, no weight relief.
My local GC can be hit or miss, but is usually a “miss.” - I once purchased a Fishman SA-200 “new” in the box. I took it home, and upon opening it, found the packaging material missing. There was an address label on the back of the amp, so I did an internet search for the name on the label. I emailed the person - he explained that he had bought the amp in Boston, but returned it when he discovered an input was intermittently shorting out. GC simply boxed up the defective amp and shipped it to another store.
Later, I bought a used Acoustic Image amp. Upon getting it home, I detected a burnt smell. I opened the rear panel and found the power supply had melted. I returned the amp, showing them photos of the damage. They simply put it back out for sale again.
I found a new Martin acoustic/electric that I really liked. I took it to the front counter to buy it. The salesman told me they had another one still in the box, and he really, REALLY thought I should try that one out before deciding. I played both of them for 30 minutes, and based on tone, playability, workmanship and the materials (wood grain, etc.) I chose the first one. He really, REALLY wanted me to buy the one out of the box - (I suspect he wanted the first guitar for himself) - I bought the first one, which I am still very happy with. The second guitar remained in the shop for several months afterward.
My local Guitar Center was less than helpful, in fact they refused to help me despite my guitar being under warranty. I'll never go back
Most are like this. GC is not so great.
Had the exact same issue !
Fender builds to fill purchase orders. They are built AFTER the orders are made to the specs of the ordered products.
Well...
I was naive, bought my first Fender from GC.
The nut was REPLACED, TONE CONTROL DID NOT WORK, FRETS NEEDED LEVELING.
GC said the guitar had been set up.
I'm new, maybe that's the way it works.
Did you play it first and it had all those issues and you bought it anyway... or did you flat out buy it without playing it first altogether? Because either way...
I never buy online from guitar center since the teenagers working there smashed my Hagstrom Alvar by wrapping it with one sheet of paper.
I bought a used Epiphone LP from GC's Plano, Texas location and was surprised it survived the shipping. It was shipped in the cheapest, crappiest cardboard box with only a thin sheet of foam. I immediately inspected it with a magnifying glass checking for cracks. Never again!
My local GC will check their stock to see if they have the guitar you want in the box. Most times I buy the one I have played over getting one I haven't played in the box.
I’m a trucker that used to deliver produce to Walmart and most stores for 20 years, they all get the same quality at time of purchase, what happens to it after the store distribution centers receive the loads is where the products go wrong, it’s inspected when it comes off the truck before it goes into their storage coolers where it starts going bad
As a former warehouse manager, yeah, people are lucky anything leaves most of these warehouses and distribution centers intact. We were forced to use temp workers that couldn't read the boxes, couldn't figure out how to scan or move the boxes, and get caught sleeping IN the boxes more times than it should ever be considered normal. $8/hr. and we were lucky if they stayed more than a week in any case
As someone with a neck injury issue, guitar weight is of great importance to me. That's one of the things I LOVE about buying from Sweetwater, you can pick the guitar you want based on photos and weight. If the others offered that as well, I think it might help boost sales.
That is absolutely one of the good things about Sweetwater. They really DO try their hardest to eliminate some of the inherent issues with buying stuff like musical instruments from a website and having it shipped to wherever
Edit: Found it! Just had to post the question. I wish weight was listed in the specs and that weight could be a filter.
Original comment: I'm looking for the weight on Sweetwater guitars and don't see it. Can you help a girl out? Does Phillip have an episode on lightweight guitars?
@@marloteal3385 It would be hard to list it in specs because it can vary widely from individual guitar within the same model--I've seen as much as a pound difference! There is a thing in some of the drop downs to sort by "lightest guitar". But that's it.
This is a bit unrelated, but I think you should do a video about it. I just got a Fender American Vintage 2 Strat from Sweetwater. It only shipped from Indiana to Missouri, but as you know they come in a vintage-style case. Well mine happened to ship, handle-down. So, even though the photos showed the neck properly aligned, when I opened the guitar the neck had been knocked so far out of whack, that the high E was all the way off of the fingerboard. Really dramatic stuff. In fact the neck pocket in the case expanded and widened from the ordeal, and now the case is an even worse fit than it started. Point is, if a bolt-on necked guitar ships handle-down in a vintage case, it is a problem. But there is no mention of this anywhere on the internet from what I can tell.
I have no local music stores. But we do have several pawn shops in the 2 nearby towns, 20 miles away in opposite directions.
I go to GC Dumpster. Have picked thousands of dollars in gear. Some is barely damaged.
Guitar Center has great deals on their used stuff, and with a 45-day return policy, you can't get hurt. Also when you call them, they will get the store to send you more pictures of the guitar.
I’ve had a good experience
I went to a lot of guitar centers last year looking to try a new satin finish Martin. There is a huge difference between the stores in different areas. The ones in more upscale newer shopping centers have much better selection and staff. The stores in rundown plazas with no foot traffic usually have nothing but garbage and the staff doesn’t give a damn. The GC in Daytona Beach is a good one and reminds me what GC was like 20 years ago.
As for produce, you will get the best produce from a store that has a large customer base of people who primarily eat at home. For the most part, this will be the grocery stores in the poorer parts of town, where eating out is too expensive. Those are the stores that turn produce consistently, so they end up with more fresh produce. At least that's what my dad, a sales manager for a food distribution company had told me. It also seems to check out.
Stores in poor areas often buy produce past its peak. The produce may be perfectly fine for use the day it’s sold but it will be overripe in one to three days.
One (of several) experiences at GC in Braintree, MA. Picked up a mid range price acoustic electric guitar, plugged into amp to try out the electronics....nothing. ( 9V battery was missing). Sales person came by asked how I liked the guitar and mentioned the electronics are not working ( I knew it was do to missing 9V battery) Sales guy replies " ya that one needs a battery" and walked off. I'm thinking he went to get a battery for me. Waited maybe 10-15 min. NOPE ! Never saw him again. I put the guitar back & walked out. He lost a possible sale on that guitar and/or possibly a different guitar. GC motto should be ..... "We're not happy until you're 100% UNHAPPY " ! 🎸
I saw a family buying their daughter her first acoustic and it was missing a string so they had to get strings. The sales people hemmed and hawed that they couldn't string it and they'd have to leave the guitar and strings for the guitar tech and he wouldn't be back for a couple of days. I walked over and asked the family if they wanted to learn how to string it and we went off to amp section and I showed the daughter, and mostly the dad, how to do it. They ended buying clippers and a string winder because I took a few minutes to get them started on guitar. Sales guys were over there doing their usual busy-doing-nothing routine.
Don't worry, the Millbury location is no better.
I’m not always happy with the customer service experience at GC but I have bought a lot of stuff there, including three guitars, and those are amazing guitars. I tried them out first, and realized they were amazing and impulsively bought them. I’ve also played a lot of meh guitars there. It’s amazing how much like other music stores they are.
My biggest gripe with GC is that my local store doesn’t really have a tech; wouldn’t let the one they have touch my stuff when they have a tech available anyway. When you want to buy a guitar and it’s not setup it’s very irritating to be told they don’t have a tech and won’t let me adjust anything on the guitar.
Sweetwater is very good to deal with for product/returns / price, etc. They seem to care (IMO) about their customers.🎸🎸🎸
Ive great experience with Sweetwater also
Absolutely I've bought 7 guitars from sweetwater everyone of them in perfect condition. Sales guys are the best and customer service is top notch.
Hey is the guitar center in Mesa, AZ in the thumbnail? I live like 2 miles from there. Also I don't go as often as I used to but I still go and support GC time to time. Mostly I go through AMS but for strings, used gear, and parts I usually run down to GC to meet my needs
WRT GC, when I am shopping for a guitar, I am shopping for a sound and feel, for the buck. Don't care what or where, as long as it is not stolen and not butchered. My Guild D35NT came from Guitar Center, great guitar, great price, replaced a Martin. My go to 70's electric came from a flea market, $25, stellar neck and sound after a bridge fix. My go to 4 string bass was a ma & pa music store. My 6 string bass was a beat-up partial rebuild. My electric upright bass was an Ebay, my acoustic-electric bass was a dealer second. My 1958 guitar was period matched, make matched parts collected over a long time and rebuilt. None are junk, all are stage-worthy, solid music tools. If someone wants to snob away from an option, it's just more options for the rest of us.
if you order from MF they will ship you a GC floor model most times. In any case they come from GC stores that is their "warehouse". If the store has one NIB you will get it but many times you'll get the display model
I have bought a few guitars from GC that are amazing. I did buy a deal of the day was supposed to be a new guitar. Showed up and it was a used guitar and was destroyed while being shipped due to poor packaging. they paid to return it and I got a refund. I dont buy through mail from them any more I go in store where i can hold the guitar
I caught a '91 335 $2000 under market at the Guitar Center in Fountain Valley California. I also got an undermarket deal on a used AC30 with good quality road case thrown in. I often check Guitar Center ads to determine current market values of different instruments. But when they need to move merchandise they will dramatically lower prices.
I love my local and the several other SF Bay Area Guitar Centers! They have a lot of variety and I could spend hours in there! It's the first place I too of going when I'm free for a little bit and can go hang out for a little bit I can't imagine a world without them, to be totally upfront about it. I also shop at my local mom and pop stores, and from Sweetwaterand other online retailers, too! It's just cool to have them around and I really hope they can weather the changes on the market! Thanks for your honest opinion, as always, Phil. You ROCK!
GC good- Locking up the higher end stuff unless you ask. GC bad- getting a "new" guitar that has still been beaten up for months. They're trying to fix this by locking them up, but I've still had a "new" guitar at a great sale price come to my local store that was the floor model, despite the sales person working the phone for 20 minutes to ensure the one "still in the box" is what the other GC is shipping to them.
I tried that with them as well spent hours on the phone to ensure I was getting a brand new guitar. I got sent an Ibanez in a fender box lol. Nothing but problems with them.
@@gaberox1to be honest you probably got a better guitar 💀
@@AdamManley7 well I had purchased an Ibanez the fact that it came in a fender box ticked me off as it was supposedly brand new and full price. Obviously it was used/open box. I hate that.
"still in the box" is bad too; that means it hasn't been inspected.
@@MaurysMusic I prefer a factory sealed guitar, I can do my own inspection and set up on a brand new one. That's the point of brand new to me. I guess if a shop wants to open it and inspect it fine but it should come in it's own original packaging. If it's a return it should be sold as open box. If it comes in non original packaging it's used.
Thanks Phil, good to hear about GC having the easiest returns.
I went into Guitar Center to buy an amp that I had decide to purchase. Just to purchase it. The only person working in that section of the store was fooling with pedals and when I told him that I wanted to buy this amp, the angry look that he gave me for bothering him made me leave the store and never buy anything in Guitar Center ever again.
I go to my local Guitar Center with burnout staff and scratched up guitars just to get my hands on the models I'm interested in, then I make my decision and go home and order it from Sweetwater.
I bought two from GC, both were new in the case.
I've had great results buying USED guitars from GC. Good price, condition as described, and rock solid return policy. Like anywhere, be knowledgeable, ask for extra pics and talk over phone if not local, and the negotiate for better price than advertised. Very happy with the purchases I've made from them. YMMV.
They've always treated me right. I've literally never had a problem. Anything big, I order from them and have it shipped to the store because we have bad porch pirates where I live. I've also picked up a couple of really good used guitars there.
I went to GC recently and ended up buying an Epiphone Les Paul Special. There were 4 on the rack. The one I bought had decent frets that could use a little touch up. The one right next to it had the worst overhanging fret ends I've ever seen. They actually stuck out more than the unfinished neck on a kit guitar I'm building. I am certain they would make someone bleed.
I don't know how that guitar made it out of the factory like that, much less how it made it onto the wall at the store.
I guess if they are factory buying seconds, that would explain it.
Makes U think GC gets a lot of "factory seconds" and/ or just very poor quality control.🎸🎸🎸
Factory seconds would be marked and identified as such.
I've had excellent experience with Sweetwater. Had some issues with several high end keyboards, and they absolutely took care of me.
I don't buy from Guitar Center anymore simply because, IN MY RECENT EXPERIENCE, the people that work there have zero customer service skills, and most of them have less guitar/instrument knowledge, the techs seem to only work 2 days a week and it takes up to 3 weeks to get a guitar back from a basic set up, and honestly their inventory is very basic. I can go further in detail if you like. That was my experience here in Las Vegas the last two years.
Now when I lived in Tacoma, WA in the early 2000s I made two purchases form Guitar Center, you can imagine with the music scene up there how qualified their employees were, it was great.
Also, a local music shop in Olympia, WA. Music 6000 was AMAZING, great workers, inventory, instructors, techs, everything.
But flash forward to 2023/24 Las Vegas, never again will I walk into Guitar Center.
Also from vegas. I 100% concur. Sweetwater is not infallible(ive had some unplayable guitars and superficial inspections prior to shipping)but its the best option for any gear. Ive tried em all.
Sad... usually its the store locations in bigger cities that seem to run better overall than the smaller town stores. Something about higher end customers demanding higher end service. In the strip mall locations in Backwatersville its usually parents looking for a throwaway guitar for a kid because they think it will cure the kid's ADHD or browsers looking for $3,000 worth of value in a $300 guitar
On the usage of product at GC being used 30 hours. Ive watched many episodes of various TH-camr guitar centric channels going into guitar shops not GC and spend hours trying various guitars. Obviously they are editing out the hours spent, and it is in effort of getting content. But still, we have all been told that we as guitarists will fair better if we can "connect" with a guitar by trying it out before dropping a chunk of our hard earned paycheck on a shiny plank of wood. How many hands that have tried out my prize does not bother me. On the otherhand, Sweetwater sending an unused instrument is nice. Straight from their warehouse. But again...am I going to like the product when it arrives? Im old school. Hands on tactile experience before dropping the cash on it is my preferred method of guitar purchase. Not sure Id enjoy a guitar by mail, not liking it and having to ship it back. 🤷♂️
I purchased a LP Tribute @ GC , absolutely love it !!! Good price also
My local Guitar Center I will never buy from, Misinformed & they have nothing but a bad attitude here in Missouri. Just a shame i am really shocked they are still open to be honest, I had to have ESP contact them to inform them about warranty work .
Our local GC just doesn’t take care of the inventory. Humidifiers are not running and new acoustics have split tops, frets like chain saw. Good place to maybe try things but I don’t care to have to rehabilitate it. Last purchased guitar was 2020 and still rehabbing it. It was like adopting a neglected puppy.
I got the Gretsch Rancher acoustic electric from Guitar Center online and it came in excellent condition. They even did a pre inspection before delivery.👍
As a left handed player currently living in Lexington Kentucky, I would more likely find a lefty guitar on the highway than my local GC. I buy strings there. If I’m in the area. That’s about it. Stew Mac for my tools, auto zone and Gibson for my polishes.
My local guitar center is nice . Employees are always friendly and helpful. Quality is whatever they get from the manufacturer, the employees don't build the instruments. It's one of the few places you can still get the instruments in your hands. Shop carefully.
I hate how GC employees are required to push for gear coverage when you buy something inside.
I bought a used guitar with issues. Went to a small store in Beaverton Oregon and was treated horribly. Took it to Guitar Center in Beaverton Oregon was treated with respect despite my newbie questions and got the help I needed. Love GC.
each guitar center is a different animal. heck the one in Asheville seems to have different staff every year, but they have good deals on minty used stuff
The GC in Atlanta (not the Marietta one) is abysmal. Half the people up there don't appear to even know anything about music. The Marietta one is good but doesn't stock much anymore.
They start out brand new, but after a few days on the floor at GC they become scratch and dent models. Gotta look them over good.
A friend of mine bought a "new" guitar from guitar center. What he got was obviously a demo floor model that had scratches on it. The neck relief was bad. He's put the neck in a jig to get it to sit right. I think that it needs a neck shim as the pickups are too close to the strings and won't screw down any lower. He had to send a new Jackson guitar back to Sweetwater because the paint (white) in the back separated from the wood body. They had Jackson take it and strip the paint job and repaint it. It's due back soon.
The last guitar that I bought from a major chain music store was my Martin and that was 11 years ago.
Then I found a couple of locally owned music stores and the prices are way better and the customer service is great!
Used gear market and ease of returns is definitely what's keeping GC open. Especially when they offer 2 year interest free on used gear occasionally.
I wanted to mention that I recently bought the Korg Wavestate keyboard from Korg directly on Reverb. I unfortunately had to return it after having it for several weeks due to health issues that affect my being able to play keyboards. I have to say that Korg delivered the keyboard within a reasonable amount of time, and was very understanding when I asked to return it. My experience with Korg on Reverb was superb. If I can get my health issues corrected to a point where I can resume playing 100%, I wouldn't hesitate to buy from Korg on Reverb again.
I bought the very last left handed red les Paul jr dc tribute from Sam Ash. It was a floor model. They legit wrapped the guitar on bubble wrap and shipped it in a box.
No Gibson gig bag. No baby picture. No certificate. no strap. No tool. I was pissed. I threatened to pop all the bubbles before I shipped it back if they didnt correct it. In the end I got all my gibson accessories.
I buy strings , straps and parts from guitar centre because they often have plenty of stock.
Love Sweetwater. And honestly, I never thought I would love them as much as I do. It isn't the same as going into the guitar store and actually handling the instrument in hand and taking it for a test spin. But I've been working with the same Sweetwater rep for 15 years and the dude knows me well. I trust him. I know that what I'm going to get is top notch and if I ever do have a problem with something, which has happened once in 15 years, they'll take care of me... and not just take care of me... in a way that doesn't put me out. I've spent a LOT of my dollars with them over the last 15 years and will continue to so long as they keep knocking it out of the park. As for Guitar Center, I had issues with them in the past. Gave them another shot recently. Bought a Silver Sky from them and a Friedman IR-X. Silver Sky has electrical issues that they don't want to fix, and the IR-X had power issues. They were giving me such a runaround with it that I went directly through Dave, who replaced the unit immediately. I'm going to end up having to fork money out of pocket to get the Silver Sky fixed unless I really want to send it back to PRS and let their customer service deal with it, and be without my guitar for however long that will take. Not a fan of GC. Also, as you said... they may not get b-stock stuff from the factory but almost everything in there has been played by everyone and their mother. May as well be used gear depending on how long it's been hanging 🤷♂
Last time went to guitar center to buy a guitar I approached an employee to make the purchase and his first words were," what do you want." I said .." what do i want!? Nothing now, ill just buy the guitar from sweetwater." And walked out..
I purchased a PRS SE from sweetwater and the cable jack was very loose. I have to tighten it periodically but I feel like they should have noticed this before it shipped.
Our bass player bought a Squire bass as a backup. Ordered one from Sweetwater. Was never checked. Terrible set up. He called them and explained and wanted to return it. Sweetwater PAID for a local dealer to do a set up. You can’t beat that customer service. Have an issue with them? Simply call them.
I buy most my stuff from mom and pop but they couldn’t get me the 40th anniversary squier p bass I wanted so I took a chance with GC. I actually got a great price on my bass and it arrived fine. I did take it directly to my luthier for setup but I do that every new guitar
I always have chronic “I know more than you” Ron Swanson meme on my mind when I’m in a GC. The last experience I had there confirmed to me that the kid selling guitars had never played, touched, or heard of a guitar before the moment he walked over to bother me while I played a used Les Paul.
Sweetwater does inspect orders to make sure the product is good,Guitar Center hands you a box they never opened or inspected,always open and inspect before you leave.
The thumbnail pic looks like you are standing in front of the GC at the Dana Park shopping center in Mesa, AZ. Val Vista & Baseline.
Really sad. It wasn't too long ago that our area had at least four little mom and pop guitar shops within less than ten miles. All very professional and helpful. Now all gone.
I love love my Kiesel's and I agree with you on their pricing
buying and returns : bought a Gretsch resonator and Musicians friend had someone in Colorado to send the guitar .It was poorly packed one box minimal padding and the next was sliced up as if by a razor knife .I tuned it up and tried out the guitar because I knew I was sending this back but wanted to see if I really liked and wanted this model .I liked it and sent it back and the next one came double boxed and the guitar was practically in foam like an ice chest ,best pack ever . I also have noticed offers of open box gear at many places .They show the new price and below is an open box price .I have twice been pretty sure I bought new and still got the open box .
I bought a great Les Paul from GC in December and it is just as good if not better than some of my other Les Pauls
I'd like to see Kiesel rerelease some of the classic Carvin designs. Fender and Gibson do it, why doesn't Keisel?
Be a man!
I'm in Canada. Our big chain here is Long & McQuade. I try to support the smaller guys whenever I can, but I often go to L&M as well.
Sweewater is the gold standard. Fantastic company. Their 55 point check they do is such a differentiator. Everything I ever get from them is always set up and playable right out of the box .
I went into Guitar Center to buy a product.
They didn't have it on stock So I ordered it on line w/Guitar Center. They shipped it to My local Guitar Center and when I went to pick it up, they had opened it for other customers and employees to check it out.
It was a $350 product. The GC Manger didn't think it was a big deal.
I wasn't to happy about that.
The Guitar Center near me is understaffed and I can be standing there with cash in hand to make a purchase, and have to wait so long for help, I have just walked out of the store. I won’t go there anymore.
Two stories about GC that stand out to me.
Years ago, I brought in a Traben to sell, was wanting to get something different and I didn’t play the Traben much at all compared to my other basses. Not a scratch on it, set up right, the works. The guy at GC leaned it against an amp to get a cable to try it out, ends up knocking into it and smashing it on the floor.
We hadn’t even made the deal yet.
Fast forward years later at the same GC. I was interested in a Schecter Stealth 4. They had it listed brand new but was completely scratched to hell from people playing it, it had a noticeable popping sound coming from it and the guy at GC says “oh the battery must be going”, proceeds go rip the battery out of the bass and aggressively shove a new one in.
I did buy my Ampeg BA15 v2 from that GC but only because I requested if they had any in the back, not the ones on display/the floor models.
I would highly recommend you not buy anything from GC. Maybe strings if you’re in the area but that’s about it.
Sweetwater is definitely the way to go.
GC is a completely random experience. I bought my first new guitar from GC in 1992 and the neck was warped. I didn't know but lucky for me I lined up a teacher who gave it the once over and said to take it back. I felt a lot of shame and anger at that. When I brought it back they said "Oh wow another one. Ok" like it was no big deal. It was an Ovation CC57 supershallow bowl. A cheapo but still. I'll go randomly into GC over the years but just to see what is up or check out an amp. Every store seems different and reflects the local managers. I went to buy a nephew an acoustic from one in Cary, NC. I didn't know what to expect but wow they had nice guitars that were setup. I didn't expect that and bought. I live in Chicago and Chicago Music Exchange is a 15-minute drive so that is tough competition.
My issue with GC is that it’s a crapshoot unless you’re buying something off the wall. Even if it’s in another store, you can’t seem to get pictures of the guitar or the weight. I know what a postal scale cost and I would have to believe that if they bought them in bulk, they would get an unbelievable deal on them. Also take some pictures with your phone and send them to me. IDK maybe it’s just me.
guitar center is fine. i have honestly had great experiences in chicagoland. that being said, you may find some stuff not to your liking. but the important thing to realize is that we need to support stores that are local to our communities when possible, because once they're gone, we won't get them back. and for those times before a huge show and you need to pick up some piece of gear last minute, its hard to argue with having a GC or sam ash nearby with tons of gear to pick from.
I saw a partscaster (Tele) on Guitar Center's website and it turned out to be near my home. They had marked it down 30% when they realized it was a partscaster. American Standard neck, like new body with a four-way switch. It only took a few seconds to know I was going to buy it. Of course I acted like I might not for a few minutes. It's the best neck I have.
Man, ten years ago my local GC was really really nice with great service, and now it's just depressing.
I buy 90% of my guitars from GC. Most of the time, they’re fine. Occasionally, there’s a WTF moment.
I haven't even watched the video, and i agree. I do have a gear card. Why did i use that in favor of my regular card? beats me? But i do abuse their 45-day return policy. Test the gear at home and then buy a guitar from whomever you feel is most deserving. I have a local guy i shop whenever i can.
The problem I have with my local guitar center is availability of good quality guitars. They rarely have the top tier guitars on the store. Sure you can order them and have 45 days to return. But even the Taylor and Martin high level guitars aren't available to try in store. They may have a one or two, but to get the best value and quality you need to try several to get a good guitar. And that option just isn't available.
BTW..... Love what you do Philip McKnight 👍👍👍
In my experiences with my local Guitar Center the majority of employees in our local GC are either not passionate about instruments or forced to work in a department they know little about. IE: I had a question regarding a hi hat stand and a kid no older than twenty years old told me "I don't know man i'm not a drummer, I don't know why they have me working back here."
I had an issue with one of the large stores. Shipping was terrible, not the stores fault. I bought the guitar for the nitro finish and later found out the site made a mistake with the specs and it was not nitro. Spoke with the company and determined to return the guitar. I still wanted to purchase a guitar and planned spending more money but have been ghosted from the store. I also notified them of another mistake on a guitar that is a SSS but specs say it is HSS in large bold print. I have sent emails picking the new guitar along with the serial number. I’ve decided to go to a mom and pop store for my purchase. I’ve never purchased online and there is always exceptions. My experience I think is the exception as I’ve not heard of many issues with this store.
The way you can be sure manufacturers aren't sending sub-par stuff to Guitar center is first they'd have to know when they're building a run that all if is goes there, and second, since they sell more units than anyone else that means the market would be full of your equipment with bad workmanship, faulty paint, etc. You wouldn't survive long as your reputation falls. We need local places to look at stuff, it's hard to run any business never mind one like this with extremely expensive inventory and low volume sales. What you MIGHT find is a cheaper model made specifically for Guitar Center or Walmart, Costco, etc.
I have not seen a GC since 2001. (due to my moving to rural areas in Michigan) My 2 G.C. I had frequented were on opposite sides of Detroit area. I bought many new guitars from Elderly Instruments in Lansing. Mostly Gibson, always a great experience.(Mostly pre 2000) I bought several new Gibson and Fender from Huber & Breese In Detroit suburb. Quality people who Ordered me a Tele Plus back in the 90;s, and checked it out before they called me and it was set up perfectly. I frequented East Detroit Music, whose owner Joe became the owner/operator of Reverend Guitar. Great store, friendly, and all I ever bought from him was accessories.(I make it a habit of buying strings, or something , especially in a small shop any time I visit) There was a small guitar shop North of Oscoda, Mi. and he was a great guy as well. I would buy music books or strings when I stopped in. I had to have a Gibson Gem (P90's) when they came out and paid the list price (NEW) that Gibson advertised at GC for the Gem, and stood waiting for the case. Gibson listed it WITH the case for what I paid. Sales guy told me I was wrong and I suggested that it was shipped to them in a case in a box and I wanted BOTH, and had paid list for the package.I told the jerk that he was going to cost himself a customer and that I had 10 new Gibsons which all came with cases, From Elderly , Huber/Breese and others. I wound up paying for the case, but never would set foot in that place again. I spoke with the manager about it but he backed up the salesman. Bought , and sold many other new Gibsons via the internet, all had cases.
Guitar center is garbage. I ordered a 1700 dollar guitar from one store to another store and it was sent in a 10 dollar Mitchell bag even though I called to confirm the original bag was present. Thank god I opened the package in store to be witnessed by all the staff cause the “excellent” condition guitar was missing a tuning peg and 3 strings just dangling. I refused the package and went to Chicago music and change and got the same guitar with amazing customer service. Guitar center employees couldn’t give a damn about shipping to customers.
I’ve bought all my guitars in store from Guitar Center. I probably wouldn’t online.
They were the only ones that had the super crush 100 in stock locally when I wanted to try one. I bought it from them.
I won’t buy from GC again because when I went to purchase a specific guitar they had 2. One new, one used. I told them I wanted the new one and a case. I had to run to an ATM, literally next door, to get the rest of the cash for the transaction. Fast forward to when I got home and took the guitar out of the case, it was the USED guitar. They switched the guitars. To top it off, when they entered it into the computer, they put “AS IS”, meaning I couldn’t return it.
I bought my new American Jackson SL3 in-box from a Guitar Center near the Corona CA Factory. It hadn't been touched yet in the box and still had the shipping labels on them from Corona, CA. So basically like getting it right from the factory. I love buying from Guitar Center 😁.
A bought a 52 reissue tele there that included a vintage type case. They tried to pawn off a cheaper case to me so they could likely sell the case mine came with for a higher price. I never went back!!
I bought a new firefly strat style recently, it looks better than the picture (blue one, it is much darker than the guitarsgarden picture). I love it! It has everything, roasted maple neck, locking tuners, modern body contours, ball end frets. Can't believe anyone would spend more that $200 on a guitar anymore.
People should buy (or not) from wherever they feel comfortable. I buy exclusively from a local shop because the prices are better than the big boys, they have a great inventory, set up every guitar they sell and take great care of me. Over the years, my sons and I have purchased numerous guitars, both acoustic and electric, and have always been satisfied.
Everyone has their own experiences.
Phil , enjoy your Vibe! All of my “Guitar Center” experiences state to state have been rememberable; wish I spent my time current, doing this when I was much younger! Now that I’m older and had an Attitude Adjustment (Father Time), I love the physical experience, the joy ride in the stores. Dig checking out the many brands available.
A Guitar is what You make of It, no matter what it says on the headstock. 🤟😎