Guitar Center CEO Makes Controversial Comments? | Matt's Musings
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 3 ต.ค. 2024
- We've got an interesting article discussion today guys! Guitar World has dropped a story about some comments new Guitar Center CEO Gabe Dalporto made. Is this controversial or a smart business strategy?
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I used to be a serious touring musician. I was actually sponsored by guitar center at one point also. Got stuff there at cost and it usually wasn’t guitars or strings as I had endorsements and stuff for those and didn’t need guitar center for that.
I don’t know any serious musician that actually likes to go to guitar center. And when I did, it was usually because I needed it right then and I knew what I wanted/needed. I didn’t/don’t want someone that knows the same or less than me about what I want to bother me.
I think the CEO has his customer base backwards.
Back in my day (It was a Wednesday in 2004), going to GC really did feel like this larger than life experience! And between them and my local shop, I bought a lot! When graduation day rolled around, my dad took me there and we bought a used ‘68 Custom Les Paul (almost entirely because of the knowledgeable staff working there). I went off to college, toured around a bit, lived in various music cities for a time, and started to notice that the Guitar Center experience was no longer catering to me. Local shops were able to deliver a better product without all the hassle. Now, I am a gigging musician with a slew of $500-1000 gig guitars. I usually play em until they’re spent up, then get another. But I don’t buy them from Guitar Center…
Being in the industry for over 35 years, I can confirm that musical instruments are very much brand recognition heavy. What I mean by that is people starting out and people aspiring for the next level want to look and sound like their heroes. What are they playing? Ooo, I want that. Eventually, pros will find their sound and eventually, yeah, exactly what you said, get the guitar that works for them, but it is a journey that includes being drawn into a store with the desire to play that $5K Gibson, but only affording the $750 Epiphone. The sad thing is GC for the last decade has only had the entry level items and very limited choice of the premium stuff folks aspire to get. Lastly, teachers want to be able to send students to a trusted store that has the products they can recommend for their students. GC really hasn't been that place. Sure, if you want a pack of strings or a cable, they are your place all day long, but to get that American made Strat or Fender Jazz bass, you would be lucky to find the model you want, let alone in the color or neck you want.
I am a keyboardist, and dabble in Pro Audio and I have yet to find anything that interests me at any GC. I am looking forward to them stepping up their game there so I can play on a Nord right next to a Roland and Yamaha to compare and make an informed decision. I've had to go to NAMM to be able to try that stuff out... and you know how it is there. Not the best place to try out gear.
I appreciate and welcome your expertise. I did not consider the aspirational aspect of wanting a premium instrument, probably because I'm not that way myself but I can see how someone would be motivated in that way. I guess I also wouldn't expect people looking for higher end gear to go to a standard multi location retailer, but you seem to think so and might do that yourself. I think the only issue is he says "serious" musicians when referring to premium gear when that's not what it's all about. I just don't want them to go overboard on the whole high end gear thing. Being an industry vet you know how those things can end up being about marketing and not necessarily quality.
@@matthewbriggsguitar I happen to agree that the use of the word "serious" is probably not the best word to use in this case. However, I don't think we will see boutique guitars out numbering the entry level or intermediate level guitars at any of the GCs. But I think we would all agree the choices have been limited and having a larger breadth of choice is a very welcome change to GC.
It's all about what a showroom can offer that online retailers cannot. I'm willing to bet most guitars purchased online are under 1000k.
I just wish I could pick up a guitar at a Guitar Center and it was set up and in tune. There is no way I’m going to tune a badly out of tune Floyd rose, or just trust that a guitar with massively high action doesn’t have a truss rod issue or a neck angle that is off.
Amen!
I'm a lessons manager at a GC and also a "serious musician". While I 100% agree there needs to be more premium gear in our store, I fundamentally disagree with the premise that "serious musicians" are GC's core customer base. It's simply not true. It definitely doesn't cater to my clientele, which, by the way, is a huge source of revenue keeping the company alive right now.
Unfortunately Gabe is a bit misguided in being more customer-focused than employee-focused. GC will always have customers, that is not an issue. His concern should be paying the employees (especially sales associates) enough to even care about their job, much less care about the customer experience. I can say firsthand that the training for ALL employees (not just sales) is absolutely abysmal and needs to be addressed immediately. But don't worry, there is plenty of training on Pro Coverage and GC Gear Card.
The reason you hate going to Guitar Center is because the employees hate going there too. Having premium gear is irrelevant if I don't even know how to talk about it.
From time to time, I indulge myself in a nice instrument. On my list are a USA PRS, a Martin or Taylor which I still don't own after 40 years and 8 guitars. It just sucks to walk into Guitar Center and not see more than one or two used high end instruments on the wall. And the acoustics are literally locked up so that someone has to hold your hand while you play them.
I'm in a suburb of NY. I should not have to travel to NYC to see and play high end instruments. The reason GC (and the now dying Sam Ash) don't carry these is simple. Having a ton of money tied up in inventory is not good business practice on paper. But at the same time, people like me would at least be closer to making a purchase if we could actually play them all and make a decision. I play a lot of instruments before I buy a $3000 - $5000 guitar.
FYI, my number one guitar right now is a $750.00 Greco that I modded with a middle P-UP, Grovers and a serious electronics overhaul.
Guitar Center as a corporation has one strategy - squeeze as much of the life-force out of their employees as they can, discard, repeat.
Try being left-handed and walking into a Guitar Center. You get to take your pick from either no lefty electrics/acoustics/basses, or if you are lucky there is some $200 Squire that plays like a 2x4.
I once recorded rhythm tracks for an entire album on a 2 by 4. 🙈🤙
Preach, brother.
I think it’s smart. I rarely go to Guitar Center because they always have cheap stuff. Which is fine for kids and beginners not wanting to by more expensive gear. For guys like me that prefer quality, my only options are custom shop orders which take forever or The Sweetwater type stores which as of late have horrible service and rarely have what I need in stock.
They simply cannot compete in the cheap guitar space with online relators. When you buy a cheap guitar, getting it sent to you is extremely convenient. However, if I'm going to drop $2,000 or more on a guitar, I want to go look at it and play it at the store before I buy.
I totally get that. If you're going to pay a lot of money you want to know you're actually getting what you pay for. If they want to be higher end they need to step up their personnel and shopping experience. A lot of times it feels like the guitar equivalent of a Wal-Mart.
@@matthewbriggsguitar I think that's the whole point. I hate going into a guitar center. I live in Dallas/Fort Worth, you go into any of them and all you experience is a bunch of teenagers abusing equipment and treating the place like a playground. The only area I enjoy is the acoustic room where you can close the door.
Funny, I grew up not far from Dallas, my whole family is from around there. But yeah, if they really want to change, it can't be a playground. (The guitar center off 75 at Central Expressway was a madhouse the one time I went there, haha).
It’s a shame they don’t do a better job with the vintage gear on both their website and in the stores. My local GC has nice enough employees but you can tell which have knowledge (and by that I mean basics) and whom does not. And it feels like a used car lot when you go in, not an experience.
These are just excuses for GC not providing that "Playground Experience." How about GC pay employees enough to provide that experience? Escape Rooms do it every day. Gabe must think every town has hundreds of pro-guitarists just waiting to spend thousands of dollars every month. Admittedly, Guitarists are always the richest people in their communities-no matter how poor they are.😂
Funny how so many guitarists will pay up if they think a new, shiny toy will make them sound better. Maybe Gabe is onto something... 😉
@@matthewbriggsguitar You're not wrong...but I wouldn't count on it as a business model either.
It is more than the right pay for their employees. It is also training. Likewise, it always appears that their employees are not focused on selling as much as they are focused on knocking out some kind of task their manager has them doing. It really isn't easy hiring someone willing to learn about products let alone also be that person willing to engage with someone in meaningful conversation. It's kinda like trying to find a unicorn.
@@mitchgarcia42 Do you or Matt know if fewer top-shelf guitars are made these days? Much of this discussion revolves around the exceptional products that only cost $200-$700 bucks... I also remember "King of the Blues" and "Shreadathon" contests at the local GC back in the day- You could hang out for hours watching dudes guitar battles- They even had an impromptu air guitar contest for some kids that were rockin out.
@@_metalghost_ I cannot speak to what guitar companies are producing. I do know there has been a ton of issues recently through out musical instrument manufacturers due to material shortages and and lack of skilled laborers causing bottle necks in production. I don't think it is deliberate to produce less, but hard decisions have to be made on what to produce these days.
What they need to understand is out of 100 guitar players maybe two or three play out for money. With the good guitar choices you have in the 300-700 range that is what many pros are playing out with, we are not taking the 4000 dollar Taylor out to a bar to be knocked over by a drunk. I am seeing more novice- hobby players buying high end guitars I have a student that is just starting out and has about 10 guitars, three of them being high end Taylor’s and a PRs. So both ends of the market to be catered to. The problem at GC is they don’t have any real sales people. But what can you expect for 10 dollars an hour?
Harley Benton, EART, etc... make better "$300" guitars than anything the name brands offer.
As someone who gigs several times a year and plays in my church praise team weekly, at least I can say that I’m NOT looking into a premium $2-3K guitar. I’m playing a great $650 PRS.
Ah an SE enjoyer. Did you know they're essentially made by Cort? Apparently they make the more affordable lines of several big brands. Their quality seems to be pretty good.
@@matthewbriggsguitar did NOT know that
TIL people don't use Ublock Origin in 2024.
Most people, most musicians, are not paying for guitars what a used car costs. If he wants a boutique shop, full of $4,000 guitars, let him run himself out of business. Snobbery is every effing where. And, shit tons of those $4,000 guitars wind up discounted on Reverb, or even in a pawn shop.
Bro isnt talking about 4k guitars either. Talking about the 1500-2500 range. Cause that's where most *good* instruments lie.
GC is a lousy place to play/test gear. its noisy all the time. You cant get comfortable, its full of riff raff who arent there to buy anything but stay for 2 hours. Some gear its totally fine, amps and guitars... bad exp. there are exceptions....the extra sound rooms help alot. I rarely think of GC for guitars over 1k. And the other stuff i can order from SW instead. I thought they were going to focus on lessons more.
I think he really means selling the chinesium guitars for 1000-2000$ range. I dont care what brand it is, but thats the goal, larger profit margins with less labor invested. This is why the counterfeit market thrives, because people dont care. These can be made for a few dollars a day 10 guitars or more per person, and sold for 1000-2k$. At this point im just buying used amercican and japanese at good price. Becasue believe it or not Made in china has no resale value.
I have worked at several guitar retailers and you couldn't pay me to own a guitar store.
Idiot kids with metal crap and spiked bracelets scratching guitars while playing some Gaaawd awful attempt at some drop D thang while some guy with money in his pocket is trying to test drive a tele.
I have no solutions.
I would pay 25$ though to have 1.5 hr appointment at a guitar store where I didn't have to tolerate a bunch of noisy non players.
Give me a shop that is " by appointment only"
I honestly wish they carried an electric Tres or Marimbulas, I totally been wanting to try and start a Friki Changui project, coolest style of music I've heard in decades, it comes from Miami, but yeah I agree with what you're saying %100, very few people take their most expensive guitars on the road anyhow, and what musicians want is reliability, he should be thinking more slow and steady especially in this bad economy. and that comes full circle ironically th-cam.com/video/qJpGCoZ4dts/w-d-xo.htmlsi=dOrAqIHzxpw-Xg4q CC is English! Cheers!
Gabe Dalporto isn't the idiot you think he is. But he's not going to come out and address the metaphorical elephant in the live performance room, so I will.
I live in a metro with a population of 1.5 million. We have one Guitar Center to serve that population. We also have 2,000 churches with five-piece or larger bands. Those bands have, on average, three guitar players. There are at least 12,000 guitarists in my metro area who play live music in churches and live within a 35 minute drive of our single Guitar Center location. Few of them are playing instruments from the bargain bin.
Some do. In my previous P&W team, I played lead guitar on one of four $80.00 acoustic-electric Harley Benton HBO 600 "Fauxvation" instruments. Our rhythm player used an Ibanez Artwood dreadnaught with a mahogany body. Our bassist played a Squire. Our percussion was a $120.00 box by Latin Percussion and assorted trinkets of unknown cost.
But we were the exception. The overwhelming majority of worship leaders in my metro area are spending whatever Taylor 214 to 814 instruments coast in order to have something to bang out the occasional cowboy chord on while they sing. The two electric guitars might be MiM if they say "Fender" on the headstock but they probably aren't. Most of the church electric guitar I players I encounter are playing U.S. made Paul Reed Smith or some other American-made guitar.
Then, they're their pedal boards. I'm probably the only church guitar player in the metro without a Strymon Big Sky. There is no Wampler or JHS product on my board, either. Not so for my peers.
While I don't feel the need to trade in my Harley Benton HBO 600's for more expensive acoustic electric guitars and while I'm not too proud to play my Squire Sonic Tele and Indonesian Squier Affinity Series Strat in front of people, my needs as a church player are the same as they are for anyone else who regularly plays live music in front of people.
A Guitar Center that met the needs of the "serious, gigging musician" was ALSO a Guitar Center that met the needs of church band players. Guitar Center was once very good at that.
Dalporto is probably smart enough to divide 12,000 by 365 days in a year and arrive at 32.87 potential customers per day who are, in the main, going to coming through the doors with the aim of buying something, even if he doesn't say the church player "quiet part" out loud. He doesn't need to. By meeting the needs and desires of "serious, gigging musicians," he's meeting the needs and desires of serious church musicians, too.
I don't think Gabe Dalporto is an idiot. He wouldn't be the new CEO if he was a dummy. The only thing I'm pointing out is the notion that serious musicians primarily want "premium" gear, which may not be what he's trying to say but that's how it can come across.
I'm not advocating to buy bargain bin equipment or saying that serious musicians don't buy good gear. The goal is always buy the thing that does what YOU need and that of course varies for everyone. You don't need "premium" gear to do it. A $1000 Tele will do the same job as the custom shop one. I just don't want them to lose sight of the goal which should be getting the musician quality gear they need. Although I do think they will see the obvious issue there and not obsess about "premium" gear. Their real focus should be on employee training and improving the customer experience. Everything else will fall into place at that point. What they want to sell is fine by me if its not trash, all I was addressing was the potential assumption of "serious musicians just want premium gear."