GC rant.

[krab]

Fun story.
Out of picks. Stop in at GC North Houston. I bought six dozen picks (fixed for clarity). Needed the picks. Didn't even bother to look at the price, $6 a dozen Fender heavies. Price you pay when you are in a hurry.

Well I get home and see everyone else in the known universe sales them for $2 to $3 a dozen. I print off some of the prices and head back to GC. I walk in and said "I last week I bought six dozen picks for $6 and well as you can see you are two to three times higher than everyone." The kid didn't want to do anything and was like "well after you pay shipping." I pointed out nowhere does the price match talk about shipping and all of the ads I had shown were free shipping.

At this point I'm pissed. The kid finally goes a Google shopping search and said well the bst price I can find is $3.50 a dozen on Amazon, with shipping A) it would be over $25 so free shipping B) I am a prime member so free two day shipping. He rings me up and just gives back the difference. No difference plus 10% like the policy states, just the difference.

On the way out of the store I check in on Four Square tweeting my check in with "Love how they don't want to price match." Later that day I get a tweet from Jeremy Cole. A GC employee in CA. He saw the tweet and wanted to know what happened. I take this chance to unload everything over the last year with GC. The non price match. The Westheimerroad GC stunt where all of the Eric Clapton Ernie Ball boxes of strings were opened, only to have someone from Houston win one of the trips to see EC at R.A.H.. The not wanting to give me my gig bag for my new Strat. The guys pulling friends out of line to wait on them and then leaving the counter again. Stuff like this.

After a few emails with Mr. Cole the manager from the Westheimer store called and offered some free stuff like cables and picks strings. Something small the next time I'm in. I told him that wasn't really needed. It took almost a month for the manager from the North Houston store to call me. He is going to issue a credit for my troubles. Over the last year I have bought three aoucstics (all in the $300 to $500 range) a CV strat a Fender FSR strat a Dot a Bullet strat a mini strat (as a first guitar for my neice) an LTD Viper a champ 600 a Jet City 20w combo two Dean Markely sound hole pups an LR Baggs pre amp and seven hard shell cases.

So I thought I'll give them one more chance. I sold my Dot and had regretted it. So i went to buy a new one. They priced matched on the case, pulling $50 off of that price and even gave me the 15% off for the leap year sale. I asked if all of the case candy was in there. I was told yes all of it is there. I asked even the case key? Again was told yes. So I take it to my guy to have a bone nut cut a set up and new guts dropped in only to find nothing but the guitar in the case.

Call GC. Talked to the Guitar Manager. He told me they toss all the arms wrenches and paper work save for guitars that come with OHSC or are American made. Said it was Guitar Center policy and if I wanted all of that stuff I should have ordered one. WHAT!!!111!!!ONE!!! Order one? I liked the neck on the red one I played. I wanted a burst but the neck felt off. My second choice was a black one but the neck didn't feel right and had two dead spots. The red one was perfect.

So yes I have been bitten for the last time. What sucks is the big box stores have taken away the big name brands from the mom and pop shops. I'm lucky there is a Fender/Loar dealer that is locally owned. I should have just gone and bought a semi-hollow body from him.

 

[cooljuk]

This is why I don't shop at the K-Mart of music stores.


For years Guitar Center survived on convenience and price alone. It's pretty well accepted that they are FAR from convenient with the long waits, damaged stock, misleading and uninformed employees and inability to find anything in their warehouses. They are also FAR from the best price.

So Guitar Center - JUST WHAT DO YOU EXPECT TO SURVIVE ON now?!

 

[AngryHatter]

GC sucks.
I pay more for one pick than you pay for the lot, don't complain to me.

I pay close to $5 per pick - and it's worth it.
I've yet to wear one out...three years and counting.
V-Picks Guitar Pick, Electric & Acoustic Guitar Picks

 

[Publius pro tem]

I'll save your story, and add it to my voluminous files of True GUITAR CENTER Stories.

I have 20 years-worth.

Sorry you had to get so pissed off before you realized how their business model operates.

 

[Gin&Pentatonic]

You nickel & dimed Guitar Center over picks and was surprised the guy wasn't exactly enthusiastic to help you?

 

[Luckynumber3]

GC sucks- they are a rip off and have screwed many people (including me).

If my trad pro wasn't a limited model from them, I would have bought soemwhere else, and as long as I can avoid it, I will never buy from GC again.

Besides, all of the workers there suck (some people will tell you that they have good GCs near them, but from what I have heard and experienced, the majority are complete crap!)

 

[kevin65]

You nickel & dimed Guitar Center over picks and was surprised the guy wasn't exactly enthusiastic to help you?

I think that is being used as an example of the bigger issues.

I don't buy gear that often, but when I do there is a local shop I'll try first. They are always curteous, helpful and their prices are as good or better that the bigger stores including the large online shops. Stuff like picks, strings, leads would get thrown in with the purchase without having to ask. The downside of course if that they don't have the extensive range that the large organisations have.

 

[Kamen_Kaiju]

Not surprised. I always wondered what they did with the allen wrenches, whammy bars, warranty cards, etc, that are supposed to come with a new mid-level guitar.

I always thought they re-sold them.

 

[stinkfoot]

This is why I don't shop at the K-Mart of music stores.

More like Hope Rescue Mission and Headquarters of the Short Bus Brigade..

 

[Gin&Pentatonic]

Besides, all of the workers there suck (some people will tell you that they have good GCs near them, but from what I have heard and experienced, the majority are complete crap!)

This is the main thing that keeps me from Guitar Center. The sales staff consists of awkward kids or overly obnoxious washed up hair metal guys. You know, the guys who are thinning up top but still have a 3 foot long ponytail. I've been purchasing gear for almost 20 years and can honestly say I've never received any sound gear advice from a GC employee, only "uh yeah man I'd go with that one because that's the one I have......and its got a pretty good warranty."

 

[Thumpalumpacus]

I have a good one here in Oxnard. They're not perfect, but no store is. I've never bought a new guitar from them, but my SG was a wall display that was discounted for it.

 

[River side]

It's not my choice for best-run store either, but about half of what you seem to be bitching about involves you not paying attention to what you're doing.

I don't see that as their fault.

 

[Thundergod]

I've never had a problem with GC. I do my homework before going in and I take everything I need printed from their website and if I need them to match any price I take it printed too.
The guys at Hallandale and Orlando (Fl) are really cool and helpful.

Now samash? That's a whole different story you don't want to get me started with.

 

[krab]

You nickel & dimed Guitar Center over picks and was surprised the guy wasn't exactly enthusiastic to help you?

You are in Houston. You have to know how had the North Houston GC is.

$25 off for picks isn't nickle and dimeing. That $25 is a box of DM strings. A patch cable. A music stand for my neice, gas for the trek from Kingwood to the corner of 45 and FM1960 (well it is only like 40 miles round trip but ith the way gas is going up...) Since everyone else on the face of the earth sells Fender picks for $2 to $3 for a dozen not $6 for the dozen that GC wants, I think asking for them to come off of the stupidly high price if only fair. Since you know they are driving the Mom and Pop shops out of the towns they set up in. Also between the picks all of the EC strings being opened, THEM THROWING AWAY WRENCHES AND TREM ARMS. I forgot to mention that fact they didn't want to give me the gig back for my MIM Fender. The picks, at that point, was just another strike against them. After Mr. Cole in Hollywood taking time to respond to a tweet like he did, I thought I would give them one last chance.

They say they price match but trying to get them to price match is a different story. Like on this last dot. They sell the Epiphone ES 335 cases for $125. Amazon and Sweetwater has them for $80. I had to remind him it was difference plus 10%. That 10% covers the 8.25% Texas Sales taxes.

GC sucks.
I pay more for one pick than you pay for the lot, don't complain to me.

I pay close to $5 per pick - and it's worth it.
I've yet to wear one out...three years and counting.
V-Picks Guitar Pick, Electric & Acoustic Guitar Picks

I was playing the $5 Gravity picks and the $35 Blue Chips. After I lost the Gravity and someone lifted the Blue chip I went back to the cheaper ones. I liked the V picks till I tried the gravity picks. They are pretty much the same but the Gravity picks have a smoother edge. I have some samples left Chris sent me to hand out. i could send you one you you can email him from his sight to get a sample. They are really nice picks.

 

[HOT-BRIT]

it is what it is

 

[HOT-BRIT]

so stop complaining & just don't shop there any more

 

[danohat]

I like my GC.

 

[krab]

I've never had a problem with GC. I do my homework before going in and I take everything I need printed from their website and if I need them to match any price I take it printed too.
The guys at Hallandale and Orlando (Fl) are really cool and helpful.

Now samash? That's a whole different story you don't want to get me started with.

Sam Ash lost me about twelve years ago. I watched them treat my bass player like he was a stupid kid. He saved up for a year to get a this light blue Samik bass he wanted. They were trying to talk him into a Fender telling him that the Fender J bass was the end all be all of basses and if he bought anything else he was stupid. I guess since he was 17 they thought they could push him into the slight more expensive bass.

 

[Publius pro tem]

Get into more expensive guitars, with older/more experienced owners/buyers.
You'd think GUITAR CENTER would know better than to try and fxck them around, eh?

It never stops.

GUITAR CENTER is an equal opportunity sh!t-box retailer.

I lost count of how many I've been in, in how many states.
I bought stuff outta all three in Houston in the nineties.
I've bought stuff from all four in Phoenix.

The last guitar I bought from them was in the Tempe store in 2004.
They fxcked that up every way they could.
But by needlessly driving a few 100-mile round trips, spending hours on the phone with idiots?
All I had to do is add a coupla hours inside the store being VERY unpleasant to the manager.

They finally made good on a $1,400 guitar deal.

They coulda given me the fxcking guitar for FREE and it would not have been worth the hassle.

Since then, I've tried to buy several used guitars from them.
Well above $1,000 in price.

They simply would not let me.

.​

 

[Publius pro tem]

Nice Peter sums it up nicely for me;

PROFANITY ALERT - Not safe for children or work.

(Take the spaces out from either side of "youtube" and you'll have the link.)

http://www. youtube .com/watch?v=qDF_8-21SUQ



Lyrics -
A fourteen year-old kid strums his heart out on three chords
While a fat guy from the South Side thumps on a bass that he can't afford.
The noise is unbearable, the sales guy staring at you

Fxck Guitar Center
It's a sh!tty place to go
Fxck Guitar Center
I know the prices are low

But it's better to spend a little more
Than feel like a cheap whore
Fxck Guitar Center

Every other week, they've got a blowout close-out sale
And every other day, you get their bullsh!t in the mail
And why do they need my zip code when all I want is a fxcking pack of strings

Fxck Guitar Center
It's a sh!tty place to go
Fxck Guitar Center
I know the prices are low

But if you can find a mom & pop place
Then you won't feel like you just got cum on yer face
From Guitar Center

Everywhere you look there's another one growing
But maybe they'll die if we all stop going

To Guitar Center
It's a sh!tty place to go

They'll never change, they're still the same
They will always suck, they should change their name to
We sell cheap guitars to stupid people everyday

.​