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Post subject: Best Buy-another guitar superstore?
Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 9:13 pm
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Professional Musician
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Location: Bucks County, Pennsylvania, USA
Hello All,

Went to local Best Buy {Langhorne,Pa}
and sure enough a 5000sq ft room
chock full of guitars,amps,keyboards drums.
About a hundred electric and about 25 acoustics
in a glass demo room. Entry level to high end

Guitar Center is about a mile away and the
price war has begun.

This store in a store was soldiered by 4
young non-guitar playing sales folk.
Pleasent they were but there gonna have to
start doing their homework. Right now
they are stocked to the hilt, no doubt for
upcomming "Black Friday". I had a good
time there and will return to do test drives,
but if the price is right---well who knows???

Cheers.


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Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 9:22 pm
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What Brands of guitars are they selling in the Best Buys? :mrgreen:

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Post subject:
Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 9:37 pm
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Without guitar playing salesman--it's headed for disaster--for the customer, the store or both.

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Post subject:
Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 9:46 pm
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Location: Bucks County, Pennsylvania, USA
Hey Cvilleira,

Fenders, Gibo's and epi's not sure about the
acoustic room I just counted the guitars
on the walls in there. I was playing a
highway tele and a 50's mexico Strat.
They have a serious selection of guitars.

Cheers.


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Post subject:
Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 9:51 pm
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Thats what they said about Home Depot when they started buiding there Big Box stores around the local Hardware stores that people always used in there neigborhoods. Now look very few small neighborhood Hardwares.I would hate to see the small corner Music shop go that way. The main thing is that I am sure for them to be a Fender dealer that have to stick to the MAP price unless thay get approval from Fender for sales.

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The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

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Post subject: Re: Best Buy-another guitar superstore?
Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 10:08 pm
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Mr Bill wrote:
Hello All,

This store in a store was soldiered by 4
young non-guitar playing sales folk.
Pleasent they were but there gonna have to
start doing their homework.

Cheers.


Sounds a little like Mars Music Stores again...for that matter some Guitar Centers.

Basically, you pay peanuts, you get monkeys (nothing personal - it is terms of an educated and experienced professional sales personnel). In most cases, you get what pay for in terms of labor.

Those super stores are not going to hire a experienced and knowledgeable sales professional because it is only going to be about the price until the super stores can run everybody else out of business. Then they can slowly creep their prices back up after the smoke has cleared. I watched it happen in the Baltimore area with Mars and Guitar Center. Guitar Center is still based around the Baltimore area, though (thank goodness) Washington Music Center (aka Chuck Levins) is still thriving in the D.C. area and there is some cool smaller music stores outside the Baltimore parameter that could survive and thrive after the price wars ceased. Stores such as Chuck's, you don't have the glitzy point of purchase BS that will impress mom & dad, you just have great selection, great up-front prices (as opposed to...oh boy... 30% off an 100% mark-up - that works for those silly radio adds aimed at the newcomer), and a pro sales staff, not some inexperienced person who is there passing time before he or she becomes a star. You can't blame them, at near minimum wage you got to think ahead. Point is, you want good, sound advice from someone is truly concerned about your needs with a competitive price.

A music store without an experienced musician/sales professional is absurd.

P.S. Kind if like most of the major music recording industry predominantly run by non musician/artists concerned about the quarterly statements or propped up pop icon from some reality show...not artist development.

http://www.beforethemusicdies.com/


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Post subject: Re: Best Buy-another guitar superstore?
Posted: Mon Nov 17, 2008 10:23 pm
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contrabassist wrote:
Mr Bill wrote:
Hello All,

This store in a store was soldiered by 4
young non-guitar playing sales folk.
Pleasent they were but there gonna have to
start doing their homework.

Cheers.


Sounds a little like Mars Music Stores again...for that matter some Guitar Centers.

Basically, you pay peanuts, you get monkeys (nothing personal - it is terms of an educated and experienced professional sales personnel). In most cases, you get what pay for in terms of labor.

Those super stores are not going to hire a experienced and knowledgeable sales professional because it is only going to be about the price until the super stores can run everybody else out of business. Then they can slowly creep their prices back up after the smoke has cleared. I watched it happen in the Baltimore area with Mars and Guitar Center. Guitar Center is still based around the Baltimore area, though (thank goodness) Washington Music Center (aka Chuck Levins) is still thriving in the D.C. area and there is some cool smaller music stores outside the Baltimore parameter that could survive and thrive after the price wars ceased. Stores such as Chuck's, you don't have the glitzy point of purchase BS that will impress mom & dad, you just have great selection, great up-front prices (as opposed to...oh boy... 30% off an 100% mark-up - that works for those silly radio adds aimed at the newcomer), and a pro sales staff, not some inexperienced person who is there passing time before he or she becomes a star. You can't blame them, at near minimum wage you got to think ahead. Point is, you want good, sound advice from someone is truly concerned about your needs with a competitive price.

A music store without an experienced musician/sales professional is absurd.

P.S. Kind if like most of the major music recording industry predominantly run by non musician/artists concerned about the quarterly statements or propped up pop icon from some reality show...not artist development.

http://www.beforethemusicdies.com/

Contrabassist if you get a chance you have to check out Bill's Music House in Catonsville they have been around now since the mid 60's they have everything you could want and Bill stills owns it. Plus you can run into some big names in there shopping around or just stopping in for a visit.

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Thomas Jefferson


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Post subject:
Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 6:17 am
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I stopped in the Best Buy in Bridgewater NJ last night - they had not yet setup a new music section. All they had was a bunch of starter Fender and Gibson packs, along with some Starcaster effects and misc small items - strings, picks, books, etc. I'll probably check out the one in Princeton over the weekend.

I did look online though and they're pretty much selling everything that Guitar Center has at about the same prices.

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Post subject:
Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 7:06 am
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TomK,

I work just down the road on 287 from the Bridgewater Best Buy, was hoping to get in there and take a look. Are they setting up the section there or just look like they are leaving it as is?


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Post subject:
Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 7:59 am
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It looks like they're leaving it "as is". Looking around the store I don't see where they have room for an expanded music section.

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2008 Fender American Stratocaster
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Post subject:
Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 9:55 am
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A lot of the Best Buys around Baltimore just seem to small to have a section for guitars. Now theres two in Columbia that a fairly new and are big places. I can see them having a section for instruments but they don't have them yet. Theres a lot of music stores around here. Along a Half mile stretch in cville there is 6 Music Shops. Bills Music House, Guitar Exchange, Jims Guitars, Appalachian Blue Grass Shoppe, Beat Street Music. When they opened a Mars Music it did not stand a chance around here. You walk into Bill's and they have hundreds of guitars on display and its nothing to what they have in stock. Jim's he has a big selection and a lots of guitars from the 50's and 60's big dollars. Appalachian has every Taylor, Martin, Collings, Eastman Gibson every top line accoustic there is in that place. And Beatstreet is one of the largest B.C Rich sellers there is in the U.S.also they sell Charvel, Jackson,G&L, Spector alot of heavy metal gear. cville is known as Music City Md.

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The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson


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Post subject:
Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 10:53 am
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Here's the Best Buy news release about this:

Quote:
29 July 2008

Best Buy To Begin Selling Musical Instruments Nationally

MINNEAPOLIS, July 29, 2008 – Best Buy, the nation’s leading consumer electronics retailer, today announced that it will begin offering musical instruments and musical recording equipment at an additional 75-85 Best Buy stores across the U.S. and online at www.BestBuy.com. The diverse musical instrument and recording line-up will include more than 1,000 guitars, bass, drums, keyboards and recording equipment, as well as other musical instruments and accessories, all available at entry level and professional price points.

“The introduction of musical instruments is a natural progression for Best Buy,” explained Steve Hehir, senior vice president of musical instruments for Best Buy. “Consumers have always looked to us as a resource for music in a variety of formats. Now they’ll be able to rely on us for help with musical performance and creating too.”

Existing as a “store within a store” Best Buy musical instrument locations will feature trained musical instrument specialists. In addition to retail sales, Best Buy musical instrument stores will offer group and individual guitar lessons.

“Whether they’re just learning to play, or have been playing for years, customers can trust the knowledge and expertise of our trained musical instrument specialists,” said Kevin Balon, vice president of musical instruments for Best Buy. “Our musical instrument specialists can help anyone find the perfect instrument.”

Seven Best Buy stores in Southern California and Minneapolis participated in a successful pilot of the musical instruments store-within-a-store concept that launched earlier this year. The program recently expanded to Chicago and Washington D.C., bringing the current musical instrument store count to ten. The rollout to 75-85 Best Buy stores is expected to continue through late December. For consumers who are unable to visit a store location or who prefer shopping online, BestBuy.com will offer an expanded musical instrument assortment beginning August 1.


Gil 8)

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Post subject:
Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 11:12 am
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WOW on line sales by August! The people at GC are loving that :shock:

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The strongest reason for the people to retain the right to keep and bear arms is, as a last resort, to protect themselves against tyranny in government.

Thomas Jefferson


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Post subject:
Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 11:43 am
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Location: Florida
I hate to contradict people but a store that sells guitars does not have to employ guitar experienced people. Someone said that it is absurd to not have guitar players sell the guitars and I think that statement is ridiculous. I don't need a Nascar driver to sell me a car either... . I find that most salespersons just blow smoke on the sale and then I can't make a decision. However I am new to the game. Newcomers should just get starter packs and more experienced people should do research into their purchase.


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Post subject:
Posted: Tue Nov 18, 2008 12:19 pm
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+1 and everybody's prices are the same. hmm :roll:


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