Are there any Mom and Pop stores left in your area? Or has the Guitar Centers run everyone else out of town? We have our share of other music stores here in the Quad Cities, and there are a couple that can still beat GC prices. There may not be as much selection, but the service is more personable and the atmosphere is friendlier. Theres even a store in town here where if you want to try a guitar out, you've got to put on a sheepwool apron. Can't use picks either. They won't budge much off of retail, and as a result, they don't sell as much. But they can give you years of experience in advise and knowledge about gear. It's cool to look at thier old catalogs and thier old guitars and stuff. Theres one place here that you have to ask to see some of thier guitars because they keep them in the cases and not on display.

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Life is like a sh*t sandwich. The more bread you have, the less sh*t you have to eat.

In the Raleigh area I choose two independent music stores, Fat Sound in Cary, and Harry's Guitars in downtown Raleigh. That said, and I kick myself for this, I bought my Am. Std. from GC, because it was significantly cheaper and had the year to pay it off. Everything else I buy from independent stores though.

Hello Masterhacker,

Over here in my neck of the woods we have plenty of
private owned music stores. Some are really great and personable
and some are operated by pure, good for nuthin jerks. Sometimes I
walk in and hear "Hey Bill, I have got something your really goona like"
I go to all the music shops, the megas and the small, indeed a few
I'll never return to. Yes, my area is pretty good geographically if
your interseted in guitars or any musical instruments really.

Not real good area for raising cattle anymore.

Cheers,

I have 3 local to me. One of them I have been doing business with since I was in grade school.

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Chet Feathers

Authorized TonePros Dealer
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F/A Official Southpaw Compliance Certification Tester http://faamps.com/

http://www.facebook.com/cafeathers


I didn't Lose my mind, I traded it for this guitar.

Even in my relatively small town, GC drove the crummy, me-too stores out of biz while the unique ones still survive.

B Sharp Guitars has a great set of lines (Fender, Gibson, Martin, etc), an extremely laid-back atmosphere is is on the opposite side of town as GC. Guitar Exchange specializes in unique, vintage, or unusual used stuff, and raws people in looking for vintage amps and one-of-kind guitars.

We have 2 small shops left near us but neither carry any name brand product like Fender or Gibson.
All they stock now is the inexpensive not major name stuff.

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Keep on Truckin, Going full speed ahead down the highway to hades.

do you think with the advent of big chain stores and the internet (i.e. online auctions) that the mom and pop places will die forever? it just seems harder and harder for them to make it with all the extraneous companies and online stores taking over.

Just a thought for your consideration. It's not just the internet and the big chains that are impacting the cool local music stores.

It's all the cheap bastard muscians out there that:

Quibble over $50 on the price of an instrument.
$@!&* and moan because a hard case isn't free.
Want to just hang out and touch everything when they have no intention of buying (quit messing stuff up and come in when you have cash boys). It's hard to sell a used instrument for new prices.

You all know who you are! By being most interested in cheap, YOU are putting the little guy out of business because the small shops cannot buy in the same volume as the Big Guys and get the lowest prices. Of course they can't beat the chain store prices, they pay more for their stock than the chains do.

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"Life is like eating jalapenos. What you do today may burn your arse tomorrow"

Great point mthorn00 !!
I can't remember the last time I went to GC and picked up a Strat that was
1. In tune
2. had decent strings on it
3. was set up at all
4. pick marks and fingerprints all over the front of it

And now that they don't deal anymore, they still want thier full asking price for it. As a matter of fact, I remember the last Strat I bought there, I had it down from the wall, walked away from it for a second to find the salesman, and some kid had it and was wanking away on it. Of course that was the only one they had in that model, so I got a free Monster cable and a "used" guitar.

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Life is like a sh*t sandwich. The more bread you have, the less sh*t you have to eat.

We have a bunch of them!!!! They make GC center inventory look like nothing. Many have more vintage guitars and amp then you can shack a stick at. These guys are all within view of each other and do very well. Many famous frequent them

Bills Music House since 1965
http://www.billsmusiconline.com/info.html
Jim's Guitars
http://www.jimsguitars.com/
Appalachian Bluegrass Shoppe
http://www.appalachianbluegrass.com/
Beatstreet Music
http://www.beatstreetmusic.net/
Guitar Exchange
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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

We still have about 15-20 here in Vegas.

We still have some in my area. I take lessons at a mom & pop shop. The GC's and Sam Ash in my area have decent selection and the M&P can't compete. I like the service and the "Hey Norm" type of attention I get and am willing to pay a little extra for it. At my M&P there's always someone hanging around and playing with the owner. Nice homey atmosphere. The lesson studio is a dump but I get the "yeah bring her in I can fix it on the spot" service that has value to me.

We used to have a cycling shop that I used to love to hang around at. Just like guitars I always was gassing for a new bike or accessories. I always got a discount, and they would order anything they didn't have in stock. One of the kids that worked there insisted on trying to fit a bike rack to my car before I took it home. He insisted. Laying on the ground in the winter trying to hook it up. Didn't fit. They earned a loyal customer from that point on. Sold 7 bikes via references from me in one year. The guy even let me go back in the shop area and showed me how to change a flat. Got a coffee machine, and it was a great place to hang out. That's where they can compete with the big boys. Service!

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2015 Epiphone Casino Goldtop
2011 Taylor 814ce
2009 EC Custom Shop Merc Blue
2008 Schecter ATX
1964 Epi Granada E444T
Fender Super Champ XD

I'm lucky. I've got three great stores I deal with. The first is a family run store about 30 minutes away. They will match prices on anything Fender I bring them. Additionally, they will give me the 3 or 5 month payment plan that American Musical Supply gives. I make the first payment and I go out the door with the guitar or amp. Then I pay for it each month. Sometimes their walls may be a bit empty, but they will order anything Fender I want and give me the same deal - match prices and 3 - 5 months to pay. They don't mind when I come in to see what's new and play touchy-feely with the new stuff. I don't buy new anywhere else. (I don't know how many folks they give these kinds of deals to, and I don't ask. I don't expect everybody gets this, but they know I'm a loyal customer and I'm not going to disappear with a half paid for guitar.)

My second dealer for my GAS fixes is a used music store about an hour away. I'm a good enough customer, the owner will actually rat hole away something he thinks I'll be interested in until I come by the store. (Which is about once a week or so.) Sometimes I want it, sometimes I don't, but he's never put out of joint if he saves me something and it doesn't fit the bill. He just goes and puts it on the wall and looks for the next deal for me. If I'm short of cash or have other deals going on, he'll let me do a 90 day lay-away. He'll also quote me a lower price for something than he will for the guy that just walks in off the street. Again, I'm a long time customer and he knows I'll spend my money with him.

My third guy is my tech. He also sells some used equipment and will deal a bit on prices. He's a great tech and will do a quick turnaround for me. Often he'll stop what he's doing if what I need isn't a big deal. He'll also take the time to show me how to do things so I don't have to have him do it - pretty handy when I'm working on a project.

The Guitar Center in Oklahoma City is just over 2 hours away. Having read a lot of complaints here on the boards, I can’t find a lot to complain about with them. I come in, they ask if they can help, then let me look w/o hassle. Always ready w/ an answer if I need one. I have bought non-Fender gear from them and other non-guitar related stuff, so I don't feel back if I try but don't buy there. They still get their share of my gear money.

So all-in-all, even though I live in BF southwest Oklahoma, I can’t complain about my guitar needs.

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Old age and treachery will win every time over youth and enthusiasm.

"You can never have too many Tele's." A quote from my Sweetwater Sales Engineer

Still got a great one here. Clapton had some pickups put in Blackie in the early 70's there. He was here putting together his band for most of the 70's, all Tulsa guys. Sims, Oldaker, and Carl Radle. Lottsa good music here in those days. Mike

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The blues ain't nothin but a good man feelin bad.

In Canada Long&McQuade is the equivalent to G.C. they are buying out smaller franchises and now have a coast to coast network however their posted prices on Fender and Epiphone are quite a bit higher in a lot of cases.Case in point a natural Casino in L&M was $850 when 2 miles away in Reid music it was $665 needless to say where I went to get my Casino.I think even if the price was somewhat higher I'd rather patronize locally owned music stores(I've been buying gear from Jr. Reid 30+yrs) because the money stays in your area and doesn't go into the pocket of some mogul thousands of miles away.Personal attention is a great part of M&P operations and even if staff of big franchises are local all their actions and decisions are dictated by a corporate office far away and usually out of touch.

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'65 Strat,65 Mustang,65 Jaguar,4 more Strats,3 vintage Vox guitars,5 Vox amps,'69 Bassman with a '68 2-15 Bassman cab,36 guitars total-15asst'd amps total,2 vintage '60s Hammond organs & a myriad of effects-with a few rare vintage ones.