I would give craigslist a shot too. I have heard that Best Buy will negotiate on pricing but GC will not. Musicians friend ( i know i know owned by GC) always seems to have better prices than GC. Go figure huh??

i inly go to gcenter to play all the guitars they have and get an idea of what i like. i give my business to the mom and pops music shop or buy directly from the owner.

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Blues with a feeling.

GUILD GUITARS: MADE TO BE PLAYED!

Your not shopping at Sears, Most stores are not like the Sears commercial where they will bring up a price match on a computer for. If I am a store owner I don't want my staff doing the leg work for you, bring it in we will confirm it. . Plus confirm the other dealer has it in stock and that it's not a low ball bait and switch item that they don't even have. Then we would consider the cost of shipping and add it to the price match amount.

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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

GC in Metro Chicago west burbs has always repeat always been first class, here.

Agree with Syeklps, print out your best competirtor price at home and bring it in.

Oh, the good ol' days before Guitar Center, when the local mom & pop music shop had:

-grouchy old guys who didn't want you to play--much less crank up--the electric guitars. You were supposed to know if you liked it because you've looked at it from five feet away...

-a fine selection of pianos, church organs, saxophones, trumpets, clarinets and accordians...oh, and two guitars, both by the same manufacturer...hope you like Micro-Frets!

-"We can order you anything you want, son...just pay 100% down, and you'll get it in 8-10 weeks...if you don't like it, sorry! It's yours and you can't bring it back."

-"Price comparison? Well, that black guitar costs $500 and the red one costs $450...there's your price comparison."

"If you played something normal, like bluegrass or country & western, we'd have the perfect guitar for you..."

-"We don't normally talk to people with long hair, torn jeans or snotty attitudes...and we're not making an exception in your case, either."

-"Distortion pedal? Wah-Wah? Are you on narcotics or something?"

-"THAT amp is not for sale; however, anything else in the store (that you don't like or want) is for sale...and don't try to haggle with me, boy. My hip is acting up and I don't like you."

GC has its problems (all retail stores of every sort have problems with finding and keeping good customer-service-based staff) but you have to admit, there's more selection and it's easier to get something you want--and return it if you have buyer's remorse. Plus, they'll order something and you don't have to buy it if you end up not liking it.

If you have a problem with a store (Guitar Center or otherwise), complain to the manager; if he/she doesn't fix the problem, ask to speak to his/her boss. You will eventually get some satisfaction...but it's YOUR responsibility to "put their feet to the fire", so to speak.

If you want price comparisons, that's YOUR responsibility; I print up anything I want price-matched, with the URL on the paper and bring it into the store with me. I've never had a problem, except it might have took a few minutes longer than I expected (silly me, going into the store on a Saturday afternoon right before Christmas!).

In the DFW area, we are kind of spoiled; there is a small chain of stores (Mr. E's) and several good independent shops (Competition Music in Fort Worth, Zoo Music, Charley's Guitars, etc), and they are usually pretty competitive on pricing and selection, but some of them don't deal with new stuff very much or they aren't authorized dealers of my favorite brands (Fender, Hohner harmonicas, MXR pedals) which makes it harder to get my hands on it so I can try the new stuff out.

I miss some of my old haunts--the dearly departed JAM Music & Sound in Arlington, Earhart Electronics on Beach Street in Fort Worth, and even the OTHER evil empire--MARS Music (in south Arlington), but I'm glad we have someplace to go besides the online stores and eBay!

I don't work for GC, and most of my purchases (past and present) are from other stores, but they aren't the worst in the world, either.

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Good Vibes To Y'all!



Screamin' Armadillos
Texas Roadhouse Music
Guitar/Slide Guitar/Harp/Vocals

GC= Guitar Chumps

I once asked a guy behind the counter if they had any humbucker pickups and the moron said... "I've never heard of that brand before".

All I can say is some Guitar Centers are better than others. I too have issues with my local GC. Back in 07 when I was looking for a guitar I took up my BC Rich to use as a trade in. They were able to look up my guitar's worth but then could not come up with a price comparison for the guitar for the one I wanted to buy. I walked out with my BC Rich and went right around the corner to another music shop. Not only did they give me more of a trade in, they also had the exact model I just looked at foe $100 less than GC's price.

I have never had these issues with GC until I moved here. I think it comes down to the management. Needless to say I do not use that store any longer. I think its time to find another shop.

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RK

2007 Fender Highway 1
2012 American Deluxe
2015 MIM Dave Murray HHH
2010 Fender Blacktop
1987 Fender Avalon Acoustic
2012 Marshall DSL 15 watt head

How about doing your price check research first and going into GC armed with the competitions prices on what you want. Sounds like an easy way around that particular problem.

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

There are occasionally some privately owned stores that kick butt compared to the national chain stores and they have knowledgable staff and plenty of stock. There are 2 in Edmonton and they are only about 15 or 20 blocks away from each other on the same avenue. Avenue Guitars and The Acoustic Music Shop (which sells far more than just acoustics). Both have as good a selection or better (in the higher end gear) than the 2 big chain stores in town and Avenue in particular carries plenty of Custom Shop Fenders, Gibson R8's PRS, Guild, Gretsch, you name it.

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Just think of how awesome a guitar player you could have been by now if you had only spent the last 10 years practicing instead of obsessing over pickups and roasted maple necks.

I guess I'm one of the lucky ones too...local GC is very friendly, great service, very knowledgeable and give me better deals than their advertised prices and I never have to use a coupon.

No pressure sales and they let me try anything I want.
I don't go on a busy weekend day. Maybe that's the difference.

-T

Like I mentioned, not every G Center has DB sales people and management. I am glad that there are still some out there that have good service.

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RK

2007 Fender Highway 1
2012 American Deluxe
2015 MIM Dave Murray HHH
2010 Fender Blacktop
1987 Fender Avalon Acoustic
2012 Marshall DSL 15 watt head

Now that I think about it, my only gripe is when they complain about the amp being loud. I tell them I cannot hear very good. Some understand and accomodate me with my own sound proof room which happens to be the only one there. On the other hand one guy, who happens to be the general manager, in particular, assumes I'm a volume freak. I'm not, I am just trying to hear the guitar.

It's the good guys that make it worth my time. The others.... ehhh you know how it is. I actually made promises to purchase from salesmen who showed me respect.
So if you find a sales rep who not only shows you respect but also knows a thing or two about music and the product they are selling and takes time
to answer your questions, that's the man worthy of your $$$ imho.
At my local GC, I have three and possibly a fourth who is a bass player who primarily deals in the bass dept. but climbed like a monkey on a stack of amps to get a Gibson '56 VOS Gold Top with P90s so that I may sample.
Yep, I kinda think I have been dealing with a good group of player/salesmen at my local GC. I cannot speak for other GC locations though.

Hi all.

Okay, I will give you my experience at GC and there price match thing.

First off, if your going to use this, DO YOUR RESEARCH AT HOME AND PRINT IT OUT BEFORE YOU GO INTO THE STORE!

I found a e-bay seller who was a fender dealer selling the champion 600 amp new for 139.99 with free shipping and 6 months extended warranty past the Fender warranty.
I called that store to verifies it and then I called GC to confirm it would be a matchable item.

So when I went into the store after work with my print out and all, they had no problem in selling me this amp.
As to the extended warranty, they discounted there two year free replacement warranty and through in a set of my favorite strings.

Out the door, 147.99.

It;s all about being prepared and doing your research first.

Now, normally I do not buy anything from the evil empire, and I choice to buy local, but in this case the amp was below there cost, so why hurt the local guy?

I agree!!
You HAVE to do your research before you go to GC or ANY store.
Knowledge is power!!

Heard that line somewhere...

-T

+1

Knowledge = power, power = money!

Shopping while armed with only a Mastercard is like bringing a pocketknife to a thermonuclear slugfest between superpowers.......you're bound to get smoked the moment the launch codes are transmitted.

(same goes when buying a car or any other big-ticket item)

Do your "homework" first.

HTH

Arjay

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"Here's why reliability is job one: A great sounding amp that breaks down goes from being a favorite piece of gear to a useless piece of crap in less time than it takes to read this sentence." -- BRUCE ZINKY