A couple of weeks ago, I went to GC with my drummer son, to check things out. I saw a PRS Johnny Hiland guitar, took it down, and played it for a while thru a Fender Blues Deluxe. Great tones and sweet ness to my ears! The sales guy, whom I've bought two other guitars from and a ton of
Drum accessories, was ready to write up the deal. "How much" I asked; "$3800" !!! "But I'm giving you $300 off the price" he said. I told him I'd think about it, and that was all that was said. I never got a call from GC about it, and I never went back for it. That was 2 weeks ago. Last night I go in with my son again, the same salesman was there, as well as the store manager that gave me the discounted deal quote on the PRS and Fender amp, and neither one of them will talk to me!! I directly said "hi" to both of them, and they just acted like I was a ghost. Totaly ignored and left for dead. Jeez, I must of p*issed them off big time. Oh well, who cares. Like I told my son on the way out, "go to GC and try the stuff out, then shop around for the best deal elsewhere".

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

So weird... I swear I have such a different experience at the Phoenix metrocenter GC.... I buy "once in a while"... and I usually don't buy... But they know that... The guy Wally who is the head of the guitar department is a great guy to deal with...

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In Reference to Blues Legend RL Burnside:
After a heart attack in 2001, Burnside's doctor advised him to stop drinking; Burnside did, but he reported that change left him unable to play.

Welcome to my world, There's more of this on the '57HR thread on the Strat Forum and another dissatisfied customer with a specfic GC gripe. Apparently they're quite uneven in their operations.
Doc

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"Another day in paradise!"

Having dealt with two GC's in the Denver Co metro area, and one in Madison Wi, i can say from experience, as well as the opinion of one of the madison stores managers, there are greater and lesser GC stores around the country. The madsion store is a much smaller store, Than in denver, with much less stock on hand, of many items listed on the GC website. The horribly underpaid sales staff share commission, and the turnover rate is quite bad in madison as well. Mixed customer service attitudes are the norm, knowledgeable help is a rarity, and it is definitely a love/hate relationship at least for me, for some 16 years now.

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I believe in Christianity as i believe that the sun has risen. not only because i see it, but because by it, i see everything else. C.S. Lewis

I have 3 GC's and a Sam Ash within 30 minutes from me. I like to go, play and look around. The first and only purchase I made was an amp. Quoted one price, and rung up at a higher price. It was only $25 bucks and I just got a new guitar so I swallowed it and went home. Contacted corporate HQ, and heard from the manager.

So know I go and try stuff and buy elsewhere. I realize its a large chain but the inconsistent, or nonexistent, customer service comes from the top on down. I worked for an organization that beat customer service into us. Don't know if service and repeat business is in GC's business plan, but it should be. Until then I'll stick with online.

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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 am sure that the Guitar Center in Birmingham Alabama has all the other GCs beat for terrible service. After getting overcharged by $345 on my Gibson Les Paul Traditional, it took me just over 11 months to get a refund. The Store Manager there repeatedly told me that there was nothing he could do for me and that it was managements decision. I finally contacted GC management and they promptly refunded me the money in the form of a store credit.

To make matters worse, although I had ordered a NEW Gibson Les Paul Traditional in the Birmingham store, they shipped me a very badly beat up and used LP - TWICE! Unbelievably , the second one had vomit in the bottom of the case and all over the back of the guitar.

I agree, it is better to check the gear out at the store and than order on line from somewhere else.

I've had a pretty crappy experience with GC buying equipment from me. They tell me before I get there that they witll pay $0.75 on the dollar, so I drive up there with an AXL Strat with EMG's and a brand new Squier Tele Affinity butterscotch and a Behringer amp. It took them over an hour of playing etc. to check it out which I was fine with, but they came back and said "We'll give you $90 for all of it." WTF? Really? I grabbed my stuff and left and sold the guitars on Ebay for a little over $250 and just kept the amp. The sad thing was, I was going to buy a Fender tube amp from them if they had bought it all......and they knew it!

The guy actually pointed to the wall where they had a Squier Strat that they were selling for $50 and said that's about how much they would get for the tele. Guess what, I had looked at that strat and it had a twisted neck and the pickup switch was broke. I do business elsewhere these days. I trust a pawnshop more than I do a GC.


edit to add: this was the one in Jackson, MS

GC reneged on a deal with me on a even trade so I emailed the corporate office. The manager called me 9:00am the next morning apologized and made good on the deal. Same thing though, they cringe every time I walk in there and avoid me like the plague. LOL I'm in the Phila, Pa area and there are tons of music stores around so I don't really care.

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Life...... It's sexually transmitted and always fatal

I will not even go into my local Guitar Center any more. The last three times I went tinto my local GC, they snubbed their noses at me, treated me like I was an idiot, and tried messing me over on trade-ins.

The last time I was in a GC I was looking for a new Fender. Looked at the Highway 1's and overall really liked them. They looked at my trade in (Beautiful BC Rich Warlock with Floyd Rose. A shredder's dream guitar) and offered me $75 for trade. Took it around the corner to another shop, not only did I get a great trade in, I also got the Highway 1 for $100 cheaper than the asking price at GC.

I must admit that I have lived in several different cities in several states and some Guitar Centers are better than others. I just wish their corporate office would spend some money on quality customer service classes and train the staff to treat everyone with respect. To go along with that, they need to send their managers to class to learn how to train their staff better.

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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

same eal with the guitar centre nearest me. I try one out, they say,"$$$$ for that one", an i say, "I'm just trying it if you dont mind", they just walk off and totally snob me til I'm gone.

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riley

Do you think anyone from GC would be lurking on the forum? You would think with all the GC bashing someone with some authority at GC would take note of the complaints and attempt to instill some customer 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

it's not just guitar center that doesn't always give you the best service.

about 3 years ago i walked in to a locally owned store. at that time i wanted to look at a vg strat. i called the store ahead of time, was told that they had one on the floor, and asked for the person who i talked to on the phone.

he then took me over to the guitar, and wanted to show me how it works. after a quick demo by him, a few other employees come over to chime in. they then talk among themselves, completely ignoring me. i handed him back the strat and said see you later. he had that deer in the headlights look. i told him since he didn't have time for me, my business would go elsewhere.

a year later, that store closed

Well supposedly the CEO of GC was on a forum completely dedicated to hating Guitar Center so probably not...

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Music's the only thing that makes sense anymore, man. Play it loud enough, it keeps the demons at bay.

Hi Everyone,
To put this in perspective there are BAD music stores everywhere here in Toronto area I will only deal with Long & Mcquade all the others for me that I have visited are less desirable due mainly to ego attitudes.

When my wife & I go on holiday to the USA, we tend to visit GC & other music stores on our travels.
I found all but one gc's to be terrible for any kind of friendly atmosphere
Buffalo is the worst for me. I go to Buffalo a dozen times a year & walk out without spending a nickel (I have gone to a mom & pop store down the street in a mall of all places & purchased 3 lefty Epiphones this year alone)
same price etc. but they made me feel like they were interested in my business!

That being said I give full marks to the GC in Charleston S.C. to me they were awesome, clean store, staff were friendly & we chatted guitars I bought my lefty Hofner Beatle bass there it was a great experience I even sent the manager an e-mail when I got home thanking him for the fun experience.

I admit I just retired & wanted to get back into playin' again & I thought it was my age, that music stores attitude in general was why is this old guy in here, anyway? but then I figure my $$ is as good as anyones!

I have nothing to say in defence of any chain of guitar shops. But as customers we do rather want two contradictory things. We want to pay the lowest possible prices and take our money elsewhere if we don't get them. But we also want excellent, polite, experienced service.

Unfortunately, low prices buy us staff paid at ignorant, sullen, school leaver wages - and so in those kinds of stores that is exactly what we mostly get.

Cheers - C