| I must be the only guy that likes GC so I guess I've spent millions to keep them in business over the years. Apparently all of you have left in disgust.
Guys, I'll bet WAY less than 1% of instrument owners are pros. The store makes it's money on Joe Blow. Joe don't know. Joe has a DAY JOB and a STEADY PAYCHECK. He wants guitar and goes to a pro shop. He gets treated like a moron which he may or may not be, because he's not "one of us". This drives him to the Walmarts of the music world. He goes in, the kids working there are glad to see him and he buys something. Does he know what he got? Maybe not. Does he care? Probably not. Does the kid that sold it to him know every detail of a MIM Strat? Who cares. Does the Goodyear store deal with nothing but professional race car drivers? No, they deal with us that just wwant to drive to work every day just like GC does. If they counted on pros to keep the doors open.....well....they would have hocked the doors years ago.
If you need a pro in GC ask for one! I've done it and got them. I don't need to talk to a top level studio session player to buy a couple of single strings. The kid behind the counter can just have me point if he doesn't know what a string is.
Does Home Depot have highly skilled carpenters in the wood department for $6 an hour? Ha, good one. Their business model is trying to employ enough unskilled people to stay open. Yes, GC has made it hard on small stores but that's just the way things are.
As far as discounting, let me tell you a little secret. Now, GC buys in such quantity they probably get deeper cuts but on guitars and most drums, let's say retail (msrp, not the stores everyday price) is $1000. The dealer (store) pays $500 plus shipping. GC marks it $650 and will sell it for $600. Holy crap, that's a deal! You guys want it for $400. Well buy used. Maybe some of you guys are too young to remember the moma and pop stores that treated us like we were buying gas. If retail was $999 you can bet they asked $999 and if you were a good customer you could sometimes get it for $900. If you were a real good customer you'd get it for $800 after you'd shopped there for years.
I like GC and have gottne good deals and as good of a deal as I could get anywhere else. The GC pro in Nashville is someone that knows his gear and will find out if you want something out of his range of expertise. What else coud one ask? I can't get stuff cheaper anywhere else.
Eli, you gotta get the worms back in the can, buddy. |