Stupid things you've been told at Guitar Center

[Tibbon]

A Guitar Center once had on one of their "super-mega-used-sale" lists a Studer A820 with an 8-track headstack on it for $995 (that's right, a grand!!! In US Dollars!). I was one of the first in the store, and walked up to a sales guy (who was already too busy to take cash being thrown at him), and said, "I want that" and pointed to the list. It was for sale, I had money. I should have been able to throw it in my truck and drive away.

I was told that it was offsite, and that i'd have to come back since they'd have to "Find it". How the **** do you lose a 2" machine? Anyways, I came back for 4 days in a row (and had purchased about $2500 of other equipment that was on sale) trying to get some info on when I could get the machine, or something about it's condition. One of the guys said they couldn't find it, another said that they knew of the machine and it was in perfect condition with new heads, etc... nothing was making sense.

I wanted to put money on it (and has asked about that initially). I was told that the items on the list were ONLY for sale starting that monday morning that I had initially inquired about it, so no-one could have gotten it before me. Believe me, I'd have been in there Sunday night picking up stuff and avoiding the crowd otherwise.

Finally on Thursday, i was told, "Oh the (name replaced) Super-High-End-Untouchable-by-managers-because-he-sells-to-Aerosmith sales guy sold it to Vintage King along with a stack of preamps that some other salesguy was trying to sell."

I was pissed. I had the cash in hand wanting to buy it, but because of the ineptness of the salespeople ( I used to be one there, but i never ****ed up anything that badly), poor organization, and some untouchable sales-ass doing something that kinda shady IMHO (why would he sell Vintage king a tape machine that they are going to sell for 10x as much for a grand?), I wasn't able to get it. The crap wasn't supposed to be sold before the sales day, and apparently he had somehow bypassed everyone anyways.

I wanted that Studer, but now it's sitting at VK, for 10x as much likely.

[C/G]

Originally Posted by Tibbon

I was pissed. I had the cash in hand wanting to buy it, but because of the ineptness of the salespeople ( I used to be one there, but i never ****ed up anything that badly), poor organization, and some untouchable sales-ass doing something that kinda shady IMHO (why would he sell Vintage king a tape machine that they are going to sell for 10x as much for a grand?), I wasn't able to get it. The crap wasn't supposed to be sold before the sales day, and apparently he had somehow bypassed everyone anyways.

I wanted that Studer, but now it's sitting at VK, for 10x as much likely.

That sales guy to to the stars probably gave GC their grand for the Studer and turned around and sold it to VK for $3000 and pocketed the rest.

[Tibbon]

Originally Posted by C/G

That sales guy to to the stars probably gave GC their grand for the Studer and turned around and sold it to VK for $3000 and pocketed the rest.

Likely. I've gotten the sense that the guy has done this before, and I actually wrote a letter to a few VP's at GC about this. They said they would "look into it", although I doubt they really did anything in the end, since the guy (if fired) would take too many clients with him.

There were a few other details with it too, but basically it pissed me off pretty hard. The ONLY reason that I still shop at Guitar Center, is that I'm still friends with a local store manager and I get crap at cost most of the time (stuff like Monster Cables they can't do much about normally). Even then, it's just utility mics, mic stands, and guitar picks that I buy there anymore. I just can't stand being in there.

And, while they were probably innocent in this, I won't ever purchase anything from VK either due to this. You have no idea how badly I wanted that Studer.

[bexarametric]

Originally Posted by Tibbon

Likely. I've gotten the sense that the guy has done this before, and I actually wrote a letter to a few VP's at GC about this. They said they would "look into it", although I doubt they really did anything in the end, since the guy (if fired) would take too many clients with him.

There were a few other details with it too, but basically it pissed me off pretty hard. The ONLY reason that I still shop at Guitar Center, is that I'm still friends with a local store manager and I get crap at cost most of the time (stuff like Monster Cables they can't do much about normally). Even then, it's just utility mics, mic stands, and guitar picks that I buy there anymore. I just can't stand being in there.

And, while they were probably innocent in this, I won't ever purchase anything from VK either due to this. You have no idea how badly I wanted that Studer.

Oh trust me. They looked into it. I work for GC as a manager. I get calls from corporate any time something goes wrong at my store. It's great that they do this for our customers.

[Tibbon]

Originally Posted by bexarametric

Oh trust me. They looked into it. I work for GC as a manager. I get calls from corporate any time something goes wrong at my store. It's great that they do this for our customers.

I'm hoping they did. I know that this stuff would have gotten the average employee probably canned. However this guy was pretty big.

[Tone Obsessed]

Originally Posted by Tibbon

Likely. I've gotten the sense that the guy has done this before, and I actually wrote a letter to a few VP's at GC about this. They said they would "look into it", although I doubt they really did anything in the end, since the guy (if fired) would take too many clients with him.

There were a few other details with it too, but basically it pissed me off pretty hard. The ONLY reason that I still shop at Guitar Center, is that I'm still friends with a local store manager and I get crap at cost most of the time (stuff like Monster Cables they can't do much about normally). Even then, it's just utility mics, mic stands, and guitar picks that I buy there anymore. I just can't stand being in there.

And, while they were probably innocent in this, I won't ever purchase anything from VK either due to this. You have no idea how badly I wanted that Studer.

Dude: WTF? C'mon... DO YOU KNOW FOR A FACT THAT VK PURCHASED "YOUR" Studer? I didn't think so...

Bottom Line: Even if you "suspect or knew they did", VK HAD NOTHING TO DO WITH IT!! Why would you hold an indirect purchase against VK if they DID buy it? They had no clue they were "buying YOUR Studer". Wow!!! If anything, IT'S THE GC SALES MOOK THAT SCREWED YOU ( in your opinion) NOT VK!

IMO, if you were that serious, you should have been more insistent, talked to the manager, hell, even contacted the district rep! Further, IF GC Pro was an option in that store, you could have gone that route, too. At $1k, I would have made a scene UNTIL they addressed the purchase with you, took your money, gave you a receipt and THEN you'd have legal recourse against GC- BUT NEVER VK!

THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE since you know the GC floor mooks are twits!

Look, I'm sorry this happened to you, it sucks... I know you were stoked. But it's a GC / and YOU matter - NOT Vintage King!

VK is innocent here.

TJ

[Tibbon]

I'll agree that VK is probably innocent here, but I'm taking it just as a sign that there' probably better places to buy gear. I don't think for a moment that VK didn't know that something funny was likely going on. The guy that sold them that (and a load of other equipment) knew what he was doing.

I talked to the manager. And he basically said that he didn't want to get into the mess of what his guy was doing. The Pro Audio managers knew this was a dirty deal and told me so. I used to work at this same Guitar Center. I know how stuff would go down, and how people didn't like to be caught in the middle. The store manager position was in transition at the time so there wasn't anyone that I could really go to above that.

I wrote to the VP of sales, and to some other VP over the GCPro Division. They said that they were going to seriously look into it, however over a year later the guy's photo is still on the Guitar Center GCPro.com website.

I saw on the computer where they had been sold to Vintage King. Unless there's more than one Vintage King in CA, then that's what I saw. Like I said, I used to work there so the guys would show me stuff. I wanted to see for myself what the **** was up. There was over $10,000USD "into" this Studer deck, and for whatever reason this sales guy i'm guessing got them to dump it for a grand.

I'm not saying it's VK's fault at all, but they had to know that something was a bit weird when they were buying a really nice Studer and a handful of Neve modules from Guitar Center. To me, there's plenty of other places I can buy great gear from instead of VK, so it's no skin off my back.

Oh, and there were two more AMS 1580S's that I was going to buy from them, but there were "problems" purchasing those too, that involved the same GCPro guy...

The sales guys that I was working with didn't want to get their hands dirty with it. I don't blame them. If I was working there, i'd have defered it to someone else. They were going to roll the deals under the house account anyways since they were negative GP deals. No reason for them to get dirty with it.

I'm not trying to smear VK or GC's name around at all. This is just what I experienced. I'd rather be telling you about getting a sweet deal on a 2" 8-track studer and a handful of other units.

If you don't believe me we could always have bexarametric try to look it up on the nationwide system to see if he can find the deals that i'm talking about. He knows what salesperson I'm talking about that did this. I could try to find the dates for it. I believe it was a President's Day sale or one of those in the early summer/late spring of '06.

[Tone Obsessed]

Originally Posted by Tibbon

I'll agree that VK is probably innocent here, but I'm taking it just as a sign that there' probably better places to buy gear. I don't think for a moment that VK didn't know that something funny was likely going on. The guy that sold them that (and a load of other equipment) knew what he was doing.

I talked to the manager. And he basically said that he didn't want to get into the mess of what his guy was doing. The Pro Audio managers knew this was a dirty deal and told me so. I used to work at this same Guitar Center. I know how stuff would go down, and how people didn't like to be caught in the middle. The store manager position was in transition at the time so there wasn't anyone that I could really go to above that.

I wrote to the VP of sales, and to some other VP over the GCPro Division. They said that they were going to seriously look into it, however over a year later the guy's photo is still on the Guitar Center GCPro.com website.

I saw on the computer where they had been sold to Vintage King. Unless there's more than one Vintage King in CA, then that's what I saw. Like I said, I used to work there so the guys would show me stuff. I wanted to see for myself what the **** was up. There was over $10,000USD "into" this Studer deck, and for whatever reason this sales guy i'm guessing got them to dump it for a grand.

I'm not saying it's VK's fault at all, but they had to know that something was a bit weird when they were buying a really nice Studer and a handful of Neve modules from Guitar Center. To me, there's plenty of other places I can buy great gear from instead of VK, so it's no skin off my back.

Oh, and there were two more AMS 1580S's that I was going to buy from them, but there were "problems" purchasing those too, that involved the same GCPro guy...

The sales guys that I was working with didn't want to get their hands dirty with it. I don't blame them. If I was working there, i'd have defered it to someone else. They were going to roll the deals under the house account anyways since they were negative GP deals. No reason for them to get dirty with it.

I'm not trying to smear VK or GC's name around at all. This is just what I experienced. I'd rather be telling you about getting a sweet deal on a 2" 8-track studer and a handful of other units.

If you don't believe me we could always have bexarametric try to look it up on the nationwide system to see if he can find the deals that i'm talking about. He knows what salesperson I'm talking about that did this. I could try to find the dates for it. I believe it was a President's Day sale or one of those in the early summer/late spring of '06.

We are all entitled to our opinions and at least you have first hand knowledge as a past GC employee of what goes on in that specific GC store. Good info...

IMO, Vintage King is great to work with and over the years they have always been fair with me, always delivered on time and have good communication.

However, statements you made like this one only confuse the issue and distort the facts:I'll agree that VK is probably innocent here, but I'm taking it just as a sign that there' probably better places to buy gear. I don't think for a moment that VK didn't know that something funny was likely going on. Huh?

First you acknowledge they are innocent THEN you say they knew something "funny" was going on (somehow painting them as questionable). Accordingly, you say will not buy from them for something they may or may not have done OR had ANY knowledge of?

Simply Stated: You have NO DIRECT evidence VK knew it was buying "your" Studer out from under you in some "unsavory conspiracy". None, Oliver... Therefore, the only party that you CAN DIRECTLY LINK TO THE SALE OF THE STUDER is GC. That is 100% Clear.

Here's why I question ALL of this: Vintage King is in Michigan NOT California as you stated here: I saw on the computer where they had been sold to Vintage King. Unless there's more than one Vintage King in CA, then that's what I saw. Hmmmm.

Again, I understand your disappointment... However, if you were GC, wouldn't you sell a bunch of gear to a known person or entity in ONE transaction rather then HOPE it sells during a "sale". Since it's clear commissions are KEY at GC, I understand WHY the GC Pro sales person sold the equipment to his "guys", don't you?

NOTE: If anyone understands the culture of GC and its commission methods, it's YOU, right? Vintage King is innocent here.

As we all know, GC is what it is and you have to "roll" with it.

TJ

[Tibbon]

That's right... VK is in MI... I really do seem to recall them shipping the Studer to CA with the name of Vintage King on it. Perhaps it was a drop ship... who knows.

I don't blame GC or VK for it, I just wish i had my studer.

And I should clarify, I don't think that VK was wrong in buying the gear. No more wrong than I would have been in buying it. I just thought it odd (at the time anyways) that it was sold to another company, not to a studio or individual.

VK's a fine place. I just don't shop there, that's all. They didn't do anything wrong, they just happened to be on an end of a deal that I wasn't happy about I guess. I do blame GC for this 100%. Well maybe GC 100% and the salesperson 100%.

[Tone Obsessed]

Originally Posted by Tibbon

That's right... VK is in MI... I really do seem to recall them shipping the Studer to CA with the name of Vintage King on it. Perhaps it was a drop ship... who knows.

I don't blame GC or VK for it, I just wish i had my studer.

And I should clarify, I don't think that VK was wrong in buying the gear. No more wrong than I would have been in buying it. I just thought it odd (at the time anyways) that it was sold to another company, not to a studio or individual.

VK's a fine place. I just don't shop there, that's all. They didn't do anything wrong, they just happened to be on an end of a deal that I wasn't happy about I guess. I do blame GC for this 100%. Well maybe GC 100% and the salesperson 100%.

Cool... Hope you find another "Studer deal" one day... Hey, buy 2 to make up for the last one! Bet ya know someone that would buy it!!

TJ

[Mike P]

Originally Posted by max cooper

That would be what Pacific Radio is for.

It was a Sunday. Pacific's closed. Normally, I have Pacific Burbank make whatever cables I need but for Dsub's, it usually takes a couple of days. Anyway, the cables I needed were overnighted for free.

But GC still blows.

[cannibalbritney]

Quote:
Originally Posted by jhknicks View Post
In my store (not a Guitar Center) I have had not 1 but 2 guitars that had to be exchanged because the customer said that the initial purchase "was possessed". You can't make this up. And beat this one-Around 3 months ago I had a guy who always looked a little off come to the front door and start hurling his gear up into the air. He parked his car by the front door and heaved his gear up in the air into our store. Boom-an amp, smash (a guitar) kapow (another guitar)-This is starting to sound like Batman. He must have thrown 8 or so items until I got a hold of him as he was pulling out mic stands out of his car to toss. I restrained him and called the police. He took off. Now mind you there was never a problem with this customer. He was just mentioning something about the gear being possessed. The cops show up and I said please take this gear. Its not the stores and I do not want this guy in here again. They refuse. We held the gear for about a month. It turns out the guy is a bit (no shit) crazy and wasn't taking his meds. His brother came in to get the hurled gear. The best part is the ending.. 7-8 weeks later the gear tosser comes in like nothing ever happened and want a free warranty setup on his guitar which now obviously doesn't play right because he tossed it 20 feet in the air. I kicked him out. Good times...

Originally Posted by danranges

Was it Alto Music in Middletown, NY?
If so, i was there when that happened. It was ridiculous.

Yo no joke, i worked in Alto in monsey, dude that chain of stores has a flock of weirdos dude, ive never seen so much unbelievable crap in my life... bums masterbating in thewoods in back of the store DUDE F-D UP !

[Sqye]

...

i think the absolute stupidest thing i've ever heard at guitar center
was from a sales manager there who told me that jim morrison,
george bush and jimi hendrix never did any drugs at all.....

as a matter of fact - i don't REALLY understand why GW isn't MORE of a rock star -
after all, he did tons of drugs, and he doesn't listen to ANYONE, except his dad -
"GW, i wancha tuh go CLEAN UP THAT GARAGE - and MAKE SURE yuh get ridduh ALL THEM DRUGS!!"

sorry - back to our regularly scheduled programming..




..

[cannibalbritney]

Originally Posted by Tone Obsessed

Here's some news from NAMM: Best Buy and Fender are doing some sort of deal and will be installing "Fender Shops" within Best Buy this year...

The logic is kids are buying games, mp3 players and the like there, parents go there to buy gifts, so Fender will be able to reach more "potential buyers" this way.

AND YOU THOUGHT GC WAS BAD!!! WOW!!!! CAN YOU IMAGINE THIS????

GC, Ash and others will be in even worse $$$ shape. Can't you see the day where you go into Sam's Club for a Fender? It WILL happen. The cheap India and China made gtrs are in there already - cheap a** acoustics, too.

IMO, on-line will be the only "REAL option place for high-end gear. It's already happening. 99% of my purchases happen this way NOW.

Also, DIRECT sales from manufacturers will grow which should mean better prices ( that too, is already happening)

Guess we'll see.

TJ

ok you are a f-ing dumbass, im sorry but no offense, but if you actually think that buying direct from the manufacturer is ever gonna benefit the average consumer you have ur head too far out of range. they will still go by the basic principal that the more you buy the cheaper it is, you buy one 2grand, you buy 20k 800 a piece. or less. Just look at that bull-crap artist endorsement campaign from every guitar company on the planet (ur getting it at artist cost) dude ur still paying 50% more than most mid-level and high level guitar/music stores, it would be cheaper to just buy it from a bull-store like guitarcenter since you can tell the store sales guy, heres what ur cost on the guitar is cash... take it or leave it. NO GUITAR CENTER EVER TURNS DOWN AN OFFER. ITS THERE MOTO! the more product they sell regardless of profit or not, they dont care cus its still a moved unit, so they end up getting a rebate on the next order of 20k of em which in the long run screws every other mom-n-pop store, so if you can imagine a place like BJ's or best-buy which is a a MULTI-MULTI MILLION DOLLAR COMPANY, buying 20-30x what the average guitar chain is buying, they are gonna hike the prices up everywhere else to cap the pricing, which best-buy or bjs will not follow, and the guitar company will do nothing about since 30x more units have been moved than anywhere else, thats not only going to drive out all the little profit margin that mom n pop stores are making but well ultimatel leave places like GC as being your only go to for anything... THATS HORRIFYING TO ME ! WELCOME TO CHENEY'S AMERICA ! little guy gets F-D again. sorry went on a rant again. kinda got lost in it.

[DavidKmusic]

Originally Posted by stevep

Phone call,....

Me.... Looking for a price on a Shure SM7 do you guys have them in stock ?

GC dork..... Let me check,....

waiting.......... he comes back, cant find it... never heard of it,... you must want a sure sm57


Me.... click

Head this one a few times. Last year I was on my way to GC in Boston to pick up a couple cables and see if they had an SM7 in stock. My girlfriend was with me and I told her how I had just read this really funny post on GS about Guitar Center and one was about a guy trying to buy an SM7 and the GC guy kept trying to sell him a 57 (yeah, she knows the dfference)

We went into the Pro Audio department, and this is what followed...

me: Do yo guys have an SM7 in the store?

GC guy: um, you mean a 57?

me: No, no, an SM7, it's a larger studio dynamic mic

GC: hmm, let me look (types in the computer) I don't think they make them now

me: No, they make them, it's one of the most popular boradcasting mics in the world,

have you ever watched Howard Stern?

GC: yeah

me: You know the mic that Robin uses, that's an SM7

GC: oh, (types something else) well, you sound like you know what you're talking about.... but are you sure you don't want an SM57?

me: nope

GC: (types some more) oohh, I have a "something" 7 distortion pedal!

me: I'l just take the cables


My g/f couldn't stop laughing, it was almost a verbatim reenactment of what I'd read on here.

[CoteRotie]

I'm buying some Mogami cables while some kid in the local GC is buying an MXL tube mic. Must have been the display model because the sales guy had to go in the back to "find the box".

Kid: "Is everything in there?"
Sales guy: "Yes, and (looking in the box) it's your lucky day, this mic comes with a preamp!" (It's the tube mic power supply.)
Kid "Wow, pretty cool, I've been wanting to get a tube preamp!"

All this after the sales guy was going on about the extra warmth of tube mics and how he uses this mic in his own studio.

Poor kid will be wondering where the gain knob is and why the levels out of his new pre are so low.

Regards,

John

[audioprodutionz]

oooh, let me talk to my manager and see if he could give u a better price.. Cross your fingers

[Tone Obsessed]

Originally Posted by cannibalbritney

ok you are a f-ing dumbass, im sorry but no offense, but if you actually think that buying direct from the manufacturer is ever gonna benefit the average consumer you have ur head too far out of range. they will still go by the basic principal that the more you buy the cheaper it is, you buy one 2grand, you buy 20k 800 a piece. or less. Just look at that bull-crap artist endorsement campaign from every guitar company on the planet (ur getting it at artist cost) dude ur still paying 50% more than most mid-level and high level guitar/music stores, it would be cheaper to just buy it from a bull-store like guitarcenter since you can tell the store sales guy, heres what ur cost on the guitar is cash... take it or leave it. NO GUITAR CENTER EVER TURNS DOWN AN OFFER. ITS THERE MOTO! the more product they sell regardless of profit or not, they dont care cus its still a moved unit, so they end up getting a rebate on the next order of 20k of em which in the long run screws every other mom-n-pop store, so if you can imagine a place like BJ's or best-buy which is a a MULTI-MULTI MILLION DOLLAR COMPANY, buying 20-30x what the average guitar chain is buying, they are gonna hike the prices up everywhere else to cap the pricing, which best-buy or bjs will not follow, and the guitar company will do nothing about since 30x more units have been moved than anywhere else, thats not only going to drive out all the little profit margin that mom n pop stores are making but well ultimatel leave places like GC as being your only go to for anything... THATS HORRIFYING TO ME ! WELCOME TO CHENEY'S AMERICA ! little guy gets F-D again. sorry went on a rant again. kinda got lost in it.

You silly, inexperienced, uneducated human. If you were not suffering from a cranial rectal inversion, you'd understand that THIS is the new approach to doing business as it is a proven and effective model in most industries to date, MI notwithstanding.

Without divulging ANYTHING, I have a close friend that runs a MAJOR musical instrument company AND that's EXACTLY what they're getting ready to do... NOW!

FYI: They conducted a pilot program and sales were excellent. They marketed a new product and a slightly revised past product by RETAILING it direct to consumers at their PREVIOUS WHOLESALE PRICES and it sold through! Now they're getting ready to do the same across the ENTIRE line and eliminate 90% of their dealer network. Who's the dumb-ass now?

Since you're most likely occupied with attempting to extract yourself from your current state of "inversion", once free, you need to comprehend that most MI companies are tired of the GC, SA, MF grind of hold backs, returns, late payments, and the like. In fact, these MI's CRAVE the fiscal and deployment control a model such as this provides. Make sense yet??? Keep tugging... It will eventually. I hope.

What's amusing is the fact that you think I'd actually float a theory that was not based in logic, fact or direct knowledge? Wow! Shouldn't you be at a "rally" or like "event" whining about corporate America? Oh, I know: Can't get time off from your "career" at McDonald's to participate, huh?

Are you free yet? No? You may want to try some of the fry oil... POPPPP!

Well, I've spent enough time with you. Now I'm bored.


TJ

[Tibbon]

TJ- you're right. You know I've never seen a musical retailer that managed to piss off their suppliers so much, time and time again. Rickenbacker, Moog, Electro-Harmonix, etc... all of them have been on again, off again with GC because GC screws around with the companies.

To others, Guitar Center won't just accept "any offer" but they will almost always accept an offer if it's over their "cost". If you don't haggle when you go in there, then you are a moron, because that's the name of the game. I've always thought it funny that people got excited over their "sales" because 99% of their products can be had at that price any day. If you are on here, you probably own a studio, and probably spend enough money to have a good relationship with a salesperson at some company enough to get killer prices if you just ask.

At the same time, Guitar Center's "Cost" that they have listed in the system always has some built in markup on it. Part of this is so that GC always makes money, even on employee purchases. I've known the actual dealer costs on a few items (knowing that GC was probably getting an even better price due to volume) and GC's was normally in the computer as higher than that. They claim internally that it's basically a "shipping and handling" type charge, and that it covers their raw costs on the item for marketing and such. It gets really funny on used items however and sometimes just doesn't make sense.

Also GC can't normally give price breaks on certain items that have a "min" on them. Monster Cable, Mogami, Apple products, etc...

[animix]

Originally Posted by C/G

Holy shit.

Awwwwww man!!! I just spewed coffee all over my screen and keyboard when I read that one.

[thehobbster]

I recently went into Guitar Center and asked the worker:

Me: Hey, do you guys have any isolation pads for monitors?
Worker:..... *gives me questioning look*..... monitors?