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Topic: Guitar Center - Ever happen to you? |
Rick Campbell
From:
Sneedville, TN, USA
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Posted 19 Sep 2009 1:22 pm |
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I went to Guitar Center today and it happened again. I went in with the intention of spending some serious money. Before I could really look at things and talk to anybody, I had to listen to somebody beating the hell out of some drums and several kids playing guitars with this outer space cosmic distortion at really loud volume. By the time I got around to doing any business, I was out of the mood musically. Am I by myself here, or has anyone else experienced this? 
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Jaclyn Jones
From:
Texas, USA
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Posted 19 Sep 2009 1:38 pm
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That is about what I hear at Guitar Center. I try to remember in the mid 60's when it was me at the local music store driving everyone nuts with my rendition of Beatles and Hendrix songs. Now it it's my turn for the pain!
_________________
http://www.myspace.com/jaclynjones
http://www.youtube.com/user/jackiej1950
Lots of guitars, banjos, mandos and a Mullen G2-D10,PAC D10, 1966 Marlen D10,Line6 x3 Pro, Peavey Powerslide, Michael Kelly Dobro and a "Fox Vintage Amp" model 5F8A. Oh Yea, a very patient husband. |
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Jack Dillard
From:
Elkton, Maryland, USA
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Posted 19 Sep 2009 1:42 pm
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| I don't think it's ever happened to me. I guess I figure everyone has to learn how to play at some point and people are going to play their generations popular music, so it's no big deal to me. |
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Darrell Criswell
From:
Maryland, USA
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Posted 19 Sep 2009 1:45 pm actually happened
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| I went into the Guitar Center in Rockville Maryland and asked the salesman if they ever had a pedal steel guitar at the store, he said yes but not now, but he would get one, I told him I wasn't going to buy one as I already owned one. He said he wanted to get one anyway. I came back in two weeks and he had a Carter starter there! |
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Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 19 Sep 2009 2:53 pm
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Keep in mind it is a big demo room for guitar's and amps. The local GC here has a separate drum and acoustic guitar room, if someone needs assistance they also have a small private room to try out gear without the kids which don't bother me at all. Sometimes I act like the kids and push an amp a bit as well !
t
_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders , Eastman Mandolin ,
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years
CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website |
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Lee Baucum
From:
McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier
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Posted 19 Sep 2009 3:02 pm
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I become invisible at our local Guitar Center.
Click Here
Lee, from South Texas |
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Billy Henderson
From:
Portland, AR, USA
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Posted 19 Sep 2009 3:29 pm Gc
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| Went there twice. I am too old to be waited on by a skinny little pi$$ ant with tatoos all over him and addresses me as "hey dude" whas up" |
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Andy Sandoval
From:
Bakersfield, California, USA
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Posted 19 Sep 2009 5:50 pm
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| Rick Campbell wrote: |
| I went to Guitar Center today and it happened again. I went in with the intention of spending some serious money. Before I could really look at things and talk to anybody, I had to listen to somebody beating the hell out of some drums and several kids playing guitars with this outer space cosmic distortion at really loud volume. By the time I got around to doing any business, I was out of the mood musically. Am I by myself here, or has anyone else experienced this? |
Rick, I've been goin to Guitar Center for over 25 years now and can't ever remember it bein any different than what you describe. |
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David Doggett
From:
Bawl'mer, MD (formerly of MS, Nawluns, Gnashville, Knocksville, Lost Angeles, Bahsten. and Philly)
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Posted 19 Sep 2009 7:01 pm
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| Don't let rigamortis set in. I go in at an off time, like Tuesday or Wednesday during the day. The young clerks and shoppers are usually happy to see me testing the equipment with something besides metal and punk shredding. They have quiet rooms with doors for the classical guitars and acoustics, and I have a good time playing on grand instruments I could never afford. They usually have a few resos, and maybe a lap steel or two. But to try anything out with pedal steel, I have to lug in my own. They are always fascinated. I've gotten gig offers there. |
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Papa Joe Pollick
From:
Swanton, Ohio
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Posted 19 Sep 2009 7:16 pm
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| I haven't been to GC in about a year but used to check in every month or two.My experiences have always been pretty good.I've bought a lot of stuff from them and the guys that have been there awhile all know me and make it a point to greet me..I've made good friends with 2 of them.One young guy heard me playin a reso and ask me to help him set up his old Gibson lap and give him some lessons..That worked out great because he would always get me great deals on anything that I bought..But then that's just my take on it..YMMV.. |
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Stu Schulman
From:
Ulster Park New Yawk (deceased)
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Posted 19 Sep 2009 7:49 pm
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We don't have a G.C. but last year we got a Best Buy with a music department,It's pretty nutz in there with kids going crazy on drum pads but all of the young people who work there have been trained to be very polite,and they ask me if there's anything that I would like to try they'll get for me.Now on the other hand we have a giant local store with a crew of A-holes working there,About a year ago I grabbed one of the salesman and told him to be real nice to me because there's a good chance that I may be his real Dad...poor kid didn't know what to do. 
_________________
Steeltronics Z-pickup,Desert Rose S-10 4+5,Desert Rose Keyless S-10 3+5... Mullen G2 S-10 3+5,Telonics 206 pickups,Telonics volume pedal.,Blanton SD -10,Emmons GS_10...Zirctone bar,Bill Groner Bar...any amp that isn't broken.Steel Seat.Com seats...Licking paint chips off of Chinese Toys since 1952. |
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Doug Beaumier
From:
Northampton, MA
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Posted 19 Sep 2009 8:14 pm
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| Quote: |
| I had to listen to somebody beating the hell out of some drums and several kids playing guitars with this outer space cosmic distortion at really loud volume... Am I by myself here, or has anyone else experienced this? |
Yes, 4 days a week for 29 years! I teach guitar at a busy music store and we hear this constantly. Saturdays are the worst day. Cymbals crashing, distorted guitars, people testing mics and PAs, keyboards. It's normal noise for a music store. It's better than having no customers in the store. 
_________________
My Site / My YouTube Channel
25 Songs C6 Lap Steel / 25 MORE Songs C6 Lap Steel / 16 Songs, C6, A6, B11 / 60 Popular Melodies E9 Pedal Steel |
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Rick Schmidt
From:
Prescott AZ, USA
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Clyde Mattocks
From:
Kinston, North Carolina, USA
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Posted 20 Sep 2009 9:08 am
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I go to Guitar Center in Raleigh, N. C. My experiences have been positive. I know going in what I am looking for and have researched it. The
know-it-all condescending types of salesmen I have
encountered have mostly been in the smaller local
stores. I think the larger chains probably have
procedures to weed them out.
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LeGrande II, Nash. 112, Fender Twin Tone Master, Session 400, Harlow Dobro, R.Q.Jones Dobro |
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Charles Davidson
From:
Phenix City Alabama, USA
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Posted 20 Sep 2009 2:06 pm
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Rick, It's safer for a young geezer like you [I'm an OLD geezer] to go in the AM on a school day. YOU BETCHA,DYK?BC.
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Hard headed, opinionated old geezer. BAMA CHARLIE. GOD BLESS AMERICA. ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVIST. SUPPORT LIVE MUSIC ! |
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Bo Borland
From:
South Jersey -
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Posted 20 Sep 2009 5:31 pm
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First thing I do is grab a Les Paul off the wall , plug it in to the biggest A@@ amp on the floor and turn everything up to 12 (that's 2 louder than 10) and wail on it! Don't even try to play anything musical..just flat out wail, play Stairway To Heaven, Roundabout , Smoke on the Water, Cat Scratch Fever.... as loud as possible... seriously try to make the windows shatter!! Then while it is still feeding back and sustaining... put it down in front of the amp and walk away..
"I grabbed one of the salesman and told him to be real nice to me because there's a good chance that I may be his real Dad...poor kid didn't know what to Do" Stu, you are BEAST! |
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chas smith R.I.P.
From:
Encino, CA, USA
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Posted 20 Sep 2009 9:16 pm
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I go to the GC in Sherman Oaks, which sounds like what you would expect it to sound like and the young man behind the counter asks me what I'm looking for. They don't have the first thing I want, so I ask for nickel plated steel bass strings. He says they have nickel wound bass strings and I tell him that nickel wound strings sound mellow and the last thing I want on my guitar is something that sounds mellow. He says that nickel wound is the same thing as nickel plated. I say that, actually, it isn't, the nickel plating is millionths of an inch thick plating on steel and nickel wound is a steel core wound with nickel wire. He says there's no such thing as nickel plated steel bass strings. I point out that the package, off to his left, has them as does the package above it.
He rings me up and clearly doesn't like me, but then, I didn't go there to make friends. I went there for bass strings. |
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Marlin Smoot
From:
Kansas
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Posted 21 Sep 2009 1:58 pm
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| The good thing about Guitar Center is; anyone can try out new equipment... the bad thing about Guitar Center is; anyone can try out new equipment... |
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Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 22 Sep 2009 3:06 am
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Personally I have always had good experiences, even with the kids playing endless VanHalen solo's.
I guess I would ask, when going into the Walmart of Music stores which basically are there to sell guitars and amps to "EVERYONE" what are we expecting ? Are we walking in thinking I'm older, I look like I have money, I am experienced etc..so the store activity should come to a grinding halt ? I doubt that will ever happen as it doesn't much matter how much we spend, they are attempting to sell multiple items each hour to multiple people. If they don't the store will close. Kids bang away on guitars, kids have no money, but parents do....
From a business perspective I would guess there biggest customers are the younger kids banging away and not the old farts like us buying perhaps the last guitar we will ever buy .
I visit probably 3 different GC's in this region, all 3 are pretty good with a pretty sharp staff.
My last experience just last week was returning a Vox AC15 that I purchased used and had some sort of a problem. The amp was purchased from a Nevada store and returned in Charlotte, no issues, they took care of it very promptly.
Another very recent purchase was in a GC store about 150 miles away from home, I saw a Dobro, it looked good, they accommodated me and did what was necessary for me to fool with it and negotiate the purchase.
Looking at it from the other side, why would a kid stop fooling with a guitar or amp that he is dieing to own just because I walk in the store ? I remember going to Manny's on 48th street back in the 60's nothing has changed, this activity of testing guitars and amps in stores that sell guitars and amps is basically how they earn a buck.
I'm ok with it, if I need assistance I ask for it, if I need a smaller quiet room I ask for it, and they will provide it to you even if it is the managers office.
t
_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders , Eastman Mandolin ,
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years
CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website |
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Brandon Ordoyne
From:
Needville,Texas USA
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Posted 22 Sep 2009 3:33 am
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I am 28 and I cannot stand going to Guitar Center...I would rather go to a couple of the smaller music stores around town..alot frienlier people and good service.
_________________
'74 Emmons D10 P/P 8x5,'15 Rittenberry D10 8x5, Peavey Nashville 112, 400 & 1000, Fender Twin Reverb Tone Master, Hilton, Goodrich L120, Boss DD-3 and RV-3 |
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Larry Miller
From:
Dothan AL,USA
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Posted 22 Sep 2009 4:11 am
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| back in the early 60's when I was a kid, the music stores would not let you touch, let alone try out a Gretsch or a Guild. |
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Tony Prior
From:
Charlotte NC
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Posted 22 Sep 2009 6:37 am
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| Larry Miller wrote: |
| back in the early 60's when I was a kid, the music stores would not let you touch, let alone try out a Gretsch or a Guild. |
I would agree that it was not wide open to try out guitars but still it was done as long as they had that particular guitar on the floor and it was much more controlled due to the small size of the stores. But we still plugged in.
I recall buying a 335 from a store in Fairfield Ct, in the mid 80's, a mom and pop store, it was not a problem to plug in and play the guitars and such...But again much smaller store.
t
_________________
Emmons L-II , Fender Telecasters, B-Benders , Eastman Mandolin ,
Pro Tools 12 on WIN 7 !
jobless- but not homeless- now retired 9 years
CURRENT MUSIC TRACKS AT > https://tprior2241.wixsite.com/website |
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Mark Lind-Hanson
From:
Menlo Park, California, USA
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Posted 22 Sep 2009 8:38 am
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It seems to me that very time I walk into Guitar Center, that is going on, and - hell, why not?
Actually I prefer a place where you can plug in and try a guitar, to someplace where they are o-so-fussy and "look, but don;t touch" about stuff.
Sure, those folks may be torture for you to endure, but- that's just a piece of life. |
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Rick Campbell
From:
Sneedville, TN, USA
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Posted 22 Sep 2009 7:39 pm
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| Mark Lind-Hanson wrote: |
It seems to me that very time I walk into Guitar Center, that is going on, and - hell, why not?
Actually I prefer a place where you can plug in and try a guitar, to someplace where they are o-so-fussy and "look, but don;t touch" about stuff.
Sure, those folks may be torture for you to endure, but- that's just a piece of life. |
Yes, this is true. I know a music store is a place to try out instruments, that's part of the sales process. However, when the music is so loud that it hurts your ears, and you have to shout to have a conversation with the sales guy......... that's a little too much for me. It put me out of the mood to buy anything, but I went home and ordered about $2500 worth of stuff from Sweetwater online. |
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Jim Cohen
From:
Philadelphia, PA
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