update: Guitar Center Files for Chapter 11

[OMB]

All of my guitars for the last 7 or 8 years have been purchased on line. GC never has anything I am interested in. And they quit negotiating on price. Very unrealistic business model.

[fatjack]

I bought my al 3010 se from them because I was crazy about the finish and the price was okish ( no tax ). And I bought a pedal from them on sale, they really haven't shown me anything I have to have at their prices. See avatar for 3010.

[Gear_Junky]

I bought my al 3010 se from them because I was crazy about the finish and the price was okish ( no tax ). And I bought a pedal from them on sale, they really haven't shown me anything I have to have at their prices. See avatar for 3010.

How did you get "no tax"? They are charging me tax on everything used, along with shipping. On some items this makes it better to wait for a sale and buy new with free shipping. Outside the scope of this discussion is the fact that having to pay sales tax on used stuff is double taxation (tax was already paid on the new item and became a component of its used price).

[fatjack]

I bought it before they were charging sales tax on out of state used gear. Now everything is taxed which to my mind kind of works against at their pricepoint

[uwmcscott]

I bought it before they were charging sales tax on out of state used gear. Now everything is taxed which to my mind kind of works against at their pricepoint

They used to run 15% off sales on used gear occasionally too, I scored a couple of really nice deals that way. Wish they'd reinstate that policy from time to time.

[Gear_Junky]

I bought it before they were charging sales tax on out of state used gear. Now everything is taxed which to my mind kind of works against at their pricepoint

I see, that makes sense now. That really ruins a lot of the used offerings. Thankfully I usually only care about value, not some no-longer-made item. So if it's cheaper to buy new on sale, with free shipping, that's what I'll get. Or not get. Just generally buying less is a legal way to pay less taxes.

[Gear_Junky]

They used to run 15% off sales on used gear occasionally too, I scored a couple of really nice deals that way. Wish they'd reinstate that policy from time to time.

I'd probably never score - stuff I want usually ends up snatched from my cart, sometimes after I'd placed the order.

[fatjack]

I bought it before they were charging sales tax on out of state used gear. Now everything is taxed which to my mind kind of works against at their pricepoint

They used to run 15% off sales on used gear occasionally too, I scored a couple of really nice deals that way. Wish they'd reinstate that policy from time to time.

yep that would get my attention it would kill the 10% tax here and help on shipping. I would make the used $450 traynor a lot more attractive.

[fatjack]

Yeah the taxes raise the used stuff high enough sometimes that new with free or equal shipping is a greater value.

[rrobbone]

The last effort I made to support them were several trips to source different repair parts at different times. Each time I would search their inventory online, call them to verify the item was indeed in stock, then drive an hour to get there - only to find out they didn't have the item after all.

It's sad when Sweetwater can give me better service from 1500 miles away.

I'd love to support them, but driving to the opposite side of a mountain range only to be disappointed is only funny so many times.

The market is the market. Maybe it's time for them to go. More room for mom and pop places again.

[Chocol8]

but driving to the opposite side of a mountain range only to be disappointed is only funny so many times.

That would be zero times for me!

[mickey]

Some folks may not believe it, but I've never even seen a GC.
When we retired and moved out of Nashville, GC had not invaded as yet.
Here there is a GC 100+ miles east of me in Tallahassee
and another 100+ miles west of me in Pensacola.
Lietz Music is just good enough to keep me from driving to either GC.

[uwmcscott]

If one had a bunch of capital lying around, I could see a conglomerate of what's left of GC/MF and maybe a wayward Instrument company pairing up and maybe even an IPO? As bad a rap as some of the GS stores get, they are definitely the biggest network of brick and mortar stores that also has a somewhat successful online presence. Retail as we knew it was dying before Covid came to town, and its not likely to rebound in a major way anytime soon, even if we do get back to "normal" eventually. So what if you were to reorganize GC and streamline the stores to be a combination of a local "hub" for the trading/selling of gear and also basically a factory outlet for said combined brands that you might also happen to own?

[hath74]

I would really miss the used gear, it really makes buying used worry free with the return policy they have. I’ve gotten some great deals over the years.


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[Frozensoda]

Am I the only person who’s had all positive experiences at their local Guitar Center?

[Gear_Junky]

Am I the only person who’s had all positive experiences at their local Guitar Center?

Personally I don't have any major reasons to hate them or any other music store. The smaller stores that they replaced didn't have quite the selection, always wanted too much for used stuff and didn't mind taking advantage of us young kids looking for first instruments. I shed no tears then and I won't now. It is my job, as a buyer, to find the most value for the least fiat. Sometimes I even say that to the seller when I haggle - I am not trying to insult anyone, just doing my "job". It is not my job to put someone else's kid through college, pay for their braces or dentures, or whatever.

At the turn of the century I was buying used pedals at GC and flipping them on eBay, they often had good deals. I don't recall buying a lot of new gear from them - Sam Ash was right next door and for some reason they were a bit more willing to deal, when I walked through those doors, they'd say "Norm!" (ok, no, they didn't).

I think I recall buying a used Gibson Ripper bass for $300 at the local GC, which sounded great. When the time came, I flipped it at profit. Our Sam Ash was 3x the size, so maybe that's why they had more gear.

Recently bought a couple of instruments from them online, overall it's all good, if I wasn't happy, I'd return the stuff.

[golem]

I can't remember where I read it so I'm finding it hard to provide a source, but one thing they're supposedly trying to do is get their creditors to take equity in exchange for their debts.

[Gear_Junky]

I can't remember where I read it so I'm finding it hard to provide a source, but one thing they're supposedly trying to do is get their creditors to take equity in exchange for their debts.

If so, it's one of the things confirming that the company and the stores are not going away, at least not due to bankruptcy. At its heart any bankruptcy is like a "trap door", a way to make untenable, unsustainable situation workable again. Sometimes that means that creditors get nothing and debtor gets to start over (with a blemished credit history). Other times it means that debts are "reorganized", priorities are established (senior creditors get first dibs, juniors usually get leftovers, most likely nothing). Lots of companies have been through bankruptcy where their retail operations were uninterrupted, so their customers might not even notice.

[Gear_Junky]

Which reminds me of a story:

“I just can’t take it anymore” cried Larry to his Priest. “No matter how hard I try, I just can’t seem to put bread on the table!”
“Larry, listen closely to what I am going to tell you” said the Priest. “Go to a quiet place outdoors where you can spend some time with the Lord. Sit down with the Bible in front of you and let the wind turn the pages. Close your eyes and think about the Lord. When you open your eyes, see what page the Bible is opened to, and there you will find your message.”
Three months later the Priest was walking up the church steps when he spotted Larry speeding by in a brand new Lexus.
“Larry!” screamed the priest incredulously. “What happened? Let me hear your story!”
“Well,” said Larry “it was just as you said. I sat in a quiet place, closed my eyes, and when I opened the Bible, the answer was right in front of me.
"What did it say?" - exclaims the priest.
It said: "chapter eleven!”

[JeffBeck]

I don't live in an area with a large enough population to support a Guitar Center, so they've never been a factor in my life. We've got nothing but Mom and Pops and pawn shops around here and they're not the Norman Rockwells that people tend to believe they are/were. They price gouge the shit out of you around here. It's ridiculous.

[uwmcscott]

I don't live in an area with a large enough population to support a Guitar Center, so they've never been a factor in my life. We've got nothing but Mom and Pops and pawn shops around here and they're not the Norman Rockwells that people tend to believe they are/were. They price gouge the shit out of you around here. It's ridiculous.

Are you my neighbor by chance?

[Chocol8]

Mom and pops (and local Guitar Centers) are low volume with relatively high operating expenses. They need to Jack up prices just to break even. The online big boys can afford to charge less, absorb shipping costs and damage/return issues and still be more profitable. It’s a tough business to have brick and mortar.

[uwmcscott]

Mom and pops (and local Guitar Centers) are low volume with relatively high operating expenses. They need to Jack up prices just to break even. The online big boys can afford to charge less, absorb shipping costs and damage/return issues and still be more profitable. It’s a tough business to have brick and mortar.

I think it either case ( large or small ) having a strong business plan is the most important factor. My favorite local shop has sold online as well for many years and they actually had their best sales year ever in 2020, even with the doors closed to the public since March or so.

[golem]

Well, it's official, they've declared Chapter 11.

[toomanycats]

I vaguely recollect when this post was originally made, though I didn't participate in it until now, or even pay much attention. As has been mentioned, "Guitar center going out of business" has become equivalent to saying "The sky is falling," so forgive me if I ignored it.

Without knowing about yesterdays news of the bankruptcy I went into Guitar Center in the afternoon. I've been looking for a lower watt tube amp that's not as heavy to lug as my 65 amps head and 2x12 rig, and without as much power as my Peavey Classic 30 combo. I have in mind something in the 15 watt range, all tube, 12" speaker, preferably class A. Looking online I saw that the closest Guitar Center location to me has a used Supro Blues King amp on the floor. It ticked a lot of the boxes and had pretty good reviews. My anecdotal observations on my visit to Guitar Center might be relevant as to why they are in trouble.

As soon as I walked back to the amp section I saw the used Supro on a low table along with all the other amps. I immediately noticed that the power was on. Nobody was around. How long had it been on? Five minutes? All day? No way of telling. I looked down the row of other amps, Vox, PRS, Fender, Orange . . . and lots of them were on too. Again, for how long I had no idea. This bothered me. These mass produced amps are made with budget components that have a shelf life. It just seems that keeping them turned on for extended periods would effect future life expectancy of some of these parts.

The employees were very friendly and I have no complaints about them whatsoever. You guys know how it is when you're in a music store, and everybody instantly become your "bro," cause, you know, were all guitar players, we're surrounded by gear, and everything is cool.

I asked if I could try the Supro and they asked what guitar I wanted to use. I told them one of their Gibson Les Paul Standard '50s, which they happily accommodated me with. They then left me alone to do my thing. I've got to admit, I wasn't impressed with the Supro. It sounded dark and stiff with an FET overdrive circuit that sounded very solid state to me. It just didn't inspire my playing. I then unplugged the LP and proceeded down the row trying some other likely candidates. Below is a list of what I tried and my observations:

Fender Blues Junior Lacquered Tweed w/Jenson c12N. I liked it immediately. I'm a Marshall type guy, so trying something different is appealing to me. This amp was so dynamic, lively, and breathes. It sings, it growls, purrs, and shimmers. When I think American tube amp, this is the sound in my head.

Fender Blues Junior IV. I tried two version of this model, one with an Eminence Cannibus Rex and one with a Celestion. I liked it much less than the Lacquered Tweed III. It was darker, flat, and less alive, simple as that. Sorta a compressed tone to my ears.

A used Orange Tiny Terror TT15C12. This amp is a beast and has way more gain than I need, though I like it immensely. As soon as I plugged it there was no mistaking that here was a British voiced amp. It's ballsy, responsive, loud, and full sounding. Simple as can be with three knobs, 15 watts, class A, and built like a tank. If I needed a low watt amp for hard rock and classic metal this would be the winner, hands down. The thing is, what I'm in the market for is something for classic rock, blues, and outlaw country. The Orange could probably cover that ground at lower gain settings, but the Fender Blues Junior would probably do it better.

So it appeared the Blues Junior Lacquered Tweed w/Jenson c12N was the winner of the bunch. There were two of them on the floor set up for playing, one of them them looking significantly dirtier and handled than the other. Knowing that these amps get left on for who knows how long, I asked if they had one in an unopened box, you know, otherwise known as a "new" one. They looked and came back with the reply of "No." I then asked if they could discount one of the two on the floor, since they are both floor models that have clearly been used, and not necessarily tended to. The answer was "No." Again, these guys were cool, and I understand that their hands may be tied, but the answer was still "No discount."

So that was it, they lost the sale. I actually wanted to buy an amp from them too. I spent all that time trying gear on their floor, putting even more wear on already worn amps, and for lack of throwing me a little bone, just enough to offset the tax on a piece of gear that was not in the strict sense "new," they blew the sale.

At some point today I'll probably end up ordering a new one in the box from Sweetwater, in which case I should have it at least in time for Saturday's gig.

The thing that leaves an impression on me after leaving Guitar Center is the apathy. Like I said, those guys are friendly, and cool, and accommodating . . . but it's like they could care less if I bought anything or not. It's like they're going through the motions, maybe worn down by the monotony of it all, I don't know. Like I said, these are just my personal observations.