You think Guitar Center goes under?

[BrianS]

I think Amazon are also killing these stores

My bass and amp were both Amazon purchases.  I can't be bothered to go to a store to try out stuff anymore.  Heck, even my Martin HD-28 was purchased online (based on the dealer's reputation and lots of photos). That was a no-nonsense negotiation.  I emailed them to ask for their best price, and they quoted a number that was one-half MAP plus a reasonable margin.

Every guitar I have (and no I don't have a collection like Jimilee) with the exception of my first guitar, bought in 1975, a Yamaha acoustic (still have it) have been bought on line. Oops I bought an American Tele off of Craigslist also.  One I pay enough taxes as it is so going to GC is a no go.  And as EBK said, I can normally get a very good discount and if I don't like the guitar I can send it back.  There have been times when they wouldn't budge on the price and I just didn't buy the guitar.  And there's no pressure like in a store, that is if you can find someone to assist you in a timely manner.

[somnif]

I tend to buy strings at GC just because its convenient for me.

That said, my Telecaster came from GC too. 3 Reasons:
1) I had a gift card
2) It was on sale
3) They took a further 15% off the top when I "sold" them a crappy danelectro pedal. A 15$ pedal got me 60$ off the price of the guitar.

That said I never really enjoy visiting. There are way too many hovering commissioned sales folk (except none at the case, of course, where you actually need a person). Not enough knowledge to answer many questions, and way too hard a sales pitch usually. Plus there's always that one dude rocking out some ever so slightly out of tune, off tempo, buzzy rendition of some chugga chugga djent tune on the latest modeling amp in the corner of the store.

I doubt they're going to go away completely, but I wouldn't be surprised to see several stores closed over the next year or three.

[pickdropper]

I have no idea what the future holds in the long term for GC.  Their demise has been predicted for years, but they hang in.  They sell a lot more than guitars, so it's possible part of their business is propped up by the Pro Audio division.

Part of it is that Gibson and Fender have allowed them to run up large debts because they viewed their own success as tied to GC's survival.  Many prognosticators suspected that Fender's decision to sell direct was a way of protecting themselves should GC actually go under. 

[jimilee]

I think Amazon are also killing these stores

My bass and amp were both Amazon purchases.  I can't be bothered to go to a store to try out stuff anymore.  Heck, even my Martin HD-28 was purchased online (based on the dealer's reputation and lots of photos). That was a no-nonsense negotiation.  I emailed them to ask for their best price, and they quoted a number that was one-half MAP plus a reasonable margin.

Every guitar I have (and no I don't have a collection like Jimilee)

I mean, you know.... I usually know more than the guys in there, I have to do my homework, so i pretty much know what I'm getting before I go i, unless I take my wife, then she usually finds something for me. They all know me all too well, so I just grab someone when I need something. The guys that do play every weekend are douche bags, because what they use is "it" I try not to hassle the new guys too much, they're cute when they try.

[Stomptown]

I walked into a guitar center a couple months back when I was debating on buying or building a Princeton Reverb (I decided to build it!).  They didn't have one in stock but they were asking $900 for a Deluxe Reverb RI and the cabinet had a MAJOR crack at the joint of the top and left panels.  It was seriously so bad I would be afraid to lift the thing.  I rhetorically asked the guy "what happened" and he claimed that it cracked apart due to cold weather. Lol.  It was obviously dropped VERY hard.  I still wanted noodle around a bit so I grabbed a Mexican telecaster to play.  I went to do a bend and the B string popped right out of the nut! Lol.  There were other things I noticed too like an amp missing pilot light jewel and just generally beat up equipment.  And to top it off I got to watch them low ball an old lady selling her deceased husbands Strat just because it had a scratchy pot. 

This was on of the smaller GCs I've been in and definitely the worst. I'm pretty sure it will be one of the first to go if they start closing stores.  At the end of the day, I prefer to support local music stores and won't miss them when/if they're gone.

[jimilee]

At the end of the day, I prefer to support local music stores and won't miss them when/if they're gone.

As do I, but they have jack in stock anymore. I hate it, one of my best friends owns a store just down the street from me. He does help me out when I need something from dunlop or or something, i can get it wholesale, but, generally, smaller guys don't have the fender or gibson dealerships because they can't afford it or territory rights.

[pickdropper]

At the end of the day, I prefer to support local music stores and won't miss them when/if they're gone.

As do I, but they have jack in stock anymore. I hate it, one of my best friends owns a store just down the street from me. He does help me out when I need something from dunlop or or something, i can get it wholesale, but, generally, smaller guys don't have the fender or gibson dealerships because they can't afford it or territory rights.

Yeah, Fender or Gibson is out of reach for most smaller dealers.  I have a really good local shop that I've been going to for years. They don't do Fender or Gibson, but they have PRS, G&L, Ibanez, Heritage, Breedlove, etc.   All in all, a really nice selection.

[reddesert]

There was a long article in the Washington Post several months ago about the musical instrument business - specifically about declining sales of electric guitars, and a person from Fender was saying that actually, Taylor Swift is the person most likely to drive new instrument sales, in the sense of new young people picking up a guitar.

I'm not sure that music stores have ever been particularly welcoming to newbies, but GC seems more so. A lot depends on the staff.

[pickdropper]

There was a long article in the Washington Post several months ago about the musical instrument business - specifically about declining sales of electric guitars, and a person from Fender was saying that actually, Taylor Swift is the person most likely to drive new instrument sales, in the sense of new young people picking up a guitar.

I'm not sure that music stores have ever been particularly welcoming to newbies, but GC seems more so. A lot depends on the staff.

I actually think it's great that T.Swift is getting young kids into playing guitar.  I'm sure that's more acoustic than electric, but it has to start somewhere.  If the kids stick with it, they'll branch out as they get older.

[alanp]

Everything goes in circles.

70s rock, then synth-y 80s, then Britpop and Grunge in the 90s, then god-awful teeny-bopper shit in the naughties, then the current trendyshit... can't wait for either guitar or some other band with balls to make it in the mainstream. It's all so... un-offensive.

The worst that Beeber gets up to is with his pet chimp or whatever it is. You don't hear about things like the Gallagher brothers getting into fistfights in the street, these days.

[Stomptown]

At the end of the day, I prefer to support local music stores and won't miss them when/if they're gone.

As do I, but they have jack in stock anymore. I hate it, one of my best friends owns a store just down the street from me. He does help me out when I need something from dunlop or or something, i can get it wholesale, but, generally, smaller guys don't have the fender or gibson dealerships because they can't afford it or territory rights.

Totally true.  I also have a close friend who owns a music store and carrying major brands is out of the question for him as well.  If GC goes under I would hope Fender, Gibson, etc. would lower their yearly purchase requirements, etc. so smaller businesses could carry them again.  Probably a pipe dream...

It would suck if the only option was to roll the dice online. Guitars and clothes are the two things I'm just not that excited to purchase online; unfortunately all signs indicate I'm going to need to get used to it...

[matmosphere]

What surprised me is they just opened a new one in Laurel,MD in October.  It looks like every other one.

Pretty sure it's been there a long time, but closed for a bit while they did a remodel.

Could be wrong, don't get up that way too often.

The ones in VA just outside DC had a very noticable decline several years back. Now they are dirty and don't have much beyond strats and les Paul's.

[strat68]

What surprised me is they just opened a new one in Laurel,MD in October.  It looks like every other one.

Pretty sure it's been there a long time, but closed for a bit while they did a remodel.

Could be wrong, don't get up that way too often.

The ones in VA just outside DC had a very noticable decline several years back. Now they are dirty and don't have much beyond strats and les Paul's.

You may be correct but it never shown up in searches for music stores before.  It's so generic it could be the one in Pasadena, CA I've visited.  It's either Make n Music in Frederick or Bill's in Catonsville if I need something.

[jimilee]

The Taylor swift conversation was the exact one I had also. As far as newbies, local shops depend on newbies for lessons. I'd say local shops fear seasoned musicians, we're more apt to try to get a deal because we usually can.


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[EBK]

The ones in VA just outside DC had a very noticable decline several years back. Now they are dirty and don't have much beyond strats and les Paul's.

There is a somewhat new one in Alexandria.  I haven't been in it yet, and probably never will, so I can't say much more about it.