GC reinventing itself?

[fronobulax]

We have often speculated on the future of Guitar Center. A nearby GC closed and is now advertising a Grand Reopening. The flyer emphasizes that they now

• do setups and repairs
• teach lessons
• rent equipment

All of these are new services for GC as far as I can tell or at least making them the centerpiece of their advertising is new.

It seems like a good strategy for someone who is not selling as many instruments or needs to find an additional source of revenue. In my market setups, repairs and lessons are now making one more point of competition with the independent stores. I don't know any local source for equipment rentals, although I am sure there are some.

Anyone else seeing something similar from GC?

 

[davismanLV]

My local GC (there are two here in Las Vegas) have been promoting service (setups & repairs), clinics, lessons and equipment rentals for years now. In the past one year they have put on a big advertising push regarding those services. Maybe that's something that's been specific to Las Vegas because of the nature of this town, but I thought they were doing it everywhere. Not sure I'd take one of my beloved guitars to them for repairs or service, but..... it's good to know they offer it and maybe their customers in general weren't aware of that.

Now they need to compete with online retailers in their stores. They'd have sold a guitar earlier this year if they hadn't been such JERKS about the whole thing!!

I hope they survive.

 

[Opsimath]

I've only been in the guitar world for two years, but our GC has had those services for that time at least. I really like our local GC. The manager and all the staff are terrific people, very nice, very helpful. Even the customers are friendly. Anyone I have spoken to in the acoustic room has been helpful and encouraging. I too hope GC survives.

 

[GAD]

Every GC around me has offered lessons and setups forever. Rentals might be new, though.

I'm friends with a guy that opened a music store in town some years back.

The only thing that makes money for him is lessons and some setup work. He eventually moved to a different location with no storefront (and a 3-story walkup) and got rid of all the guitars, doesn't sell gear other than strings, reeds, etc., and focuses 100% on lessons. To see GC, who arguably caused this mess, possibly going down the same path is sad, but only makes sense.

Every time I'm in GC I see a bunch of people banging on gear and a mother buying their 8-yo son a $99 Strat copy with $200 worth of upsell add-ons.

 

[Cougar]

A nearby GC closed and is now advertising a Grand Reopening.

The one near me did that a year or two ago. I don't go there much.

 

[walrus]

Service, set ups, etc. has been offered for quite a while at the all three of the GC's I can get to. Unfortunately, their turnover hurts them - there was a repair guy I liked at the GC I go to the most, but he left, and was replaced by a person who really was not as competent. My local shop (not GC) still does the best work for any of that type of stuff. So although I did a few things over the years at GC, I'd rather go to the smaller local shop, and to be honest, I'd rather give them the business anyway...

walrus

 

[fronobulax]

Thanks. This is apparently not the beginning of something new for GC.

 

[jcwu]

You know what *might* be new for GC? Check out this thread.

 

[fronobulax]

You know what *might* be new for GC? Check out this thread.

I saw the thread but was not going to get my hopes up until there were other reports. Based on FMIC era information if Guild electrics are in GC then it either means production volumes are much larger than we had imagined, GC has lowered their minimum order/stocking requirements or both.