Guitar Center Does it AGAIN!!

davismanLV

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Hadn't been in GC since last years fiasco when I was trying to buy that Breedlove, but after lunch yesterday, I stopped in. Well they rearranged and redecorated the place. Get this, they opened the wall between the GOOD guitar room (which is now totally open to the acoustic room, no glass doors) and the high end electric room!! So now there's some glass and a glass door. I pulled a nice acoustic off the wall and sat down on a stool and at the same time a guy in the electric room fired up his amp and guitar and starts WAILING on it!! I couldn't even hear myself think, let alone hear the supposedly "nice" acoustic I was playing!!

Who's idea was this? I'm trying to think of any reason how this could be a plus in anyone's book. What am I missing??
 
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Westerly Wood

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I think you can't fix stupid.

That being said, I now frequent GC for strings. I make a b-line, say hello but the key is to keep moving. Don't let them latch on. And get out. 😀
 

twocorgis

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Nothing really, except the failing company behind that move Tom. It's only a matter of time...
 

Neal

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I'm not sure how many acoustics they are actually selling. Most of what I see when I walk in GC these days is dedicated to electric guitars and amps.

Too bad, really. It used to be a nice place to go and try out high-end acoustics without any hassle whatsoever. Having said that, I never bought one there.
 

davismanLV

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Strings and Beyond are cheaper, they have way more selection, and so convenient they come right to my mailbox!! I'd hate to see GC go by the wayside but that's out of my control. And I'll still buy my strings online.....
 

twocorgis

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Strings and Beyond are cheaper, they have way more selection, and so convenient they come right to my mailbox!! I'd hate to see GC go by the wayside but that's out of my control. And I'll still buy my strings online.....

What Tom said. GC has been running their company like it's going out of business for quite some time now. The throes remind me a lot of Circuit City, and that didn't end well.
 

JohnW63

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What do they gain by lumping electric and acoustic ? Visual line of site for less people needed to watch them ? That's all I can think of.
 

gjmalcyon

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Who's idea was this? I'm trying to think of any reason how this could be a plus in anyone's book. What am I missing??

My first suspect would be the "loss prevention" specialist or consultant - not that it seemed to be possible to ever walk out their door with an instrument.

Whoever it was obviously never shops for acoustic guitars.
 

richardp69

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I'm not a big box store kinda guy and seldom visit a GC. Part of the reason for that is I'd have to drive 2 hours one way to get there and Elderly isn't that much further if I want to visit a brick and mortar store.

However, I think there is a place in the world for GC type stores and I for one would hate to se them go out of business. Because of where I'm located, likely 95% of my purchases are made on-line. I've bought a couple on-line from GC and had no problems. They were easy to deal with, shipped quick and the gear I bought had no issues. They also have a decent return policy if it ever comes to that (although that's nearly always a hassle regardless of policy).
 

walrus

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I agree mixing acoustic and electric makes no sense. Someone in the corporate office must have decided that, without going to a store and seeing what's going on.

But I have bought stuff from GC, and I have taken advantage of their great return policy. I, too, would not want them to go out of business, but if they did, I would survive.

walrus
 

Westerly Wood

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I agree mixing acoustic and electric makes no sense. Someone in the corporate office must have decided that, without going to a store and seeing what's going on.

But I have bought stuff from GC, and I have taken advantage of their great return policy. I, too, would not want them to go out of business, but if they did, I would survive.

walrus

you got to ask yourself at this point if the moves are done in order to sabotage the business. As no one can be that freakin' obtuse. though, I have my own bewildering moments in stupidity so hard to say...
 

GAD

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I was in the Hollywood GC a couple of weeks ago and noticed the same setup with a door between the high-end electric and acoustic rooms. That store has a lot of rooms, though, so I just thought it was a quirk of the layout.
 

davismanLV

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I was in the Hollywood GC a couple of weeks ago and noticed the same setup with a door between the high-end electric and acoustic rooms. That store has a lot of rooms, though, so I just thought it was a quirk of the layout.
You really have to wonder, then. If this is something they've done at multiple stores, you would question spending the money to do remodeling and change the layout of stores that function perfectly well the way they are. But I'm at a loss to figure it out. I tried to take the guitar from the high-end room and go out into the main acoustic room to get away from the LOUDNESS, but they're removed the doors and glass between the main acoustic and the high-end acoustic rooms so even around the corner I couldn't hear myself play. It's a mystery, for sure......
 

bluesypicky

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That's what you get for not wearing your chaps and goat boots. Kid didn't feel threatened.
 

fronobulax

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You really have to wonder, then. If this is something they've done at multiple stores, you would question spending the money to do remodeling and change the layout of stores that function perfectly well the way they are. But I'm at a loss to figure it out. I tried to take the guitar from the high-end room and go out into the main acoustic room to get away from the LOUDNESS, but they're removed the doors and glass between the main acoustic and the high-end acoustic rooms so even around the corner I couldn't hear myself play. It's a mystery, for sure......

Ever the cynic and devil's advocate - as noted by others, if you think you have a shoplifting or merchandise damage problem then the glass is the perfect solution to reduce theft by increasing visibility. If you are a bean counter you probably have not figured out that high end acoustics need to be played in order to sell so this makes sense. You may also think your corporate future lives in a hybrid of bricks and internet and people who want an high end acoustic will make an appointment over the internet to come in and play it. Finally, if GC is leasing space, GC may have told the landlord to help pay for the reconfiguration. If it doesn't happen GC can threaten to break the lease or go bankrupt. If I were the landlord, I might spend something on improvements if the alternative was having to find a new tenant.

Just me expressing an opinion because I can. Since I have not darkened the door of a GC in a couple of decades I don't expect to be part of their future.
 
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