I don't understand why everyone is always dumping on Guitar Center. We have 2 around me, and I would be very sorry to see them go. I guess you all have amazing guitar stores around you that handle boutique stuff, but we don't here. No one, and I mean no one, here stocks American made Guilds. I'm not sure Guild makes enough guitars in America to stock every Guitar Center, do they? I get the impression their inventory runs are much smaller than other companies. Maybe I'm wrong about that.
But I've been able to try several used Guild between the two GCs. I got a steal of a deal on my Savoy from GC buy ordering it from another store. (Being able to search inventory by store online is great!)
And, yeah, the "sales techs" are basically twenty somethings that know how to shred, and know precious little about acoustics... but who cares? I don't need them to help me anyway. Just let me go into the room, and try things. I can play any guitar in the shop. The under lock and key is an inconvenience, but that's the world we live in. I can walk around trying guitars in any amp I see. They never pressure me. And if I buy something, I have 45 days to try it out, and I can take it back and just say: "I didn't love it" and they take it back no hassles at all.
They're a gift if you ask me.
My experience at GC is SO much better than my experience at Sweetwater. That's been nothing but miserable.
I guess YMMV.