BoomBoomBigelow
Genius of Love
I'd be interested in a few shares of your IPO, though I fear Baimun may start a bidding war based on your branding acumen.
Official Guitar Center Going Out Of Business Doomsday Clock Thread
- Thread starter Elias Graves
- Start date
I'd be interested in a few shares of your IPO, though I fear Baimun may start a bidding war based on your branding acumen.
Lerxst
spaghetti and blankets
They know that print catalog is basically bathroom reading material since probably 99.9% of their target market has access to the internet....no point in chucking more money into that than necessary. It still has a place in their marketing strategy but it doesn't need to be comprehensive
CBHScott
How did I get here?
Bringing this back for 2014.
OK, so we have just gotten past the holidays, and it may be a bit early yet, but I have never seen some of my local stores as bare as they are now, (not even during the best of economic times in years past), and they have not yet put out any new (replacement) stock, plus a good chunk of the stuff that's left is on clearance. This is really not that big a deal, I think, and I know NAMM is coming up, BUT add to that I have found that certain models that are on the MF website as "in stock" are not even listed on the GC site any more (I always thought the online storefront mirrored the MF and M123 sites)...hmmm...
Could it be that a) they are getting ready to close some B&Ms, or 2) They may be getting ready to close ALL of the B&Ms and go with an online presence only?
Yep, the little-seen conspiracy-theory gene just acted up...
OK, so we have just gotten past the holidays, and it may be a bit early yet, but I have never seen some of my local stores as bare as they are now, (not even during the best of economic times in years past), and they have not yet put out any new (replacement) stock, plus a good chunk of the stuff that's left is on clearance. This is really not that big a deal, I think, and I know NAMM is coming up, BUT add to that I have found that certain models that are on the MF website as "in stock" are not even listed on the GC site any more (I always thought the online storefront mirrored the MF and M123 sites)...hmmm...
Could it be that a) they are getting ready to close some B&Ms, or 2) They may be getting ready to close ALL of the B&Ms and go with an online presence only?
Yep, the little-seen conspiracy-theory gene just acted up...
sunvalleylaw
Yep.
Hmm, will be watching
Hmm, will be watching for good blowouts on MIM or asian jazzmasters for a mod project if there is a going out of business sale.Bringing this back for 2014.
OK, so we have just gotten past the holidays, and it may be a bit early yet, but I have never seen some of my local stores as bare as they are now, (not even during the best of economic times in years past), and they have not yet put out any new (replacement) stock, plus a good chunk of the stuff that's left is on clearance. This is really not that big a deal, I think, and I know NAMM is coming up, BUT add to that I have found that certain models that are on the MF website as "in stock" are not even listed on the GC site any more (I always thought the online storefront mirrored the MF and M123 sites)...hmmm...
Could it be that a) they are getting ready to close some B&Ms, or 2) They may be getting ready to close ALL of the B&Ms and go with an online presence only?
Yep, the little-seen conspiracy-theory gene just acted up...
There are probably too many stores. Where I live, I'm a 45-min drive from 3 GCs, and if I wanted to push it to an hour I'm within 7 (counting two in Boston).
The one I pass going home from work is the one in Millbury and that one almost never has anything good in it. It's also a very small store. From what I hear the Natick store is no longer carrying their Platinum stock since they moved all that into Boston.
What I did find unusual is not many of the ones near me carry Marshall amps.
The one I pass going home from work is the one in Millbury and that one almost never has anything good in it. It's also a very small store. From what I hear the Natick store is no longer carrying their Platinum stock since they moved all that into Boston.
What I did find unusual is not many of the ones near me carry Marshall amps.
The GCs here are as stocked as they have always been. Seems like business as usual.
jp_nyc
Kick Henry Jackassowski
I doubt that they would go with closing all the B&M locations, since some of them are obviously profitable. AFAIK Guitar Center occasionally closing a dead store is normal, and they’re not the kind of company that reorganizes and closes a batch of stores with a big press release. Remember that GC is privately owned, so the people in charge don’t have to make a big show of activity every quarter to justify giving themselves big bonuses. And the stores becoming more sparse has been going on since 2010, when they started moving away from big year-end blowouts.
sunvalleylaw
Yep.
As I have said before, GC is one of the only games in town in Idaho as far as stores go at this point. There are a few independents here and there, but not much.
I'm a little suspicious of mine as well. Not too long ago they stopped selling Mesa Boogie stuff, then they seemed to stop carrying marhsall tube stuff and the higher end fender amps. It seems they have a lot of cheaper amps, and not much high end stuff. Guitars seem about the same as usual.
Help!I'maRock!
Mediocringly Derivative
I believe GC is no longer a Mesa dealer. Seen it on a couple of forums but I've not heard anything directly. OTOH, lower priced stuff has better margins and sells quicker. GC is cash poor so it makes sense for them to limit their high end offerings.
wagdog
Ack
They are no longer a MESA dealer, this is true, as told to me by a MESA CSR. They did a fire sale of their remaining MESA stock last year - some good deals to be had there.
Elias Graves
Common misfit
I've known several people who have those and haven't heard a bad word at all. The three I've played were all real nice.
P90s are Epi's best pickup by far and the all mahogany Epi body really makes those grunt. As long as you can deal with the slim neck and narrower nut, they're good guitars.
jp_nyc
Kick Henry Jackassowski
GC offerings vary wildly by location. Wealthy regions have lots of big-ticket gear. High-end sells so well in NYC that they turned the huge vintage showroom into a platinum guitars showroom. But the main sales floor is dominated by entry-level indie rock and metal gear for the local college kids. The Scottsdale store also has a lot of high end, but the inventory caters to retired classic rock and country music fans. They don’t leave cables, picks, or seats near the guitars so that kids can’t start riffing.
aliensporebomb
Fretted instrument fan
Local store still has a few Mesa items left, a Mark V head, a cabinet, and I think a Blue Angel but I think that's it. I heard one of the guys saying the two companies parted ways and they were going to blow out the Mesa gear. Still have lots of nice high end guitars but some of them have been there a while. I get along well with a couple of the sales guys who recognize me when I come in but probably because I've bought $$$ items from those guys!
jp_nyc
Kick Henry Jackassowski
Mesa and GC mysteriously broke up right after GC sent a letter to all its suppliers stating that it would stop honoring minimum advertised prices and do whatever it took to sell product. But it doesn’t appear that Mesa buyers ever had any interest shopping at GC. Even when they were blowing Mesa stuff out at half of street price it took them a few weeks to unload some of it.
aliensporebomb
Fretted instrument fan
That Mark V and cabinet would be a nice present for me but even at a discount it's not cheap.
Lerxst
spaghetti and blankets
Considering that every time I go into a GC there is usually someone cranking the shit out of some ill configured Mesa product, I wouldn't want to buy one off the floor of a GC either.