I take the time to time stamp the entire show for your connivance This Podcast is sponsored by Patreon and Channel members www.patreon.com/phillipmcknightKYG?fan_landing=true Subject Index 00:00 Intro 02:00 Jazz guitar for a beginner? 03:40 Pedal Giveaway 04:50 Why Guitar Centers New Plan Is Not Going To Work 27:27 1st set of KYG winners 34:00 What is my least expensive guitar? 39:00 Gibson uses stickers on custom shop guitars neckillusions.com 42:16 Noise Gates? 44:25 We want to give this guitar to a local beginner 48:29 New Gibson Studios seem better than PRS S2s 51:00 Bad Dad Joke 57:00 I was embarrassed to share the story. The Craziest Guitar Of The Week 1:29:00 Buy guitars without touching them 1:36:00 Red Cross help give.helpsalvationarmy.org/give/166081/ 1:42:00 Shipping prices now 1:45:18 2nd set of KYG Winners! 1:49:48 The best holding iron? amzn.to/4dv7yn3 1:53:40 Thank you
You are correct. The used wall is the most exciting part of going in any given day. I guarantee you for every one guy that wants to buy a high-end guitar. There’s at least 10 guys that wanna buy a $300 guitar.
As someone one who has to take the best possible pictures of Folk Art to post online, most every picture from all the different GCs are all quite terrible. Pictures sell…
The guitar center near me only has low end, inexpensive guitars. Or super expensive (in the little room). Very little in-between. I think GC would absolutely thrive as a quality used store
The main thing about GC that keeps me coming back is the used section! I have found some pretty good deals there. I've bought 2 used guitars from them in the past 2 months. I also like that i can trade in gear with them. I've done several trades with them over the years and gotten some good deals. Really hope they figure it out.
New guitar day I got a great deal on a D 18 at guitar center in Nashville TN . Thank you Anthony, Cole, and guitar tech Dion and the management of the Nashville guitar center
I've been in to two different local GC's in the last week and the visual improvements to the guitar displays is drastic and was long overdue. Its yet to be seen whether putting the expensive guitars more in reach will be a good or bad thing. I still wish the workers spent more time cleaning/tuning the guitars on the wall to make the experience that much better... but based on being overworked and underpaid, I get it.
Another fine show, Mr. Phil!!👍Many of my "Pro" friends are into "shopping components" (new/used) for their own builds...and I've been doing the same. Main reason we'd be in a G/C @ this point is to check out the Used Gear on hand; which does tend to support Yr. argument. Adrian Belew is an avid Lace P'up fan, too. They're featured on his "Beat Era", Mustang-based "Twang Bar King" as well as his Sig Model Custom Strat'. They sound good on yours, 2!
I go to a guitar shop either to buy strings or to fall in love. I always felt like Guitar Center made it hard to fall in love. The guitars are often hard to reach; they're out of tune; they all need a set-up. I'm talking new and used. Of course all their high-end stuff was on the ground, in tune, and ready to go. But what I was looking for was the $400-600 guitar that swept me away enough to put it on the credit card right then and there.
I went to Phoenix GC and saw that they are hanging guitars by marked brand sections and some higher end guitars like Les Paul Standards were in the lowest rows, not on the top (out of reach) row. They still had higher end guitars locked up in separate room.
Guitar Center needs to learn to make rice before they start making sushi -- maybe take care of the instruments on the floor and see if that helps before they try to peddle even more expensive stuff. Yeah i'm interested in a Charvel MIJ Guthrie Govan but not if it's missing a string, the trem is all screwed up and the strings feel like floss.
That’s where you are screwing up ! If you like a certain guitar AND you know what that guitar is capable of , you use the OBVIOUS defects to drive the price down during the negotiations WITH THE INTENT of fixing all the defects . Say you see that Charvel and it’s priced at $1,500 with a missing string , trem issues etc , offer them $1,200 knowing in the back of your mind it will take $200 to make it better and you just saved $100 bucks and your rig is like new after the set-up from your personal luthier .
I’ll never forget the day that I was able to pick up every $2,500+ Gibson and Fenders completely unlocked at hands reach at a Guitar Center. When I asked a GC Employee, he told me “Yeah, they’re doing some changes in the above levels.” lmao
The reason most ppl buy online- one reason anyway- is because of how spread-out brick and mortar stores are/were- even before the internet- and the limited selection they always have- for whatever reason. Idk about everyone else but I got sick of driving for hours just to find they were out of anything I wanted or still had the same stuff as the last time I was there- a year ago. Online allows ppl like me that live out in the sticks to get our hands on the same guitars as everyone else- that's cool, and new- it wasn't like this before.
I've sold two guitars to my local GC. Both transactions went well. They told me up front that they offer UP TO 60% of what they will sell it at (I got the 60% - both were in good shape, clean, new strings and in tune) - then they did a little research online and came back to me with an offer. The trick is you need to KNOW up front that you don't sell to GC for the best deal - you do it for the convenience of getting immediate cash.
Whenever I go into a Guitar Center, I ALWAYS go to the the used section first and spend the most time there. I only do a quick run through of the new gear.
Went to GC for the first time in awhile like years to sell an amp. There was 4 people in the store. They asked if I could drop it off and come back. I live 45 to an hour away. I said no, it took an hour. A customer at the same time came in with 17 guitars and they said they needed a week.
I always look at the GC used wall, and have gotten some very good deals there. I've gotten some better deals at pawn shops, but that has involved a lot of time spent haggling, waiting for call-backs from the manager, etc.,which I'm not always up for.
Your honesty is refreshing. As a senior with an acquired collection of beautiful guitars I have calmed my GAS. I buy my strings on Amazon. Delivered free to my door and usually cheaper than the local retailer which requires packing a lunch to get to. However, the other day on route to a medical appointment,(all too common now) I stopped in at Canada’s equivalent of GC. A week day mind you, but I was the only one in the store other than three employees. Plenty of guitar stock and my one thought was, who’s buying these. It was rather depressing. Young people certainly don’t have the money. Their three luxuries are rent, groceries, and gas for car if they have one. I recall an interview that Rick Beato had with Eric Johnson. Eric made a comment that the majority of Gibson and Fender sales were to retirees. Whether true or not, it made sense. But I just don’t see that continuing. Where do you see the future for the guitar world?
Hollow body (Thinline) Tele preferably with humbuckers. Squier, Harley Benton, and I think Eart do one. Fat humbucker sound with a bit of air. Works well for any genre but great for jazz, blues, funk and fingerstyle/chord melody.
GC is good to order and ship to store a and luthier but need inventory more midrange than high end, just my opinion. The CEO is a bad choice. The problem is all stores have the same inventory, I think they should have stores carry regional builders because this way stores have something different.
GC offers to ship items for $20-30 that wouldnt be available anywhere else other than "local pickup only" or with $150+ shipping: they are the destination for used cabs. It may not make sense to ship a used Joyo pedal but they offer a lot of value with their used program.
GC needs a separate used dept and a dedicated employee for it who specializes in used gear etc, and the ability to act faster on offers, They would thrive, Music go round has largest used selection where I live. Also taking things on consignment might work as well. Clearly they suffer from corporate that doesn't have a clue and they have the ball and chain of the fender and Gibson who only care about selling new gear. Appreciate your channel.
I would have guessed (before you explained it) that Guitar Center would have gone the completely different way. Caitoring more to the new and begginner players. Marketingng the stores (and salesmen) as a more "beginner-friendly enviornment" where a person, who might be apprehensive about buying and/or returning a new guitar can go. Let's face it, most beginners don't want to go to a place where they have to "perform" or listen to others "perform". Yes, they will take a lot of hits, but getting more people, a lot more people, in those stores (even it's just for strings) now, is what they need. It's been a long time since I've been in a Guitar Center, but I can still remember looking around and never seeing anyone that looked like they gave a damn. Yes they are vastly underpaid but training people to have some "salesman social skills", like friendliness, eye contact and a smile, might be something they can use to succeed to a latter, higher paying job. People at a McDonald's (at least around me) care a lot more for their customers...what does that tell you.
Guitar Center has been missing the mark for decades now, although I have still purchased from them from time to time. That being said, EVERY time I go to GC, no matter what I am there for, I always head straight for the used gear section, because its almost always different. Used gear moves so the inventory changes regularly. I can spend an hour on the used guitars/amps alone, all before I pick up whatever I intended to purchase. Their new policy will fail. Hiring a CEO with such an ancient vision seems like the nail in the coffin
Amen. But, I can tell you this much… I haven’t made a purchase at a GC, or Sam Ash for that matter, solely due to the indescribably stupid, socially-inept losers they started hiring, right around the late 2000 (give or take). And, that end of things has just gotten worse. I’ve walked out of those stores p!ssed off without having picked up a single instrument for that reason. I think that has destroyed the big box stores as much as anything else. One of the reasons for that is because a true pro isn’t about to work at a place like that, because GC or SA are absolutely horrible employers, as well.
@@phillamoore157Last purchase at GC was 15 yrs ago. A engineer friend who knows guitars worked there after retirement. He was basically a guitar collector and watched out for great guitars. I went to buy a Gibson SG and they were all trash. He finally showed me a PRS that was really sweet and gave me a great deal on a custom 22 emerald 9 top. Went back maybe once more couple yrs later and he had quit, but the usual goons were there. Never went back. They could care less what you want.
The way Guitar Center handles buying customers guitars now is they have to call corporate and tell them what you are trading and the condition and then wait for corporate to call them back with a price. The local store does not control what they offer and every store in the United States is calling them all day that office and that is why it takes an hour plus now just to get a price.
Sweetwater doesn't list their in store used inventory. You have to go there to see the used gear. I got a great boutique tube amp that sold new for $3500 for $675 otd!
I had to get rid of one guitar about ten years ago so I could get a Epiphone Les Paul.. The Best GC would offer was $90 for my Schecter 006 Diamond with a EMG bridge pickup, ($100). I took the $90 and I still feel like they owe me about $100. What takes them 90 minutes to find out is, after they find the retail price of a guitar, they have to figure out what ten percent is,then that's the value of your used gear..
I already own 3 nice USA made Fenders and with the price of them now I don't see me buying more of them. I have loved what Squier is doing lately and any new purchases for me will likely go that way. So I also don't understand Guitar Center wanting to be more upscale. Also, I play dive bars when I play live and I would rather gig my Squiers and worry less about theft or damage to my expensive guitars. I feel like most actual working musicians feel the same way.
I've been going to GC for years. What I would like to see is some different amps, guitars and pedals. Instead of the same oh crap, bring in different brands and keep cycling through with other brands, like annually.
I like the soldering irons that give me a degree readout which I use to vary the temperature to suit the project at hand. That $112 Weller is definitely a good choice.
My friend has worked at GC for 17 years and now they are threatening his and other employees jobs if they don't sell more pro coverage and get more GC credit card applications and still no medium priced guitars, just inexpensive entry level or very expensive but they have those fancy new wall dividers, so they got that going for them.
I think guitar center should be able to order their own inventory in their own store i have 2 near me and they carry models that no one is really interested in and the guitar centers further away have much better selections
Reverb is a joke for us in Sweden. Mostly used gear priced higher than new and insane fees and policies for sellers. Everyone here buys and sells at our local sites that have great shipping deals and good affordable protection for buyer AND seller.
Not only is the ISP Decimator the industry standard for noise suppression, Buck Waller, who runs ISP, is a really good guy. What other companies put their actual phone number on the instruction manual?
Gc is close and convenient, but it stopped being a must-visit place a long time ago. You are spot on, they still have the same guitars on the walls. SInce they announced their changes, I've noticed they seem much more willing to let you touch the top row stuff now. It's not really something that will save the business.
Love you Phil, but the idea that professional musicians don’t buy high end guitars is simply incorrect. Certainly in the UK, I played live professionally with 2 Gibson 175’s, a national resonator etc. I rarely saw pro musicians with entry level instruments.
Guitar Center’s online used is a nightmare. The photos are terrible. Since they have franchise locations where they could obtain inventory from a wide geographic area and centralize a website for all used gear with better photos and easier to buy. As far as better guitars at GC, it would be better to have some new guitars that would be worth taking off the wall to try. Most of them now are cheap and bad with a terrible setup and rancid strings that won’t stay in tune. It won’t ever be a Chicago music exchange, but cool inventory brings people out, CME is always busy.
I think it's possible you misunderstood what "catering to professionals" means. before people think im some snob, i just bought a Squier Nashville Strat and put some Bare Knuckle Boot Camp pickups in, it sounds better than my fender strat, and plays just as well. imo, nothing under $500 is suitable as a working guitar. the tuners don't always work well, the fret ends will make you bleed, and the pickups are obviously sub-par. You can get a $350 guitar and put work and some new pickups into it to make it just like or better than a $1500 guitar, but as far as picking a guitar up off the shelf and trusting it in a show an hour later, I'm not buying anything under $1200, and that's almost exclusively because of the pickups and tuners. my ears are picky though, and most people would be happy with a $500 guitar that stays in tune, and that's just fine because that price range is the golden zone of value. the problem is that (at least at GC near me) everything within reach (physically) is entry-level crap i would only give to a beginner or random super strats with fake floyds on them. There's only so many guitars whose prices aren't inflated because of some dumb "fancy" finish. Everything else is up higher and the employees start to grumble and give you looks when you ask them to get them down for you. The employees work on commission, so if you're just trying guitars to see what they sound like, the employees get upset and act like you're wasting their time. The same goes for amps, pretty much every combo amp under $1500 comes with a stock speaker that wasn't necessarily voiced for the amp, speakers are only about $150 to $300 but that needs to be mentioned as most people will also need to pay for an install. Also, those cheap PCB amps are a nightmare to repair so either get ready to dish out for somebody who can solder on PCB's or buy a new amp altogether. You could of course wait for your warranty but that doesn't help you when you have to perform in the meantime. The Bass section got shrunk to a single wall maybe 20x30 feet, and all the crappy shredder guitars filled the old Bass room. As a bassist, fuck you GC, who the fuck do you think keeps the groove while some kid playing a pointy guitar just runs up and down scales and thinks they're playing with soul? Then you look at the pedalboards, and they're all pedaltrain nanos or other boards about the same size. The only pedals they have in stock are brands that they would get pretty much get sued for not selling, "Boss", or brands that spend more on their art department than the engineering department, you know the types of pedals I'm talking about. I could keep going on guitars but I just want to add, their synthesizer and piano department is atrocious as well. Every synth they have is a digital synth that just comes with preset pop music sounds. They have many digital pianos, but only maybe 1 or 2 out of a room of 20 had escapement, which if you're actually serious about playing piano is a necessity. Drum room was like a different world though, everything was in reach (the snares weren't but an employee saw i was looking at them and came over to help me without me asking), everything was playable. $5000 kits just sitting there and the employee walks up and hands me some sticks then tells me to give it a try. My point is that Guitar Center has been catering to the hobbyist musician, not the professional one. Professional does not mean overly expensive.
on my "Stellarcaster" - Strat build I replaced the trem block with a full size brass block and roller saddles. I floated the bridge and tuned it to E-Flat standard like any good Strat should be the headstock sportd a titanium nut, roller string tree and locking tuners. the 3 quad rail/coil humbuckers and the 6 pots, 3 P/P vol. and 3 tone with the bridge tone a P/P to activate the bridge and neck pick ups together regardless of other controls. ypgraded to a Fender 5-way blade switch. all wired like a 50's Les Paul with coil splits using ,047 orange drop tone caps. wiring it all with small wires stripped from a computer VGA cable. with such low current output from the pick ups at mere Millivolts why use anything bigger. Saved space in the already crowded control cavity which was extended to accommodate the added pots and relocated the output jack behind the bridge also mounted in the custom hand made Brushed stainless steel pick guard that is both main ground through the control cases and shielding. accented with the chrome knobs and switch tip. compliments the stars and planets theme paint job on the body and head stock. .. it all started as a used cheap Chinese made Starcaster- Strar electric guitar By: Fender (said it on the head stock from factory) that I bought from my local Music-Go-Round for $100 . then the rest i got off Amazon and other stores. total cost of the build ended up at just under $500 including some tools i needed for the project with the axcuse to my wife that they could be used for home repair as well. LOL the paint job was donw with spray cans and airbrushed details finished with semi-gloss 2X clear coat. a cool looking guitar that feels good in the hand. It plays and sounds out of this world. the "Stellarcaster has way too many tone variations to count and add that to all I can get from the tiny Blackstar ID Core stereo 40 watt amp i plug it into. well there's no telling how many you might get. I just dial in what I like and just jam out. loud and Proud to annoy the nosy neighbors or go stealth mode with a good pair of headphones from the amp to me alone. Totally Jammin' man. as soon as i can upload photos for all to see. Wanna Play???
@PhillipMcnight Why does a custom shop with a rosewood board have a skunk stripe?? I thought only production Fenders did that....a skunk stripe on all necks to cut down on production costs...
About Ukraine. 29:00. I appreciate your help, but it's pretty wild to hear that Ukraine needed support at that time. The war is still there. My home town was bombed last week by russians, 4 people died. And my home town is relatively quite.
I don’t know what GC should focus on, agree going pro musician isn’t it. I’m guessing they are getting margins on the used side based on how hard they push it. I do see some pretty good deals on amps and guitars, though whoever traded the item in get probably half or a little more than the value? That said, if you trade something in to get something you can knock some off the price, and use your gear card to pay it over time with no interest. That’s a big deal to a lot of semi broke musicians. As for CL, I’ve had mostly good experience with it, but really only for lower end gear. Once you get above 500 bucks you are really thinning out the pool of buyers. To me it’s really for just dumping gear and taking your beating. Good subject, I buy, sell and trade guitars (occasionally amps) for fun, I just look at any financial loss as a rental price.
Amen…. I want to know how it sounds, as well. But, with that said. I’ve walked out of a store, to purchase online, many times after finding that info out. I don’t like doing that. But, more often than not, the “salesman” I’ve dealt with at those big-box stores are flat-out, punks, who are there to do nothing but ring up a register. No knowledge, no customer service, DAMN-sure no knowledge, no common courtesy, no social-skills, and half of them don’t speak English. So, I don’t lose any sleep these days trying out an instrument at a big-box store, than purchasing on-line at Sweetwater.
Issues with Guitar Center: 1.) almost all “new guitars” they have seem to be damaged, factory 2nds, have lifting bridges, and are in desperate need of new strings and setup to be playable. 2.) beyond the used gear, all the inventory is ubiquitous with every other GC, and very limited selection that is in between starter guitars & unaffordable $1500+ guitars 3.) 60% of value from a retail store is decent trade in value, even though it was 70% a fee years ago. The issue is store employees are unable to quote trade prices and they need to have the manager call the higher ups to do so. 4.) i feel GC needs to focus on used gear and entry level priced guitars up to mid range. Already we have many high end guitar shops that most players cannot afford, and places like Russo music where the selection is way better than GC, but their trade values are only 30% with most inventory all over $1000.
@@TheLocalsOnlyPodcast ive traded in at GC many times and unless the item is “non brand” you get over 50% and up to 70% on good guitars. Not every time but have been occassions; $650 cash for a $850 sell on their end seems pretty good to me all said and done.
The GC problem is ... An amateur guitar set up by a professional is a professional instrument. A professional guitar set up by an amateur is an amateur instrument. GC won't pay people to work there that are "professional", so their instruments are amateurish to play. They can't cater to a customer they themselves can't afford to pay, because they can't understand that customers needs. Classic private equity, sell luxury as a brand and give trash as a product.
Guitar Center can’t seem to find a way to make the beam fit. If I have money for high end or professional grade expensive equipment, I’m going to CME or Carters etc. Guitar Center would be the last place I’d buy from and haven’t in years. After hearing your thoughts, it makes great sense that they’d really lean on and grow their used market. But GC has never made any sense to me.
I bought something from GC online about 6 hours ago. My biggest concern is how they will pack it. Biggest purchase ever from GC for me. 214.49 I like cheap guitars!
once again, why doesn’t GC hire Phil as a consultant?? they need his insight to make some smarter moves. GC could be great and valued, but need some help to define it better. Phil would help.
Hell no GC should not be going higher end. The market has moved down, with much better quality lower end gear. Add used and you have a formula for success.
I told the guitar center salesman today that I only come in to check out the used rack. I also mentioned that I use Dunlop strings that they don’t carry.
How much can GC hope to make by going pro only? Seriously, what percentage is that if the buying public? 5% maybe? Possibly not even that high. They're going to alienate their customer base. What kind of CEO comes up with a goofy plan like that? LOL!
There are plenty of CEOs out there that come up with stupid ideas and don't have to worry about getting fired by the board. All because that have a sweet severance package that will keep them happy until another business hires him or her.
I got a call and email out of the blue today from a GC rep: “This is Tim from Guitar Center Online, your personal gear advisor. I wanted to check in and see how your recording process has been going…” I wonder how my friends at my local GC feel about this move? 🤔
High end guitars aren't under 10k... 1-2k is an affordable guitar, 3-5k is a base guitar, 5-8k is a base with options, and 8-10k is a flagship, but nobody is buying a custom 50k piece or a 250k 59 burst online without getting it in their hands. The balloon has popped on slave made guitars in countries that use the ocean as a dumping ground and that still makes up 70% of the market, and this CEO sees the writing on the wall even if the other guys don't... that market is going to collapse fast, and then the bottom end will be 1-2k as it should be, without child labor and environmental crimes.
Went to GC for the first time in awhile like years to sell an amp. There was 4 people in the store. They asked if I could drop it off and come back. I live 45 to an hour away. I said no, it took an hour. A customer at the same time came in with 17 guitars and they said they needed a week.
![Ariel Posen Talk & Tones 2024 [New Strat & New Board!]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/lcZ71bUXHCs/mqdefault.jpg)
![Natanael Cano - Amor Eterno [Official Video]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/EO4prCs6WpM/mqdefault.jpg)
I take the time to time stamp the entire show for your connivance
This Podcast is sponsored by Patreon and Channel members
www.patreon.com/phillipmcknightKYG?fan_landing=true
Subject Index
00:00 Intro
02:00 Jazz guitar for a beginner?
03:40 Pedal Giveaway
04:50 Why Guitar Centers New Plan Is Not Going To Work
27:27 1st set of KYG winners
34:00 What is my least expensive guitar?
39:00 Gibson uses stickers on custom shop guitars
neckillusions.com
42:16 Noise Gates?
44:25 We want to give this guitar to a local beginner
48:29 New Gibson Studios seem better than PRS S2s
51:00 Bad Dad Joke
57:00 I was embarrassed to share the story. The Craziest Guitar Of The Week
1:29:00 Buy guitars without touching them
1:36:00 Red Cross help
give.helpsalvationarmy.org/give/166081/
1:42:00 Shipping prices now
1:45:18 2nd set of KYG Winners!
1:49:48 The best holding iron?
amzn.to/4dv7yn3
1:53:40 Thank you
For your "connivance"!!! (because there are so many scammers out there?) All the best, Phil. I appreciate you.
You are correct. The used wall is the most exciting part of going in any given day. I guarantee you for every one guy that wants to buy a high-end guitar. There’s at least 10 guys that wanna buy a $300 guitar.
Exactly.
Guitar center needs to improve their used guitar photos!! But maybe thats the fun, you never really know what your getting lol
As someone one who has to take the best possible pictures of Folk Art to post online, most every picture from all the different GCs are all quite terrible.
Pictures sell…
They have actually gotten a lot better here lately!
The guitar center near me only has low end, inexpensive guitars. Or super expensive (in the little room). Very little in-between. I think GC would absolutely thrive as a quality used store
The main thing about GC that keeps me coming back is the used section! I have found some pretty good deals there. I've bought 2 used guitars from them in the past 2 months. I also like that i can trade in gear with them. I've done several trades with them over the years and gotten some good deals. Really hope they figure it out.
New guitar day I got a great deal on a D 18 at guitar center in Nashville TN . Thank you Anthony, Cole, and guitar tech Dion and the management of the Nashville guitar center
I've been in to two different local GC's in the last week and the visual improvements to the guitar displays is drastic and was long overdue. Its yet to be seen whether putting the expensive guitars more in reach will be a good or bad thing. I still wish the workers spent more time cleaning/tuning the guitars on the wall to make the experience that much better... but based on being overworked and underpaid, I get it.
Another fine show, Mr. Phil!!👍Many of my "Pro" friends are into "shopping components" (new/used) for their own builds...and I've been doing the same. Main reason we'd be in a G/C @ this point is to check out the Used Gear on hand; which does tend to support Yr. argument. Adrian Belew is an avid Lace P'up fan, too. They're featured on his "Beat Era", Mustang-based "Twang Bar King" as well as his Sig Model Custom Strat'. They sound good on yours, 2!
Happy Friday! 😊
I go to a guitar shop either to buy strings or to fall in love. I always felt like Guitar Center made it hard to fall in love. The guitars are often hard to reach; they're out of tune; they all need a set-up. I'm talking new and used. Of course all their high-end stuff was on the ground, in tune, and ready to go. But what I was looking for was the $400-600 guitar that swept me away enough to put it on the credit card right then and there.
Jazz/Rock guitarist Matteo Mancuso uses a chambered Yamaha Revstar.
I went to Phoenix GC and saw that they are hanging guitars by marked brand sections and some higher end guitars like Les Paul Standards were in the lowest rows, not on the top (out of reach) row. They still had higher end guitars locked up in separate room.
Guitar Center needs to learn to make rice before they start making sushi -- maybe take care of the instruments on the floor and see if that helps before they try to peddle even more expensive stuff. Yeah i'm interested in a Charvel MIJ Guthrie Govan but not if it's missing a string, the trem is all screwed up and the strings feel like floss.
Even my $80 Monoprice Indio is set up better than 90% of GC guitar stock.
That’s where you are screwing up ! If you like a certain guitar AND you know what that guitar is capable of , you use the OBVIOUS defects to drive the price down during the negotiations WITH THE INTENT of fixing all the defects . Say you see that Charvel and it’s priced at $1,500 with a missing string , trem issues etc , offer them $1,200 knowing in the back of your mind it will take $200 to make it better and you just saved $100 bucks and your rig is like new after the set-up from your personal luthier .
I’ll never forget the day that I was able to pick up every $2,500+ Gibson and Fenders completely unlocked at hands reach at a Guitar Center. When I asked a GC Employee, he told me “Yeah, they’re doing some changes in the above levels.” lmao
The reason most ppl buy online- one reason anyway- is because of how spread-out brick and mortar stores are/were- even before the internet- and the limited selection they always have- for whatever reason. Idk about everyone else but I got sick of driving for hours just to find they were out of anything I wanted or still had the same stuff as the last time I was there- a year ago. Online allows ppl like me that live out in the sticks to get our hands on the same guitars as everyone else- that's cool, and new- it wasn't like this before.
I've sold two guitars to my local GC. Both transactions went well. They told me up front that they offer UP TO 60% of what they will sell it at (I got the 60% - both were in good shape, clean, new strings and in tune) - then they did a little research online and came back to me with an offer. The trick is you need to KNOW up front that you don't sell to GC for the best deal - you do it for the convenience of getting immediate cash.
A sanding sponge from Home Depot works like a champ on fret ends.. Come in lots of grits..
Whenever I go into a Guitar Center, I ALWAYS go to the the used section first and spend the most time there. I only do a quick run through of the new gear.
GC should also improve their website search function for products IN specific store locations.
Just noticed in the UK, eBay don't charge selling fees anymore. I'm sure they'll find other ways of charging us.
Guitar Center would do well to have a better used section online with better photos and descriptions.
It makes me feel better knowing you're like me in that I prefer trade in vs. hassel selling myself.
Went to GC for the first time in awhile like years to sell an amp. There was 4 people in the store. They asked if I could drop it off and come back. I live 45 to an hour away. I said no, it took an hour. A customer at the same time came in with 17 guitars and they said they needed a week.
I bought fretboard stickers from Jockomo, a Japanese company. Good quality at a decent price.
I always look at the GC used wall, and have gotten some very good deals there. I've gotten some better deals at pawn shops, but that has involved a lot of time spent haggling, waiting for call-backs from the manager, etc.,which I'm not always up for.
Your honesty is refreshing. As a senior with an acquired collection of beautiful guitars I have calmed my GAS. I buy my strings on Amazon. Delivered free to my door and usually cheaper than the local retailer which requires packing a lunch to get to. However, the other day on route to a medical appointment,(all too common now) I stopped in at Canada’s equivalent of GC. A week day mind you, but I was the only one in the store other than three employees. Plenty of guitar stock and my one thought was, who’s buying these. It was rather depressing. Young people certainly don’t have the money. Their three luxuries are rent, groceries, and gas for car if they have one. I recall an interview that Rick Beato had with Eric Johnson. Eric made a comment that the majority of Gibson and Fender sales were to retirees. Whether true or not, it made sense. But I just don’t see that continuing. Where do you see the future for the guitar world?
It's only going to get worse unfortunately..The days of having a few extra dollars to treat yourself are all but gone.
Antek soldering irons are the industry standard along with Weller. Here in the UK.
I sell all my used gear through GC. It’s mostly painless accept for time issue you mentioned. I hope GC listens to your advice.
Hollow body (Thinline) Tele preferably with humbuckers. Squier, Harley Benton, and I think Eart do one. Fat humbucker sound with a bit of air. Works well for any genre but great for jazz, blues, funk and fingerstyle/chord melody.
Lace sensor pickups seem to look better with mismatched plastics from the pickguard I wished they were still available on production model fenders
I just received my new Gibson Les Paul Studio. I think it's a great guitar, I'd love to see your take on it.
GC is good to order and ship to store a and luthier but need inventory more midrange than high end, just my opinion. The CEO is a bad choice. The problem is all stores have the same inventory, I think they should have stores carry regional builders because this way stores have something different.
Guitar center only offers free shipping on new guitars. On lower priced guitars it only makes sense to buy from a local guitar center.
they only charge $20 to ship a 80 lb amp across america. GC shipping is super cheap.
GC offers to ship items for $20-30 that wouldnt be available anywhere else other than "local pickup only" or with $150+ shipping: they are the destination for used cabs. It may not make sense to ship a used Joyo pedal but they offer a lot of value with their used program.
GC needs a separate used dept and a dedicated employee for it who specializes in used gear etc, and the ability to act faster on offers, They would thrive, Music go round has largest used selection where I live. Also taking things on consignment might work as well. Clearly they suffer from corporate that doesn't have a clue and they have the ball and chain of the fender and Gibson who only care about selling new gear. Appreciate your channel.
They never reopened the store in Fort Wayne, IN. Home of Sweetwater!
I would have guessed (before you explained it) that Guitar Center would have gone the completely different way. Caitoring more to the new and begginner players. Marketingng the stores (and salesmen) as a more "beginner-friendly enviornment" where a person, who might be apprehensive about buying and/or returning a new guitar can go. Let's face it, most beginners don't want to go to a place where they have to "perform" or listen to others "perform". Yes, they will take a lot of hits, but getting more people, a lot more people, in those stores (even it's just for strings) now, is what they need. It's been a long time since I've been in a Guitar Center, but I can still remember looking around and never seeing anyone that looked like they gave a damn. Yes they are vastly underpaid but training people to have some "salesman social skills", like friendliness, eye contact and a smile, might be something they can use to succeed to a latter, higher paying job. People at a McDonald's (at least around me) care a lot more for their customers...what does that tell you.
Guitar Center has been missing the mark for decades now, although I have still purchased from them from time to time. That being said, EVERY time I go to GC, no matter what I am there for, I always head straight for the used gear section, because its almost always different. Used gear moves so the inventory changes regularly. I can spend an hour on the used guitars/amps alone, all before I pick up whatever I intended to purchase. Their new policy will fail. Hiring a CEO with such an ancient vision seems like the nail in the coffin
Amen. But, I can tell you this much… I haven’t made a purchase at a GC, or Sam Ash for that matter, solely due to the indescribably stupid, socially-inept losers they started hiring, right around the late 2000 (give or take). And, that end of things has just gotten worse. I’ve walked out of those stores p!ssed off without having picked up a single instrument for that reason. I think that has destroyed the big box stores as much as anything else. One of the reasons for that is because a true pro isn’t about to work at a place like that, because GC or SA are absolutely horrible employers, as well.
@@phillamoore157Last purchase at GC was 15 yrs ago. A engineer friend who knows guitars worked there after retirement. He was basically a guitar collector and watched out for great guitars. I went to buy a Gibson SG and they were all trash. He finally showed me a PRS that was really sweet and gave me a great deal on a custom 22 emerald 9 top. Went back maybe once more couple yrs later and he had quit, but the usual goons were there. Never went back. They could care less what you want.
The way Guitar Center handles buying customers guitars now is they have to call corporate and tell them what you are trading and the condition and then wait for corporate to call them back with a price. The local store does not control what they offer and every store in the United States is calling them all day that office and that is why it takes an hour plus now just to get a price.
Sweetwater doesn't list their in store used inventory. You have to go there to see the used gear. I got a great boutique tube amp that sold new for $3500 for $675 otd!
I had to get rid of one guitar about ten years ago so I could get a Epiphone Les Paul.. The Best GC would offer was $90 for my Schecter 006 Diamond with a EMG bridge pickup, ($100). I took the $90 and I still feel like they owe me about $100. What takes them 90 minutes to find out is, after they find the retail price of a guitar, they have to figure out what ten percent is,then that's the value of your used gear..
I already own 3 nice USA made Fenders and with the price of them now I don't see me buying more of them. I have loved what Squier is doing lately and any new purchases for me will likely go that way. So I also don't understand Guitar Center wanting to be more upscale. Also, I play dive bars when I play live and I would rather gig my Squiers and worry less about theft or damage to my expensive guitars. I feel like most actual working musicians feel the same way.
I've been going to GC for years.
What I would like to see is some different amps, guitars and pedals. Instead of the same oh crap, bring in different brands and keep cycling through with other brands, like annually.
Wichita KS Guitar Center must be their best store cuz they rock 🤘
What is crazy is what the guitar center asks for used gear.
I like the soldering irons that give me a degree readout which I use to vary the temperature to suit the project at hand. That $112 Weller is definitely a good choice.
My friend has worked at GC for 17 years and now they are threatening his and other employees jobs if they don't sell more pro coverage and get more GC credit card applications and still no medium priced guitars, just inexpensive entry level or very expensive but they have those fancy new wall dividers, so they got that going for them.
0:24 made me giggle
Needed the boost. Thanks Phil.
I think GC lost their objective for the customer after private equity stepped in - as happens to most companies that go that route
Should be used stuff. I already use them mostly for used stuff - they will ship to my local store and their return policy is great.
Offer up has been good with used gear
I think guitar center should be able to order their own inventory in their own store i have 2 near me and they carry models that no one is really interested in and the guitar centers further away have much better selections
The only reason I go to GC is to look at used pedals.
can you do a deep dive on an evh guitar? sorry if you already did ! hello from chicago...
Reverb is a joke for us in Sweden. Mostly used gear priced higher than new and insane fees and policies for sellers. Everyone here buys and sells at our local sites that have great shipping deals and good affordable protection for buyer AND seller.
Not only is the ISP Decimator the industry standard for noise suppression, Buck Waller, who runs ISP, is a really good guy. What other companies put their actual phone number on the instruction manual?
no wait in indiana
If it's not too late, I would love the electric Stew Mac kit. You rock man, very informative videos
Gc is close and convenient, but it stopped being a must-visit place a long time ago. You are spot on, they still have the same guitars on the walls. SInce they announced their changes, I've noticed they seem much more willing to let you touch the top row stuff now. It's not really something that will save the business.
Hey Phil, why don’t you do a amp of the week? 😎
Im for gc to focus on used. Bought 2 great used basses at gc, over the years. Rather look at 100 used guitars than 200 new.
Love you Phil, but the idea that professional musicians don’t buy high end guitars is simply incorrect. Certainly in the UK, I played live professionally with 2 Gibson 175’s, a national resonator etc. I rarely saw pro musicians with entry level instruments.
Also in the guitar geek travel destinations, where do you recommend for all of us? Indonesia? Or somewhere cool you’ve been you would recommend
Guitar Center’s online used is a nightmare. The photos are terrible. Since they have franchise locations where they could obtain inventory from a wide geographic area and centralize a website for all used gear with better photos and easier to buy.
As far as better guitars at GC, it would be better to have some new guitars that would be worth taking off the wall to try. Most of them now are cheap and bad with a terrible setup and rancid strings that won’t stay in tune. It won’t ever be a Chicago music exchange, but cool inventory brings people out, CME is always busy.
I think it's possible you misunderstood what "catering to professionals" means.
before people think im some snob, i just bought a Squier Nashville Strat and put some Bare Knuckle Boot Camp pickups in, it sounds better than my fender strat, and plays just as well.
imo, nothing under $500 is suitable as a working guitar. the tuners don't always work well, the fret ends will make you bleed, and the pickups are obviously sub-par. You can get a $350 guitar and put work and some new pickups into it to make it just like or better than a $1500 guitar, but as far as picking a guitar up off the shelf and trusting it in a show an hour later, I'm not buying anything under $1200, and that's almost exclusively because of the pickups and tuners.
my ears are picky though, and most people would be happy with a $500 guitar that stays in tune, and that's just fine because that price range is the golden zone of value. the problem is that (at least at GC near me) everything within reach (physically) is entry-level crap i would only give to a beginner or random super strats with fake floyds on them. There's only so many guitars whose prices aren't inflated because of some dumb "fancy" finish. Everything else is up higher and the employees start to grumble and give you looks when you ask them to get them down for you. The employees work on commission, so if you're just trying guitars to see what they sound like, the employees get upset and act like you're wasting their time.
The same goes for amps, pretty much every combo amp under $1500 comes with a stock speaker that wasn't necessarily voiced for the amp, speakers are only about $150 to $300 but that needs to be mentioned as most people will also need to pay for an install. Also, those cheap PCB amps are a nightmare to repair so either get ready to dish out for somebody who can solder on PCB's or buy a new amp altogether. You could of course wait for your warranty but that doesn't help you when you have to perform in the meantime.
The Bass section got shrunk to a single wall maybe 20x30 feet, and all the crappy shredder guitars filled the old Bass room. As a bassist, fuck you GC, who the fuck do you think keeps the groove while some kid playing a pointy guitar just runs up and down scales and thinks they're playing with soul?
Then you look at the pedalboards, and they're all pedaltrain nanos or other boards about the same size. The only pedals they have in stock are brands that they would get pretty much get sued for not selling, "Boss", or brands that spend more on their art department than the engineering department, you know the types of pedals I'm talking about.
I could keep going on guitars but I just want to add, their synthesizer and piano department is atrocious as well. Every synth they have is a digital synth that just comes with preset pop music sounds. They have many digital pianos, but only maybe 1 or 2 out of a room of 20 had escapement, which if you're actually serious about playing piano is a necessity.
Drum room was like a different world though, everything was in reach (the snares weren't but an employee saw i was looking at them and came over to help me without me asking), everything was playable. $5000 kits just sitting there and the employee walks up and hands me some sticks then tells me to give it a try.
My point is that Guitar Center has been catering to the hobbyist musician, not the professional one. Professional does not mean overly expensive.
on my "Stellarcaster" - Strat build I replaced the trem block with a full size brass block and roller saddles. I floated the bridge and tuned it to E-Flat standard like any good Strat should be the headstock sportd a titanium nut, roller string tree and locking tuners. the 3 quad rail/coil humbuckers and the 6 pots, 3 P/P vol. and 3 tone with the bridge tone a P/P to activate the bridge and neck pick ups together regardless of other controls. ypgraded to a Fender 5-way blade switch. all wired like a 50's Les Paul with coil splits using ,047 orange drop tone caps. wiring it all with small wires stripped from a computer VGA cable. with such low current output from the pick ups at mere Millivolts why use anything bigger. Saved space in the already crowded control cavity which was extended to accommodate the added pots and relocated the output jack behind the bridge also mounted in the custom hand made Brushed stainless steel pick guard that is both main ground through the control cases and shielding. accented with the chrome knobs and switch tip. compliments the stars and planets theme paint job on the body and head stock. .. it all started as a used cheap Chinese made Starcaster- Strar electric guitar By: Fender (said it on the head stock from factory) that I bought from my local Music-Go-Round for $100 . then the rest i got off Amazon and other stores. total cost of the build ended up at just under $500 including some tools i needed for the project with the axcuse to my wife that they could be used for home repair as well. LOL the paint job was donw with spray cans and airbrushed details finished with semi-gloss 2X clear coat. a cool looking guitar that feels good in the hand. It plays and sounds out of this world. the "Stellarcaster has way too many tone variations to count and add that to all I can get from the tiny Blackstar ID Core stereo 40 watt amp i plug it into. well there's no telling how many you might get. I just dial in what I like and just jam out. loud and Proud to annoy the nosy neighbors or go stealth mode with a good pair of headphones from the amp to me alone. Totally Jammin' man. as soon as i can upload photos for all to see. Wanna Play???
@PhillipMcnight Why does a custom shop with a rosewood board have a skunk stripe?? I thought only production Fenders did that....a skunk stripe on all necks to cut down on production costs...
About Ukraine. 29:00. I appreciate your help, but it's pretty wild to hear that Ukraine needed support at that time. The war is still there. My home town was bombed last week by russians, 4 people died. And my home town is relatively quite.
😪
I don’t know what GC should focus on, agree going pro musician isn’t it. I’m guessing they are getting margins on the used side based on how hard they push it. I do see some pretty good deals on amps and guitars, though whoever traded the item in get probably half or a little more than the value?
That said, if you trade something in to get something you can knock some off the price, and use your gear card to pay it over time with no interest. That’s a big deal to a lot of semi broke musicians.
As for CL, I’ve had mostly good experience with it, but really only for lower end gear. Once you get above 500 bucks you are really thinning out the pool of buyers. To me it’s really for just dumping gear and taking your beating.
Good subject, I buy, sell and trade guitars (occasionally amps) for fun, I just look at any financial loss as a rental price.
Just straight forwardly: I have a negative attitude towards GC & would only buy from them if I had no other choice.
Guitar Center is a dead man walkin
I don't buy shoes on line and I don't buy my guitars on-line. It may make me an outlier, but I need to see how the guitar feels in my hand.
Amen…. I want to know how it sounds, as well. But, with that said. I’ve walked out of a store, to purchase online, many times after finding that info out. I don’t like doing that. But, more often than not, the “salesman” I’ve dealt with at those big-box stores are flat-out, punks, who are there to do nothing but ring up a register. No knowledge, no customer service, DAMN-sure no knowledge, no common courtesy, no social-skills, and half of them don’t speak English. So, I don’t lose any sleep these days trying out an instrument at a big-box store, than purchasing on-line at Sweetwater.
??? Phil does Guitar Center do lessons? Master Jo Student is not buying a pro guitar for there first.
Mom and Pops need to happen?
Also can I buy one of your Yngvie gig bags, I know you have too many lol.
Thanks Rik
Issues with Guitar Center:
1.) almost all “new guitars” they have seem to be damaged, factory 2nds, have lifting bridges, and are in desperate need of new strings and setup to be playable.
2.) beyond the used gear, all the inventory is ubiquitous with every other GC, and very limited selection that is in between starter guitars & unaffordable $1500+ guitars
3.) 60% of value from a retail store is decent trade in value, even though it was 70% a fee years ago. The issue is store employees are unable to quote trade prices and they need to have the manager call the higher ups to do so.
4.) i feel GC needs to focus on used gear and entry level priced guitars up to mid range. Already we have many high end guitar shops that most players cannot afford, and places like Russo music where the selection is way better than GC, but their trade values are only 30% with most inventory all over $1000.
It’s never really been 70%. I gotta tell ya, it’s 50% and if you’re lucky 60%.
@@TheLocalsOnlyPodcast ive traded in at GC many times and unless the item is “non brand” you get over 50% and up to 70% on good guitars. Not every time but have been occassions; $650 cash for a $850 sell on their end seems pretty good to me all said and done.
The GC problem is ...
An amateur guitar set up by a professional is a professional instrument.
A professional guitar set up by an amateur is an amateur instrument.
GC won't pay people to work there that are "professional", so their instruments are amateurish to play.
They can't cater to a customer they themselves can't afford to pay, because they can't understand that customers needs.
Classic private equity, sell luxury as a brand and give trash as a product.
Guitar Center can’t seem to find a way to make the beam fit. If I have money for high end or professional grade expensive equipment, I’m going to CME or Carters etc.
Guitar Center would be the last place I’d buy from and haven’t in years. After hearing your thoughts, it makes great sense that they’d really lean on and grow their used market. But GC has never made any sense to me.
I bought something from GC online about 6 hours ago.
My biggest concern is how they will pack it.
Biggest purchase ever from GC for me. 214.49
I like cheap guitars!
once again, why doesn’t GC hire Phil as a consultant?? they need his insight to make some smarter moves. GC could be great and valued, but need some help to define it better. Phil would help.
Hell no GC should not be going higher end. The market has moved down, with much better quality lower end gear. Add used and you have a formula for success.
I told the guitar center salesman today that I only come in to check out the used rack. I also mentioned that I use Dunlop strings that they don’t carry.
Phil nails it .... Reverb overpriced Guitar Center just nuts and out of touch
How do you pronounce Godin as Godan? Where is the “a” coming from?
I wd not pay more than$1000 for a guitar. So ...GC get it together.
Every guitar center employee will tell you to never sell used to GC.
Concurrent sentence
3hoursLateForLiveBroadcast🥀
Probably won’t be long before they stop buying used gear from people .
How much can GC hope to make by going pro only? Seriously, what percentage is that if the buying public? 5% maybe? Possibly not even that high. They're going to alienate their customer base. What kind of CEO comes up with a goofy plan like that? LOL!
There are plenty of CEOs out there that come up with stupid ideas and don't have to worry about getting fired by the board. All because that have a sweet severance package that will keep them happy until another business hires him or her.
I got a call and email out of the blue today from a GC rep: “This is Tim from Guitar Center Online, your personal gear advisor. I wanted to check in and see how your recording process has been going…” I wonder how my friends at my local GC feel about this move? 🤔
Hilarious. Reverb is horrible now.
Wish you would just get to teh point sooner sometimes .... starting to sound like Guitar Centre lol
High end guitars aren't under 10k... 1-2k is an affordable guitar, 3-5k is a base guitar, 5-8k is a base with options, and 8-10k is a flagship, but nobody is buying a custom 50k piece or a 250k 59 burst online without getting it in their hands. The balloon has popped on slave made guitars in countries that use the ocean as a dumping ground and that still makes up 70% of the market, and this CEO sees the writing on the wall even if the other guys don't... that market is going to collapse fast, and then the bottom end will be 1-2k as it should be, without child labor and environmental crimes.
Guitar Center's will be Done in 2 years With Theses Dumb Idea's How Many PRO player are there in Most Towns ? Compared to Amateur players
Went to GC for the first time in awhile like years to sell an amp. There was 4 people in the store. They asked if I could drop it off and come back. I live 45 to an hour away. I said no, it took an hour. A customer at the same time came in with 17 guitars and they said they needed a week.