You know it's bad when...

[T-rex]

A---H A !!!!!!!

(Crowd goes wild and yells "slam dunk" as CK Googles it in for 20 points and the win)

GJ

Nice. I call it Gutarget. Its like, "Hey we're a big corporation, but we're COOL!"

Its nice to have one in town I guess because they carry stuff I would have to order online otherwise to get. But honestly at this point 100% of my big gear purchases (not cables or connectors) are used so I don't really ever buy anything big there. Gearslutz classified is the new heavy discount retailer. SO many guys buy stuff over there and use it for like a day past where they could have returned it and then sell it for 40% less than they bought it for. Its crazy.

Back on topic, I definitely have had those conversations with guys there. You run into one cool guy or girl every once in a while, but the majority seem a little clueless. My biggest gripe is not knowing the product AND not knowing how to ring up a sale. Of course when they opened everyone who knows me bought me gift cards there that year. It almost wasn't worth the pain and suffering of having this guy have to get two people to help him redeem a $25 gift card for some sticks and a couple of drum heads?

[vvv]

For me, the best part of Banjo Mart, Sam Arse, etc. (well, it's just them now, ain't it) is when they sell B-stock or end-of-blow-out stuff.

I scored a new Gibson American for US$350 some years ago, a new Korean Sheraton II for $US350, a new Pro, Jr. for US$ 275, etc., when they had a big sale and wanted to dump the last ones.

I got a B-stock Brownsville Resnophonic for US$125 a cuppla years ago because of a mark on the white paint.

And if I can stomach the crowds, the Labor Day sale, etc. where you can buy a case of D'Addario strings for US$25-30 is always welcome.

But really, used is the way to go; we have a MusicGoRound here what can be good, and the EvilBog and Craig's Shit are haunted by me. I recently got a new Epi Wildkat for US$250 because the seller rec'd it as a donation to his music scholl and thought it too nice for the little kids, sold it to me so he could buy some cheap acoustics. (I had been looking for a reasonable Bigsby-equipped for some time.)

G.A.S., I am afeered, is incurable, and so you must learn how to maintain. The chain stores are for the methadone, the street is where ya get the good stuff.

[Gregg Juke]

And I thought that I bought a lot of gear...

Other than vvv, who obviously has a serious GAS problem (like, you need a team of professionals), I think that that may be why people do shop at GC. They will price match any legit retailer, and while that seems to have lead to some colusion/price-fixing amongst the bigger retailers and web sellers that are left, you can still often save fifty bucks or more by finding a lowball quote for GC to match, and you usually don't have to wait, pay shipping, any of that.

"Guitarget." I like that.

GJ

[Brian]

What about the Best buy music store?????
What the hell are they thinking, we need two places to buy stuff that will break or just not work?

[rogersbarton]

There lies the problem, every store is turning into a Walmart/Best Buy/ Circuit City clone and hiring spotty pube less morons who know dick.

[vvv]

What about the Best buy music store?????
What the hell are they thinking, we need two places to buy stuff that will break or just not work?

Man, that has all the makings of a great signature line ...

(Quote of the week at my blog, too. )