Guitar Center stories good and bad

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Ryan Silva
tinnitus
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Guitar Center stories good and bad

Post by Ryan Silva » Mon Sep 17, 2007 12:44 pm

So as the official ?Audio Guy? in my department at work I was asked to get a hold of 3 sets of Computer speakers for small booth presentations at a trade show. They need to be available next day and easy to pick up for a co-worker. Since he lives around the corner from a Guitar Center, I tried them first.

?Pro Audio please? transferred.

2 minutes later

?Are you holding for Matt??

?Uh, no pro audio?

?Sorry?

2 Clicks later I am hung up on.

So I try again. This time I get through.

?Pro Audio, Leslie speaking?

So I ask if they have these new small format M-audio computer speakers I looked up on Musicians Friend. I gave the model number and description, and waiting for a minute long series of ?Hmm, Umm, Hmm? and so on.

?We don?t seem to have those, are they new?

?I think so ya.?

?Well we usually don?t carry the new stuff.?

I ?m thinking to myself what a great busniues plan. So I ask about ?Fostex? and any small format powered speakers they might have, and she first asked how to spell Fostex, so I spelled it. Then she says "Well I don?t think we carry Fostex, I mean I haven?t even heard of Fostex before.

Trying to be understanding to her inexperience, I stated kindly that I have seen Fostex items in that very store two days ago. Puts me on hold for about 1.5 seconds, answers with,

?I asked about Fostex and we don?t carry it anymore, if you come in you can look at this stuff yourself and pick it out. Also you were asking about M-audio, and those are no good compared to KRK.?

So, someone that has never heard of Fostex is now trying to convince me that there is something globally wrong with all M-audio speakers, and KRK is the only way to go.

I don?t know why I am always suppressed, it never changes there.
"Writing good songs is hard. recording is easy. "

MoreSpaceEcho

RefD
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Post by RefD » Mon Sep 17, 2007 12:56 pm

i went to the drum department looking for yarn mallets and kept getting handed either rubber or felt ones.
?What need is there to weep over parts of life? The whole of it calls for tears.? -- Seneca

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the velour fog
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Post by the velour fog » Mon Sep 17, 2007 1:30 pm

i was returning a broken mic, and got asked 10 freaking times, if i was using phantom power.
"Set Phasers to Extra Slow."

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Rufer
pushin' record
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Post by Rufer » Mon Sep 17, 2007 1:36 pm

I got a brand new '62 American Vintage Reissue Strat for $900. I was pleased.

EDIT: Forget it--just remembered that I bought it from Mars Music. So I guess I got nothin'.

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alex matson
re-cappin' neve
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Post by alex matson » Mon Sep 17, 2007 1:43 pm

FWIW - check out the Logitech Z-2300
200 watts, 8" sub, big knob remote with headphone jack. $104 on amazon. I love 'em. I read a lot of reviews before picking these - they're well liked and a great deal.

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centurymantra
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Post by centurymantra » Mon Sep 17, 2007 1:57 pm

There's a pretty amazing thread over at Gearslutz; http://www.gearslutz.com/board/so-much- ... enter.html

This will provide with hours of terror and joy.
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Bryan
Shoeshine Recording Studio
"Pop music is sterile, country music is sterile. That's one of the reasons I keep going back to baseball" - Doug Sahm

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Jeff White
ghost haunting audio students
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Post by Jeff White » Mon Sep 17, 2007 2:10 pm

Last GC experience.

I took my 1963 Gibson LG-0 to get a case, since I bought it with the original chipboard Alligator case which offers as much protection as a ziplock bag over the headstock.

So I go into the store at around 6pm on a week night and check my guitar with the 17 yr old goth grrrrrl at the front desk thing. There's a guy up there who is twice her age flirting with her who asks me why I'm bringing "that guitar in here". I tell him that I'm case shopping and he assures me five feet in the door that "he" has no cases that'll fit my guitar. I tell him that I'm going to take a look anyway and check out some stuff in the acoustic room.

So I venture into the wooden chamber of neglect and find myself alone, as there is zero staff in there. After about 20 mins of playing some seriously well neglected could have been nice guitars, I stumble upon a pile of discount cases. The LG-0 fits in a used Tacoma case, but the top is pushing down hard on the bridge of my LG-o, so I decide against it. After about 5-10 more minutes of checking out a few more case options, I stumble upon a Protege Humidicase marked down to like $80 or something. LG-0 fits nicely, has some room (slight space), but I am like hot damn. I take the case and my guitar up to the ELECTRIC GUITAR counter in order to purchase the case, because no one is in the ACOUSTIC GUITAR room nor has been for over 30 mins at this point. The guy at the counter freaks out over my Gibson, asks to play it, what year it is, etc. I let him check it out and he bashes the shit out of the thing like it's a Pearl Export kit. Fuck you, ring me up, Tiny.

Well guess what? At that moment the child molester at the front door comes by the ELECTRIC GUITAR counter and tells Tiny that "Hey man, I was working with this guy". I tell him, to his face, that no, correction, he did not help me, and that I am in a rush and that Tiny here is getting the sale, to which I get a rolling of the EYES!!! like I am a problem customer.

That was back in June, and I have yet to return. Tiny got the sale.

Jeff
I record, mix, and master in my Philly-based home studio, the Spacement. https://linktr.ee/ipressrecord

RefD
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Post by RefD » Mon Sep 17, 2007 2:20 pm

aye, GC are a stack of cunt bags.
?What need is there to weep over parts of life? The whole of it calls for tears.? -- Seneca

i am monster face
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Post by i am monster face » Mon Sep 17, 2007 2:26 pm

A new GC moved into Lincoln about a year ago. I walk in to see what's going on...

I walk in the Pro Audio dept...and get asked...

"Hey...you thinking of starting a studio?"

ME: No, I'm just checking out what outboard compressors you might have in stock.
SALESGUY: Oh, well, you might want to check out some plug in compressors. Nobody really uses outboard stuff anymore. What are you running at your studio?
ME: Well, we're running three HD systems and have a pair of Studer A-800 tape machines.
SALESGUY: Still using tape huh? You should check out the firepod. Get into the digital world.
ME: Thanks...

I left. Never went back.

Ian

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Jeff White
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Post by Jeff White » Mon Sep 17, 2007 2:39 pm

RefD wrote:aye, GC are a stack of cunt bags.
ROTFLMAO!!!
I record, mix, and master in my Philly-based home studio, the Spacement. https://linktr.ee/ipressrecord

jonathan
takin' a dinner break
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Post by jonathan » Mon Sep 17, 2007 2:44 pm

i have a guy at guitar center who gives me things at cost! thats sweet....

the other manager is my dealer!

outside of that. guitar center sucks.

oh yeah, also when they tell you the price on something before you're about to pay, its always fun to ask like a jerk to "yeah, can you bring that price down to $xxx.xx?" and do it with authority, say, youre in a touring band, or are a studio owner, or look up my buying history.

i dont know, guitar center is just a playground.

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wrenhunter
pushin' record
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Post by wrenhunter » Mon Sep 17, 2007 3:46 pm

I bought a used Martin from the Boston store, and got a good deal from a cool guy who was playing out with Papas Fritas alumni. I played this fine guitar today.
All the boys with their homemade microphones have very interesting sounds. -- Dan Behar

???????
resurrected
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Post by ??????? » Mon Sep 17, 2007 4:12 pm

Guitar Center is wonderful for a reminder of the following truism:

The more someone condescends to you, generally the less they know.

thethingwiththestuff
george martin
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Post by thethingwiththestuff » Mon Sep 17, 2007 4:27 pm

at a GC just outside of Pittsburgh (btw, this had a smoke machine topped Pepsi machine at the front door.)

me and my bassist: yeah, we're on tour and just need some strings.
GC dude: oh yeah? what brings you through town?
us: um... a show...

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inverseroom
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Post by inverseroom » Mon Sep 17, 2007 5:38 pm

i am monster face wrote:ME: Well, we're running three HD systems and have a pair of Studer A-800 tape machines.
SALESGUY: Still using tape huh? You should check out the firepod. Get into the digital world.
AWESOME!!!!!

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