This is just a point of curiousity that I've been meaing to get to the bottom of. My first two guitars, I both bought from Guitar Centers, two different locations to be exact. The first was about 4 years ago when I started, I got the Yamaha Gigmaker package, and it featured a guitar model F-36P. I've noticed since that this exact model seems non existent anywhere else in the world or in literature or even on Yamaha's website. I just strikes me as strange... And recently I purchased an Ibanez acoustic electric thin body... Model AEG20E. Again, seems like the only place this can be found is at Guitar Center?
My guess is that being a large chain store, they just pump out some alternative lines of guitars for their own purpose, I enjoy the guitars nevertheless... but I've always been curious as to why or how this happens.
It happens in the upper range too. Musician's Friend sells some Martin exclusives. This makes it very hard to find information about these guitars since they are available for a short run, then they're replaced with something else.
It was sort of a culture shock for me when I first saw a Nike sneaker made exclusively for Foot Locker and marked as such. This is something like that.
oktay
Stops you from comparison shopping.
Not just comparison shopping - it lets them give a pricing guarantee at no cost. Manufacturers of appliances and electronics have been doing this for years - when a big retailer advertises that they'll beat any price, the fine print usually says advertised, exact make & model, within 30 days, blah blah blah. If they're the only ones with a model, they never have to make good on the guarantee, but it still looks so darn good in print :)
In electronics or appliances, there are of huge retailers like Best Buy, Wal-Mart, etc. who can command that sort of personal attention from manufacturers. Guitar Center is probably the only one with that clout right now - 113 stores, $1.5 billion in sales (including their catalog division) as of their 12/31/2004 annual report. Sam Ash is #2 in the industry (according to Hoovers) with 45 stores - they don't release financial information, but they're a fair bit smaller. The other 'big' players in the industry are Brook Mays at #3 with 60 stores and Hermes Music at #4 with just 5 stores and $32 million in sales... 2% of GC's size.
Since Sam Ash also offers a price guarantee, it gives GC a big hammer to stay in first place... GC can price a common model way below Ash (forcing Ash to make good on some guarantees), and price the exclusives at a much higher margin. Of course, SA will then start demanding manufactuerers provide them with an exclusive model... eventually guitars are going to resemble TVs, with a different set of exclusives for each big retailer. Shop for higher end housewares at Wal-Mart, K-Mart, and Target and you'll see the future of guitar models.
It's nothing new... Sears was doing it with guitars in the 1950s. The only difference is that Sears sold everything, so Silvertones weren't quite so visible.
Guitar teacher offering lessons in Plainfield IL
