Is your Guitar Center like this?

They are clearly volume driven, and volume goes to the big brands.

Same thing with acoustics, though I was pleasantly surprised to recently spot a handful of Breedloves at one of my two local GCs.

Fortunately there are a couple of mom & pop stores within driving distance that carry brands like G&L, Seagull, Rickenbacker, Alvarez (inc. Yairi), Guild, Blueridge, etc.

Two GC's by me; one in Rockford, Ill., the other in Madison, WI., both are exactly the same as you describe. :roll: I'll usually go to a local dealer if I want to check out anything besides a "big name" brand.

Dan

... and of those guitars, probably only 3-5 lefty's. It's very frustrating to be a south paw.

Yeah, the GC near me is exactly like that. I'm lucky enough to have a Sam Ash 10 minutes away in Ontario, CA.

Even still, they suffer a bit of that brand name tunnel vision.

List of what i had to buy online since i couldn't find it anywhere else...

Dean Hardtail Select
Grover 18:1 Locking Tuners
Zoom G2.1U
Boss EQ20
Planet Waves Patch Cord Kit

Oh yeah.... and a PLAIN Leather strap !! I mean sheesh !!

Guitar center is definatly restricted when it comes to variety. It's worse when it comes to amps. I don't like Marshall, Vox, or Fender that much. The only amps I've ever liked at GC are the Epi's (a. I bought one, b. they no longer carry them here) and the B-52's. The one thing I don't agree with is the acoustic section. My guitar center has a great selection of acoustics. The sales associates at my guitar center even recommend the smaller brands to you. Yamaha is a big brand, but not in acoustics. When I told the gentleman what I was looking for, he showed me a yamaha and 2 other gutiars from brands I had never heard of before.

For me the killer is The GC in Colonie, NY is the closest music store to me period, besides Daddy's Junky Music. I won't go to there because they insulted me once by offering me 25 dollars for my clarinet. Ended up bringing that to a place 45 minutes away. They gave me 100. They don't carry guitars though.

Yeah, it's a business though. They carry what sells best, and what sell best are Fenders and Gibsons, badabing badaboom, that's what they got.

If they carried more of the other guitars, they'd be losing a lot of money on them.

I've got a Sam Ash right across the street from a GC. A lot more variety with electrics, but it's hard to beat GC's accoustic selection. The local shop I used to frequent had a mini-GC line-up, so I never had a reason to go to GC after I discovered the local place. Local place is gone now, so I guess it's Sam Ash and GC.

i hate both of those places. they have the rudest damn salesmen anywhere, regardless of where you go. i'm still always in there, though.

In my place there are hardly any music stores so the one or two which carry imported guitars charge out of the horizon prices.

I somehow found a Squier Standard Lefty guitar selling for 375 $ (and it goes on MF for 230 $) in my place with no accessories.Its really bad...I wonder when GC comes to New Delhi...they are gonna make heavy and i mean 'heavy' sales.

Yeah but where else can you play a $1200 guitar just to see how it feels/sounds/plays gotta give them credit for that.

The Guitar Centers I've been to are just as described - heavy on the Fenders and Gibsons and light on everything else. They're kind of the Walmart of guitar stores but as pointed out, you do have the opportunity to try out relatively expensive guitars. Plus, I can always find double ball end strings.

Within about 10 miles of me are two GCs - same stock, pretty much. Both stores also have 3-5 'collector' guitars (a 1940s L-5, an early ES335, etc) which are overpriced, and in some cases in poor condition.

The local retailers who didn't shut their doors when the GCs opened have adapted - Tobias Music, near one of them, carries only high end acoustics: Martin, Taylor, Santa Cruz, etc, and has an oustanding repair shop. Near the other one is Hix Brothers, which has the full line of Taylors, a better selection of electronics than GC, and great service.

Wal Mart put the mediocre mom & pops out of business, but I don't think they hurt the Neimann-Marcus type stores; the same is true in music. If you carry great merchandise and have a well-trained staff, you'll attract the customers who buy for value rather than price.

i live in nyc. you would think that there would be great guitar stores here but there isn't. there's a couple stores i know of that sell only or mostly vintage guitars. there's one store i know that sells cheap guitars. one or two that have a fairly decent selection. then there's Mandolin Brothers which is a pretty famous place but mainly sells acoustic, however, if you're looking for a high end acoustic then Mandolin brothers is the place. I got a good price on my Martin.

There are two Guitar Centers. One in Brooklyn, one in Manahattan. The Manhattan one has or had pretty good used guitars and I got a good deal on my used Daisy Rock there. Otherwise they're both your standard Guitar Centers with the usual epiphones, squiers etc.

Yep, the GC near me is pretty much like that. But they also have some reasonably priced PRS, used vintage stuff, a large acoustic room, a deluxe guitar room called "The Vault" where everything is locked up or nailed down (which could have a whole lot more in it). Still, when I first went in I have to admit I was in awe.

The thing I hate most is their complete lack of service and most of the salespeople's total lack of knowledge of product (and lack of desire to gain said knowledge). This is why I will go elsewhere unless I'm completely full of GAS. :shock: