Recent Guitar Center visit

I prefer smaller stores. In my favorite music shop, I know all the employees by name and they all know me. Nice guys too.

When my favorite small shop was open, it was like total bliss, and I got spoiled as heck. I still wish I had gotten turned on to them earlier. Only knew them long enough to buy 3 guitars and a bunch of drum stuff for my kid there.

The guy there, Tom, took great pride in having a guitar section done right. Everything on the wall was set up, or about to be set up. If you grabbed something off the wall that wasn't, he told you. When you bought something, he told you to go have lunch so that he could put new strings (your choice) on it and double check the set-up. When you picked it up, he would remind you of the 3 free set-ups the first year. (plus, he'd even see you come in later and tell you that he hasn't seen the guitar in a while, and does it need another set-up?)

I brought a buddy of mine in one time who had money burning a hole in his pocket for a MIM Strat. Introduced them, and walked over to the Strats. "Hey Tom, which one of these set up the best?" He pointed to one and sure enough, it was perfect. He was thrilled about the color, but it played incredibly well and could not pass it up. A couple of hours later, after lunch, my buddy (with new guitar in hand) was speechless. "All that service for a $370 guitar???"

So, fast forward in time. I go into everyone's favorite chain last night for one of those 2 hours string buying adventures. (I can't believe I didn't have even one set of 9s in the house) I went into the acoustic room to try out 12-strings. Not a single one of them was even close to being in tune. <sigh>

the only thing i've ever bought from them are spare parts on line.

i went in to buy an advertised special for a bass case and i got the "we just sold the last one" line. never again.

I went into the acoustic room to try out 12-strings. Not a single one of them was even close to being in tune. <sigh>

To quote a famous lefty, a 12 string is never in tune. :lol:

When my favorite small shop was open, it was like total bliss, and I got spoiled as heck. I still wish I had gotten turned on to them earlier. Only knew them long enough to buy 3 guitars and a bunch of drum stuff for my kid there.

The guy there, Tom, took great pride in having a guitar section done right. Everything on the wall was set up, or about to be set up. If you grabbed something off the wall that wasn't, he told you. When you bought something, he told you to go have lunch so that he could put new strings (your choice) on it and double check the set-up. When you picked it up, he would remind you of the 3 free set-ups the first year. (plus, he'd even see you come in later and tell you that he hasn't seen the guitar in a while, and does it need another set-up?)

I brought a buddy of mine in one time who had money burning a hole in his pocket for a MIM Strat. Introduced them, and walked over to the Strats. "Hey Tom, which one of these set up the best?" He pointed to one and sure enough, it was perfect. He was thrilled about the color, but it played incredibly well and could not pass it up. A couple of hours later, after lunch, my buddy (with new guitar in hand) was speechless. "All that service for a $370 guitar???"

So, fast forward in time. I go into everyone's favorite chain last night for one of those 2 hours string buying adventures. (I can't believe I didn't have even one set of 9s in the house) I went into the acoustic room to try out 12-strings. Not a single one of them was even close to being in tune. <sigh>

You know, I got a place that will take care of me like that ..... I went to GC though. My little music store has such a limited line of products ..... if you want what they got it's great. So, I got the crappy service, but found the amp I wanted.

Oh, by the way .. friends of mine with guitars get fee setups for life cause I love to do them!! :lol: They usually insist on giving me something ..... but really, I like doing it. I can't stand to see a guitar not play it's best! Besides, you get to borrow and play a lot of different guitars that way. 8)