Guitar Center to Prioritize “Premium Product” Over “$300 Guitars”

I don't know if this will fix anything, but I think the CEO's observation is pretty accurate. I went into a GC a few weeks ago for the 1st time in 8-10 years and felt everything he described. Based on my last experience, I can't imagine myself going back except to maybe buy an entry level instrument for my kids when they're old enough.
 
I always wondered how they stay in business at all - my Sweetwater rep told me they actually need Guitar Center because they share the load of inventory that Sweetwater would not be able to keep up with on their own.
 
Then the problem will be "all these beginners are coming in and damaging our premium gear" which is why that stuff is hung up higher to begin with...
 
phantomdancer said:
I always wondered how they stay in business at all...
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When I go, I usually see well-intentioned parents buying their kids an entry level instrument and little else.
Yes, it's frustrating to see the higher priced guitars hung and locked high on the wall but I sort of understand.
The other day I saw a Daddy who thought his little child (4-5 years old) dancing and miming around with an acoustic guitar was so adorable that he just had to film the little beast. If he were in a store full of $500 vases, it would never be permitted but for some reason, prancing around with a $500 guitar is no big deal.
 
Last time I dropped in, everything over $1000 was either locked up or hung near the ceiling. I'm in their target 'premium product' customer group, but there is 0% chance that I'll stick around for hours to have one of their drones to hand me the guitars I want to try. It's not even slightly fun to shop there these days. Luckily, I'm spoiled by having some of the best independent guitar stores in the world near me.
 
Guitar Center is getting squeezed into a difficult niche. They face a lot of challenges, some of their own making.
  • In the majority of markets, they crushed local independent competitors with price and volume. In doing so, they abdicated serving the upper-end and specialty consumer. Mom-and-pop shops provided a curated stock, great customer service, and passion. By putting them out of business and leaving it unfulfilled, GC left to door open for Sweetwater to basically eat their lunch through a huge inventory, great customer service, better pricing via no brick-and-mortar overhead, and expert knowledge.
  • GC is handy if you need a commodity supply item such as strings, picks, stands, cables, or cases - and you need it NOW. If you can wait a day or two, you can shop online to get a better selection and (probably) price.
  • Instruments such as guitars and basses generally are somewhat unique - even among items that are ostensible identical. If you're shopping for non-differentiated stuff like keyboards, PA / DJ gear, lighting, or studio equipment, you will find some choices in stock. If you know what you actually want and are willing to wait a day or two, you can get a better selection and price online.
  • For a quick I-need-it-today purchase for a guitar / bass, you will find options available at GC. They stock what is most likely to sell in a given market. If you want broader choices (and color / config options within a specific instrument model), you can have them order it for you. But then again, you could just go to Sweetwater yourself and (1) save money, (2) get it sooner, and (3) know it'll show up perfectly set up.
  • If you want a high-end guitar / bass, and you pop into your local GC, at best they might have a few examples from which to choose. High-end instruments are operationally inefficient (expensive) to stock and they don't sell nearly as frequently as low/mid price options.
  • The major-market GC locations are legendary for selection, staff, and vibe. NY, LA, and other stores are freaking great. They have a whole separate section of the store for high-end / vintage gear, and the people there are pro players. However, this doesn't scale to a national level. There is no reason for them to stock a dozen mid-60s strats in most markets. That's the place where your local specialty shop may still be thriving.
I love shopping locally and supporting my local instrument stores. If that isn't an option, and you're looking at high-end guitars and basses, you will want to either personally inspect and test-play any prospective purchase... unless you deal with a reputable specialty store or supplier that you know you can trust. I have a few favorite sources for specialty gear, and I feel comfortable with them inspecting and recommending an instrument that I haven't personally handled. But that is rare. I have had very good results shopping at Sweetwater, including the purchase of instruments costing over $3K. I also trust the hell out of places like Austin Guitar House, Thunder Road Guitars, and so on. Those are places where I know the staff are experts and have earned a strongly positive reputation. I have no fear of ordering a vintage guitar from those places - and I have.

I don't hate GC. I just think they are in a rough spot as a brick-and-mortar national (actually global) chain. The direct-to-consumer and mass online fulfillment market has encroached on their sales volume. You can get anything they stock cheaper via Sweetwater - with free shipping - in just a few days, and for those commodity pick / strings / etc., Amazon will deliver them overnight. Outside of the aforementioned big-music-market locations where GC offers specialty stock, their value proposition is definitely not what it once was.
 
I hope they follow through with it. Going to GC used to be fun and you'd get to check out some great gear. Now it's like a depressing trip to Walmart.
 
Agreed. The last few times I've been to the flagship Atlanta store, I even tried to buy a 4k dollar EBMM off the wall, couldn't get anyone to help me. I ordered one off reverb.
The Gwinnett store looks and feels like a deserted Goodwill. Nothing but dirty, poorly maintained low end gear in a filthy store with brain dead ghosts as staff. I 1000% feel as if I don't belong there anymore. The fact that someone obsessed with music as much as I am can walk through the doors of a place called guitar center and feel nothing but disgust and contempt is very telling.
 
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