Guitar Center Salesman...I have heard it all now!!

[candid_x]

The shorter scale/neck perception is almost certainly due to the smaller headstock.

[Spudmurphy]

I agree with Candid - loads of people have commented on the "short scale length" of the AL and have looked shocked when I plonk the AL neck onto of a "normal" guitar to prove that it it is a normal scale length.

[fingbeagles]

Originally Posted by charlie7

plano,texas

OK, I may get bashed for this but, a little defense for GC, first the Plano location does not stock EBMM guitars, as it has been pointed out before not all GC locatins stock them.

If you want to check out EBMM go the the North Dallas location or Arlington.

Since Plano does not stock them and not everyone is familiar with EBMM, not suprising that the sales dude was ignorant on the product and of course they are going to try and sell you what they have and are familiar with, they et paid on commision, which you know already.

Yes his comments were ignorant and stupid and even made me laugh but you should have asked for the manager.

I find that GC is getting much better these days and this makes it sound like all there employes are druggies or drunks which is not the case nor is it fair.
If you want to try some EBMM go to North Dallas, check out the stock and ask for Robbie, hell of a great guy.

End of Rant.

[mikeller]

That is why I believe 100% in a buyer-beware approach to making purchases.

[DaPatrooch]

LMAO I love these Guitar Center stories! We ought to have a thread where everyone posts their stories of idiot salesmen at Guitar Center.

I wish Guitar Centers around me had Music Man guitars. They only carry basses nowadays. The one closest to me used to have them, the first Music Man guitar I ever played was a Rosewood ASS with humbuckers there, and I was hooked. But supposedly they didn't sell, and they stopped carrying them. Last time I was there, the guy told me they didn't carry the guitars anymore, but a couple times a month, people come in asking for a Petrucci. And I was like "oh yeah..." Then I was hanging around the Mesas with a cheap Ibby and plugged into a RectoVerb combo. The same guy said he had the head version of it, and it is his favorite amp ever. It is definitely up there with my favorites! Sorry to get sidetracked, but that is one of the few times there was actually a good salesman at GC.

[whitestrat]

Originally Posted by fingbeagles

Since Plano does not stock them and not everyone is familiar with EBMM, not suprising that the sales dude was ignorant on the product and of course they are going to try and sell you what they have and are familiar with, they et paid on commision, which you know already.

You know, fing, if all the wrong information this guy gave was only on EBMMs, it's understandable, and also forgivable if they've never sold them. But to mess up information on Ibanez guitars? That's actually somewhat surprising.

[fingbeagles]

Originally Posted by whitestrat

You know, fing, if all the wrong information this guy gave was only on EBMMs, it's understandable, and also forgivable if they've never sold them. But to mess up information on Ibanez guitars? That's actually somewhat surprising.

Very true and obviously this is a poor salesman and I sure i know who he is since i frequent all GC close to me, but the overall tone that this thread was going in was making all GC employees loook like idiots which is far from true.

[whitestrat]

Originally Posted by fingbeagles

Very true and obviously this is a poor salesman and I sure i know who he is since i frequent all GC close to me, but the overall tone that this thread was going in was making all GC employees loook like idiots which is far from true.

Having never been to GC in my life, I can't really comment, but I have come across such salespersons in my time...

Perhaps this guy is a drummer?

[fingbeagles]

Originally Posted by whitestrat

Having never been to GC in my life, I can't really comment, but I have come across such salespersons in my time...

Perhaps this guy is a drummer?

LOL yep you hit on the head, must be a drummer, or maybe the cowbell dude.

[pjc812]

that story put a smile on my face and a chuckle in my belly for all the obvious reasons.

in general it seems to me that guys who play with balls are generally more informed than the avg wanker regarding most brands, no? That explains why they chose EBMM.

[Big Poppa]

OK....I think that it is terrible to be misrepresented. It comes with business though and you cant let your blood boil or you will have a stroke. It happens all over the world. As my Dad used to say that if you couldnt figure out why something was what is was it was because the world was primarily run by "D" students. I remember when I couldn't figure out as a kid how someone could be so stupid he explained that if everyone was a genius then there would be little opportunity left. The negative part is having to listen to it or worse that they are spreading what will become urban legend.

I can tell you that GC at times has been challenged in selling and knowing how to present our stuff...these pages are full of examples. I can also tell you that without them we wouldnt have made it as they have been there with faith and purchase orders when most stores gave up on us.

THe lack of supply in Guitars in GC is trying to find a balance. It is also our fault as we just dont make enough. When we spread our limited allocation to them to 200 stores they get lost and beat up. We mutually decided to only offer them in the top stores and as we got that program running then we would go to the next level of Guitar Center.

How's this and Im sure that GC would prefer if I dont say this but.....If your store has our guitars then it is considers a top tier GC........Maybe if the distance isnt too much greater you should shop in the top tier one......

Oh yeah and we are the biggest sales percentage gainer for Guitar Center in our categories....both basses and guitars.....woooooooo hooooo

[Ripper]

Been to 2 GCs. Cant remember the first one which is somewhere in the bay area, and another in Van Ness SF, during my 1 month stay in CA a year back..

The staffs are great. They are really friendly and service-oriented. And they give you discount as much as they could, crazy discount sometimes! Give them sometime - they will learn about EBMMs one day, too much fenders and gibsons and ibanezes around.. To me, GC is like a guitar wal-mart, cant blame their staff for not knowing their stuff.. Well, like what fing has brought up, talk to the manager, he should be able to help.

[petruccirocks02]

Originally Posted by whitestrat

Ok... When was the last album we heard JP use the Ibanez JPM? Liquid Tension Experiment 2? or Falling Into Infinity? I can't remember... I think Scenes From A Memory was already the JP6 right? And that's in 1999? And I sort of remember hanging around the JP forum in those years seeing JP himself selling off his few Ibanez guitars to benefit charity...

Actually Scenes was all the Ibanez. The last time he used the Ibanez was for the first part of the tour, because at the time he was still using his black and white 7, the camo picasso, and a few other JPM's. After that he got his EB's Proto's.

-Phil

[Norrin Radd]

This doesn't surprise me at all. Sad really.

When I worked my decade at GC, the best answer I ever gave to customers was "You know what, I don't know - but I can find out for you". Wisdom starts with admitting what you don't know. I found customers appreciated the fact I did not come off as a know it all and were happy that I would diligently seek answers to their questions. I also never offered an opinion unless asked. It's too bad I wasn't as knowledgeable then as I am now - I would have made a much better salesman!

[Brand X]

Went to a chain-store in the UK - you know the ones where all they stock is Gibson, Fender, and Marshall amps........anyway - I asked the sales-guy ''How come you've got no MusicMan anymore?'' and the answer that will live with me forever was ''We don't stock them 'caust the necks get dirty when people try them.'

At this point I nearly blew a kidney out of my ass through laughing.