Not All GC's Are Created Equal

CandidPicker

Tone Matters. Use It Well.
Joined
Jan 26, 2019
Messages
5,001
Location
NW Connecticut, USA
Though this may ruffle a few feathers amongst the naysayers, here is my experience today in my local Manchester, CT GC.

My Taylor 714ce had scratchy volume and tone pots, and I wanted to check the battery compartment for corrosion. After arriving, a customer was standing ahead of me being waited on. It took the longer part of 2 minutes before the customer completed her sale, and stepped aside. The clerk behind the counter asked how he could help.

I said that I had called the sales associate named "Chris" before arriving and had asked if the repair tech could put my guitar up on his bench for an exam. The clerk said to bring the guitar over to the tech, "Justin," and he'd try to fit me into his repair schedule. After speaking briefly with Justin, Justin set aside his ongoing repair and said, "Let's take a look." The Taylor case opened up and was set onto his secondary bench station.

Immediately, Justin popped this volume and tone knobs off the guitar with his fingers (I didn't know you could do this, otherwise I might have saved myself a trip to GC) and sprayed some DeOxit into the pot cavities. He put the knobs back on, and worked the pots back and forth, and then checked the battery compartment. The spring towards the inside battery compartment was clear of any corrosion, and the inside contact point was as well. Justin then closed up the battery compartment and plugged the guitar into a nearby amp and switched the amp on.

Lovely round tones, and after a few knob adjustments the guitar was as good as new. Justin said "Here ya go." I asked how much for the work? Justin wrinkled his nose and said, "Nah, no charge."

Joyful, I thanked him and said I'd need to make this worthwhile. He smiled and set about returning to his previous repair work. I took my Taylor out to my car and walked back inside again. "Chris", the associate whom I originally spoke with over the phone was there. I asked "Chris" if it were possible for me to take a look at the acoustics in their acoustic room. "Chris" said, "Sure, let's walk that way and see what's there." Chris over the phone had apologized that their PRS SE Angelus guitars were out of stock, and not due until July, so I thanked him for his concern and said we would look at several other models.

I had previously expressed an interest in a Yamaha AC3 A/E cutaway, as well as a dreadnaught cutaway. I then asked Chris if he might suggest some other cutaways in my price range of $500 to $900.

Chris politely excused himself and said he'd bring another associate he'd introduce me to, Jamey. I thanked Chris as he introduced us and repeated my name to Jamey as I said "Hi."

Jamey took plenty of time answering my questions and brought several concert, auditorium, and dreadnaught cutaway models in my price range for me to check out. First, the Yamaha's, then an Epiphone Masterbilt, then an Alvarez, then a couple Breedlove's.

The Epiphone Masterbilt dreadnaught cutaway in vintage finish caught my eye and ear. Of all the pieces I tried out, the Epi Masterbilt dreadnaught had the best warmth, balance, response, brightness and projection. The neck felt right, as well. The entire piece felt not too heavy in the hands. Price was decent, about $650 with case, IIRC.

After about 10 to 15 minutes of quick survey of each example, I said the Epi spoke to me the most. And if after changing the strings on my Taylor upon arriving home, the Taylor might be put up for sale, the Epi would be my next acoustic guitar choice. Jamey said, "Good! We'll look forward to your business when you decide to sell the Taylor." I thanked Jamey and walked out and couldn't find Chris again, so I spoke with the clerk who was originally there at the beginning and said, "Just thought to thank you folks because sometimes GC receives a lot of bashing on guitar forums. Just wanted to let you know you'll receive a good review on my current guitar forum, and thanks for your attentive customer service."

So, yes, folks, sometimes all GCs are not created equal. Apparently, when you approach a clerk for assistance from them went one walks in, the associates will take their time with you. However, if perhaps you walk in and don't speak to an associate from the get-go, YMMV. I just hope that folks don't murmur against GC unjustly, because GC deserves a chance to prove itself just as any other person or business might. No, not all GCs are equal, but let us not judge all based on the poor examples of the ones who may have not served you well.
 
Last edited:
Great story! I, too, have had good experiences with the two GC's near me. Occasionally they are understaffed, but that's about the only thing I can say that is slightly negative.
 
i’d’ve walked when he brought out an alvarez. notwithstanding, bad news travels further and a franchise lives on its rep and should expect to be judged on their worst offenders.
 
@jxe:

TBH, the Alvarez was the least appealing because of its dead string tone, though Jamey was only doing his job; he understood my price range, and didn't push expensive gear on me. Jamey did say "Which one do you think you might take home with you today?" My polite reply (because GC had treated me well) was, "If my Taylor receives new strings after I arrive home, and I choose to sell my Taylor, the Epiphone Masterbilt Dreadnaught Cutaway would be my choice. Thanks for allowing me to try these wonderful guitars today. Enjoy your weekend!"

<Soapbox light on>
You're absolutely correct about bad news traveling farther. I also wish there were protections for not only good businesses but also for individuals, including women and children especially, whenever they may be treated unjustly, or when heinous acts of various sorts are perpetrated against them.
<Soapbox light off now>

Sorry for that. It's been bugging me as I watched the 10 PM news this evening, so sometimes bad news (such as what was just viewed on TV) does tend to reach people at greater distances, rather than the good news we can share here online. Perhaps the facts are that we live somewhat of a sheltered existence on this forum, and it may be that describing the truth to people (the evening news) as it exists is sometimes met with disdain. It may be the our own lack of knowledge many be partly to blame within our sheltered existence, so truth be told, if we didn't consider our efforts to be in vain, we might actually understand reality.

That being said, my time with GC earlier today was quite enjoyable. From each of the employees there was a smile and a returned smile, an abundance of thanks bantered around, and as was promised to GC for their kindness and good customer service, a good review. Though today was a drizzly day with lots of drivers hurrying about their business on the highways, GC had only a good handful of customers in their store when I was there, and perhaps this may have contributed to their taking their time with me today. Had the same repair issue occurred on a weekend, I think my experience may have been slightly different, given the crowds of people who are usually there weekends. Perhaps my experience was one of being there at the right time, whereas others may not experience this.
 
Last edited:
strongly agree with this comment, except to say i do live in the real world — a dangerous and sometimes fine place. but yes, a little more kindness would always do.

@jxe:

TBH, the Alvarez was the least appealing because of its dead string tone, though Jamey was only doing his job; he understood my price range, and didn't push expensive gear on me. Jamey did say "Which one do you think you might take home with you today?" My polite reply (because GC had treated me well) was, "If my Taylor receives new strings after I arrive home, and I choose to sell my Taylor, the Epiphone Masterbilt Dreadnaught Cutaway would be my choice. Thanks for allowing me to try these wonderful guitars today. Enjoy your weekend!"

<Soapbox light on>
You're absolutely correct about bad news traveling farther. I also wish there were protections for not only good businesses but also for individuals, including women and children especially, whenever they may be treated unjustly, or when heinous acts of various sorts are perpetrated against them. Consider if widows, fatherless children, or orphans could receive equal treatment under the law. Because of various court cases, there are people who commit heinous acts who often escape justice, until they're caught and held accountable. If perpetrators could only see the shed tears and feel the emotional pain they cause, they might turn away from their former course of life and feel remorse, enough to be forgiven by the victims' surviving families.
<Soapbox light off now>

Sorry for that. It's been bugging me as I watched the 10 PM news this evening, so sometimes bad news (such as what was just viewed on TV) does tend to reach people at greater distances, rather than the good news we can share here online. Perhaps the facts are that we live somewhat of a sheltered existence on this forum, and it may be that describing the truth to people (the evening news) as it exists is sometimes met with disdain. It may be the our own lack of knowledge many be partly to blame within our sheltered existence, so truth be told, if we didn't consider our efforts to be in vain, we might actually understand reality.

That being said, my time with GC earlier today was quite enjoyable. From each of the employees there was a smile and a returned smile, an abundance of thanks bantered around, and as was promised to GC for their kindness and good customer service, a good review. Though today was a drizzly day with lots of drivers hurrying about their business on the highways, GC had only a good handful of customers in their store when I was there, and perhaps this may have contributed to their taking their time with me today. Had the same repair issue occurred on a weekend, I think my experience may have been slightly different, given the crowds of people who are usually there weekends. Perhaps my experience was one of being there at the right time, whereas others may not experience this.
 
strongly agree with this comment, except to say i do live in the real world — a dangerous and sometimes fine place. but yes, a little more kindness would always do.

I think we have a nice existence here, and perhaps it might be wise for me to not bring in too much reality that might otherwise spoil the atmosphere.

And you are correct about the danger. Perhaps being in the wrong place at the wrong time has a lot to do with that. We sometimes hear distant alcohol or drug-fueled loud arguments locally, so we're not immune to the world.

I was outside this evening recycling my Yuengling Light carton when the arguing was subsiding, and I worry that our small community could be at risk if weapons entered the scene. So far, the local police have kept us safe and observe the goings-on, but I'd sure not wish to be on away from home by myself at night. Not safe at all.

Better to know your crowd or venue as well as the area rather than be somewhere you may not know. GPS is OK, but that does little to comfort you if your car breaks down at night. Better safe than sorry.

EDIT: I personally don't know why fools argue & battle, but perhaps they're "running on empty...?"
 
Last edited:
This was my day: Just realized it now...:oops:

GHem9sY.jpg
 
Great piece CP, good to know that customer service isn't a thing of the past!

Thanks. The only thing I think I forgot to thank them for was the print copy of my receipt for the small bag of jazz picks I purchased. If only for my financial records.
 
Last edited:
I had a fairly good experience at the one on Las Vegas Blvd.

I honestly think it's a mix of corporate culture, retail sales... whatever-it's-called, employee training, and individual attitude mixed with what kind of day he's having. Also, how we as customers act.
Watch Jared Dines' video where he acts like every type of guitar store customer, and ask yourself how you would feel if you were waiting on each example.

Yes, they're probably supposed to treat everybody the same but, are you going to dink around with a guy who wants to check out PRS PS when he obviously can't afford one?

I'm not justifying behavior, I'm just saying that I suspect nobody wants to waste their time on that guy when they're getting paid commission.

It's like hey, in the time that this dude demos 5 ridiculously expensive guitars that he won't buy, I'm missing out on sales commissions from 2 other customers who are buying their first ever guitars plus 2 more guys who have done the research, and just need help finding their next mid-level brand X guitar.
 
“Obviously can’t afford one....”

Most ignorant thought a salesperson could ever have, by a mile. I have been the one that a salesman wouldn’t help, either too young back in the day or in jeans, t shirt and skate shoes nowadays, and gladly give my business elsewhere. Good customer service is not reserved for some customers and shouldn’t be a hit or miss thing.
 
I have had nothing but good experience at my local GC. All the employees are helpful, enjoy talking about all the equipment and can play quite well. On a side note after a little time they start to give you better deals on equipment. Just my thoughts.
 
i’d’ve walked when he brought out an alvarez. notwithstanding, bad news travels further and a franchise lives on its rep and should expect to be judged on their worst offenders.
I have nothing but the deepest admiration for my Alvarez. For a hybrid acoustic electric I think it's has amazing tone and build. Electronics are top notch as well, better than what's in my Ovation. What rep do they have that makes them bad?
 
joking, i don’t play acoustic anymore and your lucky alvarez was on my mind.

I have nothing but the deepest admiration for my Alvarez. For a hybrid acoustic electric I think it's has amazing tone and build. Electronics are top notch as well, better than what's in my Ovation. What rep do they have that makes them bad?
 
My GC is pretty good.....was just in there today actually. The store manager and a sales associated greeted me as I walked in (coincidence) but asked if they could help me find what what I was looking for. I knew what what I wanted and pointed at something, they asked if I could reach it, I said "No" and both were eager to help. I instead asked for a different salesman, a kid who has taken a lot of my money over the years, and they told me that he would be right with me after finishing up with a different customer. No problem. So I went back and waited for the salesman probably 5-10 minutes. Sure enough, he was just finishing up a sale.....and I wasn't in a hurry.

He turned around, saw me, shook my hand and asked what I was in for. I laughed....he laughed. There was a 2006 CU24 10 Top (Blood Orange) in mint condition hanging on the used rack.....way up high. He knew exactly why I was there. He took it down and while I played on it, he ran to the back to get the case so that we could verify contents. I wanted to verify that it had the trem bar (not a deal breaker really, but I had to ask). Turns out the case had a not only the bar, but all of the case candy, hang tags, some strap locks, and a strap as well. Score! I thought that the asking price was a bit high on a used CU24 10 Top, so I asked what kind of wiggle room they had. He went and spoke to the store manager. I saw them do a bit of computer work and talk some more. The manager came over to me and asked how I liked my previous purchases......especially about the Wood Library DGT from a year ago (he took my picture holding it when I bought it....strange....but it was probably a contest.) He then went and talked to my salesman, who returned with a much better offer. Several hundred off.....flat price......tax included. I was sold. NGD incoming!!!!

They made a profit, I saved money, everyone was happy. Store manager took my picture again. This picture thing is starting to freak me out a bit though. I want to think that it is for a contest or to prove the sale of an expensive/high end piece of gear.....but still.......

My GC has always treated me with respect. I go to the same salesman because he's cool, knowledgeable, extremely helpful, and one hell of a guitarist (he plays Kiesels though....boo!) I work from home, so I'm not always the best dressed person in the place. I bet most people think that I'm homeless as I don't shave/trim often and usually wear a t shirt, jeans, and whatever shoes are comfortable at the time. But the staff at my GC are usually cool.

I am one that likes to call/email comment lines. If I have great service, I call or email to make a comment. Bad service, same. Mediocre service......nothing. My wife and I were at iHop a few weeks ago and I scared the crap out of the person behind the register because I asked for our servers name, employee number, and their corporate contact info. Turns out, the guy behind the counter was the district manager who was working a shift to figure out some store issues. Our waiter was awesome. Took care of us as expected but when it was slow, he was busing and cleaning tables as well as refilling sugar packets and whatever else. He was more than earning his wage. So I sent an email and made a phone call praising him. It's the least that I can do beyond leaving a good tip.

Stepping off of my soap box for now......
 
My GC is pretty good.....was just in there today actually. The store manager and a sales associated greeted me as I walked in (coincidence) but asked if they could help me find what what I was looking for. I knew what what I wanted and pointed at something, they asked if I could reach it, I said "No" and both were eager to help. I instead asked for a different salesman, a kid who has taken a lot of my money over the years, and they told me that he would be right with me after finishing up with a different customer. No problem. So I went back and waited for the salesman probably 5-10 minutes. Sure enough, he was just finishing up a sale.....and I wasn't in a hurry.

He turned around, saw me, shook my hand and asked what I was in for. I laughed....he laughed. There was a 2006 CU24 10 Top (Blood Orange) in mint condition hanging on the used rack.....way up high. He knew exactly why I was there. He took it down and while I played on it, he ran to the back to get the case so that we could verify contents. I wanted to verify that it had the trem bar (not a deal breaker really, but I had to ask). Turns out the case had a not only the bar, but all of the case candy, hang tags, some strap locks, and a strap as well. Score! I thought that the asking price was a bit high on a used CU24 10 Top, so I asked what kind of wiggle room they had. He went and spoke to the store manager. I saw them do a bit of computer work and talk some more. The manager came over to me and asked how I liked my previous purchases......especially about the Wood Library DGT from a year ago (he took my picture holding it when I bought it....strange....but it was probably a contest.) He then went and talked to my salesman, who returned with a much better offer. Several hundred off.....flat price......tax included. I was sold. NGD incoming!!!!

They made a profit, I saved money, everyone was happy. Store manager took my picture again. This picture thing is starting to freak me out a bit though. I want to think that it is for a contest or to prove the sale of an expensive/high end piece of gear.....but still.......

My GC has always treated me with respect. I go to the same salesman because he's cool, knowledgeable, extremely helpful, and one hell of a guitarist (he plays Kiesels though....boo!) I work from home, so I'm not always the best dressed person in the place. I bet most people think that I'm homeless as I don't shave/trim often and usually wear a t shirt, jeans, and whatever shoes are comfortable at the time. But the staff at my GC are usually cool.

I am one that likes to call/email comment lines. If I have great service, I call or email to make a comment. Bad service, same. Mediocre service......nothing. My wife and I were at iHop a few weeks ago and I scared the crap out of the person behind the register because I asked for our servers name, employee number, and their corporate contact info. Turns out, the guy behind the counter was the district manager who was working a shift to figure out some store issues. Our waiter was awesome. Took care of us as expected but when it was slow, he was busing and cleaning tables as well as refilling sugar packets and whatever else. He was more than earning his wage. So I sent an email and made a phone call praising him. It's the least that I can do beyond leaving a good tip.

Stepping off of my soap box for now......

Mmm Blood Orange, nice!
 
I had a fairly good experience at the one on Las Vegas Blvd...

Yes, they're probably supposed to treat everybody the same but, are you going to dink around with a guy who wants to check out PRS PS when he obviously can't afford one?

...I'm just saying that I suspect nobody wants to waste their time on that guy when they're getting paid commission.

It's like hey, in the time that this dude demos 5 ridiculously expensive guitars that he won't buy, I'm missing out on sales commissions from 2 other customers who are buying their first ever guitars plus 2 more guys who have done the research, and just need help finding their next mid-level brand X guitar.

I think perhaps that may have been one reason why the sales rep I spoke with took time from his schedule to handle my questions about gear. When I first spoke with the rep, I stated why I was there (volume/tone pot cleaning; battery compartment check) and mentioned possibly purchasing an acoustic (given a specific price range) that would replace my Taylor (if I ever considered selling it).

Knowing my background purchase history with GC, I *think* I made the right choice by checking out several guitars for quality, feel, tone, balance, projection, weight, etc. Of all the guitars (IIRC, 7?) the Epiphone Masterbilt was the better (not best) of the guitars I checked out. Perhaps the sales reps felt confident that if they could make a sale, they might do so if my Taylor were ever to be placed on eBay or Reverb.

I have had nothing but good experience at my local GC. All the employees are helpful, enjoy talking about all the equipment and can play quite well. On a side note after a little time they start to give you better deals on equipment. Just my thoughts.

That was my feeling as well. Once you've built a customer relationship with them, GC is more likely to offer you better deals than say the average joe just in off the street. Perhaps that I'd not visited there in about 9 months time translated to them displaying kindness and attentiveness (a rare quality, sometimes) compared to things like TV high pressure sales tactics where it's almost impossible to focus on the fast-paced display ads we often see.

...So I went back and waited for the salesman probably 5-10 minutes. Sure enough, he was just finishing up a sale.....and I wasn't in a hurry.

...I thought that the asking price was a bit high on a used CU24 10 Top, so I asked what kind of wiggle room they had. He went and spoke to the store manager. I saw them do a bit of computer work and talk some more. The manager came over to me and asked how I liked my previous purchases......especially about the Wood Library DGT from a year ago (he took my picture holding it when I bought it....strange....but it was probably a contest.) He then went and talked to my salesman, who returned with a much better offer. Several hundred off.....flat price......tax included. I was sold. NGD incoming!!!!

...My GC has always treated me with respect. I go to the same salesman because he's cool, knowledgeable, extremely helpful, and one hell of a guitarist (he plays Kiesels though....boo!) I work from home, so I'm not always the best dressed person in the place. I bet most people think that I'm homeless as I don't shave/trim often and usually wear a t shirt, jeans, and whatever shoes are comfortable at the time. But the staff at my GC are usually cool.

I think because corporate likes to hear when their franchises are offering good customer service; providing positive feedback for good service helps businesses perform better. Let's think about this...if everywhere you went, you heard nothing but negative comments about someone, something, someplace, or some idea, wouldn't you feel a bit disheartened? This is my point: In this demanding world we live in, we expect to be treated well, but sometimes we feel entitled and perhaps, um, overly critical of others when we may feel an injustice has been done, or someone has wronged us.

Without being too self-serving, perhaps we need to remember that no one, or no business is perfect, and we all make errors from time to time. Small errors we might brush off, larger ones might require forgiveness.

It may not be that easy, but in today's world where we live with various pressures in life, sometimes forgiving small debts (like inattentive sales reps, or slow service on busier days) translates towards making the world a more peaceful and enjoyable place to live. Because the business world is a fast-paced, stressful place sometimes, we need to find time to nourish and exercise mind, body and spirit, so that we can remain strong in today's world.

That being said, praising good service and commenting spreads good feelings, while spreading negativity only tears down what was previously built up. If we can remember to be upbuilding towards one another, perhaps the "tearing down" need only occur if only something were prior to being renovated, repaired, or rebuilt.

Thanks for reading <stepping off soapbox> :)
 
I'm getting ready to attend guitar church once again. On Friday, GC has a grand opening of the first Hawaii store in Pearl Highlands on Oahu. It's already been soft opened, but Friday is their big day. It will be interesting to see how they operate. When I first arrived in Hawaii, I was irritated by the smaller chains and their "do not touch" signs woven in the strings. As more and more closed, they wondered why. Now, most all feature matching internet pricing, play what you want and hang as long as you wish, a complete GC model. The gist of the store is in the employees, what they know, how they interact, and how you walk out the door with wallet intact...I have heard that GC's on the mainland are cutting back on premium marks, and selling lower tier instruments, if they do that here, they have nothing to offer as most of the couple of chains already carry Epi, Squier, Michael Kelly etc. That's available, hopefully they bring something that isn't all the time. Dan's Guitars has the PRS lock, so I don't know what GC has to offer here just yet.
 
I'm getting ready to attend guitar church once again. On Friday, GC has a grand opening of the first Hawaii store in Pearl Highlands on Oahu. It's already been soft opened, but Friday is their big day. It will be interesting to see how they operate. When I first arrived in Hawaii, I was irritated by the smaller chains and their "do not touch" signs woven in the strings. As more and more closed, they wondered why. Now, most all feature matching internet pricing, play what you want and hang as long as you wish, a complete GC model. The gist of the store is in the employees, what they know, how they interact, and how you walk out the door with wallet intact...I have heard that GC's on the mainland are cutting back on premium marks, and selling lower tier instruments, if they do that here, they have nothing to offer as most of the couple of chains already carry Epi, Squier, Michael Kelly etc. That's available, hopefully they bring something that isn't all the time. Dan's Guitars has the PRS lock, so I don't know what GC has to offer here just yet.

I'm just glad that GC is still in its expansion-phase rather than closing its stores. That being said, our local GC did cut back on some of its operational hours in the morning (open at 10AM weekdays instead of 9AM, 11AM on weekends, and closing 9PM on weekdays instead of 10PM, closing 5 PM weekends instead of 7PM.) That business model may be have been in the works since GC corporate determined what peak hours most in-store business is conducted, and when people prefer to be at home behind their computers online.

Regards lower to mid priced guitars, I think the shift is now towards millennials who are already burdened with college debt and need alternatives instead of considering guitars as a collectible investment. The classic mantra (sadly) of today's world is that regards whatever property exists, be it intellectual property, or actual material goods, money is tight, and people will take what they can get from life. IOW, "beg, borrow or steal" or "rob Peter to pay Paul." Perhaps this is a cynical view, but more accurately, a practical viewpoint. And unfortunately, if one tries to teach people about reality, they're met with protests and the realization that we need to "be careful that roaring lion doesn't devour us altogether."

Good luck with guitar church. If Dan's Guitars in Hawaii is the only place you can find higher end PRSi, GC may hope to not compete with Dan's and simply find itself a lower to mid priced niche in the market. Which may prove successful, not detrimental over the long term. Time will tell.
 
The irony is that Dan's is not a glitzy shiny store. It's a small corner store at the corner of Beretania St. and the H-1 freeway, hardly a glamorous site. It's dusty, and crowded and stuffed with both new and used gear. The "premium" gear is in what resembles an acoustic room. It has a huge following here though due to what they sell...I will reiterate that when you Don't have a GC for decades you come to appreciate the abundance of choices and quality levels not achieved by those that had the lock for so long...
 
Back
Top