Community: Isn't Guitar Center Fun?

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47 Replies Last post: Sep 2, 2009 8:57 AM by ndonato 1 2 3 4 Previous Next

Karl_Houseknecht

1,033 posts since
Jan 25, 2007

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Jul 14, 2009 12:21 PM

Isn't Guitar Center Fun?

I stopped by on my lunch hour to just to fool around and see what they had in the used section. I saw a used JVM210H there and thought I'd give it a run with a nice looking used LP Studio. With head/cab combos I always check to see if the cab is properly hooked up because 9 times out of 10, it isn't. This was no exception. The speaker cable was hooked to 16 ohm on the head and 4 ohm on the cab. So I fixed that.

Turned it on, warmed it up and kept the master volume way down. Went off standby and it was quiet. Really quiet. Turned up the master a little more. Still very quiet. Turned up the channel volume halfway. Still quiet. Turned up the master to 5. Still lower than bedroom level. Really? For a 100 watt tube head?

Sales dood said he didn't think there was anything wrong with the head. Really? I turned up all volumes to max. Still lower than bedroom level. Well, he said, maybe the tubes are bad but it still sounds decent. Really? I have distortion pedals that sound better than this.

Bottom line, don't believe a thing a GC employee tells you. Especially about used gear.

Line6Miller

5,081 posts since
Mar 28, 2006

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1. Jul 14, 2009 1:01 PM

in response to: Karl_Houseknecht

Re: Isn't Guitar Center Fun?

I wouldn't worry too much about it. Chances are, that kid will be gone next week anyway...

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pbear5

266 posts since
Jan 25, 2007

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2. Jul 14, 2009 1:24 PM

in response to: Karl_Houseknecht

Re: Isn't Guitar Center Fun?

wow, so just think what a deal that Fender Frontman 15 is--it's way louder than that Marshall 1/2-stack and a lot less money.

i have one: i was pretty hot for a used Jackson but noticed that the neck was loose. I took it over to the "tech" guy (the one with the screwdriver) and told him that I think the neck is loose and asked him to tighten it. as he is tightening it i could tell that he stripped one of the holes out but he just finished the job and handed it back to me. so, back to the Used wall for that little number.

generally i don't mind the Guitar Center guys around here. they may not have every technical detail down (although there are some tech gems that i've come across) but they are generally fun to talk to.

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Karl_Houseknecht

1,033 posts since
Jan 25, 2007

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3. Jul 14, 2009 1:33 PM

in response to: pbear5

Re: Isn't Guitar Center Fun?

Yep, some aren't bad. But I find that most tend to know very little about the gear they are selling. Now, if it was me, and if it was my job, I'd be on the Internet researching the gear and reading reviews in my spare time. Then I'd be trying it out when things weren't busy at the store. I just can't imagine being a salesperson that doesn't know the product.

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ratiug1611

2 posts since
Jul 12, 2009

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4. Jul 14, 2009 2:40 PM

in response to: Karl_Houseknecht

Re: Isn't Guitar Center Fun?

Probably why they had it hooked up to 4 ohms because that is the hardest the amp could work, but it is ok to hook up a 16 ohm cab to 4 ohms on the amp it will run a little hotter but GC does have alot of employees that dont know ohms if they went to school on it..They just want a quick sale.I have went to GC and looked at a head and cab and noticed it was hooked up to the wrong ohms match many of times...

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DarkZenGuitar

327 posts since
Apr 10, 2007

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5. Jul 14, 2009 5:54 PM

in response to: Karl_Houseknecht

Re: Isn't Guitar Center Fun?

Wow. Maybe the tubes are bad....ya think? Seriously, what the hell is wrong with people? Do they really think we are all a bunch of clueless, rich idiots?

That's what I can't stand about GC. It's insulting. "What you really need is...." "oh, that...yeah, well I guess, but you should really be using..."

I think every employee of GC should have a badge with 1)their name, 2) the name of their band 3) their instrument of choice, 4) years of playing and finally 5) how many shows they've played.

That way when Stuart, Raging Enemas, guitar, 4 , 3 comes up to you, you know what you're dealing with.

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Slingy

197 posts since
Jan 25, 2007

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6. Jul 15, 2009 1:04 AM

in response to: Karl_Houseknecht

Re: Isn't Guitar Center Fun?

My local GC recently had a massive fire that destroyed alot of gear. Some kind of electrical fire for sure, not sure what they did wrong.

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chemikiller

4 posts since
Jun 9, 2007

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7. Jul 15, 2009 2:35 AM

in response to: Karl_Houseknecht

Re: Isn't Guitar Center Fun?

I have friend who works there. He says it's pure hell.

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toneman2121

550 posts since
Oct 15, 2006

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8. Jul 15, 2009 9:33 AM

in response to: chemikiller

Re: Isn't Guitar Center Fun?

i got my amp from gc used. luuuuv it. knock on wood

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supertacks

169 posts since
Jul 25, 2008

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9. Jul 15, 2009 9:39 AM

in response to: toneman2121

Re: Isn't Guitar Center Fun?

I had a friend who worked for GC in the Twin Cities area a few years ago. Said it was the worst job ever.

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guitars69

52 posts since
Jan 27, 2007

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10. Jul 15, 2009 10:19 AM

in response to: supertacks

Re: Isn't Guitar Center Fun?

A couple years back someone drove a truck through the PRS section wall and made off with a bunch of gear. I don't believe they ever caught them.

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Septemfluous

302 posts since
Sep 4, 2006

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11. Jul 15, 2009 1:22 PM

in response to: Karl_Houseknecht

Re: Isn't Guitar Center Fun?

Yeah, I once had a GC employee argue with me that my bass only had 6 strings on it (sight unseen mind you). I made him count to 7 with me. What a tool.

I don't go to GC very often. What with my guitars (even my acoustic) and my basses having 7 strings, GC has very little to nothing I want or need.

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pbear5

266 posts since
Jan 25, 2007

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12. Jul 15, 2009 5:32 PM

in response to: guitars69

Re: Isn't Guitar Center Fun?

classic--$50K worth of PRS guitars laying in splinters so some a$$wipe can snatch a truckbed full of Fender Starter Packs.

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aaron__aardvark

411 posts since
Jan 25, 2007

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13. Jul 15, 2009 9:20 PM

in response to: supertacks

Re: Isn't Guitar Center Fun?

On the average, I go to a Guitar Center/Sam Ash every couple of months. I rarely see the same employee twice working there. If I had to work at Guitar Center, I think all of the noise would drive me insane!

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pbear5

266 posts since
Jan 25, 2007

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14. Jul 17, 2009 11:55 AM

in response to: aaron__aardvark

Re: Isn't Guitar Center Fun?

yeah, if i were giving guitar lessons i think i would hang out at guitar center and hand out my business card.

i sort of like the Apple Store model with the geniuses--i also like the name/stats tag idea but that might get a little confrontational. anyone can help me with a set of strings but choosing a pair of active monitors is a different story.

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