The Electra Forums

Guitar center put Another small chain of music stores out of business. Henri's music of Oshkosh, Appleton and Green bay W.I. were the latest victim's. I have a heavy heart for the staff who are now out of A job.

Sucks.

I really love the old mom & pop shops, where 70% of the stock is used trade-in gear. That's where you see interesting gear, and that's where you find great deals.

When I walk into a Guitar Center, I look around and there is very little that's worth looking at.

Guitar Center is winning the race to the bottom.

I love living in a town that is known for putting out popular music (Tom Petty, Sister Hazel, Less Than Jake, Against Me!, etc), but that has always been nothing but mom and pop style music shops. No Guitar Center for 50 miles, no Sam Ash for 100 or so, and Best Buy's music section is small enough that it doesn't hurt anyone's business. I'll stick to Lipham's and Tim and Terry's.

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Who needs a Fender Jazz when you can get a perfectly good Spectrum bass for $50?

Count yourself lucky. Sam Ash started out as a mom and pop here in NYC and has turned into the shop from hell. I live one mile from the nearsest Sam Ash and 10 from the nearest Guitar Center but the latter still gets what business I have (mostly stings and cords). The closest Mom and Pop closed last year.

40 people lost jobs. Sum exlent tech's with no place to go for 50 miles.now i feel guilty for getting them to lower the price from 150.00 to 100.00 on my 935CS

We have 3 mom and pops and a Guitar Center in the area, but the Mom and Pop's aren't doing so well. One of them (we'll call it #1) lost all their major lines and the original owner bought the store back from the people he sold it two a just a few years ago. Basically, it went belly up and the original owner got it back probably because of the contract he had with them. The other one (#2) had lots of fender stock because GC had moved in close to them and they sell tons of fender gear. When fender hit up store #2 they to buy tons more fender gear, they has a store full and couldn't buy what fender wanted them too. So fender goes to store #1 and sells him a whole store full. I suppose no one will make any profit on fenders around here for a while with three stores stocked up and the best buy selling the cheap stuff (incidentally, most stores make their money on the cheap stuff, they used to sell beginner kits during the holidays and lessons shortly thereafter - but not any longer).

The third store? They are hanging in there, specializing in lessons and have lines they gained when store #1 collapsed. They really don't sell any big line guitars at all really, almost everything under a $1000. They didn't have a major amp line either until they picked up PV and Mesa from store #1's collapse. Still - GC sells most of that too.

I HATE it when you go into GC and there are 10 guys playing drop tuned guitars, probably half of them with EMGs (Chug, chug, chug, chug, odd harmonic, chug, chug, chug). Yes, 10 different things going on at once. More percussive than anything else. They should just program those chugs to a set of electronic drum heads for drummer. I am amazingly tolerant for about 10 minutes, after that I want to strangle someone.

I don't shop much at any local store, not much. Truthfully I generally buy sell and trade online. But if I need something immediately or am impatient, I get it locally. I have seen new stuff sell REALLY CHEAP there after it has been on the shelf for a year or so. I appreciate that GC does stock a lot of guitar parts that some other stores around here don't (general stuff, but when you need a set of knobs you need them). The guys working at mine are nice and send me a lot of amp repair business. I try to fix them up if they need anything and I can help. I can't see all 4 stores staying open much longer though. One will just about have to fold, maybe even two. One will stay open just because people will take lessons.

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Thorny