A visit to GC and some surprises

[rollypolly]

I visited a Chicago area GC while on a work trip and had some time to spare. Some guitars I was surprised by:

Martin 000 Macassar ebony HPL - surprisingly sweet tone and good playability. Almost wanted to buy it but the countertop feel and the weight told me no. Still , excellent guitar for the $.

Recording King RP7 Dirty Thirties parlor - used for $80, I tried to buy it. Had a loud and sweet tone, albeit boxy, but I really liked that guitar. GC wouldn't let me walk out with it since they are now under pawn shop rules so you have to wait a certain amount of time. Really disappointed in this as I've never heard of that at a GC.

Cort dreadnought ASE5 - deep sounding, great all wood binding and build quality. Really hung with higher end dreads. Plus it was only $600 used. I don't need another dread otherwise I'd consider that one.

Cordoba C5CE - great fusion type of classical. solid cedar top. It sounded and played like a 800-900 classical and it was only $200. Sadly again I couldn't buy it if wanted to.

Martin DM - I played this one for a bit and liked it. I think I preferred my Custom D and definitely prefer my D-18, but if I needed a Martin dread this one would be great.

A couple Eastman PCH GA guitars - low asking prices, but I didn't jive with these. They felt about like Taylor 114s. Nothing really special but could be good beater guitars.

Other high end Taylors and Martins were all locked up so I couldn't even try them and no employees ever asked if I wanted to.

All in all, GC, especially this particular one, kind of sucks. Empty and cluttered shelves, pawn shop rules, no high end boutique guitars and only a handful of decent Martins and Taylors. Still, I had a chance to tune up some of their acoustics for them since they were all way out. Got to jam a bit and talk to other players. So there's something to be said for that I guess.

[ish5]

I’ve never heard of pawn shop rules. What does that mean?

[rmp]

Pawn Shop Rules? hmm, Maybe they want to make sure it wasn't stolen before they resell it

[sinistral]

Originally Posted by ish5

I’ve never heard of pawn shop rules. What does that mean?

As I understand it, for used/trade-in items, they hold the item for a month before they can let the item out of the store. That way, if the item turns out to be stolen and the true owner reclaims it (e.g., files a police report, etc.), the item can be returned to the original owner and the trade-in sale rescinded. In the meantime, the item is out on the floor available for purchase, but subject to the one-month hold from the trade-in date.

I encountered this recently at a GC in the suburban NY area when I bought a used pedal. Not sure if it’s required by law (I haven’t encountered it at any other local stores), but it’s actually a good policy. It probably protects the store more than anything else, since a thief is likely to sell a stolen item some other way where the purchaser won’t put a hold on it.

[EllenGtrGrl]

Originally Posted by ish5

I’ve never heard of pawn shop rules. What does that mean?

It means there's a waiting period (typically a week and a half to 2 weeks) after a guitar (or any other item for that matter) has been pawned, or traded in, to make sure that it is not a stolen item (the determination is made via police notification that is sent out periodically about stolen items). During this time period, a guitar cannot be sold.

GC has been doing it for while. I can remember 10 plus years ago, putting a deposit down on a used Squier Stagemaster 7, 7-string guitar at a GC, but being told I would have to wait a couple of weeks to take it home, due to the very reason I mentioned above.

[erhino41]

They've been holding trade in and used guitars as long as I can remember here in maine. From what they say it's to root out any stolen gear and it's a state law.

[dilver]

In case you’ve never been, Chicago Music Exchange is a great guitar shop with lots of inventory and they are usually very chill about letting you try stuff without hassling you. I’ve seen the “pawn shop” rules in place at GC, too. Tags say “This item not for purchase until _/_/ _”

[619TF]

Originally Posted by dilver

In case you’ve never been, Chicago Music Exchange is a great guitar shop with lots of inventory and they are usually very chill about letting you try stuff without hassling you. I’ve seen the “pawn shop” rules in place at GC, too. Tags say “This item not for purchase until _/_/ _”

Exactly what I was thinking. You were in Chicago and went to GC? CME is the King there but there's quite a few great little Princes in that City as well. GC is the low rung and I'd only stop in if it were literally next to my hotel.

[Shortfinger]

Chicago metro is huge, the largest collection of municipalities in the country. I can certainly understand why if there on biz in, say, the Arlington Heights or Schaumburg area, where exists a GC, one would go there and not to the in-the-city shops like CME and Old Town School of Folk Music.

In daytime traffic, that could be an all-day round trip.

So, was it the one in Arlington Heights? I recall that one having a special room, a glass vault, for the very-high-end electrics, but the acoustics, even the $4,500 ones, were out and on the wall for all to access.

[619TF]

Originally Posted by Shortfinger

Chicago metro is huge, the largest collection of municipalities in the country. I can certainly understand why if there on biz in, say, the Arlington Heights or Schaumburg area, where exists a GC, one would go there and not to the in-the-city shops like CME and Old Town School of Folk Music.

In daytime traffic, that could be an all-day round trip.

So, was it the one in Arlington Heights? I recall that one having a special room, a glass vault, for the very-high-end electrics, but the acoustics, even the $4,500 ones, were out and on the wall for all to access.

Ah yes, missed that it said "Chicago area" and not the City itself. Still, both those stores are 25 to 30 miles from CME and absolutely worth the 40 minute ride outside the major traffic hours. Even a few hours in the car is worth it IMHO just for the experience that cannot be duplicated anywhere. To me a GC here is the same as a GC there or over there.

[Mark Stone]

Originally Posted by rollypolly

. . . All in all, GC, especially this particular one, kind of sucks . . . .

The GC in my city is outstanding. The staff are pro musicians and very friendly and helpful, shelves well-stocked, great choice of instruments, etc. I think there are good GCs, and poorly run GCs. My experience with El Paso, Tucson, ALB and Lubbock has been very good.

[RP]

If you're into guitars, going into any music shop including Guitar Center these days is like going on a blind date. Some of you seem to feel that you're going to meet your metaphorical soul mate every time you walk into the front door just because "guitar" is part of the store's name just as some of you probably think that every time you swipe left (or is it right?) you envision buying a home, raising children and growing old with that person. I'm guessing that if Forest's moma had played the guitar, she would have expanded her famous quote to include Guitar Center...

[Mark Stone]

Originally Posted by RP

If you're into guitars, going into any music shop including Guitar Center these days is like going on a blind date. Some of you seem to feel that you're going to meet your metaphorical soul mate every time walk into the front door just because "guitar" is part of the store's name just as some of you probably think that every time you swipe left (or is it right?) you envision buying a home, raising children and growing old with that person. I'm guessing that if Forest's moma had played the guitar, she would have expanded her famous quote to include Guitar Center...

But . . . . but . . . . .(bursts into tears)

[CASD57]

I tried to buy a pedal from them a couple years ago and they needed to wait for 30 days...
So it's been affect for a while now... Oh and it was used..So that might be it

[docwatsonfan]

Recording King RP7 Dirty Thirties parlor - used for $80, I tried to buy it. Had a loud and sweet tone, albeit boxy, but I really liked that guitar. GC wouldn't let me walk out with it since they are now under pawn shop rules so you have to wait a certain amount of time. Really disappointed in this as I've never heard of that at a GC.

I'm surprised they did not let you buy it then and there, and pick it up after the wait period

I've bought many guitars from GC that I had to wait to pick up at a later date

Maybe it has changed, but 10 days seems the norm here , at GC and a local store that I consign with.....