Times is hard...bad experience!!

[dnf777]

Like a few others, Im confused here on several points. But in general, Im noticing a huge shift from in-person transactions to web-based or phone sales. Seems like brick-n-mortar markets are just not the profitable business model moving forward. Almost every fast food joint around is “re-modeling” encouraging self-service, self pay, kiosk based check out. Sorry for my “back when I was a kid” moment.

[Jim Owen]

Originally Posted by bsman

This is the classic definition of the difference between, say Guitar Center, and Gryphon Stringed instruments in my neck of the woods.

I wish I lived near Gryphon. They are class.

[KevWind]

My understanding was he is keeping the #2 nd guitar, and was wanting to sell the Collins back to the store.

But didn't believe/agree that it needed either a setup or "repair".

Then he decided to consign it, but had to insist that the store not do the setup and "repair"

And then it took two hours for the store to come up with an "as is" consignment price .

Of all of it,,,, the two hours would have frosted my behind, and I would have been Gone Jonson at a 1/2 an hour or so.

[Songbook19]

Are we not allowed to mention this “major major” guitar store by name? I hope it’s not the one associated with, say, oh I don’t know, a guy named George?

I’m still looking for “the one” and am prepared to spend a boatload of cash to find her. I don’t expect to be treated as a VIP but do expect to be treated as if they want my business. After all the good things I’ve heard about a certain well-known Nashville guitar store I’m now a little disillusioned at the prospect of driving 600 miles and not have a good experience.

[KevWind]

Originally Posted by Songbook19

Are we not allowed to mention this “major major” guitar store by name? I hope it’s not the one associated with, say, oh I don’t know, a guy named George?

I’m still looking for “the one” and am prepared to spend a boatload of cash to find her. I don’t expect to be treated as a VIP but do expect to be treated as if they want my business. After all the good things I’ve heard about a certain well-known Nashville guitar store I’m now a little disillusioned at the prospect of driving 600 miles and not have a good experience.

Wow 600 miles. ? Are there no closer places to shop ?
I have not been to Nashville for a number of years but when I was there I checked out a number of shops and Frankly GG was the least appealing. The good news is There are a fair good number of great guitar shops in Nashville

Check this out Sept. 2021 article from Acoustic Guitar Mag.
https://acousticguitar.com/does-nash...n-the-country/

[frankmcr]

Some stores are less enthusiastic about handling consignments than others.

[$ongWriter]

Originally Posted by sinistral

You’re right that it’s unclear whether the OP decided to sell the Collings or guitar #2—and it’s also unclear whether the OP bought guitar #2 at the same shop where he purchased the Collings—but the way I read the post, the shop that the OP is disappointed with is the shop that sold him the Collings, which by definition would not be a Guitar Center. Perhaps the OP will chime back in to clarify.

Correct...took the Collings back to the shop that sold it to me "new". Kept the "other" guitar that took it's place that I got at Lowes...which...had AMAZING OVER THE TOP "on the phone" CUSTOMER SERVICE!!!!

[Tnfiddler]

GG is my LEAST favorite guitar store ANYWHERE! I’d rather shop at Guitar Center than darken the doorway of that place. I don’t want to do business somewhere that doesn’t show one bit of interest in their customers and doesn’t care if they sell you a guitar or not. The Music Outlet in Sevierville is totally different! Carter’s Vintage is totally different! I LOVE both of those stores. Happy and friendly customer service is greatly appreciated. Arrogant and condescending is not.

[Guilty Spark]

Speaking of customer service, I want to take this opportunity to make good on a promise I recently made to Philadelphia Luthier Tools (I have no affiliation whatsoever):

I'm working up one of the current, cheap electric guitars from Amazon because I had an itch I needed to scratch (unplugged and sold off my electric gear over a decade ago to finance my new acoustic hobby). The guitar is, amazingly enough, very serviceable for what it is with some relatively minor tweaking and upgrades. I'm having a ball working on it, btw. For the hang of it I decided to put a custom truss rod cover on it, and PLT is one of the few places I could find that does a TRC with your signature. Kenny from PLT worked with me and I put my order in. Not long after I submitted my order, I noticed that you could get a second TRC for almost half the price of the first. I dropped Kenny a note asking to add the second TRC to the order (it struck me that it would amp up my Yamaha 12-string a few decibels). Kenny said "I'll just work up another one and throw it in for nothin'."

I told Kenny - in light of a growing number of instances such as that experienced by the OP (amongst other majorly pressing issues in this world.....) - that he renewed some of my lost faith in my fellow man. Accordingly, I also told him I'd do him the solid of publicly recognizing - wherever and whenever possible - his exceptional generosity and customer service. This was a totally unsolicited pledge on my part.

So, Kenny? This Bud's for you, Holmes!

[Songbook19]

Originally Posted by KevWind

Wow 600 miles. ? Are there no closer places to shop ?
I have not been to Nashville for a number of years but when I was there I checked out a number of shops and Frankly GG was the least appealing. The good news is There are a fair good number of great guitar shops in Nashville

Check this out Sept. 2021 article from Acoustic Guitar Mag.
https://acousticguitar.com/does-nash...n-the-country/

Yes, there are, but I've been salivating over one of GG's custom 0000 sinker mahoganies and my wife's always wanted to see the old Ryman and the Opry. Figure we'd take a week or two and hit CME, Sweetwater, and Reno's on the way down to Nashville and then head up to Maury's (it's nice being retired ).

Appreciate the link.

[Jim in TC]

Originally Posted by Songbook19

Yes, there are, but I've been salivating over one of GG's custom 0000 sinker mahoganies and my wife's always wanted to see the old Ryman and the Opry. Figure we'd take a week or two and hit CME, Sweetwater, and Reno's on the way down to Nashville and then head up to Maury's (it's nice being retired ).

Appreciate the link.

Once you get to Sweetwater, you are not all that far from Elderly Instruments in Lansing, MI...might want to add it to the travel plans.

[Mr. Jelly]

I don't get it. It's to the point that you feel like you have to be grateful to do business with someone. Well, I'm not. I just sent emails to a Reverb seller and a store site web page and haven't received any response. And this isn't the first time this has happened to me with various sellers. Of course, I will not do business with them.

[6L6]

Originally Posted by bsman

This is the classic definition of the difference between, say Guitar Center, and Gryphon Stringed instruments in my neck of the woods.

THIS ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^ ^

[tbeltrans]

Originally Posted by dnf777

Like a few others, Im confused here on several points. But in general, Im noticing a huge shift from in-person transactions to web-based or phone sales. Seems like brick-n-mortar markets are just not the profitable business model moving forward. Almost every fast food joint around is “re-modeling” encouraging self-service, self pay, kiosk based check out. Sorry for my “back when I was a kid” moment.

Interesting how that transition occurred. When I was growing up back in the 50s and 60s, buying from the Sears and Wards catalogs was commonplace. Then, we moved on to shopping at the stores, and then as the internet matured, we are essentially back to catalog shopping again.

All too often, I read here in these forums of the bad experiences people are having buying from ebay, to a lesser extent reverb and individual sellers, and all the shipping issues. Yet despite that, folks just continue doing it. Maybe they are hoping that they will be the fortunate buyer among the various train wrecks. These are sad and aggravating situations to be sure, and I do feel for those folks, but these also serve as warnings for the rest of us who have not gone that route yet. For me, all those tales of woe are enough red flags to keep me from trying those long distance guitar purchases.

Tony

[YeOldRocker]

Another back-in-my day truth was - without the internet and forums - we generally only learned about guitars through other musicians, friends, album covers and the occasional guitar-oriented magazine. We generally bought from whatever music store was within driving (or, in the city, walking/train) distance, and the selections were relatively few. And it never occurred to (me) at the time that this was a problem

We tend to idealize earlier times because they were, undoubtedly, simpler; I even miss pre-cable/internet television on occasion because almost everyone across the country was watching the same three channels. And with all the available shows and movies now, I still have trouble finding something to watch. But I digress...

There's no excuse for poor service, and there never was, but maybe if these stores hired better people and paid them more for their knowledge and service, we wouldn't have these experiences. The fact that many of us have better service relationships with mostly online music store salesman says a lot about why the big-box stores are going under.