How Big Box Stores Could Bankrupt a Guitar Manufacture

Baxter and Jonathan discuss how closely the guitar manufactures rely on the big box retail. When stores like GC or Sweetwater get into trouble it spells disaster for everyone in the industry. Will the builders like Fender and Gibson have to dump inventory to other places like Walmart just to liquidate unsold inventory? Who knows?

[@sparkletune]

The best thing I’ve done is to stop thinking about big vs small. I went to Casino on a trip. Had a disappointing visit, which really bummed me out because I like your channel and was excited to visit. I tend to buy older gear or higher-end items, but don’t like to play anything if I’m not buying that day. I ended up making the purchase ($4500) was made at Guitar Center in Boston. The easiest purchase I’ve done in years. The guitar was locked behind glass and was set up nicely, and the salesperson lowered the price a bit. I didn’t even ask for a discount. Usually, I’ll just say “can you do anything for me on the price?”, as having worked in two small stores in my life. I was shocked about making a purchase like this at a big store. A big part of my trip, which was for work, had been to visit Casino and make a purchase. I didn’t feel welcome in the shop, being someone who just wanted to try two particular guitars and buy one. If I’m ever in the area maybe I’ll try you out again, as a bad experience can happen anywhere but I’ve lost my bias against the big boxes. I agree to about stock not being great in some GC/SA stores, but the larger cities tend to have a great selection. My last purchase before that was at the Dallas show in 2021 which was a '68 ES-355 (factory mono/factory Bigsby) and it was an amazing experience. I dealt with a guy named Junior from Jimmy Wallace Guitars who was fantastic, despite it being a guitar show. My big purchase since the GC purchase was at Fall Philidelphia where I bought a nice Gibson EB-2 from 1965, again a small dealer, and had really great service. Jimmy Wallace was at Philidelphia and the people at the booth were really nice and seemed genuinely happy that I had bought a guitar from them in TX and I hope to buy something else from them someday. I say don’t support the indie shops just because they’re indie. I say shop at the store that treats you right and wants your business. Not the store where you're going to get a condescending attitude from a salesperson (wasn't either of you) because of your East Coast accent. I love buying guitars from passionate people and while I like supporting a local business when I purchase from a Guitar Center I'm also keeping someone that lives in my community employed. I say support the businesses that make you feel valued and don't let size distract from the fact that all customers should be treated with the same respect they show you and your staff. The whole 'support the small shops or they'll be gone' thing has some truth to it, but if the clerk is rude do yourself a favor and give the kid at Sam Ash or GC your business. Also, to the people looking to buy guitars, do yourself a favor and take a trip to one of the bigger shows. It's a great experience and a wonderful way to meet the people behind the websites. Plus I've found the pricing to be very fair. You're not going to steal anything but you'll get a fair price, the dealer will make some money and you can make friendships and relationships with businesses you can trust. As a business owner myself I do my best to make sure my stakeholders feel valued. That means anyone we interact with - from the people we do projects with to the people who inquire and don't become customers to the people who deliver our food and packages. It's not about big or small (and I'm small), it's about respect.

[@DDPAV]

I remember in the 80's buying from several "mom-and-pop" stores in my area and they were all complete assholes. Absolutely jacked up the prices and "if you don't like it try finding it somewhere else". Then Musicians Friend and Guitar Center moved in and all the mom-and-pops cried all the way to "going out of business" sales and bemoaned the "little guys" being forced out of business. Hard to get behind the idea of the independents are the good guys sometimes when a lot of their problems are self-induced. No doubt there's some good ones out there but they're in the minority from my jaded experience over 40 years......

[@reverendg5937]

I remember those days as young kid. I couldn't wait for Guitar Center or Sam Ash was closer to me than Chicago. I remember when the Mom & Pop's Stores Closed up, a lot of them. Pendulum always swings to extremes both ways. Capitalism isn't perfect. It was designed to with a major flaw. Major Manufacturers got greedy & now are paying the price. Mom & Pop Stores are owned and operated by your neighbors. GC & Sam Ash are corporations that only care about the bottom line & not your community. Think About It.

[@smallfaucet]

I whole heartedly agree!! The 'I'm waaay cooler than you' vibe is an instant NO GO for me at any store! My worst time was a Guitar Center: I went in prepared to buy an ENTIRE drum set, cymbals included......(4-5K) is what I was expecting to spend that day.........the drum guy was just SO daft!! I left and never went back! But yes, it's very off putting when you're treated like shit. I don't blame the big stores for coming in and putting the small ones out in the cold.

[@R.L.Humpert]

I love watching your videos daily before work. You guys are really awesome. Don’t ever stop. God bless you guys!

[@ericsmith7287]

YES! Support your local shops. Of course it would be nice if your local shop carried actual name brands, but then again that goes back to the manufacturer making it so they can't afford it. It's BS frankly. Maybe brands like Fender would also be wise not rebrand old models and flood the market with them as new models.

[@matthewtucker1699]

in my experience it's the hole in the wall shops that carry good stuff, you gotta find a tiny place where maybe 1-2 people work and ask "what do you have in the back?" and more often than not the big bucks start coming out. it also helps if you're a decent player, it makes them trust you more with the good gear.

[@caiusmadison2996]

See, I'm of the belief that it can still be done. I was thinking small shoppers myself, but I myself make a guitar that can be sent to smaller, but hip/cool shops. Sorta like how Guild was, but keep doing it essentially. Or Surh, they all kinda did this. Hamer for instance... all these makers where a guitar shop with a wicked good custom maker in house that blew up, well, I'd just not blow up beyond a certain point. Keep same peeps till it's time to train a Gen 2, and so on, amd so on. Stay the Rickenbacker course.

[@popskustom7382]

So true! My local shop is a town away and sells Cort guitars. Nothing wrong with Cort, but it’s not a household name. Yes, they manufacture everything under the sun, but I don’t want a Cort branded guitar. I want a PRS, Gibson, Fender. Shame that the buy ins are so out of reach. Hell, even Casino can’t buy into Gibson.

[@bendevito2013]

I agree.

[@francischang]

I want to, but in my experience I get way better treatment at the big stores (GC, Sam Ash, Sweetwater) than I do at local stores. Like about half the time I get a cold shoulder treatment. Dunno if it's a racism thing or what.

[@jmaripen]

I get my stuff in a small shop here in Mississauga called The Guitar Shop in Port Credit. I love supporting the smaller players who also employ very friendly and accommodating staff. I would love to drop by your store when I get a chance to visit NC. Thanks for my morning dose of Casino Guitars rambling, gentlemen. Much love to you guys!

[@mikebaird6788]

What's good about the small shops in your town most of them do layaway

[@BAMozzy69]

Its a question of Supply and Demand. If there is little/no demand for a 'brand' then it will not sell regardless. If Big Box stores are in trouble, that is more indicative of a 'low' demand across the industry as a whole - which in specialist cases, like Music shops which are 'not' vital/essential in financially difficult times, probably suffer before other big box stores that sell vital/essential goods like food. Builders like Fender & Gibson can 'suffer' as the demand for their product drops but they keep churning out instruments, then they may well struggle because they are over producing, making more instruments than they can sell and tying up their money in 'stock' that few want due to lack of demand. Manufacturers are also not competing with all the other manufacturers producing similar instruments - some a lot cheaper than others (Asian imports for example) - but also the 'used' market. If there is a sudden surge in used gear on the market (people selling to recuperate money in difficult times) and the market is 'flooded' with cheaper 'used' Fenders/Gibsons, then people buy those instead so the 'new' stock keeps building up as they keep making 'new' instruments so supply outpaces demand... PRS tend to make guitars that have been ordered so are only fulfilling orders rather than making guitars to sell to stores hoping they need 'stock'. The guitars they are building are already 'sold' to a store/person so if the 'orders' slow down, they catch up on their orders and reduce the 'wait' time which may well see them through 'Lulls' in demand and then not also have 'overstock' either...

[@216trixie]

". "

[@johnsmith-ug5tp]

Also they spit in our faces last year when they raised guitar and amp prices after they had record sales for 2 years. Because of it, I didn't buy a Gibson LP, a Fender strat and a PRS CE. The greedy gall of them. I just noticed the PRS CE line went up another 300 bucks for a total of 500 bucks in 1 year. Go bleep yourselves. 🖕

[@steveclark6514]

Guys, love your content!!!! Driving next week from Fla back Home to Baltimore and am gonna try and stop by and check out your shop.

[@bobflair]

It was the greatest sale ever! Grabbed a Squire vintage vibe 50's Tele and Jazzmaster for $298 each shipped....

[@alanlevesque7180]

I got a jazz bass!

[@martianmurray]

I got a jaguar. Wish I had waited to get the Jazzmaster I got last month.

[@johnsmith-ug5tp]

I got a squier classic vibe 50`s strat for 250. but it's going back because the 5 way switch is broken, the first fret is bent and the bridge and neck pickups are tilted forward and sound like bleep. When something is too good to be true it usually is. The one I bought a year ago was perfect with zero issues.

[@Hoodpow]

@@johnsmith-ug5tp Interesting. I ordered one on the 5th and haven’t received a shipping confirmation. Made me wonder why one color was cheaper than the other.

[@johnsmith-ug5tp]

@@Hoodpow It will probably be a while before you see it. They sold out what they had in stock. They asked if I wanted a replacement, but then said, we are all out of stock and they couldn't give a time when they would be able to ship replacement.

[@Smart-Alex]

I don’t really have a local shop near me to support but I like big box for two reasons: choice and no-hassle returns. I rarely return but it sometimes happens and I just want it to be easy and without guilt.

[@TheBoboMaker]

Love the hats off to Andertons, one of my fav channels.

[@CKS64]

Very informative. Great video. Thanks for your honesty.

[@jgm911t]

New guitar player been playing a month, love your videos, very entertaining with my coffee in the morning. Bought a Squier Affinity Deluxe Telecaster to start. Told the wife next guitar I'm traveling down to your store to buy one, hope you can help me out with something cool. Thanks

[@johnwashburn3793]

I actually took a day off of my vacation last Friday to drive 4 hours (8 in total) just to visit your store, best day of the trip! Beautiful place and James is excellent!

[@misterreality]

I’d shop local, but my stores are difficult about returns. That’s the benefit to GC or Sam Ash - no questions asked. I understand why, and I know I’m not helping, but if I’m plunking 2000 bucks on a piece of gear I can’t figure out in 20 minutes in a store. Nothing is the same, so having a no question asked return policy is mandatory for big ticket items.

[@FenderGreg]

A good lesson on how box stores can ruin a business is Walmart and Vlasic pickles. They put 1 gallon jars on sale in the front of their stores, customers bought and didn't need pickles for the rest of the year resulting in Vlasic having Mass layoffs and bankruptcy

[@charlesbolton8471]

Didn’t Walmart also insist on paying Vlasic below their cost for item? Vlasic agreed to Walmart’s terms because Walmart bought other items that were profitable for Vlasic.

[@savethedandelions]

just based on the wall behind you guys in any given video, you're mom and pop shop slays what's left in my city.

[@johnwashburn3793]

I was just there last Friday. It is like best independent shop that I have seen in years. I'm from kcmo and WA only 4 hours away, so...why not?

[@jaygallamore562]

Good video, I have learned a lot from both of you about how the business of guitar stores work. I always try and support my local store - they are great. I just bought an amp from them. Sometimes they don’t have or cannot get within a reasonable amount of time what I am looking for. Sweetwater usually has what I want, is fairly priced, and has awesome customer service. Competition in the marketplace is healthy; hopefully the big manufacturers will keep a somewhat level playing field and recognize stores both small and large are needed.

[@glennpace9783]

Absolutely...buy local for everything you can. Support small business and your community. Great episode, boys!

[@Tony_Leonardi.]

Your on my vacation list I will come for a visit

[@comajoebuck999]

Digging your new opening, BTW!

[@cristyf5431]

I support our local shops even though the best one closed years ago. I think the local shops should band together in some sort of co-op to increase their buying power and help get around this situation.

[@williamnichols6253]

My only 'local guitar shop' is guitar center

[@magoowholoo567]

'Be Kind, Rewind'. with Mos Def & Jack Black. Should check it out Baxter. Thanks for the videos.

[@RoadKing-ky2bs]

I always thought that Jonathan looks like singer Rob "The Bear" Hite of Canned Heat from the Woodstock era. 😉😎

[@alanpettibone]

Goes back to my old adage… FGC… I hate that these manufacturers have such huge minimum orders for the independent shops. Makes it so hard to find and buy what I actually want at the little guys.

[@joshuafox2199]

I love Sweetwater but I always try to shop with local shops when I can. Several of my recent purchases have been either direct with a small shop that has an online store or via their reverb shop. In many cases, I’d find a shop on reverb then reach out to them direct if they had something I was looking for, from pickups to tuners to instruments.

[@smallfaucet]

I like SW too.....and small shops around in my area are just 'too fawking cool' to be helpful or even make a sale.......that's a big turn off. I'd rather buy supplies at a computer store.

[@keomo]

14:46 Totally agree... man, lots of guitarista flavour on the KZbins!

[@brettmarlar4154]

Actually there were only three movies of the Divergent series. The fourth book was just the same events as in the other books just from the point of view of Four.

[@JoeKyser]

I did take advantage of the sale and picked up a bunch. I know I can stuff them and sell them later. At the least I can help some kids out. I did get a couple to give away

[@Emas4646]

Nothing beats the smell of a small local guitar shop. 😜🎸

[@jorgeu111]

specially when they don't clean too much

[@Emas4646]

@@jorgeu111 😬

[@scottkidwellmusic9175]

Thanks, y'all 🙏 Not a fan of the big box stores, prefer to shop local when I can. Little known fact about the Rocky movies is that the only one not to feature Sylvester Stallone was the "Rocky Horror Picture Show" 😂🤣😂

[@Jasper_Yay636]

Not that dang Pete! Arr, arr, arr. Good fellas all y’all. Semper Fi

[@bryantwalley]

In one of the previous videos, you discussed how you had to order things way out in advance to be able to have things available to sell and that you were even doing it during the time when the government was shutting things down so that you would still have stock. Is it possible that the retailers all had been doing the same thing and that the big manufacturers like Fender and Gibson just decided to ship all their orders at once forcing them to decline it? How does that all play out? Did they do that with yours also? Maybe a topic for a video? Did F&G even discuss it with you all?

[@sauce_aux]

I hope this means that local ships can maybe stock up on some “product” for a much lower wholesale, and maybe use this, what seems to be like a guitar flood, to bolster up their roots some more. I might just be stupid, but there could be a silver lining to this, where the manufacturers may have to fork some of the difference, but smaller shops can pick and choose from what may become an auction lot of guitars the “Triad” doesn’t want haha

[@azt3ca]

Major brands and retailers are playing a very dangerous game right now. They’re inflating the prices forgetting past history, musical instruments are a bit of a different animal than most goods. It is more susceptible to fluctuations based on economic situation, trends etc. I’m old enough to have seen these cycles in the past 30 years, if you look back to 2014, guitars were just sitting in shops for years… The backlash of these absurd prices on fender and Gibson, let alone the outrageous prices of current custom shop models, is that guitars will start to sit again (this started to happen in the past months or so). I just want to see how they’re gonna slice the prices by 40% on new stock, and specially how customers that payed the full price will react to that. That’s just bad practice and I believe it will damage brands overall. Retail is already at a tricky situation, I don’t want to imagine when the sales curve start to sink.

[@georgespencer3973]

"Why do we save our empty bottles? What are we going to do?" LOL

[@willisjefferson5886]

Just found you dudes, really enjoyable video. I have been buying Eastwoods Guitars recently and under a grand the builds from Malaysia are really decent. I love MIM Tele's. I think the Box stores will be gone, Guitar Center I went in recently and all the guitars necks are sticky and nothing I'd want. I like buying crummy guitars and have my tech make em play great. I am not a collector and I love weird shit. Thanks for doing these videos, Really think you guys are cool

[@pierheadjump]

⚓️ Thanks Casino 😎

[@georgeberger9546]

All true, of course. But down the line-for those of us who’ve bought the American Gibsons, Fenders, and even the Player Plus MIM guitars over the past few years-and bought them to play, and keep…we hope they’ll keep their value over the decades. TBH, I bought mine because I want to play them. Maybe I’ll trade one out later; and I hope they’ll keep their general value and not tank so much that if I trade my (Nashville) 335 for an Affinity… 🤷🏼‍♂️👍🏻

[@jambajoby32]

I have an affinity if you want to just get that future trade done now & just get it out of the way 😛

[@allisonholmesmusic97]

The problem is that the local shops near me don’t carry any name brands and their customer service is awful. In my own case this was true before I personally bought any gear online. I’m at the point in my life where I can buy nice things with a little bit of financial creativity. Sweetwater’s easy pay has made my life easier. The mom and pops can’t compete with that. Also I don’t drive and it’s much more convenient to order online and have it two days later.

[@caseysmith544]

Yes lots of the Local stores do not carry name brands to make it hard to carry name brands even brands like Yamaha is getting harder to carry, or modern Silvertone, even lower Ibenez. Then with these other brands They get these POS brands. With other parts yeah some are okay like The cables that have the anit pop button I forget the name of and can be unplugged while amp is still on, but they only have 3 feet and 50 feet so that hooking between pedals is odd but then people buy cheaper ones for that from him or you have to have this long cord for the final that few need while the 3 feet is too small for actual play. The Shop does have strings from people who broke a set right away when they were on and needed another set, so they get the extra strings to sell and that is nice as is a few other things, but they have constantly went downhill now that he has a bigger space in the mall that is no bigger then two strip malls made into an indoor mall. Also they have 0 drums/kits and basically only do instruments other then Drum kits with few keyboards mainly the smaller less digital Electric Pianos something nobody really uses. Just odd crap like Gleary, or Harley Benton, not even better versions of the really low end like Firebird but the POS brands including Line 6 now. Then on the non Guitar side Bass they do not carry at all, and have too many cheap non resonator open back Banjo's in the big head lower scale count and short scales one model a full sized Ukulele tuning they can't sell as the Faux Modern Hipster era is over where they want the most unique Banjo they can play that is still more to the banjo side since sometime in 2014 and those who want now want the Resonator style open or closed in depending on the style of music, some that even do both that are full sized either the 5 string or some 4 & 6 string in guitar/bass guitar frets for easy switching.

[@steveatkinson9123]

Good one today guys, thanks.😂🤣

[@darthdurkelthewise320]

It’s not just financing though, it’s selection too. Luckily, there are now other ways beyond the normal high interest gear credit cards to pay for these things. Sweetwater, AMS, Musician’s Friend, etc. have huge inventories and they pay a ton for advertising so they rope in the lion’s share of folks that just don’t know better at the time. I pay for guitars by either selling something or just old fashioned saving. Imagine that. I live near Chuck Levins and many other really great independent shops and I do business with them. However, some independent shops ended up suffering karma as some of those shops treated many potential customers quite poorly. It’s all about balance IMO. Shop wisely, save wisely, and buy wisely and you will influence things.

[@BrianBrazilHarmonica]

Over the past 2 years I've bought 2 guitars from a local guitar store and got good deals from them. I bought a Squier Classic Vibe 60s Custom Telecaster with Double Bound body and 3 Color Sunburst for $350.00. 2 days ago I bought a Sterling by Music Man Albert Lee HH model for $399.00. I always get good deals for private owned businesses. Both guitars played great and I only upgraded the control pots, pickups and shielding on the Telecaster which only coast $160.00. The Albert Lee so far doesn't need anything.

[@nix8220]

Guitar manufacturers are manufacturing companies that happen to make guitars.

[@jacobbockover1628]

I still find the best deals on reverb from shops ive never heard of. Id say my big box experience is you gotta take it to your local shop to be set up. Not all small shop have done a good set up a trend i really dont like is people raising the action to the sky to "protect the frets" i only finance through AMS cause its no interest. There is only one shop in my town n its about the size of my living room maybe 10 guitars (there is always a band playing in the back room) i miss the shops i used to go in and check out the gear for a month before id buy then id go in with cash and haggle it was fun. Divergent was a good book series

[@edwardbelcher8612]

The last small shop I used to frequent is no longer there, he closed down right before covid hit. I would buy strings and picks maybe a cable if I was in a pinch but, he only had used guitars in stock. All of new stuff was demo only and was the only one he had. So, if I walked in his shop to buy say a Yamaha FG800, and I pick up the one he has there, played it and tell him I want one, he would have to order one from either Sweetwater or Musician's Friend etc. He never had any new gear other than the demo. So, I never saw any reason to pay a %15 or %20 markup for something that I would still have to wait for and not get to take it home right there. I get that he was a small business with almost no capitol to work with and stayed in business on a sale to sale basis but, the wait time is the same for the item and I could save quite a bit also. There was no incentive for anyone to buy anything from his shop unless it was used.

[@thelastnic]

Also, buy supplies from Indies like strings, pedals, etc.

[@richardzahumensky5253]

What about Long & McQuade in Canada? They bought off Fender & Gibson stock that GC didn’t want.

[@markinthemix6055]

I enjoyed this episode. Laughed out loud a few times.

[@briannelson1057]

I love Willie's American Guitars in Saint Paul, MN!

[@enlat2003]

The sad reality is you can't fault the manufacturers if the consumers continue to buy the product no matter how high the price tag increase. That applies to the used market too.

[@HoJSimpson]

Living in Germany, where Thomann is Headquartered, it's hard not to Order Stuff with them.They have 1 or 2 Day shipping on most in Stock Orders. Especially when it comes to accessories. They have everything. I still appreciate my Local Store tho, for servicing etc. But I cannot get everything I need there. But when it comes to buying guitars, I will not order online anymore. The Service of buying a perfectly setup guitar at a store is unmatched imho

[@babagadoush1]

Yup the financing is the only reason I use GC or Sweewater.

[@kurtisr2339]

It's an ecosystem. Big box and cheap guitars . . . parents buying for students, adults with a little spare cash and a bucket list to tick off . . . these are the backbone of the industry. Boutique stores can't (or, by choice, don't) contribute much in terms of creating new players/buyers. They service and cultivate a refined breed of player/buyer. They are necessary, but, by themselves, insufficient. Big box guitar stores, schlocky bestselling authors, or millions of "filthy casuals" in AAA video games . . . there is no universe in which award-winning literary writers, hardcore raiders, or independent bespoke guitar stores can exist without them.

[@racmusiccom]

Wasn’t a similar situation a contributing factor to the demise of Kramer back in the day. I heard they had leveraged a loan to expand production facilities against future orders a large majority of which where for GC. After extensive delays, GC cancelled the order and thus started the domino effect that led to Kramer defaulting on the loan. I heard this decades ago from someone in the industry who used to work for Kramer so it might be spot on or all BS haha.

[@markrup6369]

So at 4:05 are you talking about PRS copying the Strat?? I don't get it.

[@richardreed6538]

I bought my Telecaster from a shop a couple hours away because I could try every single guitar they have in the building and they had a lot. Bought a Wampler faux echo and a Cioks power supply. They were awesome and I enjoyed my experience. I dropped almost 4 grand. The return policy is seven days. Seven! Two weeks in that Cioks does not play well with my Kingtone Duellist or my 80s Fat Cat distortion pedal. Noisy as hell. Spent over 200.00 on it and my 99.00 mxr power supply is quieter, and I am past the 7 days. That is why I will buy everything but my guitars from somebody like Sweetwater. 2 year warranty on almost everything. I bought a ditto plus looper. 6 months in and it just stopped working. Called and they took care of me. I want to buy indie, I truly do, but I work damn hard for my money and I want stuff that works and to be taken care of if it doesn’t. Some independents just won’t do that. All was new by the way nothing used.

[@saltwatersaddletramp7229]

You guys should look up Keith @Island Music in LaPlata, Maryland. You would get along famously.

[@guitarman11000]

Sweetwater IS my local shop! 🤔🤫

[@Smart-Alex]

Lucky!

[@stratmagic6893]

I heard Fender is selling Squier guitars to Costco this fall.

[@Arfonfree]

Back in the day, I made the mistake of getting involved with a major customer... one customer; 80% of business. It equaled 10 years of tremendous prosperity followed by disaster. We never got any feedback that there was any problem with our products, just a registered letter (remember those?) that our contract would not be renewed. If you run a small manufactury, be very cautious getting in bed with a customer larger than you are.

[@davplys]

gotta check out Arnold in Hercules in New York

[@CurrieNerd]

I'd love to buy local. But, it's cheaper to buy from abroad, and pay $300 for postage, for a guitar, than it is to buy one here. To the tune of several hundred dollars. Even on 'budget' guitars. Squier CVs - $1200 here, for a poor selection. $800 worth of pounds in the UK, and their sales tax is 5% more. Even with paying the GST to land a Japanese Tele here, it was $500 cheaper to order from the UK (with the $300 shipping). Obviously New Zealand is a smaller market. But if we could buy guitars locally for a 'similar' price, I'm sure people would buy more of them.

[@yman74]

I would love to shop at an indie shop but they mostly terrible in the Chicago area. I went to one in the north suburbs for example when looking for an American telecaster hum and also looking for a fender pbass for my brother in law. This shop said they only do low or high end and they don't really sell basses. I also don't like Chicago Music Exchange which is very close to my house. They always act like they don't need my business.

[@alexdenton6586]

Get to the point This being said, don't forget that if the big stores like sweet water, Thomann etc. are popular it's not for nothing. I've been using Thomann for a long time now and I've never found a designer who is up to the task in terms of customer service I can test any product I want for a month and send it back to them free of charge even if it has been used and opened and I get a full refund It happened to me that I was missing some small items that I had ordered and I was always refunded the products that did not arrive without even asking me any questions Even Sweetwater doesn't reach that level of quality so small independent stores are even worse.

[@JoeKyser]

I love this video. It reassures me that i am making the right decisions for my guitar company. The joy of building from the ground up is you can take into account all the humps and walls that could be faced

[@CrazyLazyDave]

Didn't hear about the sale 😞

[@jfrankcarr]

The local guitar stores near me aren't very good from selection to price to customer service. Therefore, I'll buy online. But, since I already have a lot of guitars and amps, most my purchases are for pedals and accessories.

[@216trixie]

You mean that your local guitar stores can't compete with the big box stores or online with pricing. I still shop at my local stores anyway to keep them in business.

[@jfrankcarr]

@@216trixie It's more their very limited selection matched with awful customer service. There used to be good local stores but they closed when the owners retired. If I was in the market for a higher end guitar, I'd make the 6+ hour drive to Casino.

[@deadstarr7]

i clicked the bell... just for you =P

[@f33fifofum]

Crazy to think Fender might be in real trouble soon

[@jabbahursty]

fender has just been giving away squiers lately. i can't possibly justify owning all these guitars, but what can i do at these prices but buy them for labor day, they were selling a classic vibe J bass for like 235 bucks and that includes free shipping. hard to say "no"

[@michaelogden5093]

Any reason the manufacturer can't sell direct? I mean... why should the builder eat the inventory that somebody else ordered?

[@TVsGringoStarr]

Is this why I just grabbed a Squier Affinity for $190?

[@BrianBrazilHarmonica]

Don't forget Sam Ash is another big chain music store too. Just like GC. The difference is they've never had to go into bankruptcy.

[@chrisdriverband9404]

Excess guitars aren't going to spoil.

[@RichBriere]

You're gettin' close........You're becoming Perry & Mason.......🕵🏻‍♂....... or that French Poiroit guy......but there are still a Ton of Heavy Relics on your Wall. Don't say I didn't warn ya. 🥰

[@natashanyxx9486]

❤️❤️❤️

[@Frankie_Holt]

Remember that Real Steel is basically an Over the Top remake

[@kurtisr2339]

With one notable variance: slightly less hat-turning.

[@0burrus]

I only go to big box if I’m in a pinch

[@jdstan9650]

Just say no to the private equity mafia...

[@shanewalton8888]

Arnold and Sly are collectively 151 years old. Sly is one year older.

[@csnide6702]

like WHO would buy a serious guitar from a big box store...? sure back in 70s Sears sold a ton of beginner guitars but , WHERE ARE THEY NOW..? As in Sears OR the Guitars.... both hit the trash heap long ago.

[@thomasschlaack6592]

First comment! Made available by clicking that BELL 🔔 !!!

[@smalltowninnewmexico]

a CLUE!!! i think that Baxter beat Jonathon in the PRS Silversky arm wrestle......... 👌👌⚡⚡👍👍👍👍✔✔✔✔

[@jerryodom7358]

I don’t see bankruptcy happening if they sell online the same way retail music stores do….minus the music stores profit….Yes….

[@NateKornell]

I liked Twins

[@MrDream-zm1pw]

Meanwhile Fender charging $1799 for a Mexican guitar (Joe Strummer sig). I dont care what anyone says, a mexi is not as good or better than MIA or MIJ for that matter. I speak from owning both.

[@lfaf9509]

I doubt builders like Fender and Gibson will dump inventory to Walmart, but they would push them into Mom and Pop stores across the world.

[@scottgibbs5903]

I don't buy guitars through Guitar Center. I prefer Sweetwater or Reverb. I have purchased through Sam Ash before, which was a good experience. There are no small independents in my state (RI) that are any good with the exception of Wakefield Music, except the owner is a troll that doesn't like you touching guitars.

[@honkytonkinson9787]

Hey CG? Can I shout out my local shop here in the comments?

[@mars6433]

Remember what MARS Music did to the industry ??

[@Davidthestratman7]

I don't. What are you referring?

[@patm5086]

We had a mars music in ft Lauderdale. Lotsa glitz but owned by a drugstore chain.

[@Davidthestratman7]

@@patm5086 so what did that do to the industry?

[@patm5086]

@@Davidthestratman7 not much,to my knowledge. They tanked and did not put the small shops out of business. Guitar Center did that in Hallandale,Fl.

[@Ryan-kc5pl]

I just remember the one here in omaha. Bought my first nice guitar there. Workers were huge assholes. All I remember, lol

[@DavidForshee]

Y’all are all about arm wrestling

[@dvusGishzida]

I have somewhere around 14 guitars: 7 acoustics and 7 electrics. Most of them are foreign made [Korea, Japan, Indonesia, Mexico, and China - 12 of the 14]. I own only two American made guitars-- A 1954 Gibson J-50 (bought in a Pawn shop in 1993 in beat up condition) and a 2001 Taylor 410ce. Both I bought used. The problem as I see it is, as you said, the "Bean Counter" mentality. But the Major Manufacturers and the Big Box Chain stores [read: High Priced] are at fault. Manufacturers [regardless of the industry] always lay people off and make the ones left work harder when the market shrinks. As for the Big Box stores, they are mostly owned by Venture capitalist who are looking for a short term gain. Over the years Guitar Center has had this problem of boom or bust bankruptcies due to the VCs desire for cash. It's something like an elaborate Ponzi scheme. The economy of scale of the large manufacturers and big chain stores centers around the number of "units" moved. The economy of profit dictates their market choices: hire or fire. The economy of Innovation does not matter to the large companies. Innovation really matters to the small builder who have a great idea but their margin is small for all the work done. This is the reason we get warmed over movie sequals. Its easier to sell a known "product" than to sell a new "product". I haven't seen anything that's truely new and different in the Guitar line-up of Martin, Fender, Gibson or Taylor. They are all just recycling the same ideas with different materials... BUT Nothing changes. I have a Chinese made 000/45 I bought on eBay. It sounds as good as my Taylor. Where is the innovation? Where are stainless steel frets on every fretboard? When will Bluetooth or USB be built in, a thunderbolt music buss to interconnect guitars, controllers, amps, and software DAWs. new pick-up designs {i'm tired of hearing about PAFs or P-90s or Rockabilly. or Humbuckers vs single coils. Where iare the "split coils" in every pot? Where are truly new pickups? Why should I want another variation of the Strat, The Tele, Les Paul, the 335 /338 / 339, or some kind of mish-mashed Franken-thing from F****r or G****n. [I own some of those] Where are the affordable guitars with solid top and sides. Where are the great pick-ups? Where are the strings that are not marked up so much? In regards to S.C. -- South Carolina is a desert compared to L.A. when it comes to repairs or luthiers. Even the Mom & Pop stores are clustered around where all the disposable cash is located. After all you and your fellow storeowners have to follow the money.. I've had a luthier blow me off for repair work for the Gibson because he thought the guitar "wasn't worth anything." Would you trust putting a nearly 70 year old instrument in the hands of some who thinks like that? Thanks for the channel and for your observations. You're something different than most YT channels. If you were local I'd be hanging out there, Keep up the good work!

[@jed1166]

In (many, many) decades of playing, I have only purchased guitars independent stores. I have done, and will continue to do this, because it benefits me, and I really enjoy the relationships. I do not have time to know about “everything”, so I rely on retailers to help with all of my purchases. Yes, I will do some research to get on the right track, but then I want guidance from an expert, and the follow up customer service that only an independent can provide. If I buy a guitar from GC, what value added service do I receive? The privilege of speaking to a bratty 19 year old that thinks he should be playing at Madison Square Garden, instead of helping some hack like me? No thanks… I won’t even buy strings at GC. During 13 years in China, I bought from a single location store in JiangSu Province, near Shanghai. The owner is very much like you guys, except your English is a bit better…Very knowledgeable, excellent player, and the store has every major brand, and a great selection of each brand. Upon returning home “guitar-less”, I bought a guitar from your pals at Music Villa, (sorry, but you don’t carry RainSong). If you require the lowest price, you can buy big-box. If you demand VALUE, you should buy independent! BTW, Baxter, I think we might have sat next to each other in the back row of that Geometry class…😱

[@jeffsquires6620]

I remember all the people who spent their stay at home money from the democrates on gear. It's all for sale now. Nothing is for free and music is a gift that has to be worked for. Guitar players, be smart. Be safe and keep the faith. Oh, before I'm ripped. I only like 1 Bon Jovi song, IRONICALLY Dead or Alive.

[@R.L.Humpert]

That’s what all guitar makers have done for 200 years and that’s copy Martin.

[@RAkers-tu1ey]

Almost, but not quite, incomprehensible. Cmon guys, use whole words, whole sentences.

[@BlackDogOriginal]

Governments shutting things down for no reason has consequences.

[@Boomsterblak]

Ahh the money lenders..hasn;t fucked anything up..lol...we are paying a huge price for this...houses have quadroopled..food through the roof..tv's are cheap...no plug ins on the street though...governments have to get a grip on this...oops too late.

[@Lovell93]

Jordan Peterson is awesome.