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Guitar Discussions -> you guys need to read this article
There are 55 messages in this thread.
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you guys need to read this article - ~R - 06:24 04-12-05
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I surfed in to this guy's site and just got hooked on reading his
logic. I was a regular customer at guitar center, but he
convinced me to order my latest purchase, a $1300 strat, from a
local music store instead of G.C. You should give this a read:
http://www.edromanguitars.com/rant/chains.htm
Reading the post titled "Guitar Center Report"
news:66wkf.1614$7b4.445039@twister.southeast.rr.com
made me think of this.
~Rob
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Re: you guys need to read this article - SleepyWeevil - 07:04 04-12-05
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"~R" <mo@fo.com> wrote in message
news:0mAkf.9110$N45.3998@newsread1.news.atl.earthlink.net...
>I surfed in to this guy's site and just got hooked on reading his
> logic. I was a regular customer at guitar center, but he
> convinced me to order my latest purchase, a $1300 strat, from a
> local music store instead of G.C. You should give this a read:
>
> http://www.edromanguitars.com/rant/chains.htm
>
His logic is flawed. People were making the same argument about Wal-Mart
ten years ago when they were spreading across the country like wildfire.
Their prices never went up. Other competition springs up, like Target and
K-Mart. The theory that you should pay more now so as to avoid the unlikely
event of future price increases is insane at its face. Yes, the Mom & Pop
outfits are driven out of business, and that's unfortunate, but, proprietary
technology aside, this doomsday scenario of market dominance by one big
company is not a common occurence in a free-market, especially when internet
commerce can create other such entities without the need to spend revenues
on big ticket items, like stores. The nearest GC is 40 minutes away from
me. Then there is Joe's Guitars down the street. A customer will pay
almost three times as much for a set of D'Addario EXL's at Joe's than s/he
will at GC or MF or Sam Ash. And, of course, Joe's can only sell them to
you Tuesday through Saturday since they are closed on Sunday (!) and Monday.
Now, Joe is a great guy, and he appreciates my business, but if I'm near a
GC, I'll go in there to buy my strings. If all things are equal, I'll go to
Joe's. So, I guess what I'm saying is, if you could have paid $1,100 for
that strat at GC, you are nuts. If it was the same deal at both places,
more power to ya'. In any case, I would not pay more of my hard earned
money to subsidize boutique shops.
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Re: you guys need to read this article - PolyMorf - 07:22 04-12-05
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~R wrote:
> I surfed in to this guy's site and just got hooked on reading his
> logic. I was a regular customer at guitar center, but he
> convinced me to order my latest purchase, a $1300 strat, from a
> local music store instead of G.C. You should give this a read:
>
> http://www.edromanguitars.com/rant/chains.htm
>
> Reading the post titled "Guitar Center Report"
> news:66wkf.1614$7b4.445039@twister.southeast.rr.com
> made me think of this.
>
> ~Rob
There are LEGIONS written about this idiot. IGNORE HIM!
And no, we don't need another ER thread :-)
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Re: you guys need to read this article - Rookie - 09:15 04-12-05
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"~R" <mo@fo.com> wrote in news:0mAkf.9110$N45.3998
@newsread1.news.atl.earthlink.net:
> I surfed in to this guy's site and just got hooked on reading his
> logic. I was a regular customer at guitar center, but he
> convinced me to order my latest purchase, a $1300 strat, from a
> local music store instead of G.C. You should give this a read:
>
> http://www.edromanguitars.com/rant/chains.htm
>
> Reading the post titled "Guitar Center Report"
> news:66wkf.1614$7b4.445039@twister.southeast.rr.com
> made me think of this.
>
> ~Rob
>
>
I have been hearing similar shit all the time from all kinds of businesses.
Lately, there was a huge scandal here, with small firms that manufacture
bed matresses. They would advertize a luxurious fluffy filling of good
quality, and it was found out the filling materials were garbage taken from
hospitals and sheets and pillows that had been used for heavily ill or dead
people. Even dead animals.
So all this BS about "supporting small stores and firms" is a total lie.
Buy what is the best quality within your budget and have no remorse for
anyone. You are not supposed to pay hard earned cash to buy inferior
quality because you "have" to support some local asshole.
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Re: you guys need to read this article - southforkk - 10:11 04-12-05
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"Rookie" <rookie@hates.spam> wrote in message
news:Xns9722A2BA92E873jfk6@localhost...
> "~R" <mo@fo.com> wrote in news:0mAkf.9110$N45.3998
> @newsread1.news.atl.earthlink.net:
>
>> I surfed in to this guy's site and just got hooked on reading his
>> logic. I was a regular customer at guitar center, but he
>> convinced me to order my latest purchase, a $1300 strat, from a
>> local music store instead of G.C. You should give this a read:
>>
>> http://www.edromanguitars.com/rant/chains.htm
>>
My local store(s) -there are two in town- Never have anything! I can't buy
some flats without driving over an hour. I just end up buying over the
internet.
I know it doesn't support the local economy but if these guys want my
business they have to carry something that I want.. I gave the local guy a
chance to procure a bass I was interested in and three months later, he
still doesnt have it- I told him to forget it and I'd look on the internet.
At last count he has three four strings hanging on the wall. You kind of
have to go elsewhere..
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Re: you guys need to read this article - DeeAa - 10:23 04-12-05
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Maybe it's overgeneralization, but there's some truth to it too.
It's obvious that since the appearance of big chain stores, small ones die
out, right? Does it matter?
Well, I live in a town of just 80.000 people, and in the last 10 years the
number of chain supermarkets have boomed here.
The results?
Once upon a time there were 3 grocery stores within one mile where I live -
a suburban area of maybe 2000 people.
Also there was a post office, 3 kiosks and a grill and a gas station, all of
whose workers and owners, about 40 of them in all, lived in the
neighborhood.
They opened a huge shopping mall down the freeway maybe 6 miles. Gas, food,
pharmacy, electronics, liquour, even banks and all.
Now there are no shops or kiosks and the post office went too, only the gas
station remains. They sell groceries too, so we can get some groceries on
sundays too.
The owner is thinking of quitting, I hear, though. Can't compete with the
chain station down the freeway.
Well. The owners and workers of the stores relocated, selling their houses
cheap because they had to, which dropped the land value which already had
dropped for there were no services locally anymore, and all of a sudden
there's all kinds of lowlifes living in the neighborhood. They opened a bar
for them in the old grocery store. What do I care, I have a car, and now
shop 6 miles away. Just gotta watch my kid more closely with these lowlifes
around.
My neighbour worked for a local electric store, selling everything from
computers to vacuum cleaners.
That went its way too once they opened the malls down the highway.
My friend was lucky; he got work from the mall.
Only now his salary is a third lower and worse benefits. He's selling his
house and moving to an apartment near the mall.
So to me it's very clear what happened in the last 10 years: supermarkets
came, 3/4:ds of the city small grocery stores etc. died.
Of course that will cause changes in local demographies.
But what gets to me most is that all the people who used to run their OWN
businesses and employ people, THOSE were the people who also paid the taxes
that STAYED in this county, whereas the ridiculously low pay that the chain
stores pay their workers is the only thing that stays in the county. All the
turnover goes to company HQ in the capital city and does _not_ benefit us
here locally.
And these days I've been reading in local papers how the city is in trouble
due to sharp drops in tax income - no wonder, since most of the local
businesses have been run out of business by the chain stores! There's been a
big shift from once enterprise-driven city into one with almost only service
jobs available and all business done by large chains. It is true, though,
that there's never been so good selection of goods and prices are cheap
too - but who can afford it when everyone's out of jobs these days?
So lately they're shutting down schools and laying off teachers and city
personnel, which makes the unemployment rates rise ever more - all facts
that can easily be seen by looking at the data sheets of the city. I'm a
teacher, and now I can't find a job, even though they need more of us - the
last highschool gig I had I had classes of over 40 people at once. Quality
learning...
So...I don't claim that it's worth it to buy guitars for more dough from
small stores, I also shop at the mall and order from the net...but it's also
foolish to turn a blind eye and claim these things have nothing in common.
It's plain economics science 101.
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Re: you guys need to read this article - mcnewsxp - 11:23 04-12-05
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luckily all the local stores in atlanta will work with you and prices if you
are a regular.
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Re: you guys need to read this article - Sacramento Dave - 11:23 04-12-05
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"~R" <mo@fo.com> wrote in message
news:0mAkf.9110$N45.3998@newsread1.news.atl.earthlink.net...
> I surfed in to this guy's site and just got hooked on reading his
> logic. I was a regular customer at guitar center, but he
> convinced me to order my latest purchase, a $1300 strat, from a
> local music store instead of G.C. You should give this a read:
>
> http://www.edromanguitars.com/rant/chains.htm
>
> Reading the post titled "Guitar Center Report"
> news:66wkf.1614$7b4.445039@twister.southeast.rr.com
> made me think of this.
>
> ~Rob
>
> I read about half of it , there are some good points . one: most the big
box stores do have a team that travels around to open them and train people
( that's just smart business) but when they leave your service leaves. Now
he mentions Wall Mart I can't stand the store but now and then end up in
there, one thing I notice they hire a lot of seniors, they are always polite
and try and help but mostly they are able to supplement their income, so
that is a good thing. The point that I did not see he should be factored in
the cost of living , how much has your cost of living gone up and how much
has your income gone up? Not very even curve is it ? So that is why these
stores get bigger and bigger. But there is a Bigger monster lurking,
Internet sales. Look at the news reports of $$$$$$ spent right after
Thanksgiving. Internet shopping is a whole debate in it's self. All these
mega stores are a image of the times. When it comes to guitars I don't care
where I buy my guitar. I'm buying a guitar not a store. I've bought one
guitar at guitar center in 40 years of playing new 1980 SG (POS) Learned a
big lesson credit card and being hung over, kind a like water and gas.
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Re: you guys need to read this article - ~R - 11:26 04-12-05
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yeah, actually the local guy's price was indeed $20 less than MF
right off the bat, so that was a nice surprise. Also, as a rare
treat, they took a trade of a guitar I bought there last april
and actually gave me a dollar more than I paid for it at their
store! Two points I consider are
1. GC is 55 miles from me, and if mom&pop went out of business, I
wouldn't want to haul out there if I broke my last string or drum
head during a hot jam or recording.
2. No shipping charges like MF. or extra gas charges like for GC
(for me at least)
3. If this guitar I'm buying has any problem at all, these guys
will take care of it. GC will make you buy the extended service
plan or else they won't usually touch it. Even then, in my
experience, they'll want to ship it out to the nearest authorized
service center.
I bought an Ibanez BTB505 from GC lat January. It was 55 miles
away from my house. I had this one knob on it that was making a
little static, just enough to drive someone like me or you crazy.
So I tried spraying it out several times, to no avail. GC said
bring it in. I hauled it all the way down there, and the salesman
I was dealing with a week earlier when I bought it was M.I.A. He
was fired within a week of that, I heard. They offered to "send
it out" for me, but I'd pay $40 shipping charges. That's
rediculous to "send out" a whole bass for a measly pot. They
wouldn't even order a replacement pot from Ibanez for me. So what
did I do? I RETURNED the bass and made them order me a whole
brand new one from the factory. drove a total of 330 miles until
I got the final bass home.
Local mom&pop would have just given me a new pot. no questions
asked.
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Re: you guys need to read this article - ~R - 11:30 04-12-05
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granted, if you local dude is an ass hole or even a whole ass, or
doesn't stock what you need, by no means should you support him!
I'm fortunate enough that my local dude is kida cool, carried
brands I like, and can order most other things and be
competative. Not on everything, and for that other stuff, yeah, I
go with the internet and GC!
~Rob
"southforkk" <dsouth@nospamswfla.rr.com> wrote in message
news:AGDkf.9460$6e.3705@tornado.tampabay.rr.com...
:
: "Rookie" <rookie@hates.spam> wrote in message
: news:Xns9722A2BA92E873jfk6@localhost...
: > "~R" <mo@fo.com> wrote in news:0mAkf.9110$N45.3998
: > @newsread1.news.atl.earthlink.net:
: >
: >> I surfed in to this guy's site and just got hooked on
reading his
: >> logic. I was a regular customer at guitar center, but he
: >> convinced me to order my latest purchase, a $1300 strat,
from a
: >> local music store instead of G.C. You should give this a
read:
: >>
: >> http://www.edromanguitars.com/rant/chains.htm
: >>
:
: My local store(s) -there are two in town- Never have anything!
I can't buy
: some flats without driving over an hour. I just end up buying
over the
: internet.
: I know it doesn't support the local economy but if these guys
want my
: business they have to carry something that I want.. I gave the
local guy a
: chance to procure a bass I was interested in and three months
later, he
: still doesnt have it- I told him to forget it and I'd look on
the internet.
: At last count he has three four strings hanging on the wall.
You kind of
: have to go elsewhere..
:
:
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