LeftyBassist.com

I found this to be an interesting read, though I don't necessarily agree with all of the author's viewpoints. Nevertheless, it might be a good time to prep for the fire sale:

http://www.ericgarland.co/2015/02/03/end-guitar-center/

before I read the article I'll share my latest experience at my local.

I go in about once a year. I'm not their target customer I know and enter with no expectations. I go thinking I might see something new/interesting or used/hidden jewel/lotto kinda thang.

The past coupla years I've noticed that I'm not "noticed". Yes, the usual greeter guy/girl is posted at the door and says "Hey!" but then that's it. From there on I'm left alone...

Which I LOVE! Because I would feel like Luke Skywalker in the opening scene of ROTJ when he enters Jabba's castle and he is reading everyone's mind and knows what everyone might pull and just wants to get in and get out.

Honestly though I don't want the attention. Don't want to be shadowed or quizzed. Don't wanna here the questions/sales pitches.

Again, not the target customer.

But a lot of people are and they desire, crave, or need that kind of attention and get all weird when it's not received or delivered in the proper dose. I'm amused when I read Joe Blow's typical GC gripe:

"I ran out of beer early Fri. nite so feeling better than usual went into GC at 10 A.M. on Saturday to play the new Gibson CS RI SG with four humbuckers thru this old Hiwatt someone traded in. Well for some reason it was up on the top of the wall outta my reach and all I could see was the giant sign on it that said $7,999.99 and please ask for assistance. I almost left but finally(!) they got it down for me. Man it sounded great. Makes that 100 watts feels more like 200! Those Hiwatts are where it's at! Maybe it's all them humbuckers? I don't know where the time went but around 2:30 maybe 3 the manager came over and, get this!, asked me if I'd like to discuss a purchase. Yeah he said it all uppity like that!"

So my heart goes out to the lowly GC dude.

Anyway, I'm at the Nashville GC and I stroll thru the whole place except for drums. I like to look at the "classifieds" on the wall in the hallway to the restroom. (<--That last sentence sounds super creepy maybe I should delete?) They have the saddest thing you'll ever see in a store. In a dimly lit space about 6' wide near a shadowy cargo exit door is displayed 3 or 4 of the humblest instruments out of hundreds in the whole superstore. A mix of guitars and basses. I can't tell you more beyond that because I was blinded by the lipstick red and GLOSS black. Right when I thought I possibly had discovered a guitar Stargate (Guitargate? Guistargate?) I looked up to behold signage that read "Left Hand Instruments". And it was at this time I was nearly approached by a GC'er of who was standing some ways off next to a miniature tube Chinamp. I think he noticed me right before I looked up to see "Left Hand Instruments". And forming on his face was the beginning of what many would call a grimace. This quickly turned into a look of mild panic not unlike the look the dude with the weird head got when a disguised Princess Leia pulled out the thermal detonator in Jabba's palace.

Confused by his look my mind raced to find some explanation because I mean the worst possible outcome would be for me to experience a Luke Skywalker (me) trapdoor-like situation with Jabba (GC Manager), with all those shortish green warthog palace guards (various TB mods), and the Rancor (? not sure who the Rancor currently is in my life). I hadn't touched anything in the store but thought maybe he was seeing a falling "Left Hand Instrument" heading towards me or the floor. It was that kind of look, but no, that wasn't it. I thought maybe something fell out of my pocket like credit cards or money? No. Was I unconsciously having a flashback induced conservatory freak out? (I had just watched "Whiplash" at the theater next door; see my other thread for link to trailer). Again, no. I was very calm.

Then I realized what it was. See, us lefties are used to discrimination delivered with a scowl or the air of arrogance or contempt. But there is a rare breed of righty in the world who truly believes in his heart that lefties like us can be SAVED from our ways. Turned around! Steered, if by escort even, to the middle of the store where HUNDREDS and hundreds of the "right" kind of instruments await. Yes, I realized I was about to be "saved". And then I felt my skin get warm, my pulse quicken, and my eyes getting bigger just like Luke's when Jabba started belly laughing real hard and the trapdoor got sprung.

And then, like CP-3-0 I chickened out.

I was tired. My mind was on the past because of the movie. I was broke because I paid for all the tickets. I was hungry because I couldn't buy food at the movie because I had to buy all the tickets. I needed to be over at the cantina drinking something green or blue and smokey. But I was at GC in the "Left Hand Instruments" section and between me and the door was Jabba. I didn't want to talk. I didn't want to be converted. I just wanted out.

And I had to use the awfullest most despicable Jedi mind trick I know.

I looked right at him, then quickly looked back up at the signage, then back at him one more time while tilting my head back slightly and raising my hands just enough to communicate "Oh what was I thinking no wonder these don't look right I'm in the WRONG section I'm sooo goofy thank you sir!"

It worked.

He whipped around strode off towards ProAudio.

Then!.....as if this story just can't get goofier or simply end....

As I'm about to exit I have my first real life experience with something I read about numerous times on the 'net. The angry, disgruntled GC shopper!

Exiting just ahead of me was a man (50ish) who I had not noticed previously. On his way out he made a big loud scene directed towards the young dude manning the door turnstyle thingie.

He says, "I DON'T EVEN KNOW HOW IN THE HELL YOU EXPECT TO DO ANY DAMN BUSINESS HERE WITH ALL THESE DAMN GUITARS MAKING ALL THIS LOUD NOISE AND I CANT HEAR A F'N THANG i CAN'T BELIEVE ANY OF IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"

Very Rancorous!

Looking forward to your article.

These are not the lefthanded instruments you were looking for.

This has been all over talkbass as well since yesterday morning. I heard this a year ago and now maybe it will happen sooner than we think. They dug their own grave with used new instruments, lack or actual knowledge and shitty service.

Circuit City, Good Guys, GC and Radio Shack.. RIP!!

http://www.talkbass.com/threads/new-eri ... r.1132035/

There was a lefty section in Guitar Center?!?

Don't forget Best Buy. Their days are numbered too.

The article talks about the new GC in Times Square at length. The first time I went looking for it I walked right passed it. It's a poorly marked basement level store across the street from the Best Buy Theater (hey, maybe they'll go into the theater business now). that you have to walk downstairs to find. I've been there 3 times now, and there's never anyone in there. Meanwhile, a few streets down, 48th St. is no more. Manny's, Sam Ash, etc. gone. Only one left is Rudy's.

Not sure it will get back to what it was before GC - considering the online business - but I used to love those independant music stores carrying used gear. Most of them got wiped out when GC appeared.
In the book industry, I have noticed a resurgence of independant book stores since the desappearance of large big box retailers. I totally enjoy that.

Careful what you wish for:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e9r2o5ZnSHo