Benefit Concert to Save Guitar Center Features 97 Dudes....

[Chad]

That would be nice, but not likely to happen. I think online shopping hurt mom and pop stores more than Guitar Center.

I know it's not scientific, but my experience doesn't support that. 2 of the biggest mom and pops music stores in my area were Veneman Music and Rolls. They both closed up around 2000, really before internet sales took off and a couple of years after Guitar Center and Mars Music came to our area. Veneman was bought out by Guitar Center. I think online shopping would hurt the comeback of mom and pop stores more than Guitar Center would. The only mom and pop stores we have around me are ones that focused more on school band instruments and lessons. There is a high end guitar shop near me too but it is too rich for my blood.

 

[rickenvox]

I know it's not scientific, but my experience doesn't support that. 2 of the biggest mom and pops music stores in my area were Veneman Music and Rolls. They both closed up around 2000, really before internet sales took off and a couple of years after Guitar Center and Mars Music came to our area. Veneman was bought out by Guitar Center. I think online shopping would hurt the comeback of mom and pop stores more than Guitar Center would. The only mom and pop stores we have around me are ones that focused more on school band instruments and lessons. There is a high end guitar shop near me too but it is too rich for my blood.

I think there are very few people that are willing to buy a high-end, high ticket guitar without playing it first. I remember even ordering a reissue Gibson Firebird VII through a local music store in the 90s. It came in and the neck was crooked, actually slightly twisting in shape as you sighted down the fretboard. The guy told me they could get that fixed easily. I said no thanks and got my deposit back. If the wood had that tendency then it would have problems later no matter what they did to fix it. Gibson started shortening the period of time they usually took to allow woods to age before using them.