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What's the deal with Guitar Center


Geist01

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I am looking for a used Standard at GC. I have some credit there. I've noticed that some of their guitars are mislabeled. For example,

 

My link

 

This is a 2013 and it's not a Standard Traditional. From what I understand there is a Standard HP (High Performance), Standard T (Traditional) and Traditional. Unless this is a GC exclusive. Hopefully someone can clear this up for me. Thanks.

 

I emailed GC and this is their reply.

 

We appreciate your feedback on this, sometimes the store employees can get models mixed up and we work to make sure we get everything right but human error sometimes happens. Thank you again for bringing this to our attention.

Thank you again for your email.

 

Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any other queries.

 

Sincerely,

 

Samuel

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It's not so much guitar center (but I don't find them blameless.) but Gibson has been throwing all sorts of model names out there.

 

BTW.. there was no Standard HP in 2013. The HPs are all newer models introduced in the last year or so. the HP models have a few addons the Trads dont, (auto tuners, zero fret, a (slightly) wider neck. (These changes were incorporated in to (I think..) the 2015 Standards, and many people were not into these changes. The HP line was their answer to offering these changes to those who liked them, and the Traditional variants are for the many who don't they are sans those mods they now put on the HPs only...

 

Gibson has so messed with the words "Standard", "Standard T", "Traditional" in the last 5 years, that you'd need a wikipedia page to try and get it all straight. At this point they might not even know what the hell is going on... it's a mess..

 

 

The serial number and a call / email to Customer Service are probably your best bet for the low down.

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That looks like a 2013 Traditional to me. Will have 57/57+ pickups (unless someone has replaced them) and a fat baseball bat 50s neck and no weight relief.

 

The term "Traditional Standard" was in vogue a few years ago when the Trad first came out (2008). That was the year that Gibson re-invented the Standard, putting push/pull pots in it, an asymmetrical 60s neck, and started chambering it. Gibson, knowing that many people would still want a "normal" Standard as they'd been building them for the past couple decades also introduced the Traditional at the time--it was/is basically what the Standard *was* before they re-invented it. Folks took the calling the Trad the "Traditional Standard", because that's what it was. Nowadays with the T and HP terminology that Gibson's begun using it can all be very confusing. There's lots of reasons to give GC crap, but in this case, it's understandable.

 

Anyway, that's a Trad in your link. Hope this helps.

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The deal with Guitar Center is that they try to do too much, with limited staff and emphasis on the bottom line. The name is "Guitar" Center, but of course they sell amps, drums, PA systems, keyboards, syths,and lighting they are trying to be a music super store, which is a great idea, but they try to do it and hold down the expenses to stay afloat. Not an easy job, but as a result details get overlooked.

 

The ad in your link didn't say what year the guitar was, and their answer did not state a year or a model, they just apologized for some error. The difference between a "Traditional" and a "T" is first off weight relief. The Traditional has no weight relief and will weigh 9 - 11 pounds. A "T" has ultra-modern weight relief and will weigh in the 7-8 pound range. The T also has four push/pulls for tuned coil tap of either or both pickups, out of phase, or a full bypass to the bridge pickup. I don't think the Traditionals have push/pulls (although I could be wrong).

 

The HP is a different animal altogether with wider neck, zero fret nut, auto-tuners, and dip switches in the control cavity to vary how the push/pulls modify sound.

 

Lastly the photo shows a Cherry Sunburst, NOT a Honeyburst. I own a 2017 Standard T in Honeyburst and there is absolutely no red color in the finish.

 

But it still looks like a nice guitar so if the GC advertising it isn't too far away you should go down there and play it - you never know it might be the one you've been searching for.

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What Pub posted is correct (for the most part). Gibson is the one who called them Traditional Standards for about a year or so but I think it was around 2010 or 2012, several years after the Traditional was released.

 

I've been 'saying' this for years. Whoever at Gibson names these models is a complete moron. Same with the reissue line with Standard / True Historic. Just stupid.

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I have absolutely no faith in their repair center at all. I am having an issue with one of the push/pull pots and when the guy opened the back plate, he was surprised at the PCB and connectors. He was going to call Gibson for warranty replacement for the pot. He said that he would recommend junking the PCB and pots and replace with 50's style pots and capacitors. And, while I'm not totally opposed to that, I'd kind of like a brand new guitar to work properly. I called back a week later to check on the status. He kind of stumbled around his words for a little bit and said he called Gibson and was waiting for a response. I called Gibson and they said they hadn't heard from GC. I called another GC in another city which is about the same distance and the guy there too seemed stunned by the 2017's and the PCB and admitted he had not worked on them either. So, I called Gibson back and expressed my concerns about their so called warranty repair centers not knowing how to fix their guitars. I got another number for another place, not GC, a little further away. At this point, I'm tempted just to go to Nashville, since it's only an hour or so further away than Cincinnati.

 

What's the deal with Guitar Center? Probably same as Radio Shack. It used to be that to work in particular retail stores, you had to have some knowledge of the equipment. Not so much now, I suppose.

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What's the deal with Guitar Center? Probably same as Radio Shack. It used to be that to work in particular retail stores, you had to have some knowledge of the equipment. Not so much now, I suppose.

 

 

Guitar Center (IME around my area) has NEVER had any one truly competent to do warranty repairs on anything. They just sell stuff. I think most of the time when it comes to amps and electronics, a lot of stores ship warranty claims out to some place else, and they're just the middle man. You're way better off finding a warranty center that has nothing to do with Guitar Center.

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Guitar Center (IME around my area) has NEVER had any one truly competent to do warranty repairs on anything. They just sell stuff. I think most of the time when it comes to amps and electronics, a lot of stores ship warranty claims out to some place else, and they're just the middle man. You're way better off finding a warranty center that has nothing to do with Guitar Center.

 

Yeah, there's one near Cincinnati that's not GC. And, then there's Nashville. I'm seriously considering calling Gibson in Nashville and just making a weekend of it down there since it's about 2 1/2 to 3 hours away. I'm looking at a couple other guitars and I'm seriously considering NOT buying them from GC and buying them online. And, I don't buy guitars online because I want to feel them and play them. I'm definitely not giving GC any more of my business any time soon, especially not the Louisville one.

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Yeah, there's one near Cincinnati that's not GC. And, then there's Nashville. I'm seriously considering calling Gibson in Nashville and just making a weekend of it down there since it's about 2 1/2 to 3 hours away. I'm looking at a couple other guitars and I'm seriously considering NOT buying them from GC and buying them online. And, I don't buy guitars online because I want to feel them and play them. I'm definitely not giving GC any more of my business any time soon, especially not the Louisville one.

 

Hi Micheal,

 

I hear ya..

 

with the way Gibson Dealers are drying up all over the place, due to Gibson's demands on the stores, it's getting almost impossible to find a place where you have the chance to try something out before you lay your money down.

 

I've had really (REALLY) good experiences with Sweetwater. (I can set you up with the guy I've been working with for about 10 years now...).. They do a very good job of ensuring that the customer is delighted with the purchase. While you can't try-before-you-buy with any online dealer, Sweetwater has a lot of hi-res pictures in their gallery so you can see clearly the details (wood grain, front/back/neck/headstock) of a guitar you're interested in. They offer 2 day free shipping, they do a great job prepping for shipping, and they will do a pretty good final inspection and setup, getting it as close as they can, if you offer details in how you would like the action and relief.

 

And, the other good part about a place like Sweetwater, their guitars are not hanging on a display hook, where any one of the hundreds of window shoppers who have no intention on buying anything can get their hands on it, and scratch, scuff, ding it up. Your guitar will come in the factory box, with all the items that they shipped from the factory with. (no more missing case candy due to miss handling of the items)

 

If there is ever a problem, (because things do happen.. no doubt about it) they are really responsive in correcting what ever is wrong. When I bought my J200 Standard, I was having some issues with the LR Bags Anthem pickup, I, called them about it right away, and after showing them (with a quick youtube vid) what was wrong, they had another J200 at my door 24 hours later, with an RMA for the one going back. -- I did not have to wait for them to receive the first one and process the RMA before they would ship the second one out to me. Which is what places like Musicians Friend will do)

 

I really can't say enough good things about this place. I've bought 5 guitars from them since 2010, (2 Gibsons, 1 fender, and 2 Epiphone Archtops). The only trouble I had was the Pickup in the J200, (it was really a weird issue, the guitar was actually awesome..)

 

The same guy @Sweetwater has been taking care of all my orders since the first day I bought something from them, he knows his stuff and is outstanding. I'd be happy to PM you his contact info and you could start some dialogue with him when you're seriously ready to make another move.

 

I do get that we like to try things out first, but for me, those places don't exist, and even though there are three, within an 90 minute ride, I won't deal with guitar center. I think they are one of the worse places on the planet to buy from. Nothing but idiots, and people who could care less about the customer everywhere I look..

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I would definitely like the information of the person you've been talking and working with. I'm seriously looking at a Goldtop Tribute Plus with P90 pickups and actually have it sitting in my Sweetwater cart ready to buy. But, I wanted to play one first to see how I feel about it. It looks very similar to my LP Standard, locking tuners, slim tapered neck, etc. I just want to play one before pulling the trigger. But, if you have a contact for me, I'll definitely call him/her.

 

Thank you for all the information.

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Thank you. I got it and responded. I tried giving Guitar Center a chance, even though a lot of people can't stand them. I hadn't shopped there much but found the guitar I loved and wanted there. I'm not likely ever going to buy anything else there. I get all other accessories at a local store. Being lied to by one of their employees and another admitting that he essentially doesn't know what he's doing as a repair tech really doesn't make me want to go there much any more, if ever. I might go there to play a guitar I think I might want and buy it elsewhere. They've lost my business.

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I bought my first guitar (a Gibson Les Paul Faded Special) from GC in 2003. I was a noob and didn't know there were very reputable locally-owned shops in town. Since then, I bought my next four guitars (all Gibson electrics) from locally-owned shops. The next was a used Gibson Firebird 7 I bought (and subsequently sold) on eBay. (The only used guitar I've ever purchased and the only guitar I've ever sold.). The last three I purchased new were Ltd (ESP) models from Sweetwater. All the transactions were very smooth.

 

What I've found rather annoying here lately is that despite being the only authorized dealer in my area for brands like Ltd, Schecter and many others, GC have relatively few basses in stock. When I was researching my Ltd B-4E bass in 2014, I contacted the local GC to see if they had any in stock that I could test drive. Their inventory system indicated that they didn't have a single one in inventory in ANY of their stores and had no idea if/when they would get any in stock. Same story for the other Ltd guitar models I bought at different times. And I've been interested in either a 5 or 6 string bass. GC had no fanned fret basses and no plans to inventory any. They had only one 6 string bass and only two or three 5 string basses. They told me I could always order one and have it shipped to the store. I can understand the cost of overhead, but why would I order something from GC sight unseen with their dubious reputation? I'd much rather order from Sweetwater, knowing I'm going to get top-notch customer service and not have to pay sales tax.

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Ive had mixed results at GC. I had several sales clerks lie to me and others try to mislead me. Then again, Ive also had many sales clerks give me honest feedback about gear I was interested in and many others have been patient with me and were willing to share their knowledge with me. I think the quality of GC staff has diminished over the years. I have not been impressed with the GC repair techs I have talked to and I do not trust them with my gear. Fortunately, I live in a town where there are many quality luthiers and amp repair shops to choose from.

 

Having said the above, I am thankful for GC and I use them when it suits my needs. I bought my 2014 Gibson Les Paul Standard Plus new at a closeout price that blew my mind and the guitar hardly had a mark on it. I also bought two used guitars and a used amp at prices significantly lower than I saw those same items being advertised on the well-known classified ad websites or auction sites. When I get curious about a new type of guitar or amp, I go try it out at GC. Lastly, I live close to the GC Hollywood store, which is a cool place to hang out. I can spend hours in their vintage gear room and my 15 year old son has a blast playing very expensive guitars out of the Platinum room.

 

P.S. To the OP of this thread, I generally find that it is better to call than to send emails about used gear. If it were me, I would call and ask why they have the guitar in the link you posted listed as Good, which is obviously a lower rating than great or excellent. I have had good luck with GC stores willing to email me additional pictures from what they offered in the listings. Good luck!

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  • 2 weeks later...

I'm about to find out. I just bought a, their description from the site, "2016 Gibson Les Paul Traditional Heritage Cherry Sunburst Solid Body Electric Guitar" but in the picture didn't quite look right. Should be here tomorrow.

 

Can't wait to see it with lots of pictures!

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I have absolutely no faith in their repair center at all. I am having an issue with one of the push/pull pots and when the guy opened the back plate, he was surprised at the PCB and connectors. He was going to call Gibson for warranty replacement for the pot. He said that he would recommend junking the PCB and pots and replace with 50's style pots and capacitors. And, while I'm not totally opposed to that, I'd kind of like a brand new guitar to work properly. I called back a week later to check on the status. He kind of stumbled around his words for a little bit and said he called Gibson and was waiting for a response. I called Gibson and they said they hadn't heard from GC. I called another GC in another city which is about the same distance and the guy there too seemed stunned by the 2017's and the PCB and admitted he had not worked on them either. So, I called Gibson back and expressed my concerns about their so called warranty repair centers not knowing how to fix their guitars. I got another number for another place, not GC, a little further away. At this point, I'm tempted just to go to Nashville, since it's only an hour or so further away than Cincinnati.

 

What's the deal with Guitar Center? Probably same as Radio Shack. It used to be that to work in particular retail stores, you had to have some knowledge of the equipment. Not so much now, I suppose.

 

Yeah, about two years ago my 1993 LP Classic was shorting out and I wanted it set up. I dropped it off and they told me it might be a little while before they could get to it....I assumed a "little while" meant maybe a week or so. Wrong. Around a month later they called me and said the first five frets needed replacing too....so I said fine, assuming that meant they were working on my guitar.

 

Another 2-3 weeks go by....so they've had the guitar almost two months at this point....after several calls to see what was going on I got fed up with waiting drive over to pick it up. They get my guitar out and I put my card down to pay for whatever work they had done.....and they had done ABSOLUTELY NOTHING to my guitar in the almost two months they had had it. I was pretty miffed.

 

As I took my guitar I told the kid "if you had told me it was going to be months before you could get to my guitar I wouldn't have dropped it off in the first place". He started arguing with me that they do tell customers how long it was going to be, etc, which really ticked me off. Because they most certainly hadn't told me it would be two months before they even STARTED on y guitar.

 

I mean....I know it's Guitar Center but it wasn't like my guitar needed major work and it wasn't like I wasn't patient with them. But not only did they have guitar for two months and do zero to it but I got attitude from the register jockey when I went to pick it up.

 

So I'll pop in fir strings if it's an emergency but I try not to deal with GC if I can help it.

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That sounds similar to my experience. I drove up there (an hour away) and told the guy the problem. He knew nothing of the PCB and the push pull pots and looked a bit confused and surprised when he took off the back cover. I believe I took the guitar in on April 8th. I called Gibson support a week or two later and they knew nothing of the problem, nor has a claim been processed. Fast forward to the 29th and I called Gibson again. He was able to see that they called Gibson on Wednesday the 26th and that they should be receiving it this week. I'm considering accepting the part and putting it in myself because I have zero faith in this guy's ability to replace the part properly and having it work, with no scratches on the guitar.

 

It's quite possible that I may make a snide comment about being thankful that after spending over 2 grand on a Les Paul Standard at GC that it's a good thing I didn't leave the guitar with them and didn't need to use it for the last month. I'll update on whether or not they actually call me this week. I won't even buy strings from them any more, since my local music store is giving me a better deal on strings than they give me. Well, my guy is $.01 more and I don't have to make an hour drive to get them, since he's 5 minutes away. GC won't get my business again. I'll drive to Gibson in Nashville before I go to GC for any repairs/work.

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That sounds similar to my experience. I drove up there (an hour away) and told the guy the problem. He knew nothing of the PCB and the push pull pots and looked a bit confused and surprised when he took off the back cover. I believe I took the guitar in on April 8th. I called Gibson support a week or two later and they knew nothing of the problem, nor has a claim been processed. Fast forward to the 29th and I called Gibson again. He was able to see that they called Gibson on Wednesday the 26th and that they should be receiving it this week. I'm considering accepting the part and putting it in myself because I have zero faith in this guy's ability to replace the part properly and having it work, with no scratches on the guitar.

 

It's quite possible that I may make a snide comment about being thankful that after spending over 2 grand on a Les Paul Standard at GC that it's a good thing I didn't leave the guitar with them and didn't need to use it for the last month. I'll update on whether or not they actually call me this week. I won't even buy strings from them any more, since my local music store is giving me a better deal on strings than they give me. Well, my guy is $.01 more and I don't have to make an hour drive to get them, since he's 5 minutes away. GC won't get my business again. I'll drive to Gibson in Nashville before I go to GC for any repairs/work.

 

Yeah, they suck and it is shameful that you've spent that much on a guitar and are having these kinds of problems and they're taking so long. They just don't care about their customers as far as I can tell.

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I have done very little business with GC since I bought my first guitar from them in 2003. I have been fortunate that the two places I've lived since that time (Tucson and Austin) have some very good luthiers that have done quality work for me at very reasonable prices.

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The deal with GC is they buy more gibsons than any other gibson customer and they demand the exclusive rights to advertise the lowest possible price. So gibson has created guitar names to satisfy them. You will find most of the gibsons at GC are not even possible to get from any place else. Most of these are the ones you see no difference or little difference in the guitar but have lower price tags than you would think. Then they try to be creative using terms we think are higher end, like customs. Used to be any guitar from gibson that said custom would ALWAYS have gold hardware, binding around body neck and headstock. Unfortunately if the price is low, check the name of the guitar carefully, it prolly is not what you thought it was... It is my opinion you will get the best price at GC but you have to do your own product knowledge quest and be certain that you are buying what you think you are. Nobody that works there has a clue.

 

I asked a sales guy, "what pickups are in those sg's up there?" looking high up the wall.

The answer i got at first was, "humbuckers".

 

THAT is the level of knowledge you can expect from most of the staff.

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