Smurfbird Posted April 5, 2015 Share Posted April 5, 2015 The GC in Albany is more civilized than the ones I've been to in NJ. But that's mostly a population issue. As a former 30-yr. resident of NJ, I can attest that Jersey has the largest number of interesting musicians while also housing the largest number of tone-deaf idiots. Shredders are everywhere but Jersey practically invented it. It's an interesting question. Are you better off somewhere quiet where you might find an unusual guitar sitting by itself for months, even years? Or is a place with heavy traffic and constant turnover a better option if you enjoy the hunt? I will say it always seems the best guitars are sitting in a store across the country from me. Or three hours away at Russo's. That's likely a good thing, since I rarely get to these places and my wallet is safe. I've learned the hard way to avoid the internet and its deals on acoustic guitars. I need to hold a guitar in my hands. In ten seconds, I can tell whether its geometry works for me and from there I can venture forward. Feeling sentimental, I guess, on this Easter afternoon. Enjoy your instruments, folks. I guess I should sign off and go play! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jukie Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 The problem with the Hummingbird Pro is that GC (and Musicians Friend, which is the same company) is the only dealer who sells it. Not like you can go out and find a better deal. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 I went the other full extreme today - bought some strings at a full boutique high end specialist acoustic guitar shop and phew..phew...phew...get those strings and don't look at anything or listen or even listen to the friendly, experienced mature age staff...all too perfect except the budget! In Jan, I got my CEO7 there, and they went out of their way to get it from the importer and rang me...etc.... Generally right on it! And great players! Right there was..oh no..I wont say, but it was $8k...oh no look at those custom shops....price unknown....and a Dylan J200 in a display case....let's get the strings and go! BluesKing777. Yup. You know. THAT'S where GC influence doesn't really have much influence. They ain't that kind of shop. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 The problem with the Hummingbird Pro is that GC (and Musicians Friend, which is the same company) is the only dealer who sells it. Not like you can go out and find a better deal. Just wait for their 20% off coupon Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 The problem with the Hummingbird Pro is that GC (and Musicians Friend, which is the same company) is the only dealer who sells it. Not like you can go out and find a better deal. Sure you can. Just go look for a Songwriter, which is what the HB "Pro" is. Gc exclusives are often though. pretty good deals, in that the models tend to be dumbed down, or less expensive versions of other things. But you can compare tit-for-tat between GC exclusives and other models in other stores. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisrownSal Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 FYI I plug Russo's a lot. They deserve it. After adding this thread, and knowing that each time I bought 20% off MAP, or nearly 40% off list... And when I traded in they took a realistic used value and applied 75%, and they banked me "points" that can be applied to guitars, strings... And the shop is this hip humidified Mecca, an interior that should be in an architectural magazine, with amazing inventory, best repairs and setups, with every employee more knowledgable than the next... Listen all ye... Move from your state, your country, your continent. Come to New Jersey. This shop is literally worth the price of living in the armpit of the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
j45nick Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 I dunno, Sal....... Great guitar store, vs. having to live in New Jersey...... Not an easy decision there. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisrownSal Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 1428356701[/url]' post='1647300']I dunno, Sal....... Great guitar store, vs. having to live in New Jersey...... Not an easy decision there. Ummm yeah. I'd move if I could. :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roman1 Posted April 6, 2015 Share Posted April 6, 2015 I've seen these Guitar Center bashings for a long time. And it hss gotten soooo old! If you don't like 'em, go somewhere else! I've had nothing but good experiences with the ones in the Washington, DC area. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fortyearspickn Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 To paraphrase the epitaph W.C. Fields proposed for his gravestone- "On the whole, better here than in Philadelphia." ...... I'd rather be in any GC than anywhere in NJ. As many have pointed out - the reason people in NYC are neurotic is because "New Jersey is their light at the end of the tunnel." Seriously -the next time I'm iin the Garden State visiting uncles and aunts I love - I will definitely stop in at Russos. Thanks SemisSal ! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wonderful remark Posted April 7, 2015 Share Posted April 7, 2015 D-18V is one of the best D-18's Martin's ever produced IMO. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 "armpit of the world". LOL…Anyone who has been to Jersey understands this... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smurfbird Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 Joke all you want of New Jersey, but it has a shore that makes it a thousand times more desirable than many other states. The property taxes will kill you. The traffic will send your blood pressure to the moon. But the food, the convenience (nearly everything is no more than 20 minutes away and an hour at most) and a good amount of the people are as live and let live as you can hope for in a state with its density. I left because I couldn't possibly save any money there. I didn't have Sal's lucrative aluminum siding gig to fall back on. However, unless you spend all your time there in Irvington and Camden or smelling the Exxon exhaust in parts of Linden, you're likely to come away with a very different impression. Russo's isn't a safe harbor in a sea of neglect. Asbury Park rocks pretty hard. The Silverball Museum, the Stone Pony, Wonderbar, Asbury Lanes and others bring some of the best musical talent through and the beach, the beach, the beach. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 Jersey is next to NY, or on the other side, Philly. How can you beat that? The residents are proud to be American, much more so than here on the west coast. And, they also have more value on tradition than folks on the west coast. And the food. Good Lord. ANYBODY from Jersey automatically gets a thumb-up from me just for being from there, or living there. Call me prejudiced. God Bless the United States of America. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
onewilyfool Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 I once did a bicycle ride through Jersey, it is a beautiful state….the coast. I was riding through the western part of the state…..I went through a town called Friendly, N.J., and you know what, they WERE very friendly……every state has it's good and bad. Then there is Camden…... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stein Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 I once did a bicycle ride through Jersey, it is a beautiful state….the coast. I was riding through the western part of the state…..I went through a town called Friendly, N.J., and you know what, they WERE very friendly……every state has it's good and bad. Then there is Camden…... Camden has soul. Not as much as Broad st. in Philly, but you can't ride your bike through there. Maybe you can. I haven't tried. That should be on my bucket list. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smurfbird Posted April 8, 2015 Share Posted April 8, 2015 I feel like Bon Jovi destroyed the good will that Bruce, Patti Smith, The Four Seasons and so many others gave the state. I will say that some of the finest open mics I've ever seen have been in NJ, thanks to people from Pennsy, Ohio, NY and Connecticut all converging with the locals. Seriously. Do we have anyone from North Dakota here? That's a state that seems to get skipped over during tours and whose weather sounds like a nightmare to me. (I've only been to South Dakota, which was especially scenic in the western ends of the state.) Personally, I would love to live in California, if I could afford it. The weather suits my clothes and Oregon allows you to die on your own terms. And Washington has several good friends. It's all good. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Boyd Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 So now this thread is morphing into "another reason to loathe New Jersey"? :unsure: Not me, I have 10 acres of beautiful woods with a wild stream running through. Can't see any roads from my house, property borders on thousands of acres of state forests. Taxes are low. There are plenty of beautiful places in NJ, get out to the mountains, the pines or the shore and have fun… it's Spring! :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
MorrisrownSal Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 I write this from gorgeous Seattle. Ha! I love New Jersey. I have a house on the shore that I just rebuilt after Sandy. I have raised kids here. The taxes and corruption will kill you for sure. And I may eventually leave. For now I'll enjoy the good stuff, and add in some self deprecation for good measure. Seattle is insanely beautiful by the way. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Smurfbird Posted April 9, 2015 Share Posted April 9, 2015 I'm just messing around. I lived in NJ for 30 years. The taxes were the main reason I left. If the taxes had been more affordable and I could've found group health insurance for freelancers, I probably would still be there. But I needed to save money so I could buy more guitars! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cap'n Yos Posted May 4, 2015 Share Posted May 4, 2015 Lol... Guitar Center INVENTED the concept of separating the case from the guitar. If they didn't do that, I would think the sky is falling and the end of the world was here. I'm probably the outlier here. I've had good experiences at GC, and at other guitar retailers. I got to know the people at the local GC. They've always treated me fairly both on trades, and new guitars. I would imagine that someone going in with no guitar background might get cleaned out, but it seems that if you're knowledgeable, it all works out. Just bought a J45 Custom from them. We all knew what it was worth and also the Southern Jumbo that I traded. They're happy and I'm happy. Profit is not a crime. Just be aware what things are worth. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BluesKing777 Posted May 6, 2015 Share Posted May 6, 2015 Obviously it all depends on the management of each shop...... I tell a short tale of...bread rolls There used to be a little baker not far from me and the bread and rolls were fresh as - but as consumers we just expected that a bakery would sell fresh bread! A major bakery chain moved in in 3 locations around the area...soon the old bakery was on it's knees and gone... So the crux of the story - I could go to each one right this minute and they happily sell me stale bread! Or to get the expected fresh bread, take a long drive. Tell me that is not management and accountant instructions to all their staff? And don't get me started on the local supermarket bread - they get it trucked from another state and one lot sold fresh bread that they have been fined for importing the dough all made up from ...Ireland......????/What? BluesKing777. Who just ate a stale roll...... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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