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dispatches from the new world of work

Brand Cacophony: Guitar Center

Ok, I may be 46, but this post does not prove I am guilty of Ted Nugent's "If it's too loud, you're too old" comment. I have played music at all volumes for 34 years, used to be a recording engineer, currently have a recording studio in my basement, and play in a band that includes two 17-year olds (my son and nephew) and a 20-year old. So I can credibly make this point without being accused of being too old to "get it."

Guitar Center is a chain with 151 stores. Although I prefer the local "boutique" I've shopped at since age 15, there are numerous occasions where it makes sense to shop at Guitar Center. I bought a guitar amplifier there about 6 months ago, and it was difficult to audition the amp since the store had a radio station blaring so loud over their mega-sound system, with ceiling speakers all over the store. But, I managed, and bought the amp, because I really wanted it.

Recently I was in Guitar Center, trying out this very cool effect called a "looper" that lets you make instant digital recording loops of your playing and layer phrases on top of each other in real time. However, unlike with a basic guitar amp, I really had to be able to hear this piece of equipment, which was once again difficult with the uber-loud radio getting in the way. I mentioned to one of the store managers that it was hard to hear the looper with all the noise, and he looked at me like I was crazy. (Even though we practically had to shout over the radio to hear each other.) I asked him if it was hard to sell guitars when it's so hard to hear them, and he curtly said, "no, we do it all day long."

So, what does this tell me about Guitar Center? In addition to the obvious (it's hard to shop there), it signals to me that they are more interested in superficial rock and roll "culture" than helping real rock and rollers make music. There are 200 guitars hanging on the wall (most of them out of tune) and you can't really hear the subtleties of any of them. The cacophony in their store does a lot to spoil their brand for me. Am I reading too much into the noise? I don't think so.

What's really funny is that my son says he heard a radio ad for Sam Ash, a major Guitar Center competitor, coming out of the Guitar Center sound system one day. Serves them right.

Think I bought the looper?

Steve Yastrow posted this on 12/09/05.

Comments

Amen! You are exactly right. I was in one of the Atlanta locations yesterday as a matter of fact. The music was extremely loud. Someone had just let off some stage effects. Half the store was full of smoke. It was a little hard to breathe it. There were 4 salespersons in the keyboard area. 2 of them were too busy talking to each other to help me. The rep standing in front of me was on the phone and then answered another call that came in while I was standing there. The 4th rep was moving boxes with a handtruck and ran into me. He didn't apologize and kept right on moving boxes. After 5 minutes. The rep on the phone helped me. They didn't have what I wanted in stock.

Posted by Mike Miller at December 9, 2005 2:29 AM

What is this 'looper' you speak of and where do I get myself one of these?

Posted by Maung Yogesh at December 9, 2005 5:53 AM

The good thing about the noise was that it prevented other shoppers from being assualted by the lousy versions of "Smoke On The Water" and "Stairway to Heaven" that plague all guitar stores the world over. I can't think of any other good points, though, and it seems to indicate a surfeit of style over substance in the store. I have a similar complaint about fi fi and TV surround sound retailers who try to sell gear in a busy showroom rather than in a proper demo room where you can properly hear what it is you're buying. I wonder if people really listen anymore? (That's quite a deep question, when I think about it.)

Steve - keeping up the Ted Nugent theme, why don't you re-write "Cat Scratch Fever" as "Crap Service Failure" and send it as an MP3 complaint letter to the CEO? That might get his attention!

Posted by Mark JF at December 9, 2005 7:55 AM

The "boutique" guitar store I mentioned has a "No Stairway" sign, where where the word Stairway is in a circle with a line through it.

Maung - here's a link to the Boss Loop Station http://www.zzounds.com/item--BOSRC20XL

Posted by Steve Yastrow at December 9, 2005 8:06 AM

I echo Mark's sentiment about Smoke on Water and good old Stairway. Don't these guys have quiet rooms where people can try stuff out in peace - seems a pretty basic requirement for a music store!

The question I have though is this:
Are their most profitable customers true Guitar players or more the superficial segement? Do they sell 10 guitars to someone who just wants to try out playing for every 1 that they sell to people who know what they are doing and want to really test out the stuff first?

If it is the superficial part are they not absolutely bang on with the brand and atmosphere they want (although lousy service is not excusable).

Posted by PaulH at December 9, 2005 8:10 AM

What an interesting story. IÂ´ve seen similar cases in other business. For instance in bookshops. Some of them have a special atmosphere, it seems like they want the customer to perceive a sense of chaos. The case you tell is a bit excessive because if you cannot hear the sounds in a guitar shop, they make it difficult to take a buying decision.

No matter if their main customers are young rock and rollers who donÂ´t care so much about the quality of the sound. They should take advantage of both types of customers. And make it easy for people like you to feel comfortable at their store.

Posted by Felix Gerena at December 9, 2005 9:12 AM

Steve, I guess this is the reason the Guitar Center stores (in my neck of the woods at least) have separate rooms for acoustic guitars: so you can hear yourself play one in relative peace. I just contacted Guitar Center to see if a company rep would like to weigh in on this. (I've invited guitar manufacturers to respond to previous posts, but I don't think any of them ever did, which is an interesting story of its own.)

Posted by John O'Leary at December 9, 2005 11:24 AM

Interesting that this post has caught the attention it has. I think the key to the issue are the questions Paul H asked, the first being "Are their most profitable customers true Guitar players or more the superficial segement?" I prowl the two local Guitar Centers and, while I just bought my 14yo son a bass, I'm not their high potential - high revenue customer. I love to touch, I love to look down the neck of a new tele, I love to think about what that 250 watt Marshall head would do to the foundation of my home if I cranked it up but I don't do much buying. That "superficial segment" is just starting down this path. Maybe today it's the all-in-one-box guitar ensemble but a couple of years from now the kid's back for something bigger and better and then a few years later something bigger and better still. Give that kid twenty years and he'll be posting or whatever it is we'll be doing in twenty years complaining that Guitar Center no longer fits his needs. Right now though, in Tom's terminology, Guitar Center is providing their demographic with an MSE. Are they missing the boat by overlooking the "geezers?" I'm not sure but whether I shop there any given day's up to me. Long live loud music and rock and roll.

Posted by Ed Di Gangi at December 9, 2005 11:48 AM

By the way Ted Nugent is wrong. If it's too loud then it's too loud - protect your ears to enjoy many more years of great Rock!

I had to go for some hearing tests (a long time ago) and the awesome Jon Lord was running a poster campaign at the time to "Turn it down!" had a big impact on me.

Despite a massive reduction in industrial, work noise problems the graph for noise related deafness is still going up

Posted by PaulH at December 10, 2005 1:52 AM

Heh Steve

Your comments made me think of my old friends at Elderly Instruments in Lansing MI. The key difference between Stan Werbin's Elderly Instruments and Guitar Center, is the passion. I remember Stan starting his business in a small storefront in East Lansing...now he has 100 employees, 35000 square feet, and probably the best mail order/web business in music. And he kept Tony, Frog, and Chris since the beginning...musicians turned businesspeople - but still musicians. They still love peole to come in and just try one of their vintage instruments, and they love to share the story behind each and everyone of them. You might spend an hour just getting pumped as you listen to these folks talk lovingly about the guitars...no sales pressure. Just a place to be among those who really love the craft. Stan thinks that Guitar Center actually has grown the market, so he isn't concerned about them. They sell guitars...he sells experiences. Check the interview out on the website. The anti guitar center....

Posted by mike neiss at December 10, 2005 6:15 AM

Well I'm new here and like this conversation isn't really anything new. A company becomes successful and they forget about the reasons they started and the people that got them there. Hey, I love music too, so to bad the company brass dosen't. Get my point. The staff is reflecting the company culture and what's happening inside the store is all about managements attitude toward money first and Customer What? They are a little to arogant for me. Sounds like someone should start a boycot.

Posted by Tim at December 10, 2005 9:34 AM

A similar category is restaurants where the "music" is loud and not conducive to digestion, or even conversation. The music seems to be for the staff, who is running around serving tables, not for the customer who is trying to have a pleasant dining experience. The style always seems to include those high screechy trumpets, what my wife calls "torturing elephants".

Posted by PaulAA at December 10, 2005 12:12 PM

Yes, I bought an amp at Guitar Center, too.

It was quick because the noise chased me out of the store.

I might audition and buy a Stratocaster or a Les Paul there.

However, there is no way I could audition or buy a Martin D-28 or a Gibson Hummingbird over all that noise.

Perhaps Guitar Center has done so UNIQUE market research, and selected a very narrow target market?

Posted by Erick Blackwelder at December 11, 2005 8:50 PM

If you want a good "looper" and you are enlightened enough to own a Mac computer, check out their Garage Band software at www.Apple.com

Posted by Erick Blackwelder at December 11, 2005 8:52 PM

I tried to buy my Husband a guitar as a surprise for New Year's last year. I did not know of any local Mom & Pop stores near me; so I went to Guitar Center. I know nothing about guitars and felt that the "sales associate" knew less than I did. Long story short, I found him a guitar teacher and purchased him a set of lessons and a guitar rental (from the teacher) instead.

Posted by Rachel Gulen at December 11, 2005 8:58 PM

Great move Rachel - remember to get the teacher to teach him something other than Stairway or Smoke before he goes to buy..........

Posted by PaulH at December 12, 2005 8:42 AM

I much prefer the little guys for the reason you mention. If you're considering buying a guitar or amp that is $500 and up, most small retailers will shut off the radio or whatever they need to do to make the sale. Guitar Center is fostering an image and unfortunately that image does not include customer service.

Posted by Steve Traversi at December 13, 2005 11:22 PM

I was pretty enthusiastic about my 1st foray into a Guitar Center about three years ago when I decided to add electric guitar to my choppy acoustic past. Had a great, knowledgeable sales kid and bought some aggressively-priced equipment. I started slow with the plan of going back and buying more from the same kid, but she was gone. The next two I tried to work with were clueless (as Rachel G. found, they knew less than I did) and neither viewed the interaction as an opportunity to ask a supe or senior person and learn in the process.

Now, I only use them to see a big pile of choices and get an idea of what low-end pricing is (like I use Amazon), but I buy from American Music, a small local chain that has a stable core of very knowledgable employees-- the added $$ has been worth it every time for me.

I suspect Guitar Center views their employees as interchangeable and therefore disposable and not worth imbuing with a method or knowledge. As Ed D./ said, it might be intentional, but I suspect they just compete on selection+price for which there will always be a viable segment.

Posted by jeff angus at December 15, 2005 6:43 PM

If it helps any, I played with the BOSS looper for a long time in the quiet privacy of someone's home, loved it and the one I bought off eBay (for 220 with shipping, not 295 + tax!) in due any day now :)

Posted by dank at December 19, 2005 12:17 PM

A bit late to reply to this post. Anyway, is there anything more annoying than being in a store that hasn't upgraded their intercom system and hearing the shrill, annoying combination of beeps and inter-office mumblings from staff: "BEEEEEEEEP, Price check in aisle 15" "BEEEEEEP, Mary to returns department" "BEEEEEEP, Customer Service for aisle 2"....

aaaagggghhh

Posted by Tom O'Leary at December 20, 2005 11:24 AM

Dear Steve,

Obviously, having read your post the day it was posted, I've thought about this for some time.

That being said, with all due respect, if we are the stories we tell, how is this a good story, but more importantly how does it effectively represent or support not only the inherent purpose of this blog, but ultimately the brand of Tom Peters, Inc?

Happy holidays,

Robert

Posted by Robert Ballard at December 24, 2005 10:24 PM