I used to work at a guitar shop and there I've learned how HUGE part of guitar community is personal contact! We were proud to hear guys caling us "my shop" and us being "my guys". Most of the time we were a hangout where people would just come to chat. Can't count how many bands got formed there, at the store, friendships even a marriage or two came out from a friendly place everyone was led to through our love for music and instruments. Sales? We were great exactly because of all the vibe... The vibe is going to die if everything goes online!

For what it’s worth, I went to the guitar center near me last week with my 3 year old to buy a kick drum pedal. First, the guys were super nice to my 3 year old. Secondly, they gave me a great deal on the kick drum pedal. Lastly, my 3 year old likes to rummage in my pockets, and he must have knocked my AirPods case out of my pocket. I get home and realize my AirPods were lost. I call up GC, they had found them and would have them waiting for me. I picked up a pizza and brought it to those guys. I actually would never buy guitar equipment from them, but they went above and beyond that day. Hopefully, the end of GC doesn’t just spell out the end of brick and mortar music sales.

I love Guitar Center, great selection of used gear, ive gotten alot of mint used guitars at almost half the price. Say what you will about Guitar Center but it would be bad news if they went away

A world without GC is a world with a massive Sweetwater.

I’ll actually miss GC. They’re the only store near me where you can go in and try an expensive guitar before you buy it, and take it home with a 4 year no interest payment plan.

More room for mom and pops guitar stores is what we need anyway.

Lady here, I love this show!

My fondest memories from childhood and now as an adult is visiting a brick & mortar store with a big collection of guitars and trying a bunch to see which guitar I bond with and bring home. There’s something special about running the racks, being physically there and also having a store to return a guitar to if needed. I never buy from Sweetwater, since with them I can’t try before buying and if a guitar arrives and isn’t to my liking I can’t just return it to my local store but have to deal with shipping it back and prob will have to pay some shipping or restocking fee to do so.

Ya just gotta appreciate Baxter’s love for the “COOL GUITAR SHOP FORMAT” yea l have moments of thinking that l would like to be 35 again but l more often seem to be reminiscing over a time that life was just more fun and FREE. General admission cheap concerts watching legendary shows, every town having half a dozen decent guitar shops. A world where everyone wasn’t wound tight and so sensitive.

so many great memories at guitar center, played alot of amazing guitars there as a kid and it really helped me figure out what i liked as a guitar player.

As a Manufacturer Sales Rep (not 🎸 industry)...I agree with everything you're saying. Companies want growth, but want it with zero investment, and ultimately can't meet production goals when Reps grow sales. It sucks...serenity now! Retirement can't come soon enough...

As a music/guitar store owner myself you guys really hit the mail on the head. What’s going on in this industry I grew up in is shameful. The good old days are unfortunately gone. And seriously tho, those PRS codes make zero sense!!!

I've been in the hospital for nearly 3 months ,had a massive heart attack but I made it. I was trying to figure how to get to practice guitar and I watch you guys faithfully. Saw Baxter singing the praises for the gs mini so I got one. Got the mahogany and its absolutely perfect!!! Thanks for what you do, I'm inspired by your optimistic approach to life and guitars!!! BTW, I been binge watching Casino TV !!!!

Gibson ran off a bunch of shops a decade or so ago with their minimum stock requirements. Several shops in my area quit carrying Gibson and Epiphone due to Gibson's business practices. They still carry Fender and Heritage. GC disappearing is a bad thing, IMO. Guitar companies going direct is also a bad thing. There's nothing better than having a relationship with a local music store. Unless Gibson and Fender get their QC issues fixed, they're going to get tired of dealing with unsatisfied customers. As it is now, they have local shops and bigger retailers doing whatever they can to keep a customer happy. They count on it, and actually hide behind it. I bought a new SG online from a retailer that had QC issues. I called Gibson, and they tried to talk me into just sending it back to the retailer to get a different one. I held their feet to the fire, got an RMA and sent it to Gibson for repair. Just wait until everyone with an issue has to do that. They'll wish that they hadn't cut the throats of their independent shops and online retailers.

This is a factory one-off. “I’ll take three!” I love you guys.

I bought a custom painted Jim root tele from Guitar Center a couple months ago. It was the worst experience I had buying a guitar. Long story short is I didn’t trust purchasing online. So I called the guitar center and spoke with a rep asking if they could ship it with a case from Florida to Texas so it wouldn’t get damaged. Then as I was buying it, it somehow disappeared from the website and the rep couldn’t even check it out. I went back and forth for almost 2 weeks until they finally sent it to my closest location. And they sent it in a box packed poorly and no case. So it came with a couple dents. Luckily they made this tele like a tank. And it did nothing to affect the playing. But the experience was horrible. I will never buy anything from guitar center ever again.

Oh man! I will have to stop never going there. Made my last trip to one in Davenport Iowa many years ago and the manager could not answer my most basic questions about a common Gibson Les Paul.

Two years from now they will still be talking about GC going out of business. This has been going on for years.

There's a lot of examples in other industries where they've looked at going direct, and then come back with their tails between their legs. The issue is that a lot of guitar and amp factories only see the revenue bump but don't forget in service costs and inventory issues. Good luck clearing stock when you can't push at all your slow-selling low end stock onto local guitar stores.

Love you guys and your honesty! Five years ago I retired from the costume jewelry industry which started going thru in the late 90's what the guitar industry is going thru now. Instead of buying thru distributors, retailers started going overseas themselves, cutting out middlemen and salesmen and wound up shooting themselves in the foot. There was no quality control and no recourse that retailers got so used to. It eventually started turning around but not soon enough for me! Now I'm playing guitar full time....long wait but well worth it.

Marketing changes in real time! I'm a big fan of music stores, but the overhead doesn't stop. I don't really want to buy guitars on line. . Thanks guys

Rarely do I buy a guitar that I have not tried out. I have ordered guitars and it's an uncomfortable experience that hopefully it arrives in one piece and it FEELS & PLAYS the way I hope it would.

Right, wrong or indifferent, GC is the best place to go to have a significant inventory of instruments. You can take your time and play a half a dozen instruments before deciding to buy one or not. But I can see Big Box stores like this sliding by the wayside. They need a ton of volume to make it work, and I must say that the last few times I have been in my local GC, the inventory has been dwindling. The most important thing is that musicians have access to the tools they need (ie guitars) to make music that satisfies their own itch and pleases others at the same time. The world is a better place for it!!!

I want to see more local shops like back in the 1990s

I've been watching this for a whole Lotta years you guys!! It is sad to see where things are going!! I have seen many amazing stores and lifestyles change. Not just guitar stores! Places like yours where going into a place and building a friendship with people you trusted and worked with for years and corporate America moves in and it goes to hell!! I see people are trying to bring that back. We all need to work on this to bring it back!! This is the number 1 reason I started watching you guys!! I wish every day I could walk in there and talk with you guys and swap stories and laugh together and come up with ideas together! That's what built this country! Unfortunately all the corporate crap has been going on since the beginning of building this country!! I hope we can bring it back. Unfortunately for me I'm not going to be here to see it! I'm hoping my kids and your kids can see it and bring it back! Rock On Brothers!!!!

There was a time I could literally take a day off and really enjoy. Enjoy, in the local guitar shops which I made many friends! Enjoy going to the Book stores and have endless time to look around! Geez, a time in which your fav mag came out w/ tab! Lol. So sad to see it dwindling and closing shops. Please support your local guitar shops if you have one. And also, go see your favorite bands! Especially local bands that you really dig!

We can’t wait to visit you guys on the 8th when we’re in town for a gig!

I loved this video! Y’all are so great for showing us this information!

I haven't watched you guys in quite a while because I got tired of you guys always getting off topic. This was a great video. It was to the point and very informative the whole time. Loved it!

I would buy PRS direct, but nothing else.

Love the channel. This video seams to be for Manufactures only though. Keep up the good work though guys.

I always get my strings and find some cool used pedals at my local GC. Plus the guys there are really good guys, I really don’t want to see the place fail.

Isn't this the 3,472nd time that Guitar Center was supposed to be closing?

I think marketing is missing the boat. Sure an experienced guitar player / self maintainer will be OK. But the beginners will easily be discouraged and will send a lot of guitars back. What I learned as an automobile technician (yes it applies) is that if there is a problem (perceived or real) the buyer will never accept that the car or guitar is truly fixed. It could be a simple truss rod adjustment or filing down the nut, but once they perceive the problem it cannot be fixed. I recently purchased a Gretsch 5422-12 string from GC ( my second one) and played and sounded perfect. A few days later it didn't feel right. I adjusted the truss rod and all was fine. Then about 3 weeks later it just didn't sound right. I replaced the bass G string with one that was wound and all was right again (except that it will need a new set of strings soon). If I had purchased this guitar from "the web" I would have returned it. But like experienced guitarists / maintainers I am OK. Without guitar stores, what is the beginner supposed to do? I know you guys could have easily fixed both of those problems. I didn't have to return my guitar. But what happens to a company when all the experience players have all the guitars they want or need? How will they deal with ONLY BEGINNERS? They should think about that.

I worked at a small guitar shop through the 1970s, and a substantial part of guitar sales was the customer who came in for picks or strings and unexpectedly fell in love with a guitar they never expected to want or need. I’d usually sweeten the deal by offering the picks and strings for free if they’d buy the guitar. Next, the customer looks lovingly at their newly found instrument, giving an affirmative nod while reaching out for a handshake. There are no words exchanged but you know it’s time to write the sales receipt. Does this or can this happen with online sales?

GC gone will mean 100% pure online shopping for me. No nice boutique shops like you guys were I live

What brand/model is that single-pickup guitar in the upper left corner?

Another approach would be a direct sale with delivery through a local dealer/shop. I’m sure an arrangement could be made where the shop gets consideration for doing the first post-manufacture set up. It would address minor QC issues, potentially alleviate overhead and or inventory issues for smaller shops, and it establishes a relationship between the buyer and a shop. Just a thought.

did you guys have some stats from GC for the last few quarters? I sure dont see any slow down in the used dept.. they are killing it lately. Would love to see some data to back up your opinion

We could become very philosophical about the whole thing, and start wondering where the future of is going period. I think that, at the end of it all, people are forgetting that guitars (or any instrument for that matter) are a means to allow one to express themselves--artistically, emotionally, irrationally, fill-in-the-blankally--and creating an environment which results in purchases done through a simple click will result in any emotion being removed. Just looking at the wall of guitars behind you is reason enough to visit ANY guitar store as it will give you the opportunity to really see, and hopefully play, a multitude of instruments which previously might not have fit your fancy. Keep up with the vids, just subscribed!

I miss having reps show up as well. They were a great resource for answering hard customer questions. Now I have to wait on hold forever with some manufacturers, or surf the webs for answers, sometimes coming up empty handed.

I grew up when there were only a couple GCs in Southern California. Even though the one in West Covina was kinda close, there were a lot more mom and pop shops. So I preferred going to the little shops and going to GC Hollywood and the sunset strip with the Mesa Boogie shop on Sunset was a treat. I miss those days.

People in the US be like: "oh no" People outside of the US be like: "What's a guitar center?"

A New Guitar Center just opened in my home town Thursday. Wonder how long they will be around.

Thanks!

I agree with you,on keeping small music shops and Sweetwater. The do a great job on customer service. Thier checking guitar before shipping is great!

When Guitar Center folds, that will provide an opportunity for someone in Canada to create the next big box music store to fill the void. Of course it will be called Guitar Centre.

If all of these manufacturers go direct online sales only I will probably never buy another guitar. I own 21 guitars and 12 amps, of which I have never bought one that I haven’t already played and know I’m in love with. Plus, my favorite store is an independent guitar store that will probably take a major hit. That will also piss me off and make me not want to buy direct. I don’t think the manufacturers realize that there are a lot of us players who won’t spend money on BS we see on a website without holding and falling in love with it.

Whatever did we do before GC? We had the most beloved local and regional legendary guitar shops that are now mostly out of business thanks to GC. They were individuals, they knew their markets, they were real. They were a joy to visit. They grew the local music scenes and the local economy. None of that is true about GC. The great pizza and beer party is upon us!

Guitar center serves a great purpose, consistent prices across the board, and great promotional sales and random sales throughout the year. They also provide a great selection to actually pickup and get a feel for. I guess the last part is becoming less important as people are more and more ordering online. Just if you order online don’t make a video about how you don’t like how a model feels or how you find the neck uncomfortable and you are sending it back…. You should have gone into a store and at least picked up the model first

Never have stepped foot into their store. I have ordered online once and was disappointed.

What color is that 335 back on the wall :)

The first guitar I ordered online was not to my liking I traded my PRS S2 for a lunchbox Revv G20, 1 X 12 cabinet, footswitch, & lighting cable because I'd never heard of a guitar having a smaller nut than 42mm wide. I struggled playing & it got to the point where I avoided playing it, I'd grab my Squier Starcaster instead.

I never buy a guitar unless I play it first. And I still remember every salesperson I had a conversation with when I made a guitar purchase.

My comment is a little off topic (which should make it perfect for the Casino crowd), but I've been digging that Jonathan has been rocking Family Business Brewing t shirts. Huge fan of co owner Jensen Ackles, and love to see the smaller breweries get a shout out.

Guitar center has deserved everything they going to get

What’s the Orlando shop called?

That Gibson ES is spectacular!

We are blessed to have three great guitar shops here in NWA. We have a GC as well, I refuse to do business with them.

In the last 2 months I’ve bought 2 guitars. High end and low end. Both had chainsaw level fret sprout, got a discount because I have to do the work myself.

Decades ago I bought a guitar from GC. It's the only time that mistake was made. GC is pretty close to a mafia organization. Its employees are usually dismissive and unqualified to sell what they're selling. The managers are interested in one thing: SHORT TERM PROFITS. They don't build relationships, they build walls. The guitar world will be FAR better off without Guitar Center.

"No ladies watching its just men" lol. This is a man of prime comedy.

Buying direct has other issues. How does one compare models between manufacturers? Or which one might be best for you between the same model? It's taken a while to develop a relationship with a guitar shop and an employee/owner as to what I need or am looking for in a guitar or gear. You've referred to Paul at Music before. He knew what I was looking for in a guitar brand you don't carry. When one came in, I got a text/call to see if that's what I wanted and after a tone test, a deal was made. That wouldn't happen direct. No voicing of specific guitars. The manufacturers think all their guitars of a certain model sound the same: not so. Wood varies. Thanks Baxter and Jonathan

I'm glad GC is still around here in central Ky. I took a 15 year hiatus from performing, and only bought one guitar from 2013 to this year. Renewed songwriting ability and the need to see what used guitars were out there led me back to shopping. The local GC guys take care of me pretty well and I've even visited other stores toward Cincinnati and Louisville. I've been actively buying again since September and one of the big problems I'm coming to grips with is how much stuff is lacking QC that is imported. I'm not spending $800-$1000 for a guitar made overseas, nor am I willing to drop $1200 for a GS-mini with electronics. I'll go buy a used Taylor 310CE for less than that. The new vs. used market is horribly imbalanced.

Great video! As always,Just curious does the guy on the left own casino guitars??

There's probably a ton of valuable info that dealers have that the manufacturers benefit from. They have the pulse of the people with one on one iterations with customers that can't be replaced with direct sales.

When manufacturers sell direct they can pass the savings on to the CEO.

I’ve been so lucky in Houston to have some amazing local shops where I’ve built amazing relationships. Unfortunately, one close to my heart is closing this month…and it hurts. Yes, Guitar Center might get the inventory, but the local shops tend to get the rare finds or have a cool niche. One place stocks every pedal. The other has a Martin OMJM, Brent Mason tele, and a KWS Strat...mixed with $10k Gibsons and Taylors.

I love my towns local music shop for the small things: strings, cables, set-up and repairs, etc, however, if I'm wanting to buy a half decent guitar (not a no name brand starter guitar), I have to go through GC, or Sweetwater which is a 45 minute drive.

I sure did try to shop small but between the 2 small music stores close by only carrying 1 or 2 brands each going to GC was necessary. I had as good of service as you can expect from a busy GC with one employee

My early 30's I worked the accessories counter at a Guitar Center in Miami FL. Was a really fun job with exception of the all sales emails to keep up with. 😂

Absolutely. Not till the ready to ship. Praying for GC. Last of Mohegan. It’s terrible I went in. I called ahead of time to find out if they had a certain guitar knowing that the price range is out of the normal reach they have to dig around in the back and pull them out because of theft. When you go to Costco they check your receipt is you’re going out the door so if you have an item and you’re going outside of the store of guitars, why can’t they do the same just kind of wondering as far as a big box

What is that blue double cut guitar in back of you ?? Ricky from IBM

Guitar Center stores only place around me where I can try a guitar first. Today QC sucks on guitars. I loved Kramers in the 80s. Now I’ve tried at stores all of them have fret spurs. Even my Jackson Soloist I had to file my fret ends.

What is the blue guitar with the German carve in the background, Supro?

I'm sure glad I've got all the guitars I need. Amps too. The only things I need these days are parts and supplies.

I haven’t been in years anyway cause the closest n moved from 45 min to 1.5 hrs. away. I can come see y’all in 1 hr 👍🏻

I used to love going into a GC. But over time I noticed the staff was not very friendly or helpful. I have since been using a local shop, Sam Ash and Sweetwater

Just subscribed and will be watching 👀

Relationships matter to guitar players. Having a shop you can visit can be a community hub. Also, when you can play before you buy it, it gives you confidence that you've made the right choice.

I wonder how that works with the inventory GC has. Because they own some really museum quality classic guitars at most all of the stores.

I used them a little bit for drum sticks, guitar strings, and a couple T-shirts over the years, but other than that I felt like the store was full of nothing, but seconds. And when I go to a Music store and know way more about products I’m shopping for than the salesman. It turns me off. I don’t consider myself knowledgeable enough to sell guitars, but I always seem to know way more than anybody I talk to in there. In other words, I won’t miss them in the least. I’ll say one thing for them, it made the local stores way more considerate and eager to make a sale. They put some of our smaller stores out of business, which I didn’t appreciate at all.

I like trying out the guitar in the store. Guitar center has a great vibe for that.

I would love to see Casino Mandolins and Banjos. Casino Bluegrass. That would be a cool store, and they are in the right state for it. 😀

I worked at GC for a year. They didn't want to pay anyone so we were all happy to basically tell people to piss off if they were just there to smash cymbals they were never going to buy for an hour. Probably not what GC wanted but at it's core, they didn't treat the employees well at all and things go from there. "Call people at 9 am on Saturday to tell them about Les Paul's" isn't a sales strategy either. The whole thing was destined to implode. And it has

I'm barely a player. I do some electric guitar repair. The issue I see most is that many people want to try a guitar for feel and tone and cant do it ordereing one guitar at a time. Then cant retry one previously tried to compare. But few citys have a store large enough to have many of the same model to play, hear and compare on the spot anyway. I would have to travel two hours to a store with multiples of the same guitar. You could also buy a kit and have a qualified builder build it to your specs. Much less than a Made 2 Order. Our local Guitar Center closing will give me more work.

it's only the US that has guitar centre or any chain guitar brand for that matter. Everywhere else, it's either small independents, or the internet brands - thomann, andertons etc

To be honest...I and the wife have gotten some amazing deals on guitars,basses and amps over the last 5 years or so at GC.I think its a matter of 'numbers' and although the business model is suffering,it does have its place in the music world.We have had some 'problems' with gear and such,got the money back,etc... Have had more difficulties with Sam Ash as of late...won't go into details but this was just last week.Sure GC isnt perfect,no business is...just numbers,figures and bean counters. I am glad they are still open...competition breeds activity.

Stick with what you know and love!

Casino Guitars,thanks for this video. I presume all the big labels(Fender,Gibson, PRS etc.) are shooting in their own feet,with just direct sales to players/buyers.It's not only about trying out a new guitar,it's about service,testing and a professional envirement. But the biggest question is, is bying a new guitar a good investment? No,it isn't, in most cases.The guitars aren't played in,the value will drop,when offered for sale and they won't become "vintage" for sure. Like in the background of your video's, most guitars and amps have become vintage,will improve in value over the years and the demand for these items,will still grow.So these guitars/amps are a much better investment and give you much more fun,in playing them.

How much does GC owe Fender? Are the choice locations about to turn into Fender stores like they’re doing in Japan?

I remember some 20-25 years ago when Sam Ash and MARS was coming to L.A. to take on GC and possibly snuff-out the smaller shops; MARS was apparently hyped up and never made it to grand opening... more recently GC got into school band and orchestra which SA was already into... and the repair service... and school

Well, if GC ever goes under the deals on their used section are gonna be solid

Looks like I’m gunna have to head to Southern Pines once a week for my guitar needs from now on

The cruise ship actually is a good idea. I worked on a cruise ship and Baxters idea is good.

Initially, I had thought Jonathan’s shirt was for a reverb tank company. Dripping Springs? They need to make reverb tanks based on vintage Fenders. C’MON, fellaz!

"Meetings"... my eyes just glazed over and I went to my happy place.

How many smaller companies will they take with them?

I don’t live near a guitar store. But I have decided to save my $$$ and I’m going to buy my next guitar from you guys instead of direct. I want a decent Martin for like $1100-$1200. You guys help me out?

How will we become rock stars now?!