Thanks for making me feel better about this

This is a valuable perspective. I think we can all understand the general suspicion of capital investment groups and hedge fund managers. The first in particular are known to be particularly rapacious, but they normally target businesses that are financially distressed. They swoop in like vultures and pick the bones clean, leaving someone else to bury the remains (*herm*BainCapital*herm*). "This is not the first time that Chuck has sold his majority share to an investment company." This gives me reason for cautious optimism that everything will be all right.

Huge thanks for the info. I'm just working out how to tweet what you've said out. Can you put what you said up onto twitter or anyone to do with #42gsthree Thanks

@@justignoreme7725 I don’t use the Twitter, sorry man.

@@justignoreme7725 Twitter is cancer. Stay away from that platform.

Exactly! This goes for any kind of business: if you're in for the passion, and money is a consequence of your hard work driven by passion, by doing what you LIKE (even love at times), or if you're in for the money. If it's all about money, the kind of business doesn't really matter to you, and ALL your choices will be driven by the bottom line, not the job you like doing. Plus, at the end of the day, those who sell are to blame as well. Hell, they're the ONLY ONES to blame. After all, they put a price tag on their passion. You don't wanna do your job anymore? Shut it down. It's not the investor who killed the spirit, it's the seller who betrayed their own "dream".

No one forced the sale. Chuck knows all about corporations and in the end did the same thing they do.

@mikegurney It’s the beginning of the end. Sad

@@SamVecchio unless chuck buys it back for pennies on the dollar when it fails. That’s also common.

Ditto

The service department totally blows They don’t return phone calls. They like when you buy something but don’t know you when you need a repair.

One of the first things these corporate accountants will start asking themselves, "Why do we have all these people sitting around chatting on the phone?"

LOL! I once accused them of making my diabetes worse! My Great Rep had a good laugh! SW is the greatest sales support company I have ever dealt with in any field! Just spectacular!

More Smarties, please!

They once forgot to put candy in a package and I told them that my wife approved of all my musical purchases because of the candy! They sent me a whole box full of candy, and then separately sent a glass candy jar full of candy with the Sweetwater logo on it!

I used to joke w/ sales rep that I got a free instrument with my $2,000 bag of candy.

I think you are correct. Tech support, then sales reps, then return policy, then product selection, then product availability, then warranty, then Chinese branded stuff will start floating around. Before long they will have 3rd party sellers. They will become just another online retailer. I am sure they told the board and execs that their company was special and they understand it. It would be a sin to change ANYTHING! Every one of these buyouts run the same playbook. Court the execs and owners. Butter them up. Sing to them how special and different they are. Wine them , dine them, 69 them, then sign them and kick em out the door without a shower. I also don't buy the argument that the owners need to look out for their family and make more money. They are rich AF. When you have a business employing hundreds or thousands of employees and a HUGE customer base you have a responsibility to them too. So sad. It's like rolling the dice to order from them now. Do I keep spending my money there and hope things don't go down the drain? Do I start building a relationship elsewhere? ugh

@@beyond9109 every word you said is so true and this makes it so sad. I’m beginning to understand why most major guitar companies also have import lower end slave labor built guitars… that’s going to be the future and American made will just be a thing to desire. We hear stories like, “I remember when an American Strat was just under $200.” And we’ll be saying that is was $600 and then $1200. But our new generation will have to live with just under $2500 for an entry level American made Strat. I hope that we’ll be able to 3D print a Strat soon

@@beyond9109 I agree with your statement about the owner also owing his customers and staff, but the owner of Sweetwater was not that great a person to begin with. Apparently he did build a culture where those that worked hard could do well so he has that going for him, but he sold them out. That's just who he is.

@@mechuniversal Hmm Thats a pretty harsh judgement of somebody you don't know, and clearly you don't know Chuck.

I also started with Sweetwater since 2006! I'm shocked.

Sadly, not for long.

They might start giving out a few stevia-flavored pieces of tofu.

That's expenses, got to go!

The "Chuck " is on the board, is just a PR move so that business partners, vendors, and employess don't run out the door.. Things will change. Usually , the old CEo will have a 2 year buyout.. That's when the big changes will occur. PS. That new store looks like a glorified Guitar Center. Not high end.. Just somple mid to low range items

@@JJDPROMEDIAPRODUCTION actually, no it was super nice with tons of high end gear. The mic collection available directly in the store was most definitely NOT low end stuff. They had more pedals in one row of a multi row kiosk than I've seen in an entire GC store. It's definitely higher end stuff. That said, there is also beginner and mid-range stuff in the store. Of course with it being linked to the warehouse, you can walk right in and get what you need (absent the covid supply chain disruptions every industry is experiencing). I'm not endorsed by Sweetwater, so please don't take this as me marketing for them. Just my honest feedback from having personally been in the store just a few weeks ago. I also like Vintage King and SoundPure for new studio gear.

@@jodysloan6054 They had little to no higher end guiaters and basses.. The Pro audio recording gear was typical guitar center stuff.. The best part of the store was used dept..

@@JJDPROMEDIAPRODUCTION What high end recording gear would you like them to sell? They seem to have everything anyone could want outside of consoles.

@@JJDPROMEDIAPRODUCTION When were you there JJDPro? We had two very different experiences for sure. The guitars they had when I was there last month ranged from beginner to higher end pro. They don't carry Surh or Tom Anderson (two of my favs), so there is room for improvement. However, they did have pro's on hand to "set up" the Gretch I bought. You won't find that at GC. As for pro audio, I've never walked into a GC and found the ridiculous amount of pro gear on hand (Burl's, Carbon's, Tube Tech's, LA2A's, and the mic collection was sic (U47's, U67's, C12's). Again, I don't see high end mics in a GC store. The closest I found to walking in and being able to walk out with higher end recording gear (my specialty), is Vintage King. You are correct about the used section. It was pretty good. Happy Writing/Recording.

Everyone expects their guitar to be perfectly set up by Sweetwater. They never say they're going to do that. How do tjey know how you want it set up.

@@mikecorey8370 Who said anything about a set up, it's a inspection and many times it's a BS inspection because they don't.....

Yep, like a mafia bust out

They are the bomb? I can understand if you are a teenager but find it hard to believe that an adult still thinks that sounds cool. Be a leader and have respect for yourself.

Second that

Behringer pedals went up 5 bux

I had the same problem with them!

That's why purchased a guitar from Musicians Friends as SW didn't have what wanted and found the guitar I wanted for $1000 less!!!

Every Music Retailer has been hit HARD from “The Bug” and stock will continue to look sparse until after this has blown over a bit… that’s just the way it is. I personally would never buy a guitar sight unseen, especaially from AMS, ZZounds, or Musicians Friend. At the very least, Sweetwater can give you pics, and the opportunity to look at several guitars, instead of getting whatever they decide to send you, and I’ve seen some of the guitars that come from those “three” companies mentioned above. And they lack any kind of real Customer Service. Half of them don’t even know the products they sell and are just trained monkeys answering phones… Yeah, I’ll continue to wait for guitars, or gear, from Sweetwater, if they’re out of stock at the moment. And Sweetwater “DOUBLES” the length of your warranties and has an in-house repair for electronics and the like. Does The other “three” come close to any of that…? No they don’t and that’s why Sweetwater is the best! 🔥 ✌🏼

Excellent Point!!!!

Yep, something not adding up

The owner maybe getting up in age and is getting to the point where he wants to be a little more hands off to gain more time with family!

This is normal, where they offer 1/3 of new or roughly 1/2 of used price. Sell on FBM or CL and you’ll sell it quick at 500-550.

And call it overhead reduction ugh

YOu already know it's coming..Why Chuck? Why ??

The candy is the best part!

🤦‍♂️😢😢😢😢😢😢😢

As a Montrealer living in the south, I can tell you, you've been missing out... L&M suck, and Steve's is not what it was back in the 80's... Sweetwater is stellar!

@@KSETONMTL Steve's is crap but I have no problems with L&M, especially since they absorbed Saved By Technology. Great service.