Guitar Center...

taylornutt · Post by **taylornutt** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 10:16 pm

Is Mars Music still in business? We had a couple in Dallas for a while and I bought my first guitar there. It was nice having another chain music store to compete against Guitar Center

Will · Post by **Will** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 10:59 pm

taylornutt wrote:Is Mars Music still in business? We had a couple in Dallas for a while and I bought my first guitar there. It was nice having another chain music store to compete against Guitar Center

I think they were actually bought by GC - at least the one near me became a GC after one of the most epically awesome liquidation sales ever.

taylornutt · Post by **taylornutt** » Wed Oct 21, 2009 11:42 pm

We actually had one directly across the highway from Guitar Center. I always thought their cables were awesome. I don't want GC to go under simply cause there are very few other stores and they charge too much for small stuff.

jcyphe · Post by **jcyphe** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 1:37 am

The big Mars Music in Miami became a Sam Ash. I don't think all the locations went one way.

I loved M.M. because they would have these small strip mall sites too. Not just mega chains and there was one across the street from where I lived in Miami. So all I had to do to get strings was cross the street.

jcyphe · Post by **jcyphe** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 1:42 am

The only real threat to Guitar Center in terms of the retail guitar business is Best Buy. Best Buy has the purchasing power and huge number of store locations but they're not there yet in terms of specializing and the number of Best Buy locations with instrument sub sections.

Also Best Buy is going to get into selling electric motorcycles and possibly even electric cars. The revenue per those units is much higher and is something that can set them apart in the market as doing something cutting edge. I wouldn't be shocked if they sacked musical instruments all together. They only have so much floor space and from studying how your average Best buy is laid out it seems like where they currently choose to have the Best Buy Instrument Sections would most likely be where they would sell EV's.

Will · Post by **Will** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 3:52 am

The instrument section in my Best Buy is almost exactly like GC, except slightly nicer because the employees don't bother you.

serfx · Post by **serfx** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 4:14 am

Will wrote:The instrument section in my Best Buy is almost exactly like GC, except slightly nicer because the employees don't bother you.

i've found that Best Buy / Future Shop guitar sections while diverse, carry nothing really worth picking up, and for some reason their prices are about $50 - $75 more then every other guitar shop in my city (including the independent shops)

**edit: it should be noted that future shop and Best buy are actually the same company.

aen · Post by **aen** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 8:19 am

jcyphe wrote:The only real threat to Guitar Center in terms of the retail guitar business is Best Buy. .

I'm fairly sure at the end of the money trail, the same company owns both of these retail behemoths. I was talking about it with the guy at my local shop today.

jcyphe · Post by **jcyphe** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 5:38 pm

aen wrote:
jcyphe wrote:The only real threat to Guitar Center in terms of the retail guitar business is Best Buy. .
I'm fairly sure at the end of the money trail, the same company owns both of these retail behemoths. I was talking about it with the guy at my local shop today.

Naw, not yet. Guitar Center is owned by Bain Capital(think Mitt Romney).

mickie08 · Post by **mickie08** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 6:20 pm

guitar center owned by Bain Capital - owned by Mitt Romney - owned by both Morman Church and right Wing Conservatives - backed Prop 8----

Even more reason to hate Guitar Center....It's thin logic I know... But it works.

Now I got to stop bying stuff from there (I don't near as much as I used to anyways...)

jcyphe · Post by **jcyphe** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 8:00 pm

Bain Capital is not owned by the Mormon Church it's actually Boston based as far as I can tell many of the partners are liberal. Romney himself held or advocated many liberal views when he was a politician in Massachusetts. He's the kind of guy who would say anything to get elected. I don't really take any view he holds seriously, it changes with the wind.

mickie08 · Post by **mickie08** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 10:38 pm

I know. I was just being joking anyways.... I don't like Romney that much because of him not really sticing to anything except himself.

TheBurbz · Post by **TheBurbz** » Thu Oct 22, 2009 10:55 pm

$25 million? That's like the same price as one Fender custom shop guitar.