Anyone notice Guitar Center carrying less and less keyboards

[benny ray]

I used to deal with GC exclusively but after my last attempt to purchase i decided to take my business elsewhere SA is so much better for me.

[dfahrner]

For about 10 years, they [GC] have been telling me that the reason (in Tucson), for not carrying the high end quality boards is that there is "no call" for them. I grew up in So Cal, and I used to try out all the great boards there...the only way I got to try an Oasys and then a Kronos was to visit my daughter in So Cal and check out the places where they carry the "good stuff'...

Compared to So Cal, there isn't much of a market for high-end boards in Tucson (or just about anywhere else except NYC, maybe) so they can't afford to keep them on the showroom floor...

[holdsg]

and in So Cal, you mean the Hollywood store, because every other store is doing the same thing, paring inventory.

It's not just in keyboards either, I can't remember the last time I went to a GC to look at basses only to come back empty handed because I could only find cheap import crap basses up on the wall.

Fortunate for me, I am plugged into a number of boutique bass shops around the country that cater to folks like me. There are fewer boutique keyboard shops around, and that is sad.

[Bachus]

McHale,

That is one heck of a nice looking controller. And for 300.00, looks tempting.
Can you tell me what the action feels like.
I know it's all subjective but can you describe it? Lighter side, heaver side?
These forums my be all that's left if music store's start closing up.
Thanks.

The action is decent. It doesn't have a cheap synthy feel and feels a little "more" weighted than the Triton or M3 semi-weighted. It's still semi-weighted though, which for me is perfect. I can play keyboard parts on it but do palm smears easily. The BIGGEST feature I'd like to see added is the ability for the controller to be able to send SYSEX instead of CC data for the sliders and buttons below the sliders. If it could do that, I wouldn't have to use the Kronos (or M3 or Triton or M50...) touch screen to turn on and off channels in combi mode and I could adjust the volumes of 1-8 quickly on the fly. I've spoken to support and they are going to see if it's possible.

But I'd say it's worth the $299. I'd have preferred to pick to the LX61 instead but that didn't have MIDI ports on it.

-Mc

Somehow i think we will see a Nektar Panorama P8 one of these days... Which has the features you are looking for., and more.. However at a very different price.....

[Rich Z]

This is what buying over the internet does for local companies...

The only one getting rich currently is the UPS and the FedEx

Be that as it may, I'm sure the makers of slide rules really hated it when the new fangled electronic calculators became reasonably priced. Things change. As a business you either adapt or go extinct.

I cannot count the number of times I have gone to local retailers looking for something specific, only to be told "Sorry, we don't carry that, but we can order it for you." So I just tell them "If I had wanted to order it, I wouldn't BE here in the first place." So I stopped using retailers as the first choice when I want to buy something.

And I hear a lot of talk about charging sales tax on internet sales (at least here in Florida) to make the internet sellers more on parity with the brick and mortar stores. Basically put a burden on internet sellers to know and comply with the sales tax laws of every locality they sell to. Well, that's fine (not really), but if they do that, then pass a companion law that the retailers MUST reasonably carry everything in stock that they offer to sell. They can't have their cake and eat it too. If you want my business, EARN it by having what I want. Don't try to force me to do business with you by trying to encourage having laws passed to reduce the attractiveness of your competitors.

And looking at this from a different perspective, which methodology is better for the preservation of resources? Having 100 people driving all over town looking for what they want to buy, and maybe failing, or having UPS or FedEx just deliver those packages to those 100 persons? How much gasoline, for instance, would be saved per day in this sort of scenario? Not to mention smog emissions, wear and tear on vehicles, time wasted, etc., etc. It seems silly to promote mass transit, when and where available, yet actively try to suppress the buying public from making better choices when engaging in personally buying commodities.

[navydave]

Politics and corporate buyouts (Bain Capital, Ares) didn't help.

http://inthesetimes.com/working/entry/1 ... t_contract

[groK-Guy]

navydave,

Another interesting article about how corporate greed is eroding our way of life. You see this happening in all facets of business in the states,
big corporations want to make as much money as possible for their share holders, at the expense of the workers. So basically they want there cake, but want to get it for as cheap as possible.

This business model cant sustain itself for very long, because eventually no one wants to shop at a store that has no inventory (Sears anyone?) or cheap crap, except for maybe parents buying first time instruments for their kids.
Welcome to the buy, try and return world of consumerism!

[Ottawa58]

What everyone is describing is also the case in Canada - and perhaps even more so because of the smaller population and lower density.

I'm placing an educated bet that all those Canadians like me with new Kronos on order have never actually seen or tried one - unless they were at NAMM seeking the sun. I bought one basically on trust, and research.

Talking to staff at our biggest music retailers about lack of floor stock, it became clear that in comparison to guitars, they make nothing on keyboards. If I believe what I was told, the one store sells about 20 guitars a day. Maybe half that many keyboards a week. And a top notch Gibson or Taylor is almost as much as a Kronos. If you want a really sad story, ask an acoustic piano retailer how sales is going. Sold a Steinway lately?

The same retailer that I mention above did not know in February that Korg had a new Kronos out. I knew more than he did. Common now! That's your business. No wonder they are struggling.

The music industry is very broken compared to other industries. Not only does the sales process lack in many ways - but so does the repair and warranty process. If your keyboard breaks under warranty here, it goes into a black hole for weeks. And it could come back worse than it went in. Roll the dice.

It's almost worth it for me to drive to downtown Chicago to buy a K88. But then I would have to pay duties and taxes at the border for something made in Japan. And Korg Canada would invalidate the warranty.

[danmusician]

I was under the impression from a sales rep that Guitar Center, Musician's Friend and Music & Arts were all one company.

It's a tough time to be in the music instrument and equipment business. Schools in the U.S. are just not spending money on music. Teaching positions are being cut and programs are being rolled back and/or eliminated. That has to be a big chunk of business lost for manufacturers and retailers.

[oldguy29]

In a way it is nice to know that such greedy business practices will fail to work, but, it is sad to see so many hurt in the music industry. How many companies will GC take out with them ? they own a lot of other places. here is from wikip --- 2000, Guitar Center purchased mail order and Internet retail house Musician's Friend [11] for $50 million, asserting that the merged company was the world's largest seller of musical instruments.[27] Musician's Friend became a wholly owned subsidiary that was headquartered in Medford, Oregon until 2011, when Musician's Friend's headquarters operations were gradually consolidated into Guitar Center's facilities in Westlake Village, California.[28]

In 2005, Guitar Center Inc. acquired Music & Arts, the largest school music dealer in the United States, and merged their subsidiary band and orchestral chain American Music Group into Music & Arts (as the company was renamed).[29] Music & Arts was founded in 1952 in Bethesda, Maryland and sells band and orchestra instruments, guitars, keyboards, drum sets, printed sheet music, and related supplies.

In the summer of 2006, Guitar Center purchased four stores in Texas from the popular South Texas and Central/South American company, Hermes.[30]

In February 2007, the direct response division of Guitar Center, Musician's Friend, purchased assets of the Indiana-based company Dennis Bamber, Inc., which included leading band and orchestra retailer, Woodwind and Brasswind, plus Music 123 and Lyons Music.

[DennyC]

I, out of curiosity motor than anything, called the New Orleans Guitar Center week before last because someone told me they had a 15% discount for upgrade/trade-ins going on for that upcoming weekend. I was just about to order a K2 88 to replace my K61 (did not buy the original 88 because of keybed problems). Sure enough they gave me top dollar (checked ebay) for my Triton Studio and 15% off the K2 88, of which they had 2 in stock sealed in the box. Bottom line: I got it for about $1,000 less than the best price I could get anywhere else, even with paying sales tax, and I did not have the hassle of selling a 13 year old keyboard! Both the sales guy and manager were knowledgable, reasonable and professional. They held one over the weekend, because I had some gigs and did not want to use it without a case. The whole thing took about 45 minutes.

I'm glad you got a good deal! I was going to trade in my Oasys for a Kronos when the 15% deal was going on. But they were only willing to give me $1200 for it(of course, it is in immaculate condition with the upgarded memory and latest software stuff). They said their policy is to only give 50% of the ebay retail. I could not take that deal because it would have hurt to bend over for at least a week. Also, with the 15% off, I would have to turn around and pay a about 10% for our local sales tax.
So...no deal!

[BobTheDog]

I, out of curiosity motor than anything, called the New Orleans Guitar Center week before last because someone told me they had a 15% discount for upgrade/trade-ins going on for that upcoming weekend. I was just about to order a K2 88 to replace my K61 (did not buy the original 88 because of keybed problems). Sure enough they gave me top dollar (checked ebay) for my Triton Studio and 15% off the K2 88, of which they had 2 in stock sealed in the box. Bottom line: I got it for about $1,000 less than the best price I could get anywhere else, even with paying sales tax, and I did not have the hassle of selling a 13 year old keyboard! Both the sales guy and manager were knowledgable, reasonable and professional. They held one over the weekend, because I had some gigs and did not want to use it without a case. The whole thing took about 45 minutes.

I'm glad you got a good deal! I was going to trade in my Oasys for a Kronos when the 15% deal was going on. But they were only willing to give me $1200 for it(of course, it is in immaculate condition with the upgarded memory and latest software stuff). They said their policy is to only give 50% of the ebay retail. I could not take that deal because it would have hurt to bend over for at least a week. Also, with the 15% off, I would have to turn around and pay a about 10% for our local sales tax.
So...no deal!

I would say it would be longer than a week, you would need one of those pile cushions to even sit down for at least 6 months.

[cyeutter]

Guitar Center really upset me a few years ago. They sent me a card that said "Take an additional 15% off any item". I was buying a Yamaha S90 ES that was on sale and planned to use the card for an additional discount.
They showed me the fine print on the back that said not applicable with any other special offer. In other words I couldn't use the card to get a discount on anything that was on sale.
To repeat, the card said Take an "Additional 15%". I asked them how you can have an ADDITIONAL discount without a discount for it to be additional to?
They didn't see the logic in that and I bought my S90 elsewhere.
I did bite the bullet and bought my Kronos there years later.
That being said, the San Jose store still has a pretty good selection of keyboards.

[DennyC]

I, out of curiosity motor than anything, called the New Orleans Guitar Center week before last because someone told me they had a 15% discount for upgrade/trade-ins going on for that upcoming weekend. I was just about to order a K2 88 to replace my K61 (did not buy the original 88 because of keybed problems). Sure enough they gave me top dollar (checked ebay) for my Triton Studio and 15% off the K2 88, of which they had 2 in stock sealed in the box. Bottom line: I got it for about $1,000 less than the best price I could get anywhere else, even with paying sales tax, and I did not have the hassle of selling a 13 year old keyboard! Both the sales guy and manager were knowledgable, reasonable and professional. They held one over the weekend, because I had some gigs and did not want to use it without a case. The whole thing took about 45 minutes.

I'm glad you got a good deal! I was going to trade in my Oasys for a Kronos when the 15% deal was going on. But they were only willing to give me $1200 for it(of course, it is in immaculate condition with the upgarded memory and latest software stuff). They said their policy is to only give 50% of the ebay retail. I could not take that deal because it would have hurt to bend over for at least a week. Also, with the 15% off, I would have to turn around and pay a about 10% for our local sales tax.
So...no deal!

I would say it would be longer than a week, you would need one of those pile cushions to even sit down for at least 6 months.

So true...I'm glad you got my attempt at humor. I really am glad that jprobertla got a great deal--I was ready for one but they were not.