The following is an account of what more less took place during my visit to guitar center today:
I walk in carrying my shitty yet endearing acoustic, looking to get it restrung because my savvy friend Brian told me it was delivered with steel strings when it needs nylon.
Upon entering I am confronted with a subway turnstile and an obviously half baked seventeen-year-old. He stops me and asks to see the guitar.
After recording its serial number to make sure I walk out with the same one he asks me for my name.
“Matt” I say.
“I need a last name too” he says.
Fuck, I knew this was going to happen.
“Fender”
He looks up at me, grins. He has braces. I hate him.
“Dude, are you relat-”
“NO”, I grab my guitar and walk towards the string and accessory counter.
Some jackass is playing Metallica’s “Enter Sandman” over and over on a test amp. I need to get out of here quickly.
I walk over to the counter and ask if the dude will restring my guitar if I buy strings from him.
“We don’t do that”
Who is we? Guitar Center’s union of under-paid pimply clerks?
“Well can I pay for you to do it?”
“Nah man, we just don’t do it”
I stare at him for a couple seconds before lifting up the guitar and telling him I need nylons for a classical.
He proceeds to show me 8 different kinds I can get.
“Just ring up the cheapest”
“You sure you don’t want these, they work really well for me”
Apparently he didn’t notice the piece of shit I have in my hand. It has a fucking sticker on it.
“No, sorry, just the cheapest”
As soon as I have the strings and receipt in my hand I check out some guitars then make for the door. Braces boy is still there, staring at the wall. When he sees me coming he checks my guitar but not before calling to his manager.
“Hey Dan! This kid’s last name is Fender!”
I want to kill him.
After cringing at the jokes hurled my way by “Dan”, the manager man-boy stuck in his punk rock days, I escape to the parking lot, never to return.
*End Scene*
Lesson Learned. Guitar Center, while seeming aptly named is actually a misnomer.
Matt Fender: I'm put together beautifully
Comments
i dont think so (i dont think so) says:
(Posted December 19th, 2007 at 7:26 pm)
no, you write like you have a stick up your ass.
dojo (dojo) says:
(Posted December 20th, 2007 at 4:09 am)
you don’t write like dave eggers, you write like you’re a bitch
Kitten Bravo (Kitten Bravo) says:
(Posted December 20th, 2007 at 4:38 pm)
dojo writes like an illiterate person
Matt (Matt) says:
(Posted December 20th, 2007 at 9:45 pm)
ok. I wasnt asking for a critique of my ability to express frustration, rather off topic right? What are everyone’s thoughts on guitar center…?
tra la la (tra la la) says:
(Posted December 26th, 2007 at 9:43 am)
guitar center has a stick up their ass.
mark (mark) says:
(Posted January 5th, 2008 at 3:37 pm)
Seems to me that you expected to have a bad expeience and made it happen.
bobtheguitar (bobtheguitar) says:
(Posted July 15th, 2008 at 10:35 am)
If you really want to have some fun with this discussion, come over and join the forum at www dot guitarcentersucks dot com. It’s a good place with cool people all committed to ending the debacle that is Guitar Center — hopefully less people will have this kind of experience if enough of us join together. No I’m not spamming you and I don’t own the site. Come join us!
CommonSense (CommonSense) says:
(Posted July 19th, 2008 at 10:50 am)
Learn how to string your own guitar it’s certainly not rocket science
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the217
Buzz Magazine
Matt Fender
I'm put together beautifully
tra la la (tra la la) says:
(Posted December 19th, 2007 at 2:10 pm)
you write like dave eggers. i like it.