I certainly seem to be moving in that direction. 
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Good thing our local GC has absolute rubbish for basses. It looks like they are going out of business its so baren. Even the NYC one has very limited inventory.
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I’ve never set foot in a GC store but I’m hoping my local (Pasadena) location is better stocked than yours in NYC.
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You can check inventory online, save yourself a trip perhaps.
Inventories are super limited in stores for GC, as the company filed Chapter 11 and it, wwbw.com, & musiciansfriend.com are poised to go under soon.
Talking to the guy at Hipshot about where to get some out of stock parts, he told me 'don’t order from GC, because they most likely won’t be able to fulfil. Vendors are cutting them off too due to ensuing credit issues, etc.
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5 days, tops 
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Old news, GC emerged from Chapter 11 last year. It’s doing just fine.
Though do check your local store’s inventory before you go. I went yesterday and mine had a ton of stuff.
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I think I’ll just call some of the GC stores in my area.
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I think they are still in the re-org process from their Chapter 11. The harsh reality is, all the music stores are having difficulty getting product, and GC might be at the bottom of the suppliers’ lists.
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They came out of reorg last December for what it’s worth.
And you can see the inventory online, guitarcenter.com/local store name, like here is my lynnwood store
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Cool! That’ll come in handy.
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You’re half right, I haven’t been following the case as I should. I just looked it up on PACER and it appears their Chapter 11 plan was confirmed on December 17, 2020. That doesn’t mean it’s over, they still have to complete their plan which typically takes several years. In the meantime, they remain under the management of the Bankruptcy Trustee.
Here’s the case number if you’re interested:
Guitar Center Inc., 20-34656, U.S. Bankruptcy Court, Eastern District of Virginia
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Right. And if vendors like Hipshot are telling folks they aren’t shipping items to them, that’s bad news.
The filing is just one aspect. My wife is In retail merchandising and has been through a few Chapter 11s. A lot of it depends on what the creditors will (or won’t) do for you based on the performance of the restructure. It can be a very quick downward spiral.
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That is true, so you have to look at the fundamentals. For GC, store sales were always profitable. They also did well with online sales during the pandemic. The debt was from acquisitions and mis-management by their equity firm. They have a new equity group who reorged them and restructured their debt, and they look solid. Because same store sales are good.
I worked in retail IT for fortune 500 corporations btw. I think Hipshot is doing fine selling products off its website and Amazon store, and doesn’t need retailers. Sweetwater doesn’t carry the brand either. So I think there’s some self interest there too.
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Doubtful for that bass, probably have to order it, as it probably is not stocked anywhere in the area. They tend to stock only the best sellers, and lower priced basses, everything else is ship to store or ship to your door.
Fortunately, if you have it shipped, and you don’t want to keep it, you have 90 days to drop it off at the local GC for a full refund.
Pasadena is not exactly close to me, but it is not too far either.
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45 days now, which is still pretty good. They didn’t even question it when I did it yesterday.
And what you said is true, if there’s a bass you want, get it shipped to the store. Go try it out.
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Just know you need to pay for it up front, before they will ship it to the store. Thing is, you can try it there, and if it is not what you expect, you can leave with your money.
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I see that I can also have it shipped to my home where I can try it out without a salesperson breathing down my neck. That way I can spend more time playing it and then if I decide to return it, I can.
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Oh you really haven’t ever been to GC, huh? Haha. Good luck getting any of them to pay attention to you.
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LOL, no, I never have. I just assumed that they want their commission and will do whatever they can to sell you an instrument.
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Yes though, you can ship it to your home, and return it if you decide it’s not for you. I did that and they didn’t hassle me at all.
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