Guitar Center steel guitar strings story

George Kimery · From: Limestone, TN, USA

I went to my local Guitar Center today to buy a set of C6 strings. I couldn't find them among the rack full of strings, so I got a salesman to help me. I told him I couldn't find the steel strings. He asked if I was looking for regular steel or acoustic bronze. OK, my fault, I wasn't specific enough. I said for a steel guitar. He said he had never seen a steel guitar before, only wood. I said, no the guitar is not made of steel. It's a pedal steel guitar. He said is it a lap steel. I said, no, pedal steel. He said he had never heard of that kind of guitar and wanted to know why I couldnt just use regular guitar strings. I said there are 10 strings in a set and the string gauges are different, and if they are not designed for pedal steel guitars the strings will break. He said they didn't have any strings like that. I told him the local Morrell's Music has them and a half dozen brands to choose from. I'll just go to Morrell's.

We are odd ducks and assume everybody knows what a pedal steel is. A salesman at Guitar Center didn't have a clue what a pedal steel guitar was.
There is something to be said about dealing with your local store instead of mega chain.

Ian Rae · From: Redditch, England

David Ball · From: North Carolina High Country

Morrell's isn't your average local guitar shop either. Joe Morrell, founder of the "Grand Guitar" (a guitar shaped guitar museum alongside I-81 in Bristol--recently razed) always catered to the local music scene, which includes everything from steel guitar to rock n roll. Great stores.

Ciderville Music, in Claxton, TN outside of Knoxville is another one of those relics of local music marketing/gathering places. There was a time when Ciderville was one of the biggest Martin guitar sales venues in the world.

The day is coming when those stores will be gone and it will truly be a sad day.

Dave

Dennis Montgomery · From: Western Washington

Lee Baucum · From: McAllen, Texas (Extreme South) The Final Frontier

Yeah, I just love Guitar Center. Rolling Eyes

Click Here

Kevin Fix · From: Michigan, USA

Their was a time that I would go to my local Mom and Pop music store and buy my strings individual. Most of the stores in my area sold Ernie Ball, which was ok with me. I used the Nickel Wounds on both necks. I get my strings from b0b now. I use the NYXL's. I have been using them for two years now. I used Ernie Balls for around 35 years. I am a firm believer in NYXL's. OEM Sho Bud P/UP's, metal necks, Hilton volume pedal, Steel Guitar Black Box and a NV 112. Nothing else but good amp settings. The Shift knob is your best friend!!!!

George Kimery · From: Limestone, TN, USA

I order Live Steel strings from Sid Hudson's daughter. I had two sets of Live Steel E9th strings. I sold my Zum D-10. I needed new strings on it for the buyer. No time to order strings. So I put a set of my Live Steel on the E9th
neck and GHS from Morrell's on the C6th neck.That was the best I could do locally with a tight time line.

Duane Becker · From: Elk,Wa 99009 USA

Same thing happened to me at Guitar Center several years ago now. Guy didn't know what I was asking when I asked for pedal steel string sets. I also told him I'd make a set with gauges from the Ernie Ball singles. He wouldn't sell the single gauges to me. Told me I didn't understand the workings of a guitar. That I needed steel strings and that the pedal reference dealt with the effect pedals.
Asked me to bring the guitar in so that the tech could restring it for me.
...This went on for several minutes all the while the guy was digging himself a hole.
Funny thing is the steel guitar is not that obscure. Its been around for years now, used in rock music too. I don't go to Guitar Center anymore. The loud punk music they play constantly over their in house music is enough to keep me out!

Brooks Montgomery · From: Idaho, USA

For all intents and purposes, Guitar Center is a â€œbox storeâ€. Box stores destroyed specialty shops. Now Amazon (and e-commerce) is destroying box stores. Soon you will see a major commercial real estate crisis equal to the home mortgage crisis. Empty malls and strip malls. Some think that the empty malls of America may get retrofitted as apartments and condos. It will be interesting to see if those dense-pack malls-turned-to-apartments creates a new retail scenario. Unfortunately, it will probably just be drones and robo-devices delivering more Amazon shipments.

Regardless, retail is tough, the margins are thin, and so it doesnâ€™t pay well.
And when you pay peanuts, you get monkeys.
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A banjo, like a pet monkey, seems like a good idea at first.

scott murray · From: Asheville, NC

I had a Guitar Center gift card and went in hoping to order some of the NYXL strings but they told me the only pedal steel strings they could order were Ernie Balls. no thanks
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1965 Emmons S-10, 3x5 • Emmons LLIII D-10, 10x12 • JCH D-10, 10x12 • Beard MA-8 • Oahu Tonemaster

Steve Spitz · From: New Orleans, LA, USA

Not often , but on occasion they might get an obscure used item that has no appeal to six stringers, but attractive to steel players. Not often.

I hate the place with a passion, and for too many reasons.

Regardless, I found a smokin deal on a very lightly used amp in another store, bought it and had it shipped to my local store. I even had the right to try it and return it if I didnâ€™t care for it. Iâ€™ve got to give them some credit for that.

They recently posted a â€œbuy your gear â€œ day . Waited till players were unemployed and broke , so they could buy your gear for next to nothing, and profit off your misfortune on the used market. Not exactly endearing to their customer base.

Generally, a really annoying place . Either that or Iâ€™m getting old.

Dennis Montgomery · From: Western Washington

Justin Emmert · From: Greensboro, NC

Not surprising. They also do not carry Elixir bass strings for 5-string basses. Elixirs and 5 string basses are very common.

Ron Pruter · From: Arizona, USA

I assume they won't know what a PSG is. George, I'm. Just curious. May I ask how old you are and how long have you been playing PSG? Ron
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Emmons SKH Le Grande, '73 Fender P/J bass, Tick tack bass, Regal high strung, USA Nashville 112.

Bob Womack · From: Virginia, USA

Larry Dering · From: Missouri, USA

Gosh, I'll never get strings for my Zither, or Autoharp. What's a guy to do? I have pictures of pedal steels on my phone and links to videos galore. Can't we take the time to teach and educate our fellow man instead of criticism? If they don't know, then it's our opportunity to grab a soapbox and preach. How else will they learn. (Most Autoharps have 36-37 strings).

Jack Stoner · From: Kansas City, MO

GC is not the place to go for Pedal Steel specific items. Most of the people there look at you with glassy eyes if you mention Pedal Steel. GC owns Musicians Friend and Music 123 and maybe others.

Most local music stores do not stock Pedal Steel items such as strings. An exception is a local music store, Bondz Music in Wildwood, FL. They stock pedal steel strings (SIT), Goodrich volume pedals and parts, a Peavey dealer and usually has a couple Peavey steel amps. They usually have a couple of used Pedal Steels for sale. The owner Johnny Bondz (actually "Bondzinski") is a steel player and was formerly a salesman for Gretsch/Sho-Bud. The store manager, Jr Reich, also plays steel and does some steel repair.
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GFI Ultra Keyless S-10 with pad (Black of course) TB202 amp, Hilton VP, Steelers Choice sidekick seat, SIT Strings
Cakewalk by Bandlab and Studio One V4.6 pro DAWs, MOTU Ultralite MK5 recording interface unit

Peter Leavenworth · From: Madbury, New Hampshire, USA

I almost never go to GC for anything but, as Steve Spitz pointed out, sometimes their ignorance of used gear can work in your favor. Some 40 years ago I brought my Sho-Bud Maverick into a branch of a large music franchise where they had a '60s Sho-Bud D-8. It hadn't been played, tuned or adjusted for some time and no one there had any idea how to sell it. I pointed out that the Maverick was all tuned up and walked out with the D-8 - sure wish I still had it!
Pete
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2008 Zum D-10, 1996 Mullens PRP D-10, 1974 Emmons D-10, 1976 Emmons D-10, early 70s Emmons GS-10, Milkman Sideman head w/Telonics 15" speaker, 1966 Fender Super Reverb, 1970 Fender Dual Showman head, Wechter/Scheerhorn and Beard Dobros, 1962 Supro lap steels, Gibson 1939 RB-11 banjo, Gibson 1978 RB-250
banjo......and way too much more

Bill C. Buntin · Posted 17 Oct 2020 7:15 am

Ive had similar experiences with GC. They are kind of "gypy" in my opinion

Dave Mudgett · From: Central Pennsylvania and Gallatin, Tennessee

Steve Knight · From: NC

Not a surprising GC story. I'm pretty sure they used to carry a Carter or GFI student model online at one point.

I didn't know that Joe Morrell founded the Grand Guitar store. I drove past it often, but never got the chance to go inside. I was in Bristol for the Rhythm & Roots Festival a bunch; but, they always had that store closed so the employees could attend/perform at the festival. I did buy a strap and strings at the Morrell Music store downtown, the older one, before the most recent one opened.

David Ball · From: North Carolina High Country

I bought a very early fancy tricone National from Joe Morrell. It had been hanging in the Grand Guitar for years in museum section--one of the earliest ones with the wooden sound well, flat back and woven soldered strips in the soundholes. Nice guitar!

Dave

Dennis Montgomery · From: Western Washington

Dennis Bailey · From: Fort Worth Texas

Gene Tani · From: Pac NW

I think everybody has had experiences w/GC associates that can be described as tragi-comic or something like that.

I was however, talking to one a few years back, he told me in high school he was practicing bassoon for at least a couple hours a day. I said so "you wanted to go to Julliard?" and he said "I did go to Julliard"
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- keyless Sonny Jenkins laps stay in tune forever!; Carter PSG
- The secret sauce: polyester sweatpants to buff your picks, cheapo Presonus channel strip for preamp/EQ/compress/limiter, Diet Mountain Dew

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