possibly a good sign ??

[Aaronharmon]

whatever nice guitar's you see in GC's are gonna be gone soon. At least here, in san jose, the word going around is the GC is pulling all good guitars out of the shelfs and trying to promote their own brand...the laguna's. All their "other" guitar orders can come through MF. Also, they dont have very many amps. They are trying to market their Raven amps or something.

[Newc]

Yep , before GC bought out rhythm city in Atlanta (mid to late 80's), it was a great store to go to - IIRC normally about 10-15 usa jacksons , 10-15 charvels , and some imports ( these were rarer then usa's )

And Newc - it would be a good sign because ,,,, then it would be easier to try out differen't models\options ..... I've heard about the quality sponsors here !!but sometimes it's nice to play before you pay (I'm probalbly not alone with this thought !!!)

Maybe that's why Rhythm City went under - too many demos, not enough sales.

Carrying a lage inventory and selling that inventory are two different things. Maybe you're not seeing them because they're selling, or maybe you're not seeing them because they're NOT selling.

[ejpii]

If you don't have it you can't sell it.

[UFORocks]

Guitar center is all about volume, which means "cheap" (relatively speaking) imports, not high end USA Jacksons. That's why most of what you see in the store is marked at under $1k, which seems to be the low end-barrier.

-Steve

[JACKSONFREAK]

Guitar center is all about volume, which means "cheap" (relatively speaking) imports, not high end USA Jacksons. That's why most of what you see in the store is marked at under $1k, which seems to be the low end-barrier.

-Steve

Well actually Volume is about power buying and with GC's buying power we can carry anything we want. And price it lower than anybody else. Within MAP of course. Realisticaly USA Jackson hasnt been selling well for GC. Mainly due to the price hikes in recent years. We being GC (yes i work there) Due have highend guitars. PRS, Custom Shop Gibson. Gibson, Cst Shop Fender. Etc. Sure maybe we dont have Brian Moore or MCdermitt or Tom Anderson but then hes not making guitars anymore. Also think about it like this. GC has 218 stores nation wide. In every demographic. You guys are always ccomplaining that it's taking for ever to get your USA Jackson you've order. Custom or not. Compound that by every GC also having that same guitar in stock. Thats 218 (ie SL1's) When all the other dealers are still trying to get some in stock too. Or do have a few in stock. It would take just that much longer to get your specail guitar. Fender needs to excellerate the building process without sacrificing the quality or price. But we don't see that happening do we. Some stores do carry "higher end" items over another store in the same area. Mainly due to size and volume of customers.
There's also dealer agreements and non compete agreements. (IE orange, Deizel, etc)
2 of the GC's here in the chicago area carry both Orange and Diezel. But my store doesn't. Some of the manufacturers like Orange and Diezel have a non compete clause. Which means a store even of the same chain within a certain mile range cant sell them.
I know Fender/Jackson doesnt have that kind of agreement. But there's alot of things being thrown around in the thread that are just off. And typical of those who want to see things in thier local store but don't see the big picture. Sure I for one would LOVE to have some USA JAckson in my store. It would give me something to play on my lunch break besides the same old tired imports that need attention. GC can order anything in the JAckson line. And has even doen some exclusive runs. So if you want it we can get it.
So yeah There's a lot more ivolved than just GC not having any USA JAcksons. And Charvels wont happen at GC at least for now. I just gotta find a JC dealer around here that has those new Charvels for me to check out. I kinda want a so cal.
Gil

[UFORocks]

Well actually Volume is about power buying and with GC's buying power we can carry anything we want. And price it lower than anybody else. Within MAP of course. Realisticaly USA Jackson hasnt been selling well for GC. Mainly due to the price hikes in recent years. We being GC (yes i work there) Due have highend guitars. PRS, Custom Shop Gibson. Gibson, Cst Shop Fender. Etc. Sure maybe we dont have Brian Moore or MCdermitt or Tom Anderson but then hes not making guitars anymore. Also think about it like this. GC has 218 stores nation wide. In every demographic. You guys are always ccomplaining that it's taking for ever to get your USA Jackson you've order. Custom or not. Compound that by every GC also having that same guitar in stock. Thats 218 (ie SL1's) When all the other dealers are still trying to get some in stock too. Or do have a few in stock. It would take just that much longer to get your specail guitar. Fender needs to excellerate the building process without sacrificing the quality or price. But we don't see that happening do we. Some stores do carry "higher end" items over another store in the same area. Mainly due to size and volume of customers.
There's also dealer agreements and non compete agreements. (IE orange, Deizel, etc)
2 of the GC's here in the chicago area carry both Orange and Diezel. But my store doesn't. Some of the manufacturers like Orange and Diezel have a non compete clause. Which means a store even of the same chain within a certain mile range cant sell them.
I know Fender/Jackson doesnt have that kind of agreement. But there's alot of things being thrown around in the thread that are just off. And typical of those who want to see things in thier local store but don't see the big picture. Sure I for one would LOVE to have some USA JAckson in my store. It would give me something to play on my lunch break besides the same old tired imports that need attention. GC can order anything in the JAckson line. And has even doen some exclusive runs. So if you want it we can get it.
So yeah There's a lot more ivolved than just GC not having any USA JAcksons. And Charvels wont happen at GC at least for now. I just gotta find a JC dealer around here that has those new Charvels for me to check out. I kinda want a so cal.
Gil

I was just making a generalization based on information I heard from employees at the two GCs closest to me, Cherry Hill and Plymouth Meeting. The way they explained it to me is the same as I posted above.

Some high end (high priced) guitars like top of the line Gibbys and PRSs are kind of an exception to the rule aren't they? You could take a shit in a box and stamp the Gibson name on it, and it will sell for a grand. Those brands are so desirable that even the more expensive ones will still sell enough to justify keeping them in stock. Or am I completely off base?

-Steve.

[pro-fusion]

Realisticaly USA Jackson hasnt been selling well for GC. Mainly due to the price hikes in recent years.

Interesting. Thanks for posting this perspective.

Perhaps there's a perception out there--among the types who shop primarily at GC, that is--that metal-oriented guitars aren't "serious" instruments that should command a high price. Which is sort of easy to understand, if you see a store flooded with cheapo Korean and Chinese guitars aimed at the metal market.

It was obviously different back in the '80s, when we were all ogling the crazy custom Jacksons and BC Riches at our local stores. But now, it seems like Gibson and PRS have done a good job of brainwashing the masses that an electric guitar, to be a serious and expensive instrument, needs to have a AAAAA top and look like it belongs onstage at an Allman Brothers concert.

I don't know how Jackson/Charvel gets around that perception problem. Maybe they don't bother. Online retailers obviously seem to have no problem selling J/Cs, and I have to wonder whether this has gobbled up a huge percentage of the market for expensive niche instruments (which Jackson really is, to be fair).

[Aaronharmon]

I guess I just live in a low rent town. My GC has very few guitars over a $1000.00 of any make

[Spivonious]

I guess I just live in a low rent town. My GC has very few guitars over a $1000.00 of any make

Me too. Aside from the occassional $2000 Les Paul in a protective case, there's nothing over $1000 in my store, let alone a $2000 Jackson.

[pro-fusion]

The three GCs in the Washington DC area each have walls behind counters dedicated to Gibson Les Pauls and PRS guitars. The cheap stuff is out on the floor for everyone to manhandle.

[JACKSONFREAK]

My store also has Gibson and PRS kind of behind a counter. Altho it's frownd upon for a customer to be behind the counter. They do go back there when an employee isnt behind the counter. However they can be played by anyone. inlcuding little snot nosed Johnny and his lil brother. Altho most of them dont know what a PRS is. There are still plenty of Les Pauls not behind the counter to be grabbed and checked out at any time.
Some stores are able to sell USA J/C's and they get them. Unfortunately my store isnt one of them. We have to order them to sell them. And the corperate idiots keep changing our specail order policy. So it gets annoying. We can give our regional mgr a list of what we want that we dont have. And we did this but the list got lost. So we have to do it again. And USA Jackson is on that list. Of course Corperate always says to the "we cant sell what we dont have" they just reply " sell it through specail order"
Ahhh california. ya gotta love it. they're so relaxed at corperate they just dont get it some times.
Gil

[Jayster]

My store also has Gibson and PRS kind of behind a counter. Altho it's frownd upon for a customer to be behind the counter. They do go back there when an employee isnt behind the counter. However they can be played by anyone. inlcuding little snot nosed Johnny and his lil brother. Altho most of them dont know what a PRS is. There are still plenty of Les Pauls not behind the counter to be grabbed and checked out at any time.
Some stores are able to sell USA J/C's and they get them. Unfortunately my store isnt one of them. We have to order them to sell them. And the corperate idiots keep changing our specail order policy. So it gets annoying. We can give our regional mgr a list of what we want that we dont have. And we did this but the list got lost. So we have to do it again. And USA Jackson is on that list. Of course Corperate always says to the "we cant sell what we dont have" they just reply " sell it through specail order"
Ahhh california. ya gotta love it. they're so relaxed at corperate they just dont get it some times.
Gil

blah,blah ,blah .................

I agree and your right........................................
After talking with my local GC guy (who's into devo )
The area I have a problem with , is , they refused to take a custom order(even for a quote) , however , I love to play different guitars.
I'm just a jacksonaholic !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[kmanick]

the GC in Boston always has some import jacksons and usually a couple of used SL2H solosits, but never any new ones. They always have New Charvels
the GC out in Framingham/Natick always seems to have alot more jacksons(new and used, usa and import). They never seems to have any Charvels.

[JACKSONFREAK]

Any store for the most part can order anything they want from a vendor. Then it's up to the sales staff to be able to sell it. And well to be honest my guys dont know that much about JAckson/Charvel. Or most guitars of the style. (ie Kramer, BCRich etc..)
My guys do now alot but they always come to me with the JC and others questions. But since im not in sales I cant just sell them myself. So we dont get them. Altho we do get some requests for things like RR1 and KE2. Soloists etc.. Oh well hopefully things will swing a differant way in the next breeze at Corporate and we'll be able to get some USA's in.
Gil