Wait, what? GC Brand Guitars

[diablo175]

Seriously thought this was an April Fool’s joke-

“Guitar Center has made the surprise announcement that it is setting up its own in-house guitar brand, and it’s asked players for their input.

The retailer’s CEO, Gabe Dalporto, revealed the news in a social media post last month, during which he laid down the company’s ambitious plans to start up a guitar brand that would push the instrument into unexplored territory.

“We are about to do something insane,” Dalporto says in a TikTok video. “We are going to build a revolutionary guitar and guitar brand from the ground up. Guitars haven’t changed that much in the last 50 years, and we’re about to change that.

“We have something that nobody else has: a relationship with you,” he continues. 

“Our customers are incredible musicians. And we’re going to work with you in public, out loud, and share our designs, take your feedback, iterate, and make the best guitar that has ever been made.”

[bruce919]

[alantig]

1 hour ago, diablo175 said:

Guitars haven’t changed that much in the last 50 years, and we’re about to change that.

It's about damn time.  Everyone knows that guitarists have been clamoring for something new, something different, something unique.

As long as it's mahogany with a maple top and shaped like a Les Paul/Strat/Tele and sounds like a Les Paul/Strat/Tele with the same control layout.

[hamerhead]

2 hours ago, diablo175 said:

....and it’s asked players for their input.

 

[Steve Haynie]

Hey!  Those Lowe's brand riding lawnmowers and chainsaws scream quality because they say "Lowe's" on them!  

[duncans]

Ima gonna start saving!

[crunchee]

Here we go again...every so often, Guitar Center gets an urge to start up a 'house' brand (like the Hamer/'G.C' brand pictured), most recently they had their 'Laguna' brand which was designed by Keith Brawley, who worked for Fender years ago.  General consensus seems to be that they're pretty decent guitars, and can be had cheap on the used market (eBay often has a handful available):

Keith Brawley was also responsible for the 'Brawley' bass brand, which was the old Mars Music house brand in the 2000s, before he worked for Guitar Center.  I've got an old Brawley Artemis 4-string bass (MIK, Ash body, 35 inch scale instead of the usual 34) that I found in ultra clean condition at DGS for the princely sum of $150 a few years ago.  It's a good 'un, I ain't letting go of that bass, ever.  Here's an old Reverb listing just like mine:

Brawley Artemis Custom KB-24 Bass 2002 Natural | Reverb

Edited April 9 by crunchee

[diablo175]

14 minutes ago, crunchee said:

Here we go again...every so often, Guitar Center gets an urge to start up a 'house' brand (like the Hamer/'G.C' brand pictured), most recently they had their 'Laguna' brand which was designed by Keith Brawley, who worked for Fender years ago.  General consensus seems to be that they're pretty decent guitars, and can be had cheap on the used market (eBay often has a handful available):

 

[Willie G. Moseley]

RE: 50 years "..and we're about to change that.", I got yer "change" right here: As inspired by the legendary house brand  model for the largest national retailer back in the '60s,  howzabout an amp-in-the-case with the output of a Marshall stack? 

[cmatthes]

This is what happens when the board and senior management are just investors who don’t really understand what they sell.

[hamerhead]

'Mitchell' is a GC house brand and the one I have is actually quite good: light weight, string-thru body, locking tuners, coil taps, stainless frets and a decent-size neck, all for under $300. Trying to re-invent the wheel seems pretty pointless.

[joshoowah]

58 minutes ago, hamerhead said:

 Trying to re-invent the wheel seems pretty pointless.

100% this. How far have we honestly gone from the original iconic G and F designs? Sure, we combine specs and materials from them, but we haven't really blazed any lasting new trails. There's a reason we all lust after them, but don't all need a fan-fret Parker Fly in the quiver. 

[Jim85IROC]

If GC does this right (they won't), it could be very successful.  Thomann is making boatloads of cash on their Harley Benton line because they're huge bang for the buck guitars. With Thomann pulling out of their US warehouse setup, they've effectively left the US market.  If GC can do these right (they won't), they could fill that gap and then some.

I'm assuming this "customer designed" crap is just their way to get people talking.  They'll release some limited run of wangcasters along with their regular production line to build more hype over the regular stuff.  If they're smart (they aren't) they'll evolve that into collabs like Harley Benton had with Agufish & Guitar Max.

[scottcald]

Isn't the customer designed similar to what Chapman did by asking the people who were already going to buy them what they wanted? 

I think the guy should ask Henry J how well really different ideas go over with the guitar crowd.   Innovation.....as long as it's exactly like what I have now. 

[scottcald]

Isn't the customer designed similar to what Chapman did by asking the people who were already going to buy them what they wanted? 

I think the guy should ask Henry J how well really different ideas go over with the guitar crowd.   Innovation.....as long as it's exactly like what I have now. 

[Steve Haynie]

People sometimes ask for things they are not going to buy. 

When given a choice between the old standard or a modified version, people split.  Some have to be in their safe zone of what they grew up with.  Some are actual players with needs that are met by the updated features, but that means a smaller number of consumers will buy the improved guitar.  To start a new line of instruments takes a bit of psychological manipulation.  

Jol Danzig said that bass players were asked for input when he was designing the Impact Bass.  Those are really nice basses, but they did not catch on like they should have.