Musican's Friend/Guitar Center

[santellavision]

Is Musician's Friend and Guitar Center owned by the same company? I was doing some searching and they both seem to have the exact same Outlet guitars for sale at the same price.

[mirrorimij]

They are the same company. I think its been that way for a few years.

[unfun75]

Add Music 123 to the list, too.

[Ethan]

guitar center owns musician's friend, music123, music and arts, and a few other small chains in various parts of the country as well.

[JohnnyB]

Musicians Friend was headquartered in the Pacific Northwest. About 1997 they came into Seattle and put a couple stores in. I'd never seen anything like it (but I'd never seen a GC, either). Back then, in addition to the walls of Gibsons, Fenders, Epiphones, and Squiers, they had Hamer USA, G&L, Parker, PRS (when it was still truly boutique), and Alembic. A few years later Guitar Center bought Musicians Friend. My local Musicians Friend stores became Guitar Centers, and Musicians Friend became GC's mail order business (or one of them). That's why the stock and prices are largely identical.

[Hamer of the gods]

Musicians Friend was headquartered in the Pacific Northwest. About 1997 they came into Seattle and put a couple stores in. I'd never seen anything like it (but I'd never seen a GC, either). Back then, in addition to the walls of Gibsons, Fenders, Epiphones, and Squiers, they had Hamer USA, G&L, Parker, PRS (when it was still truly boutique), and Alembic. A few years later Guitar Center bought Musicians Friend. My local Musicians Friend stores became Guitar Centers, and Musicians Friend became GC's mail order business (or one of them). That's why the stock and prices are largely identical.

I was the Assistent Manager at the New Orleans MF store, in fact I trained at two of the Seattle stores, Tukwilla and one other that I can't recall. It was great getting to see Seattle, and check out the stores there lots of shredders at those stores. GC taking over ruined a great store and a great job! Whe new it was going to be bad when our new manager arrived to meet the staff in a suit & tie!