jonsparrow
2101 posts
Feb 05, 2010
9:13 PM
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so for my job i drive past guitar center a few times every day. i hate that place lately but ill stop by some times to see if there is anything i want. so im lookin at the new harp stand today an i notice something. there is like 4 marine bands. keys of D, G, C. $27.99 in the blister packs. theres a few lee oskars an some other harps. then theres like 50 hohner blues harps in every key even the sharps. now i would like to know who is in charge of ordering the harps there cause they got it all wrong. there was also 1 golden melody an zero sp20. see now some of you might say that the MB, GM, an SP20 are just selling. but no cause they NEVER have em. theres allways only like 4 marine bands. but i never seen so many blues harps there. esp in sharp keys. an what gets me is the BIG giant marine band display yet they bearly stock them.
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Stickman
181 posts
Feb 05, 2010
10:18 PM
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Our local music store had a variety of harps, all Hohner and mainly Blues Band and big River. They Don't Cary MB at all. This is mainly the reason I prefer those two brands. Anyway, I thought, when I started buying online, Those fools would never sell another harp again. I figured that I was the only customer who bought haps. Then Christmas came and I wanted a harp quick and went to the music store to pick one up. To my surprise......SOLD OUT. Everything was gone.
I figure these places cater mostly to people who want to give harmonica a try. Therefore they walk in and ask "What kind of harp should I get" and are sold whatever they have and the customer is happy. I bet people like us mainly order online. If you haven't noticed we can be a finicky bunch and the only thing we can agree on is that Ootb sucks. I would hate to be in charge of trying to figure out what harps to order for Guitar Center.
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The Art Teacher Formally Known As scstrickland
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jonsparrow
2115 posts
Feb 05, 2010
10:31 PM
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ya ordering online is the best for every thing. even food. i just hate waiting for stuff. i wish stores just had what i want. i guess thats too much to ask.
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ZackPomerleau
683 posts
Feb 05, 2010
10:43 PM
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My store has a bunch of Marine Bands, Blues Bands, Blues Harps, Lee Oskars, Blues Benders, Special 20's, AND Big Rivers. I think it is because I have bought so many from them, hahaha.
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Joe_L
20 posts
Feb 05, 2010
11:28 PM
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Two weeks ago, my local Guitar Center had a bunch of Big River harps at $18 a piece, but they ran out after I bought all of them.
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Bluzdude46
452 posts
Feb 06, 2010
4:32 AM
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We hnave Bill's Music House in Catonsville Hohner dealer and they take it pretty seriously they have a counter and racks just for Harps. they have all keys of MBs SP20's, Blues Harps and Chromatics but they won't stock the more expensive MBD or Xover
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The Original Downtown Philadelphia Fatman... Accept No substitutes!
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Diggsblues
137 posts
Feb 06, 2010
5:15 AM
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Center City Philly no longer has a major music store.
8th st music had to move because of problems with
the building. There are some small ones but I have to special order Golden Melodies.
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oldwailer
1063 posts
Feb 06, 2010
12:08 PM
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When you see the blister packs on the racks--ask them if they have any Marine Bands (Non-blister-packed) back in the counter-top case. I scored about ten MB's recently for under $18 apiece. I cleaned out what they had at that store--but there might be that kind of deal at other stores. . .
Last Edited by on Feb 06, 2010 12:09 PM
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RyanMortos
617 posts
Feb 06, 2010
1:12 PM
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I order harmonicas online too. For a variety of reasons including stock at the only two shops within an hours drive of me. The two shops near me are not a major music store. One stocks lots of guitars and guitar stuff the other lots of brass instruments/string instruments & brass instrument stuff.
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~Ryan
"I play the harmonica. The only way I can play is if I get my car going really fast, and stick it out the window." - Stephen Wright
Pennsylvania - H.A.R.P. (Harmonica Association 'Round Philly)
Contact:
My youtube account
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isaacullah
686 posts
Feb 06, 2010
3:20 PM
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I just went there today, as a matter of fact. I hate the place too (on principle), but it's good for two things (one of which has a few moral implications). The main thing it's good for is to go try out amps and effects in person before you go back home and buy them online. I did that today. I tried out the Digitech Rp155, RP 255, and RP 350 (Awesome!), the Epiphone valve Jr (Also Awesome!), and that Bugera (just okay). They'll try to hard sell yo a bit, but don't let 'em! Just try everything out, tell them you need to think about it, and go home and buy from your favorite online retailer...
The other thing it's good for is it's "price match guarantee". I printed out the 20% off sale price from Elderly instruments for a marine Band/ Spec 20 (which was $23.96), and GC beat it by 10%. That means I got two new harps for like $21 each instead of GC's stock price of $27.70. As Jon says, they only had like four Marine Bands in stock (in C or D), and I was after a new A and an E. They had plenty of MS harps (big rivers for $17, pro harps for $27,ad Blues Harps for $30), and plenty of Spec 20's (which is what I end up buying). They also had a few Blues Benders, a bunch of Blues Bands, some Hot Metals, a couple of Chromonicas, and a bunch of Lee Oskars. The moral implication is kind of bad though b/c they can afford to beat out the lowest prices of the little guy's because they are giant corporation... The only reason I went there today to buy harps was because I needed those two, I want to score a couple harps before Hohner jacks the price up mid month, and I knew I could screw them down to giving me a good deal on them.
@oldwailer, yeah they had some older stock non "blister packed" harps, but they had them listed at the same prices as their newer stock blister packed counterparts.
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The magnificent YouTube channel of the internet user known as "isaacullah"
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jonsparrow
2130 posts
Feb 06, 2010
3:26 PM
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that was smart gettin the print out.
btw the price increase is only like $3. so its not that big of a deal unless your buying multiple harps then it adds up.
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jbone
274 posts
Feb 07, 2010
7:46 AM
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i buy from GC only when there is just no other choice. not often in other words. the guys who work there are pretty brainless about what i as a harp player needs, and the one time i special ordered a harp it took like 6 weeks and all sorts of bullcrap to finally get it right. and it cost more than i really wanted to pay. we got a doupon for $20 about a year ago, so we headed over there and looked around. Wife didn't see anything she wanted so i got looking at harps and they had a Hohner, the one they brag bends so easy, and i got one for like 5 bucks with the coupon. it was not a bad harp but i ended up giving it to a kid who was digging us one day jamming at the farmers market downtown.
there are some very conscientious and competitive online harp vendors these days and some of them get an item to your door in 2 to 3 business days, and just don't make mistakes. it's a much more convenient way to shop and get exactly what i want.
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stephenf26
3 posts
Feb 07, 2010
8:05 AM
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My local GC was out of stock on MB key of A. The saleskid had no idea when the next shipment would show up. He did know special order items, like key of A MBs, would sell for more than the regular $27.95 plus sales tax. What's up with that?
I went to Amazon.com and got the harp for $30 with free shipping. They're not just books and videos anymore.
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Bb
165 posts
Feb 07, 2010
9:50 AM
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Haiti and Darfur aside, it's hard to imagine a more depressing place than Guitar Center.
-Bob
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nineveh_harp
45 posts
Feb 07, 2010
3:35 PM
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The Guitar Center near me has these:
MB's in G, C, and D
GM's in C (and the sales guy told me that Hohner only makes them in C. lol)
SP20's in G, A, C, Db, D, E, F, and F#
M.S. BLues Harps in all 12 standard keys
M.S. Pro-Harps in G, A, and C
Seydel 1847 Silvers in G, A, Bb, C, and D
Seydel 1847 Classics in G, A, Bb, C, D, E, and F
And a WHOLE BUNCH of Hohner Bluesbands in C
Basically, I don't think they know ANYTHING about harps. They only carry Seydels because someone told them they should, they bareley carry Marine Bands and they usually tell customers not to buy them. I have found my self (more than 6 different times) having to help the harp customers myself because the guys @ GC don't know a single thing about harmonicas... that's sad.
-Sam
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jonsparrow
2150 posts
Feb 07, 2010
3:37 PM
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well it seems all guitar centers are the same.
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oldwailer
1065 posts
Feb 07, 2010
3:57 PM
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This is very interesting to me. My closest GC is in Lynnwood, Washington--and they never bother me--they don't know anything about what I want to know, but they don't bug me at all--they just let me prowl around and play anything I want--even in the vintage Martin room where the cheapest guitar is like $2000--I hook into any amp--etc. I haven't tried using any pedals yet--but I think I could just go ask for them and try them too.
Oddly enough, I hate GC too, and I rarely buy anything there (unless of course the price is like irresistable)--like Isaac, I just check the prices out, try the gear--then go buy online--or at my favorite store--a Hugo Helmer's in Bellingham, WA. . .
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jonsparrow
2151 posts
Feb 07, 2010
4:22 PM
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ya i never had a problem trying stuff out there. iv played a $4500 fender jaguar there. just harp wise the store sucks. last time i got a harp there the guy tried to show me this new hohner bullet mic that just came out. its red. i was like oh no silly guitar man. i play vintage mics. he didnt say anything.
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MJ
68 posts
Feb 07, 2010
8:51 PM
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The Guitar Centers near me,(there are two) both carry an interesting line of used amps that I like to stop in occasionally and check out. I was able to get a very good price on the MXR carbon copy from the store manager. He matched the lowest Ebay price I had found.
Their harp selection is spotty but for fast emergency needs it works.
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southbound_60
23 posts
Feb 10, 2010
2:39 PM
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I like to buy my Harps from the smaller guys on the net,and my mics usually e-bay or custom, but my vocal mics, cords, pedals ,stands etc.,I buy from musicians friend.Every time I make a purchase, they give me a coupon for so much off my next purchase.So it pays me to be loyal to them!
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Randy G. Blues
162 posts
Feb 10, 2010
3:02 PM
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jbone said, "i buy from GC only when there is just no other choice. not often in other words. the guys who work there are pretty brainless..."
I went to one in the bay area on the way home from Santa Cruz one day and was looking at amps. Te guy who worked there pointed at a Fender, and then walked away. I was looking at some other amps and a fellow started helping me with lots of good info. I asked hm for a card when he was walking away, and he told me he didn't work there- was just a customer. Best assistance I ever got there!
I use Mus. Friend (same company) at times, only because it's convenient, but on many of the smaller items I get good prices at the local music stores.
For harmonicas? pretty much a choice of Hohner and Lee Oscar, and I don't care for either.
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OzarkRich
103 posts
Feb 10, 2010
3:24 PM
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I'm at GC every couple weeks so my oldest son can blow his allowance on drum stuff and try out all the kits (like they're any different each time we're there). I occasionally find a good deal on a pedal, cords etc. Last fall they had MB's on clearance for $15 but only in Ab, B and F. I bought all they had (7 or 8). A few weeks later they had a new display rack with MB's in blister packs.
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Ozark Rich
YouTube: OzarkRich
Facebook: php?ref=profile&id=100000279894342
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roadharp
34 posts
Feb 11, 2010
7:33 AM
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guys did you not see my post rockinronsmusic4less 4 harps 116.00 2 days i am playing my new bushman and sp 20's .cant beet it.1-858-736-4068 thats from ca to Arkansas free shipping.
Last Edited by on Feb 11, 2010 7:37 AM
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