Guitar Center — Attraction in Highland Park

Bought a Schecter Strat Nick Johnston series from a Guitar Center in Wisconsin. Was in IL and around the area so I decided to drop in this store to get help with tuning stability issues. The greeter was friendly and handed me over to the guitar department but that's where things went south... I explain to the guitar rep that I just bought the guitar and not sure why it had tuning stability issues. I love the guitar and don't want to return it. I believe it was a setup issue. He and his store lead both played with it and said that there's nothing they can do. I ask if there was a guitar tech who can look at it. I was told there was one, but he's on lunch and there will be a fee associated with it. Politely I expressed that I feel the guitar isn't set up right or had issues, to begin with, and I believe it is up to the store to ensure it gets set up correctly and at least look it by someone who knows what they're doing before I decide on either an exchange or return. After all, the guitar was only purchased the night before... Again, I was told there was nothing anyone can do. I feel like I was blacked eye. I'm a long-time customer, a gear cardholder, and also a guitar collector with 75% of my gears from Guitar Center. I am almost positive that if I have purchased this from Sweet Waters or another retailer, they would at least look at it and or offer some solution (a replacement). None of these happened and I felt like I was told to take it or leave it, good luck. Second time in 2 months I visit a Guitar Center in IL and had a less than good experience. This is close to an $1000 guitar and I'm just disappointed....

Came home and did a bunch of research online. Turns out, some units are shipped from Schecter with the tuning peg a little loosed. I believe even I can correct this...I ordered a new one today and really wished the folks at this store would have just taken the extra few seconds to check for these basic simple things. Could have saved a customer and a bad experience and...

I have attempted to shop at the Chicago Central store on numerous occasions. Allow me to explain,. I am 62, short gray hair, and am a disabled Viet Nam Veteran. I came in wearing jeans, a t-shirt, and a Movado watch. I was very specific in terms of my request, as I had researched the item on their web-site, and was fully prepared to buy it. The salesman I was directed to was polite, but a little nervous, it seemed to me. I thought as our ages were pretty similar, I would be treated to a good sales experience. Such was not the case. He meandered around from showcase to showcase looking for the item. I suggested he try the POS computer, to see if he at least had it in stock. As it turned out, it was not an item they carried in stock. Surprising, as it is a pedal being raved about everywhere you look. It is a device that in addition to providing distortion, adds a note an octave higher, as in Jimi on Band of Gypsys. I then asked him if he had a similar device I could try to get an idea of the sound they produced, and he came back with a box that had octave settings, volume, and couple of other knobs. I didn't tell him that I already owned this box, and that provides low octaves, not high.He told to grab any guitar,sat me down at a "Test station" which was an amp buried under a counter and some wires coming out of some holes. Nothing was explained, i got no assistance in setting up, and he had no idea how the thing worked. He took off, never to be seen again. With all this nonsense, I just put the guitar back where I found it, left the "Station" as it was with the pedal sitting on the counter, and talked to one more guy briefly. He quickly said he didn't know if they would ever be carrying this pedal. I replied, " Well, this was a big waste of time", and took off. I will never even consider shopping Guitar...

Total disappointment. I went in to drop off my epiphone les paul, which I love, for a basic set up. Sometimes I just want a professional to do a few things like check action and intonation so maybe once every other year I bring it in to have it checked out. When I brought it in I was informed that a new technician was starting the following day and it may take a while to get done. They told me to call and see the next day. I said no problem. I'm in no hurry. I called two days later and was told I could pick it up that night after 7:00. I said cool, I couldn't make it in that night so I would wait until the following day. So on the fourth day I went to pick it up early afternoon. They couldn't even find the guitar and searched everywhere. He brought me in the back to look myself and there was nothing. He says ok maybe it's behind the work desk. We went back there and nothing. Then I turn my head and laying flat on the ground half hunger the desk and half out where you would literally step on it or kick it is if you were at the desk itself. It was so disrespectful and unprofessional I was shocked. He said you want to open it to check it, I said obviously I do. He opens it and nothing was done to the guitar. Still in the exact same state it was in. Broken string and everything. I was appalled. Complete waste of my time and totally disrespectful how they treated my guitar. I took the guitar and walked out. I did speak to a manager and all he said was we're sorry and I'll find out who did it. Seemed like a total bs response and I'm 100% unsatisfied and unassured. Do the work yourself! Save your money. This guitar center didn't give a damn about my guitar...