Here's a number of indie stores I am aware of that are NOT GC related.

zzounds.com
interstatemusic.com
nstuffmusic.com
sweetwater.com

All of these guys sell online.

Can you share what shops they own?  I ended up buying my bass online from a shop in Missouri that I knew was local, but it's also got me in a gear buying mood.  As I look at pedals and stuff, I really want to support the shops where the guys love the music and support their local scene.

Man, I had no idea Guitar Center holds that much of the online market as well. Seems like they're everywhere...

Fortunately, with the power of the Internet,  I was able to find a number of nice indie dealers to work with.  There's some pretty strong indie stores out there,  don't give up hope!

Online buying is fine,  but check first,  since Guitar Center owns at least 4 major online shops.

Looking for a new bass.   Trying to look around for different scale lengths, shapes and stuff. Not a lot of guitar shops in the area, but there's a guitar center I never went to.   I have never seen a lousier selection of gear in my life. The place was filthy too.  I'd rather Play a 2x4 with rusty nails for tuners than that selection of 200 dollar trash.   Online here I come.  And thank you guitar center sucks!   You don't suck!

One must find the courier services company with the best customer support service because it might be needed to contact the customer care executives meanwhile your package is on the way. The courier services Dallas company that I am considering to hire for my business needs is also offering this service.

Sounds about right.  I've ended up fixing some GC messes in our shop here.   Sam Ash is kind of a drive from where I am,  but I don't really have too much bad to say about them.    Most of the time,  I'm at our indie shops around the city.

We had a few great indie stores...  one had  Gibson/Epiphone and Vox.   The other was a drum shop with Ludwig, Tama, Zildjian, etc.   It's truly possible to exist.

Unfortunately,  those owners are retiring,  so the future is unknown for their shops...  the drum shop sold out to a dealer a bit further away that is also a drum specialist.   Great indie stores do exist,  but you need to hunt around a bit.   Many times it's worth the drive.

I wanted a Ric bass,  and I ended up finding an indie dealer a state over...  so I went that route.   Nothing beats a good indie shop...   a few we have really close to home are indeed "junk shops".... but I still support them for the small stuff.

Problem is, Indie dealers carry more or less the stuff that nobody wants.

No Fender, no Gibson, no Martin, no Taylor...   They don't qualify for dealerships.   

So they're left trying to sell Aria, Washburn and Seagull, and whatever they can take in as used.

Not that the brands mentioned don't have some better models, but they're not the wall-of-fame stuff either.

Just my 2c

Well, here goes, and I'm glad I found this site.

Me: about 60 years young.  That's right, an old fart, but... I still play my guitars!

Guitar Center:  a band of idiots

So here's what went down...

I went to GC, looking for an SG, or Les Paul... not top of the line, just a player for me right now, since I lost a lot of items to the ex.

Ended up playing a LP Tribuite, it was ok, but I can do all my setups and minor fixes myself (aka nut slots, soldering, etc etc). 

Here's where the fun started. 

They were having a sale - got the Tribute for $749 - a good price, yeah, I know, don't complain

So at the point of sale, the sales dweeb says "give me a second, I'll be back with the right gig bag and paperwork"... and he takes the guitar to the back someplace.  A few minutes later, he comes out, with a guitar in a gig bag, opens the bag on the counter for me to have a look.  Then he says, wait that switch tip isn't right... takes it off, goes to the wall, grabs another and installs it. 

I'm like WTF?  He said it was cracked (BS), but wouldn't show me.   I didn't make a big deal out of it.  I should have.

So I get home, play the guitar... somethings not right. 

Switched 'em in the back!  The guitar I got was obviously not right.  The pickup covers were dented, and when I tried to adjust a pole piece, found out they had been unsoldered and replaced by just pressing them in place.  In fact.... they were not Gibson covers, but Epi (or far east) covers that didn't match the pole spacing.  Strings were not a correct set either, something like .010, .010, .012, .026, .036, .036 ... two doubled up sizes, one oddball size.

Checked the bill - he did it after the switch, the serial number was correct.   

So, I go back to the store, and say "this aint right", and lo... the guitar I played, and  remembered the two swirls in the wood by... up on the wall.

I complain.  No good, the guitar I'm bringing back is not right, its been altered.  I get the person who said "they could speak for the manager", same story.

Well.... I left pissed, was gonna contact my card company in the AM.   

The next day, I get a call... the case I ordered was in.  I ordered a Gator hard shell for the guitar.  It came in.  Since it was paid for, I went down and picked it up. 

As it goes, there were TWO gator cases, in a master box.  The sales dweeb gets "my box".  I open it while he's busy, two cases.  Hmm.  I closed the box.  He says "we're all set".   I left the store.

Anyone want a brand new Gator case?

So sitting down, I asked myself, how bad is this really.

The guitar had the wrong tailpiece (chrome, with nickel adjusters), wrong bridge (ABR-1 that somehow was on Nashville thimble adjusters), and the wrong bs covers.  Went back to GC, as a glutton for punishment... asked about covers.  See the tech.  I go to the tech.  He hands me two chrome covers for Epi.  I told him... no, Nickel for USA spacing 490R/490T.   Tech says... "they all fit".  No, I explain I want nickel, not chrome and USA spacing.  Tech says... "nickel is really hard to get, we had to take a set off a guitar on the wall last week".   Mystery solved.

So then as I ask him, "you took the tailpiece too", and his reply - was that you who wanted the nickel parts?

I walked out.

Ended up getting parts - at a discount without asking - from Sam Ash locally.  And the dweebs are a bit less dweebie, more professional, or at least seemingly more caring about my desires as a customer.  So, I got a extra case (screw you GC, like you screwed me!).  Had to spend half the price of the free case to get the correct parts.  Strings are a wash anyway, and I did get the obligatory "free set" with the guitar.

And the LP plays great now, looks great too with the right parts on it.

I'm not too upset about the deal, I could have backed out via card company.  Its a good guitar. 

ITS THE BS TACTICS, THE BLATENT LIES, THE "SCREW THE CUSTOMER" attitude and actions that have me never, ever, going back to GC.

I wouldn't buy a pick from 'em (hey I play with my fingers anyway!)