Behringer ditches Guitar Center and why you should too.

[Ronin1973]

I'm not so concerned about Behringer. I've only bought one piece of gear from them and it was for a cheap live set up (rackmount parametric EQ).

What's MORE important is that this is the relationship GC is presumed to have with all of its vendors. Ableton is one of them along with a lot of other names that I love. The money I paid has probably never reached Ableton.

I'm sure Ableton won't disclose how much they are owed in accounts receivable from GC or how much of it is passed due, but I can only imagine that number is pretty substantial considering that GC is the Walmart of music gear.

The point is that we, the consumer, end up paying TWICE by means of higher prices for future purchases or we see manufacturers go out of business or get bought out because of heavy losses.

I still want my gear. But I won't be spending my money at GC because it probably won't go back to the manufacturers.

Let's stay focused and stop bashing Behringer (deserving or not).

[eyeknow]

I don't see much "bashing" but I've seen strong opposite viewpoints. I don't call that bashing.

Now bitwig, I bash them

[pencilrocket]

i think everyone knows/knew that GC's days were numbered, including GC. i have a hard time shedding a tear for behringer though. cheap-as-shit, made-in-china gear is a double edged sword- while on one hand it profits off of the poor chinese factory conditions and increases waste by making products that won't last for long, it has also given people the power to create and record music at home, which was not possible until mackie and others starting making affordable gear.

You computer is made in china. How does it feel?

[pencilrocket]

Behringer is a company that's known to ripoff other companies intelectual property....
they have reverse engineered cloned so many pieces of hardware..
and they also have no shame in copying trademarks and releasing confusing similar products..
ripping off designs and technologies is how they make their $$$ (reverse engineering is much cheaper than real r&d)
just ask Roland/Boss, Mackie, KRK etc. etc... and even Apple
http://createdigitalmusic.com/2009/09/b ... apple-com/
http://createdigitalmusic.com/2009/09/o ... nd-copies/


personally...I'm not sad to see them get the other side of the stick... GC is a huge client.

I'm sorry but Apple is the best rippoff company that making lot's of money.

lol

[re:dream]

http://www.cggc.duke.edu/pdfs/Gereffi_G ... d_Book.pdf


http://www.unido.org//fileadmin/user_me ... Chains.pdf

http://www.slideshare.net/mhusnowcrash/ ... grationnrf

[memes_33]

i think everyone knows/knew that GC's days were numbered, including GC. i have a hard time shedding a tear for behringer though. cheap-as-shit, made-in-china gear is a double edged sword- while on one hand it profits off of the poor chinese factory conditions and increases waste by making products that won't last for long, it has also given people the power to create and record music at home, which was not possible until mackie and others starting making affordable gear.

You computer is made in china. How does it feel?

it makes me feel helpless. i'm in a glass cage of emotions.

[mclarensmps]

I personally try to buy directly from the manufacturer when possible. Next, I try to support local music stores, and only as a last resort would I buy from a big chain.

Ideally, every manufacturer of hardware and software, would be their own vendors, but alas, if this were the case, very few people would be able to "try before they buy".

It's a difficult balancing act, so places like GC are a bit of a necessary evil.

[eyeknow]

GC is always friendly to me. They even send out thank you's for buying strings.

[scottie b]

When I was younger and lived in the DC metro area it was Chuck Levin's Washington Music Center, god I loved that store. If/When GC goes bye-bye I'll miss them too. Its the main place I go nowadays to try/buy instruments (bass/guitar/keyboards/etc.).

Chuck's is still rocking'!!!!!!

[Jinsai]

I'm very sad about the demise of GC. It's going to be like tower records soon.

There are not many business's run in the world that don't have a dirty undertow. I can't get choked up about that because you basically can't live in the US w/o using things that are dirty and icky.

cigs, dope, video games, transportation (including everything you eat and consume) government (doesn't really matter which one) it's all the same but many support this infrastructure and then complain crap that they fully support (but think they are somehow fighting back)

I'll miss GC.

You can thank GC directly for driving the majority of independent music gear shops out of business. This isn't even a case of "they're bigger and better known, so they win." They buy the competition out and then shut them down.

They were never my favorite place to shop, but they truly turned into a monster after Bain Capital bought them out in 2007. Yep, Mitt Romney's people.

I won't miss them. At this point, they're a convenient place to stop in for guitar strings or a last-minute cable. Their pro audio department is a joke. It seems most of the people who work there don't even know what they're talking about, and the only synth gear they have on the floor is ridiculous. Getting them to price match is a pain, and they never seem to have what I want in stock anyway. Maybe that last part is just me and my bad luck.

When it comes to large chains, Sam Ash all the way.

But yeah... I'm not interested in what's happening in the Behringer world either. I'll never buy another thing they make.

[eyeknow]

We don't have a sam ash other than online.

[UncleAge]

When I was younger and lived in the DC metro area it was Chuck Levin's Washington Music Center, god I loved that store. If/When GC goes bye-bye I'll miss them too. Its the main place I go nowadays to try/buy instruments (bass/guitar/keyboards/etc.).

Chuck's is still rocking'!!!!!!

Without a doubt the best instrument store I have been in! Glad to hear it's still in business.