If I'm buying online, it's probably from Sweetwater or Reverb, definitely not Guitar Center. I mainly used GC if I needed strings, picks, sticks, or other small

If I'm buying online, it's probably from Sweetwater or Reverb, definitely not Guitar Center. I mainly used GC if I needed strings, picks, sticks, or other small things, but I've found Amazon to be perfectly fine at getting me that stuff quickly. When I first started playing guitar, probably around age 20 or so, Guitar Center was like Toys R Us to me when I was a kid. It was a magical place. However, GC came into most markets and pushed the local stores out of business and now they're getting put out of business by better ecommerce outlets and Amazon. I am glad some local stores have survived, either battling GC valiantly or being far enough away from them. Having a hub for lessons, repairs, expertise, etc. is very nice to have around still.