[Ixthusdan]

WWBW has sent out an email informing their customers that their parent company, Guitar Center, Inc., is doing some financial things and WWBW will be filing for Chapter 11. This apparently is a financial issue, and WWBW is saying they will continue to be open and do business. I have done business with that entity from the early days of the Woodwind when Dennis Bamber ran the shop himself. It saddens me to see this, but in the US, business happens like this when entities are bought and sold.

 

[72MkVI]

It was a great company in the old days.

 

[1saxman]

In my view, their decline commenced on the day they threw the members of the 'Customer Club' under the bus, summarily ending the discounts included with that membership, which had been purchased, and without refund of the membership fee. The chronology of that has escaped my memory but I think it was approximately at the time of the launching of their retail web site. I had already been a member since some time in the '80s and called 800 348-5003 many times to place orders from their catalog, along with sending the order forms from the back of the catalog in with a check. I continued to use them, but with the development of alternatives, to a lesser extent. In fact, I just ordered a mouthpiece today. I hate to say it, but with the alternatives now existing, their closing will inconvenience very few.
Offered by Member #59132.

 

[Pete Kelly]

Whenever a company succumbs to the "Two days to save", "Stupid-deal-of-the-hour", low margin, high turnover policy, in what is really a niche market, things are never going to end well.

 

[stomias]

Guitar center is the kiss of death!

 

[John Laughter]

Received the same email this week. Been with them for more years than I can remember. Their trial policy for m/p's and horns has been very helpful over the years. Their weekly emails with discounts started a couple of months ago so it was obvious that sales have apparently taken a hit. I thought is was probably due, in part, to the virus with so many musicians out of work and no income to spend on equipment.

 

[Ixthusdan]

I live near South Bend, Indiana, which was a main location for the original business. One could go there and play any variety of instruments, including drums and various percussion. They even had strings and harps! That was the days of pure musical enjoyment. The empty warehouse showroom still stands with its large sax and trumpet statue in the middle of a dry pond, casting a shadow of remembrance on what no longer is.

 

[vbluesman]

Too big to fail, I'm sure they'll refinance their debt again.

 

[lostcircuits]

I received the same email yesterday. I still like them better than most other online retailers, speed and reliability of service and really good customer support. They'll be around longer, I hope!

 

[JayeLID]

A giant which became part of a team which crushed the ability of small, local, independently owned- shops to survive over the past decades.

My laments would be limited....

....but Chap 11 is not synonymous with 'gone under'...they will likely still be around....

 

[HeavyWeather77]

I agree with you, JayeLID. Guitar Center and WWBW caused numerous local shops to close in the late '90s and early '00s, I remember when it was all hitting them hard. My favorite shop in Albuquerque closed right after I went off to college and everyone in my crew was heartbroken, we had spent an inordinate amount of time there and were friends with all the staff. My ex-girlfriend's dad was the guitar teacher, and a great guy. It was a very sad day. When WWBW was acquired by Guitar Center, I started getting my reeds elsewhere. (When Guitar Center was acquired by Bain Capital... well...)

In the last ten years or so, though, I've seen a surge of renewed success in independent local businesses. Instrumentalists started to realize that there was a lot more to it than convenience and rock-bottom sticker price, like getting advice from people who actually know what they're talking about, or properly setting instruments up.

 

[datsaxman]

Yeah, just part of the cycle. My LMS is long gone. Most of them are.

 

[notes_norton]

When guitar center took over, they no longer had expert advice and customer service went down the tubes.

Sadly I miss the old WWBW and have missed them for years. I'll only miss the post GC WWBW because there isn't much else out there anymore.

Notes

 

[mbishop752]

From a business standpoint, running both WWBW and Musician's Friend seems like one too many almost identical sites.

 

[swperry1]

It’s been about 15 years since the big four aligned...didn’t think it’d last this long honestly. WWBW was the last to sell out to GC/ Bain (2007). They’ve maintained separate but mostly identical online shopping sites for guitar center, musicians friend, wwbw, and music123, but anyone who comparison shopped could easily tell. They sure did a great job of walmarting the music store business.

 

[swperry1]

From a business standpoint, running both WWBW and Musician's Friend seems like one too many almost identical sites.

Don't forget music123 as well. Four nearly identical companies.

 

[mbishop752]

Don't forget music123 as well.

Well technically I didn't... because I've actually never heard of them.
That site seem to be redirecting me to Musician's Friend now though.

 

[PigSquealer]

Well this explains the phone call I received on my landline. About a week and a half ago at 8 PM. Call from WWBW asking if there was anything they could do to help or answer any questions. Interestingly enough a few days prior I was unable to unsubscribe from the daily emails. Between musicians friends and WWBW I think I was getting six or eight a day. Annoying. I had to go into a chat and request to be removed.

 

[LostConn]

Judging from the news reports, Guitar Center's bankruptcy appears to be a semi-"prepackaged" Chapter 11 filing. This means that the debtor negotiates a deal with the major creditors in advance, so everyone understands who is entitled to what, how much the payment schedules will be extended, etc. With no need to fight over everything in court, the proceedings can be much smoother and quicker. (Also, for those not familiar with the term, Chapter 11 means a reorganization rather than a liquidation, which would be Chaper 7.)

Interestingly, a major competitor of Guitar Center's is said to be Sweetwater, a music company I'd never even heard of before, probably because it doesn't sell any band or orchestral instruments or supplies.

 

[John Laughter]

Sweetwater Sound has been around for many years with guitars, amps, PA systems, stage equipment, lighting, mics, cables and many other items. Good company to deal with for those items. Their prices are often below other companies.