mars music vs. guitar center

[jscoin]

which is better? the mars here in charlotte, nc seems to carry a lot of beginner and intermediate drum sets and guitar center carries more professional drum sets.
but mars seems to carry more pearl.
so which dealer do u like better?
mars music or guitar center?

[JonathanAKAgod]

I do not like guitar center. And mars music seems to be a business more of a true specialized store.

[drumfool]

Mars' selection near me has dissapointed me in the past.

I have two guitar centers near me. One has gone to hell (sherman oaks), but the other is where I get all of my stuff that I need (or don't need). I know some of the guys that works there, so it's not that bad.

[drewdrums]

I don't think it the question is about which company is better, but which store has better employees. Where I live, the Guitar Center Drum Shop employees are pro players with endless knowledge of gear. Unfortunatly, the workers at MARS tend to have much less experience, so Guitar Center would be my only choice to purchase.

[GMSDrummer]

never been to mars music, but i voted for guitar cenetr cuz they're so nice and always sell things to you for less than they should (IF YOU ASK THEM, or you can do what i do, just say that you came to this store just to buy this one product and you live an hour or more away [which is accually true for me], that works) AND, they let you jam on $5000 kits, thats definatly VERY cool!!

[drewdrums]

Very good point GMS.

[drumfool]

one of Mars' slogans is "and we love when you touch the stuff"
I'm pretty sure they let you play the 5000 dollars kits too.
But as far as knowledgable sales people? The Guitar Center in Hollywood is my place to go. the Sam Ash and Mars people don't seem to care about moving the stuff as much.

[Zedia]

Interesting Drumfool. I'm a total beginner who got my first kit (a forum) from the Sherman Oaks GC a few weeks ago. The people who work there were great and spent a lot of time with after my purchase just giving me advice. Sure, they sold me a few things but they seemed to go the extra mile. I've gone to Hollywood a couple times, and maybe it's because it's so busy, but I didn't get the same time of enthusiastic help.

[Lee]

I say Mars. I have to drive a little further to get to Mars in Charlotte than I do to get to Guitar center, but the people in Guitar center are being dicks to the people that try to mess with the drums. In mars you can test out cymbals and everything. I'm just generally not happy with guitar center.

[Flipkid]

Split decision. The (two!) MARS stores where I live have a much larger selection of drum stuff than the (one) Guitar Center. But the employees in the Guitar Center drum department are much more friendly, knowledgable and willing to listen and help than the MARS employees.

[jmr1599]

when i walked into mars for the first time..an employee came up to me.. said.. make yourself at home..and please...we insist you play anything and everyhting you want... if uwanna test something that u don't see..let us know..we'll get it for ya...
so my vote goes to mars..

[bigshuby182]

Well, both Mars locations in Denver closed because of lack of demand, and i never had a chance to go to one. the guitar center close to my house is awesome, when i bought my 20" A medium ride, the guy gave me a free cymbal bag.

[MRX1824SHOW]

Guitar Center is the best! Its a real benefit if ur good friends w/ someone that works there. I always get deals on purchases, free sticks, and best of all, my new mrx set. i got a 4 piece for $2328. Its dope. mARS mUSIC IS LIKE A kiddy store. They dont carry high - end crap and some of there prices are ridiculous.!

[ohfunkydrummer]

If you live near anyone of those stores you are SO LUCKY!!! For me living in Vancouver Canada there's only 3 drum reatailer's around here. Tom Lee, Long & McQuaid & Pacific Coast Drum Centre. 2 Chain reatailers & 1 private. Needless to say our selection is LAME!!!

My now ex-girlfriend who lived is Seattle WA. (I drove 2.5hrs every weekend to see her &she dumped me a few weeks ago for another guy) Anyways, (a little venting there, sorry) she lived around the corner from The G.Center... everytime I was intown that's where I was!!!! WHAT SELECTION!!! For me it's like seeing the items in Modern Drummer & seeing it in the store... in Vancouver it takes us MONTHS or NEVER seeing the products in MD up here... ugh.

So who do I miss more, "her or the G.Center?!?!" hehehe...

[MRX1824SHOW]

hey ya that sux about your drum stores and ur ex. I live real close to 2 guitar centers. if i were in ur position i would order of off an internet store. drumworld.com, and drumcentral.com are awesome sites to order stuff! You could also call a guitar center in cananda or in the states.

[lorddraco98]

I liked Mars a lot better! Got most of my stuff there. Much bigger place and spread out well. You could play really anything you wanted! But they went out of business as are most Mars stores, they went bankrupt :(
Too bad, I don't like guitar center half as much, but it's my only choice

[Massmusic.net]

There's no such thing as Marsmusic anymore... they've gone bankrupt, and will be shutting all doors very soon.

I believe guitar center would have the same problem if they were audited by someone else other than Arthur Anderson

[exportman]

There's really something wrong with my town, theres isn't one good drum shop within 2 hour's of my house. The closest one (Mars) is a 2 frecken hour drive! And now I learn It won't be there much longer! There's 3 places in my town that it could be said "sell" drums. But theres nothing they wouldn't do to screw you for an extra buck. I'm telling you for a town with a 500,000 person population music sure does suck in this town.

[Drummer1]

Mars just went out of business. Chapter 11.

[biodrumr]

sam ash, or since I'm pretty luck here....Peeler Drum Center

[madnadcapone]

i vote neither!!! the 2 mars stores that i have been to (minneapolis and atlanta) didn't have squat. the guitar center where i live (in knoxville) are always trying to pull a fast one over the customers eye's. so i say the hell with both of them. i go to a local shop owned by a long time respected musician and have gotten better deals and faster service like special orders. i just bought the pearl "ian paice" signature model snare new for 260.00 from the local, where at G. Center i had to special order it for 399.00 after i put down 20 %. i can't even get replacement parts from g. c. for most of pearls popular products.

anyone that is still looking for that deep solid snare sound needs to check out the ian paice model. i hated my snare always having that high "steel snare" ring to it. it would fit right in if i played reggae or ska, but i don't.

help support your local music shop!!!!!!

[grunger]

I've never been to a Mars Store.. but.. I do have a guitar center here in my town.. and I hate them very bad... they treat me like crap... they.. don't really care.. and ... ok... The first time I went into the guitar center here.. I was looking for a new double kick. (This was about 2 years ago) ..Ok, there was... 4 drummers in the drum room... and 3 of them were on kit's and the other was on some sort of od looking drum.. I didn't know what the name of it was.. but yeah.. he was playing too.. and well.. I sat down at this one kit that had the kick that I wanted on it.. and well.. I just pushed the kick down like 2 times.. just like.. "boom... boom". .nothing more.. and this guy comes into the room.. pretty much in my face.... telling me to get off the drums... And I told him that what about all these other players.. And he was too busy yelling at me..so I just said "F*u*k you" and left.. I didn't go back for a "long" time... and well.. the next time I went into that place.. I wanted a throw for my snare.. and the reason I was going there.. that was the only place in town that I hadn't tryed and I needed one... so here I am walking into the store.. with a snare.. that was dusty as ****.. with no batter head... and without a thorw.. so I walk into the store past the front desk... and I get about half way to the drum room.. and tis guy like.. spins me around.. very powerfully.. and the look on his face look like he was about to kill me... And he said "You ... Forgot to check that in!!" .. so I'm standing there.. wanting to hit this guuy in the face .. .. but I didn't.. So, I just said "ok... sorry I didn't know"...
and well I check it in .. and I went too the drum room after that... look arond bought a snare throw.. and well walk out of the drum room.. and after that I was walking to go back out.. and this guy like.. is standing in front of the door.. making shure I don't leave.. and like.. tkaes my "own" snare out of my hands.. and is looking at it.. like.. it was one of the fu*king stores snare.. I mean you have to take to mind that.. like I said.. my snare was dusty as hell.. and had no batter head on it.. with no throw.. and he was like "YOU NEED TO CHECK THIS OUT!"... at that pint I said.. "THis is my ***ing snare damn it.. And I took it back out of his hands.. said.. "F*ck you!" one more time and woalk.. out.. I've been back there since.. but I think only about one time.. or so.. but anyways.. I know this is really long... To whom ever has read this entire thing... Hats off to you .. but ..

The point being.. guitar center really.... really... fu*king sucks...

[jpruett2002]

well, mars has closed there doors for good, but they were better then guitar center for your better everyday "maintance items", but they were not set up for pro sales.

[snoopfrogg7]

ive heard alot of drummer people that live in or near charlotte, nc.
that mars was awesome...it will be missed. but ive found some where even better...its in concord, called "Gene and Buddies"...if u ever get a chance u should definately check it out...

[jpruett2002]

hey, I think any local drum shop should get our first vote now adays!

[codi_rowe]

being that mars is bankrupt, i'll go to guitar center

[AntiConformist]

grunger... what's with the... captain kirk... speak.... it gets kinda old... reading 500 elipses... in one post!

anyway, I loved the mars that was in my area. Now the nearest store with a decent selection is about 45 minutes away (and after reading some of you guys' posts, i won't be so quick to complain). We don't have a guitar center here, so my vote goes to independently owned stores.

[mR.dnA]

GC, seeing as how Mars doesn't exist. Which makes it hard to try out cymbals ;)

[learningslowly03]

I never heard of guitar center...but I think it's safe to say that Marrs Music sucks a fat one... they shut down the store here in nebraska. At first they said that that particular location was'nt going to shut down, just other locations. Then, what do they do, shut the place down!!!
It made me mad, then kinda sad. But, in the end, I got over it. But I would't of if their was'nt a drum store down the street.lol:p

[samhooah]

Right now I'm loving Sam Ash. Over Christmas I found a 3X13 maple Pearl pic. snare of $90!!!!!!!! And then the next week I went and bought a pair of LP Caliente Bongos with the nice gold hardware for $80!!!!!!!!!!!

Guitar Center would be my next pic, cuz the guys there always cut me good deals when I start whining about prices. But the guy at SamAsh did tell me to go elsewhere if I could find a better price...... I guess it really comes down to who's working there once you get past price/selection.

[shockwave122]

MARS RULES its where i learnd how to play to bad they went belly up i loved that store:(

[ROBB283DT]

I have only been to Mars once when it was closing. I got some good deals on some drum material but they would not let anyone play drums because they wanted to make sure they got people to buy this stuff they had left so they could make as much money at the end. My vote goes to Guitar Center because they were left standing.

[JSXtremist]

Originally posted by ROBB283DT
I have only been to Mars once when it was closing. I got some good deals on some drum material but they would not let anyone play drums because they wanted to make sure they got people to buy this stuff they had left so they could make as much money at the end. My vote goes to Guitar Center because they were left standing.

I agree. Im for guitar center too.

[higgz]

I used to live near a mars, and a sam ash and a gc, PLUS ressurection drum (awesome shop in ft. laud & miami), but since moving to san diego i'm pretty much stuck with guitar center.

fortunately i enjoy flipping through a cataloge or a web site as much as i enjoy browsing around the store, and i can see twice as much in half the time, plus read reviews, etc . .

with the exception of cymbals, i buy most of my gear mail order (internet/catalogues/ebay/etc.) because i generally find better deals that way. there are so many great sites out there and i've always had good experiences.

as for cymbals, i need to hear them to decide, so i have no choice but to go to the store . . however, musiciansfriend.com is owned by guitar center, so . . if you find something in the store, and see it listed cheaper on the website, the'll give you the lower price . . i dont know if that is thier policy or not, but it's worked for me more than once . . . however, if you've ever spent anytime talking to a salesperson at any one of those big stores, you know that all the prices are negotiable anyway.

[Marc Hughes]

I've never had a problem with GC. I know the drum manager and the operations manager and I get great deals.