— Company opens its seventh store in 2011 with special savings and events —
— Store features on-site lessons and guitar repair services —
On September 29, 2011, Guitar Center opened its newest retail location in Round Rock, Texas, located at 2200 South IH-35, Suite B4. The store’s opening delivered vast product selection, along with the unparalleled knowledge and experience of GC’s dedicated staff. Guitar Center Round Rock also features Guitar Center Studios, an embedded lesson and rehearsal facility, and is the only Austin-area Guitar Center with a Guitar Center Studios. To celebrate the opening, Guitar Center hosted a Grand Opening Weekend featuring exclusive savings, gear giveaways and free events tailored to local musicians.
GC Round Rock features well-equipped showrooms with the latest products for the musician, from guitars, amplifiers, percussion instruments and keyboards to live sound, DJ, lighting and recording equipment. In addition to special Grand Opening Weekend programming, early shoppers also enjoyed exclusive savings throughout opening weekend with deals that included guitar and drum essentials.
Gene Joly, Guitar Center Executive VP of Stores, stated, “The Austin area is one of the key music centers in the country, and adding another store helps us to better serve the musicians and engineers in this burgeoning market. As with our other new stores opened in 2011, the Round Rock location reflects a number of new design and merchandising principles. For instance, GC Round Rock features Guitar Center Studios lessons/rehearsal spaces, GC Garage repairs facility and an open layout that yields a streamlined traffic flow and more room for customers to test drive products in a comfortable environment.”
Guitar Center’s plans for the Round Rock location go well beyond offering the biggest selection at the best prices. The store includes Guitar Center Studios, an in-house, state-of-the-art lesson and rehearsal facility, which will create unrivaled opportunities for Round Rock musicians of all ages and skill levels. Guitar Center Studios provides music lessons from beginner to advanced featuring certified instructors providing world-class curriculum, as well as one-on-one Pro Tools, Logic Pro and GarageBand courses. Rehearsal spaces are fully equipped with the latest backline gear, and musicians will have access to a digital recording of their rehearsal sessions. Guitar Center Studios is by all accounts the most modern and affordable lessons and rehearsals facility in the city.
The store also features GC Garage, offering on-site guitar repair services. Staffed with a certified repair technician, GC Garage can handle any repair from restring and basic instrument maintenance to headstock and structural repair.
Building on their ongoing initiatives designed to educate and inspire artists nationwide, Guitar Center in Round Rock will offer unique opportunities for musicians to craft their skills, maintain their instruments and experience many aspects of the music industry first hand. Musicians interested in learning the many facets of home recording were invited to participate in a free workshop with Avid, the makers of popular recording software Pro Tools, held on Saturday, October 1, at 1 pm. They were also able to interact with and hear firsthand from accomplished drummer Jeff Friedl (A Perfect Circle / Ashes Divide / Puscifer / Devo) and respected heavy metal and Guitar Hero lead guitarist Marcus Henderson as they shared their experiences and insights during special Guitar Center Sessions events (Friedl on Friday, September 30, at 7 pm and Henderson on Sunday, October 2, at 5 pm). On grand opening night, hard rock band Lyman and Elvis impersonator Terry Buchwald both performed.
Round Rock shoppers are able to enjoy Guitar Center’s new multi-channel “endless aisle,” with multiple combinations of shopping options to conveniently choose from – not only the Round Rock inventory, but also the over $400 million in gear Guitar Center has to offer nationwide. Consumers can combine a myriad number of in-store, online and phone options to purchase music equipment from anywhere, allowing for a completely personalized and endlessly convenient shopping experience for every customer.
In addition to special programs at the store, each year Guitar Center offers nationwide programs designed to spearhead creativity and highlight the nation’s most promising undiscovered talent. Round Rock area residents will now be able to participate in these ongoing national events from their hometown:
• Your Next Record gives artists a chance to record with some of the top recording artists in the country, including legendary guitarist Slash, country superstar Keith Urban, and rock icon Travis Barker.
• Guitar Center On-Stage gives undiscovered bands the opportunity to compete against their peers for a chance to share a stage with their idols. The most recent On-Stage competition features Jane’s Addiction. For more information, please visit http://gc.guitarcenter.com/onstage/.
• Guitar Center’s Drum-Off and King of the Blues are national competitions that highlight local talent from across the country, giving them widespread exposure and the chance to win incredible prize packages.
Guitar Center Round Rock is open seven days a week. Store hours are 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday, 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Friday, 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. Saturday, and noon to 6 p.m. Sunday.