As someone who’s spent years keeping tabs on retail events, I reckon Guitar Center’s newly launched Guitar-A-Thon is genuinely worth your time. Rather than just shifting old preowned gear, they've knocked up to 30% off some big-name brands.
The sale runs until the 7th of October, and because they've applied these price drops to such a wide range of highly sought-after gear, there's bound to be something that suits both your playing style and your wallet. If you're hoping to breathe some life into your rig with a new electric guitar, sorting out a dependable beginner acoustic for a learner, or finally grabbing that dream bass guitar, this event delivers.
Because this sale usually acts as the starting gun for the manic Black Friday music deals season, it's definitely worth having a look at what they've got on offer right now so you can snag a bargain before the madness properly kicks in.
Navigating endless pages of reduced plectrums and straps can be a bit of a headache, so whenever I trawl through these massive events, my priority is finding proper, gig-ready instruments that have seen genuine price cuts. To save you the bother, I've highlighted a few absolute steals.
Because the Player II line was already such a massive step up from the original series, seeing a hefty 20% slashed off the Fender Player II Advanced Stratocaster HSS HT made it a standout deal for me. Offering that classic, do-it-all HSS layout, this specific guitar comes loaded with top-drawer Seymour Duncan pickups.
Dropping the price of this limited-edition Daphne Blue beauty down to $1,007.99 is a pretty punchy move from GC. For what is a very reasonable outlay, you're walking away with a gigging workhorse boasting refined hardware and super comfortable rolled fretboard edges.
For players who favour chunkier, more aggressive tones, the Epiphone Les Paul Modern Pro is absolutely worth a look. Slashing a tidy $100 off the normal ticket price, they’ve brought it down to just $499. If you've been after that legendary Les Paul sustain but also fancy the benefits of modern weight relief and coil-splitting flexibility, this is a cracking deal.
Lastly, for the bassists out there holding down the groove, we need to talk about the Sterling by Music Man DarkRay. Thanks to a frankly ginormous $336 price drop, this absolute beast in a Galaxy Shimmer finish is currently down to a much friendlier $1,263.99.
Mashing up custom Darkglass onboard electronics with that famously aggressive Music Man humbucker, it’s a total powerhouse. Finding a premium bit of kit like this with a 21% discount doesn't happen every day, so if you've been eyeing up a new bass, I’d seriously consider making a move.
