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GUITAR CENTER ACHIEVES A NEW MILESTONE —
150TH STORE OPENS IN GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA— Grand opening on July 14th featured special deals on many products, free giveaways
including a chance to win $100,000 in Guitar Center’s legendary Lucky Guitar Line Up contest,
plus performances by The Oath, “Elvis” and the fabulous Flirt Girls —GREENVILLE, SOUTH CAROLINA, July 15, 2005 — Guitar Center, Inc. (Nasdaq NMS: GTRC), America’s leading musical instrument and professional audio retailer, marked a major milestone in its corporate history on July 14th with the grand opening of its 150th location. Guitar Center’s latest store, a state-of-the-art musical instrument and technology center covering over 9,500 square feet in Greenville, South Carolina, opened with a celebration worthy of this landmark achievement.
Events and attractions started at 6:50 PM, kicking off with a gala 1-minute pyrotechnics show, followed by two performances by The Oath, a stilt walker, an Elvis tribute, and appearances by Rich Ward (aka “The Duke”) of the bands Stuck Mojo and Fozzy, the Gibson Tour Bus and the Flirt Girls. Huge product giveaways at the opening included a Gibson Les Paul Studio model guitar (with a one-of-a-kind 150th Guitar Center/Greenville logo), three Fender guitars, Audio-Technica microphones and headphones, Audix microphones, Dunlop pedals, Monster Cable key chains, TVs, DVD players, boom boxes, Xbox systems, DVDs, CDs and hundreds of T-shirts and hats from various manufacturers. Attendees also had a chance to win $100,000 in Guitar Center’s legendary Lucky Guitar Line Up contest, in which 10 randomly chosen participants attempt to match a series of guitar icons to those in a sealed envelope.
The opening of Guitar Center’s 150th store in Greenville exemplifies the company’s ongoing plans for growth and long-term expansion while assuring customers throughout the country that they will get the widest selection of musical instruments and professional audio products at the best possible prices sold by an experienced and knowledgeable sales staff.
Guitar Center’s range of products includes all major brands in categories including guitars and basses, amplifiers, drums and percussion, DJ, keyboards, recording, computers and music software, live sound and pro audio. As musical instruments and technology change, Guitar Center continues to position itself as the ultimate showcase for every type of related product, always at the cutting edge.
“The opening of our 150th store, in Greenville, is a landmark moment for Guitar Center and for our customers nationally,” commented Marty Albertson, CEO and Chairman of Guitar Center. “Our success in reaching this milestone reflects how well our strategy of bringing the best technology and products to the widest number of people in cities throughout the U.S. has been received. The new store in Greenville, like all the Guitar Center stores, underscores our ongoing commitment to music and the people who love it.”
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Photo Caption: Guitar Center celebrated the Grand Opening of its 150th store in Greenville, SC with a specially designed commemorative cake to mark the occasion. (Photo by Robert Knight)
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Photo Caption: Attendees of Guitar Center’s 150th store Grand Opening eagerly awaited entrance to the new Greenville, SC location. (Photo by Robert Knight)Photo File: GC_150_3.JPG
Photo Caption: Guitar Center Greenville, SC amplifier department. (Photo by Robert Knight)Photo File: GC_150_4.JPG
Photo Caption: Guitar Center Greenville, SC guitar department. (Photo by Robert Knight)About Guitar Center
Guitar Center is the nation’s leading retailer of guitars, amplifiers, percussion instruments, keyboards, live-sound/DJ and recording equipment. We presently operate 149 Guitar Center stores, with 121 stores in 48 major markets and 28 stores in secondary markets across the U.S. In addition, the Music & Arts division operates 77 retail locations specializing in band instruments for sale and rental, serving thousands of teachers, band directors, college professors and students. Guitar Center is also the largest direct response retailer of musical instruments in the U.S. through our wholly owned subsidiary, Musician’s Friend, Inc., and its catalog and web site, www.musiciansfriend.com. More information on Guitar Center can be found by visiting the Company’s web site at www.guitarcenter.com.The Guitar Center logo is a registered trademark of Guitar Center, Inc. Other brand or product names may be trademarks of the respective companies with which they are associated.
INVESTOR CONTACT:
Bruce Ross
Chief Financial Officer
(818) 735-8800OR
Financial Dynamics:
Leigh Parrish, Lila Sharifian
(212) 850-5651, (212) 850-5708
MEDIA CONTACT: Robert Clyne
Neilson/Clyne at (615) 662-1616
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