Is it just me? I refuse to believe I'm the only one, there must be thousands of us out here, whole armies of us who are intimidated by sneering guitar store guys. You know the feeling when you express an interest in that shiny new Les Paul or whatever, they look at you like your dogsh*t, until they see hard cash of course. Why do they insist on waiting until you plug in and start playing then select another guitar and play a piece that Jimmy Page would have trouble playing. They never seem to have a sense of humour, although I suppose one can only hear badly played versions of Stairway To Heaven, Smells Like Teen Spirit, Smoke On The Water or whatever before you face total mental collapse. Why does a single glance from one of these guys turn my fingers into bananas and drive from my memory every thing I've ever learned to play well, admittedly that's a very limited repertoire anyway. I've decided to take my revenge, anytime I go into a store to make a major purchase I will insist on playing the above mentioned songs or whatever else appears to be banned in guitar stores worldwide. Why don't we all do it, if they protest we can make it a condition on which a purchase depends, that is unless you guitar shop guys start being nice to us! Can anyone tell us what are the most frowned upon pieces to play in a guitar store. Maybe a guitar store guy can give us a top 20 plus a list of no, no's. No offence intended guitar store guys, but you do sometimes make us feel like walking right out of your store and going mail order.

Hey howie!
same problem here...
i have a music shop in my area , where they won't look at you if you dont show them the money...
there is a salesman there, a fat guy without any hair on his head, that can kill you just because you are looking at the guitar.... and every time i'm in this shop i can see him try to show off from his guitar "abilities" ... like once i saw him playing on a sg a piece of gary moore , when there is like 10 kids wathing him with open mouth...
common... give me an exspensive guitar and a bulb amp and i can play better than this fat guy...

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"They think im crazy..
but i know better.
It is not I who am crazy.
It is I who am mad.."

ren hoek

You have to remember that guitar shop people are often musicians with failing careers. I make a point of finding a shop with cool people and going there. I just stopped going to a shop because one of the salesmen accused me of scratching a bass while I was doing some slapping (some kid probably did it with a pick or something- my fingernails are short and not that hard anyway). I think he was thinking about pressuring me into buying the bass. I left before I said what I was thinking, (or my brother said what he was thinking which would have been FAR more colorful). So when I see one of the other guys who work there around and they ask "why haven't you been back" I'll just say "well, pete accused me of scratching a bass I didn't scratch, and you can tell him he just lost $400 worth of EMG pickups and pre amp I was going to buy there not to mention all the strings I was going to start ordering in bulk."

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Raskolnikov
Guitar Tricks Moderator
Careful what you wish for friend
I've been to Hell and now I'm back again
www.GuitarTricks.com - Home of Online Guitar Lessons

I actually get along w/ some of the guys at Guitar Center. Which is pretty strange considering I usually despise guitar salesman. The funniest thing I see when I go in there is all those metal heads in some kind of competition. I'll pick up a guitar and screw around with it and all of a sudden someone has to turn up their amp and try and play as fast as they possibly can. Haha, I just love that. Oh, and I think I've heard the "Enter Sandman" riff and "Crazy Train" more than anything else. But that's just in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. When I lived in PA it was "Hot For Teacher".

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Ain't nothin' but a Gear thang, baby!

The cats at the guitarcenter in my town are pretty cool always helpful and never seemed annoyed even if you ask em a 1000 questions about stuff, and there not about selling the most expensive gear, they'll tell you what's good for what money you've got, but i don't like the little music stores, they act all annoyed if you even ask em a question, to make em get off there stool behind the counter, there's gotta be a heavy sigh or smacking of the lips, I don't even ask to see a guitar at music shops, They eyeball you like your gonna make a break for the door with their guit. In Chicago there are 3 guitarcenters if and i was a small shop and competing with them. i'd certainly treat people like people instead of like animals. If they were smart they would know their attitude is the only reason only one person is in their store at a time.

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"Take my hand boss"

Around here, it's usually the small shops that are the best. You actually get good service, and can (usually) depend on not getting raped when the bill comes in. In fact, it's usually the crappy shops that look at me like a bug on the wall.

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Raskolnikov
Guitar Tricks Moderator
Careful what you wish for friend
I've been to Hell and now I'm back again
www.GuitarTricks.com - Home of Online Guitar Lessons

At least here in L.A., CA. Just go into the Sherman Oaks one and try to get help in the first place.
Between the salesman hulking over the Korn-Kids so they don't rip off thier 7-strings(no offense guys!) I just go to this non-chain store in Burbank and just pay a few cents more and have a good time in thier store. The guy at the counter actually is happy you bought stuff there.
But then again, I went to the GC on a weekend day so I should'nt be so pissed?