The music store experience

Originally posted by kingdavid
RASK:There was this guy at a poolroom I played.We were playing a loser pays game.So he steps up to the table and starts phucking around like he doesn't know s***.Then asks if I would like to play a loser pays.And who I'm I to say no.He breaks.NO.He misses the ball like he's a complete novice.I take my turn and pot a ball or two.He takes his turn.I'm contemplating telling him how to hold the cue-stick,when suddenly his fingers land on the table in distorted positions like he has some sickness or something.Hands stable as hell.I got whipped.Jump shots,crazy spins,off-cushions,the works.
Your story reminds me of this guy.
Man!!

I was in the opposite position. I watched this young(er) guy beat my 2 friends hollow..then stepped up with the classic "er,would you mind racking up, I cant quite remember how they go" He thought i was an even bigger dickhead and subconciously slackened his attitude.. he'd been beating people all night, so i felt good when i beat him--- these days i doubt if CAN remeber how to rack up :).

Now back on to topic, today i was in 2 guitar shops looking at amps. In the first one this young [what the hell is that on your head young man?] guy,proceeded to demonstrate an amp to me which was completely out of my price range, with no attempt to offer me a go,after some cajoling he kindly demo'd the other amp they had (again with no attempt......).

The underlying attitude being we'd rather get back to stock checking/playing pokemon/spanking the monkey.

The shop was empty apart from him and his boss. Is this a good attitude to attract sales??, i thought as i left.

In the second shop (busy) I asked a guy in his fifties (co-owner i think) about amps and he almost brushed me off (more understandable) but i persisted and asked for a go.

When he found out I had a Gibson he became a little more interested.


the reasons that i didn't go in fully confident and saying let me test the xyz123RC2a are that i wanted to see what the attitude of local music shops was like these days,secondly i may LIKE a little advice as i know less than sod-all about amps and thirdly i have the flu.

In saying the above i fully realise that "if you don't ask you don't get" and that shop owners have their own things to do when customers aren't there.

In the larger shop's i have been into I usually get a "can I help you" and invited to test their favourite amp - which can be equally offputting, to some people- but is more likely to attract sales.

Imagine i'm a 14/15 yr old who know nothing about playing/gear and i go into a shop and get that attitude i may not bother at all and would probably,at least avoid those shops in future - i won't as i can make allowances.
For the record my more recent jobs were in Customer Services,so i may be more sensitive to lack of the same.

Basically, dont you catch more flies with honey than vinegar?


BTW
I found that (no surprise) a Laney LC15R will whoop a 30 watt Fender (champion I think) and be EXTREMELY careful of build quality if you look at Epiphone LP Studios [the guitar i used -which is the nearest they had to my Gibbo].

Originally posted by James8831
...that i wanted to see what the attitude of local music shops was like these days....
[/B]

Deja vu.
The store where i bought my guitar sold for renovations acoupla months ago.They reopeneed the other day.I think they changed management too.So I went to check it out.Im barely inside,and a security guy is like,hello?Im like hello and ccontinuing,I mean i dont need any help,just checking it out.He's like what do you want.I almost said Im looking for a place my gf can get an abortion,but change my mind and instead say im just checking it out.He's like if all you want is window shop,go do it outside.And guess what,there are no guitars in the windows.So im like how the phuck Im I spossed to buy a guitar I cant see,let alone test.I ask him,you evr bought a guitar yourself.Hes like no,and you.That's when i mention i bought mine there b4 they changed manegement,and it seems they dont want pple to see their stuff,and there are two other stores in a 200 metre radius,guitars are not cooking fat you just go,hey give me a 2kg tub.....
Bottom lne is,im not goimg there again.And they dont even have a lot of nice stuff,just a samic electro acoustic and nylon string(not classical,nylon string.the latter doesn't necesarilly imply the former).
They'll phuck it up so bad,it might mot last 6 months

"Not today my good man. I feel hot, I think i gonna buy it..
Do you accept CASH???"

One day when i'll be rich somehow thats what im going to do in the music shop :)

but seriously somehow 99% of the salers are lamers. i dont know why but it seems to me that they are all failures in music and their only way to get around all those guitars and to look like they are good is to work in a shop. They always talk to you as if you were asking some realy obvious question and they are the gods of guitar that due to some reason have to deal with your bull****.
I hate to play in shops because no matter what will you play there will be dozens of 10 yod metal heads who will look at you like they are ten times better because they can play enter sandman while all the amp registers are turned to the maximum, and there are all the salesmen who will respect you only if you can play every hendrix srv and blackmore's song without a single mistake

Sometime swap the music/lyrics to Enter Sandman and King Nothing. It's funny how well it still works no matter which way you do it.

As for salesmen: they're one of the biggest reasons I avoid big guitar shops. Nothing sucks quite the same way as trying to test out an instrument while some jerk-off looks at you like you're a bug on the wall.

About a year ago I went into the store I usually go to to try out some guitars. I told them that I didn't have any money to buy a guitar at the time, but that I was wanting to upgrade from my Squier eventually so I was interested in checking out brands, etc. Well, they basically gave me free reign of the shop, including plugging in to any amp I asked them about - I even played a 1965 (about) vintage strat that was in the window, because one of the guys was really excited about it and told me I had to play it and listen to "a real guitar". They knew that I couldn't afford anyhting, but they knew that after that experience they were the firstt place for me to go when I wanted a new guitar. Now, every time I go in, they ask me how my guitar (I bought it around Christmas) is and always automatically give me discounts on strings etc. That's what I call good salesmanship; always being helpful and happy letting me browse when I have no money, because they know that when I do I will turn to them first. They even recommend other stores if they don't have what I'm looking for - there's a Fender dealer around the corner which is better for getting parts from them, for example.
I wish more stores were like that, though I seem to get good luck in stores in Melbourne.

well the guitar store i go to is damn kewl. I know everybody there and i drop by like everday on teh way back from school. Whats neat is that all teh staff are in metal bands and we jam every saturday and so when i go there they let me play with any geetar and on any amp ... and we get to mess about with the FX pedals there. I'm no special person, its the same for all my friends and we play for like 2 - 3 hrs straight and the manager doesn't mind. ( + its a big store) he sez it helps attract customers. so usually i fool around with the high range gibsons... and plug in a Line 6 (which is way to expensive ) so i can mess about with it there. it beats buying them since i (we including teh group o guys i go down wit) can play with it everyday almost.

In terms of impressing others...that'd be the guys that work there. they burst into songs by soulfly or megadeth... we either watch or just join in. and getting summer jobs there is easy ,... and we get paid to have fun and all.

My Fav Music Store has a comfortable big black couch with a table in front where there is coffee and cake on it. A few nice fellas sitting around there as every day talking nonsense as every day *L* . In the far corner there is a soccer-table where we sometimes play over prices "if you win you´ll pay 15% less - if i win you´ll pay the full price"..
a whole buncha guitars to try and same goes for amps.

Hanging around there is much fun.. it has almost become my second home *L*

:D

-=[Azrael]=-

[Edited by Azrael on 04-13-2002 at 12:20 PM]

Nice to know not all shops are full of [expletive deletives] .. but it looks like 50/50 overall.


Todays findings: Played Pignose G40v (valve amp) = aint bad,but not fantastic,similiar to LC15R - not quite as nice sounding, but ,the revelation was a Dean "playmate" Evo (cheap LP copy) £169, which had better build quality,tuners and control pots than the £350 Epiphone I played yesterday. If most Deans are like this have a look at one..

Note: Your mileage may vary with conditions and objects in the rearview mirror will be 20/20.

Cheers.

[Edited by James8831 on 04-14-2002 at 03:57 AM]