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...