Great Music Stores and/or Staff...

[Sundogue]

How many of you are on great terms with a music store or someone who works at one?

I know this guy who manages a local music store. I've known him for awhile and he's really an honest, nice, down to earth guy.

I'm selling my Cirrus so I can get this P-Bass I tried out. I don't have the cash to just buy it outright. The guy let me take it home last night to give it a good going over. I didn't have to sign anything, nothing was written up. Just let me take it home to try, no questions asked.

I loved it. I knew I wanted it, and though I didn't have the cash to buy it, I was going to put a small down payment on it to hold it until I sold my Cirrus.

The guy told me to just take it with me and pay him for it whenever I sell my other bass.

Some places, and some guys, are just way too cool to deal with.

There's another music store in town and I know the guy there too. But trying to get a deal, a loaner, or take something home to try from that place is like pulling teeth. If he lets you do anything, you first have to sign away your first born...and even then he doesn't give much.

Anybody else here have awesome music stores or staff they deal with?

[Eyescream]

I think Rik's music has been mentioned before, but I can't say enough about these guys. All of the staff that I've dealt with is great and know what they're talking about, and they'll happily cut Guitar Center down the street off off at the knees with their pricing.

[KPJ]

A local guy opened a store in town a little over a year ago and I figured I'd check it out. We struck up a friendship and I frequent his shop a lot. Back in February I was looking at a NOS Hartke XL4 that he had hanging on the wall. I fell in love with it but didn't have the cash to swing it. Half jokingly I said I'd take it home today if he would take $100 now and I'd pay him off over time. He said "OK".

Needless to say, his shop is the first I go to! We've worked out a barter type of agreement where I'll fix any problem guitars or basses he has. In return I get my strings, cables, credit toward other gear. If it's a customer repair, he pays me. All in all, we're both making out well!

SUPPORT YOUR LOCAL MUSIC SHOPS!

[nicoli]

There's a tech here at Retrotown Music who has been great to deal with for me. I've had him work on vintage gear for free labour (I just paid for parts) simply because he enjoyed working on rare equipment.

I also went to school with two guys who work at Steve's Music here, and am on good terms with the manager at Long and McQuades... so I'm doing fairly well.

[The Golden Boy]

Rockhaus Guitars in Milwaukee. Rusty is a great guy and a great guy to do business with.

[Naturekev]

I do all the business I can at The Guitar Station in Green Cove Springs, FL. They opened a couple of years ago, and one of my best friends, Curt Towne, is one of the owners. I've known him for almost twenty years. He'd been playing guitar for a week when I first met him. He's played professionally for many years, and he does everything he can to help out area musicians. He's sold instruments and supplies to my band members and myself at prices that no one else would touch. There are a lot of stores closer to where I live here in Jacksonville, but I drive the extra 30 minutes or so to buy strings and other items from Curt. I'd do it even if I had to pay more just because he's helped out my friends and me so many times before. The store is still small, so their product lines are a bit limited right now. Their main lines are Dean, Martin, and Jay Turser, but Curt is looking for another major manufacturer to carry when he goes to the next NAMM show. They also have instruments from other manufacturers that they sell on consignment for their customers. If anyone in northeast Florida is looking for a store that will go out of their way for their customers, go see Curt or his business partner Jim Correia at The Guitar Station. Their website is www.theguitarstation.com. Look for Curt in the artist section of the Dean Guitars website, too.