Latest Mullet Center anecdote

Planet Boulder · #1 07-20-2005, 02:48 PM

Hesitated to post this because the guy who helped me was a nice dude and it was one of the more pleasant Mullet (Guitar) Center experiences I've had, but what the hell. It was amusing nonetheless.

So last week I'm in my local Mullet Center trying out cabs and i noticed that they had some Behringer cabs. I'm averse to Behringer, but that's not the point. The point is that the guy helping me is also averse to Behringer cabs because, as he put it, they have "some sort of proprietary impedence or something". He stated that Behringer cabs are only designed to work with Behringer heads because he fried a different brand head by plugging a 4-ohm and an 8-ohm Behringer cab into said different brand head (which had a minimum 4ohm load rating).

When I mentioned that he was exceeding the limit of the head and that it had nothing to do with any sort of "proprietary" equipment issues, he sort of stammered and said something about the weirdness of the 4ohm 2x10, blah, blah.

Now, I know that impedence can (but really shouldn't) be confusing, but come on. Dude works in a G-u-i-t-a-r C-e-n-t-e-r. Shouldn't a salesman know something about impedence before frying the inventory and then telling customers that a cab won;t work with a different head because of his failed, ill-fated experiment?!?

NJL · #2 07-20-2005, 02:58 PM

Most music store employees for large chains don't know squat about their products.

stringtheorist · #3 07-20-2005, 03:00 PM

My last time down there, when I asked if a particular combo had extension capabilities... he pulled it out and looked at the back. I thanked him for his time and left.

Jay Terrien · #4 07-20-2005, 03:06 PM

Frickin A!! Don't be making fun o my friggin' mullet:
http://grasstain.com/images/RockNeve...maroMullet.JPG

Guitar Center, by design, exists for the soul purpose of selling BC Rich guitars and novelty egg shakers.......

Quote:

Originally Posted by Planet Boulder

Hesitated to post this because the guy who helped me was a nice dude and it was one of the more pleasant Mullet (Guitar) Center experiences I've had, but what the hell. It was amusing nonetheless.

So last week I'm in my local Mullet Center trying out cabs and i noticed that they had some Behringer cabs. I'm averse to Behringer, but that's not the point. The point is that the guy helping me is also averse to Behringer cabs because, as he put it, they have "some sort of proprietary impedence or something". He stated that Behringer cabs are only designed to work with Behringer heads because he fried a different brand head by plugging a 4-ohm and an 8-ohm Behringer cab into said different brand head (which had a minimum 4ohm load rating).

Ian Perge · #5 07-20-2005, 05:01 PM

From that article that was posted about GC, their hiring practices, and employee turnover rate of 90%+ (down from something like 180%!!) I wouldn't blame the salesman too much...

It was most likely his second day.

**NOLA Bass** · #6 07-20-2005, 05:43 PM

I picked up a GK1001RBII there last week. My friend who works there, a guitarist, goes looking for the special cable for the GK biamp feature (the one that only works with the GK cabs and can damage other head/cab combinations). One of the bass guys there had used it to hook up the new Mesa Big Block and cab that had just come in.

Bob Lee (QSC) · #7 07-21-2005, 12:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NJL

Most music store employees for large chains don't know squat about their products.

Bingo.

Matt Call · #8 07-21-2005, 12:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by NJL

Most music store employees for large chains don't know squat about their products.

Ugh. It's pathetic. Once the salesperson didn't even know what active electronics were. Or whether or not the fretboard on a bass was maple or rosewood.

Something needs to be done.

Justice · #9 07-21-2005, 01:00 PM

geesh..i'm glad I don't have to shop where you guys do..the peeps I deal with at my local GC tend to know their stuff.

Lonnybass · #10 07-21-2005, 01:23 PM

Me: "What kind of wood is this?"

Them: "Hardwood."

Lonnybass

Joe P · #11 07-21-2005, 01:39 PM

At one time a few months ago I was looking for a certain sound - a real growly, smooth, heavy on the low-order harmonics sound that I here on hip-hop and R&B recordings (like We Belong Together and I'm Ready are two that I can think of that are currently played on the radio). I've since achieved it pretty well with T.I. Jazz flats detected with the bridge pickup on my Passive Peavey Foundation five when I roll the tone off; pumping it through a 700RBII and a JBL 2X15 PA cab.

Four - F O U R ! - different GC clerks, in two different departments told me the same thing (and the last one hadn't heard the other's answers): ...That that sound could not be achieved with a bass; those are all synthesizers.

Egads.

Joe

tplyons · #12 07-21-2005, 03:54 PM

I remember that time I went in to check out pedals, and tried plugging in my bass at the time (Ibanez SR400) and I went over to try out a Biss BF-2 Flanger and he told me I'd blow it up. So I handed him the bass and walked out.

jdombrow · #13 07-21-2005, 07:41 PM

I once asked a young salesguy at Guitar Center if he could explain the differences between the various models of Fender Jazz Basses. He said "... there's the Jazz Bass and the P-Bass, and that's it". I asked again about the different models of Jazz Basses, and he did not have a clue what I was talking about. He was also positive that they never had a 5-string Jazz Bass in the store.

Matt Call · #14 07-21-2005, 08:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by tplyons

I remember that time I went in to check out pedals, and tried plugging in my bass at the time (Ibanez SR400) and I went over to try out a Biss BF-2 Flanger and he told me I'd blow it up. So I handed him the bass and walked out.

So, just to make sure...

You were playing through one of their SR400s, right?

Dan Molina · #15 07-21-2005, 08:09 PM

There should honestly be a test of some sort. I picked up a poweramp yesterday. The guy who helped me looked like he just started worrking there. I'm happy I did my research, because if I didn't know anything I couldn't count on any of those guys to help me.

Matt Call · #16 07-21-2005, 08:21 PM

I almost forgot to mention...

When I was looking to get a pre/power setup, the saleperson told me that I was thinking like a crazy person and that there was (and I quote) "no way in hell that will work."

Crazy fool. I said nothing else to the gentleman and left the store as soon as I could.