Today's Guitar Center Trip

[zenbanshee]

Let me start by saying that I generally enjoy shopping at Guitar Center. I don't have a problem with the selection but I'm partial to Fender and Music Man basses. I generally shop for used basses anyhow and purchased my much loved Am Deluxe Jazz at the same GC a few years back.

So today I head into the bass room and grab an $1800 MM Sterling sit down and start playing a bit. A minute later the salesman comes in and announces that he is in charge of the bass area and is there if I need anything. He mentions that he keeps everything in order and can answer questions. I tell him that I am doing fine and don't have any questions (my wife is 8 months pregnant, buying ANY bass right now would not be in my best interest).

As any salesman would, he asks me how I like the Music Man and I mention that I really like the Sterling because the neck is more like my Jazz -- and this is where I lose him. He attempts to tell me I'm playing a Sting Ray and that the Sterlings are on the wall behind me. I told him, "no, this is a Sterling." I had to point to the "Sterling Bass" logo on the headstock to sway him. Kinda gave him one of these

I know it is somewhat confusing with "Sterling by Music Man" and "Music Man Sterling Bass," but shouldn't someone who sells these things at least know the products in their area?

This won't keep me from buying there again, but I won't be asking this guy's opinion.

[skb5string]

Thats a typical GC for you. Every once in a while you get a good sales guy who has been around the block and generally has a good knowledge of the product. Most of the time its someone who is barely 20 years old with little expirence.

[SurferJoe46]

Find ONE of the talent there that you CAN trust, talk to and generally makes the time to talk to you about the gear.

I did that - found that there are two really great guys at my favorite GC in Murrieta and I only go in on days that either of them are on duty.

I get e-mails about new gear - info on when/if something that might interest me is about to arrive and I can get them to 'hold' something for me if I ask to keep it off the floor.

If you work with people, they will work with you. I see GC is letting their talent take these little options to keep a customer and to help them in their search for 'their tone', and it's all good.

Go to your GC and start a conversation individually with all the guitar section personnel - I bet that you can find one that sees things the way you do.

[Munjibunga]

Hey. He said he is in charge of the bass area. He didn't say he knew anything about them.

[spaz21387]

Munji is right. I had a kid try and tell me that a fender j bass had humbuckers in it once. I gave him a lesson on pickups... "This is a j bass pickup its single coil if its running with another j bass pick up it acts as a humbucker, but its not one on its own... This on the other hand points at musicman sting ray this is a humbucker... He just looked at me confused.

[SurferJoe46]

^^ See, youse guys? A little conversation with someone reveals a lot about them. Nice that you thought to educate him - but in just a few moments you KNEW if they were smart enough to sell or speak intelligently of what they were selling.

So - what then? Find someone who actually knows of what they are speaking.

Ya know - it's easy to denigrate and complain that someone did us wrong - but it's far more noble to 1) educate someone 2) at least speak with them a bit.

As I see it - everyone - even an idiot - has something, some insight to offer.

As bipedal humanoids ourselves, I think it's not incongruous to actually be friendly and either be informative or be informed by every human-à-human encounter.

[Bassdirty]

Originally Posted by skb5string

Thats a typical GC for you. Every once in a while you get a good sales guy who has been around the block and generally has a good knowledge of the product. Most of the time its someone who is barely 20 years old with little expirence.

+1

HOWEVER...Not sure whos Idea it was to call the new "cheap line" sterling...when they have an expensive bass called sterling..not really the best idea though..IMO?...

That'd be like:

Having a New $50,000 Chevrolet brand "Corvette"...
then they decide to come out with an entry level ($16,000)Corvette "CV12" , (By Chevrolet) ...made in Indonesia.

I'm just sayin is all..I still don't like it. (Nice basses though)
Carry on.

[coreyfyfe]

Originally Posted by spaz21387

Munji is right. I had a kid try and tell me that a fender j bass had humbuckers in it once. I gave him a lesson on pickups... "This is a j bass pickup its single coil if its running with another j bass pick up it acts as a humbucker, but its not one on its own... This on the other hand points at musicman sting ray this is a humbucker... He just looked at me confused.

If he was talking about the split coil noiseless j pups he was almost right.

[BassmanSBK]

My favorite GC experience:

Me: "What flatwound bass strings do you carry?"
GC Girl: 'We carry these" (Points to string display.)
Me: "Where are the flats? All I see are rounds."
GC Girl: "How about these?" (Pulls a pack off the wall.)
Me: "Those are rounds. I want flats."
GC Girl: "What about these?" (Pulls a different pack off the wall.)
Me: "Those are half-rounds, not flats."
GC Girls: (Pointing to first pack.) "These are the kind everyone uses."

Exit, stage left.

But on the other hand, the same GC sold to me a 1972 Telecaster bass in excellent condition for less than half of market value.

[ElectraPhoenix]

Originally Posted by BassmanSBK

My favorite GC experience:

Me: "What flatwound bass strings do you carry?"
GC Girl: 'We carry these" (Points to string display.)
Me: "Where are the flats? All I see are rounds."
GC Girl: "How about these?" (Pulls a pack off the wall.)
Me: "Those are rounds. I want flats."
GC Girl: "What about these?" (Pulls a different pack off the wall.)
Me: "Those are half-rounds, not flats."
GC Girls: (Pointing to first pack.) "These are the kind everyone uses."

[SurferJoe46]

Hey - we're all on the same People-Mover here - it's just that some got on long after some others did.

I realize it's tough to soar like an eagle when one is surrounded by turkeys - but everyone deserves a chance to learn.

[SMILEYSIXX]

Oh boy, I have some GC stories...

GC guy: Looking for anything specific?
Me: A fender Jazz
GC guy hands me a Precision
Me: I said Jazz
GC: But it's still a Fender, besides, who plays jazz?

[srxplayer]

They have some really ignorant people working there now.

A few years ago I would have posted that the two local GC's in my area had some quality people that I worked with but since the new ownership took over a couple of years ago they are all gone and it's pretty much what the OP said at both stores now.

Whats amazing is that the "goofs" that were there 5 years ago are still there.

[P. Aaron]

I've told this one before:

Youngster raking away on a new Gibson LP Custom black & gold...beautiful $3200.00 guitar hooked up to some awful little Line 6 amp with the gain full on making noxious tones similar to a fork in a garbage disposal. I'm just lookin' at stuff on the wall while this kid is just shakin' rocks in a can. After a few minutes, he hands it back to the salesperson who asks: "Well, what did you think?"

Kid; "I didn't like the tone".

[KillerNeuron]

My local guitar center is small and unimpressive (not a very big town), but there is one guy there who I always go to. He's actually a drummer but has a pretty good knowledge set and between me, him, and the occasional veteran musician, we always figure out all my questions. The guy works with me and helps me get stuff at a price I can afford so no complaints...

Although i thought he was a stalker at first because he looked me up on Facebook after the first time I saw him there... using my GC account info! Turns out he's just a friendly music guy who likes to network and happens to he one of the best people to know in the music scene here.

There are a few kids working at our store that are clueless though. It's pretty bad. I might end up working there when I go back to school here in a little bit so they can have their first "classical instrument person" on hand (something you almost never see at GC much to the dismay of us orchestra nerds who think outside the box!)

What ever happened to sam ash? We used to have one back home and those guys were awesome!

[fourstringdrums]

Originally Posted by BassmanSBK

My favorite GC experience:

Me: "What flatwound bass strings do you carry?"
GC Girl: 'We carry these" (Points to string display.)
Me: "Where are the flats? All I see are rounds."
GC Girl: "How about these?" (Pulls a pack off the wall.)
Me: "Those are rounds. I want flats."
GC Girl: "What about these?" (Pulls a different pack off the wall.)
Me: "Those are half-rounds, not flats."
GC Girls: (Pointing to first pack.) "These are the kind everyone uses."

Exit, stage left.

If she was particularly ungifted in the chest department you could have you pointed to someone more endowed and said "You have flats, she has rounds, there is a difference"

[IbanezBass69]

Originally Posted by fourstringdrums

If she was particularly ungifted in the chest department you could have you pointed to someone more endowed and said "You have flats, she has rounds, there is a difference"

This thread has been won by this man!

[Oopsdabassist]

I lolled and accidentally snorted my coffee thru my nose..damn you sir!!

[madbassplaya]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

Hey. He said he is in charge of the bass area. He didn't say he knew anything about them.

the most intelligent thing i've read all day.

[JoeCBass]

I went into a GC one day to get a metronome and the guy behind the counter says, "What are you going to use it for?" in a very condesending tone.

My respense was a simple, "Ah... to keep time. What do you use your metronome for?"... his fellow sales person laughed.

Most people at GC are OK, but a lot of music stores have people that think they have to know it all.