"I'm going to have to kill you."

Petary791 · #1 08-05-2005, 11:26 PM

So if you guys didn't know, I've been up in TC, MI for the past week or so. I went to a couple music shops. I went to Marshall Music and it was AWESOME. Unfortunately, they didn't have the things I was looking for, but they did have some cool stuff. The guys that worked there were awesome. I started playing a little bit of Primus and they all came over to me, and they were like, "We were attracted to the Claypool!" So me and a couple other guys jam on an American Jazz bass that was Silver and Black pickgutard and it was awesome. Then we played an upright... THE TANGENT ENDS HERE. Anyways, after that, I go to a little guitar shop called "The Guitar Factory" or something, and I was like, "Oh this is a cute little place." So I go in and I see a guy about to purchase a Squier Affinity P-bass kit (eeeeeyar!) I go and take a Godin Acoustic bass off of the wall and I started playing some Floyd and the guy comes over to me and he's says, "If you take down a guitar without asking me, I will have to kill you. This isn't Marshall's or Guitar Center." So my dad goes, "We're getting out of here." I hang up the bass, my dad mutters, "Jackass" and he lost himself a sale.

On the way out I should've told that guy buying the P-bass pack to put it back and go to Rondo. F*ckin *sshole.

DON'T GO TO GUITAR FACTORY ON FRONT STREET IN TRAVERSE CITY. PICKET IT.

jiant. · #2 08-06-2005, 10:15 AM

There are only two shops around here where the workers aren't pricks about everything. The only thing that sucks is that those two stores is that they have very little selection when it comes to bass stuff. One is a Yorkville dealer, which is cool, but the other has nothing besides Peavey basses and combos. The workers in the other two shops are nice to you if you're buying somthing, but if not then they don't have the time of day to answer a question you have.

Petary791 · #3 08-06-2005, 11:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by jiant.

There are only two shops around here where the workers aren't pricks about everything. The only thing that sucks is that those two stores is that they have very little selection when it comes to bass stuff. One is a Yorkville dealer, which is cool, but the other has nothing besides Peavey basses and combos. The workers in the other two shops are nice to you if you're buying somthing, but if not then they don't have the time of day to answer a question you have.

That sucks.

Vox Populi · #4 08-06-2005, 03:24 PM

There's only one guitar shop around here, and it doesn't suck because I work there.

Aj* · #5 08-06-2005, 05:56 PM

There's a few guitar shops locally, one owned by a stoner who doesn't care what you're doing so long as you don't break anything. The shop is basically in a basment and doesn't have a huge bass section (thousands of guitars) but it's a cool place. They also occasionally have some great second hand stuff or clearance deals. There is another one where you have to ask before trying anything (but they are actually quite helpful) and it's pretty large. Then there is my favourite of all, it's basically a converted old warehouse a bit out of town in Leeds. They carry loads of stock and have a good bass range, it's basically a corner of the shop with three tier wall hangings of basses and big clusters of cabs and amps. There's even a mesa 400+ lurking there and they have no problem with you jamming on it. In fact the guy even got me a Warwick Streamer Stage II and a Fender MIA Deluxe Jazz down when I was amp shopping "just to see how it sounds". He spent about two hours on the amp with me, didn't pressure me at all. I didn't even buy that day, came back a week later and got £50 off, awesome place now that's a guitar shop. My guitarist can walk in there, take down a £3k PRS custom, plug it into a Marshall DSL 100 full stack and jam away and nobody batts an eyelid. Same with me, get the Streamer down, plug it into the 400+ and enjoy.

invader3k · #6 08-07-2005, 07:14 AM

In response to the first post...

Yeah, the guy at that shop sounds kind of like a jerk. However, did you stop to think that maybe he had a legitimate reason for acting that way? Maybe he's had a lot of idiots come in and break equipment because they were using it unsupervised, or people dropping guitars as they were pulling them off the wall, etc. Now, I'm not saying he should have said "I'm going to have to kill you", because that's obviously over-reacting, but you were in his shop, so he sets the policy, not the customer.

Suckbird · #7 08-07-2005, 07:32 AM

I dont know why but if i owned a shop i would like if my customers asked before they pick up a guitar/bass and starts to play..

maybe he has had enough of school kids coming into the shop and play the **** out of the equipment..

Tash · #8 08-07-2005, 08:28 AM

I think threatening to kill potential customers is still a bad idea regardless...

Minger · #9 08-08-2005, 12:11 AM

can't you get in trouble just for threatining people in the first place? Customers don't help any, as well then you get less sale...

ras1983 · #10 08-08-2005, 03:54 AM

We're so lucky in Melbourne. Every store i walk into (Allans, Eastgate music, Frontier music, Billy Hydes... etc) ENCOURAGES me to TURN UP the amps when i am checking stuff out. they keep telling me (and i'm sure every Melbournian who walks into their shops) to simply ask if i want to try something and they will cater to my every need. Indeed, we ARE the lucky country.

liquid-dream-ex · #11 08-08-2005, 05:09 AM

I can somehow understand that he wasn't pleased you took the bass off the wall without asking. Not his overreaction though.

Most musicshops are nice in that regard round here.

But i always fear i might break sthg when they tell me to just pick the bass from the hook myself, when everything is very in-stable and looks like it's gonna fall over.

Eoghan · #12 08-10-2005, 04:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ras1983

We're so lucky in Melbourne. Every store i walk into (Allans, Eastgate music, Frontier music, Billy Hydes... etc) ENCOURAGES me to TURN UP the amps when i am checking stuff out. they keep telling me (and i'm sure every Melbournian who walks into their shops) to simply ask if i want to try something and they will cater to my every need. Indeed, we ARE the lucky country.

I dunno :P Allans are the DEVIL, damn overpriced. But helpful, yes. In Sydney, its more of an expected courtesy to ask before you try it out, you are less likley to make and mistakes, and if something happens, its not your problem. Say an amp broke somehow, they cant say "you did it wrong" because they plug it in.

I will say this though, Allans had a Fender Jaco Signature in the other day, and I took out my camera phone (as i do often) and went to get a pic of the bass then the next, to look at later after I try it out (im seriously bass shopping at the moment...). I was told to delete the photos, because you "Can't take them, breach of security". I dunno... kinda weird...

KeithBMI · #13 08-10-2005, 09:34 PM

Quote:

I was told to delete the photos, because you "Can't take them, breach of security". I dunno... kinda weird...

Would he sit there and watch you delete THOSE exact pictures? or could you just fumble around with it for a couple of minutes. That's just dumb...

Eoghan · #14 08-10-2005, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KeithBMI

Would he sit there and watch you delete THOSE exact pictures? or could you just fumble around with it for a couple of minutes. That's just dumb...

Nah he made me show him the "Delete Photo" screen so he made sure I pushed "Yes" Sucker, I had 3 other photos he didnt see

ras1983 · #15 08-11-2005, 02:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Eoghan

I dunno :P Allans are the DEVIL, damn overpriced. But helpful, yes. In Sydney, its more of an expected courtesy to ask before you try it out, you are less likley to make and mistakes, and if something happens, its not your problem. Say an amp broke somehow, they cant say "you did it wrong" because they plug it in.

I will say this though, Allans had a Fender Jaco Signature in the other day, and I took out my camera phone (as i do often) and went to get a pic of the bass then the next, to look at later after I try it out (im seriously bass shopping at the moment...). I was told to delete the photos, because you "Can't take them, breach of security". I dunno... kinda weird...

Yeah, i was referring to their customer service. As for prices, the whole country is infested with devils

Bloody theft, that's what it is.

f'nar f'nar · #16 08-11-2005, 02:46 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ras1983

We're so lucky in Melbourne. Every store i walk into (Allans, Eastgate music, Frontier music, Billy Hydes... etc) ENCOURAGES me to TURN UP the amps when i am checking stuff out. they keep telling me (and i'm sure every Melbournian who walks into their shops) to simply ask if i want to try something and they will cater to my every need. Indeed, we ARE the lucky country.

Yeh you're damn right there. I was in Billy Hydes the other day checking out a Bongo, and I had it low out of courtesy and the bloke shouts from the shop "Is that a low amp?" and walks up to me and turns it right up saying go hard or go home! I love that place.

Seigi · #17 08-30-2005, 03:31 PM

all the musicians in my area are neo-hippies. Really laid back about everything. Everybody's friendly at my local music shop (it's local enough that I can ride my bike there in about 10 minutes). I go there just about every day. They're very friendly with me. They let their customers try out as many basses and amps as they like. The only thing is you have to bring your own cable (except on Friday nights, for some reason). I tried out a few 5-strings, a Jazz bass or two, and a few precision basses. Right now I'm pretty much sold on a Fender Standard Jazz Bass. I just don't have the money to buy it. I'm going to ask for it for Christmas.

Redhotbassist · #18 08-31-2005, 04:58 PM

I go to 2 music shops, one local (no decent basses, just 5 or 6 cheap rip off basses) and the other one is about 50 miles from my home which carries nice basses, in both you have to ask before you can get it down off the wall (which is understandable) or they get it off the wall, but saying that he will kill you is really strong, he must of woke up on the wrong side of the bed that morning, haha.

StopAstronaut · #19 09-01-2005, 05:51 AM

Jeez. Of the shops around me, I've stopped buying at the whiney or pricky ones.

I went into a good one recently to look at Hartke combos, and the guy asked what bass I played, and why didn't I bring it in. I replied I was just on my way back from work, and I could come back on the weekend. He said:

"nah, don't worry about it. pick something". then he walked off and left me entirely alone, in the bass room, with a long lead, a power cable, and the run of the place (security camera on, of course, but still)

So I started small. I play a Stingray, so I picked a Stingray and tried it out on the Hartkess. Nice. Ooh, how about a Jazz? grabbed a Jazz, gave it a go. tried a 5. figured I might try a 6. maybe a bigger amp. How do the SWRs sound? ooh! fretless! and so on...

An hour or so later and my fingers are rapidly wearing out, and I'd tried most of the basses in the place. Guy wanders back in, asks which amp I liked most, had a bit of a chat about relative merits, said to call in again later any time. whatever I like. No pressure to make a sale or anything.

Suffice to say I'm going to buy stuff there again.

The big shop round the corner, though? They CHAIN the guitars to the wall. Bastards. So I go there, hassle the sales staff with hundreds of questions, pinch a couple of picks*, then go home and buy the kit off the web

Jason
http://www.sydneypubguide.net/

*you know how this goes: "Oh, nice bass, can I try this out with a pick?" "sure." "yyyyooooink!!". Never pay for picks. ;-)

fourstringdrums · #20 09-01-2005, 07:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by invader3k

In response to the first post...

Yeah, the guy at that shop sounds kind of like a jerk. However, did you stop to think that maybe he had a legitimate reason for acting that way? Maybe he's had a lot of idiots come in and break equipment because they were using it unsupervised, or people dropping guitars as they were pulling them off the wall, etc. Now, I'm not saying he should have said "I'm going to have to kill you", because that's obviously over-reacting, but you were in his shop, so he sets the policy, not the customer.

I'm sure he did have a reaon for telling him not to touch the guitar (not in so many words). But he still has no excuse for being even slightly rude about it. If a store has that kind of policy it should be posted. All the ones I've been to where they have this rule do have it posted. He shouldn't get mad at a customer for taking a guitar off the wall if the rule isn't obvious to that customer.