I have been remiss in not posting this earlier but this past summer (Winter for those in the Southern hemisphere), I was in Alaska, In Anchorage. I lived on the very South end of town. I had moved up there to make some money with a restoration company. Essentially my job was smashing things. Very cathartic.
I was tooling around the music stores in the area, looking for a store that had a good selection of basses. I eventually found a shop (That will remain nameless, because I don't even know if it still exists and because I did not due my full diligence in trying to make my purchase, see below) that stocked a good selection of amps, basses, well, everything.
Understanding the layout will come in handy for the last part of the story.They have the service desk right in front of the front door, somewhat like the loss prevention desk at your local Best Buy store. Along one wall was a row of rooms where high-dollar instruments were kept off the main floor. After perusing the store a few times, I got used to the layout, tried several basses and amps, eventually got used to getting a good tone from the available demo amps.
So one day, I come in and see that someone has placed a Zon six-string custom for sale in one of the side rooms. I decided I should try it out, even if it was probably out of my price range. I got the attention of the senior sales associate (Note, Senior.) and he let me in to try it out. Right after he left, I noticed that there were no bass amps in the room. Just some Mesa tweed combos. I put the bass back on the stand and went to the front to get the sales associate to help me out. He is in the little office alcove attached to the front desk, sitting in front of the computer. I asked him if I could try out the bass on a bass amp. He looked at me with the highest raised eyebrow I've ever seen on a human being, like I had just asked him to Give me a ride to his mother's house to pick her up for a romantic evening. He groans getting up like he has rheumatoid arthritis in every conceivable joint, Which he might have had, I don't know, but I think he was just annoyed with me. he walked back with me and opened the side room back up (Auto Lock on the door) and took a look. Lo, there were no bass amps.
At this point, he looks around the main floor an spies a Line 6 Lowdown combo sitting on top of an 8x10 in the middle of an amp display. he asks me politely to hold the door for him, and he proceeds to heft a 2x15 out of the way so he could get to the combo (No grunt) grabs it, and comes back.
Now, I try not to be a gear snob, but the price tag on the bass is $6000. I figured I could try it on the main floor with some of the more powerful, accurate amps that I had time to figure out. I decided not to complain, because it was just the first test drive, after all.
Well, I got all situated in the side room, and let me tell you, I was in love. The Zon balanced perfectly, played beautifully, and even smelled good!! I decided that she must be mine. I left the store,but not before asking a few questions about the bass and the strings and whatnot. All the while resolving in my head to come back the next day and walk out with the Zon.
I went straight to the bank. I talked with a loan officer. I got $3000 dollars in borrowed money at 6.25% interest. I withdrew $3500 from my savings. Almost everything I had made that summer. I was ready. That evening, reflecting on my position, I decided I needed to play it on a larger system at least one more time. I needed to be sure. It was a lot of money to spend.
I went back the next day. I asked if I could play the Zon again. My hands were sweating. I was almost shaking. It was a different associate this time, one I assumed was less senior. As we walked back, I asked the associate if I could play the bass on one of the systems on the main floor. He did one of those things where you scrunch your face and hiss through your teeth before telling someone bad news, like you are sad just to be saying it. "Sorry, but we don't do that for instruments in these back rooms." I was pretty shocked. A music store that would not help you buy a bass? I shrugged it off at first, and figured that I could make at least a partial decision with just the Lowdown combo.
I played that buttery bass again, and I tell you friends, it was almost a religious experience. I knew I had to have it. I put it up on the stand and left the back room, walked to the counter, and asked the senior associate from last time if I could try the bass on a system on the main floor.
"Not unless you are going to buy it."
"How do I know if I want to buy it if I can't try it out?"
"Look, buddy, It's an expensive guitar, and we don't let people try them out the main floor unless they are going to buy them."
I refrained from telling him i had $6500 in my wallet. I wanted to know how they would treat a working class guy trying to buy an expensive guitar (I have a mild Marxist streak to my philosophy, I guess)
"Look, that's all well and good for the guitar guys, they have pretty good amps in the back room. I'm playing through a 10" combo. Can't I just run it through a different rig for a minute? You can stand there and watch me if you want."
"Look, I would let you, but we just don't do that."
"Okay, Is there a manager or an owner I can talk to?"
"I'm the owner."
"Fine. Have a good day."
I left the store. I never went back. Ever. I figured out the best way to double your money is to fold it in half and stick it in your pocket. It's a good thing that I did not buy the Zon, because shortly after my car died, and I had to sell some gear to buy a truck.
I did not due my full diligence. If I had plopped my money down on the counter, he would probably have driven me to his mother's house for a romantic evening with a smile on his face. I decided that he did not deserve my business that day, even if it cost me a great bass.
It's not like I could have stolen the bass form the store. There were two associates and no one else there but me. And I would have had to walk past the front desk to leave. I can understand not wanting someone to damage such an expensive instrument, but at the cost of a sale? Really?
Thoughts? Wrong forum?
I was tooling around the music stores in the area, looking for a store that had a good selection of basses. I eventually found a shop (That will remain nameless, because I don't even know if it still exists and because I did not due my full diligence in trying to make my purchase, see below) that stocked a good selection of amps, basses, well, everything.
Understanding the layout will come in handy for the last part of the story.They have the service desk right in front of the front door, somewhat like the loss prevention desk at your local Best Buy store. Along one wall was a row of rooms where high-dollar instruments were kept off the main floor. After perusing the store a few times, I got used to the layout, tried several basses and amps, eventually got used to getting a good tone from the available demo amps.
So one day, I come in and see that someone has placed a Zon six-string custom for sale in one of the side rooms. I decided I should try it out, even if it was probably out of my price range. I got the attention of the senior sales associate (Note, Senior.) and he let me in to try it out. Right after he left, I noticed that there were no bass amps in the room. Just some Mesa tweed combos. I put the bass back on the stand and went to the front to get the sales associate to help me out. He is in the little office alcove attached to the front desk, sitting in front of the computer. I asked him if I could try out the bass on a bass amp. He looked at me with the highest raised eyebrow I've ever seen on a human being, like I had just asked him to Give me a ride to his mother's house to pick her up for a romantic evening. He groans getting up like he has rheumatoid arthritis in every conceivable joint, Which he might have had, I don't know, but I think he was just annoyed with me. he walked back with me and opened the side room back up (Auto Lock on the door) and took a look. Lo, there were no bass amps.
At this point, he looks around the main floor an spies a Line 6 Lowdown combo sitting on top of an 8x10 in the middle of an amp display. he asks me politely to hold the door for him, and he proceeds to heft a 2x15 out of the way so he could get to the combo (No grunt) grabs it, and comes back.
Now, I try not to be a gear snob, but the price tag on the bass is $6000. I figured I could try it on the main floor with some of the more powerful, accurate amps that I had time to figure out. I decided not to complain, because it was just the first test drive, after all.
Well, I got all situated in the side room, and let me tell you, I was in love. The Zon balanced perfectly, played beautifully, and even smelled good!! I decided that she must be mine. I left the store,but not before asking a few questions about the bass and the strings and whatnot. All the while resolving in my head to come back the next day and walk out with the Zon.
I went straight to the bank. I talked with a loan officer. I got $3000 dollars in borrowed money at 6.25% interest. I withdrew $3500 from my savings. Almost everything I had made that summer. I was ready. That evening, reflecting on my position, I decided I needed to play it on a larger system at least one more time. I needed to be sure. It was a lot of money to spend.
I went back the next day. I asked if I could play the Zon again. My hands were sweating. I was almost shaking. It was a different associate this time, one I assumed was less senior. As we walked back, I asked the associate if I could play the bass on one of the systems on the main floor. He did one of those things where you scrunch your face and hiss through your teeth before telling someone bad news, like you are sad just to be saying it. "Sorry, but we don't do that for instruments in these back rooms." I was pretty shocked. A music store that would not help you buy a bass? I shrugged it off at first, and figured that I could make at least a partial decision with just the Lowdown combo.
I played that buttery bass again, and I tell you friends, it was almost a religious experience. I knew I had to have it. I put it up on the stand and left the back room, walked to the counter, and asked the senior associate from last time if I could try the bass on a system on the main floor.
"Not unless you are going to buy it."
"How do I know if I want to buy it if I can't try it out?"
"Look, buddy, It's an expensive guitar, and we don't let people try them out the main floor unless they are going to buy them."
I refrained from telling him i had $6500 in my wallet. I wanted to know how they would treat a working class guy trying to buy an expensive guitar (I have a mild Marxist streak to my philosophy, I guess)
"Look, that's all well and good for the guitar guys, they have pretty good amps in the back room. I'm playing through a 10" combo. Can't I just run it through a different rig for a minute? You can stand there and watch me if you want."
"Look, I would let you, but we just don't do that."
"Okay, Is there a manager or an owner I can talk to?"
"I'm the owner."
"Fine. Have a good day."
I left the store. I never went back. Ever. I figured out the best way to double your money is to fold it in half and stick it in your pocket. It's a good thing that I did not buy the Zon, because shortly after my car died, and I had to sell some gear to buy a truck.
I did not due my full diligence. If I had plopped my money down on the counter, he would probably have driven me to his mother's house for a romantic evening with a smile on his face. I decided that he did not deserve my business that day, even if it cost me a great bass.
It's not like I could have stolen the bass form the store. There were two associates and no one else there but me. And I would have had to walk past the front desk to leave. I can understand not wanting someone to damage such an expensive instrument, but at the cost of a sale? Really?
Thoughts? Wrong forum?
)a time or two as I walked out of a store in my flip-flops, t-shirt, and jeans. It's very satisfying seeing the salesperson's eyes widen as they backpedal.
,,in UK you can buy any length,,,,,,,,,,anyway my story is=one shop had ONE,i took the wife and kids`shopping' that early evening,had cash in my dirty levis from my autobody biz,,,,,,,,,,i went to grab the rod out of the rack after talking to the salesman and he stated`we don't allow anyone to handle the rods they'll soil the cork'=
