Beginner came in and spent over $6K tonight

[Right_Butterscotch64]

If you work for your cash I see no reason why you can't spend what you want, I always wanted a 4003 so I earned it by working 40 hours a week while all my friends were working part time and having a good vacation.

5k is still quite a bit for a beginner though!

 

[ITucker_034I]

Good for you! My parents didn't have the money to buy me a good bass and I always bought my own, but I hate some people's attitude that you shouldn't buy your kids expensive gear. If they can afford it and you appreciate it, congratulations. I wonder how may kids gave up music because their parents bought them some sh!tty unplayable instrument?

I started off on an encore and as much as I love the thing the jazz is awesome. Practice has increased twofold. There are a few who'd say I shouldn't have something that good but its something I probably will keep for the rest of my life.

 

[Freddels]

A local guy has made a decent fortune buying and selling old guitars. He's a classic nylon string player and a damn good one, but his bread and butter has been old Fender and Gibson electrics.

That's different. This guy buys brand new stuff.

 

[kohntarkosz]

This same guy won't spend 25 bucks a half hour on lessons, after the first or second one. These end up being basically my worst students, i see them all the time.

Perhaps. Keep an ear to the ground for when he decides to sell all his bass gear at "get this junk out of my sight" prices...

 

[MattZilla]

Did you recommend/upsell any lessons?

Ha! Yup. That's at least half of what we chat about when he drops in.

Unfortunately, there are a lot of people who can't play but are buying for no other reason that to collect. Many of them believe its a good investment that they can sell years from now. As a result, it has driven up the price of used instruments. Seems to happen more with guitars than bass.

It's rotten. "why do these ones cost so much more than these ones?!" at least twice a shift.

Why not start out on something nice if you can afford it.

I said this, half jokingly, last weekend to him.

I say good for him. It's not like driving cars, where buying a $100K sports car for a beginner means he's going to crash it and kill himself. If he can afford to buy high-end instruments, he should. At his age he's probably got the money to spare.

Should his wife drop in, this is what I'm leading with.

Dang... I've struggled over whether or not I could afford a $600 bass before, let alone 3 worth $6000! Haha guess he's happy though (though not as happy as the store I bet!)

This is the kind of response that resonates with me and my current position in life (student) and which I was wrongly assuming I'd get more of.

This same guy won't spend 25 bucks a half hour on lessons, after the first or second one. These end up being basically my worst students, i see them all the time.

Yup.

 

[el murdoque]

Working in a different branch that sells items solely used for hobby and recreation in a similar pricerange, i'd say a guy like that is a keeper. Bought three guitars for 6 grand without playing a note? Well, how many amps can you possibly sell to such a guy. Set up lessons for him for free.

 

[pedroims]

He is not the only one doing that...we even have a club! http://www.talkbass.com/forum/f8/official-crappy-bassist-expensive-gear-club-726351/

 

[MattZilla]

the other side of this idea is that while those guitars may be just sitting for now, eventually someone else will get they're hands on it- so he's just preserving them for future generations.

I think the best part is that the customer dropped 6K in an independent music store and not the local GC. Most of the folks I know that are still running independents would jump for joy seeing that kind of sale come their way.

These are what I was hoping for, what's with all of the [hurt feelings] folks?

No amps?

our amp selection sucks right now. I don't have a problem sending him across town to the other indy shop which has a crap bunch of axes but a stellar amp selection after he's taken custody of a few of our pro-level guits.

 

[FretNoMore]

These are what I was hoping for, what's with all of the [hurt feelings] folks?
...

A lot of people seem to think you shouldn't be allowed to buy nice gear unless you have first somehow earned a right to and know how to use it. I see this a lot both on music forums as well as photography forums. Truth is, the only thing you have to earn before buying stuff is money, and personally I'd rather learn while using great gear rather than not so nice gear. I don't quite understand what is behind this negative attitude other than perhaps envy. Be happy for the guy, and the store. If nothing else someone might get a good price on great gear if they hit the second hand market.

 

[Nashrakh]

He is a fool for doing what makes him happy in life??? Uh......okay, if you say so.

I guess I should go ahead and sell the four basses I have that cost over $2000 each and just by a $100 Walmart bass because the audience won't know the difference, and because I should only do things for the audience and not for myself.

Woosh!

My point ------->

Your head

 

[pastorjamesc]

Wait a minute,
Is the OP saying that if someone is over 50 they are to feeble to learn how to play a instrument?

thank goodness I started over at 43...I may still have a chance.

 

[PimasterPearson]

Why buy "starter" stuff when you can afford the good stuff.

This.

I'm young and poor, so I'd roll my eyes at the guy dropping $6K on instruments he can't even play, but good for him! If he won't miss the cash, why not get something pretty and well-made to learn with?

I had a couple of customers like that when I worked at a music store. It's people like him that keep the store open for all the folks who walk in, play the guitars for two hours, and then buy $10 worth of strings and picks.

 

[FunkHead]

The first thing I did when I got My Dart was put a nice coat of paint on it. Why???? You ask?? To give me the inspiration to fix all the little things. Sort of a crappy analogy....Or is it?

 

[PrietoBass]

I can't believe this thread even started...

To the OP. You certainly CAN play... otherwise you wouldn't be criticizing the buyer. Yet, there YOU are, working at a music store. Which isn't exactly bad and I'd say it's even honorable (vs. not wanting to work), but still... Why aren't you rich and famous? Why aren't you soooo good and savvy that you could afford not to earn pennies at a music store?

I am 50. Started at 46 with a serious hearing impairment. I know I probably have no business trying to learn the bass. But I did it because that seemed to be the only way to connect with my oldest (then teenage) son. I am also VERY sensitive to loud noise, so I finally came to terms with the fact that I can't gig. Sure, I subbed at church, and I could do a passing job for the fairly simple pieces that we played. But I can't follow the changes on the spot because my ears are shot.

Along the way I discovered the joy of music. I have a couple of Squiers (CV J, Affinity V), and also a couple of SX. In these last 4 years and change I have been struggling to learn about things like gain structure, EQ. I thought the bass was an insyrument that you just pluck the strings and the sound is there, but no... I bought a Fender Am Dlx V to 1) get a reference point in terms of sound, and 2) in terms of "American made" craftsmanship, and the Fender didn't disappoint on either aspect. I have been learning just how to make a jazz sound like a jazz since I got the Fender.

You don't know how difficult it is for me to transcribe songs, yet I spend the time and finally can come up with something passable. What I do these days is practice to methods and DVDs, find songs that I like on YouTube, transcribe them, and then try to play along. I also fire BIAB or Jazzradio and try to play along. On Sundays my family and I have family worship services and sometimes my son and I play along. I also decided to pick up the cajon; it should be arriving today.

I am a software engineer but learned a while back that your job today can easily be outsourced tomorrow... That's why I also have ZERO debt. I have worked hard, never defaulted on any loan or financial obligation.

And if I want to spend money in my new hobby, I buy cash or zero-interest and pay it off in a few short months. Without newcomers to music that business is dead.

I wish you (OP) the best. But knowing how you feel about the event you described I wouldn't spend a cent at your store, or anywhere you'd happen to work at.

Booo!!! >:-(

 

[jamminology101]

Like alot of other people said. ...good for him. Really collecting used/new/vintage musical instruments is a pretty cheap hobby compared to many others. My brother is an audiophile and they dont bat an eye dropping 50k on an amp or set of speakers. I know a retired guy who has over 60 collectible autos...all from the 30s and 40s. Probably 4 million he has in cars easy. Its all relative. ..

 

[kohntarkosz]

I do have to wonder how people of such limited intelligence manage to net $2000 + basses. What do y'all do for a living?

 

[PrietoBass]

I do have to wonder how people of such limited intelligence manage to net $2000 + basses. What do y'all do for a living?

Perhaps they charge their credit cards and fall in debt. Perhaps they just work very hard and earn the money the old fashioned way so that they can spend it as they darn well choose. It's not that difficult really.

Or perhaps the joke's on you that still haven't figured it out.

 

[troy mcclure]

I got a buddy who can barley play bought an Ellioit Easton Pelham Blue SG and an Alex Liefson Les Paul and a ridiculous amp. He dropped $6k in a week..then started buy pedals that Elliot Easton used and called me and said I don't understand why i can get the sound.

 

[GlennW]

This thread reminded me a when I was in high school. I worked and saved and bought a 100w Marshall bass head during my senior year. This drummer, who was about the 4th best out of 4 drummers in HS, told me I didn't deserve that amp. I asked him how he figured that since I bought it with my own money I earned working. He said I wasn't "good enough" to have a Marshall. And to top it off, he had a set of Slingerlands which he didn't pay for. He was a very sloppy drummer, and when people would point that out to him he'd say he had some "jazz" in his style. That's still funny.

 

[Mark Nye]

Used to happen to me all the time when I worked in a shop. I said "thank you very much," and smiled all the way to the bank to cash my commission check. I never cared who was buying what or why, so long as my rent was paid and there was enough gas in my tank to get to the gig.