Bizarre Bass Shopping Experience

[dabbler]

Smoking boogers is normal to you??

I don't smoke nothin', but boogers go into your body all the time, THAT'S normal.

 

[Sixgunn]

I don't smoke nothin', but boogers go into your body all the time, THAT'S normal.

I know. You said that smoking them was normal but I knew you didn't mean it that way. Discussing smoking boogers makes for good comedy

 

[ShoeManiac]

I had a similar experience with the infamous Ed Roman, when he still ran East Coast Music Mall. In that case he was just nasty about it.

I get that some MI store owners get tired of the perpetual tire kickers. But there are ways to deal with that. Some of that includes having a staff that tells people to take off their jackets, watch the zippers or belt buckles, etc so that they don't scratch the finishes. Very likely the owner of this shop has had some experiences where some careless customer(s) scratched up the finish of a new instrument and it led to significant markdowns on fairly pricey instruments.

I also think the way you present yourself might have some impact on how a store is going to treat you. Not just your outward appearance, but the way you carry yourself and speak. People do judge other people. It's not cool, but it does happen. A lot of people who run retail shops become pretty astute at reading people. A friend of mine who runs a record shop has become very good at telling who's coming into the shop to buy, who are the perennial browsers, and who is just there to hang out. When I was at his shop one time he gave me a running commentary about how a number of customers would behave. And sure enough he was spot on in assessing how most of these customers conducted themselves while in his store.

 

[elgecko]

A vacuum store is just like a guitar store. There's a bunch of vacuums hanging in the window to entice the vacuumist. But they do not attract the same clientele as the guitar store cause if they did, the vacuum store would be loaded with a bunch of broke ****ers who just wanted to 'run the new vacuums'.

"Let me try out the new Hoover."

"Let me see a hundred bucks *****!"

- Mitch Hedberg -

 

[ShoeManiac]

Damn, I miss Mitch Hedberg.

 

[elgecko]

Damn, I miss Mitch Hedberg.

Me too.

 

[Roxbororob]

After he says that you say "I definitely plan on buying it". Go use the washroom, don't wash your hands after, try the bass.

Play every single note. Touch the tuners, bridge, all the knobs. Then you ask him to hold the bass while you grab your wallet. Once he takes the bass, sniff your hand, point and laugh at him and leave the store.
I do it all the time. Think about that next time you waltz into a store and want to try some basses.

Yes boss. Whatever you say...actually all you people going to shops for a pack of strings and feel like you need to detour over to the basses to try one, even though you have no intention of buying it. Because you just went in for strings, are the problem. (Mic drop).

Ok, you guys got me. I was totally joking in my first two posts. Well, sort of.
You see I'm a bit of a germiphobe. I used to enjoy going into shops and trying new stuff. Until one day I noticed some dude diggin for gold, and then grabbing a nice Fender deluxe jazz of the wall and playing it. I was so disgusted I can't play anything off the rack anymore.
I'm sure the majority of adults have a decent hygiene regime. But I swear I'll never pull an instrument off the wall again..eww..eww

Phhhttt, real clever...

 

[LanEvo]

I've lost count of how many guitars and basses I've impulse-bought over the years. Go in for strings, leave with a used Spector. That's happened!

Not allowing people to play the basses on the rack makes no sense.

 

[Dan Bass]

So I just found out a Mom & Pop music store about an hour away is a G&L Bass dealer. So I drove over after work today to try one out. He had a rather large selection of USA models hanging on the wall. I was impressed because he's mainly a drum dealer and I had never thought to shop there for a bass. In front of the wall of guitars was a row of amps that blocked access to the wall of basses. So after some idle chit chat with the owner, I asked if I could try the beautiful JB bass hanging on the wall. He said, Sorry but unless you plan on buying it today, we don't let people play them. We like to sell them in un-played condition. He said he had a few tribute models around he used as demos, but he sold them. I was flabbergasted, and said I'm not really prepared to buy without trying and left. I know these are relatively expensive and he doesn't want every hack in there slapping away on them, But I think I look responsible. Is this normal? I've never run into this before. Sure wanted to try one out to see how it felt.

What a frickin jerk, I would have told him I got the money right here, cash, now let me see that one right there, I would have looked it over real good and put it on my knee and started plucking the strings checking out how it felt. Now after that I would of handed it to him and said thanks, that's a pretty nice Bass, now I am going elsewhere to buy one and if you keep that ridiculous can't touch it or play it before you buy it policy your going to have all those nice Basses on that wall with no sales for a long time. That's just going to end up a wall with expensive decoration's on it.Good luck to you, now I'm going to spend all this money in my pocket on a Bass just like that on the wall, somewhere else.

 

[Mugre]

Next thread is a guy complaining that all the basses on the wall have already been played to death and have scars on them. When you buy "new" you want it to be NEW. So you go to guitar center, add your own mileage and scars and then mail order. People suck.

 

[mrokern]

That's utter crap. I can head to a store locally here, sit down, and play a Modulus, Tobias, and Fodera and I'll get zero crap from the store owner as long as I'm respectful to the instruments.

 

[RED J]

Ok, you guys got me. I was totally joking in my first two posts. Well, sort of.
You see I'm a bit of a germiphobe. I used to enjoy going into shops and trying new stuff. Until one day I noticed some dude diggin for gold, and then grabbing a nice Fender deluxe jazz of the wall and playing it. I was so disgusted I can't play anything off the rack anymore.
I'm sure the majority of adults have a decent hygiene regime. But I swear I'll never pull an instrument off the wall again..eww..eww

Heh heh try working in a music store or pawn shop. ( I have ) You get used to the sour smell of decomposing sweat and skin cells, mixed with ketchup, hamburger grease, twinkie frosting, snot and whatever else was on the hands from people who don't care where their hands have been, and only wash them now and then mostly then, if at all.
Don't worry you develop a bulletproof immune system after a while.

In the owner's possible behalf, he's probably had one too many tire kickers come in test drive turn around and go buy off Musicians Friend. He might sound like a ***** but it's a hard rope to balance on for the few Mom and Pops that are still around.

 

[Slpbass81]

This is actually normal for a lot of stores. Go into a local guitar center and every bass I scratched and dinged up reducing its value.

 

[electracoyote]

In the owner's possible behalf, he's probably had one too many tire kickers come in test drive turn around and go buy off Musicians Friend. He might sound like a ***** but it's a hard rope to balance on for the few Mom and Pops that are still around.

Next thread is a guy complaining that all the basses on the wall have already been played to death and have scars on them. When you buy "new" you want it to be NEW. So you go to guitar center, add your own mileage and scars and then mail order. People suck.

There's no winning in this situation.

Just peruse a few Guitar Center threads and you'll read the scathing critcisms over the poor condition of the guitars and basses on the rack that have been mishandled by hacks and thoughtless kids, endless complaining about how they're filthy, not set up, scuffed and dinged, boogered up, etc.

Then, we read about a shop owner determined to offer pristine specimens to his customers, and he gets demonized as well.

I find the shop owner a bit anal, he might ease up and try to assess the customer before jumping to the worst possible conclusion, or maybe provide some supervision (although I've read many posts by people who hate clerks hovering over them too). But I thought his strategy to have similar-playing lower price point G&L's available for auditioning was smart. That way, the customer gets to try the brand and the shop owner gets to assess whether the customer has a clue about how to handle someone else's property and how serious they are about purchasing the more expensive version. Not as douchey as some are making it sound.

For all those who see a nick or ding or scratch or signs of handling and player wear on an instrument, and have used that to negotiate a discount, try to remember that not all retailers anticipate or enjoy having to mark down everything they sell as a "floor model." It cuts into their margin.

And with all the bitching and lamenting about the disappearance of Mom and Pop versus Big Industry, I'd expect a bit more sympathy and understanding. Having said that, I'm sure someone will eagerly jump in and tell me why I'm wrong.

 

[Bass Viking]

So I just found out a Mom & Pop music store about an hour away is a G&L Bass dealer. So I drove over after work today to try one out. He had a rather large selection of USA models hanging on the wall. I was impressed because he's mainly a drum dealer and I had never thought to shop there for a bass. In front of the wall of guitars was a row of amps that blocked access to the wall of basses. So after some idle chit chat with the owner, I asked if I could try the beautiful JB bass hanging on the wall. He said, Sorry but unless you plan on buying it today, we don't let people play them. We like to sell them in un-played condition. He said he had a few tribute models around he used as demos, but he sold them. I was flabbergasted, and said I'm not really prepared to buy without trying and left. I know these are relatively expensive and he doesn't want every hack in there slapping away on them, But I think I look responsible. Is this normal? I've never run into this before. Sure wanted to try one out to see how it felt.

Is his the only store in a hundred mile radius? If there are no other stores in the area maybe he figures he can be like that.

 

[Gaolee]

The local mom & pop around here lets you play anything they have on the wall. It's always fun for me to go in there and see what this or that is like. I always make sure I don't have zippers or snaps or something that will scratch anything up, since it's a two way deal. That's pretty much it.

 

[A-Step-Towards]

There's no winning in this situation.

Just peruse a few Guitar Center threads and you'll read the scathing critcisms over the poor condition of the guitars and basses on the rack that have been mishandled by hacks and thoughtless kids, endless complaining about how they're filthy, not set up, scuffed and dinged, boogered up, etc.

Then, we read about a shop owner determined to offer pristine specimens to his customers, and he gets demonized as well.

I find the shop owner a bit anal, he might ease up and try to assess the customer before jumping to the worst possible conclusion, or maybe provide some supervision (although I've read many posts by people who hate clerks hovering over them too). But I thought his strategy to have similar-playing lower price point G&L's available for auditioning was smart. That way, the customer gets to try the brand and the shop owner gets to assess whether the customer has a clue about how to handle someone else's property and how serious they are about purchasing the more expensive version. Not as douchey as some are making it sound.

For all those who see a nick or ding or scratch or signs of handling and player wear on an instrument, and have used that to argue for a discount, try to remember that not all retailers anticipate or enjoy having to mark down everything they sell as a "floor model." It cuts into their margin.

And with all the bitching and lamenting about the disappearance of Mom and Pop versus Big Industry, I'd expect a bit more sympathy and understanding. Having said that, I'm sure someone will eagerly jump in and tell me why I'm wrong.

 

[kenneffdupriest]

I bet they have bass guitars in the back that were made in the dark at night by blind luthiers wearing gloves. Never handled by human hands. Never even gazed upon. You don't even get to pick what bass you end up with. You stick your arm thru a black curtain and the gimp hands you a bass. Thats your "virgin" bass.

For this experience they charge twice the normal price and there is a "white shirt" fee.

 

[Jeff Scott]

Go into a local guitar center and every bass I scratched and dinged up reducing its value.

Of course, that doesn't have any effect on the selling price from the store!

 

[RED J]

There's no winning in this situation.

You're absolutely right about this, as well as what you said about the Owner being a little more patient in vetting his prospective customers.

The decades old business models are outmoded, everybody has to try to sell on tight margins and try to stay afloat and the bottom line is that corporation and shareholders are # 1 , until yet another one milks the last short term penny and goes under.