Do you hate music store?

[Kmonk]

There are no good music stores near me. There a few Guitar Center stores within driving distance and a couple of small independent stores but none of these stores ever have anything worth trying. I have purchased the majority of my gear from sellers I found on Craigslist and also purchased a couple of things on Reverb.

 

[crobasster]

Sure it's better trying the instrument before buying it, don't see why in the big cities wouldn't exist music stores, but living on remote places, everyone are using online stores .

 

[dBChad]

It depends on the music store. There's a national chain in town that's probably awesome if you want guitar gear or gimmicky FOH speakers that light up, but their bass section is tiny and understocked with almost exclusively 4 string Fender shaped objects (easy sales).

There's a couple independent music stores in town that are awesome. The larger one has always beat the average online prices for what they carry and will special order if they don't have what you're looking for in stock. The smaller one I frequent doesn't have as much, but the selection is amazing. Very cool sore proprietor who will do a set-up on any instrument you purchase from him.

We also have 2 pawn shops that dedicate a significant portion of their floor to music gear and have a very good selection. Just as I thought all the pawn shops were being devoured by the corporate chains who only deal in quick turn-around items, I found these places where I can actually make discoveries!

 

[slowjam98]

No.

 

[rollie 55]

I hate certain music stores, and I love others.

we only have 2 music stores in the whole of the city so i dont have a lot of choice. both stores are great though

 

[Nev375]

Music stores are fantastic unless you are super picky about gear.

 

[delta7fred]

There are 3 music shops near me.

A big chain store that has walls of new guitars and very few basses, I rarely go in.

A mom and pop shop where they had the same 2 basses every time I went in, I rarely go in there.

The third is a relatively new music shop at the back of a vape shop who's owner (a guitar enthusiast) started it because he had unused space and always fancied a guitar shop. He put a guitar in the window and hung a few in the back of the shop and it has grown from there.

It is now packed with new and used guitars, basses, and amps, there is always something interesting to look at or play. You can pop in for a chat and try out anything you like (at sensible volume because there are shops to either side and offices upstairs) with no pressure to buy. If you can find any item cheaper on the net he will match it.

He has sold several pieces of surplus music gear for me and I have made a couple of large purchases and get all my strings etc there. I visit almost every time I go into town.

 

[rollie 55]

There are 3 music shops near me.

A big chain store that has walls of new guitars and very few basses, I rarely go in.

A mom and pop shop where they had the same 2 basses every time I went in, I rarely go in there.

The third is a relatively new music shop at the back of a vape shop who's owner (a guitar enthusiast) started it because he had unused space and always fancied a guitar shop. He put a guitar in the window and hung a few in the back of the shop and it has grown from there.

It is now packed with new and used guitars, basses, and amps, there is always something interesting to look at or play. You can pop in for a chat and try out anything you like (at sensible volume because there are shops to either side and offices upstairs) with no pressure to buy. If you can find any item cheaper on the net he will match it.

He has sold several pieces of surplus music gear for me and I have made a couple of large purchases and get all my strings etc there. I visit almost every time I go into town.

this is how it used to be the 2 shops we have are like this

 

[SadowskySteve]

We have a large chain store. The stores used to be smaller, carried more relevant gear, and had staff that were working pros and really cared about selling you the right product. Lots of guitars on the walls, small bass section full of lower end stuff. They are catering to the beginner market for the most part. Don't blame them but they don't have much for me. My shops are two small family run shops that take over an hour (thanks to Toronto traffic) to get there. Awesome vibe, relevant gear, expertise galore, and they love chatting with working gigging musicians.

 

[Plectrum72]

We killed off music stores by tire-kicking in the store, then buying on line to save pennies.

Well, not always the case. Some of us bought our first bass as a teenager in a Mom & Pop shop before the interwebs were a household thing. Then subsequent bass/gear purchases didn't happen until most of the the little shops had dried up and all that were left were big box and online stores. Some of us are not even fortunate enough to have a big box store within a 2 hour drive. I do the best I can to support the only little store left in my town. However, they are geared very heavily toward sales and rentals for school band students and don't stock much in the way of guitar gear, let alone bass gear (probably the reason they are still in business).

 

[buldog5151bass]

When I was younger, a good local music store was a place to hang out and talk shop, to ask questions from a knowledgeable person (when he wasn't touring, one owner was a great professional bassist), to get my Bas Player, to try and buy gear). Etc.

 

[Richard Martin]

We have 3 local music stores in my small city. The problem I have is the lack of selection and variety. I've asked the salesmen if they will price match to online retailers and 2 of the stores said yes to anything they have in stock. Price isn't a issue on in stock items but they have so little to choose from. A few years ago we were looking for a practice PA. Peavey had some new ones out and we wanted to get one of those for the new features. The local dealer didn't have any of the new models in stock but they were willing to make us a deal on an older, less powerful model. No thanks. Hello Sweetwater...

 

[Bunk McNulty]

You would not hate music stores if you could go to this one.

Joe has retired, but you still see him now and then. Nice when the guy who owns the place is a bass-player.

DownTown Sounds

 

[gitfiddl]

Our local GC is staffed by snobbish young turks who think they know everything. I can't wait to see how the new Sam Ash is. The last instrument purchase I made from a store was a used Jackson Dinky I bought for my son 12 years ago from GC. Prior to that, the last was the Peavey Foundation I nought way back in 1984. All my new keyboard and major PA purchases in the last 10 years or so have been online. I have bought a few small pieces (rack compressors, crossover, EQs, etc) from GC, as well as strings and straps and such. Most of the used gear purchases have been from individuals or a small independent store called Chip's Music.

 

[Jeff Elkins]

... coming here than I can trying a bass out in a music store and theres no impulse buying.

Since when?!

 

[DWBass]

My biggest pet peeve is that everything they have in stock is out on the floor. Whatever happened to unopened stock in the back storage room?!?!

 

[vegas532]

I loath music stores but I also have unusual circumstances that lead to this. I have congenital limb deformities and because of the nature of "the musician crowd," music retail establishments are fundamentally ableist. Its a case of "I don't look like I can play," therefore, I'm normally either completely ignored, or I'm talked down to like I'm stupid. And no, this pattern isn't any greater or worse depending on the state/region I'm in.

 

[interp]

We have a Store called "Musik Produktiv" and I always loved it! I have to drive for about 60km, but It is worth it. Wouldn`t go there to just getting a pair of new strings, but to try out some basses. The always have cool stuff in stock. To be honest, I`ve never bought an instrument there. It was always a deal between members of "Bassic.de" or I made a deal on Reverb.
Bought my first bass in a small local music store. Found out later that it was overpriced as heck.

We also have a smaller store in town, which I try to support by buying everything from strings to picks.The owner is a good bass tech as well.

We also have a Musik Produktiv in our town (Garmisch-Partenkirchen). I use it regularly, especially for such things as strings, picks, cables, etc. I have bought one or two basses there over the years but I generally make larger purchases on-line through Thomann or from TB members.

 

[rollie 55]

I loath music stores but I also have unusual circumstances that lead to this. I have congenital limb deformities and because of the nature of "the musician crowd," music retail establishments are fundamentally ableist. Its a case of "I don't look like I can play," therefore, I'm normally either completely ignored, or I'm talked down to like I'm stupid. And no, this pattern isn't any greater or worse depending on the state/region I'm in.

i feel for you man its a shame that some people who play music think that there are better than everyone one else.

 

[bobba66]

I shop at pawn shops 'cause sorrow and desperation really bring out the best in an instrument.