Intimidated in the music store.

[thabassmon]

Don't worry bout them, if they were really something special, they'd be something special. Don't worry about they think.
Without people going shopping there is no shop.
I just go in, try what I wanna try. And it's fine.
If it's great I buy it, If it's not I don't.
I am reading a lot of people are intimidated by the employees slapping.
Don't be it's just another way to play a string, if they are good at it well that just means they have sat on their a**e for long enough time to get good at it.

 

[Tom Bomb]

Not a huge fan of music stores but it's usually the best option to try out new instruments. Usually I'll walk in and find someone hammering and slapping away on a bass or employees hovering and I just dont get a good vibe like I even want to pick anything up to try out.

I can relate. The trick is to know what you want

 

[Grahams Groove]

This thread reminded me of when I was in HS and went to the GC grand opening in my area, because I was apparently a big stupid idiot in terms of timing. I will never forget the guy who clearly brought his whole support crew of roughly 8-10 dudes to form a circle around him while he slapped the hell out of a bass through a cranked stack. It was like they had rehearsed their overblown reactions to lots of non-melodic, percussive smashing of strings against pickup poles. It was one of the most memorable and least impressive things I've seen at a music store. The one take-away I got form that experience was 'don't be a dick'. I always try to mind my volume, make sure I'm not in the way or hogging an instrument that I don't intend to buy, etc. Also, it helps to remember that everyone starts somewhere. You're usually not the worst or best player in the store. Just be a person trying out an instrument if you're looking for something. No need to audition. Also, I spend a good amount of time playing basses unplugged before I even decide if they feel good enough to plug in...

 

[lat]

If someone's looking down at me because of my skill level, then I certainly can't respect them. And I don't care about the opinions of people I can't respect.

bingo

 

[lat]

I spend a good amount of time playing basses unplugged before I even decide if they feel good enough to plug in...

yes!

 

[IamGroot]

I sneak off to GC at off times when my work schedule permits.

GC employees either leave me alone or ask me about my playing. One guy snuck off to the backroom and brought out a beautiful TBird for a ridiculous low price which I bought on the spot and gigged with for years.

Patrons ... no such luck.

1) Couple weeks back, kid playing electronic drums badly and loudly in front of the cash register. Salesman asked me to repeat my phone number over the din, so I screamed it at the to of my lungs. Didnt phase the kid one bit. No one asked kid to turn down.

2) Was checking out 6 string in empty store, and 3 teenagers walked over to bass corner and plugged into 3 separate amps to check out the feedback. I left without even buying strings.

3) People come and ask questions and i give them an impromptu brief lesson.

6) At two different GC stores, parents drop their kids off for free Saturday night entertainment beating the gear up. Seen the same parents at one store 3x.

I have bought the majority of my gear at GC and now I am downsizing. I dont need new gear. I dont need to be enticed. I am gigging again, so I dont have time to wank. I can buy my strings on Amazon.

I will check out GCs in the US as I will be traveling quite a bit in the future.

In El Paso, we found we forgot the gear bag with all the cables several hundred miles back. There was a discount music store right next to the GC on I10. Saved a lot of bucks.

 

[crankypants]

Wow, 4 pages!

 

[Andy Daventry]

Music shops in London have discovered Customer Service over the past ten years and it has made a hell of a difference. It's now a pleasure to go in.

 

[two fingers]

I can Stu Hamm for an hour if I want. When I try out a bass in a store, I use boring scales and whole notes to tell me all I need to know about a bass. If every fret doesn't ring out clear for several seconds I have no use for the bass.

I have never gotten a gig off of slappity tappity licks and wish I had back some of the hours I spent practicing that crap years ago. Most of your slappity tappity bass players wind up being the lazy know-it-alls working in music stores. And that's about the extent of their "Music career".

 

[IamGroot]

I've played a nudist camp. For the most part, other than the $$$, I'd rather play in GC.

I'd play the GC to hide shortcomings. Nudist camp would be worse than playing in shorts, but not by much. I would wear my bass lower than usual and not play borrowed instruments. And be sure to take bow- the drummer will thank you.

 

[IamGroot]

I can Stu Hamm for an hour if I want. When I try out a bass in a store, I use boring scales and whole notes to tell me all I need to know about a bass. If every fret doesn't ring out clear for several seconds I have no use for the bass.

I have never gotten a gig off of slappity tappity licks and wish I had back some of the hours I spent practicing that crap years ago. Most of your slappity tappity bass players wind up being the lazy know-it-alls working in music stores. And that's about the extent of their "Music career".

If you told GC patrons they couldnt slap or play pentatonic scales, the bass section would be empty.

I play tunes and walking basslines and add solos. If there are guitarists that want to join me, I modulate through the flat keys. F and Ab is crazy good. Matter of fact, "Long Ago and Far Away" uses both of those keys in the Sonny Rollins version.

 

[xnewyorka]

I prefer to bring a headphone amp. (I use a DSM OmniCabSim for this purpose.)
That way, I eliminate the variable of an unknown or less than ideal amplifier, I block out ambient noise, and I don't get distracted by worrying about who I am bothering with the noise, or who is listening to me and judging my playing. I always use the exact same EQ settings on the OmniCabSim so that I can always compare what I am hearing against what I am used to.

 

[crankypants]

Intimidated in the music store

TL;DR You are or they are?

 

[jamro217]

If there's an instrument in a music shop I like, It gets put through the 50 point inspection like a potential used car purchase would. No wankery involved, just twenty minutes or so of tests and evaluation that's boring enough to make the ten kids with pointy guitars trying to outwatt (not outwit, outwatt) one another go home. That is, if they were able to notice a bassist at all.

 

[Nashrakh]

I got the distinct feeling that I would be judged and found wanting.

I once had an encounter like that. Salesman stood right next to me with his arms folded and an expectant look in his eyes.

A truly horrible feeling.

 

[Old Blastard]

I'm lucky. Just down the street from work is a local store. I drop by on lunch or breaks, bs with the staff, play the new stuff, get to know who's in what band and they let me know what is on sale and will give me a solid discount on stuff.

I'm there enough that no one cares what bass I play and over the last 5 years of doing this I've accidentally sold three basses where folks thought I was a salesman and asked a bunch of questions.

Like I said, I'm lucky. And it sure beats the company break room.

 

[Chickenwheels]

Don’t be intimidated. It’s actually embarrassing going into a music shop. Keep it a secret from your friends and family..!

 

[Claymore]

Something weird happens to me almost every time... I'm very jam-oriented so if there's anyone else playing in the store I will instinctively start riffing off of what they're doing and providing counterpoint melodies. Then, very often the guy will express surprise that someone is listening the him and stop playing (which makes me stop playing) and it just snowballs into awkwardness. I've just learned to expect and embrace it.

 

[ThinCrappyTone]

Not a huge fan of music stores but it's usually the best option to try out new instruments. Usually I'll walk in and find someone hammering and slapping away on a bass or employees hovering and I just dont get a good vibe like I even want to pick anything up to try out.

I know what you mean.

It helps to warm up before you go, so you’re not dead cold when you start playing in front of people.

Also helps think about what types of riffs or lines will help you learn what you need to learn about the instrument before you get there. Have those riffs dialed-in and ready to go.

Also, try to go on an off day, if you want more privacy. Tuesday afternoon for example, as opposed to Saturday.

Focus on your goals: testing the instrument. Learning what you need to learn about it so you can make a wise choice. Lastly, try to remember that nobody *really* cares or will remember your playing that day.

 

[Alex J]

As someone who regularly plays slap style at gigs, I am certainly going to do it if I am testing a bass out in a store. I might even do it loudly if I need to test an amp. Quietly plunking out root notes in the corner isn't going to tell me if an instrument will be useful to me. People can like different things, y'know?