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Intimidated in the music store.
- Thread starter protegeV
- Start date
Tip:
Learn to play "Come as You Are" by Nirvana on electric guitar using the chorus pedal. You will get a few heads looking up in recognition, but they will try not to show it. But don't let that discourage you, keep on. Within a few minutes you will win them all over, and I guarantee all the employees and customers will be around you, cheering you on to rock and roll victory!
Learn to play "Come as You Are" by Nirvana on electric guitar using the chorus pedal. You will get a few heads looking up in recognition, but they will try not to show it. But don't let that discourage you, keep on. Within a few minutes you will win them all over, and I guarantee all the employees and customers will be around you, cheering you on to rock and roll victory!
I was actually given a bass once by a shop manager. "You're made for each other" he said. "We would like you to accept the bass as a gift to enhance the reputation of the shop". "At least let me pay for the strings" I blurted out in faux protest, "Ah strings, yes" said the manager, "Dave could you provide the gentlemen with five sets of the strings of his choice please. Orders of the house."
It was great, but then I woke up...
It was great, but then I woke up...
I don’t give a rip what anybody will think. I have specific ways to pick out what I am looking to get out of an instrument to make a buy or fly judgement, and it usually does not take hours. More like about 10 minutes to determine if it is a useful tool or not.
It’s hardly a performance, but if somebody wants to critique my playing, so be it. I’m more than content to leave them with an erroneous conclusion.
i have a weird way of trying instruments anyways. I know the last bass purchased was a funny experience. I walk into a pretty famous bass shop. I knew I wanted a spector, just not sure which one. So, I had picked about 10 out from their website while traveling to the shop. I walk in, ask for those 10 basses, walk over to the amps, find a head like mine, the same cabinet, hook it up and spent about 15 seconds with each bass. I ran 2 scales and played 2 licks from songs on our set list. This weeded out 7 of the basses. While doing this, i noticed that staff were laughing and making bets that I was just a tire kicker. i spent about 2 minutes with each of the remaining basses, handed them all back, went out for a smoke, came back in and grabbed one of them, spent a few more minutes and said "ok this is the one".
I get it. I absolutely hate going into the store. Put something in my hand and my brain freezes. Bedroom noodling only for me, which I love. First bass from GC. Squier P-Bass Special in maybe 2001. Still think the neck wasn't quite right on it. Rushed to get the heck out of the store and should have taken more time. LOL - my dumpster special plays better than the new one.
- Sep 21, 2011
- 149
- 169
- Disclosures
- I'm just a user/customer that plays gigs. I am not professionally affiliated with any vendor, etc.
Remedy: Play the chorus to 'Runnin' with the Devil' at the loudest volume on the store's biggest amp (and if anyone looks at ya sideways, tell 'em Dave Mustaine sent ya)!
\m/,
,\m/
...just messin'. Ya; I've got nothing new to offer that hasn't been said; it's not a gig or an audition. MUCH easier said than done, but do your best to "keep your eyes on the prize"; that prize being, the opportunity to TRY something before BUYING it (if you're there to buy). Even if you're not there to buy and just browse... it's YOUR browsing session. Remember; no one else in the world woke up that morning anticipating your arrival and waiting for the chance to make your day silly.
I'd offer that the only audition happening at any store is your "wallet" if you intend to buy. If your wallet has sufficient funds, you get the gig-err.... gear!
If your wallet auditions with insufficient funds... "THEY'LL call YOU".
...sike, nah; keep walkin', fam.
Cheers!
\m/,
,\m/...just messin'. Ya; I've got nothing new to offer that hasn't been said; it's not a gig or an audition. MUCH easier said than done, but do your best to "keep your eyes on the prize"; that prize being, the opportunity to TRY something before BUYING it (if you're there to buy). Even if you're not there to buy and just browse... it's YOUR browsing session. Remember; no one else in the world woke up that morning anticipating your arrival and waiting for the chance to make your day silly.
I'd offer that the only audition happening at any store is your "wallet" if you intend to buy. If your wallet has sufficient funds, you get the gig-err.... gear!
If your wallet auditions with insufficient funds... "THEY'LL call YOU".
...sike, nah; keep walkin', fam.
Cheers!
There's a music shop I use sometimes that has a couple of dedicated small rooms kitted out to try whatever instrument you're interested in. Left alone you can check the thing up and down, round and round with your full attention. Which is exactly what you want if you're thinking of parting with a nice few quid for it.
Hmm there is one smaller music store in my town where the sleepy personnel does not care what you play but get get little business so they are happy if you buy something and ready to help out. The other, the big one, is frequented by parents with kids that keep pawing at the pianos at loud volume and the personnel is dead inside from it, so nobody would care about your playing, hell you would barely hear yourself over those terrible attempts at Mozart and Beethoven symphonies.
I don't think I've ever plugged an instument in at the GC. They rarely have anything I'd be interested in. The SA next door is a different story. They have much more to offer, as in they carry, AND STOCK, Bergantino, Aguillar, Ampeg, Fender, RIC, Music Man, Gibson. Plus they consistently have some fairly nice or unusual used basses. JLL has been known to run some of his used gear through there over the years.
Still, I'll plug something up only once in a while. I can usually tell if it's worth considering without amplification.
If you get intimidated in a music store, how the hell do you ever make it on stage?
I find that lots of times the musicians that you hold in high regard are actually thinking the same about you! I have had that happen to me a few times and I think to myself, "really, you are that good and you are nervous around me?"
Just be you and do what you do!
I swear though people in my local l and M are puzzled by me! When I pick up a bass I dont play any lines, or slap...nada! I just play a few notes on different areas of the neck. I have overheard some talking a few times saying that I cant really play and dont know why I even buy guitars. I just let it pass! Every so often I will see someone in there that has seen me on stage and say, "dude you were freaking excellent last night" then say to the employees man this guy is a monster on that bass...lol they always look confused lol
I find that lots of times the musicians that you hold in high regard are actually thinking the same about you! I have had that happen to me a few times and I think to myself, "really, you are that good and you are nervous around me?"
Just be you and do what you do!
I swear though people in my local l and M are puzzled by me! When I pick up a bass I dont play any lines, or slap...nada! I just play a few notes on different areas of the neck. I have overheard some talking a few times saying that I cant really play and dont know why I even buy guitars. I just let it pass! Every so often I will see someone in there that has seen me on stage and say, "dude you were freaking excellent last night" then say to the employees man this guy is a monster on that bass...lol they always look confused lol
And, what are the odds you're EVER gonna see them again anyways?
Who cares what they think.
But yeah, it is uncomfortable...
Yeah, the bedroom mirror warrior types that come out to play in music stores... extremely painful, most of the time...
I don't mind testing out gear in a music shop but, when it comes to playing their guitars (including basses), in my neck of the woods the availability is almost non-existent, 90% of the time the setup sucks and, in the case of basses, I'm a flatwound kinda guy in a roundwound world.. so, extremely tough to get a true idea as to the suitability of an instrument...... so I generally simply buy online and take my chances.
I don't mind testing out gear in a music shop but, when it comes to playing their guitars (including basses), in my neck of the woods the availability is almost non-existent, 90% of the time the setup sucks and, in the case of basses, I'm a flatwound kinda guy in a roundwound world.. so, extremely tough to get a true idea as to the suitability of an instrument...... so I generally simply buy online and take my chances.
that's too bad!
say what you will about guitar center, but when I was a kid, the way they would just hand you a cable and let you try anything was great.
there used to be a shop here on long island called Royal Music, on sunrise highway... I remember the vibe there was the opposite. signs posted about "don't touch anything without employee assistance.." and all that.
Looking back on it, that shop had a lot of great gear and I never bought anything there because of it. I've bought a lot from GC over the years... moreso back then, for that reason.
say what you will about guitar center, but when I was a kid, the way they would just hand you a cable and let you try anything was great.
there used to be a shop here on long island called Royal Music, on sunrise highway... I remember the vibe there was the opposite. signs posted about "don't touch anything without employee assistance.." and all that.
Looking back on it, that shop had a lot of great gear and I never bought anything there because of it. I've bought a lot from GC over the years... moreso back then, for that reason.
I don't go to any music stores on weekends. I tried out an amp at a local GC on a Tuesday afternoon, with my own cabinet, one of the salesmen hovered and asked if he could play my bass when I was done. I thought it was a weird request...I told him if he could knock 20% off my purchase. I let him play it and he did.
BTW, I don't slap....I just play exercises and obscure baselines that hardly anyone knows when at music stores.
BTW, I don't slap....I just play exercises and obscure baselines that hardly anyone knows when at music stores.
why? because i'm not you?
I didn't like the vibe of the store or the help. I left.
It's your problem if that bothers you.
I am generally not concerned about being judged by anyone in the shop, but I have a different problem. At my local GC 80% of the time anything I am interested in playing is hanging high on the wall where an employee needs to use a ladder to reach it. It's a real hassle and then they end up hovering over my shoulder the whole time, so I rarely play anything in the store. The annoying thing is there are guitars 10 feet away that are significantly more expensive than most of the instruments in the bass department, but there is so little space they have to hang them high.
I don't care what people think of me or how "awesome" they are or think they are. if they want a riff off they can compete with themselves. its already been stated, Im there for me. if I want to I-IV-V on a p-bass thats what im going to do.
