AGHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!! Brugh!!!not a GC horror story, just odd/funny: so i asked the guitar/bass counter guy if he had any roto swing 66 stings thus-and-such gauges, and he said: "you don't want those --- you want these..." i looked at the guy and laughed out loud --- i couldn't believe he had just said that. i was having trouble not laughing and he asked: "why are you laughing, dude, what's so funny?" i said: "you told me that i don't want what i asked for and that i want something i didn't ask for --- what a stitch!" he looked at me, very seriously, and asked: "yeah, so why is that funny?" i almost laughed some spit in his face and fell against the counter laughing. he asked if i was "on something." i 'staggered' to the entrance/exit, laughing... without any strings.
(i have been to that store a couple of times since and did not see him.)
writing it out makes me laugh about it again.
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Music store employee horror stories???
- Thread starter Bagusys
- Start date
Dude, we had this place out here in Bryn Mawr called Medley Music. Bryn Mawr is “Mainline” area outside Philly. Basically that’s the start of where all the ridiculously rich people live so it’s half and half in this area lol. So I’m at work and my partner for the day played guitar also. We had some time to kill so I was like, there’s a store near here wanna go jam out a bit.
I always knew this place was here, but this was my first time in there.
To start off, beautiful store, amazing layout, the had a giant guitar room, basement was all drums, orchestra all on the other side, studio up top. Spanned 3 land plots in a store chain. If someone put a legit business in there, they’d probably make a killing. anyway.
strings are the first thing I see there
I play Elixirs on just about everything I own.
Typical price basically anywhere on the planet:
G - $9.99
B - $39.99
Most other strings
G -$5ish
B - $20ish
this place:
Elixir:
G - $21.99
B - almost $100
other strings:
G - $15
B - practically $40
like you I burst out laughing the second I see it. Dude at the counter is like, what’s up?
I’m like. Are you serious with these prices on strings. Dude tried feeding me some BS word salad of whole sale, market value, we get directly from manufacture blah blah hahaha.
This same day leads into the 16 year old snobby brat from my OP.
Needless to say that place isn’t there anymore.
back in the 90s, i worked part time for a Vintage dealer....to counter this thread, i have plenty of stupid musician horror stories, too 
for example: Im at counter. Customer asks, "Where are your lead guitars?"
"Top row"
dude's eyes dart up and scan the top row, ignoring the Les Pauls hanging on the bottom row
edit: when people asked what this was, i sometimes said it was an acoustic wah wah pedal
for example: Im at counter. Customer asks, "Where are your lead guitars?"
"Top row"
dude's eyes dart up and scan the top row, ignoring the Les Pauls hanging on the bottom row
edit: when people asked what this was, i sometimes said it was an acoustic wah wah pedal
I was seriously considering a John Patittucci signature Yamaha several years ago, found one at a store in very good condition because the guy that bought it couldn't handle the string spacing or something so it hadn't been played much.
The store employees would not let me play it at all, refused to even pull it down off the wall so I could look at it more closely. I finally asked for the manager, pulled the $2500 in cash out of my pocket, waved it in his face and told him that my money would be walking out the door. He followed me outside begging for another chance...nope, too little too late.
The store employees would not let me play it at all, refused to even pull it down off the wall so I could look at it more closely. I finally asked for the manager, pulled the $2500 in cash out of my pocket, waved it in his face and told him that my money would be walking out the door. He followed me outside begging for another chance...nope, too little too late.
OK, I'll bite. What is Djembe, and do I need to get a shot for this?
@SpazzTheBassist, this is about shop stories, both side of the gun stories really. Lots of us are clients...but at a point have to deal with clients.
A little off topic here, but not so far really, I work as a mecanic on big construction site machines. Not long ago, I had a call from the user of an excavator calling for help because he cannot remove the tool from the arm of the machine, I started to explain how he should do but instead of listening and try, he call me names like "he know what he is doing" and want me to come as fast as possible.
Drove to the other side of the country (swiss is pretty small in size), just to see that he have not touched the big red rocker switch with the shovel locking system drawn on it...everything was fine and I just lost half a day for this guy.
So I deeply empathise to the sales person having to deal with "not so adequate" clients.
A little off topic here, but not so far really, I work as a mecanic on big construction site machines. Not long ago, I had a call from the user of an excavator calling for help because he cannot remove the tool from the arm of the machine, I started to explain how he should do but instead of listening and try, he call me names like "he know what he is doing" and want me to come as fast as possible.
Drove to the other side of the country (swiss is pretty small in size), just to see that he have not touched the big red rocker switch with the shovel locking system drawn on it...everything was fine and I just lost half a day for this guy.
So I deeply empathise to the sales person having to deal with "not so adequate" clients.
Rolls Music in Falls Church, VA in the 70’s and 80’s made used car salesmen look honest. I went in there about three times and was sorry each time.
The last time I went in I wanted to try out a Charvel Model 6, an expensive guitar at that time. They had one and I asked to play it through a Marshall since I played a Marshall half stack at the time. Even though I was the only customer in the store at the time the employee wouldn’t find a power cord for the Marshall. He set me up with a Roland Jazz Chorus.
I loved the guitar so I just left it on the floor, everything still on and walked out without a word. I drove straight to Chuck Levin’s (about 50 minutes away) and bought one. Then I photocopied the receipt and sent it to the manager to let him know that his employee’s laziness cost him a sale. Never heard back.
The last time I went in I wanted to try out a Charvel Model 6, an expensive guitar at that time. They had one and I asked to play it through a Marshall since I played a Marshall half stack at the time. Even though I was the only customer in the store at the time the employee wouldn’t find a power cord for the Marshall. He set me up with a Roland Jazz Chorus.
I loved the guitar so I just left it on the floor, everything still on and walked out without a word. I drove straight to Chuck Levin’s (about 50 minutes away) and bought one. Then I photocopied the receipt and sent it to the manager to let him know that his employee’s laziness cost him a sale. Never heard back.
Too funny! I grew up in that area (school in Radnor, church in Bryn Mawr), and my earliest moment of the differences between bass and guitar as a little kid were at Medley (Steinbergers, which made me think that "bass" = "headless with a trapezoidal body").
Medley was actually there for about 50 years - it was founded by Harry Rosenbloom, the original exclusive US distributor for Ibanez back in the 60s.
Ibanez "Lawsuit" & Elger Guitars - Acoustic Music
For those not familiar with the area, Medley was basically right across the street from "The Main Point."
The Main Point - Wikipedia
But no, they certainly weren't competitive on prices in *my* lifetime. I think my best friend bought sax reeds there, but that was about it.
Nice. Yea I knew they were there for a long time, but that’s mind blowing to me that an Ibanez guy opened it since every time I went in there it was a wall to wall pastel color wheel of Fenders and if you even mentioned anything not a Fender they went nose up at you.
Trying to communicate with any employee in there was basically every scene in a movie where someone is dealing with an overly snooty butler, curator, hostess or auctioneer lol. Total cringe factory. There was one cool dude, really old black guy, like 6’5 or 6’7, he gave me a tour of their studio and some good advice when I started building my studio. Other than him, just horrible environment to be in.
JeezyMcNuggles
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Hahahah, "Granderson?" Dude, "auto complicate" strikes again. Hahaha. Arroyo Grande, CA
Wow. Almost nailed it.
Eyes at first were very small,.....then X-ray eyes.its a bellow to test harmonicas
I have a music store horror story, but it has nothing to do with any employee or the store...
I was at my local GC a few months ago picking up a new set of strings for my 54 Martin 0-18. There was a somewhat large overbearing woman standing there at the string rack looking kinda confused, so I asked her if I could help her find something. She says that her husband asked her to pick up some strings for his guitar and two basses. I asked if she knew what brand or type of strings he wanted? She replied "he didn't say".
OK... so I ask her what kind of guitar does he have. She says "I don't know". I ask is it electric or acoustic to which she again replies "I don't know". I ask her, can you call him and find out? She says "no... he's at work right now and can't take calls". Ok... So I ask her if he plays the guitar with an amplifier or does it make sound without one? "???" Is it made of wood and does it look something like the one sitting on the stand at the end of the isle. She says not really but kinda like that. So I ask if he said what gauge strings he prefers? She quickly says "medium, he did say medium". So I hand her a set of medium gauge acoustic strings.
All of the store employees were either busy helping other customers or standing there behind the counter doing whatever they do when they are standing there behind the counter looking busy... I think by this time they were aware of our conversation and figured it would be best to just stay out of it...
I walked over to the bass string rack with her and asked if she knew what type of strings he wanted for his two basses. Well I should have known the answer already. Her reply... "I don't know. All he said was medium". Just for fun I asked does he like flatwound or round wound, and yep you guessed it "I don't know". So... I gave her a couple of sets of nickel rounds and told her that if he doesn't like these they can just bring them back and exchange them for something else.
All of this was just the lead-up to the really funny part... Since I have been working in the local music scene for about 40 years I had to ask who her husband was thinking that maybe I might know him. She gives me a name and says "He was the bass player for "The Brad Walker Band" and Tracy Lawrence was their lead singer". I can't remember the name she gave me, but that really didn't matter at this point because I never heard of the guy. I am friends with all of the former members of "The Brad Walker Band" (circa mid 80's). And at that time Tracy Lawrence was the lead singer in a band named "Phoenix". I should know, because I was the bass player and sound tech for Phoenix... I pointed this discrepancy out to her, but she was having no part of it. She had only recently married this guy and this is the story that he gave her and she refused to believe anything different.
I don't know if she is still married to this guy or not, but it sounds to me like she married a guy that likes to "embellish" the truth somewhat for his own personal gain. There is more to this story, but I figure I've been long winded enough as is...
I was at my local GC a few months ago picking up a new set of strings for my 54 Martin 0-18. There was a somewhat large overbearing woman standing there at the string rack looking kinda confused, so I asked her if I could help her find something. She says that her husband asked her to pick up some strings for his guitar and two basses. I asked if she knew what brand or type of strings he wanted? She replied "he didn't say".
OK... so I ask her what kind of guitar does he have. She says "I don't know". I ask is it electric or acoustic to which she again replies "I don't know". I ask her, can you call him and find out? She says "no... he's at work right now and can't take calls". Ok... So I ask her if he plays the guitar with an amplifier or does it make sound without one? "???" Is it made of wood and does it look something like the one sitting on the stand at the end of the isle. She says not really but kinda like that. So I ask if he said what gauge strings he prefers? She quickly says "medium, he did say medium". So I hand her a set of medium gauge acoustic strings.
All of the store employees were either busy helping other customers or standing there behind the counter doing whatever they do when they are standing there behind the counter looking busy... I think by this time they were aware of our conversation and figured it would be best to just stay out of it...
I walked over to the bass string rack with her and asked if she knew what type of strings he wanted for his two basses. Well I should have known the answer already. Her reply... "I don't know. All he said was medium". Just for fun I asked does he like flatwound or round wound, and yep you guessed it "I don't know". So... I gave her a couple of sets of nickel rounds and told her that if he doesn't like these they can just bring them back and exchange them for something else.
All of this was just the lead-up to the really funny part... Since I have been working in the local music scene for about 40 years I had to ask who her husband was thinking that maybe I might know him. She gives me a name and says "He was the bass player for "The Brad Walker Band" and Tracy Lawrence was their lead singer". I can't remember the name she gave me, but that really didn't matter at this point because I never heard of the guy. I am friends with all of the former members of "The Brad Walker Band" (circa mid 80's). And at that time Tracy Lawrence was the lead singer in a band named "Phoenix". I should know, because I was the bass player and sound tech for Phoenix... I pointed this discrepancy out to her, but she was having no part of it. She had only recently married this guy and this is the story that he gave her and she refused to believe anything different.
I don't know if she is still married to this guy or not, but it sounds to me like she married a guy that likes to "embellish" the truth somewhat for his own personal gain. There is more to this story, but I figure I've been long winded enough as is...
In the interest of balance, I'll post a non - horror story. As you might guess, it isn't about GC. For Christmas, I had my wife order me a bass gig bag from Chicago Music Exchange (she's often at a loss as to what to buy me - I'm very hard to shop for). On Christmas morning, I opened it, and it wasn't the model I was interested in, and...it was short (a guitar gig bag). I snuck off to look at the order, and make sure I hadn't messed up. They got the right manufacturer (probably the same section of their warehouse), but the other details - not quite. OK, they're human, so an occasional mistake is OK. We went down to the store (we live nearby) to exchange it for the right thing - I've been there several times, they're good folks to deal with, and I figured in person it'd be easier to communicate what happened - we could all stare at the same order and gig bag, and it'd be obvious to all what had happened. What I wanted was in their warehouse, and being around Christmas, they couldn't get it to us while we were there at the store. At their suggestion, they gave me a set of strings for the trouble I'd had (nice touch), as I wouldn't be able to go home with the right thing. A couple days later, the right gig bag arrived.
That’s a shot from the movie “Harold and Kumar Go To White Castle”, a character named ‘Freakshow’, played by Christopher Meloni(of Law and Order SVU fame). I can’t even begin to explain the context of the storyline, but that segment and Neil Patrick Harris’ “tripping balls” bit just about steal the film.Wow. Almost nailed it.
I never had the kind of experience you describe, but all I ever did was window-shop. I went from "being a kid and not even having the money to buy my own strings" to "college in VA" to "living in VA and only coming back to the Main Line to visit my parents." My first 4 basses were bought at "Music Village" (later Dragonetti Music, then a Music & Arts, then closed), West Chester Music (still there), and Troubadour Music in Wayne (moved to Devon, then became a Music & Arts, then closed).
I liked all the folks at those places. West Chester was the best for used stuff. Troubadour was where the people I knew got their illegal "Real Book" copies.
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I live halfway between Boston and Cape Cod. There isn't a decent music store within 200 miles of here. Most carry low priced, entry level or budget instruments and do not have anything for more experienced players who are willing to spend money. The few which claim to carry more expensive brands, never have inventory. Everything is special order and subject to a restocking fee. Their websites are very basic and only list brands they sell. If they're not going to take the time to show actual on hand inventory on their website, I'm not going to spend an hour or two driving there just to see what they have in stock. Oddly enough, Music Go Round seems to be the only store that updates inventory on a daily basis.
