What to say in GC.

[AudioTaper]

I'll be on the other side of town tomorrow and I'm planning on stopping at a store I've never been to (not a GC). So this thread has been very useful, I'm taking notes here.

Step 1 - walk in like I own the place, push kids out of the way.
Step 2 - plug in the most expensive bass to the largest, most expensive amp they have.
Step 3 - no time to check to see if it's in tune
Step 4 - play Higher Ground as loud as I can as fast as I can for an hour.
Step 5 - leave amp on and set bass down still plugged in.
Step 6 - ask about a "Musicians Discount" on a single string, leave without actually buying anything.

I'm so pumped up! Ready to ROCK!

Edit: stopped in and realized they cater to high-end guitars and not much else (beautiful PRS and Andersons) I played around on a Flea bass for a few minutes without an amp - which were all GK and Fender combos. No bass cabinets or heads, which was kinda weird. No desire to own a Flea bass, not that there was much of one to begin with. The store was quiet, and I knew all 3 guys working from the music store I used to work at. So I didnt even bother plugging in I'm so out of practice I would just end up annoying them. There was a Lakland Skyline 4 string neck in the corner, they are going to get back to me if it's for sale

 

[HubbardsFate]

I'll be on the other side of town tomorrow and I'm planning on stopping at a store I've never been to (not a GC). So this thread has been very useful, I'm taking notes here.

Step 1 - walk in like I own the place, push kids out of the way.
Step 2 - plug in the most expensive bass to the largest, most expensive amp they have.
Step 3 - no time to check to see if it's in tune
Step 4 - play Higher Ground as loud as I can as fast as I can for an hour.
Step 5 - leave amp on and set bass down still plugged in.
Step 6 - ask about a "Musicians Discount" on a single string, leave without actually buying anything.

I'm so pumped up! Ready to ROCK!

 

[BergerHead]

I'm done with gear, any change or addition is to exclude, even my string-stock will run out my lifetime demand.
It's at least 6 years since my last visit in a music store and i'm not curious at all on new gear ...

 

[Cliff Colton]

I'll be on the other side of town tomorrow and I'm planning on stopping at a store I've never been to (not a GC). So this thread has been very useful, I'm taking notes here.

Step 1 - walk in like I own the place, push kids out of the way.
Step 2 - plug in the most expensive bass to the largest, most expensive amp they have.
Step 3 - no time to check to see if it's in tune
Step 4 - play Higher Ground as loud as I can as fast as I can for an hour.
Step 5 - leave amp on and set bass down still plugged in.
Step 6 - ask about a "Musicians Discount" on a single string, leave without actually buying anything.

I'm so pumped up! Ready to ROCK!

Steal a pick.
Ask the manager for some empty instrument boxes. You can put them in the dumpster behind the store if you don’t need them.
Insult another player on your way out the door.
Leave a bad online review.

 

[Furutan]

First thought: Wayne's World sums it up.
Other thoughts:
Going into the acoustic room and some kid is giving a concert, going through every verse of some song and looking at me the whole time, expecting my admiration.
As an AM at a store for years, if someone is actually trying out the instrument or amp - playing random stuff up and down the neck, tweaking tones, etc., I'm fine with that because I know they're serious and that they are not going to spend more than a few minutes with any specific setup before making their decision. As for everyone else, I could do without it.
I hate the regime at GC. When and where I was coming up, all music stores were independent and it was much more laid back and fun. I remember when samplers were new. A place in Austin had a sign with a red arrow taped to a keyboard saying, "Whatever you do, don't press this key." Someone would press it and a James Brown "Yow!" would scare them out of their pants. They wouldn't do that at GC.
The culture of amateur musicians is a strange one. Dreams, testosterone, ego, posturing, the search for El Dorado in whatever form (instrument, amp, cab, pedal, pickups, whatever), constant tinkering with their instrument, etc. And all this comes together at a music store. When you work there it is always the same. Certain times of day are good (or they were) because the regular pros would drop by, do business, and leave. When school's out the yahoos turn up. Saturdays are a zoo.

 

[bigtone23]

After years in music retail, usually 90%+ of the ones who play the worst, loudest and longest just need to be disarmed. As soon as you bring up anything related to the business at hand, the instrument in hand, throw a hard close, etc... they realize they are on the radar, get self conscious, quit playing and go away.
The other 10% are too self absorbed, drunk/high or dense to get it and react better to the simple "please turn down or you will have to stop, I can't talk to customers in the store or on the phone, which is why this business is here."

 

[HLH2k1]

2.when I try out a bass to purchase, I can play it for 1 minute and know if I like it or not.

Funny, I bought a new Fender Custom Shop reproduction ‘51 bass at Austin Vintage Guitars last year without even plugging it in. Played it on my lap acoustically (and loved it) and bought it on the spot. Most I’ve ever spent on a bass and I didn’t even plug it in at the store.

 

[cosmicevan]

I've always wanted to do this:

Me, my guitar player and drummer, all go to GC. Walk in seperately, about 2-3 minutes apart. I go to the bass area, grab a bass and noodle. Guitar guy does the same and so does the drummer. Then the guitar player starts playing a song (we always talked about doing this with Highway Star), and then we just kinda go with it. The other two pick it up about where the vox start.

BnB

I've always gotten yelled at for jamming with others across the store. That said, I haven't tried in years.

 

[nickpc]

I admit I've dropped a few snarky comments like "You know that amp has a built in tuner, don't you?" at GC over the years. One time the kid playing got this shocked look on his face - "Really?? I know it's off but can't figure out what's right. Can you show me how the tuner works?" So I did. Nice Squier Strat (not Affinity), no big deal, a good first guitar. His mom came in about 10 minutes later, asked him if he had found a guitar he wanted. He showed her the one he was playing, and she asked who helped him. He pointed at me over in the bass alcove, she looked at the staff standing around behind the counter, and told him they could buy it across the street at Sam Ash, came over and thanked me, and left. 15 minutes later I went to see what they had over at Sam Ash and they were checking out - MIM Fender Strat, a Fender combo amp, hard case, cable, pics, etc - nice little bundle, all upgrades (or at least more expensive options) from what he had been looking at in GC.

 

[PhatBottomBass1]

GC is like the insane asylum for the tone deaf. Employees tell me how bad it gets, but they can't say anything. But I can.....


To the wannabe guitarist noodling at full volume:
"You waiting here for lessons?" or
"Do you know any real songs?"



To the kid pounding the snot out of a drum kit:
"Do you play in your high school's marching band"

To the guy at the counter (very loudly)

"I want to play cool stuff like these guys.What type metronome/ guitar book do you recommend?

...Do ya know how going to GC and hitting your hand with a hammer is the same??

It feels SO GOOD when ya stop!!

 

[Killed_by_Death]

I try not to be a jerk to other folks in a music store, especially the obvious newbs.
I've had it happen to me a few times, however.

The one that springs to mind right away is when I was fumbling through Purple Haze in the back of the shop, and no sooner had I put the instrument down & started looking at the discount bin, there goes the guy who had been quietly browsing.
He rolls straight into Purple Haze & plays it flawlessly.
I headed straight for the door. The staff just looked on in bewilderment, but they probably were silently laughing to themselves after enduring my fumbling for years now.

Only one time has someone done the opposite. I was just going through some riffs on a Rumble 200 with a random bass at GC & a guy actually went out of his way to come over & say it sounded great!
I'm sure he meant the bass, but it still felt pretty good.

So, at that point I resolved that if I heard someone else sound good, I'd tell them so.

Last time I was at Sam Ash a guy was giving a lesson in the back bass corner. He was pointing to parts on the instrument & asking his students what they were called.
Every time the staff got close he would shut-up, and then continue his lesson when they walked away, LOL!

 

[lat]

It is somehow supposed to better at other music stores, because, in my experience, it certainly isn’t.

Yep, same deal with the L&Ms up here.

 

[Koshchei]

Yep, same deal with the L&Ms up here.

The Peterborough ON one is good. The staff know their poop (I've known them for years, back when they worked at the Mom 'n Pop that L&M bought), they don't pressure you, and are happy to recommend local luthiers/amp builders. The local musos generally aren't asshats either - they play quietly, sometimes have impromptu jams, and never seem to overstay their welcome. They also seem to be the only place in the province to regularly have Rickenbacker basses.

It's not the Mecca that Ed's Music Workshop (RIP Don) or Bud Monaghan's used to be, but it's the same people on both sides of the counter.

 

[lat]

The Peterborough ON one is good. The staff know their poop (I've known them for years, back when they worked at the Mom 'n Pop that L&M bought), they don't pressure you, and are happy to recommend local luthiers/amp builders. The local musos generally aren't asshats either - they play quietly, sometimes have impromptu jams, and never seem to overstay their welcome. They also seem to be the only place in the province to regularly have Rickenbacker basses.

It's not the Mecca that Ed's Music Workshop or Bud Monaghan's used to be, but it's the same people on both sides of the counter.

I wish the L&M nearest to me was like that. There is, however, an Axe Music across town (Edmonton) that was recently bought out by L&M that still has some of the vibe of the previous owner, but it seems to be getting sucked into the collective... resistance is futile...

 

[Koshchei]

I wish the L&M nearest to me was like that. There is, however, an Axe Music across town (Edmonton) that was recently bought out by L&M that still has some of the vibe of the previous owner, but it seems to be getting sucked into the collective... resistance is futile...

If they can retain the people, then they'll probably be ok... I hate the decor of L&M -- it feels so glossy and "marketed", but the days of dingy hole-in-the-wall music stores with an amazing selection and some eccentric Deep Purple loving proprietor who knows everything, is infinitely patient, and who's only in it for the love of the instrument are gone. Still, some places do their best to preserve that vibe.

 

[PhatBottomBass1]

Perhaps the US/Canada music retail vibe is reflective of the music collective, in general, at this point in Rock & Roll history.

Then again, perspective of days gone by are but fleeting memories of a different time and place that relished different values and priorities.

I still have a couple of music retail sanctuary locations in a few places. However, none of them subscribe to the "Strat Pack" or lack of knowledge as the basis of the customer service model.

 

[Koshchei]

Perhaps the US/Canada music retail vibe is reflective of the music collective, in general, at this point in Rock & Roll history.

Then again, perspective of days gone by are but fleeting memories of a different time and place that relished different values and priorities.

I still have a couple of music retail sanctuary locations in a few places. However, none of them subscribe to the "Strat Pack" or lack of knowledge as the basis of the customer service model.

Up here, Best Buy has that base covered. If you want unplayable junk sold by people who know nothing about it, head over to the TV section and look for headstocks poking up over the shelving: "But... it's a Gibson!"

 

[fhm555]

GC, for these attention seeking noodlers, is their NAMM show booth performance with the hope that someone in the store will hear their jam and offer a gig in a band..... it's like an open audition for nothing.

IIRC, Rhythm City in ATL had soundproof audition rooms? Wherever they were you could tell who was trying an instrument and who was noodling to show off. They’d face the window into the store and act like they were on stage with all the face and gyrations. My personal favorite were the people who would go in and leave the door open. Those looking to actually try something would plug in and noodle for a minute or two, then clear the shingle and buy the piece or put it back and look for something else.