Years ago, I knew the manager of a small, independent instrument shop. He'd chat when not otherwise occupied. He told me that his shop would get calls from touring bands - sometimes the guitarist or bassist; sometimes the guitar tech or bass tech on the tour; sometimes the tour manager.
Always asking, "When do you close?" or "How late could you stay open?" the caller would either ask for particular gear or for particular repair work needed really soon; otherwise about gear or accessories that the caller would hunt for everywhere.
In recent years, I've been dealing with the owner of another small, independent instrument shop. He told me that he gets the very same types of call.
This guy also reports getting visits to his shop from touring musicians - sometimes big-name tock stars - simply because they have a few hours free and enjoy seeing what's available at shops like his.
Sometimes, he adds, he gets a call a few hours or a few days later offering a credit card number to purchase something found in the visit to his shop and asking about shipping either to the next tour stop or to the musician's home address.
