My music store doesn't know CRAP about the guitars or basses they sell!

[misanthropy26]

I really love the beautiful Fernandes Sustainer guitars that my music store sells but if I try to ask them about any guitar, they can't tell me anything! This is really starting to piss me off! I have even tried to ask for a job there and they wouldn't give me one! I don't know of any other store around here that sells them so what the F*** am I supposed to do? I really want to buy a Fernandes Dragonfly Elite but if the music store doesn't know anything about music... Urgh! I don't know...

 

[xalien]

What do you expect. Guitar salesman and used car salesman are very similar creatures. I wouldn't trust anything they said even I thought they knew something. If you're buying a new guitar then trust your fingers and your ears -- not some loser hack of a guitar store dude.

 

[hongteck]

Try it out at the shop and get the specs from the internet. They are paid so little that they don't bother to learning the products they sell.

 

[PeterKang]

your totally right, people at music stores dont know crack. All they are looking is for a quick sale in hopes of getting a pay raise. They dont care much on how your money is spent, or how long it took you to raise that money. I mean honestly i think i have more knowledge than most of the staff the the local guitar centre and im a 15 year old kid!. Like the others said. read reviews and ask around. I myself would like a get a fernandes guitar with a sustainer but dont take my word for it. Ask around, this is waht the forum is for , and everyone here is very nice and have been very helpful. harmony central also has a lot of good review. Try reading teh review on the instrument selling sites lie musiciansfriend.com or music123.com, some of the reviews get quite extensive

 

[BrettB]

Well, I worked a while part time in a music store to make a bit of extra cash.

Well, I dare to say I was always honest in what I told the customers. I told them what I knew, and if there was something they asked I didn't know I admitted that I wasn't aware and I usually would ask my collegue for help. He had more experience than me, was a bit older too, so when there was something there I didn't know, he usually did.

We were two musicians, and I think real musicians don't rip each other off. I worked there quite a while and I recommend the store to everyone: seems that much businessmen don't realize that honesty is better advertisment than acting like a hot shot salesman.

People ask you the strangest stuff when you work in a store though. I had one day a guy who came to complain to me that his daytone strat and his zoom pedals didn't make him sound like Metallica. We even had a list of the funiest stuff people asked us in the store

 

[mrbigputts]

Sorry to hear of your troubles........I have found a music shop that I visit regularly now that most of the staff is pretty knowledgable but thats hard to find these days. Web research is prolly gonna be your best bet. Look in your phone book for a local luthier and he could probably give you some good answers to your questions.

 

[Aaron Cheney]

Let's blame ourselves...

Americans consistanly choose lower prices over service. This is true of any industry you can name. Given that, should we be surprised when stores pay minimum wage to their sales people, who it turn have no incentive to build any kind of career there, and thus no reason to become truly knowledgeble on what they sell?
Let's be blunt. Mega-music stores do not hire sales people; they hire cashiers.
We all like to complain about their crappy service, but the vote that counts is the one you make with you dollar. And we have what we have because we consistantly vote with our dollars for lower price over service. I acknowledge some of us may have no choice but to shop at the only music store in town. I think most of us do have a choice though.

Mega stores offer some real advantages: lower prices and huge selection. If that's more important to you than knowledgable sales people, that's the choice you make unfortunately. I pay a little more, and it's well worth it.

Aaron
http://www.voodoovibe.com

 

[64Firebird]

If you don't do your own research you'll never know that the salesman doesn't know what he's talking about. I don't care where you go, you'd better know what your looking at before you walk in if you don't want to pay too much.

 

[jimistone]

I agree with 64 firebird....when i go to a music store to purchase a piece of equipment i have already made a desision on what i want and what im prepared to pay for it. on a rare occasion i will walk into a music store to get a particular peice of equipment and walk out with something else, but,, if i do that its not because of a salesman. when i talk to a salesman its usually about what their bottom line price on the item is....and how much i can get on a trade.

i am lucky i guess cause the music store i deal with has a knowledgeable owner and salesman (salesman worked for fender for several years) they are a pleasure to do business with and their prices are way below suggested retail. they arn't as cheap as musicians friend but pretty close. they actually keep a musicians friend catolog on the counter for their customers to look at and compare. like i said , they arn't matching musicians friend but 99% of the people that grab the catolog to compare will say "y'all are pretty close on price and i KNOW i like this guitar...i'll take it"

 

[Nailhead]

THATS WHY YOU GUYS SHOULD STAY AWAY FROM THE BIG BOX CHAIN STORES AND THE LOCAL GUYS THAT SELL "SCHOOL BAND" INSTRUMENTS!!!!


These are my rules to finding a good guitar shop:

1 Say no to Walmars and Guitar Center
2 If they sell more violins and clarinet reeds than guitars-no
3 If they are a Peavy dealer and everything other than Peavy
is in a dusty corner-no
4 If you hear "Poison" on cassette in the background-no
5 If the place smells like old wood and cigarettes with old amps
lined up in a row- yes
6 If the owner has more tatoos than you do -yes
7 if its an acoustic shop and old timers sit around and shoot
the shit like they're in Floyd's barbershop-yes
8 If there are autographed guitars, 8x10's, and drum heads
from the best of the best, pros and local-yes
9 If the owner regualy takes his shop on the road for the summer
guitar show circuit-yes
10 If the people working there realy play in bands instead trying
to show off at local open mics-yes
11 If they don't advertise a lot, but the oldest most ass kicking
guitar slinger in your town told you to go there-yes
12 The owner HATES Walmars and Guitar Center as much as I do-
YES

 

[Fangar]

Welcome to the world today. You will find that in every industry, the world is becoming far less customer service oriented and more "fuck off and buy it", orietned. I have been having a great time lately with the losers that provide my Cable internet service. They are so screwed. I actually had an employee that was unable to help me. He told me to call back so that maybe another representative would answer that might be able to help. =). Anyway Aaron touched on it. With the invent of things such as internet purchasing, a local store has to keep prices low to stay competitive. They cut costs all over. Let's face it, you will never become rich working at a local retail store. How may people go to a local store to demo a unit and then save tons of cash by pruchasing it elsewhere? I know that many do. It does however force us to become more informed on our purchases without listening to the recommendations of sales staff who many times are lost themselves. I loved managing a music store. It was one of the funnest most rewarding jobs that I had had growing up. Then I realized that I needed more job security and of course more money. Anyway I feel ur pain.

Fangar

 

[musicsdarkangel]

don't go to guitar center, try another store.

 

[Sonic Misfit]

THATS WHY YOU GUYS SHOULD STAY AWAY FROM THE BIG BOX CHAIN STORES AND THE LOCAL GUYS THAT SELL "SCHOOL BAND" INSTRUMENTS!!!!


These are my rules to finding a good guitar shop:

1 Say no to Walmars and Guitar Center
2 If they sell more violins and clarinet reeds than guitars-no
3 If they are a Peavy dealer and everything other than Peavy
is in a dusty corner-no
4 If you hear "Poison" on cassette in the background-no
5 If the place smells like old wood and cigarettes with old amps
lined up in a row- yes
6 If the owner has more tatoos than you do -yes
7 if its an acoustic shop and old timers sit around and shoot
the shit like they're in Floyd's barbershop-yes
8 If there are autographed guitars, 8x10's, and drum heads
from the best of the best, pros and local-yes
9 If the owner regualy takes his shop on the road for the summer
guitar show circuit-yes
10 If the people working there realy play in bands instead trying
to show off at local open mics-yes
11 If they don't advertise a lot, but the oldest most ass kicking
guitar slinger in your town told you to go there-yes
12 The owner HATES Walmars and Guitar Center as much as I do-
YES

AMEN BROTHER!!!! ...Rock on!

 

[Lopp]

Everyone here obviously has Internet access. Thus, do your research before hitting the store.

Regarding Guitar Center and MARS, I actually liked having them around. Not that I don't like the smaller mom & pop stores. However, MARS is one of the few places where I can go audition tons of Marshalls, Mesa/Boogies, Gibsons, etc. The selection for hands-on demoing makes these stores rock.

 

[Speeddemon]

5 If the place smells like old wood and cigarettes with old amps
lined up in a row- yes

Hmm, don't agree here completely.. What if the owner just smokes 5 packs a day and nobody wants to buy his amps, because they're crappy? Then you still have a place that smells like old wood and cigarettes with old amps lined up in a row

>6 If the owner has more tatoos than you do -yes
Maybe he's just an ex-con in rehab!

>8 If there are autographed guitars, 8x10's, and drum heads
from the best of the best, pros and local-yes
I dunno how this works in the USA, but here in The Netherlands the BIG STORES only have enough money to buy these collector's items and put them up the wall! So another NO-GO here!

 

[Nailhead]

HEY SPEEDO,

Your missing my point dude...read it again.

If the place smells like cigarettes and wood with old amps lined up--its a place thats been around before political correctness took over the world and he knows his stuff and sells vintage gear.

And the autographed stuff isn't purchased, the pros buy stuff there when they are in town--and the owner is supporting local talent and gets autographs when these people come in

ANOTHER PIONT and leave this topic with you guys:


This is Not a rumour : Walmars is selling factory seconds in their store and trying to push them off to you as first quality at huge discounts, Ever notice that the guitars there don't feel quite right or the selector switch is broken. Hell these guys don't even set the guitars up before they put them on the rack. What about that amp that has the tolex al wrong at the corners and the insain buzz in channel 1. Yeah sure they buy lower end stuff by the shipload, but has never crossed your mind how they can sell custom shop and high end guitars at such undercut prices?
Factory seconds can be a great buy--only if you know your getting a factory second

 

[Lopp]

HEY SPEEDO,

Your missing my point dude...read it again.

If the place smells like cigarettes and wood with old amps lined up--its a place thats been around before political correctness took over the world and he knows his stuff and sells vintage gear.

Hmm. I thought you were kinda joking. It was nice and humerous, but not necessarily true.

I've met my share of assholes in stores like that. They have been around forever and that are set in their ways of what's best. "Yeah, I know you're going for the Linkin Bizket sound. Here's a Fender Greyface, my favorite and the best amp ever."

Even so. I'd prefer my equipment to not be covered with a layer of ash.

And the autographed stuff isn't purchased, the pros buy stuff there when they are in town--and the owner is supporting local talent and gets autographs when these people come in

Riiiiight. Pros from out of town just happen to know every little shop in every town. If I need something while gigging away from my hometown, I'll usually hit the megastores because I know they'll have a selection and have a better chance of having something in stock.

ANOTHER PIONT and leave this topic with you guys:

This is Not a rumour : Walmars is selling factory seconds in their store and trying to push them off to you as first quality at huge discounts,...

What that may be true, the first thing that makes something smell of a rumor is when someone states "this is not a rumor." Cite us something supoprting it, and we might believe it.

 

[Speeddemon]

Good call, Lopp!

Sorry Nailhead, but your points are a little bid one-sided. That's why I gave my opinion/options about those. It seems you are easily impressed with certain "vintage looks". And the signed stuff by pro's thing is just NOT true here. In the little store I always go to, Jennifer Batten has done a clinic in '93. But no signature nothing. But in the big store Feedback, they have 'original' Metallica guitars hanging on the wall, and drumheads signed by guys like Dave Weckl and Terry Bozzio. Not in the small store, but in the big store. THAT"s MY point.
If Terry Bozzio comes to Holland and wants(or needs) to do a clinic, he ain't gonna give it in Jackassville, Dull Provence, but he'll go to a big store in a big city, coz most people will come there (more promotion, easier (public transportation) access, etc.

An even better point is:
Take someone knowledgeable to a big store. Test some amps and guitars (and FX) together. Act a bit blasé. And you'll walk out the store with a good price, on something you have tested with an expert. YMMV.

 

[misanthropy26]

Hey, I think you're missing the point of this thread!

All I wanted was a "Go for it" or a "Don't touch it with a 10 foot pole". I didn't want any rule books or anything. But, you guys were very helpful. Thanks a lot.

 

[acidrock]

MARS
every guitar is woefully out of tune,I want to play a bunch of guitars not tune them.
The strings are covered with funk and corroded,how am I supposed to know how this guitar sounds?
As far as knoledge they're not selling you a guitar they're selling you a price.
We have a few good shops in town, they're more exspensive but they have adults who are'nt just passing through till their next job.
BOTTOM LINE you can only trust your own judgement.