Worst Guitar Store Experience Ever

[Pickcity]

Originally Posted by aknow

Nowadays, most Americans are Complete slobs.

We are? I was unaware of this...

[Garrison314]

Originally Posted by jpbrooks

I am traveling for business and discovered that there is a guitar store across the street from my hotel. So, of course, I go to check it out.

I walk in expecting it to be mostly low end guitars since the music store shares the space with a children's clothing store. I was surprised to see 7 or 8 Martin dreadnoughts all with a sign on them saying to ask for assistance.

I am not really looking for a dread so I pass by those and see a Recording King that looked really nice and I have not had much experience with them so I thought I would give it a try. None of the lower end guitars had a sign saying to ask for assistance so I start to get it down and the owner (I am making an assumption but I am pretty sure) said "Can I help you?"

So I told him that I would like to give it a try and he comes over and says he has to get it for me (it's not high up or anything). As he is getting it, he notices that I have a pic with me. I always use a thin pic in stores being mindful of pic scratches. He tells me I can't use the pic. I said, how do I know how it sounds then and he tells me to use my fingers. Of course, at this point I am pretty sure I am not going to buy a guitar from him because I generally play with a pic and certainly not going to buy a guitar that I have never used a pic on.

It was way out of tune so as he stands 1 foot from me I use the tuner on my phone to get it into tune. While I'm doing that he asks what guitar I own, but not to make conversation. It was obvious, he was evaluating whether I could be trusted to hold and tune the guitar. Then to make conversation I said I am from out of town, but love to check out guitar stores when I travel and he responds are you looking or interested in buying and I said, I am always looking to buy a great guitar at a great price.

I have been playing for just over 4 years and have fallen in love with guitars and playing. I play everyday if possible and am pretty decent player, but I only play for my own pleasure. I have never played in front of anyone other than family so even though I shouldn't have been, I was uncomfortable playing the guitar because he literally stood 1 foot from me staring so I just strummed a few cords and palyed a blues lick and handed it back to him.

I am really looking for a inexpensive small body and he had a Loar so I ask to try it. He gets it down and says it will need to be tuned as well. No problem I say and I get my phone out. I tuned up the E, A, and D strings (they were all at least a step and a half low). I start to tune the g string and it makes a "crimping" sound (sorry no other way to describe it) I turn it a little more and the string snaps. I have changed strings probably 30 times and have only snapped a string once and that was in the first year of my playing. I would have expected him to apologize and offer to restring it so I can try it, but he just says I'll take care of it and acts irritated like "see this is what happens when people play my guitars." So I hand it back to him and he just puts it back where it was so I left.

I highly respect small guitar shops and am conscious of playing their guitars when I am not looking to buy and when I do play them, I treat them with the utmost care, but this guy really ticked me off.

If he was being that helpful you should've asked him to tune his guitars so you could try them.

[tonyo]

Originally Posted by jpbrooks

I am traveling for business and discovered that there is a guitar store across the street from my hotel. So, of course, I go to check it out.

I walk in expecting it to be mostly low end guitars since the music store shares the space with a children's clothing store. I was surprised to see 7 or 8 Martin dreadnoughts all with a sign on them saying to ask for assistance.

I am not really looking for a dread so I pass by those and see a Recording King that looked really nice and I have not had much experience with them so I thought I would give it a try. None of the lower end guitars had a sign saying to ask for assistance so I start to get it down and the owner (I am making an assumption but I am pretty sure) said "Can I help you?"

So I told him that I would like to give it a try and he comes over and says he has to get it for me (it's not high up or anything). As he is getting it, he notices that I have a pic with me. I always use a thin pic in stores being mindful of pic scratches. He tells me I can't use the pic. I said, how do I know how it sounds then and he tells me to use my fingers. Of course, at this point I am pretty sure I am not going to buy a guitar from him because I generally play with a pic and certainly not going to buy a guitar that I have never used a pic on.

It was way out of tune so as he stands 1 foot from me I use the tuner on my phone to get it into tune. While I'm doing that he asks what guitar I own, but not to make conversation. It was obvious, he was evaluating whether I could be trusted to hold and tune the guitar. Then to make conversation I said I am from out of town, but love to check out guitar stores when I travel and he responds are you looking or interested in buying and I said, I am always looking to buy a great guitar at a great price.

I have been playing for just over 4 years and have fallen in love with guitars and playing. I play everyday if possible and am pretty decent player, but I only play for my own pleasure. I have never played in front of anyone other than family so even though I shouldn't have been, I was uncomfortable playing the guitar because he literally stood 1 foot from me staring so I just strummed a few cords and palyed a blues lick and handed it back to him.

I am really looking for a inexpensive small body and he had a Loar so I ask to try it. He gets it down and says it will need to be tuned as well. No problem I say and I get my phone out. I tuned up the E, A, and D strings (they were all at least a step and a half low). I start to tune the g string and it makes a "crimping" sound (sorry no other way to describe it) I turn it a little more and the string snaps. I have changed strings probably 30 times and have only snapped a string once and that was in the first year of my playing. I would have expected him to apologize and offer to restring it so I can try it, but he just says I'll take care of it and acts irritated like "see this is what happens when people play my guitars." So I hand it back to him and he just puts it back where it was so I left.

I highly respect small guitar shops and am conscious of playing their guitars when I am not looking to buy and when I do play them, I treat them with the utmost care, but this guy really ticked me off.

Yeah, sadly some people in retail just don't get it. I've been to a lot of guitar shops and had mostly good experiences. Several bad experiences stand out, one, a proprietor very similar to the one you describe above, treats potential customers like they are an enemy. I'm very careful about treating demo stock well, the way he spoke to me was akin to accusing me in advance of wanting to damage the goods.

Another sales person, when I asked to play a demo guitar (priced at about $1500), retorted with "are you gonna buy it?". I actually had plenty of spare cash and could have bought it if I wanted, but his attitude, and the sneer of his voice when he said it, just about guaranteed I wouldn't buy it, at least not from him.

It's sad to come across such experiences when most of my experiences have been very good. Those are the shops I keep going back to and even drive out of my way to visit.

[tonyo]

Originally Posted by aknow

...
Nowadays, most Americans are Complete slobs

Originally Posted by Pickcity

We are? I was unaware of this...

Late 2016 I spent a month in America, from California and Boston, and many places in between. Hadn't visited in over ten years, I found the Americans I met to be overwhelmingly good / friendly people.

[Zissou Intern]

The shop I worked in was in a tourist town. We let customers play everything, kept everything tuned, and had a Mason jar full of demo picks at the counter. We'd occasionally remind people to remove keys from front pockets, but that's about it. I can't count how many Collings, SCGC's, and Martins we sold to people who were just kicking tires. We'd often get a call after people returned home when they couldn't stop thinking about THE guitar.

We'd have lost a lot of sales if we didn't let customers try guitars...with picks if desired. (What bluegrasser is going to buy a D18GE or D2HA if s/he can't try it out with a pick?!) In 6 years, I can remember only a couple guitars with marks from keys in pockets or flailing picks. That's just the small cost of doing business.

[L20A]

I remember a shop where I was asked to be sure my belt buckle was not going to contact the guitar.
The employee also placed some tape on the pick guard to protect it when I said that I was going to use a pick.
Nothing wrong with this type of care for their guitars.
In fact, it caused me to be very careful while playing the guitar.

[aknow]

Originally Posted by Pickcity

We are? I was unaware of this...

Look at a photo of American airline travelers from the 1960's. Look at how American travelers dress now. Either you're in denial or need a new optometrist.
Bank employees used to wear formal clothes, now they wear jeans and tee shirts.
Many musicians used to take pride in their performing wardrobes. Now they wear oversized shorts with huge bellies, shirts out to hide their lack of discipline. Overgeneralizing? Yes I know, and I'm right. I liked it better when people took their appearance seriously.

[aknow]

Originally Posted by tonyo

Late 2016 I spent a month in America, from California and Boston, and many places in between. Hadn't visited in over ten years, I found the Americans I met to be overwhelmingly good / friendly people.

You can be good and friendly, and also dress like a slob.

[MrDB]

Originally Posted by aknow

Look at a photo of American airline travelers from the 1960's. Look at how American travelers dress now. Either you're in denial or need a new optometrist.
Bank employees used to wear formal clothes, now they wear jeans and tee shirts.
Many musicians used to take pride in their performing wardrobes. Now they wear oversized shorts with huge bellies, shirts out to hide their lack of discipline. Overgeneralizing? Yes I know, and I'm right. I liked it better when people took their appearance seriously.

We have become a much more casual society, no doubt about that.

[Garrison314]

Originally Posted by L20A

I remember a shop where I was asked to be sure my belt buckle was not going to contact the guitar.
The employee also placed some tape on the pick guard to protect it when I said that I was going to use a pick.
Nothing wrong with this type of care for their guitars.
In fact, it caused me to be very careful while playing the guitar.

I was reminded of buttons and buckles once and have always been aware of what I was wearing ever since. Using tact is the key.....I don't want to damage their instrument and wouldn't want to buy one that someone else damaged.

[Pickcity]

Originally Posted by aknow

Look at a photo of American airline travelers from the 1960's. Look at how American travelers dress now. Either you're in denial or need a new optometrist.
Bank employees used to wear formal clothes, now they wear jeans and tee shirts.
Many musicians used to take pride in their performing wardrobes. Now they wear oversized shorts with huge bellies, shirts out to hide their lack of discipline. Overgeneralizing? Yes I know, and I'm right. I liked it better when people took their appearance seriously.

I don't disagree with much of this, but plenty of people still subscribe to presenting themselves with dignity. And no, I don't think I need a new optometrist. tiz9p.jpg

[Jeff Scott]

Originally Posted by tonyo

Late 2016 I spent a month in America, from California and Boston, and many places in between. Hadn't visited in over ten years, I found the Americans I met to be overwhelmingly good / friendly people.

You just went to all the wrong places................

Originally Posted by aknow

...I liked it better when people took their appearance seriously.

Your post reminded me of a Woody Allen movie where he was talking about going on a special date with some girl, and he said he was going to brush ALL his teeth.