#31
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Unfortunately there's no shortage of people who possess this "holier than thou" attitude, and they can get really annoying... |
#32
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I do hesitate to ask, but feel obliged. Bumbershoot?
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#33
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zmf wrote:
I'll quote the relevant paragraph from my reply to you in Post # 27: Quote:
Of course, it could just be that I come from a background where my family - on both sides - loved old-fashioned words and expressions and who cherished and burnished them like fine old sterling silver. Or maybe it's just a Southern thing, I don't know. whm |
#34
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How about he was just a mid-level sales guy doing his job and not undermining his boss ? |
#35
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It’s the type of store it is.
Their default position will always be that the computer at Corporate is correct. If you want expertise, GC isn’t your best bet |
#36
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I agree with you, CD, but I’d take it further and add that - with the exception of some of the top acoustic guitar-oriented music stores like Elderly Instruments and Gryphon Stringed Instruments - as a general rule the average participants on guitar forums like this one tend to have more specific knowledge of their favorite brands of guitars than most of the employees working at general interest music stores.
Those of us who take part in these online discussions centered around acoustic guitars do so because we have a passion for it. But for a regular music store employee or mid level manager, it’s mostly a job, and it’s not really fair or particularly realistic of us to expect them to know all the specs of different models at such a granular level of detail. As I mentioned in my first post in this thread, I haven’t been able to keep up with all of the Alphabet Soup of different models and all their individual specifications that Martin has released in the past 25 years. I personally don’t have much interest in or experience with their lower end models, as it’s all I can do to keep up with their Standard Series guitars. And I love and have a genuine passion for Martin guitars, and have ever since I started playing. So if as a longtime fan of Martin guitars I can’t keep up with everything Martin is building or has built in recent decades, how are a couple of GC employees who might not even play guitar supposed to? whm |
#37
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I went to a local GC last week. I was maybe 75% ready to buy, a relatively inexpensive amp for some electric work. Just wanted to plug it in and play for a few minutes, and I was ready, spend my money locally.
Grabbed a Mexican tele on the stand, g string severely buzzing. Grabbed an Ibanez, action shredder low, but ok, just want to get a sound. 1st cord buzzing, bad. 2nd cord buzzing, bad. Went to another display, found a cord. Guitar and amp now working! Vacuum cleaner starts up, the salesman literally ran the vacuum around me as I was just getting a sound. (other than that no contact from the sales people). I'll admit I am a tire kicker and they may know it, but I was ready to buy. Oh well, going to put it all not he back burner, doesn't feel right somehow now.... It's just too bad, because I always look forward to going there, but am always disappointed when I leave. Don't mean to say I never buy there either, I've bought a real nice keyboard, and also strings and cables etc.. over the years.
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D.D. |
#38
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I've never had a truly negative experience with GC, and I've frequented them since the late '80s (when I lived in California).
Of course, my expectations of what to expect at GC are quite a bit lower than, say, The Music Emporium, which is a dealer targeting high end customers. If I walked into a GC and was told a bunch of baloney by a salesperson - due to ignorance rather than a lack of ethics - I would just nod my head and smile, and possibly offer a gentle correction. I have no reason to antagonize or humiliate anyone.
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1955 Gibson ES-125 1956 Fender Champ lap steel 1964 Guild Starfire III 1984 Rickenbacker 330 1990s Mosrite (Kurokumo) Ventures 2002/2005 Fender Japan '60s Tele [TL-62-66US] 2008 Hallmark 60 Custom 2018 Martin Custom Shop 00-18 slot-head 1963 Fender Bandmaster (blonde blackface) 1965 Ampeg Gemini I 2020 Mojotone tweed Champ kit build |
#39
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__________________
David Webber Round-Body Furch D32-LM MJ Franks Lagacy OM Rainsong H-WS1000N2T Stonebridge OM33-SR DB Stonebridge D22-SRA Tacoma Papoose Voyage Air VAD-2 1980 Fender Strat A few Partscaster Strats MIC 60s Classic Vib Strat |
#40
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__________________
Brucebubs 1972 - Takamine D-70 2014 - Alvarez ABT60 Baritone 2015 - Kittis RBJ-195 Jumbo 2012 - Dan Dubowski#61 2018 - Rickenbacker 4003 Fireglo 2020 - Gibson Custom Shop Historic 1957 SJ-200 2021 - Epiphone 'IBG' Hummingbird |
#41
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A Google images search of the models in question would probably have cleared this right up. They have computers at GC, and the OP probably has a smartphone too.
Just like most dinner table debates with my wife, quietly finding facts to reference usually works better than bantering endlessly back and forth.
__________________
Pre-War Guitar Co. Model D and OM-2018 1928 Gibson L-5 |
#42
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I find the gc employees to be very knowledgeable about the things that they know about and very ignorant of the things that they do not know about. A shredder typically knows nothing in the acoustic room etc...
I find some helpful ones and some ignorant ones. To some it's a passion to some it's a paycheck. It's a high volume commission based job in a high pressure environment, some don't have time to be all that knowledgeable. I've always learned, and I enjoy the effort, that I must do my own research. With a phone you can get any info got want faster than you can walk over to a sales person. If you are a familiar faced tire kicker you aren't always going to get the red carpet treatment. I'm both a tire kicker and a buyer and the folks at my local gc know this. When I'm truly looking to buy, I let them know and they pull out all the stops. |
#43
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I would have left it with "Wow, I bet this has been mislabeled."
Those music-based-big-box-store employees are often are often in charge of more than one department. I rarely go, but when I do, I swear there's one guy or lady manning the acoustic room, the electric guitars and amps, and basses and bass amps. He or she is usually running around like crazy. These people can't be experts on everything. I mean do many people know the differences between the Gibson Les Paul Standard 60's guitar vs a Gibson Les Paul Standard 50's vs. the 60th anniversary edition vs. Les Paul Tribute vs. the Special Limited Edition vs. Les Paul Custom 3A Quilted top vs. Les Paul Junior Tribute, etc.? Right now, if you go to Musician's Friend, there are 101 items that match the phrase Les Paul. How about Fender tele's? Strat's? How about we get into Schecter? Jackson? PRS? Oh, and the same person who's responsible for this is also in charge of the acoustic room too? I'm not trying to beat the OP up too badly because he's probably right. That guitar was probably mislabeled by someone, and he obviously knows what he's talking about because he's owned one. While there are probably a number of jerky managers, know-it-alls, etc. who are tough to deal with, a lot GC folks are just trying to make it through the day and sell some gear, you know? As long as I've been playing music, I probably wouldn't have known the difference either. In that case, just label me as stupid I guess. Wouldn't be the first time! |
#44
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I’ve never, and would never consider buying any acoustic guitar from GC. Their sales staff is typically young know-it-alls who are unwilling to admit that they don’t know what they don’t know. Sadly, most of their customers know even less, and are easy “marks”. While picking a cable or strap I’ve heard some “interesting” conversations between two people intent on convincing the other they know what they’re talking about. 😁
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#45
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Wow. I've never experienced anything like this. My GC staff have always been great. My Platinum rep is one of the nicest guys I've ever met and a great guitarist as well. Most of the people working there are also working musicians trying to make it and GC is where they can work and get health benefits while working gigs at night. I wish everyone who feels like you, those who would never buy a guitar at GC, would stay away so those of us who actually purchase there had fewer people to wait for.
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