D-Man
I'm hoping I'm not the only one that does this but how often do you go to a music store and just test out equipment that you know you won't buy? Am I the only one with this pointless yet brilliant pass-time? Do shops get annoyed when you do this?
ezietsman
D-Man wrote:
I'm hoping I'm not the only one that does this but how often do you go to a music store and just test out equipment that you know you won't buy? Am I the only one with this pointless yet brilliant pass-time? Do shops get annoyed when you do this?
I do it, thats ALL I do in shops. Played a R38k Slash Signature LP the other day. Brilliant hobby, I won't stop. Yes, they get annoyed.
D-Man
I guess they overlook it if you're a regular customer and actually buy stuff there but I often walk into a shop, test a pedal and then not walk into that shop for the next 2 months. In one particular case I went to a shop, tested out 3 distortion pedals, a delay pedal and a serious amp. While I was busy, a whole bunch of my mates walked into the store and started testing the stuff out with me. We bought nothing, made a huge noise and went on till just after closing time ? ?. I actually bought the one pedal second hand from another guy!
Ray
And then complain the next time when the sales guys dont jerk you off when you walk in to buy a plectrum and a set of strings.
Seventhson
I did that with a R12000 guitar?
No one minds I don't think.
AlanRatcliffe
Ray wrote:
And then complain the next time when the sales guys dont jerk you off when you walk in to buy a plectrum and a set of strings.
And then buy your next guitar online from the US, 'cos it's cheaper (partly as the online retailer doesn't have someone adding wear and tear to their stock)...
Keira-WitherKay
Alan Ratcliffe wrote:
Ray wrote:
And then complain the next time when the sales guys dont jerk you off when you walk in to buy a plectrum and a set of strings.
And then buy your next guitar online from the US, 'cos it's cheaper (partly as the online retailer doesn't have someone adding wear and tear to their stock)...
i'm with alan on this one......... sure if you considering that 40K guitar try it but if every player plays on a top end instrument over 3 months in a store the buyer won't be happy with it .then it's used and shop soiled......... play the corts and squires no worries but if i'm laying out big bucks i sure don't want everyone and his dog to have played it .......cos remember the more expensive gear tends to stand for a bit so yeah chance for massive wear and tear ........ ........ come guys be considerate in the future ............... .imagine that was your new guitar would you like it
Ray
I hope that my post isnt construed as a pat on the back for the exercise.
Keira-WitherKay
this whole thing reminds of my gigs, which are quite intimate and my guitar stands on stage in reach of everyone....... and if someone asks , and they always do, can i or my friend play your guitar for a bit , my answer now days is ..."sure ,but give me your car keys cos while you play my guitar i'll take your car for a spin," you should see the faces.and i am yet to joyride at a gig ........ maybe the store should have the same policy ?
Keira-WitherKay
Ray wrote:
I hope that my post isnt construed as a pat on the back for the exercise.
nah Ray no worries of that , just alan and i added our voices to your statement
Tokai-SA
Do any of you clean the guitar after playing it? ?
I think not, and most of the guys that work in the music stores don't clean them either....have you ever seen a black guitar after a week in a music store without being cleaned or wiped down?
I know of guys who wash their hands before playing a guitar in a music store, and then give it a rub down after playing it...I've also seen guys put a nice ding in a guitar, look around to see if anyone noticed, and then casually hang it back on the wall and sneak out of the store. ?
I dunno, if I play a guitar that doesn't belong to me I ask the salesperson for a guitar cloth and give it a good wipe down.
Wizard
I have always wondered what the policy is if a customer puts a ding in a guitar ...
Are they obliged to buy it? Fix it?
(and no - I have never)
ActionArnie
Wizard wrote:
I have always wondered what the policy is if a customer puts a ding in a guitar ...
Are they obliged to buy it? Fix it?
(and no - I have never)
I wouldn't have thought they're obliged to pay to fix it ... just wait here while I go fetch my wallet from my car - the old ding 'n dash
D-Man
ActionArnie wrote:
old ding 'n dash
HAHA, you almost sound experienced in the "ding and dash" Department ?.
BUt honestly, even though I might not have the money then and there, I might have it in the future. And if the staff at a certain shop was friendly enough to always let me test out gear, despite the fact that I won't buy it at that time, I'll seriously consider investing my money in one of their instruments. I think at the end of the day, for the shop, it helps build a loyal customer base. They might not have the money but their opinion of the shop can send someone else's money in a favourable direction.
Wizard
So far the vast majority of my investments have ended up in the shop which has allowed me to try their equipment and taken the trouble to worry about me as a customer.
If I do browse for a fair while and not need anything, I usually buy plectrums and/or strings as a conscience appeaser.
(yes - I now have a large collection of plectrums)
Highway-Chile
I'm old school and personally treat every instrument, anywhere, with respect and care; but especially in a store or playing a friends guitar.
I don't know how it is in the SA stores but to me it is simple....if they want to minimize damage, put up some Do Not Handle signs and hire more sales staff. At the very least, make it so you have to get help to handle the very expensive instruments....someone who can make sure you don't have a belt buckle or keys on a carabiner that might scratch the guitar. Salespersons who, when they are not busy helping customers, can clean the guitars, arrange the displays and dial out the store in general. Which is what they should be doing rather than standing around shooting the shit or comparing tattoo's, like the place is some sort of social club or something. ?
But the stores are not going to hire more people because it cuts into their bottom line too much...... so hey, some instruments are going to take a beating and the owners just have to deal.
On a related note.....I just recently bought a Fender Nashville B-Bender Telecaster from the Guitar Center in Sherman Oaks, California. After trying it out and negotiating a price, I said I wanted one.....but a brand new one, in an unopened carton so I was sure it had never been handled by customers or store sales persons. I said I would not buy it if anyone other than the assembly and QC people at the factory had so much as touched it. So they had one shipped from Fender and called me in when it arrived. I opened the box in front of them, tried it out and went home a happy camper.
ActionArnie
D-Man wrote:
ActionArnie wrote:
old ding 'n dash
HAHA, you almost sound experienced in the "ding and dash" Department ?.
I'm more experienced doing the "dine 'n dash". Perfected that one at varsity - 12 students stroll into spur for 8 waters, 4 coffees and a chocolate brownie, last one there ends up paying
singemonkey
I tend to be quite hesitant about playing stuff in stores. And when I do I'm super paranoid about damaging the gear. Maybe this was especially influenced by asking to play an "American" Telecaster and getting handed what turned out to be a 1958? going for 25,000 pounds. I'm really glad I didn't ding it.
I'm really dieing to play that beat old early '60s SG Custom at Marshall Cape Town though. What a beast.
guitarboy2828
When I go into our local lil music store I always just get the salesman to set stuff up for me and to bring me the guitars I want to test. That way I don't have to worry about dinging and banging guitars. Sometimes they are so closely hung next to each other, the chances of not hitting another guitar is nearly impossible.
As for playing and never buying, I do think that's a big problem around here. Personally, I have made a deal with myself that if my local store holds the brand I'm keen to buy, I'll pay the extra and get it from them. Reality is, music stores around here don't have a whole lot and so, it tends to be my only option to ship from elsewhere.
chris77
I'm too self conscious to play electrics in-store. I will strum the odd acoustic though, but always preceded by a May I? to the assistants. We've even ended up having a jam a couple of times, which is worth more to me than any guitar hanging on their walls. It seriously sucks not having regular jam buddies hey.... Anyhow, I walked into Toms in Bloemfontein a while back, just browsing and talking a bit of k@k with the staff like always, when the manager says he wants to show me something. Turns out to be a new Jem 77 with the floral pattern that they ordered for a customer. I was too scared to take it out of the case, let alone play it! Just stroked it and admired the detail for a bit. I reckon it would cost about 30grand +, but I didn't even ask - just nicely put it back in it's case. Now that was an expensive guitar that, beautiful as it is, isn't on my To Die For list. Heaven knows how I will react to a Prs Singlecut or a Es-335 and a goldtop les paul, and even that will be mild compared to a vintage Tele or Strat. So I don't know how you okes can do it hey - to just walk into a store and jam the crap out of a decent guitar. I will be to poep scared to try.
