Topic: When you're in the guitar store....
...do you ever feel....nervous?
I have been studying this over the past week and I noticed that out of the 3 guitar stores I go to in my area, only one of them do I ever feel jittery at.
Music and arts
This is the store I consider a beginners haven.
It's like visiting family...totally relaxed and laid back. They let me play on anything and everything and even play with me on other instruments (Piano, bass, viola, harpsichord, etc...). Customers are encouraged to play together and jam. Never too many customers and I've never seen it crowded. I can always think of something to play and can stay there for hours on end because the music they have playing in the background sparks my creativity and so do the employees. I visit this place at least twice a week if not more.
duet with music (In the mall)
Relaxed and nice employees that are friendly and kind. Small mall-based store with a small inventory of equipment on hand. Knowledgeable employees with good chops and actual band experience. I can usually think of things to play when I'm there. It can get crowded sometimes when it's after work hours or on saturdays when the kids in the mall are there. I only visit this place once a month...if that.
Make 'n Music
This is the "Pro Store" of the group. Really tightwad employees that have been playing professionally for years. Large inventory of equipment and lots of employees to ask about it (Think smaller guitar center with competent employees). However, that pro feeling comes at a price. The store is about getting paid and it shows. Employees hound you when testing equipment. If someone richer looking comes in the door you can count on your helper moving on to them. The store is ALWAYS full of shredding teens and young adults. Though their pricing can at times be AWESOME because of their large pre-owned selection of equipment and their store being a spot for musicians to sell their gear. I can never think of anything to play in this store because there is always some super-shredder next to me just wailing away on the guitar noodling themselves to death. No good background music playing either and they don't want anyone hanging out playing for playings sake. Needless to say, I only visit this place about 6 times a year.
I guess my post stems from my visit to #3 at lunch today. it just further cemented in the fact that I always feel "off" when I visit this music store. I can never relax because it feels like such a competitive and pushy environment. So I only go there when I KNOW I am going to buy something because they don't feel friendly any other way. Whereas I visit #1 all the time and sometimes I feel bad because I hang out and play for hours on end without buying much of anything besides strings and little accessories. The most money I've spent there was for my princeton 650 amp and for the few lessons I took this past winter. I've spent double that at #3 because they just have so much more inventory and unique items to offer.
I haven't ever bought anything from #2 because of the same issues as #1. They just don't have enough unique inventory to offer. Just generalized products from the usual manufacturers (IE: Fender, Jackson, Taylor, Gibson, etc...)
What do you all think?
Dm
but mediocrity knows nothing more than itself."
-Sir Arthur Conan-Doyle
Sorry you had such a bad experience at the pawn shop.
