Gutiar Shop Philosophy

[FELINEGUITARS]

One problem is that people go in and try out the gear, get the advice and then brazenly tell the staff that they aren't buying but are going to go home , go online and buy it cheaper - pretty disheartening.

I had someone do that to me with pickup advice - wasn't impressed

[Jonny]

I'm going to Turnkey at Charing Cross sometime this week. This topic really doesn't help, lol.. Not that they might be complete bar-stewards but I might get my head chewed off just to ask to try a guitar.

[gingataff]

I find the service over here to be better than the UK, especially when comparing a big city like Tokyo with London. There's little chit-chat or banter with staff but they are helpful and rarely snobbish (although that's a different story if you want to try the original '58 Flying V, eh gwEm? ;) ).
If I'm looking at guitars the staff often say I can try anything I want, although to be fair it happens far more often when I'm with my girlfriend (maybe they know who really holds the purse strings).

I remember walking around Sound Control on Oxford Street a few years ago and two staff were sharing stories about how rude they had been to 'customers'. One said that someone wanted to try a guitar and but didn't have a pick with him, when he asked the staff if he could borrow a pick the guy replied "You can buy one over there". I must say that put me off spending any money there. I found the staff at Ivor Mairants to be so much friendlier, even just for a chinwag while buying some picks or discussing neck shapes on jazz guitars.

[noodleplugerine]

I'm going to Turnkey at Charing Cross sometime this week. This topic really doesn't help, lol.. Not that they might be complete bar-stewards but I might get my head chewed off just to ask to try a guitar.

It's closed down.

[gwEm]

they are helpful and rarely snobbish (although that's a different story if you want to try the original '58 Flying V, eh gwEm? ;) ).

ehehe ;) well, i just wanted to get closer to it, and i'd have brought it if i could! i suppose its there for rock stars only.

[Jonny]

EDIT: Turnkey = Soho Soundhouse. Doh.

[AndyR]

Nah, they're gone Jonny - they went with Sound Control. :(

I found them really helpful - I've got a heart warming tale about their service department that was round the back.

I was sat in there waiting for them to test a mic I was having issues with - they couldn't find anything wrong, but replaced it anyway with another one to "test" at home, and told me to get back to them if there was a problem. But that's not the story...

While I was waiting, 3 young rapper types came in with a busted studio condenser mic in a carrier bag. Even from where I was sitting it looked like it had been introduced to a rhinocerous's rear end without the creature's prior permission. Their tale was "We bought it a couple of weeks ago, only done one gig, and it don't work no more..."

I thought "no chance guys..."

The Turnkey guy took it out the back, tested it, and came back. He said, "Yes, the diaphragm's broken, looks like it's had a physical shock".

They looked at him blankly.

"You know this is a studio mic really, it should be handled really carefully otherwise you'll break the diaphragm. It's not a hand-held mic. Looks to me like you might've dropped it?"

"No mate, we're always really careful..."

He knew they were lying, as did everyone listening. He let them sweat it for half a minute, for it to sink in, the enormity of what they'd done to this fine instrument... until they knew he didn't actually believe them... and then he replaced it anyway!!!

I couldn't believe it. But I thought about it afterwards. It wasn't a seriously expensive model (nor was mine, but mine was at least twice as much), he'd managed to scare them into taking care of their mics a bit better, he'd let them know he didn't believe their story, and then he gave them what they needed anyway. Who knows whether they're going to get successful and need more gear, but they'd be guaranteed to come back next time...

Except, the place is gone now...

I never got that sort of service out of Sound Control, but the London Turnkey guys were pretty good.

====

On the "trying" question, apart from when you get some idiot salesperson, I've always found that the decent guys/gals can "smell" money. If I've got a budget behind me, maybe not for spending right now, but I'm actually looking at buying something in the near future, then they can sense I'm serious and they'll let me touch anything.

The internet shopping has changed things slightly, and I know they're sensitive, so I'm upfront about "I don't want to buy on the internet, but I am comparing you to the bloke up the road". If they can't hack the second bit, and some don't seem to be able to, then I'm less likely to be well-disposed towards them. I even seem to get away with "I'm not buying now, but can I try your wot-ever-it-is".

I'm reallly glad I'm not running a music shop though, having to tread this fine line between protecting the stock and nurturing potential customers.

[Jonny]

That guy sounded like a great sales assistant, even though he gave them a replacement.

So where in God's name am I going to try out a Schecter?

[Sifu Ben]

Well the good news there is that now that Sound Control have gone under, various places now have Schecters, and there's probably better deals to be had on them.

[Philly Q]

Has anything replaced Turnkey or the London Sound Control, or are they just sitting there locked up?  It's ages since I've been to Oxford St/Charing Cross Road.

[AndyR]

Last time I looked, Turnkey's just locked up.

Not been in Virgin or whatever it's called now (Zippy, or something?), so I'm not sure what's happening there - maybe we could start up a BKP internet cafe or something down there if it's empty. Do you think Tim would pay us to make coffees and play everyone's guitars for them?

I think I could do that
"americano? yes certainly sir..."
"you want Mules in that young feller me lad..."

(sadly, for the older ones among us, although I was thinking about the final scene from Spinal Tap, all I have now in my mind is an image of Eric Morecambe running a coffee shop in "The Intelligence Men" - so, er, scratch that idea...)

Sorry, Jonny, doesn't help in your quest for Schecter...

[noodleplugerine]

Soundcontrol's been turned into a big floor space for merchandise in "Zaavi".

[Jonny]

I know Merchant City and Soundslive do Schecters but they're all the way up North and I want to try these guitars out before thinking about purchasing. And I don't really want to buy, try then return it if it's a lemon.

[ToneMonkey]

I was working on a site just round the corner from Sound Control in Brum.  Went in one day with my site gear on (hi viz and riggers) and not a single member of staff came up to me.  I went in wearing my suit a few weeks later and they couldn't get enough of me.  I think it also helped that I was in a rental car and a couple of them were outside and saw me pull up.  It really cheeses me off as I'm from a really poor background (read - grew up in the 80's  :lol: )and I hate it when people treat me differently because they think I've got money.

I feel sorry for the 16 year olds as the majority of them are far better on the guitar than me and are probably more likely to buy a guitar.

Except for you Feline, I'm comming to your shop to strangle and axe or two, but I've still not got the money to buy one  :P 

[MrBump]

I went to Turnkey a couple of weeks ago and it was shut up.

Years ago, when I bought my Charvel (from Rocker in Denmark St, if I remember correctly), they made me take my belt off.  Which I think was pretty reasonable, as I was a twentysomething greasy leather clad scumbag.

But I bought the guitar.

And still have it.

Actually, asking me to take my belt off wasn't pervy, was it?