What the hell is wrong with music stores in this country?

[dave_mc]

i've had most of that stuff in the original post happen to me (not all in the one shop)- i always bring my own picks, though, as i like a weird gauge, really thick.

for me, a shop is good if it:

- lets me try what i want (within reason- if they have a genuine 1959 LP standard, for example, i wouldn't even ask to try that)
- leaves me alone when i'm trying gear, after i've been set up with the right kit (leads etc.)
- lets me turn up (or better yet, has a soundproof try-out room)
- doesn't pester me with sales pitches or asking me constantly if i'm going to buy, and allows me to try stuff for a decent amount of time
- has a decent selection. I realise they can't stock everything, but some nice stuff would be nice.
- actually listens to me if i do ask for advice
- doesn't treat me as an idiot just because i "don't work in a music shop"
- doesn't try to second-guess what i want to try. Newsflash- i already have most of what i need for the main types of music i play, i don't need to be told that a tele doesn't work for 80s shred, because maybe i just want a tele.
- not act like i'm wasting their time if i want to try several different models- maybe i haven't decided what i want yet, or want to try several examples of the same model to pick the best one, etc.

EDIT: the thing which i really don't understand is, that if you really want to try it and they make you jump through a lot of hoops, you can just lie. :?

that being said, there are a couple of really nice music shops here which pass all, or most, of those tests- but several not so good, too. Once a shop here told me, in all seriousness, that marshall tube amps were the only tube amps you could get any distortion out of. o_O

[Jonny]

I've tried to come up with a reasonable reply to this but there's too much to say that I can even structure it correctly.

So I'll sum it up with, I dislike guitar shops.

[dave_mc]

that's what i should have said :lol:

[Dreichlift]

I've had similar experience with guitar shops recently. Living in the North of Scotland there are only 2 music shops in a 50 mile radius and 6 or 7 in a 200 mile radius.

Of the 2 nearest me, one is actually very friendly and helpful, however they only stock guitars by Vintage and Encore, although they are willing to try to order anything you want. They do however tend to sell at or very near RRP regardless of what you buy and will freely admit that they know very little of guitars being more keyboard or folk based.

The other shop is very different, in the window they claim to sell PRS guitars at the lowest price in the UK, I've not tested but I highly doubt this as I was going to buy the Marshall vintage Modern amp only to find they were selling it for £100 OVER the RRP, almost nothing in the shop is less than RRP. They have very limited stock of strings and accessories, unless distributed by JHS. They stock hardly anything they claim to be main dealers for and what they do stock always seems to be the budget instruments or a very few high end items, absolutley no mid range. Worst of all, the look on their faces as you walk in the door resembles that of someone who's just witnessed you disrobe and proceed to leave a stool sample on the desk. Way to go make a customer feel welcome.

As a result, to get any kind of decent service I generally have to either travel to Inverness (70 miles away) which can be helpfull but limited in choice or I have to head south to a major city and hope to find a decent shop. My final option is internet shopping which as we all know is fraught with peril as far as a decent guitar is concerned.

Music shops really need to raise their game and preferably stop hiring jobsworths and guitar snobs.

[hunter]

Probably shop owners are fed up with demanding customers that come 10 minutes prior to shop closing, know everything better, don't like the brands or models in their stock, and push their prices down because of no-service online retailer dumping prices.

Sorry dude, I was just taking the piss  :lol:

[Spitfire]

Whilst the shops are getting shafted by the internet, there's still no excuse for it.

I only go to Northern and Rockshack here in Leeds, occasionally Big Deal but that's a pawnshop more than anything else.

The other places... screw 'em.

you tried pmt? i havent played anything in there but they have seemed very helpfull the 2 times ive been in asking for things... they didnt have what i wanted either time tho

[38thBeatle]

I would echo what has been said about Andertons.hey are consistently good in my experience.The staff seem to know their products and they don't pressurise you. Pretty good prices too and no quibble if there is an issue judging by a friends recent experience.

[Simon D]

I would echo what has been said about Andertons.hey are consistently good in my experience.The staff seem to know their products and they don't pressurise you. Pretty good prices too and no quibble if there is an issue judging by a friends recent experience.

I agree. I couldn't fault Andertons at all when I went there - good, knowledgable service, put me in the demo room and let me turn up the amp I wanted to try, and their after-sales is excellent too. I'd definitely buy from them again without worry or hesitation.

My local stores in Swansea aren't too bad either. Rowlands is pretty good, and staffed by a really decent bunch of guys. Unfortunately they don't really stock anything I'm all that interested in, but still a good place. Cranes in Swansea is good too - bought my Strat from them, and pop in fairly regularly for bits and bobs. Again, good bunch of guys who know their stuff. Range on the guitar front is a little limited - mostly Fender and Gibson - but I won't hold that against them!

[Jonny]

Speaking of music stores, the online retailer director of Dolphin Music died in the Alps.

Dear oh dear..

[Philly Q]

I sympathise with the original post and I basically think most (or many) music shops are awful places staffed by tw@ts.... but one of the very few good things about getting OLD is that you do tend to get treated a lot better by music shop staff.  Basically because they think you just might buy something expensive.

I like Guitar Village (great website - you don't have to be either a shop or a web business, you can do both!  Wow!  :) ).  And Charlie Chandler's Guitar Experience seemed good although there isn't room to swing a cat in the place.

I agree about Andertons, great little soundproof testing rooms and apparently the staff aren't on commission so they don't have a vested interest in hard-selling anything.  And speaking of those Andertons staff, they behave like professionals.  Now there's a concept.  They actually do the jobs they're being paid for. 

Whereas go to Denmark Street and the staff act like they're members of Dragonforce just "helping out" between tours - so really they're doing you a favour by stopping chatting to their mates long enough to take that guitar off the wall and letting you look at it....  :roll:

[nfe]

Probably shop owners are fed up with demanding customers that come 10 minutes prior to shop closing, know everything better, don't like the brands or models in their stock, and push their prices down because of no-service online retailer dumping prices.

Sorry dude, I was just taking the piss  :lol:

You're joking, but there's tons of truth in this, too. For very customer who knows his stuff that's a pleasure to deal with, there's a dozen who don't have a clue but have spent a bit of time on forums and taken someone from Harmony Central's words as fact and thinks they know everything who do come in ten minutes from closing time wanting to try umpteen guitars before they go home and buy it from Thoman.

It doesn't make bad service acceptable, but you can understand shop staff getting a touch cynical.

[jibidy]

There are three shops near me that I use and one of them is absolutely pants.

The good two have great staff, and we call each other by our first names, and I always pop in to ask about new stuff etc. all the stock is great and they have good rotation.

The other is just horrible, and it pissed me off a treat to see it in secret shopper (Which mag is that in again?) And it got a good review. This shop s called City Music in Truro Cornwall.

The guitars? Dry boards and black dirty strings. I don't even want to try them. Not been setup or anything for ages.

All stagg and cheap yamaha (which may not be the worst you can do) and the same Ibanez's since ive ever been there, They havent sold anything over £300
 
The staff? Pretty much just salesmen, could do just as good in a mobile phone shop! Little knowledge of the guitars, they only ever say its good!

However downstairs they have a impressive selection of keyboards, pianos, synths and brass instruments. Very much so not a guitar shop! IMO of coarse!

Modern music just round the corner is awesome and Craigs music in Bodmin is pretty cool. The guy there reminds me of Ricky Gervais lol.

Theres no bottom line here just a rant. And my insignificant opinion.

Even though 2 out of the 3 local shops are good I still generally agree with whats been said.

[Johnny Mac]

Yes there's two sides to this story as nfe has pointed out. I've been in shops where you get an ego on legs walk through the door and make a complete c**t of himself and everyone can see it except him. So the staff of these shops do have to put up with a lot. That being said there, especially in Denmark Street, have been some total w**kers working in those shops. I've mentioned one before, old 'snakeskin fake leather jacket' was the nickname I gave one, strutting around like a peac--k taking a controversial attitude just for the sake of it with everyone. This was about 15 years ago. I tried to run him over on my motorbike when I was a DR once for a laugh!  :lol: Well i laughed.
Also as I've got older I've found I get treated better. Grey hair may suggest a larger wage maybe!

[JDC]

if you want to get the most out of staff in guitar shops, I find it's best wearing a suit to get the best response from them

actually, when in a suit I think most people respond better to you in general

[ToneMonkey]

JDC - I agree completely. I always get treated better when I look like a posh tw@t.  Strange really, I'm a c**t to people in suits.