Being told NO in a music store.

[R3deemed]

FWIW comparing guitar buying to real estate, well, it just isn't worth comparing unless you're talking the most expensive instruments.

I don't do much brick & mortar these days, and I'm not sure GC counts, but I did go to Matt's Music not too long ago. IIRC their POSTED policy was that you needed ask for assistance to try the instruments. I had a zipper pull on my jacket that Matt's associate politely but effectively made sure wasn't going to damage the guitar (Suhr). Done.

I just don't see how the shop in the OP can expect to sell without being able to try first.


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[wildschwein]

I once was told by a music shop owner that his guitars weren't to be looked at.

 

[Peteyvee]

Let just say that the store near the old port is pretty bilingual
And as a side note I understand that most people on TGP don't speak a lot of French and I don't think that had any relevance. I don't even remember what language I was speaking.. parts were English.. there were a few sentences in French but again.. irrelevant.

In Quebec City, let's just say that speaking French or English is pretty relevant to the type of treatment you receive from some people. I speak a little French, understand far more than I let on and speak English with a "Los Angeles" accent.

However, the crap I heard some waiter say behind my back one time in Montreal really pissed me off, so I asked Ms Vee to give me an insult to hurl back at him and then told the dude off in French. He was shocked and apologized...in perfect English. The moral of the story: Don't talk **** about people behind their backs in a language you think they don't understand.

Anyway, sorry for the hijack and let us know if you get the 175. I love those things...I used to have a '68. I was an idiot for selling it.

 

[THebert]

At C&M Music in Metairie I was talking with Melvin, the 'M' of C&M, and as we finished up I mentioned I was just killing some time looking around. He said "you can try any guitar in the store but you have to be done by 7." That was when they closed. I thought that was funny as it was early afternoon.

I understand the concerns but a store just has to find a way for a potential customer to play the instruments. Remove the buckle, wear an apron, - something. I can't see staying in business otherwise.

 

[monwobobbo]

I find that being a regular at any given store helps with this issue a great deal. I also try not to mess with gear that I know I can't afford if something were to happen. having said that as a regular the staff knows I take care of whatever I pick up and so is more likely to hand over whatever I might wish to try. I've even had staff hand over expensive guitars just to get my opinion. was recently at shop that I'd never been at, they had a 62 strat for $18,000 whixh I would hav loved to have tried out but I'd never be able to afford it so I didn't even ask.

 

[GGinMP]

I remember going to Gryphon looking for a sub-$1000 acoustic. I said that I wasn't good enough to tell the difference between that and a $10k Martin. The sales guy said, "You probably won't get the benefit of the difference, but I bet you can still tell. Check this one out," as he handed me one of their amazing vintage Martins they always have on hand. I didn't buy it, but it was a great exposure to nice guitars. When I was ready years later, I bought a really nice Collings and they're still my go-to shop.

 

[badhorsie551]

I remember going to a mom and pop store with a big wad of cash in my pocket looking to spend some dough on some new gear. I asked to play a les paul that was hanging behind he counter and I was told to "play guitars within my budget". I asked him what my budget was and he basically told me " whatever mickey d's is payin ya". I was pretty pissed so I took off and never went there again. It went out of business within a few years.

I ended up taking my money to a different store and dropped close to 3 grand on cash.

 

[The Captain]

Some people know how to handle customers, some don't.

Just some speculation...
New to the store?
All consignments handled that way at that store?

On the face of the story I wouldn't patronize a place like that.

Yeah, but there will be two sides to this story.
I tend to qualify myself in a store if I expect to get to play the top shelf stuff
The guy who knows me in One great store near me always hands me good stuff, eg a PRS Modern Eagle to try out an amp, cos I have a track record of spending money there. He's tempting me and we both know it.
If I was a new face who just stopped in, didn't introduce myself and asked to play the PRS, he might be a little reluctant, even if I was dressed OK and polite.
Sometimes I'll decline an offer to try out a nice piece if I know I'm not buying.

I've also been treated like rubbish any number of times in specialty stores of all types too, and not just when I was young and poor.

 

[StratGuy22]

In Quebec City, let's just say that speaking French or English is pretty relevant to the type of treatment you receive from some people. I speak a little French, understand far more than I let on and speak English with a "Los Angeles" accent.

However, the crap I heard some waiter say behind my back one time in Montreal really pissed me off, so I asked Ms Vee to give me an insult to hurl back at him and then told the dude off in French. He was shocked and apologized...in perfect English. The moral of the story: Don't talk **** about people behind their backs in a language you think they don't understand.

Anyway, sorry for the hijack and let us know if you get the 175. I love those things...I used to have a '68. I was an idiot for selling it.

Good old Quebec. They should build a 40 foot wall around the whole province.





Then fill it with water.





God I wish they would leave our country.

 

[Guitardave]

I am a male, 43yo, in my work clothes as a network admin (so a little too casual for business casual but close).

Maybe it's one of those cool shops. Did you inadvertently violate the implicit no tan pants rule? Wear some wool pants, dress shirt with tie and suspenders and you can play anything in the shop.

 

[Frank Prince]

I remember going to a mom and pop store with a big wad of cash in my pocket looking to spend some dough on some new gear. I asked to play a les paul that was hanging behind he counter and I was told to "play guitars within my budget". I asked him what my budget was and he basically told me " whatever mickey d's is payin ya". I was pretty pissed so I took off and never went there again. It went out of business within a few years.

I ended up taking my money to a different store and dropped close to 3 grand on cash.

I mean, really, who in their right mind says stupid **** like this to potential customers, lol? Unbelievable!

(Unless you actually wore your McDonalds uniform into the store. )

 

[mattball826]

i have yet to see anyone in the more recent years walk in with 3k or more cash at some mom pop store. most of them go on debit cards or cc's.

some customers when consigning an instrument can have their own do's and do not's. one might be only if they are interested in buying. they know more people just like to jam out on a guitar and never buy it.

consignments can be kind of weird that way. guy is probably better off on craigslist or ebay.

 

[gmann]

Yeah, but isn't that the store that was in danger of going under so they were asking for donations to cover their costs?

No, that was Buffalo Brothers out in California.

 

[sixty2strat]

How do you show someone in a music store that you have funds? A credit card? Most people have one-it doesn't really seperate serious buyers from tire kickers. I go into guitar stores a lot with no specific plans to buy anything-just seeing what's there. If I find something I want that I can't justify buying maybe I'll buy and then sell something else, or do it in the reverse order. A lot of people are like that. I'm not sure what kind of test you'd want me to take at the door to see if I'm worthy of playing a guitar. Refusing to let me play one will almost certainly preclude any sales from happening.
.

Yeah what if they have a prepaid with a limit of 300.00 ...lol.

What you describe has been my MO for years. Thought I was the only one who did that. Which means it drives me crazy when they try to "show me" something or ask what I'm looking for. I've bought Every thing from and ES175 to a Roland Space echo when you couldn't give them away when all I came in for was a set of strings or to kill some time.

 

[sixty2strat]

The frustrating part is that (ok.. here I vent again). This is NOT an archtop friendly market so when I find something I like that I dont have to order from ebay sight unseen it actually makes up for the price difference. (and yes.. it is norlin.. but oddly it didnt weigh a tonne.. sounded and felt pretty good and didnt have a skinny nut)

So now I have the dilema, I know I can clear the funds easily enough if I sell the guitars I wouldnt need but just on principal I dont want to shop there. It has only been in the store a couple of weeks

Just being Sarcastic Sam about the Norlin, I love them I was more making a point it was not a mint 59 with PAF that had been Joe Pass's . I agree it's not a guitar you want to order, I found a 90's : dirty corroded covered muck with .009 strings turned black. It was light and even like that had a voice. I had been looking for the perfect 175 off n on for some years. Went into a GC to buy strings it was hanging on the wall....got it for 2000 and it cleaned up perfectly and with asset of .011 FW it sounded better than my buddy 64's ( his words not mine)

 

[Oldschool59]

Good old Quebec. They should build a 40 foot wall around the whole province.





Then fill it with water.





God I wish they would leave our country.

Charming comment. To the OP's point, you DO understand that language has nothing to do with this thread? As a side note, I kindly remind you that Quebec is a Canadian province, and as such, it is also OUR country? Before we get this thread locked on account of ignorant and uninformed political posts such as the one I just replied to, I would invite you to take it outside. Why don't you email me, and I'll gladly clarify a few things about La Belle Province which you seem to be unaware of, other than the misconceptions fed to you by various tabloids.

A funny thing about Montreal: most music stores (Jack's, Steve's, Italmelodie, Long & McQuade, now-defunct Boutique Tone, etc...) are all operated by English-speaking people, mostly. I have no idea how this came to be. Archambault seems to be the exception, although you will get served in any of both the official Canadian idioms.

 

[soundchaser59]

If you say "no" they might show you a few places, but they aren't taking you out to see twenty homes. They are not looking to run around to entertain people with homes they are unable to purchase.

It's not like they have anything else to do. Homes aren't exactly flying off the shelves right now. Serious buyers make appointments, not joy rides. If they have appointments they will tell you. If they don't they pick you up or meet you. Showing homes is exactly what they are getting paid to do, nothing more, certainly nothing less. The person showing the home has NOTHING to do with whether or not my financing is kosher. There are plenty of other realtors in town........unless you are living in some other universe.

 

[Luke]

It's not like they have anything else to do. Homes aren't exactly flying off the shelves right now. Serious buyers make appointments, not joy rides. If they have appointments they will tell you. If they don't they pick you up or meet you. Showing homes is exactly what they are getting paid to do, nothing more, certainly nothing less. There are plenty of other realtors in town........unless you are living in some other universe.

You have obviously not read what the realtor's have contributed to this thread.

 

['58Bassman]

Nothing wrong with the store policy, yeah show you have the cash and are seriously interested and no problem. The insurance thing well yeah the probably do have it but look at it this way. You buy a new car let your friend drive it and he totals it do you get the full price you paid for the car, no you dont same thing with the guitar.

How fast does the owner want their insurance premiums to become too expensive, to the point that they decide to eat the cost of damaged instrument repairs? They already have a deductible and on an expensive instrument that may have a very picky owner, all it takes for the store to own that guitar is one careless customer who wants to try it, then runs out of the store after they do the damage.

I think any store that sells items that could be damaged easily needs a sign with 'You Break It, You Bought It' in plain view. Maybe several signs.

 

[jimmybcool]

Nothing wrong with the store policy, yeah show you have the cash and are seriously interested and no problem. The insurance thing well yeah the probably do have it but look at it this way. You buy a new car let your friend drive it and he totals it do you get the full price you paid for the car, no you dont same thing with the guitar.

And I doubt insurance covers minor dings in inventory. And if some test driver dings a new guitar the store has to sell it at a reduced price. He still paid the full price. The discount is DIRECTLY out of the owners pocket. Funnily enough the guys who think insurance covers this are probably the same ones expecting a major discount because of store handling marks.

Now I am of the belief that a well run store factors some inventory damage into it's business plan. But it is their right and no foul if they choose to limit playing time to people they believe are seriously interested and capable of buying that guitar.