Stupid things you've been told at Guitar Center

[minor7]

Hello all! Great thread. I believe someone had mentioned Apple Music in Portland, OR. early in the thread which reminded me of a good story.

So several years ago (early 90's) I had it in my mind to upgrade my guitar rig and get myself a Mesa/Boogie Mark III. Now I normally avoided Apple Music like the plague, as the guys that worked there were generally asses, and it was well before GC got into town, but they were the only local place that sold Mesa. So in I go. I walk up to the guitar sales dude -

Me: "I am interested in trying out a Mesa Mark III. Do you have any?"
GSD: "Well, yea, I think so, dude. There pretty spendy though." Very arrogant mannerism as well.
Me: "Thats ok. I want to try one out. I am thinking about buying one."
GSD: "Cool"
So he leads me across the store to a rack set up with an ADA, poweramp, eq and effects
GSD: "You gotta try this though. The ADA is awesome"
Me: "That's not a Mesa though"
GSD: "Just listen to it"
Starts playing a riff
GSD: "Check out the low end on this. Isn't it great. There is no EQ or anything on this"
Me: "ummm...." as I look at the EQ input light flashing as he is playing
Me: "Thats ok, but I would really like to check out the Mark III"
GSD: "Oh. well Ok"
Walks across the aisle and plugs into a Marshall JMP-1
GSD "Ok but first you gotta listen to this"
Proceeds to play the JMP-1. I don't particularly like the Marshall sound to begin with. Now I am irritated
Me: "Look, I am not interested in trying these different amps. I want to try a Mark III!"
GSD: "Well, I don't think we have any in stock now. Are you sure you want a Mesa?"
Me: "Yea!"
GSD: "Well, OK"..walks to a rack in the middle of the store
GSD: "This is pretty new product. It is called the Triaxis."
Plugs in and plays. My jaw hits the floor. The tone I was looking for!!
Me: "That is awesone. Ok I want this!"
GSD: "Are you sure? Its pretty expensive"
Now I have cash in hand, but I am thinking there is no way I am buying from this guy, or this store. The sales dude then proceeds to grill me about what I plan to use for effects and a power amp (in his defense I was using Alesis...I know I know, but I was young). I tell the guy I will think about it.

I promptly drive home and I call Mesa to see if they will sell to me direct. Got a nice guy on the phone. He explains to me that they can't sell direct if there is a store within like 100 miles. I tell him there is a store, but I don't like it and proceed to tell him my experience and that I specifically asked for a Mesa product, and that the GSD showed me other products first. The Mesa guy said, "Really. Tell you what. I will take care of this and call you back."

He calls back like 20 minutes later and tells me that I can go in and pick the Triaxis up any time and everything is taken care of. I reluctantly agree and drive back to Apple Music the next day. Same GSD is there and recoginzes me, but now he is my very best friend and kissing my ass so hard and frequently my cheeks are numb! He goes on and on about how great my choice was. They proceed to try and find me a factory sealed unit in inventory but can't. The store owner then pops out and says I can take the display and they will order me a new one in the mean time. I ask if there is a manual that I can use as well, and they proceed to tear apart the store looking for one. The owner then finds in the searching, a factory sealed Triaxis that is on hold for another customer and gives it to me, saying the original customer could not pay for it all up front anyway.

I would have loved to have been in on the conversation from Mesa to Apple Music.

I went back to Apple Music one more time to get the Abacus foot controller, and they turned back to assholes, even charging me shipping to order one in, even though they normally carried it in stock.

Cheers!

Minor 7

[animix]

YouTube - **** Guitar Center by Nice Peter

[Osumosan]

Originally Posted by Gear Tramp

I mean, at least you could have FARTED during that 20 second silence.

My first LOL. Almost woke the kids.

[bexarametric]

Things I hate about certain GC customers (from an employee).

People that won't let me qualify them, then end up returning things. They suck bad. Because they never let me ask them enough questions to find out what they need. I'm not talking about most of the people on this site. I ask a lot of product related questions to customers to gauge their knowledge. That, in turn, dictates how I will speak to them for the rest of the conversation. If a GS comes into my store, I will not be explaining to them the benefits of buying high end gear. They already know. Instead, I will be talking features and specs. But when mommy comes in to buy Jr a FW interface, I don't talk features. I talk benefits. Mom does not care about Neutrik connections. She just wants to be assured of the solution.

When customers do not allow me to ask questions to help them find a solution, it's frustrating. It increases the chances that they are going to return what they buy. That is a waste of my time. You do not make commission on returns. Customers don't make music with returns either. It's a waste of time for all. Customers that rent gear suck even more. Guitar Center is not a rental center. It's a retail store. That being said, I do allow customers to "shoot out" products on loan tickets from time to time. It's a fair request when you're talking about $3000 mics.

My biggest problem is the computer morons. The one's that buy an interface from me. The last thing that I tell a customer before "goodbye" is "Make sure you download the latest drivers for your interface because the one's that came with it could possibly be dated". Then they come in pissed off the next day telling me that their stuff doesn't work. Of course I ask them if they downloaded the drivers. Like all liars, they hesitate for a second, then say "of course I did". We both look into each others eyes, in their eyes I see the cluelessness of a dog that was just shown a card trick. In my eyes they see that I know that they're full of $hit. That's when I just say whatever and return the gear. If a customer can't be truthful with me then I don't really want their business anyway.

I get the customers that ask about using MIDI to get audio in the computer. I have to be really patient with those people. I usually take a deep breath then proceed to explain that MIDI is not audio. Nine times out of ten, it takes me a very long time. It's understandable that a novice would struggle with such things, but I hear it like ten times a day.

At the same time. My job is a lot of fun and I meet a lot of great customers there. There's nothing better than getting a GS with an open wallet that needs a setup because I get the joy of helping them put their studio together (something that I can positively relate to) and I'm getting paid to do it. I think it's pretty cool. I know a lot of people's perception of GC employees are bitter concieted jerks that want to take your money. That's not how I roll. I am at my best when I am helping someone achieve their dreams (usually putting together a whole studio from scratch). It's great to be a part of that. That sounds cheesy from a guy that works retail, but that's really how I feel about it. For every 100 morons I deal with, I get those two or three people that I can level with. Those people make my day because I get to talk about gear with them. And, of course, that's why I am on this site.

Oh, and Van Halen's "Jump" is Pro Audio's "Stairway To Heaven". I hear that song at least a few times a day.

Anyway, this is a great thread. It has grown a lot.

[AudioFocus]

Originally Posted by bexarametric

Things I hate about certain GC customers (from an employee).

People that won't let me qualify them, then end up returning things. They suck bad. Because they never let me ask them enough questions to find out what they need. I'm not talking about most of the people on this site. I ask a lot of product related questions to customers to gauge their knowledge. That, in turn, dictates how I will speak to them for the rest of the conversation. If a GS comes into my store, I will not be explaining to them the benefits of buying high end gear. They already know. Instead, I will be talking features and specs. But when mommy comes in to buy Jr a FW interface, I don't talk features. I talk benefits. Mom does not care about Neutrik connections. She just wants to be assured of the solution.

When customers do not allow me to ask questions to help them find a solution, it's frustrating. It increases the chances that they are going to return what they buy. That is a waste of my time. You do not make commission on returns. Customers don't make music with returns either. It's a waste of time for all. Customers that rent gear suck even more. Guitar Center is not a rental center. It's a retail store. That being said, I do allow customers to "shoot out" products on loan tickets from time to time. It's a fair request when you're talking about $3000 mics.

My biggest problem is the computer morons. The one's that buy an interface from me. The last thing that I tell a customer before "goodbye" is "Make sure you download the latest drivers for your interface because the one's that came with it could possibly be dated". Then they come in pissed off the next day telling me that their stuff doesn't work. Of course I ask them if they downloaded the drivers. Like all liars, they hesitate for a second, then say "of course I did". We both look into each others eyes, in their eyes I see the cluelessness of a dog that was just shown a card trick. In my eyes they see that I know that they're full of $hit. That's when I just say whatever and return the gear. If a customer can't be truthful with me then I don't really want their business anyway.

I get the customers that ask about using MIDI to get audio in the computer. I have to be really patient with those people. I usually take a deep breath then proceed to explain that MIDI is not audio. Nine times out of ten, it takes me a very long time. It's understandable that a novice would struggle with such things, but I hear it like ten times a day.

At the same time. My job is a lot of fun and I meet a lot of great customers there. There's nothing better than getting a GS with an open wallet that needs a setup because I get the joy of helping them put their studio together (something that I can positively relate to) and I'm getting paid to do it. I think it's pretty cool. I know a lot of people's perception of GC employees are bitter concieted jerks that want to take your money. That's not how I roll. I am at my best when I am helping someone achieve their dreams (usually putting together a whole studio from scratch). It's great to be a part of that. That sounds cheesy from a guy that works retail, but that's really how I feel about it. For every 100 morons I deal with, I get those two or three people that I can level with. Those people make my day because I get to talk about gear with them. And, of course, that's why I am on this site.

Oh, and Van Halen's "Jump" is Pro Audio's "Stairway To Heaven". I hear that song at least a few times a day.

Anyway, this is a great thread. It has grown a lot.

From one GC dude to another, well said. It is very difficult to deal with all that sometimes. Very often people get pissed off by all the questions that a GC sales dude will ask, but it gets the custy a product best suited to their needs in the end.

Just remember fellow GS, not all GC pro audio guys are bad. Some of us did a good service, to a great many people in our time there. You just have to find the one or two guys that know their shit, and stick with them.

Peace,
AudioFocus

[celticrogues]

Originally Posted by bexarametric

in their eyes I see the cluelessness of a dog that was just shown a card trick

LOL!

-Mike

[artnoiser]

Dammit, one month late with this story, but oh well...

There was a point at which I thought SW were deadbeats...

I had an order ready, just wanting to place it, and had a couple of questions for my sales engineer, but the weeks went by and none of those questions had been answered.

So I thought to myself "this sales engineer is a friggin a dork," so I sent an email stating how unsatisfied i was for not getting an answer back.

After all, my order was incredibly important (digi001 based setup! ) and i was ready to do some audio damage and fade into being the best engineer ever. I did receive an apology (he had been at NAMM and couldn't answer my email).

As some years passed by and I started hanging out at different forums, I noticed my sales engineer was as respected member at all of them (no one other than Nika Aldrich!!).

Ah, the incensed fury of youth not being able to see past my own eyelashes.
Too bad at the time I couldn't see that the deadbeat/dork was me.

Since that unfortunate deadbeatsode, I've ordered a few things with SW, and the attention has always been prompt and delivery ON TIME every time (and most of those orders were last-minute). So far I'm not one that has purchased a lot of gear (YET, but I'm about to!), but I have no doubt that whenever I need something, I know I can trust my sales engineer Robert Williams.

[Tibbon]

Originally Posted by Duardo

I don't know about Lacie, but as I understand it the reason all Apple retailers sell their computers at full retail is because there's no margin in them, not because of any policy...and I've seen Shure microphones tagged below MAP in Guitar Center locations on several occasions, although never advertised that low in their flyers.

-Duardo

There's margin. Used to work in the Pro Audio department at GC. There's room, just not a giant amount, and in speaking to our regional Apple Rep, it was pretty much just a sales agreement. Apple would RATHER that you buy directly from them, but wants to have larger distribution. Places that have tie-in products like Guitar Center want to be able to sell them too. When the products become discontinued, then the min caps are off, and they sell for stupid cheap at GC.

[79_Limited]

Originally Posted by scking

Obviously I'm in the minority here, but I've had good experiences with Guitar Center in Atlanta. One of the assistant managers (a guy named Skip) always seems to know what I'm talking about and never tries to BS me. If he doesn't know something, he just says so.

I never go to the one in Marietta because of stuff similar to the other stories in this thread.

Another good place in town is Atlanta Pro Audio. They carry some of the more "boutique" stuff that GC doesn't have.

I 2nd the Atlanta GC. The turnover has been low through the years so the staff is experienced.

The Marietta location is another story. I avoid that one.

[Tibbon]

Originally Posted by 79_Limited

I 2nd the Atlanta GC. The turnover has been low through the years so the staff is experienced.

The Marietta location is another story. I avoid that one.

I think it's fair to say that the staff CAN be amazing at guitar center. If you've got someone that's knowledgable and experienced, and management supports them (instead of shooting them in the foot) then it's great. Since GC buys in such large quantity, they sometimes have better prices than anywhere (depending on gear).

Our positive experiences however can be easily overshadowed by the fact that GC offers almost NO training (in comparison to some other industries like Finance that you might have hardcore training for weeks at a time, instead of just a manager showing you how to use the old AS/400 system), and hires practically anyone that asks. There are a ton of poor employees there. They don't last long, but they create poor experiences for all.

[thermos]

That NS 10s were the best monitors ever made and are like 10 Grand a pair on ebay now.

[Mr. Man]

"Behringer makes pretty good equipment."

HA! yah right!

[matt thomas]

Originally Posted by brownmouse

"How may I help you?"

lol

narco

[lastsong]

you know what really grinds my gears? people who use GC as a free rental place because, "they(GC) deserve to be F'ed over". I am giving an example of people I have met in person. maybe people on this board do this also? I live close to micworks, which is a high end audio rental and sales shop near the John Wayne Airport in OC. These guys rent everything you could possibly need and would rather talk about gear than breathe oxygen. The only catch is you have to PAY for the rental. You can't rent the 1176 then ask for your money back when you return it, but if you rent on a friday you get two extra days on the rental as they are closed over the weekend.

Yea some of the employees at GC don't know/care the difference between a 12AX7 and a 12AY7, and they might try to tell you that there is no difference in a 65 and 80 guage bass string and then get pissed at you because they missed their ride to lunch helping you. This is why I just bought some mics from mercenary....It doesn't matter what the product is you vote with your dollars every day. If you think the place is lame don't go there. When you spend money at a particular place they tend to stay in business.

I wonder if there is a similar thread on some Audi performance car club forum with people talking about the numskulls at Auto Zone?

[tgrokz]

this reminds me of the thread i started in the moan zone about what a GC rep did to me once. i think the topic got deleted because it was pretty old.
im pretty sure it went like this:

me - hey, i was just wondering if you keep any SM-7bs in stock at all

GCguy - hold on, let me check for you (starts hammering away on the 30 year old computers keyboard) while this is processing...um...why would you need that mic

me - mostly for vocals.

gcguy - no way, man. you dont want this thing for vocals at all. totally wrong application

me - uh...john mayer, metallica, and michael jackson dont seem to think so (laugh)

gcguy - nah man. what you need is a groove tubes mic. theres a tube IN the mic!

me - uh.......so how about those sm-7s....

gcguy - oh no, we dont stock those. you should really check out this GT mic. its so great and its so cheap! you dont want that sm-7.

me - (laughing) i have to go.


i dont recall if thats exactly how it went, but thats pretty accurate.

[dodson]

just a couple notes...
first, salesguys make nothing. minimum wage + commissions = gotta sell to eat, and on an average sales month, most guys aren't breaking $1000 take home. so yeah, some guys will sling high margin instead of good gear.
also on the commission/haggling thing, like i said, you gotta sell to eat, and customers just don't care. that's fine, as a customer, i know i love saving money. but that makes for a miserable day at work, just being yelled at and beat up all day. plus, if customers weren't trying to get every single dime off the margin, the salesguys would be making more money and the good ones would be more likely stick around.
finally, high end guys, why are you going to GC in the first place? honestly, i'd love to say it's the place to get great gear, and if you want a paul or a dw kit, it's awesome. but pro audio there is decidedly "pro-sumer" and it's not GC's fault. it's the market, there are way more customers for mbox's than HD rigs.
i guess all i'm saying is try to be nice. i get a kick out of all the posts on here, and fellow GCers know that if gearslutz ever got ahold of some of the green screens we deal with, it might be the end of the world as we know it. but even the newest, youngest, dumbest salesguy is still a human being. try to be nice.

[zimv20]

Originally Posted by dodson

why are you going to GC in the first place?

used gear: 1176, pultec lcs-2, 414 eb's, good deals all.

[dodson]

good point, i suppose chicago, ny, la, nashville, atl, etc all have some sweet deals on the used market. and i don't mean to sound negative - - i love the store and still work and shop there. i guess i'm just not seeing pultecs in my racks here in columbus. one of these days...

[lamp]

Called GC the other day and ask for the manager in pro audio. Ask him if he had an 003 Factory in stock and he says yes, in the box but not on display.Says I can come in and they will open one. Ask him about the 001 to 003 trade in, says he never heard of it. So I drive over to GC "40 minutes" and they don't even have one in stock! Wanted to pick up Reason Pianos while I was there so he looks in the computer for awhile, looks around the store for awhile and comes back after about 5 minutes and says they dont have one in stock. So I pointed it out to him with the rest of the software behind the counter! At least it wasn't a total waste. Did the digi trade in with Sweetwater.

[bexarametric]

Did it ever occur to you that in the 40 minutes it took you to get there, they sold it? It's kind of a hot item right now. And here's the most important question of all. Did you ask to have the salesman to pull the one that they have aside? In all fairness he should have offered.

[sada10]

Originally Posted by BlueRadio

I was trying to return a defective sm58 to the 'Pro Audio' dept at Guitar Center the other day...here's the conversation:


me- This thing isn't working. Gain cranked, no signal.

sales genius- Oh, sometimes these need a little phantom power for that "extra boost."

me- No, it's a dynamic microphone. They don't require phantom power.

sales genius- Oh yeah I know, but uhhm, sometimes the phantom power will really boost the signal.

Back in the day, it used to seem that majority of the sales people in the Mpls./St. Paul GCs were at the very least, knowledgable on the basics up to advanced, but know it seems that some of the sales people know nothing.

[emdub123]

May I go off-topic for a moment? I'd like to share an amusing story that won't really fit anywhere, so I'll tell it here...

I'm picking my son up from Karate yesterday and they're running a little behind, so I'm standing in the waiting area with the other parents and I'm watching the last few minutes of my son's class. To my left, there's a guy in some sort of mechanic's uniform (blue with his name over the chest pocket) talking to his wife about her dad's car.

Mechanic: "Honey, don't tell me you jumped his car?"

Wife: "Yeah, I did. He had to get to work and he was running late, so I gave him a jump."

Mechanic: "Don't you realize that with today's cars and their computers, that if you jump somebody's car, your car could get the other car's computer viruses?"

Wife: "No, I didn't know that. You think I may have picked something up?"

Mechanic: "Yup, I do. All it takes is hooking up those jumper cables..."



It may not be a Guitar Center story, but I hope it brings as much joy to your day as it did mine.

[sada10]

Originally Posted by Brian Middleton

Right. The only questions it's safe to ask in Guitar Center are

1. "Do you have it in stock?"
2. "Can you go a little lower on the price?"
and
3. "Is it covered by the return policy?"

Anything beyond that, you're taking your life in your hands.

U are so correct!thumbsup

[sada10]

Originally Posted by Tone Obsessed

TRUE. TRUE. TRUE. My buddy was a manager there for a while ( knows his stuff, took a break from the studio, divorcing, etc). At any rate, he left quickly and told me that the turn-over there is awful. One day @Taco Bell drive-thru, the next day they're selling guitars on the floor or even worse: selling in the "pro audio" side of the store.

Here's a good Banjo Mart story that happened last week when I realized i was one DB25 short on an install. So, with a cringe, I entered GC:

Me:Have any Mogami DB 25 to XLR less than 2 feet long?
GC Mook: No, we don't carry a db25. We do have DBX, though. Never heard of Mogami.
Me: You may know it as a D Sub Conector used to interface gear and Mogami is an industry standard. I know I've seen Mogami in here before.
GC Mook:What? When?
Me:You're kidding me, right?
GC Mook: No. Hold on. I need to ask someone else but I think you'll need to go to somewhere else for that, not a music store. Sure it was here? Maybe a computer store if it interfaces. We just have cables. I'll be right back.
Me: Wow!!!! ( So I decided to have some fun)
New GC Mook: What is it you're looking for, sir?
Me: A Mogami DB 25 to XLR cable with Gold connectors.
New GC Mook: Oh, yes, we do have that, sorry. But not Mogami. We have HOSA- Wayyyy Better cables. And it's silver. So, What length?
Me: 2 feet long or less, but I don't want a Hosa.
New GC Mook: Why? They're the best. Besides, they do not make them that short and they don't make any gold cables. Not sure where you heard that, but silver is best.
Me: Really? Why? ( Gettin' good now).
New GC Mook: Because the cables need to be long to allow the sound to travel better using the oxygen in the wires! Also, the silver "imparts" ( big word for him) better electricity -- Haven't you read about the new advancements in this field? It's in MIX, you should really read that magazine. All of us pro's here do!
Me: Wow... That's good to know... So, what length do you recommend?
New GC Mook: Anything that's not too short.
Me: What's short?
New GC Mook: Any cable that's not too short, like maybe 20 - 25 feet. The longer the better is the rule around here.
Me - (really havin fun now!!) Well, I'm using this cable to interface my rack with my vintage outboard gear thru my custom DB25 patchbay and they are close to each other , that's why I need a short cable.
New GC Mook:Outboard gear? You mean external equipment? Why would anyone use external equipment when you have plug-ins that sound so much better and are way cheaper? Ya know, gear like that is old school and really hurt the sound. I mean, plug-ins are pristine cause they use your computer's calculator. Guys today use plugins. In fact, ebay is littered with old equipment no one uses anymore because they're going to plugins (which make your computer run better, by the way).
Me: 100% amused beyond belief and staring at him with a blank stare. External equipment? Plug-ins?
New GC Mook:Don't you get this? I'll explain... You don't need external stuff. You just need a good interface like a firepod, and you're set. Everything else is taken care of by the computer with plug-ins. I have a firepod and record bands in my home studio all the time. And I get at least $10-$12 per hour!
Me: ( wow, this is entertaining). So what do you use for cables?
New GC Mook: Walks to the wall and hands me a Hosa rca snake. WOW!
Me: What about Protools for recording? Is that good because I own an HD3? Is the Firepod better?
New GC Mook: Hard to say. Protools is good and we sell them here. But rather than spend money on software, just buy more plugins and some mics. The way you get sound into the computer doesn't matter. It's how you record. If you want to come to my studio to check it out and pay me for lessons, I'll charge you like $10.00 an hour and let you try some really nice recording equipment.
Me: Really? Where's your studio? Why do you work here?
New GC Mook: It's in my bedroom at my Mom's house and we can't make much noise. But it's cool for now. Beside, pros use headphone not big speakers 'cause today it's all about mp3's and that's how they listen to music so that's how you need to record music. Smart, right? But you'd have to be done by 8:00 pm cause that's the cutoff. As far as working here, it's for the discounts to build my studio AND TO GIVE BACK!!!! ( all sincere and crap --- PRICELESS --- )
Me: Can you record guitars amps there?
New GC Mook: No. But Amplitube is better than any amp could be and that's all anyone here uses. Like I said, it's a plug-in and they are just better. Make sense, yet?
Me: Perfectly.. Thanks. You've really added to my day.

As I left, I told him I was 39 and not as hip as everyone here with these new fangled plug-ins and would stick with my Pultecs, Neves, Api's, BA6A, etc. I also told him I did use PTHD with Melodyne, Sony Oxford stuff and Altiverb convolution plugs and would locate the Mogami from Vintage King on Monday.

New GC Mook: What's Vintage King? If that's a store, we can beat their price ya know and we can probably get the Hosa in gold or a Mogami if that's what you really want. If we don't have it, nobody else will. We're the biggest. WOW!!!!!

Bye, bye!

There's my recent GC story... I'm still laughin'
TJ

WOW-I am on the floor cracking up; my co-workers think I'm crazy, but this is just hilarious!

[artbeat77]

Originally Posted by emdub123

May I go off-topic for a moment? I'd like to share an amusing story that won't really fit anywhere, so I'll tell it here...

I'm picking my son up from Karate yesterday and they're running a little behind, so I'm standing in the waiting area with the other parents and I'm watching the last few minutes of my son's class. To my left, there's a guy in some sort of mechanic's uniform (blue with his name over the chest pocket) talking to his wife about her dad's car.

Mechanic: "Honey, don't tell me you jumped his car?"

Wife: "Yeah, I did. He had to get to work and he was running late, so I gave him a jump."

Mechanic: "Don't you realize that with today's cars and their computers, that if you jump somebody's car, your car could get the other car's computer viruses?"

Wife: "No, I didn't know that. You think I may have picked something up?"

Mechanic: "Yup, I do. All it takes is hooking up those jumper cables..."



It may not be a Guitar Center story, but I hope it brings as much joy to your day as it did mine.

This is precisely why I have a car for surfing the internet, and one that I strictly use for driving!

[sada10]

Originally Posted by TL2

This is sorta OT, but reading all these experiences got me thinking...

In a former life I owned a high end bass guitar store (LA Bass Exchange, Tarzana, CA) and have had my share of classic exchanges with all sorts of freaks. This one comes immediately to mind...

I had a client looking to custom order an esoteric high end electric bass that I was a dealer for. So after speaking to him on the phone, he drives up from quite a distance to lay a deposit down and to go over the various options. After about an hour of shootin' the shit, discussing his new instrument and writing up a special order sheet I notice that he's got this look in his eye like as if he's being posessed by something evil - sorta staring at me like a demented wolf staring down his next meal. All sorts of internal warning flags are going up right about now as we're only standing a couple of feet apart. I calmly and nervously ask "dude, you okay?" He starts breathing heavy. I slowly start to back away. He immediately lunges towards me, bearhugs me WWF style and tries to bite my ear!

WTF?!!!!! I tossed him off of me and would've hit him with the nearest bass if I wasn't so completly shocked. A couple of my employees escorted him out of my store right away. I was so freaked out that I sat in my office for half an hour in utter silence trying to make sense of it all. Having a grown man lunge at you while trying to devour you like a snack was the last thing I would have ever expected to have to deal with. Ever. Think about it.

My store manager then walks in and says, "hey, your boyfriend's back".

WTF???!! Infuriated, I walk out into the showroom to see the guy calmly looking at basses on the wall. Incredulously, I ask him what he's doing back in my shop. He acts stunned like he's never met me before. He even asks to "see the owner" as he's here to talk about ordering a bass. Total Twilight Zone moment. I'm speechless. He's happy, smiling, stoked to be in my shop and cannot wait to order his new bass. He's completely clueless as to what has just transpired.

I have him work with my sales manager and we took his money. A lot of it.

I come to find out later from his girlfriend that he's done the same thing to her. She just thought it was his way of initiating foreplay as it got her aroused and always led to intimacy between them. She was now saddened by the fact that his behavior was not exclusive to her. Poor thing.

I, myself, can no longer watch Animal Planet without breaking into a cold sweat.

WTF?!!!!

Oh my God-U guys are killing me here; this is just to hilarious!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[sada10]

Originally Posted by danranges

Was it Alto Music in Middletown, NY?
If so, i was there when that happened. It was ridiculous.

U guys have to be making this stuff up! This is just to good to be true-I have the giggles so bad right now that I can barely type, and to make matters worst, I think that my co-workers have called the men in white coats on me because they think that I have lost it. I just keep looking at the computer screen, laugh outloud for a couple of minutes, fall out of my chair and get back up!
Somebody save me!

[sada10]

Originally Posted by daveseviltwin

yeah, they do sell high end but I don't buy that stuff with them. I made that analogy because I use GC and sweetwater for stuff that I need immediately and necessities like Mic stands. My "sales engineer" understands that. I like SoundPure because they're like the mom and pop store that carries the high end gear that I need. Plus, they've helped me out with things that sweetwater can't when I've had issues. They've personally touched every piece of gear that they sell. Also, I don't really care much for sweetwaters prices.
I don't really understand the purpose of your post. Are you just trying to call me out?

Hey daveseviltwin, are Soundpures prices competative?<SCRIPT type=text/javascript> vbmenu_register("postmenu_1166286", true); </SCRIPT>

[jchas]

I was at the local GC a couple weeks ago - thought about checking out the newer keyboards since it's been a few years since I bought a new toy. It was one of those rare occasions where there wasn't a dozen young guys, each trying to bang out a drum beat a little louder than the next guy - maybe it was a school day, I don't know. So I was able to quietly spend about 1/2 an hour on each board in the store until I sat down at a Korg Triton Extreme. I really liked a lot of the sounds (though you have to scroll past a lot of boom-chicky patches to get to them) and I spent about an hour scrutinizing it. About half-way through tinkering with the Triton, a sales guy stops by (it was his 3rd or 4th visit, each time asking if he could help me, but this time he was going fir the big sell).
GC "Pretty bitchin' axe hey dude?"
Me "Yeah, it's got some really nice sounds in it."
GC "That's cause it's a Korg, best damn keyboards, you know?"
Me "Well, i'm just looking for something to add to my arsenal of Kurzweils - you know, a little different color to play with.
GC "Well then, your gonna love this, look, it's got a built-in tube. I bet the Kurzweils don't have tubes in them."
Me "Well, no they don't, but i've never really found it necessary."
He pushes a button and 'voila' a glowing blue tube on the top of the keyboard.
GC "See, check this out, it warms the sound up just like old vintage gear."
Me "Wow, i've owned a lot of vintage keys and I didn't know they used tubes. - Wow, it sure doesn't give off much heat does it. Are you sure it's working?"
GC "Oh yeah, it's working, you can hear it. The new tubes don't get hot like the old ones, I think it's something to do with the blue light instead of the old orange light. They run cooler."
Me It almost looks like there's a blue LED behind the tube."
GC Yeah, I know. That's what's so cool about this board. It really gets noticed.

I really did like the Extreme - toob and all. And later, the sales guy did admit that he was pretty new to the job, and his real expertise is in guitars (thus the almost 3-foot long, graying poinytail).

[Allesmachine]

I was at the local GC a couple weeks ago

ha, i bet that was roseville, right?

yeah those guys really don't speak our language...