guitar shops really kinda suck.

[Diamond Dave]

Originally Posted by Buckshot

This is actually quite a hotly debated issue here in Australia lately. We get overcharged for everything in this country be it cars, guitars, electrical goods so here in Australia we're all starting to buy online. To give you an idea of how badly we get shafted down here a pack of Ernie Ball strings here in Australia will cost you around $16 at a store, and the Aussie $ has been on parity with the US for a few years now. How much do you guys in the States pay for guitar strings ?

Being able to get goods shipped to you at less than half the price you'd pay for them locally is forcing Aussies to shop online more than the half-assed service you get in a shop.

But you'll miss them when they're gone: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/business...-1226456628649

[Wolfram]

Originally Posted by Diamond Dave

But you'll miss them when they're gone: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/business...-1226456628649

Wow! Didn't realise that this had happened. Real sad for some of the staff down there.

Given my earlier comment about guitar stores needing to survive - we may see exactly what this feels like sooner than I thought.

-Wolfram

[guitvai1]

Some stores in general do suck whether its guitar stores or home improvement - customer service does not seem to be a big priority amongst most stores these days. That being said I have to give Kudo's where its due. There are two major stores in Toronto that I've always enjoyed going to whether to browse and try out the latest gear (that I can't afford) or actually buy something and they are Steves Music (Queen St/Spadina) and Long and McQuade (Bloor/Ossington). Both of these stores have great staff that go out of their way to help you with either gear you already own or to try new stuff out or give advice. Two thumbs up.

[javashred]

Problem is, store clerks make minimum wage or just a bit more. They know very little, if anything at all, about guitars and gear. If guitar stores paid maybe $16-19 an hour, they could attract people who actually know about gear. Long gone are the days when you can walk into a guitar store and get educated advice on guitars and gear.

[Tommy Deluciano]

Originally Posted by Diamond Dave

But you'll miss them when they're gone: http://www.heraldsun.com.au/business...-1226456628649

The little guitar store I managed on the gold coast australia was going good ,Then Musicians pro shop opened a store right accross the road from me,and just around the corner were billy hide then down the gold coast high way there is another musicians pro shop,and now the net .
wow Im suprised to see them going under .
The shop I managed has since gone under .I went to sell Cars ,good money for a while .2 weeks ago that dealership went under ,now im looking for work .

[stuco]

.....

[GUITARMAGEDDON]

Originally Posted by javashred

Problem is, store clerks make minimum wage or just a bit more. They know very little, if anything at all, about guitars and gear. If guitar stores paid maybe $16-19 an hour, they could attract people who actually know about gear. Long gone are the days when you can walk into a guitar store and get educated advice on guitars and gear.

true. If you know what features you are looking for or are looking for a certian model of guitar or amp, chances are you are going into the store knowing more than the people working there> (about those items anyway). Or you can go in the complete opposite direction by going to a boutique where if you don't already know someone who works there, you can't get help without being looked down on..And don't dare mention that you play an Ibanez! They will recoil in disgust.

[abracadabra]

I would never buy a guitar online. I have to feel and play it first.

I do buy a lot of stuff online, but with guitars I'm the opposite. I do all my research on the web, then go and confirm what I think I know, buy it and walk out. I never ask the store staff anything.

[big al]

I live in a small town with one guitar shop that has nothing of interest to me. In their defense, they probably do not have the customer interest or funds to carry USA Jacksons, real ESPs or higher end Ibanez guitars. I have to go to Atlanta to find guitars that interest me and even then the selection is slim. I have a better chance finding something used at GC. I can usually go into a store and scan the walls for headstocks and quickly tell if there is anything of interest. Usually in and out in five minutes or less. If (and that is a big IF) someone asks me if I need any help, I will ask them if they have any USA Jacksons, higher end Ibanez, etc...and I will get "no, we do not carry that type of guitars since they are not very popular". Guess I must be out of touch because hot rodded, double locking tremolo, name brand pickups guitars are exactly what is popular for me! They will try to turn your attention to a Les Paul but that is not me. I learned to play on a Les Paul as a child and have done my Les Paul faze.
I miss the days you could walk in a shop, find the guitar you were looking for (in the finish you wanted), haggle over the price until you got to 65%-70% of retail for the out the door price and on the way out spot the next guitar you wanted. A long time ago there was a store in Atlanta called Rhythm City and they had everything and if they did not, they would cut you a deal on something close or better than the guitar you wanted. You could even try out three to six of the same guitar to see which one felt better to you. The sales people would not let you leave without trying to find something you wanted. After the day was over, you were exhausted but happy over the buying experience and started planning on getting that custom Jackson or Ibanez you spotted when leaving the store....and that's the way I liked it!

[11racksfx]

The best store for me for me to buy guitars and gears would be Sam Ash in Paramus NJ. The only problem is that an hour away from me. They also don't open on Sunday. I would try the gear here in GC in Union Sq, Manhattan and go buy from the guys at Sam Ash because they are much nicer and saving on the sales tax.

[euphoria420]

guitar centers in my neck of the woods are filled with nothing but sneaky salesmen these days that are there only to boost their comission...you can bring up the crappiest product to them and they will tell you what you wanna hear to get you to buy it...they could care les if it breaks and you have to take it back in a week...lol..as long as they make the sale

[MatiasTolkki]

Every guitar shop I've been to over here in Japan has had good customer service. The only thing is, there's one store, Aikyoku (based here in the Nagoya area) where the guy there REALLY knows his Ibby stuff. Before I bought my RG1550, the only stores I had been to didnt carry alot of Ibby stuff so they couldnt answer alot of my specific questions about ibbys but once I went there, I learned so much more about Ibbys (after I had been playing Ibbys for a few months) that I realized how little people over here know about anything Ibby. From that point on, I made them my exclusive source of gear purchases. I want people who can tell me as much detail about the specific guitar I want and this place did it for me