Most HIDEOUS GUITAR STORE EXPERIENCE EVER......

AcornHouse

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For your sake, Tom. Those buttwipes don't deserve that much space in your head.
 

adorshki

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I spoke with knowledge about Guild and their changes when he said "They didn't impress me.".
That was the moment when he let his guard down to reveal the ugly Guildophobia he usually hides so well under a mask of equal contempt for all.
I'm in my 60's and Don is early 70's. We dress casually, but nice.
Anybody over 60 not sporting a ponytail and ripped tie-dye and denims can't possibly be a serious purchaser of a guitar, I don't care how well you talk the talk.



What really made me stop and think, was when he said they had some Breedloves in stock. I said, "Yes, they look very nice but I'm interested in one of the ones made in Bend, OR, rather than the Chinese built ones. Then he launched into some rhetoric about, "You know the trouble is proportionately I make less money off a $6,000 guitar than I do on a $600 guitar. The profit margin is much less than it is on the less expensive ones."
Even if true, primary sales error at that point was in not telling you you couldn't afford an American built Breedlove.


I thought, "Why are you telling me this? Am I, a potential customer, supposed to be worried about your profit margin? And, if all that is even true, why do you have so many $6,000 guitars on your wall? Also, using "proportionately" means you make some serious money on a high end guitar....."
Right, this would have been the perfect strategic opportunity for disarming honesty for the sake of building trust..
He should have just told you the real problem was that he only makes 10% or $600.00 off the Bend build but he makes a full $300.00, or FIFTY percent, off the MIC.

It just didn't make any sense and rubbed me the wrong way. Of course, the whole experience rubbed me the wrong way.
To be fair, you failed in your obligation as a customer to ask for his business card so you could ask for him when you came back in a couple of months.
To see if had any new guitars.
You also should have asked him if he thinks Madagascar ebony is all it's cracked up to be, and what Breedlove's standard fretwire gauge is.
And how GHS vintage bronzes would sound on it.
You really missed some golden opportunities to mess with 'im, boy.

I'm serious about buying a guitar, this specific guitar. If they'd played it right, I probably would've slapped down my card and said, "Let's do it." In my experience so far, I guess everyone just wants to sell what they have on their wall. But I doubt they have many $2000 sales falling out of the sky in that place. Maybe I'm wrong.
It's Vegas.
People win jackpots and run out and buy a guitar all the time.
What I've found so far, is that the key to this whole guitar I want to buy is, that it be a model "that they normally stock". GC used the same phrase. So I'll just find a dealer that has one and make sure they stock it, verify a return policy in the super rare chance that I won't like it, and buy online. Apparently, that's the only way to go.
Having the actual guitar would be best, but in desperation an actual ad ripped out of a magazine might suffice, failing that, a download of a pic from the internet printed on an inkjet printer, with which you should go back to the store, show it to him, and say "I bet you couldn't get me this guitar even if I paid you".
Then ask him if he's got a D'Addario PB .025 single.
I need one and they're all about 3 bucks plus 6 bucks shipping on the net.
So much for trying to support my local brick and mortar businesses. So far, it's a big, huge FAIL.
So when are you planning to trade in your Toyota?
 

richardp69

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It's hard for me to just let go of anything. But, then again, I'm a stubborn Swede and it's just too late to change me and I'm not yet sure if that's a good or a bad thing.

Anyway Tom, the world is just full of jerks and sometimes I think they're actually in the majority. I'm sure there's good brick and mortar/Mom and Pop stores in your area that will treat you right. The hell with these other guys. They just don't deserve your business.
 

GAD

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There's a saying in sales: "People buy from people." Tom, your story just proves the point.

As much as I try to give people the benefit of a doubt, some people just suck.
 

AcornHouse

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There's a saying in sales: "People buy from people." Tom, your story just proves the point.

As much as I try to give people the benefit of a doubt, some people just suck.
Or, as Linus said, "I love mankind, it's people I can't stand."
 

Sitedrifter

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That's a pretty common syndrome in retail.
It's called "Eyeballing" and in fact you're supposed to put all the visual stereotypes aside and go say "Hi" anyway.
The guy in the fancy suit is likely gonna be maxed out on his credit and "upside down" on his year-old Cadillac while the working class family with 1 or 2 kids and a pregnant wife who hop out of their compact 2-door and start to look at the row of used Caravans were just about a slam-dunk every time.
When selling cars it's almost inevitable that after a couple of years you start recognizing subtle body English that tells you that somebody's not really there to buy a car or even "get a price".
I can see that easily translating to similar retail models like guitars and other "big ticket" (over $1000.00) items.
Best cue was always when somebody looked through the driver's window to see what kind of mileage or accessories it had,
That was always best time to approach.
One day one of my "Teammates" came back to me after "upping" (meet and greet to start the sales process) a couple I'd told him he could "have" and expressed his surprise that I had almost a 100% accuracy rate at "eyeballing".
The other side of the coin is when you spot somebody telegraphing all the signals but you don't want to rush them (What everybody hates about car shopping and makes 'em defensive right off the bat), but there's always somebody else who will.
In any case, there's no reason to be rude except for that guy who somehow made it work for him, LOL!:
"HI WELCOME TO STEAL A DEAL! WHAT CAN I DO YA FER TODAY?"
"We're just looking, thanks"
"OH, CREDIT SUCKS, HUH? WELL YOU JUST LET US WORRY ABOUT THAT!"
"Oh if you could just give us your card we'll ask for you when we come back next week" (Number one buyer's lie of all time)
"HEY YOU DON'T HAVE TO LIE TO ME. I'LL STILL GET YOU THE BEST DEAL YOU CAN POSSIBLY GET TODAY BUT THIS THING'S PROBABLY WAY OUTSIDE YOUR BUDGET!"
"Well how much is it really?"
"WELL YOU KNOW, IF YOU HAVE TO ASK...HAHHAHAHHA!!"
"We're asking"
"TELL YA WHAT TAKE A LOOK AT THIS NICE LEASE RETURN, 2 YEAR OLD DODGE DYNASTY WITH ONLY 40,0000 MILES ON IT. YOU COULD GET IT TODAY FOR ONLY 30 CENTS A MILE!"
"Why do you have a used Dodge at a Plymouth dealer?"
"SEE!! I TOLD YOU THIS IS WHAT YOU NEED!!"
"We really have to go but we'll come back next week and if the Voyager's still here we'll ask for you"
Soooo.....in that scenario, who actually lied twice?
So burnout in retail sales does have some foundation in experience.


I was in a high end watch store (I like watches) a few years back and while looking at a Ulysse Nardin, the store owner asks me if I want to see a watch one of his customer's ordered that just came in. I said sure, and he brings out this Jaeger Lecoultre and shows it to me. It was beautiful and when you turned one of the crowns, the dial would mechanically change to a hand painted image. He tells me the watch is $50k which floored me. He then says, the customer is on his way in and wait until you see him. Well this guy walks in with a Panerai on his wrist, says hi to the store owner and asks, where is she. The owner brings it over to him, he looks at it, loves it and give the store owner a check and leaves. The whole transaction took 10 minutes. The owner comes back to me and says the guy is worth 50 million. Here is the kicker, he was mid 40s, looked like a slob that just got cutoff at the bar.
So I agree, do not judge a book by it's cover. You will be the one to lose out.

https://www.google.com/search?q=jae...i_DSAhUf24MKHas6BvAQvwUIGSgA&biw=1920&bih=947https://www.google.com/search?q=jae...i_DSAhUf24MKHas6BvAQvwUIGSgA&biw=1920&bih=947
 

JohnW63

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the guy is worth 50 million. Here is the kicker, he was mid 40s, looked like a slob that just got cutoff at the bar.

I sometimes stop and wonder what exactly did THEY do, to be worth 50 mil ? Was there a fork in the road I should have taken that I was not brave enough to take ? Maybe it's just success envy.
 

davismanLV

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No but it's true, John.... just never know. When I worked for the studios (Lorimar and then Lorimar-Telepictures) back in the day and did so much work on the old MGM lot, I got thrown into these situations that, were incomprehensible. I still did work for the caterer that got me the job at Lorimar and we did movie premieres and work for the production companies and honestly, I'd been at too many parties and working about and thinking, "Who's the old geezer who's dressed like a street person over there that everyone seems to know that looks like he should be 86'ed from the party?" So, I'd ask. We're in downtown LA in this HUGE skyscraper on the top floor and the lady that hired us said, "Oh, he's not connected with our law office or the studios." "What does he do then?" "Oh he owns this building and several of the other ones in this block. Why don't you see if he needs his drink refreshed?" I learned a huge lesson and it's been reinforced over and over. It's the whole "book by it's cover" thing. When you're working, everyone is a customer until they prove otherwise. Not that there aren't bad customers.... I know that better than anyone!! But golly....
 

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There are multiple stories of people visiting the Fender factory early on to see Leo, apparently expecting to meet a guy in a suit, and then being confused by this dude in rumpled overalls who looked like just another shop worker. :)

-Dave-
 

Los Angeles

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Hello LA,

You might remember that I told you I visited that same guy during one of my earlier visits to the U.S. I actually remember his last name, because it sounded like his family was originally from the Netherlands. It was more than 30 years ago and I don't remember him being drunk, but it was a weird experience, because it was not really clear to me if I was visiting a music store or a shed in the back of somebody's house. At the time I was looking for 'vintage' parts for guitar repairs, something I'm still doing to this day. It was the middle of the 'customizing craze' of the '80s and everybody was changing their original hardware and pickups and installing stuff from the various aftermarket businesses that were trying to convince people they could improve their guitars by using their product; in the end very few of these products actually did!

While I was going through his drawers and various parts boxes I found some neat stuff that I definitely could use. I clearly remember a complete set of gold plated Kluson Deluxe, single line, tuners, complete with bushings and to this day I wonder what guitar these tuners could have been removed from and what he would have replaced these tuners with! I do know that eventually I sold them to a guy who had an original Mary Kaye Strat with worn out tuners and he was really happy to give me a lot of money for the set.

Anyway, the owner of the place looked like he didn't have a clue why I was looking for that stuff, but he was happy to sell it to me. Apparently he's still in business in spite of his manners. I'm really happy he is, because most of the 'small time' music stores are no longer there, most of them pushed out by the big chain stores. I have lots of fond memories of going to all these 'mom and pop' stores, with hard working people who never became rich, but who were doing it because their hearts were in it! I like to think that your 'angry' neighbour at some point started the business for the right reasons, but I guess somewhere along the way things got bad!

Sincerely,

Hans Moust
www.guitarsgalore.nl

Yes, I remember your story, Hans!

Such a tremendous coincidence that he would still be there after all this time and that I would set up shop right next door.

I completely agree about supporting the small "mom and pop" places. And I'm thankful that Los Angeles still has several music businesses that are locally owned and operated. I do my best to give each one that I come across my business, sometimes buying a few extra sets of strings even when I have 10 sets sitting at home already.

As for the Guitar Connection, I've given the owner of this store thousands of dollars in business, paying above market value to acquire two of my favorite Guild guitars. I've also "donated" a few other items that I just didn't need, including a few old cases that I just had laying around, and an old Guild sign. Yet, the owner, who I've always tried to maintain a good, friendly relationship with, has threatened me on more than one occasion.

When it comes to sharing stories about "HIDEOUS GUITAR STORE EXPERIENCES", I'll leave it to this fine Yelp reviewer: "Threatened to pull out his gun after a simple discussion about guitar strings."

He's a violent menace and I've lost all sympathy for him and his business. The sooner he leaves the community, the safer we will all be.
 

GAD

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I work for someone who is worth four billion (yes, billion with a "b") plus. He's the nicest most soft-spoken guy you'd ever meet and just so happens to be one of the smartest, too. Unless you're in the industry you'd never know who he was (and even then most people wouldn't recognize him).

The way I see it, if I had that kind of money I'd wear whatever the frak I wanted to wear, too. And I'd be damn comfortable. :subdued:
 

davismanLV

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I'll leave it to this fine Yelp reviewer: "Threatened to pull out his gun after a simple discussion about guitar strings."

He's a violent menace and I've lost all sympathy for him and his business. The sooner he leaves the community, the safer we will all be.
OH MY GOD!! I'm laughing my *** off, LA!!!. Honestly, I love sharing stuff here but then stuff like this comes up and I'm all like, "I was worried about an attitude problem??" It's so easy to avoid a place. I'll just go back to GC where they don't bother me and buy this guitar online......

It's puts things in perspective..... :stupid:
 

davismanLV

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Those people from that economic level seem to either stay nice, and humble, or they morph in to hideous beings. Which is not my problem but just an observation.
 

adorshki

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So I agree, do not judge a book by it's cover. You will be the one to lose out.
Yep.
I was at a Dodge dealer when the Viper came out amid much anticipation and hype, limited to 53 cars in first year, one each to top 50 dealers in country.
It was on display for about 6 weeks with a $53,000 "Monroney" (Factory list price sticker with the EPA ratings, etc) and a $200,000 dealer markup (!!!), no BS.
Came in after day off and it was gone.
The story was that a slob in dirty t-shirt and cut-offs and flip-flops was hanging around the car and nobody would talk to him except one of the managers who was worried he'd scratch the car.
Turned out he'd just won the lottery.
(It was one of the very rare circumstances when a customer's credit was checked before the test drive, since the financing was going to be problematic with that big of a markup)
Anyway a guy just showing up for his shift was delegated to do the "legwork" (test drive and write-up) and basically got "tossed the bone" of the commission.
Because nobody else had "upped" the "slob".
True story.
(And in case you're wondering, he did get a "deal" but I don't recall what it was, I think it was about $200k)
 

Quantum Strummer

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I think that kind of money gives you—among many things, some healthier than others—more freedom to be who you already are. I also think a greater acceptance of the degree of luck involved correlates with an overall kinder, gentler attitude.

-Dave-
 
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