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Things not to do in a music shop........


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2 minutes ago, fleabag said:

Didn't it start with gitwrists always whacking out Stairway to Heaven , and the rest is history

My old local music shop (sadly missed now) used to have a little sign up in their guitar room, which read:

"GUITARISTS: PLEASE DO NOT PLAY

ANY NIRVANA

ANY OASIS

STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN"

One day, while trying out a bass, I did furtively play the riff from Come As You Are to see if any of the staff would turn on me, but I think I got away with it...

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My first thought when I went in to Promenade Music in Morecambe a few years ago to buy my first bass was, don't play anything until I'm sure no-one can hear me! I couldn't even play a major triad, let alone a riff anyone might vaguely recognise. Just picked out notes along the fretboard to check the tone and the action.

I can still feel intimidated by young guitar shredders showing off...

Gruhn's in Nashville, where I last bought a bass (sorry for bragging :-) have a couple of sound-proofed cubicles where you can try out an instrument if they believe you're serious about possibly buying it. Excellent idea, but the shop needs enough space (and money) to do it - Gruhn's has both, but few places in the UK I suspect.

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Reminds me of a comment I can't remember where I heard about, from someone in a shop saying "We almost never hear anyone trying out a guitar actually playing a song". It wasn't about me but it could have been - I run through my favourite 12-bar blues walking lines, (1) because that's what I'm going to mostly play on it, and (2) because (as said above) I'm nervous in that environment and feel the need to do something I'm completely solid with.

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2 minutes ago, chris_b said:

I'm happy just looking so I very rarely play any basses in music shops. It's even rarer that I plug them in, so I haven't upset anyone.

Might not have upset anyone, but saying you don't want to plug in must certainly have perplexed a few. I've certainly been greeted with a certain level of disbelief when declining the offer to be plugged in straight away.

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I've told this before. . . .

A friend was looking for a guitar as a 50th birthday present to himself.

The guy in the shop got down a US Strat and Rob, who was mightily impressed, said, "But this is only for playing in my bedroom."

The shop guy said, "Mate, 90% of the guitars we sell are to people who play in their bedrooms, and the other 10% should do."

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4 minutes ago, Mykesbass said:

Might not have upset anyone, but saying you don't want to plug in must certainly have perplexed a few. I've certainly been greeted with a certain level of disbelief when declining the offer to be plugged in straight away.

Well for the first 25 years I had my P bass, so very little interest in other basses until I got my first 5er, from Exchange and Mart. No shop had a 5 string bass when I was looking in 94-95. Then the Lakland and Wal came from Ebay. . . then I discovered Bass Chat!!!

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5 hours ago, EliasMooseblaster said:

 

One day, while trying out a bass, I did furtively play the riff from Come As You Are to see if any of the staff would turn on me, but I think I got away with it...

They probably assumed it was Eighties and gave you the benefit of the doubt.

Edited by Cosmo Valdemar
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I never slap when testing a bass, I’m not good at it and there is bound to be someone better than me at it close by.

Unless there is a testing room (PMT in Cardiff have one, as did Andertons when I went there) I never plug a bass into an amp to test it. I’m looking at build, resonance and general set up and I know what most basses sound like.

I tried out a 63 reissue precision in a shop a couple of years ago and he first thing that came to mind was heatwave by Martha and The Vandellas. I got a smile from the guy in the shop and he said “Heatwave, nice”. I guess it wasn’t a common occurrence 😄

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I tried out a bass (and bought it) yesterday. I just feel around the neck for evil fret ends, then I play every note both plugged and unplugged for any buzzes and things, then I noodle around a bit and play some scales just for general feel and playability and try every variation of pickup and tone settings. Didn't take long to establish it was a goer. Job done.

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Whenever I buy a car, I test drive it by first revving it as hard & long as I can, hoping that people notice me. Once I have their attention I attempt a doughnut manoeuvre I saw on YouTube (I stall quite a lot, but I think I look cool).

It never occurs to me to check if the breaks, clutch, gears, lights work, or if the cars structure is sound...or, heaven forbid, it fits any practical needs. 

OK, so my cars never leave my garage (but no one in the showroom knows that, they all think I'm the Stig maaaaan)

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12 hours ago, Mykesbass said:

Might not have upset anyone, but saying you don't want to plug in must certainly have perplexed a few. I've certainly been greeted with a certain level of disbelief when declining the offer to be plugged in straight away.

I always play a bass unplugged first, unless it passes that test I am not going to want to hear it plugged in.

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Nice to see so many pontiffs gathered together.

Minor retraction: not too many actual pontiffs, but with due respect to the OP it's a shop. Short of willfully damaging the merchandise, assaulting the staff or defecating in the corner I would have thought there's very little one shouldn't do. (Morris dancing is probably not a good idea...)

The vast majority of the people crossing the threshold will be there to buy, play or admire the merchandise, all of which is good for the people running the place I would have thought. As to the offence caused to staff, well they're there mainly to help separate customers from their money. Their opinion on what goes down in the shop (short of the aforementioned damage, assault and defecation of course) is of little consequence. You're paid to be there dude: deal with it.

Unless there's some sort of super secret bass player's taste etiquette at work of course...

Edited by leftybassman392
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