Do you ever leave empty handed?

[OldBenKenobi]

I only ever go to the store if I need to buy something, and I usually don't have to because I buy all of my **** online.

 

[nitrodave08]

The nearest shop around here is 50 miles away. And it happens to be a GC, been in worse and it's around the top 5 of the best. I look at their used inventory all the time. That's how I found the '14 R9. I have tons of strings and picks that I can't use them as an excuse. So I guess I can say that I never walk out empty handed, but I don't walk in thumping around

 

[Benjammin]

I go to a large chain store, I don't give a **** about them I usually like to buy something just for myself, so I can feel like I did something

 

[Roberteaux]

Totally empty handed? No, I always buy strings or picks or a strap or something...

I never do bother to play any of the instruments unless I am looking to buy. What I have done, however, is to go looking to try (and maybe buy) one type of instrument-- but ended up buying something completely different.

One time I went in to look at Telecasters, but walked out with a PRS Artist V...

--R

 

[GeeJay]

These days I don't go in the stores unless I want something, which is usually a pack of strings. Don't usually play anything unless I'm looking for something in particular.

When I was living for a few months in Hamburg, I used to go into Just Music and play all sorts of stuff on Saturday afternoons when I was looking for something to do. Didn't always buy anything, but did get my Baja Telecaster from there. Should have also bought a very nice '07 R7 that I played one afternoon. Still regret letting that one pass. Hence why now I don't play if I'm not looking to buy.

 

[wwit]

Back in the day when there were plenty of good local Mom'n'Pop stores, I would go and check out guitars and would occasionally walk out empty handed. And by that I mean that I wouldn't buy a guitar every time I was the shop. But my normal method would be to usually be there to buy strings or picks that I needed anyway.

But nowadays Its probably been at least 3 or 4 years since I set foot into a guitar store. Local GC's are beyond terrible and the local Mom'n'Pops don't have inventory except maybe cheap stuff for beginners and instruments that schools need, or the schools that still have a music department might need. I could spend the day and drive into Boston where there still some good guitar shops. But I'd rather put on all black clothes and a blindfold and walk out onto Rt495 on the darkest cloudy night, then drive into Boston.

 

[electric head]

I used to go to a place in catonsville Maryland for years.
Small place and they left you alone and had many fine well priced used guitars.
Now not so much.
Last time I went in there they had a mall cop type security guy eye balling everyone walking in the door.
Kind of shook my head and went back the way I came.

 

[Davio]

No feeling of obligation in the least. I do treat their gear with the same care I give my personal stuff.

So that explains the Lesters with nylon strings, then.

 

[circles]

I only noodle around on stuff when I go to buy strings or something, so I guess I'm covered.

 

[Maynar]

I just left a local restaurant after ordering two breakfasts for takeout. After waiting for fifty-one minutes without so much as "Sorry for the wait, we're swamped" I walked.

Now I can go somewhere else and order lunch.

 

[Marshall & Moonshine]

It depends on if I need something or not. I haven't really had an immediate need for something in a very long time, as I stay stocked on strings, picks and cords. I have two amps/guitars, so I'll just grab the other if I really need to play something immediately.
If I'm researching something I want, then I don't feel like I need to buy picks, but I've never ordered a "good" guitar online, except for my wife's Heritage, which aren't sold anywhere around here, and that was really ordered from a store, back east somewhere. When I bought her Collings, I checked lots of guitar stores in LA, made them get them down for me, show me a different one, let me see that other one again, say "thank you" and walk out the door for another shop. I did that several places before going back to the first one and grabbing it with a cash price.
I don't feel right about trying out big-brand stuff at small stores so I can order it from somewhere else cheaper, but I don't feel compelled to pay them for their time if I don't buy something there. Lots of music stores have an online presence and probably conduct a lot of sales that way. When you buy something on Amazon, you aren't buying it from Amazon; you're buying it through Amazon, from a store somewhere, though it's probably stocked in an Amazon warehouse somewhere. I'm not really sure.

 

[guitar_randy]

My mind is never weak enough to buy something if I don't want it for the stores sake. As a consumer browsing, I owe them nothing and don't give them money just because. I do often find in shops other than the big shops like guitar center , that so many times they do not have in stock stiff I want but say they can order it and get it here for me. No thanks, I can order it myself if I want to go that route and have it shipped right to my door. Those days for the store owners are gone. consumers no longer need to depend on having the shop order it for them and go there to pick it up when it comes in. WHy involve a middle man? I can do that myself these days. SO I am finding many smaller shops not worth my time anymore for the most part.

 

[fry]

There used to be a local shop where I grew up that was like that. "No, I don't have it, but I can get it here in a couple days!" Drove me nuts, but those were pre-internet days. If you could wait, you just did. It was a small town with few choices.

 

[acstorfer]

Sometimes you're not doing the shop any favor by just picking up strings or picks. At times they'll sell these type of things at a loss to get people in the door hoping they'll find something expensive to buy.

 

[fry]

Yeah, the "loss leader". That makes sense. Years ago, when CD's were still big business, that's what Best Buy did with CD's. I read that they sold 'em cheap, hoping you'd look around after you got in there. Might end up buying a TV, appliance or something else big.

 

[wizard1183]

I always leave with something. AND it's always free! Nothing like a five finger discount!

Now...I'm still working on that $$$$$ les paul locked up. It's coming!

 

[roeg]

Yes,all the time.

there are 2 types of music shops up here.new and used.

The used shops are very cool.For the amplifiers.I am a used amp junky,and love used amplifiers because they are so cheap and can be fixed up to sound much better than new amplifiers.There were always bargains to be had,in the past.And still today,if you know what to look for.You may have to haggle,as everyone knows the value of an amplifier these days,it really depends on how motivated the seller is.
I'm not really looking for amplifiers anymore,so i haven't been in a while.

I hadn't been in a new music shop in 20 years,until i decided to get my daughter a nice cello.I like trying out new guitars,so thats a lure.But unless something absolutely blows me away,and its on my long term list(a good Historic,acoustic and a tele...all found and bought),i leave with nothing.

There is a shop(new gear) on my way from work where i've bought a lot of sheet music,and rented/bought cellos,violins for my daughters.And some guitars.My most recent trip landed me the latest generation peterson electronic strobe tuner(i had been looking previously).I was apprehensive at first because of the cell phone type power supply architecture. But after 3 weeks,i can say it was the right thing to do.It does what i want with accuracy no other tuner can do.

These days,i sometimes don't leave empty handed...but never an impulse buy,or any sense of obligation to spend.