Inspired by someting that madrab said on the 'guitars that you want' thread, I thought this would be an interesting debating / discussion point...
Does anyone else feel like a total idiot when they're trying guitars out in a music shop? You know... when the assistant sits you down in the middle of a crowded shop and plugs you in to an amp. What riffs do you come up with to make you look a half-decent player?! All my riffs seem to desert me when I sit down and launch into some half-arsed blues. And then you always get the impression the shop assistants are sneering / laughing at you. Or is it just me?
And then there are the times when some guitar genius is showing off his virtuoso talents in a shop, and you feel totally inadequate.
The only time it all went fine for me was in Andertons in Guildford, because they stuck me in a sound-proof room, and I could do whatever I wanted without feeling self-conscious.
Am I alone in this fear???? ;D
That is so funny. I had the exact same experience last week. I went to buy a new amp. I ended up getting a Fender Blues Jr Texas Red. Sweet amp by the way. But yes, the guy plugs in my guitar and then looks at me expectantly. I started out with some rather lame blues riffs. And then this older gentleman comes over and watches me like I am some sort of headliner. I couldn't tell if he was impressed or disappointed but I sure felt awkward. Anyway the good news is that I bought the amp, and in the privacy of my dining room I can make that thing soar. Why is it that all your licks desert you in a music store?
Jeff Tweedy (of WILCO) said that he feels very inadequate trying guitars in a music store for the same reason. If Jeff Tweedy feels inadequate, then we are in good company.
Know what you mean :)
On the other hand, few years back went with the missus to get an entry level axe for one of my stepsons. Was served by a young teenager. He had trouble tuning the Pacifica he was trying to sell me so said "I will go get a tuner". I said "That's ok, I will do it", took if off him, tuned it and tried out a few riffs. Checked out the settings and found the neck pickup was not working....
By this point he was so embarrassed he got the owner to take over, who made it worse saying "Hiya Steve, how you getting on with that SG"?
Moral ... if you are a kid working in a shop and some old guy comes in saying he wants an instrument for his kid, dont get all snotty and assume that he cant play. Payback's a bitch....
I tend just to play a few scales and chords, rather than anything anybody may know. I have seen some people try to play famous riffs in the shop and get it all wrong.
Always play you own stuff as that way, baring any complete bum notes, nobody will know if what you are playing is right or wrong.
I unexpectedly purchased an acoustic guitar yesterday as I was in a local guitar shop for something else. I saw a Breedlove hanging on the wall and took it down to try it out - and I loved it. I've never had an OM before, especially with the wide fingerstyle neck. Very nice voice, action, sustain, but when I heard the price I immediately said, "I'll take it." A solid spruce-top Breedlove for under $500! It's their Passport series guitars. Check it out if you need a well-made bargain fingerstyle guitar. I'll also be using it to teach my wife guitar.
Anyway, the reason for this post is my take on playing guitars in a guitar shop. In my mind, I'm the customer. I'm trying out guitars, mandolins, basses, conga drums, whatever, to make a purchase at their store. It's not a performance. What I'm shopping for will determine how I play, (try out) an instrument. Sometimes, I'll play two notes on a guitar and put it back on the wall. That Breedlove took me by surprise and I just kept playing it. Before long, I retuned it to a couple of alternate tunings - to see if a low D or C would have any presence on a smaller guitar - and tried a couple of passages that I've been having trouble with on my dreadnought. It passed with flying colors and I looked up and a few people had gathered around. Whatever. If some young electric guitar student, (there were many around just then), got inspired to look into acoustic guitar, great! But I'm there testing out a potential purchase, that's all. I don't want to get home and regret making a purchase because I didn't investigate it well enough.
I guess if you go into a guitar shop to just hang around and swap licks your ego is bound to get involved. I typically go into a guitar shop with a plan, but yesterday my plan changed after playing that Breedlove. That's cool. The owner threw into the purchase the items I went in for in the first place. Thanks, Bernie!
Also, as a side note - I gave one of the salesman a mini lesson on the MICRO BR while I was there. He's a great guy, but hasn't had the time to learn the ins and outs of the unit. He had many mis-conceptions about it that I cleared up. He suggested maybe I come down and give MICRO BR workshops. Hey, maybe another side gig, who knows?
I only ever try a guitar when I'm definitely on the verge of buying it. Sometimes I'll have a short-list, but usually I know exactly what it is I'm after, and what the price is first.
But then you get taken by surprise. I went in for an Ibanez Artcore Semi once and came out with a Takamine 12-string acoustic. Love at first strum!!!! :)
That's brilliant about the BR workshops! Keep spreading the faith! :)
i couldn't bring myself to try it.
(http://images01.plus613.net/2200/b5_3.JPG)
Quote from: oldrottenhead on July 18, 2009, 04:57:12 AMi couldn't bring myself to try it.
(http://images01.plus613.net/2200/b5_3.JPG)
(http://img518.imageshack.us/img518/2603/28255347yb7.gif) WTF!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?
(http://www.npj.com/photos/jokes/Texas%20Humor.jpg)
meets.......
(http://img528.imageshack.us/img528/7570/1002792nf0.jpg)
would you want to be a "member" of that band?
yeah Greeny, very recognizable situation... you really need some power licks and confidence. I'm always reminded of the "no stairway to heaven" sign somehow...
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ng3tECDwYFQ
I have a similar reaction to trying guitars out. It gets me when the record light comes on too. My fingers turn to clay and I feel a total incompetent fool. Mind you, some would say that I'm just performing true to form. :)
Quote from: SdC on July 18, 2009, 05:45:37 AMI'm always reminded of the "no stairway to heaven" sign somehow...
I love that scene, Sander - Now I'll have to dig out the movie...
Let me lead up to the inadequacy part before I get to that:
I've owned two guitars in my life, one when I didn't play about 13 years ago, and the one I have now. Wish I could switch because the other one was a Hendrix Sunburst Strat with a whammy bar. A roller nut and special pickups. Never even plugged it in. A friend of mine needed $500 and I fully expected him to buy it back, because it was almost brand new. Ended up selling it for what he owed me. I didn't know...
Now I have an Epi GS400 early 90's Korean that I paid around 100 bucks for. Just felt I wasn't worthy of anything better... But now I really like it and might just change the electronics/pickups the next time I get froggy.
Now, the inadequacy part(And the fear):
When I go into a guitar shop I don't even know what strings to buy - I can barely change them without messing up. I ask for strings and the counter clerk with the pierced everything and neck tatoo will look back at the 150 different packages and say "What kind do you want". And I say "The ones that come with a guitar when you buy it new". The dust will get blown off a pack of Ernie Balls (Standard, I think??) and I'm off. I like those guys, they just get me what I need. So I get nervous even buying strings.
I have tried some guitars in the shop, but felt uncomfortable doing so - and never plugged in to an amp. I don't really know how to run the knobs anyway. I didn't play the guitar I have now in the store. I just asked a salesperson "What guitar would you buy if you didn't have a lot of money" He beelined for the Epi, and said "This one". That was a long time ago - It sat in the corner for a long time before I ever learned to play it.
Well, I digress...
Mark
Never ever thought like that.
I used to have such problems, i think it roots in you self confidence as a player. When i first got my br, i HATED to hear myself play. It's just all about confidence i think, about appreciating the little things in you playing that you like. Than that will grow, and before you know of it you have accepted your way of playing. I'm not saying I'm 100% over yet, but it's defiantly something that most people have experienced, so don't worry. You should have equal service as Jimi Hendrix trying a guitar out, i think. Everybody should be equal no matter skill.
I say try a confidence boost, it oder help :)
Quote from: oldrottenhead on July 18, 2009, 04:57:12 AMi couldn't bring myself to try it.
Why ... was the neck profile too wide?
I love trying guitars, but I'm no Hendrix.
My personal faves to strum away are:
- Acoustic: Live Forever - Oasis
- Electric: Jumping Jack Flash - Rolling Stones
- Either: Karma Police - Radiohead
I don't do any of them with the finesse of the original, but it doesn't stop me twanging to my hearts content.
Yes ... I often feel inadequate, but by now I'm used to it!!
Let's Rock
ALL - This is a very, very, big subject. There are some Music-Shop Assistants who are the BIGGEST ar*eholes in the World, because they can be. The 3-Guitar-Chord or Grade-2-Piano Ego has taken over and they love it. They wouldn't last more than a couple of Days/Weeks' on here, because they would be found out. These people forget that musically, we were ALL virgins once.
Alternatively, there are also Music-Shop Assistants who are like your favourite High School Teacher, those who will inspire in you a confidence to ask and learn, and imbue in you a life-long love of music. I know which I hope all the new-starters in music find on their first trip to the music shop. ;)
Though there really is another side of the coin: Customers.
Anyone who has EVER worked in a shop/store will know that customers are the most stupid, arrogant, ignorant Beings ever to walk the Earth.
A story from a UK music shop (I'll use an American Pay-Off line that most of the World will understand): An elderly Guy comes into a music shop, which has a selection of drums, guitars, keyboards etc, etc dotted about the floor and hanging on the walls. He spends 20 minutes looking closely at the assorted musical finery, he then approaches the counter and asks the Assistant: 'Do you have any fan-belts for an 84 Chevvy?'
The dumbfounded Assistant replies 'No.' The Old Guy digests this answer for several seconds, and then says; 'Will you be getting any in?'
Don't be scared in Music Shops. Remember, you are paying Their wages! :)
Lovely thread! I always feel a bit initimidated in music shops and I shouldn't admit it but I always practice a few things before I go in :-[ Don't want to sound like a complete plank.
It does depend on the shop though. The Guitar Workshop in Reading is very good, the staff are always helpful and don't act superior. They also have a couple of soundprooof rooms so they leave you alone for as long as you want. Also had a very good experience in GAK in Brighton when we bought my son's bass, even though it is a massive place and very busy. The young guy in the bass centre was extremely helpful and didn't intimidiate my son, gave us good advice and a good deal. But we also went to various places in Charing Cross Road in London before that and there we were made to feel like pieces of dirt - I certainly felt initimidated. In those places you really want to be able to pick up a guitar and just show off. But instead we just slunk put, usually after being pointedly ignored.
So I guess as usual it's all about customer service. A good shop will make you feel comfortable.
Cheers,
Nigel
Quote from: Ferryman on July 18, 2009, 02:49:01 PMBut we also went to various places in Charing Cross Road in London before that and there we were made to feel like pieces of dirt - I certainly felt initimidated.
I always find it a wonder that they sell anything!
When I got my Reso from Denmark street, the guy was brilliant!
That shop closed down, and the others treat me like I'm gonna run of with the guitar if they let me try it!
And no matter how good the tune you play on it is (I go for Classical Gas as it tests out the whole thing), they always turn their noses up!
I think it may be three parts Envy (as they may not earn enough to buy the guitar you are looking at) and one part Poor customer service.......
The Best store I have been to is :-
Harlow Store
Unit 17 & 18 St James Centre
East Road
Harlow
Essex
CM20 2SX
Tel: 01279 432900
Customer service to die for, and a muscians attitude to selling a guitar.
All the right questions. No judgement!
If I was Fit enough I'd go in to a shop ask for a guitar pull out my magic brick select one of Greenys blues and rip up a solo ....I bet that would cause mayhem hearing a full scale band coming out of the amp!
I play my own mediocre stuff, that way nobody knows if its being played well or not ;)
Quote from: 48 on July 19, 2009, 07:42:43 AMIf I was Fit enough I'd go in to a shop ask for a guitar pull out my magic brick select one of Greenys blues and rip up a solo ....I bet that would cause mayhem hearing a full scale band coming out of the amp!
Seriously 48, I bought my latest bass doing just that. I had a track to put bass to from Tim I think, he had played it in C# of all keys, which meant that my E tuned 4 stringer just couldn't be dropped and an octave higher just sounded wrong.
I took my MBR in and played a number of basses through it. I chose my Schecter from the ones they had on the racks. It was a great way to choose and no one else heard a thing. No stress at all. Well not until I got out of the shop and realised I was living on beans on toast for the rest of the month.... and I had to tell my wife.....
It's a really great tip of yours 48. I'm glad I followed your advice.....
Mrs Flash isn't quite so sure though! :D
Good thread this.
I personally haven't been worried when trying a guitar for years. I think the fear started leaving me when I started playing my own riffs/licks, but this was 20-odd years ago.
Nowadays, I'll happily start playing Smoke on the Water or Stairway to Heaven just to p1ss people off or make them laugh... (I won't keep playing them though :D). If the shop has background music (that I like), I jam along with it if the mood takes me (shops don't seem to like that though... why have you got music on then?!! :D)
Look at it this way - you're the boss of the situation, you want a guitar. So think about what you want it to do - you are trying it out to see whether it can do what you want it for, and whether it feels good enough for the money. So just play the stuff you are likely to play on it. Ignore everyone else if you can - remember you're not playing for their benefit, they're not paying you to listen :D, and it's not "show off" time (unless you want it to be).
The only thing that does annoy me - but I feel it's something to put up with - is the amount of noise in a shop sometimes. I try really hard not to be too loud - it's not a rehearsal or a gig - and then there'll be some git torturing some pointy guitar a few yards away so I can't hear the guitar I'm evaluating.
A lot of my evaluation of an electric is with the volume off - partly because I'm likely to replace the pickups anyway, but mainly because if the guitar can't sing/sustain/wotever, how I want it to, when unamplified - it won't be able to do it however good the pickups/amplifier are.
There's also a trick I use if I start to gather a crowd - and I think this could be used by anyone. Usually I stop mid-lick or whatever and start inspecting the bridge, sighting the neck, whatever - this has two effects, first of all tells the watchers that "I know what I'm doing" (even if I don't :D) and that I'm not really performing or showing off for them... and secondly, it means I stop playing under my control before I make a mistake!!! :D
Quote from: AndyR on July 20, 2009, 02:11:14 AMUsually I stop mid-lick or whatever and start inspecting the bridge, sighting the neck, whatever - this has two effects, first of all tells the watchers that "I know what I'm doing" (even if I don't :D)
I do this when my car breaks down. Pop the bonnet. Wiggle a few wires and hoses and pretend I know what I am doing.
With guitars, I get nervous doing anything solo in front of people. I think it stems back to a situation many years ago when a teacher caught me mucking about on a flute (my brother was learning so I kind of picked up a bit at the same time. Anyway she volunteered me to play a solo bit in public which didn't go well. I also hated those exams when some cranky woman who smells funny gives you a B- for theory then tells you your playing sucks and have to repeat 3rd grade piano.
Since I started this thread, I've been in quite a few different guitar shops. I felt much more comfortable buying an acoustic, because there was less pressure to pull out some fancy licks. I can just about blag being a half-decent player on an acoustic. Just! Lol.
Credit where credit's due: Hobgoblin music in London are very good - they just let you get on with it, and don't peer over your shoulder or look at you with disdain / mistrust. I've been back there a few times just to have a quick play at lunchtime (guitar withdrawal, lol), and never get hassled. The only black mark against them was that they said I'd never get hold of a hard case or gig bag for a 12 string - they were very wrong on that score.
I ended up buying my latest acoustic from Hanks in Denmark Street, who have a very nice, private acoustic practice room.
I've never actually had a BAD experience in a guitar shop. Some just seem to be more helpful than others. I liked the fact that the guy in Hanks was able to negotiate a good price without having to ask the manager (unless he WAS the manager, lol). I got sixty quid off the advertised price, plus a deluxe hard case thrown in. It pays to ask!
I'd say that it's pretty essential these days to do some online research beforehand - if only to know the 'internet' price of something you want to buy. It's a pretty good starting point for negotiation if you say 'I can get this online for £X'.
Andertons in Guildford are also very good. I'll never forget going in there 7 years ago or so, when I knew next to nothing about guitars (I was just starting to get into them in a big way). I could have walked out with a new, cheapish acoustic, but the guy said I should buy a second-hand Takamine that he had there instead. I'd never even heard of Takamine, but it was in my budget. So I trusted him and bought it. I play that guitar to this day - it's like a special friend. I've lost count of the songs I've written on it. So that was a good experience.
Sorry... that went on longer than I expected, lol....
Another awesome thread from Greeny!
Once again, I find myself nodding in agreement with you, Tim. My sentiments exactly. I am glad to hear I'm not the only one. Everyone has heard my guitar playing skills (if you could call them that), so imagine how I must feel when going into a shop. Much of the guitar I put in my songs is either just accents, simple strumming rhythm, or the occasional very simple but melodic solo. None of this is even remotely impressive without the aid of the entire recording there to back me up. I don't have a repertoire of "licks" or "riffs." Plus, I don't do cover songs, so it's not like I can just pull out something that someone may actually be familiar with. OK, not true -- I figured out the main riff to Zeppelin's "Black Dog" back in the day and still remember it. But I wouldn't even attempt it in a music store. I usually find myself in the acoustic room since there is often a door, and I make sure no one is in there before fiddling about like a mentally challenged infant orangutan. If I want an electric, I will turn the amp WAY down so no one but me can hear it. I keep my head down and I'm pretty sure no one even attempts to listen to what I'm doing. :-\
Funny thing is, in terms of overall songwriting and production, I could probably wipe the floor with most of the scrubs that work in those places; but I only say this because so many of them have a holier-than-thou attitude. But one would NEVER know that, listening to me try out a new guitar. Once in a while you meet an employee who's actually down-to-earth and cool, but that is rare. I sometimes wonder how music stores ever sell anything at all, but then I realize that guitars pretty much sell themselves. No part-time guitar shop clerk has ever influenced my decision.
Now ask me how I shop for keyboards. Equally embarrassing. :o
Quote from: Bosko Schwartz on July 20, 2009, 09:56:02 AMfiddling about like a mentally challenged infant orangutan...
That line is going to stay with me forever!!!! Lol. Yep... that just about sums it up for me too!
Nice post!
Quote from: Bosko Schwartz on July 20, 2009, 09:56:02 AMI don't have a repertoire of "licks" or "riffs." Plus, I don't do cover songs, so it's not like I can just pull out something that someone may actually be familiar with. OK, not true -- I figured out the main riff to Zeppelin's "Black Dog" back in the day and still remember it.
LOL Bosko, you and I have many similarities! I'm the same - I can't actually "play" much on the guitar because I really only play my own material and that tends to have guitar "parts" rather than things that sound good in a guitar shop, or like guitar solos in the true sense of the word(s). I can never be bothered to work out other people's material, although I did enjoy doing something for Neilfest here.
Having said that, I will probably be buying a new guitar soon so I will be practising some licks. I once worked out half the guitar solo for "Another Girl, Another Planet", so I think that will be my practice piece for the music shop!
Cheers,
Nigel
Here's a tip I've tried a couple of times now... at least when trying out guitars... Bring your MicroBR along with a set of headphones. Confidence goes up thanks to the privacy offered by the headphones. Once you get into your groove, ask to plug into your amp of choice.
then again, i've got a couple of licks that i always warm up with. enough to be noticed as someone who at least knows a little something about guitars. but i agree with the majority of posters who suggested playing your own riffs/songs.
Hello,
When shopping for a new guitar now, I tend to look for defects rather than trying to "play" something. Sure, you will wind up playing some chords or riffs or whatever (especially if you like it!), but it is more important to identify possible defects with the instrument. I try to play a note on every fret of the guitar, listening for buzzing. Other factors include inspecting the neck and bridge for any signs of problems. It might not be out of the question to bring a small mirror that you can put in the sound hole to inspect bracing, etc.
I purchased a Washburn D52SWCE from a local store a few years ago and found out later it had a pretty bad buzz up around the 8th fret after I got it home. After several trips back, I wound up having to have the credit card company refund my money. As it turns out, the neck was improperly set. I wound up buying a Martin D15 after that and all is well.
After getting GAS for another guitar, the Seagull line caught my eye, as they are affordably priced and seem to have a decent reputation. The one I played in the store (not the same one as above obviously) played terrific and sounded great, then I noticed the crack in the top! It was not very noticable, but there were actually two, equally spaced.
I pointed them out to the owner and he is cutting me a discount on another shipped from the factory. I will most likely take the new guitar to a luthier to be inspected to make sure that there are no problems.
Bob
^ Big plus to that Bob.
Nowadays I'm checking the guitar out - do the tuners work, any blemishes that will p1ss me off in a day or so when I notice them, definitely I try every single string every single fret (that never sounds musical :D) for buzzing or whatever...
Obviously I play it a bit as well - and I tend to play for longer if I'm falling in love with it (that's probably how they know I'm about to buy :D) - but my mind is in "checking out the geetar" mode, not playing mode.
Interesting thread, and great timing.
4 months ago, I decided that if I were to get serious about playing, I'd need a suitable acoustic. The one I had was crap, thought I didn't know how bad it was at the time.
I picked 4 guitars that I was interested in, and played them all. I was awful, and knew it. I couldn't tell if a guitar sounded good or bad, so I grabbed on of the virtuosos in the shop, and asked him to play everything I picked out. I purchased my Ibanez based on how he played.
Today.... I happened to be in the neighborhood of a Guitar Center. I was looking for books - not guitars... An employee asked me if I were looking for anything in particular, I asked "do you have any Fender 60's Classics around" They had one. I looked 15 feet up the wall, and there it hung in all its glory. The thing was priced $300 (US) cheaper than I had seen online. My decision was made. I didn't buy a book.
Normally I wouldn't do this, but I asked for a cable, plugged into an amp, and let my 48 All Star training take over. Sure I missed a few notes, but fortunately I didn't hit any bum notes. My confidence started to grow when a few people stopped an listened. This was completely out of character for me. Normally I would have shirked into the background.
It was truly an enjoyable experience. I'm sure the other patrons probably thought I sucked, but they stopped and listened in lieu of running away.
I blame 48 for this impulse purchase by the way.
I find it always helps to have someone else to blame when you've just bought another guitar. The number of times I've been held up at gunpoint and forced to buy a 12 stringer or a nice spruce topped acoustic isn't funny. The police can never find the mugger.
This is a really good thread! I avoid trying out stuff too, but I'm kind of heartened to hear that so many others feel the same way. Why do we feel like that? Maybe - for me anyway - its an ego thing where I don't want to look stupid, but isn't that really stupid in and of itself? Perhaps the ego needs to be put aside. Buts its only with music stuff. I mean, if I'm trying out a new toaster, I'm hardly gonna get all gunshy about thrashing the overheat function - I don't actually try out toasters lol, but, you know what I mean?
Quote from: Tony W on July 20, 2009, 01:11:54 PMI blame 48 for this impulse purchase by the way.
Your more than Welcome...I take full responsibility for your excellent purchase ;D ;D
Quote from: 48 on July 21, 2009, 05:53:21 AMQuote from: Tony W on July 20, 2009, 01:11:54 PMI blame 48 for this impulse purchase by the way.
Your more than Welcome...I take full responsibility for your excellent purchase ;D ;D
Are we Bill and Ted now?
(http://www.movietrimmer.com/content/default/english/images/movies/143606_3.jpg)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jIEr5aNWNgsI wouldn't even try and play anything if these two were in there before me.....
Quote from: Flash Harry on July 20, 2009, 01:39:42 PMThe police can never find the mugger.
They look for the "mug" first..........
Usually it's me......
Quote from: Flash Harry on July 20, 2009, 01:39:42 PMI find it always helps to have someone else to blame when you've just bought another guitar. The number of times I've been held up at gunpoint and forced to buy a 12 stringer or a nice spruce topped acoustic isn't funny. The police can never find the mugger.
that guy has been spotted in the metro Detroit area-i've fallen victim
never seem to get a good look at him
Quote from: guitarron on July 21, 2009, 07:54:56 AMQuote from: Flash Harry on July 20, 2009, 01:39:42 PMI find it always helps to have someone else to blame when you've just bought another guitar. The number of times I've been held up at gunpoint and forced to buy a 12 stringer or a nice spruce topped acoustic isn't funny. The police can never find the mugger.
that guy has been spotted in the metro Detroit area-i've fallen victim
never seem to get a good look at him
That's funny... Because my wife has no problem scaring him away! >:(
;)
domestic accountants are known for that
Cool old thread!
I always get a kick out of these young guys who tune their guitars wayyyy down and crank up the amp super loud.... and then just start banging away on the top 2 strings! lol
YES!!! THE whole store hears you and were all loving it!!! THANK YOU!!!! HAR!! ;D
Myself I forget everything I know so I just crank up the amp super loud and finger tap fast and furious for about half an hour or so!
Just kiddin' , I usually just play some chords quietly. I've never drawn a crowd, nowhere good enough for anyone to care what I play.
Yeah, cool thread!
Whenever I check out a guitar I'm gonna buy, I always make sure I've got the cash in my pocket first...
I always ask for a strap, 'cos I wanna check the balance of the thing and I always play standing up...
Without plugging the thing in, I simply play EVERY SINGLE NOTE on the guitar, in a random order, checking both the clarity/intonation of each note and the feel and speed of the neck in/against my hand.
If I'm impressed, I'll then ask to plug it in, to purely check the electrics are OK. I won't even play anything, just listen for dry pots/loose connections etc. Errrr....thats about it....
henwrench
It's been a long friggin' time since I seen this thread. I've went through half a dozen guitars since.
henwrench, I think that's borderline insane yet brilliant, at least the idea that you don't crank out a tune or 2.
I'll play the minor pent (F G A B D E F G A B) from the nut to the Neck pickup listening for defects like a flat frets, a twist in the neck, etc. This also gives me a good feel for the fretboards playability. I do check intonation, but only at the nut and the 12th fret, and only with a tuner. I still can't tune without a tuner.
Normally I buy new guitars, so I check the finish with a fine tooth comb, especially around the headstock. The longer they are in a the store, the more they show signs of "hanger wear". I see most people scouting the pickguard and looking for buckle rash, but never the head stock. I also check for the stolen parts during this pass.
Here's where the inadequacy sets in. In my mind, I know that I'm a mediocre player, slightly below the average consumer in the store. I'm extremely self conscious, and had a lot of difficulty playing up to my ability level when I thought somebody might hear me, so I've resigned to taking my Micro into the store with me. I put the cans on, I'm in my own world, and I can do what I want.
The upside to the Micro, I've been a headphone musician since I began playing. I'm 100% in my comfort zone, I know the patches, I know the device, I know every detail on the sound that I'm looking for.
Now that I have my technique down, I won't use it again for quite a while. My quiver is full.
I am willing to play anything that goes to "11".
I have ALWAYS been way self-conscious and inferior, so naturally it shows in such a situation!
So, what I've adopted as my mode of entering a music store to try out a guitar, is to assume an
'I'm an incredible guitar-player' pretense and just play away with indifferent blatant confidence
so as to 'get over' this 'Breaking-The-Ice', and get on with, the real reason that i am in the
store in the first place.....
And, then, as Andy pointed out..., i also do, since I am considering spending all of my check and at least part of another on, is to play every string on every stinkin' fret...checking for the levelness of the guitars' frets, etc....
And, in the end, the result is always the same, I'm just an overly inferior-complex idiot, worrying about something that no-one else evens notices, let alone cares about in the least.....
To buy the stupid guitar or not!
Now, this is the question!
LG
Good bump...
Funnily enough, I'm feeling the fear and inadequacy over the last couple of months. Not for guitars though... banjos...
I've had a lusting for "another sound", it was between mandolins or banjos, and I've kind of settled on a banjo at the moment. But have I been brave enough to actually get one down? Nope...
When my wife is there, she just goes "why don't you just try one?" ... she seems to think I'll instinctively know how to play it and whether it's any good as an instrument... nope! :D
haha I gotta laugh at this, I used to get so anxious and jittery when trying out a new guitar. that felling like all eyes are on you kinda burries any killer riffs you may have just learned and the only thing you end up playing are random chords and smoke on the water. and seriously everytime i have been in my local guitar shop theres been someone shredding the shit out of a guitar.
I saw something that amused me when I was out prowling the other day.
I got to this shop just after it opened, and there were two young guys in there (staff) drooling over this fiesta red strat. They both played it, both were pretty good, but their playing seemed to have that unspoken "hey, this is what I can do with it, what have you got?...". Anyway, they were both saying how it was the best sounding strat they'd ever heard... "it smokes both yours and mine" etc...
I was listening from the other end of the shop thinking "well, at least two of mine sound like that, and the other one just sounds different..."
Then I realised they were playing through the shop's main demo-amp, this old Fender. Now I recognise this amp, because I tried two of the strats I own (and an SG and a Tokai Les Paul) through this very amp. The older guy (who wasn't there), who seems to be the boss, and who sold me most of the guitars I've bought there, explained to me a while back "we always put the 'buyers' through that amp if we can - it makes any guitar sound good - I'm not selling that amp" .... :D
I wandered over to see if I could see what the guitar was exactly, but couldn't make it out. I couldn't even see the gap on the wall where it might have come from... Eventually, when they finished trying it, they put it back where it came from - up behind the counter with the expensive 2nd hand and custom shop stuff.
Now, I'm sure it was a goodie, but seeing as it was probably a CS with a hefty price-tag, I can't help but wonder whether these two young guys (probably not very highly paid) were being seduced by a combination of the price-tag and the "magical amplifier" they were playing through... it seemed like they were both saying it was better than their own guitars in a self-reassurance kind of way.
It put a big smile on my face... walking up the road I was thinking: chill out guys - if it feels/sounds good, it is good, no matter what the price tag, or what anyone else says... BUT(!), if you can't afford it, try not to touch it at all... otherwise you might have to tell yourself all sorts of stories to stay happy!
I hate going into guitar shops to try out guitars or amps! I've now resigned myself to just getting a feel of how comfortable the guitar is or whether or not the amp works properly. There always seems to be a young rising star playing the strings off at a tremendous volume in the open show room. I just strum a few chords, maybe turn it up and hammer down on a single note to hear how well it sustains, twist the tone control to hear the variations, and then hold it up and give the neck a long sight down. That usually lets me know if it will work for me or not, sort of makes me look like I know what I'm doing, and I still have my ego intact, lol! Yeah, I don't like going to the music store to demo guitars.
Farrell