First trip to a guitar store/ experiences

[Ben Thorpe]

Had my first trip to a guitar store today, and I was pretty overwhelmed at the ammount that was on display. I felt very uncomfortable playing surrounded by strangers, even though I know they don’t care if you’re good or bad as they hear it all the time. I just wanted to try out lots of different guitars to see what I liked without any solid intention of buying one of them, but apparently and I quote “This is a guitar store, not a library” according to one of the members of staff. Apparently if you’re trying out the guitars on display you should be planning on buying one of them, otherwise they want you gone. So I very awkwardly bought just a few new picks and left. What was your first experience at a guitar store like?

 

[Ed Seith]

I would have taken that comment more as “don’t worry about making noise, this ain’t a library.” I know it can be intimidating, but the people that work there are used to folks of all stripes, including people who have never even touched a guitar. There’s always a teeny bit of intimidation, probably unless you’re famous, so just get used to it and plow through. You’re there to BUY shit, so kick the tires and make some noise; just don’t be obnoxious about it.

 

[Ben Thorpe]

Yeah, it was difficult for me to make some noise as I’ve never played for anyone outside of my family lol

 

[James Brown]

It always feels a little awkward at first, but the more you visit various different shops and places it gets much easier to just play as you feel comfortable.
At the end of the day though, it’s important that you get what YOU want from the visit, so if it means playing badly but buying something, so be it, (just don’t play Smoke on the Water, for the love of God).

 

[idssdi]

I’ve had weekly guitar lessons in a guitar store for about 7 years so I played on alot of different guitars in that time. I also pretty much buy all my gear there

 

[Billy Robertson]

Was you at a big box store like guitar center or was you at a locally owned store? I seem to have a lot better customer service at locally owned store. The local place I use I got to know the guitar tech a lot better it’s always the same guy and he cares more about making sure that I what I need and what suits me best instead of just trying to sell me shit I don’t need and just trying to make a buck off of me.

 

[Ben Thorpe]

It wasn’t a global chain or anything, just an independent store

 

[Jen Hapke]

On the way to the guitar store I was nervous. I went there with my brother because he plays guitar for much longer than I have. It is weird at first. I was afraid that I’d accidentally damage a guitar. My plan was to buy an acoustic guitar and I had thought of 250€, that I wanted to spend on it. At first I was afraid of even tuching a guitar in that store. So I started with a low budget guitar and put it back pretty fast. My brother tried out some too and I found out that I have a different taste in sound than he has. I like it less bright. After trying out some guitars I had found a routine. I knew I wanted an allround guitar. I played some songs I learned back than (one was Seether-Broken). Some acoustic guitars are allmost noisless in the high piched tones (like 15th fret high e string).
After about 3 hours I had two guitars on my short list and I couldn’t deside. The guy that worked there saw it and just played both to me and I knew instantly which was going to be mine. I spend more than 250€ but the 250 € I just had in mind because I had know idea what to expect.
So my advice for you is, set up your mind before you walk into a guitar store. What do you want there? Do you want to buy a guitar? Are you just there to look around? What sort of guitar do you want (acoustic: dreadnought? jumbo?…,with pickup?, electric: double cut, single cut…)? At first you might have no idea. In this case I think you should just try out really different guitars.
When you are at the store think of a testing routine. If you are looking for a electric guitar you can compare the different pickup settings, how the guitar fits to you playing. I went to the store and tried out some single cut and I couldn’t find a nice position for my arm. It just never felt right. When I bought my electric guitar I had no idea how to use the tone, volume ajustment. I was kind of lost but I spend about 8 hours in the store and the people helped me in the beginning. It was exausting and it was fun. I met someone in my sound cabin who told me to play something in Cmaj key and I did and he played a solo over it. It was fun.
So, both times I bought a guitar the first half-hour was awkward and after that it was fun. Just keep doing your thing. As a woman you can feel like an alien because if you are in a guitar store for hours you only see like one or two other female persons!!

 

[Josh Wright]

My first time at a guitar store, the guy asks me what I am playing on now, and I say a squire. He was like your next best step is going to be an American strat. Then he asked me what genre I’m looking to play and I said metal. He was like nice what’s your favorite band. I said avenged sevenfold, and then he showed me a Schecter guitar that was hundreds over my price range and played it for me and then put it back up and said but you can’t afford that. While he was right, it pissed me off that he would say that to me.