Big Shop : Little Shop

blobb

Just some musings.

So...last night I was in Brum to see Gomez at the Institute and found some time today to visit the city. I don't get to the big smoke much, being a bit of a country bumpkin, and as always thoughts turn to guitar shops. Browsing the Travelodge wi-fi, I see a large store in the locality has a couple of pointy hair metal machines that I quite fancy the looks of. Off we go then, cash burning hole in pocket so to speak.

"I'm just going to have look around but I'm interested in buying a Jem, you've got two, can I try them both out?"

Response: "leave bags behind the counter please" by a guy who I assumed, as he wasn't wearing the branded company uniform,  was the boss - me, a blind girl and a 13 year old! Fair enough, saves us carrying them (not loaded with baggage btw and at that point not intending to steal things).

Now, these are £1000 guitars...........and they are in with a good chance of taking advantage of my holiday spirit. I'm ready to enter try out mode.

Young and eager 'sales assistant' takes over:
"Just be a minute, I need to take this out the back to undo the locking nut screws so I can tune it up." fair enough (why didn't you do that while I was looking around?).

An age later I'm ushered into a small box room with a selection of tiny practice amps.

"Any amp you want to use?"

"...er well..."

So he hoiks in a Blackstar combo and clears off to get Jem #2 ready. "Be right back" or as the youngsters say nowadays , BRB. 

Guitar was out of tune, badly. Not enough movement left on the adjusters so I fiddled about with it as best I could to get the feel of  it.

Waiting.

Waiting.

Still waiting.

I give up.

Matey standing around looking bored. Jem #2 still on the rack, going nowhere fast. Boss chatting to his mate. Oh dear.

...by contrast, earlier that day I had stopped by The Little Guitar Shop. Having a bit of a rearrange but nothing was too much trouble. I wasn't really planning to spend big bucks there but I like a bit of Flange so, after chatting, I was asked if I would like to try out any pedals. Why not eh?

I played a very very expensive vintage SG they had in, into a Supro amp. Tuner to hand, space to get comfortable everything you need. I bought the pedal.

Then I got taken to the upstairs store room for no other reason than I like guitars and the bloke working the shop liked guitars so we went upstairs and chatted about MIJ guitars, Tokai factories, old anecdotes about guitars we loved and lost.

So I guess the moral of the story is that I like big stores. Mainly because they stop me blowing big bucks on guitars I don't need that I can hardly afford. The sooner these intimate small shops that know what they are doing and share their love enthusiastically close down the better.

Gomez were great by the way.

SNAKEBITE

Let me guess....

Big shop, good internet presence that allows piles of unprepared guitars to be churned out to the masses with minimal input, owned by a musician who has gigged, maybe fairly successful at some point but nowadays a nobody and who has a massive chip on his shoulder. Shop staff are minimal wage school leavers who either grow up and move on, or are so slack they just stay and become bitter at the world.

Small shop, no internet presence owned by a passionate musician who just enjoys being around guitars and loves his job. No chips on shoulders or bitterness at the industry.

BloodEagle

What’s the point of this thread? Just wanted to spread some negativity ?

Moe_Zambeek

BloodEagle said:

What’s the point of this thread? Just wanted to spread some negativity ?

It’s the Internet, that’s what it’s for isn’t it?

Gulliver

BloodEagle said:

What’s the point of this thread? Just wanted to spread some negativity ?

Perhaps to remind forum go-ers that big stores may do better prices, but that often isn't backed up with good service.

Or perhaps to remind people of the Little Guitar Shop in Brum, and that they are a great shop.      I needed a replacement saddle for my Parker a few years ago.  Neither of the big stores could even figure out how they'd get the part I needed.  The Little Guitar Shop had some in their workshop...

fftc

BloodEagle said:

What’s the point of this thread? Just wanted to spread some negativity ?

I'm sure I saw some positivity as well, and perhaps a bit of salient advice.
In that regard however the thread is pointless. The big store who need the advice most will neither care or take action even if they could.

Bridgehouse

BloodEagle said:

What’s the point of this thread? Just wanted to spread some negativity ?

What’s the point of your comment? Just to type because you feel you have to?

Iamnobody

BloodEagle said:

What’s the point of this thread? Just wanted to spread some negativity ?

I took away that Gomez were great and the little guitar shop offer unrivalled customer service in Brum.

Positives!

Just to add I’ve used TLGS and my experience echos the OP’s. A great friendly shop and the setup and work they completed for me was to a high standard. 

I’ll introduce some negativity though - I didn’t go and watch Gomez mainly because I’ve seen them before and couldn’t persuade anyone to come, but also I thought the tickets were high! The Coral are playing the same venue for a tenner less...

BloodEagle

Bridgehouse said:

BloodEagle said:

What’s the point of this thread? Just wanted to spread some negativity ?

What’s the point of your comment? Just to type because you feel you have to?

Straight back at you m8 

Bridgehouse

BloodEagle said:

Bridgehouse said:

BloodEagle said:

What’s the point of this thread? Just wanted to spread some negativity ?

What’s the point of your comment? Just to type because you feel you have to?

Straight back at you m8 

I missed out my smilie first time round -

thecolourbox

I feel sure from your description I know exactly which of the big stores in Birmingham you went to as that sounds very much par for the course. I've found they've done more to dissuade my guitar/gear buying enthusiasm than I could ever imagine doing by myself. 

The Little Guitar Shop on the other hand is exactly the spirit of guitar playing and buying, although I've not really ever bought much from there as they tend to be rather out of my price range. But Martin is a good man who will not let you down

EricTheWeary

thecolourbox said:

I feel sure from your description I know exactly which of the big stores in Birmingham you went to as that sounds very much par for the course. I've found they've done more to dissuade my guitar/gear buying enthusiasm than I could ever imagine doing by myself. 

That sounds like a Fair Description. 

Whitecat

Did Gomez play ‘Tijuana Lady’? Love that track. 

thebreeze

EricTheWeary said:

thecolourbox said:

I feel sure from your description I know exactly which of the big stores in Birmingham you went to as that sounds very much par for the course. I've found they've done more to dissuade my guitar/gear buying enthusiasm than I could ever imagine doing by myself. 

That sounds like a Fair Description. 

Yep, me too.

Snags

Bridgehouse said:

BloodEagle said:

What’s the point of this thread? Just wanted to spread some negativity ?

What’s the point of your comment? Just to type because you feel you have to?

What's the point of anything?





(Yesterday this comment would have been brought to you without the implied smiley.  Today consider it to be there.)

skullfunkerry

thecolourbox said:

I feel sure from your description I know exactly which of the big stores in Birmingham you went to as that sounds very much par for the course. I've found they've done more to dissuade my guitar/gear buying enthusiasm than I could ever imagine doing by myself.

I think I know which one it is too... if it's the one I'm thinking of, my friend bought a Les Paul from the Southend branch a while back... the nut wasn't cut right so the top E kept slipping off the neck. When he pointed it out, my friend was told 'that's just the way they are - if you want a Les Paul you need to get used to it'. Because he *really* wanted a Les Paul (and because he's a bit of a gullible idiot) he went for it, and took them up on the free service that was included in the price a few months later.

A few months later still he took it to Holiday Music (Strings Direct) for a service, where they not only sorted the nut, but also informed him it was obvious no-one had actually done anything to the guitar since it left the factory.

blobb

Whitecat said:

Did Gomez play ‘Tijuana Lady’? Love that track. 

I've no idea, not a band I follow(ed) but it was a 20yr commemoration of an album of theirs so they played all of those songs. Good though, they are good fun on stage but I've never seen so many guitar swaps. The tech was very coordinated and kept the whole thing moving.

BloodEagle said:

What’s the point of this thread? Just wanted to spread some negativity ?

Nothing really. I had a guitar related experience and shared it on a guitar forum.

Ok - I guess one point maybe to start a thread where we can discuss the relative merits of big business vs small hands on service. Price vs what you get for your money. I don't know, what is your preference, what type of shop do you prefer? Is it acceptable to sell premium gear without having the ability to set them up properly?

I didn't mention the big store name, I'm not bashing or ranting (and there is plenty of that in some threads here). Personally, I found it a reflection of a larger trend around the city. Less small places to eat, for example, more big flashy eateries which shout loud but deliver very little quality. Even the city itself does it "Visit the jewelry quarter" - in reality just some roads in a city with a few shops on it. Not like in other European cities where the districts have a distinct feel about them (De Pijp etc...)

I had a very different experience last time I visited a large store (not in Brum), I was given all the things the smaller shops offer: good advice, unhindered space to try out etc... so maybe it's the guy you deal with on the day?

Maybe it's a British thing? We love our Supermarkets but bemoan the lack of diversity in the high street. Are we just a cake and eat it country? How hard and fast are we when it comes to the crunch? You could say I'm guilty of that in this scenario i.e. I say the small shop was great, but it was the large shop I was looking to spend money in ....

..or maybe we have the right balance. Within a 20min walk I got to see both sides of the coin, some countries would love the opportunity to choose between big vs small. Right?

skullfunkerry

blobb said:

Ok - I guess one point maybe to start a thread where we can discuss the relative merits of big business vs small hands on service. Price vs what you get for your money. I don't know, what is your preference, what type of shop do you prefer? Is it acceptable to sell premium gear without having the ability to set them up properly?

Personally, I'd much rather pay a little more and get better service than feel like a piece of dirt on someone's shoe to save a couple of quid. Supporting a local firm is a bonus too, if possible.

I had some training when I worked in sales many years ago which I've always remembered: No-one buys purely on price - if that was the case everyone would eat Tesco value food and drive a Skoda. People will (generally) buy the best of something they can afford. I know that's not true all the time (and it's definitely different with a guitar, people tend to have an idea of what they want rather than 'I can't afford a Les Paul so I'll buy a Tele', but I think it's a fairly representative view of how a lot of people tick.

I'm waffling, so I'll stop now - but it genuinely amazes me how truly terrible so many people are at customer service in this country.

designerseye88

Interesting thread. I own an independent furniture shop. Its an interesting time for retailers small and big. I think the best thing we can do as a small retailer is offer the customer a positive experience. I think it is bigger chain companies that are being hit hardest by the internet shopping boom as they are just not making a shopping an enjoyable experience.  

Kitsune

Biggest shock in this thread is the news that Gomez are still going.

peteri

Kitsune said:

Biggest shock in this thread is the news that Gomez are still going.

Biggest shock for me is that there are shops in the north

(implied smiley)