# Clearing out a guitar store



## Grab n Go (May 1, 2013)

Have you ever noticed that nothing clears out a guitar store faster than a really good guitarist?

I've seen this phenomenon a number of times. Bunch of people trying out stuff on any given day. Then some very skilled player plugs in and just proceeds to melt faces. I'm not talking shred heads either. It could easily be someone playing bebop or country or what have you. Flat pick or fingerstyle. All of a sudden, the other customers realize they have somewhere else they need to be.

You couldn't clear the store out faster if someone farted or yelled "fire". Even better - this person isn't showing off. It's just how they play.

I tend to stick around because I want to hear the guitarist play. Then I'll go back to whatever I was doing. But sometimes I wonder if the store manager is secretly wishing this person would go away.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Never seen that happen--I've seen a small crowd gather though.

And once a bass player across the store joined in.


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## Paul M (Mar 27, 2015)

Maybe somebody farted?


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## Grab n Go (May 1, 2013)

zontar said:


> Never seen that happen--I've seen a small crowd gather though.
> 
> And once a bass player across the store joined in.


That's the right attitude. It _should_ draw a small crowd. But I have a hunch that some people are intimidated by that sort of thing.

Some stores are okay with people doing impromptu jams. But I've seen sales staff kibosh it as well, which is kind of a shame.


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## JBFairthorne (Oct 11, 2014)

Never seen this phenomenon. I have personally felt inclined to leave while some asshat was having a personal, loud and not particularly competent wankfest trying to show off. Dude get headphones. That must make people that work there want to quit.


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## Milkman (Feb 2, 2006)

In my experience it's seldom the guys making all the noise in music stores who are the real monsters.

It's the guys quietly playing the Strats or Teles (or whatever) acoustically.


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## Verne (Dec 29, 2018)

These are the guys I ask to demo a guitar for me. Show me how it could sound and motivate me to try and make it sound that was as well. Usually never works out, but it does let me hear the guitar in it's glory and I go home knowing how that guitar can sound. 

Nothing clears a room faster than the high school lunch time crowd. All future shredders. They would come in, grab the mid range guitars, plug into the 100w amps and just make noise. Never bought anything, just came in to "audition" as I used to call it. A few were good, some were okay, others were in need of headphones and a sound proof room.  It never stopped them though. I literally tried to time my deliveries to these particular stores to a time before or after lunch. It got REAL loud in those stores, and nobody over the age of 20, save for the staff.


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## Budda (May 29, 2007)

Cant say Ive witnessed a store clear out let alone due to playing.


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## jaymeister (Feb 2, 2006)

I’m not in the stores much anymore, so haven’t really witnessed the phenomenon you mention. 
The main store near me has a soundproof demo room, and the guitar wall is situated well away from amp land...I bet it is partly to avoid the temptation to jam on the showroom floor.


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## crann (May 10, 2014)

Grab n Go said:


> Have you ever noticed that nothing clears out a guitar store faster than a really good guitarist?


Is that why? I notice this whenever I go into music stores. For some reason the staff also leave. Makes sense though.


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## BlueRocker (Jan 5, 2020)

I saw a guy last year grab a Ukulele and proceed to play loudly, sing and dance around Long & McQuade. I wanted to brain him with a banjo.


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## StevieMac (Mar 4, 2006)

BlueRocker said:


> I saw a guy last year grab a Ukulele and proceed to play loudly, sing and dance around Long & McQuade. I wanted to brain him with a banjo.


I can _totally_ imagine having the same impulse in that situation. "Hey Assclown...drift!"


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## oldjoat (Apr 4, 2019)

ask him to play solo ... solo you can't hear him .


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## DeeTee (Apr 16, 2018)

If they're very good, I'm hanging around. I'm not concerned with being outshone. My ego is aware that virtually anyone in a guitar store is better than me. 

I have been driven out of a store by someone shredding at ear splitting volume though. If someone is doing that in a small store like Steve's in Toronto, I can't hear what I'm trying out. I can't tell what the tone is like. I can't hear if there are any odd rattles, because everything in the store is rattling.


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## Sketchy Jeff (Jan 12, 2019)

if somebody's playing loud enough to clear the store it's maybe because the players who are actually shopping for something to buy can't hear or focus on the stuff they're trying to decide between

j


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## Grab n Go (May 1, 2013)

DeeTee said:


> If they're very good, I'm hanging around. I'm not concerned with being outshone. My ego is aware that virtually anyone in a guitar store is better than me.
> 
> I have been driven out of a store by someone shredding at ear splitting volume though. If someone is doing that in a small store like Steve's in Toronto, I can't hear what I'm trying out. I can't tell what the tone is like. I can't hear if there are any odd rattles, because everything in the store is rattling.


Oh man, don't get me started on Steve's. That's a whole other thread.

I wouldn't consider Steve's in Toronto to be a small store. Maybe it is compared to Cosmo.


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## Grab n Go (May 1, 2013)

jaymeister said:


> I’m not in the stores much anymore, so haven’t really witnessed the phenomenon you mention.
> The main store near me has a soundproof demo room, and the guitar wall is situated well away from amp land...I bet it is partly to avoid the temptation to jam on the showroom floor.


Yeah, I haven't been in a music store since Covid.

Demo rooms are great. More stores need them.


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## hondamatic (Feb 5, 2019)

I can vouch for music store staff not enjoying Van Halen - Jump on synth.

In this case, I'm the offender


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## DeeTee (Apr 16, 2018)

Grab n Go said:


> Oh man, don't get me started on Steve's. That's a whole other thread.
> 
> I wouldn't consider Steve's in Toronto to be a small store. Maybe it is compared to Cosmo.


Just in terms of the space to try the electrics. It basically has the space between the racks, so you are never far from others. Some consideration is required.


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## Grab n Go (May 1, 2013)

DeeTee said:


> Just in terms of the space to try the electrics. It basically has the space between the racks, so you are never far from others. Some consideration is required.


True. And I don't think they've changed that layout in decades.


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## zontar (Oct 25, 2007)

Milkman said:


> In my experience it's seldom the guys making all the noise in music stores who are the real monsters.
> 
> It's the guys quietly playing the Strats or Teles (or whatever) acoustically.


Or the guys like me who don't want others listening...


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