# Weird Experience at Steve's Music



## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

Accompanied my wife to downtown Ottawa yesterday and decided to visit Steve's. I park on Ottawa's uncleared streets south of Rideau (what a mess) and hoof it the rest of the way. The door is locked. While I'm reading the 10 or so signs on the door, an employee opens it a crack and asks me if I'm here to pick something up. I say no, I was just intending to browse. He says we're not really open and glances around inside the store. All I see are a bunch of salespeople milling around aimlessly. I say, no worries, I'll come back when you're open.

He says, well, there's no customers right now but if you come in, you'll have to leave if anyone else enters. I say that they can kick me out anytime and walk in.

It was surreal. All the employees are just standing around not saying anything to me or even glancing in my direction. I feel like I'm interrupting some plot to take over the world lol.

At L&M, I just walk right in and it feels normal. This felt creepy as hell. I did buy a couple of guitar straps though but couldn't get out of there fast enough.


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## FatStrat2 (Apr 7, 2021)

I bought my first guitar at Steve's.

I've said it before, I'll say it again: it's difficult for an employee to be any better than his boss.


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

FatStrat2 said:


> I bought my first guitar at Steve's.
> 
> I've said it before, I'll say it again: it's difficult for an employee to be any better than his boss.


Have they been beaten down to the extent that they can't greet someone with a friendly nod? I hope not. I'm not against Steve's just reporting the most unusual experience I've had at a store since...well ever.


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## JethroTech (Dec 8, 2015)

That is bizarre. Almost like there was a robbery underway in the back room and everyone was told to act "normal" or else. Did you say,"Blink twice if you need me to send help"?  Very strange.


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

JethroTech said:


> That is bizarre. Almost like there was a robbery underway in the back room and everyone was told to act "normal" or else. Did you say,"Blink twice if you need me to send help"?  Very strange.


Hey, you've nailed the feeling exactly.


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## StratCat (Dec 30, 2013)

JethroTech said:


> That is bizarre. Almost like there was a robbery underway in the back room and everyone was told to act "normal" or else. Did you say,"Blink twice if you need me to send help"?  Very strange.


I thought the same. Inside job going down...”everyone act normal”! 

Never been impressed with Steve’s.


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## NotFromToronto (Dec 10, 2009)

It sounds to me like what I'd expect if I was there before they were supposed to open, or closed for a staff meeting....


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## teleboli (Aug 19, 2009)

That is strange..........


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## Thunderboy1975 (Sep 12, 2013)

Maybe you smelled like bacon and then hurt their feelings by making eye contact.?


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## Verne (Dec 29, 2018)

Could it be fallout from the protest?


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## Okay Player (May 24, 2020)

1SweetRide said:


> Accompanied my wife to downtown Ottawa yesterday and decided to visit Steve's. I park on Ottawa's uncleared streets south of Rideau (what a mess) and hoof it the rest of the way. The door is locked. While I'm reading the 10 or so signs on the door, an employee opens it a crack and asks me if I'm here to pick something up. I say no, I was just intending to browse. He says we're not really open and glances around inside the store. All I see are a bunch of salespeople milling around aimlessly. I say, no worries, I'll come back when you're open.
> 
> He says, well, there's no customers right now but if you come in, you'll have to leave if anyone else enters. I say that they can kick me out anytime and walk in.
> 
> ...


This is probably their first weekend open in a month, and their management probably has some weird rules in place.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Steve's has the misfortune of being in a slightly tougher part of town. I mean, it's not carry-a-knife tough, but it's tougher than it used to be years ago when I was young and lived a few blocks from there on Murray St. By comparison, the 3 L&M outlets in town have the luxury of suburban parking lots and soccer parents bringing their kids in for lessons.

That said, it's been a few years since I was at that Steve's. I'd drop in more often, but getting there and parking is cumbersome. My guess is their vibe could probably change for the better and be more inviting in a different location.

Speaking of locations, it occurred to me the other day that the long-vacant former Zellers site in Bell's Corners could make an excellent medium-sized (1000-2000) concert venue. Lots of parking. Respectable bus connections. Fleet Sound nearby for equipment rental. Richard/nonreverb nearby for repairs and maintenance. Several fast-food outlets and restaurants close by. Nice high ceilings. No adjacent residences to complain about noise (but three hotels within a short 2-block walk). And the next-door neighbour of Loblaws wouldn't have conflicting operating hours.

The down side is that Spirit of Halloween would have to find another location every autumn.


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## elburnando (11 mo ago)

I had an experience like that at the Toronto location last month. They told me over the phone they were open, and when I got there I had to promise the guy I was there to buy a guitar before he let me in. I knew they had what I wanted so it wasn't a big deal, it's why I went there. They were cool when I was inside though, but it was totally empty aside from employees and maybe a couple of their buddies. 
I think it's either to do with Covid rules, or possibly due to that being the day that the Les Paul stolen from Cosmo was on the news.


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## Permanent Waves (Jun 2, 2020)

mhammer said:


> Steve's has the misfortune of being in a slightly tougher part of town. I mean, it's not carry-a-knife tough, but it's tougher than it used to be years ago when I was young and lived a few blocks from there on Murray St. By comparison, the 3 L&M outlets in town have the luxury of suburban parking lots and soccer parents bringing their kids in for lessons.
> 
> That said, it's been a few years since I was at that Steve's. I'd drop in more often, but getting there and parking is cumbersome. My guess is their vibe could probably change for the better and be more inviting in a different location.
> 
> ...


I haven't been to Steve's for years because of the location. It used to be easy to find parking on Daly, Besserer or Nelson but now it's impossible. There's like 2 spots right being the store in the Shopper's Drug Mart parking but they are always full. Years of construction (destruction?) on Rideau pretty much killed all the business there. I've also made the move to L&M, convenient locations, easy parking and they usually have more stuff in stock with comparable prices. I miss walking in a store and having folks know my name, but I think a lot of the staff may have turned over since anyway. 

There was a sort-of medium size venue in Bells Corners years ago - Straits on Stafford where the Carstar is now, across from Fleet. They shut down in 2000. My band at the time had been booked to play there right before it closed. It was mostly country but they also had some tributes as well as artists like Kim Mitchell and Honeymoon Suite. It didn't do particularly well, I think because of location. It would be nice to have a venue out west but I am not sure how successful it could be or how much support it might get from the local community. There was a closed lounge on Robertson that was an eyesore for year until they demolished it a few years back - people complained about forever, but there was never any talk to re-open it a something else.


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## Doug Gifford (Jun 8, 2019)

mhammer said:


> Speaking of locations, it occurred to me the other day that the long-vacant former Zellers site in Bell's Corners could make an excellent medium-sized (1000-2000) concert venue. Lots of parking. Respectable bus connections. Fleet Sound nearby for equipment rental. Richard/nonreverb nearby for repairs and maintenance. Several fast-food outlets and restaurants close by. Nice high ceilings. No adjacent residences to complain about noise (but three hotels within a short 2-block walk). And the next-door neighbour of Loblaws wouldn't have conflicting operating hours.
> 
> The down side is that Spirit of Halloween would have to find another location every autumn.


Like Lulu's in Kitchener. Big old K-mart or something. Biggish acts (Doug & the Slugs the one time I went) and two -- yes _two_! -- kinds of beer, I forget which ones.


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## Duffman (Oct 29, 2014)

1SweetRide said:


> Accompanied my wife to downtown Ottawa yesterday and decided to visit Steve's. I park on Ottawa's uncleared streets south of Rideau (what a mess) and hoof it the rest of the way. The door is locked. While I'm reading the 10 or so signs on the door, an employee opens it a crack and asks me if I'm here to pick something up. I say no, I was just intending to browse. He says we're not really open and glances around inside the store. All I see are a bunch of salespeople milling around aimlessly. I say, no worries, I'll come back when you're open.
> 
> He says, well, there's no customers right now but if you come in, you'll have to leave if anyone else enters. I say that they can kick me out anytime and walk in.
> 
> ...


With all the crap having gone down in Ottawa lately and the brazen theft at Cosmo, I wonder if they are taking no chances and allowing one customer at a time for a while.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Permanent Waves said:


> I haven't been to Steve's for years because of the location. It used to be easy to find parking on Daly, Besserer or Nelson but now it's impossible. There's like 2 spots right being the store in the Shopper's Drug Mart parking but they are always full. Years of construction (destruction?) on Rideau pretty much killed all the business there. I've also made the move to L&M, convenient locations, easy parking and they usually have more stuff in stock with comparable prices. I miss walking in a store and having folks know my name, but I think a lot of the staff may have turned over since anyway.
> 
> There was a sort-of medium size venue in Bells Corners years ago - Straits on Stafford where the Carstar is now, across from Fleet. They shut down in 2000. My band at the time had been booked to play there right before it closed. It was mostly country but they also had some tributes as well as artists like Kim Mitchell and Honeymoon Suite. It didn't do particularly well, I think because of location. It would be nice to have a venue out west but I am not sure how successful it could be or how much support it might get from the local community. There was a closed lounge on Robertson that was an eyesore for year until they demolished it a few years back - people complained about forever, but there was never any talk to re-open it a something else.


Well, your brief history of the various failures/fizzles of similar business ventures in the area is an appropriately cautionary note. But, that said, at the present time, there's a bunch of folks just* itching* to go to shows again, and there are a lot of musicians equally itching to play gigs where the possible revenue is more than what they might get at the Rainbow, Irene's, the Brass Monkey, or any other place downtown. They can't fill the CT Centre, and switching the E-Y Centre back and forth from concert space to trade-show space is a bit of a non-starter. Maybe the time is ripe for a dedicated medium-sized concert space in the city's west end.

I have no idea what the owners of the property are planning, or have coming down the pipes. At the moment, though, the site just seems to be gathering dust. Even if the grand plan is to tear the joint down and "condo-fy" that half of the property, setting it up for a concert space for a year until the funding for construction is in place would be welcome in the city. Are there any concert-promoters out there looking for something to make a big splash? Spread the word.


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## FatStrat2 (Apr 7, 2021)

Instead of all this speculation, I think the best thing to do is go in again and just plain ol' ask them what the heck happened the other day. I'm sure someone will spill the beans.


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## Mark Brown (Jan 4, 2022)

FatStrat2 said:


> Instead of all this speculation, I think the best thing to do is go in again and just plain ol' ask them what the heck happened the other day. I'm sure someone will spill the beans.


I probably would have asked then and there. I like to be direct. If for once people in a room are more at odds with their surroundings, I am going to enquire as to why


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

FatStrat2 said:


> Instead of all this speculation, I think the best thing to do is go in again and just plain ol' ask them what the heck happened the other day. I'm sure someone will spill the beans.


No speculation on my part. I'm reporting what I observed.


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

Could they have been closed for inventory but let some customers in? It doesn't make sense to have 5-10 sales people and only let one person in at a time.


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## pckpat (Aug 19, 2009)

Was the Cosmo LP something uber-expensive?


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## elburnando (11 mo ago)

Yeah I guess that might be it, but I think they would ha e said something.


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## elburnando (11 mo ago)

pckpat said:


> Was the Cosmo LP something uber-expensive?


Yeah, I believe it was a Murphy Lab 59. It had a tag of $8000+ IIRC.


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## Duntov (Apr 2, 2021)

I had to run down to the Rideau Centre in early January and thought I'd take a brisk walk down to Steve's while I was down there. I also had the exact same experience. The door was locked and the employee who opened and greeted me at the door agreed to let me in so long as I was prepared to leave should another customer show up. I found that quite strange. 

Despite the intensification of the neighbourhood and the high-end condos that should attract the well to-do, that area is still quite rough with community health services nearby to support those with substance abuse problems. It crossed my mind that it could simply be a safety an theft control for Steve's. 

The store has a place in my heart. It's where my guitar dreams were fueled as a young teenager, and now that I think about it, a good chuck of my gear was purchased from that store..


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Possible that some of the staff have not had their shoulder poke, for whatever reasons?


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

Duntov said:


> I had to run down to the Rideau Centre in early January and thought I'd take a brisk walk down to Steve's while I was down there. I also had the exact same experience. The door was locked and the employee who opened and greeted me at the door agreed to let me in so long as I was prepared to leave should another customer show up. I found that quite strange.
> 
> Despite the intensification of the neighbourhood and the high-end condos that should attract the well to-do, that area is still quite rough with community health services nearby to support those with substance abuse problems. It crossed my mind that it could simply be a safety an theft control for Steve's.
> 
> The store has a place in my heart. It's where my guitar dreams were fueled as a young teenager, and now that I think about it, a good chuck of my gear was purchased from that store..


I saw lots of drug addicts and alcohol being openly consumed by rough looking people in the short time I was there. I have to go back now as both straps are way too short. Are company’s trying to save money on leather or do they assume everyone wears their guitars on the chests? Maybe I’ll ask why they’re behaving this way. Can’t be good for sales.


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## Permanent Waves (Jun 2, 2020)

mhammer said:


> Well, your brief history of the various failures/fizzles of similar business ventures in the area is an appropriately cautionary note. But, that said, at the present time, there's a bunch of folks just* itching* to go to shows again, and there are a lot of musicians equally itching to play gigs where the possible revenue is more than what they might get at the Rainbow, Irene's, the Brass Monkey, or any other place downtown. They can't fill the CT Centre, and switching the E-Y Centre back and forth from concert space to trade-show space is a bit of a non-starter. Maybe the time is ripe for a dedicated medium-sized concert space in the city's west end.
> 
> I have no idea what the owners of the property are planning, or have coming down the pipes. At the moment, though, the site just seems to be gathering dust. Even if the grand plan is to tear the joint down and "condo-fy" that half of the property, setting it up for a concert space for a year until the funding for construction is in place would be welcome in the city. Are there any concert-promoters out there looking for something to make a big splash? Spread the word.


I definitely sense a great deal of pent-up interest from both musicians and attendees. My concern at this point is venues will be only half-filled, either through returning restrictions or an overabundance of caution from attendees. One trend I am currently seeing is the organization of outdoor mini-festivals and concert series, which I think will expand in the future. Living with the virus is going to be the new normal. One of our band members was hard hit in the first wave, got triple-shots and now currently flat on his back with the variant. Re-infections and new variants will likely be with us for years to come, affecting musicians and attendees, and the music scene will have an even more difficult recovery than after the smoking ban of 2001. 

There are a few mid-sized venues in Ottawa... There is the Gladstone, The Bronson Center, Centerpointe Theater, Algonquin Commons, Shenkman Arts Center... I've seen shows at many of these and they are excellent venues in the 500-1000 capacity range. The problem is that there to do a show at such a place requires promoters and planners to front the fees and manage publicity and ticket sales. Since Barrymore's pretty much turned away from the live band/door gig format to a pay-to-rent policy, there's not much venues for bands that can draw 300-500 without an event promotion organization backing them up. Capital music Hall was also a good spot a few blocks from Steve's but it's been torn down for Condos, another current urban trend threatening live venues. 

Sorry for the thread hijack but I think these trends will affect a lot of downton entertainment venues in a lot of Canadian cities.


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## Permanent Waves (Jun 2, 2020)

Duffman said:


> With all the crap having gone down in Ottawa lately and the brazen theft at Cosmo, I wonder if they are taking no chances and allowing one customer at a time for a while.


There was another brazen theft over the weekend at Dave's Drum Shop in downtown Ottawa. Mensa-candidate would-be thieves busted the door at 4 am and made out with a couple of bass drums destined for the donation bin before being arrested a few blocks down. Yup, let's just take the cheapest and most conspicuous item as we waddle down the street of a closed-down area of town in the middle of the night, sounds like a plan. Somewhere there are 2 villages missing their idiots.

I have to admit, the guy who posted the comment "Freedrum Convoy?" on the FB page story won the Internet for the day. 

Edit - I pasted the link to the story in case somebody thought I was makin it up  .

Log into Facebook


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

Permanent Waves said:


> an overabundance of caution from attendees.


I don't think it's an overabundance. Ask your buddy who's flat on his back for the second time. I Googled " Is covid over?" The other day and it's definitely not even close.


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## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

After working there for 14 years and having left at the beginning of COVID, I may have some insight as to what's happening there. First, they let go about half the total staff in the last 2 years. It seems strange but my suspicion is that the owners in Montreal are divesting themselves of both Ottawa and Toronto to instead concentrate on their Montreal operations. We noticed changes taking place prior to COVID. They are still adhering to strict COVID guidelines and I 'm sure moral is low. That said, it's still open so they must figure there's a future for them in the Ottawa market. In what capacity? Who knows....


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

nonreverb said:


> After working there for 14 years and having left at the beginning of COVID, I may have some insight as to what's happening there. First, they let go about half the total staff in the last 2 years. It seems strange but my suspicion is that the owners in Montreal are divesting themselves of both Ottawa and Toronto to instead concentrate on their Montreal operations. We noticed changes taking place prior to COVID. They are still adhering to strict COVID guidelines and I 'm sure moral is low. That said, it's still open so they must figure there's a future for them in the Ottawa market. In what capacity? Who knows....


Maybe the capacity of they have to pay their lease monthly if they are open or not. So they are breaking even until they can sublease or it expires.


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## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

player99 said:


> Maybe the capacity of they have to pay their lease monthly if they are open or not. So they are breaking even until they can sublease or it expires.


Maybe....Although I know they signed a multi-year lease. I'm just glad I left when I did.


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

nonreverb said:


> Maybe....Although I know they signed a multi-year lease. I'm just glad I left when I did.


Have you seen or heard from Dan DuPont?


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

Wonder if there's an opportunity for a bunch of us like-minded people in Ottawa to pool some money together for a dedicated jam space with room for an audience of 50 or so.


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## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

player99 said:


> Have you seen or heard from Dan DuPont?


Dan Dupont is a contractor now last I heard. He left Steve's several years ago.


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## guitarman2 (Aug 25, 2006)

1SweetRide said:


> Wonder if there's an opportunity for a bunch of us like-minded people in Ottawa to pool some money together for a dedicated jam space with room for an audience of 50 or so.


You might be on to something there. You could market it as "Come experience the band rehearsal experience". A smaller take on the "Reality show", you could manufacture in-fighting amongst the band members and other assorted drama (maybe big mouth girl friends on the side) and provide some entertaining performance of the odd song.


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## Permanent Waves (Jun 2, 2020)

1SweetRide said:


> Wonder if there's an opportunity for a bunch of us like-minded people in Ottawa to pool some money together for a dedicated jam space with room for an audience of 50 or so.


There is such a place - Record Runner – Ottawa’s Premier Music & Band Rehearsal Studios
All *Live @ Record Runner* concerts are held at *Record Runner Rehearsal Studios* in a warm and intimate setting. Seating is very limited - it is recommended to purchase your tickets early before show sells out. Refreshments will be served.


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

Permanent Waves said:


> There is such a place - Record Runner – Ottawa’s Premier Music & Band Rehearsal Studios
> All *Live @ Record Runner* concerts are held at *Record Runner Rehearsal Studios* in a warm and intimate setting. Seating is very limited - it is recommended to purchase your tickets early before show sells out. Refreshments will be served.


The 2 GC jams that occured before the pandemic were held at that place. I'm very interested in anything that's decided regarding this.


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## Always Frettin (11 mo ago)

Wow! Ilterally just stumble on this post and we had the IDENTICAL thing happen at Steve's in Toronto the last week of December 2021! The guy refused to let us in. It was my father, son, and two nephews. We are all guitar players and my nephew was on the hunt for road worn '50s tele reissue. He had cash in hand ready to roll. Guy REFUSED to even let us in. He claimed they didn't have enough staff to watch the entire store. As if I was the leader of a gang with a 70 yo man and an 11 yo henchman as my back up. the asshole even had the audacity to pull a tele down off the wall and started playing in full view of my nephew after he locked the door. So..we went to a music shop in Oakville the next day. ONE staff member working. He promptly gave us each a patch cable and pick telling us to try anything we wanted. No rush. Nephew bought his Tele after playing it for over an hour. Never going back to steve's..From this point on, it's gonna be Gear music in Oakville or Long and Mcquade in Burlington. Always happy to see you, always want you to play anything that catches your eye!


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

Permanent Waves said:


> There is such a place - Record Runner – Ottawa’s Premier Music & Band Rehearsal Studios
> All *Live @ Record Runner* concerts are held at *Record Runner Rehearsal Studios* in a warm and intimate setting. Seating is very limited - it is recommended to purchase your tickets early before show sells out. Refreshments will be served.


Great place. We played there regularly for about 2 years. Some of the equipment is getting old though and a few of the rooms have speakers that don't sound so good anymore. Even the Great Room is quite small if you have an audience.


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

Always Frettin said:


> Wow! Ilterally just stumble on this post and we had the IDENTICAL thing happen at Steve's in Toronto the last week of December 2021! The guy refused to let us in. It was my father, son, and two nephews. We are all guitar players and my nephew was on the hunt for road worn '50s tele reissue. He had cash in hand ready to roll. Guy REFUSED to even let us in. He claimed they didn't have enough staff to watch the entire store. As if I was the leader of a gang with a 70 yo man and an 11 yo henchman as my back up. the asshole even had the audacity to pull a tele down off the wall and started playing in full view of my nephew after he locked the door. So..we went to a music shop in Oakville the next day. ONE staff member working. He promptly gave us each a patch cable and pick telling us to try anything we wanted. No rush. Nephew bought his Tele after playing it for over an hour. Never going back to steve's..From this point on, it's gonna be Gear music in Oakville or Long and Mcquade in Burlington. Always happy to see you, always want you to play anything that catches your eye!


It's like they are trying to go out of business.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

1SweetRide said:


> It's like they are trying to go out of business.


....or trying to switch over to a Sweetwater model of on-line only business. They have the name recognition, and people are far more willing these days to purchase things without first trying them out. So why *wouldn't* they change over? For all we know, maybe the reason they appear to be short-staffed is because people are busy in the back room preparing orders for shipping. It's not like they aren't carrying new items.


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

mhammer said:


> ....or trying to switch over to a Sweetwater model of on-line only business. They have the name recognition, and people are far more willing these days to purchase things without first trying them out. So why *wouldn't* they change over? For all we know, maybe the reason they appear to be short-staffed is because people are busy in the back room preparing orders for shipping. It's not like they aren't carrying new items.


Perhaps, hope whatever they're up to works out for the employees.


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## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

mhammer said:


> ....or trying to switch over to a Sweetwater model of on-line only business. They have the name recognition, and people are far more willing these days to purchase things without first trying them out. So why *wouldn't* they change over? For all we know, maybe the reason they appear to be short-staffed is because people are busy in the back room preparing orders for shipping. It's not like they aren't carrying new items.


Trust me...That's not the reason. I've been gone for almost two years and I still haven't received my severance. They're dragging their heels and spreading out the payouts from what I understand. Fortunately for them since I was only working there one day a week for the last several years, I'm not pushing them for it.
They have an on line presence although it's concentrated more in Quebec than it is here. They have invested a lot of capital by expanding their presence in Montreal in the last few years....to the detriment of the Ontario stores.


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## Chito (Feb 17, 2006)

I've stopped going there for a few years now. I had a couple of bad experiences there which I wouldn't even bother to explain the details. So I have refused to do business with them since. L&M Kanata and Fleet Pro Sound are the only places I buy stuff nowadays. These two places, as soon as I come in, I would hear someone say "Hey Chito".  They know I spend a lot of $$$ in their shops.


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## JBFairthorne (Oct 11, 2014)

Always Frettin said:


> Wow! Ilterally just stumble on this post and we had the IDENTICAL thing happen at Steve's in Toronto the last week of December 2021! The guy refused to let us in. It was my father, son, and two nephews. We are all guitar players and my nephew was on the hunt for road worn '50s tele reissue. He had cash in hand ready to roll. Guy REFUSED to even let us in. He claimed they didn't have enough staff to watch the entire store. As if I was the leader of a gang with a 70 yo man and an 11 yo henchman as my back up. the asshole even had the audacity to pull a tele down off the wall and started playing in full view of my nephew after he locked the door. So..we went to a music shop in Oakville the next day. ONE staff member working. He promptly gave us each a patch cable and pick telling us to try anything we wanted. No rush. Nephew bought his Tele after playing it for over an hour. Never going back to steve's..From this point on, it's gonna be Gear music in Oakville or Long and Mcquade in Burlington. Always happy to see you, always want you to play anything that catches your eye!


Steve’s in Toronto has been kinda douchebag ish for a long time now. I’m talking YEARS.


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

Chito said:


> I've stopped going there for a few years now. I had a couple of bad experiences there which I wouldn't even bother to explain the details. So I have refused to do business with them since. L&M Kanata and Fleet Pro Sound are the only places I buy stuff nowadays. These two places, as soon as I come in, I would hear someone say "Hey Chito".  They know I spend a lot of $$$ in their shops.


Maybe they have an employee named Chito and they didn't want to tell you.


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## keto (May 23, 2006)

nonreverb said:


> Trust me...That's not the reason. I've been gone for almost two years and I still haven't received my severance. They're dragging their heels and spreading out the payouts from what I understand. Fortunately for them since I was only working there one day a week for the last several years, I'm not pushing them for it.
> They have an on line presence although it's concentrated more in Quebec than it is here. They have invested a lot of capital by expanding their presence in Montreal in the last few years....to the detriment of the Ontario stores.


If you're interested in moving things along, it likely wouldn't take a ton of time talking to the provincial labour board.


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## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

keto said:


> If you're interested in moving things along, it likely wouldn't take a ton of time talking to the provincial labour board.


Thanks keto. My severance will be a pittance and I know it's coming. I don't mind waiting.


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## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

I think where Ottawa is concerned, the writing was on the wall when the third L&M opened up. Steve's cannot compete at that level....not here anyway.


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## Rollin Hand (Jul 12, 2012)

nonreverb said:


> I think where Ottawa is concerned, the writing was on the wall when the third L&M opened up. Steve's cannot compete at that level....not here anyway.


Yeah, but the L&M in Orleans is so far it might as well be in Montreal.

Steve's is OK, I guess, but the lack of parking and the lack of room compared to L&M make it kind of unpleasant for me. Try as I might, I never managed to buy anything there.

And I found the Toronto one to be the same way.


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## tomee2 (Feb 27, 2017)

nonreverb said:


> Trust me...That's not the reason. I've been gone for almost two years and I still haven't received my severance. They're dragging their heels and spreading out the payouts from what I understand. Fortunately for them since I was only working there one day a week for the last several years, I'm not pushing them for it.
> They have an on line presence although it's concentrated more in Quebec than it is here. They have invested a lot of capital by expanding their presence in Montreal in the last few years....to the detriment of the Ontario stores.


Could they employees be trying to put them out of business?


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## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

tomee2 said:


> Could they employees be trying to put them out of business?


No, I never got that impression over the years I was there. Things started to change when the owner Steve Kirman passed away.


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## Parabola (Oct 22, 2021)

L&M Ottawa Is fairly handy despite the distance. I find it easier to go from the Orleans to Kanata locations via the 417/174 in Covid traffic, than to get to the Hunt Club location. I always find the staff pretty good At all the locations.

I lived a few blocks from Steve’s 20 years ago, it was not the most welcoming of places even then, always seemed to be hit or miss if someone would pay attention to me or not. Even back then it was worth the trip out to L&M via bus vs walking down the street.

As for the side discussion on music venues, some good comments thinking about the music things, but maybe not as much about the bar side of things. In my experience, music can bring people in, but the bar service pays the bills. That part can be the tricky and expensive part to get into, and you really do need a good customer base to keep it going.


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## laristotle (Aug 29, 2019)

nonreverb said:


> Thanks keto. My severance will be a pittance and I know it's coming. I don't mind waiting.


With the compounded interest (I think that you're entitled to), it'll probably be worth the wait.


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## elburnando (11 mo ago)

Always Frettin said:


> Wow! Ilterally just stumble on this post and we had the IDENTICAL thing happen at Steve's in Toronto the last week of December 2021! The guy refused to let us in. It was my father, son, and two nephews. We are all guitar players and my nephew was on the hunt for road worn '50s tele reissue. He had cash in hand ready to roll. Guy REFUSED to even let us in. He claimed they didn't have enough staff to watch the entire store. As if I was the leader of a gang with a 70 yo man and an 11 yo henchman as my back up. the asshole even had the audacity to pull a tele down off the wall and started playing in full view of my nephew after he locked the door. So..we went to a music shop in Oakville the next day. ONE staff member working. He promptly gave us each a patch cable and pick telling us to try anything we wanted. No rush. Nephew bought his Tele after playing it for over an hour. Never going back to steve's..From this point on, it's gonna be Gear music in Oakville or Long and Mcquade in Burlington. Always happy to see you, always want you to play anything that catches your eye!


Yeah, that was pretty much what happened to me. Except he did let me in when I told him I knew exactly what I was there for. 
But yes, Gear is great, but I've never made a major purchase there. The Burlington LM is my favorite spot. Just picked up my new Fender FMT there this morning! You can paly whatever you want all day there. Also, the Mississauga location is wonderful, just not as big of a selection.


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## nonreverb (Sep 19, 2006)

laristotle said:


> With the compounded interest (I think that you're entitled to), it'll probably be worth the wait.


lol...I should be so lucky.


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## mhammer (Nov 30, 2007)

Parabola said:


> L&M Ottawa Is fairly handy despite the distance. I find it easier to go from the Orleans to Kanata locations via the 417/174 in Covid traffic, than to get to the Hunt Club location. I always find the staff pretty good At all the locations.
> 
> I lived a few blocks from Steve’s 20 years ago, it was not the most welcoming of places even then, always seemed to be hit or miss if someone would pay attention to me or not. Even back then it was worth the trip out to L&M via bus vs walking down the street.
> 
> As for the side discussion on music venues, some good comments thinking about the music things, but maybe not as much about the bar side of things. In my experience, music can bring people in, but the bar service pays the bills. That part can be the tricky and expensive part to get into, and you really do need a good customer base to keep it going.


I like to watch the Food Channel show "Restaurant Impossible", where failing businesses get a "re-model" and refresh. Maybe Steve's needs something like that, with a new layout, or even a new space. Perhaps staff are in a rut.


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## SWLABR (Nov 7, 2017)

JBFairthorne said:


> Steve’s in Toronto has been kinda douchebag ish for a long time now. I’m talking YEARS.


I'd like to try a SansAmp
That guy's playing one right now, listen to him. 

True story!


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## bscott (Mar 3, 2008)

My last visit to Steve’s was years ago. The atmosphere was just horrific. I was asking questions about a guitar and amp and one bozo was walking around the store shredding. No one told him to stop and f*ck off. So I left. The next time, I was in looking for an amp but not one sales person approached me. They all just stood there and stared. All of this before covid. Their location doesn’t bother me but the staff does. Creepy


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

bscott said:


> My last visit to Steve’s was years ago. The atmosphere was just horrific. I was asking questions about a guitar and amp and one bozo was walking around the store shredding. No one told him to stop and f*ck off. So I left. The next time, I was in looking for an amp but not one sales person approached me. They all just stood there and stared. All of this before covid. Their location doesn’t bother me but the staff does. Creepy


We're all getting the same vibe. That in itself is weird.


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## player99 (Sep 5, 2019)

They should hire Steve-o from the Jackass show / movies to be their spokesman. Bring the mood up.


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

That kinda looks like Jim Carrey


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## bzrkrage (Mar 20, 2011)

Screw Steve's in Ottawa, go Spaceman (ex Songbird)


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## Dorian2 (Jun 9, 2015)

This story about Steve's out East reminds me of what I experienced in Edmonton in a couple of local shops a few years ago. Particularly Avenue Guitars just before it closed shop. Walked into the empty shop and a few staff members were eyeing me weirdly. It's hard to explain. Felt awkward in the shop.


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## Lincoln (Jun 2, 2008)

Dorian2 said:


> This story about Steve's out East reminds me of what I experienced in Edmonton in a couple of local shops a few years ago. Particularly Avenue Guitars just before it closed shop. Walked into the empty shop and a few staff members were eyeing me weirdly. It's hard to explain. Felt awkward in the shop.


Avenue did get weird there at the end.


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## Parabola (Oct 22, 2021)

As weird as Steve’s in Ottawa might be getting, it still has a lot of ground to cover before it reaches legendary Intercontinental Music level weirdness.


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## Duntov (Apr 2, 2021)

Parabola said:


> As weird as Steve’s in Ottawa might be getting, it still has a lot of ground to cover before it reaches legendary Intercontinental Music level weirdness.


This experience would be an entertaining thread of its own.

I have to admit, I went in there just for the customer experience .


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## 1SweetRide (Oct 25, 2016)

Well today was a new experience. Had to go into town to exchange those short guitar straps. The door was unlocked this time and staff seemed really happy and animated. Maybe spring's in the air? Walked out with a nice expression pedal too.


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## 2N1305 (Nov 2, 2009)

Does Kevin still work there?

I wanted to go in and buy pickguard, didn't find the time, and now I'm wondering if I'm better off ordering from StewMac.

Steve's used to be AWESOME.


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