# classic guitar store characters.



## SnowBlind (Feb 26, 2006)

Alright we all know that it doesnt matter waht guitar store you go to, your going to always find the same types of people. So lets just list a bunch of the classic guitar store characters. Ill start...

-the guy whos in the corner of the store ripping crazy blues licks.
- the kid whos in the store every single day and you could swear whats going through his head is "I MUST PLAY EVERY SINGLE GUITAR AND AMP".

I dont go to guitar stores that often so I dont see that many characters. My examples are kind of crap But im sure you guys could name a bunch.


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## noobcake (Mar 8, 2006)

The 16 year old metal head with 3 foot long hair and a Dimmu Borgir shirt playing power chords at 760.46 bpm with a pointy lookin axe through a cranked solid state amp.


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## Bevo (Nov 24, 2006)

I hear the same songs all the time.

Smoke on the water
Iron man
Stairway to heaven.

Bev


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## searchin4signal (Sep 23, 2006)

I hear Metallica's Seek and Destroy EVERY single time I step foot in a music store and some kid is trying out an amp.


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## Rumble_b (Feb 14, 2006)

I love the kid with so much distortion that whats he's playing actually sounds like he has some skill. That is untill someone puts him on a clean channel and it's some of the worst playing or most simple stuff ever.(I saw that last week)
I swear the distortion must have been adding notes and keeping him in time!! Ha ha! Also gotta love the kids that think the louder you are, the better you are.


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## SnowBlind (Feb 26, 2006)

haha talking about distortion... I remember when i was in highschool we had a talent show and this kid who had a 2000 dollar strat went on stage and just maxed out the distortion and started going up and down the same box scale pattern faster and faster. everyones face in the hall was like '  wow hes so good'. I remember I once asked him why his strat was 2000 dollars. His reply was "its a custom shop, so you know its got like a custom paint job" even though his guitar looked like a normal red to me.


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## nine (Apr 23, 2006)

SnowBlind said:


> I remember I once asked him why his strat was 2000 dollars. His reply was "its a custom shop, so you know its got like a custom paint job" even though his guitar looked like a normal red to me.


He just didn't want to admit that it's cause mommy and daddy are loaded and/or he's spoiled.


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## Luke98 (Mar 4, 2007)

I feel intimidated in guitar stores, even though I'm better than the average guy in there lol.

And I saw some guy playing a bc rich guitar, distortion maxed, volume up louder than the average concert, trying to play master of puppets, and then he dropped the guitar and chipped a horn. I laughed.


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## The Tourist (Feb 18, 2007)

I definitely agree with the fifteen/sixteen year old playing Metallica riffs..


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## nine (Apr 23, 2006)

Luke98 said:


> I feel intimidated in guitar stores, even though I'm better than the average guy in there lol.


At least you're better than them. I'm most certainly not and usually sneak off to a corner somewhere and try to not let anyone hear me. Haha.


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## Luke98 (Mar 4, 2007)

I mean the average guy, Theres still alot of ****in crazy ass guys in there.

And that wouldnt work for me, , I was amp shopping lol.

Edit: I'm 14 and wouldn't play a metallica song in a store. I have my reputation, Y'know?


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## nine (Apr 23, 2006)

Luke98 said:


> And that wouldnt work for me, , I was amp shopping lol.


Yeah, that's the worst. I bought a Deluxe Reverb a couple of weeks ago and I decided to go with the minimalist approach. Cranked the amp up, hit some open chords, hit some power chords and picked out a few notes and let them ring out.

Tried to come off as some guitar zen master that doesn't feel the need to show his wang to everyone. Hahaha. Gotta go with what ya know!


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## Xanadu (Feb 3, 2006)

nine said:


> Yeah, that's the worst. I bought a Deluxe Reverb a couple of weeks ago and I decided to go with the minimalist approach. Cranked the amp up, hit some open chords, hit some power chords and picked out a few notes and let them ring out.
> 
> Tried to come off as some guitar zen master that doesn't feel the need to show his wang to everyone. Hahaha. Gotta go with what ya know!


I showed my wang in a guitar store once... Didn't go over too well.:tongue:


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## rbwi (Aug 5, 2006)

what i hate about guitar stores is emo kids that talk and talk and talk
about how good they are and how everybody else sucks.

but when you put a guitar in their hands, they can't play for shit.

rbwi


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## Ripper (Jul 1, 2006)

One of our local music stores actually has a list of songs on the wall you aren't allowed to play while trying out a guitar. :banana:


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## rbwi (Aug 5, 2006)




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## nine (Apr 23, 2006)

One of the coolest things I've heard in a guitar store was some kid playing a song that a friend of mine wrote. I immediately emailed him to inform him of this interesting, flattering event. And warned him that if he became more popular, that song of his might end up on the "You are not allowed to play...." list. :tongue:


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## SnowBlind (Feb 26, 2006)

Xanadu said:


> I showed my wang in a guitar store once... Didn't go over too well.:tongue:


FACT: Xanadu never tells a lie.


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## I_cant_play (Jun 26, 2006)

> I feel intimidated in guitar stores, even though I'm better than the average guy in there lol.


Likewise, I'm just really shy and don't like to play loud in front of people so that really sucks when trying out a tube amp. I love places that have sound rooms where you can crank the stuff. Then it's easier to ignore people even though they can probably still hear me.


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## Metal#J# (Jan 1, 2007)

noobcake said:


> The 16 year old metal head with 3 foot long hair and a Dimmu Borgir shirt playing power chords at 760.46 bpm with a pointy lookin axe through a cranked solid state amp.


 I understand that this bothers alot of people. But what bothers me is when people assume that there is no skill in playing faster metal type music. And I feel for the kid that gets picked on for doing so 

The most typical guit shop characters I'm familliar with are the 12th fret elitest types who have all learned the latest Guitar One lesson and cant apply it to anything. They just pull them out when shopping for guitars they cant afford!


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## Luke98 (Mar 4, 2007)

Can't forget the burned out 60's hipster who's playing jimi hendrix with a dandelion in his hair.

That guys owns the record shop I frequent most .


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## Powdered Toast Man (Apr 6, 2006)

How about "Disgruntled Washed-Up Musician" salesperson?


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## Emohawk (Feb 3, 2006)

Luke98 said:


> Edit: I'm 14 and wouldn't play a metallica song in a store. I have my reputation, Y'know?


Nothing wrong with playing a Metallica song...but I do get sick of hearing S&D, MOP, One & Enter Sandman. Kids don't seem to realize they did record other tunes...

I've been seeing less of the crazy metal stuff lately. I saw a 12-year old kid in a shop about a month ago that had us all in tears with Jimi & SRV stuff. At 12 & playing for only a year he was better than I ever hope to be. 

As for me, I get pretty uptight in stores so I usually hide in a corner & play unplugged if I play at all. Heck - the drummers could outplay me on guitar most of the time! 

So there's a character for you... "Ashamed hiding in the corner guy!"


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## Emohawk (Feb 3, 2006)

Metal#J# said:


> I understand that this bothers alot of people. But what bothers me is when people assume that there is no skill in playing faster metal type music. And I feel for the kid that gets picked on for doing so
> 
> The most typical guit shop characters I'm familliar with are the 12th fret elitest types who have all learned the latest Guitar One lesson and cant apply it to anything. They just pull them out when shopping for guitars they cant afford!


I agree. It does seem to be a misconception. There's a lot of very talented players in metal. But if you try it and can't pull it off, that's another story.  But most of these types are kids too, and part of being a kid is trying to show off & be cool. You don't realize until much later in life that you actually looked kinda foolish.

The problem is if you're there a lot, or happen to be a sales person, you usually hear a lot of the same stuff ad nauseum, often played badly. That makes it hard to appreciate it when someone comes in & nails the stuff.


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## The Kicker Of Elves (Jul 20, 2006)

I'm petrified of playing in a guitar store. I either bring a "designated picker" and busy myself turning knobs and listening, or get one of the staff to play while I do the same...

Then again, I've only had a guitar for less than a year and am not any good at all. 

Heck, I can't play in front of anybody, even a friend who's never played.

This from a person who can talk in front of groups, has played sports in front of crowds with no problem, etc.

But guitar? <shudder>


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## mario (Feb 18, 2006)

Powdered Toast Man said:


> How about "Disgruntled Washed-Up Musician" salesperson?


+1 on that! There are a few of those here in London.


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