T-Bay Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 Following from various threads about music shops, so what th8ngs shouldn’t you do in a music shop? For starters, playing this is bound to make you Mr/Mrs popular with the staff: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
barneyg42 Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fleabag Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 Didn't it start with gitwrists always whacking out Stairway to Heaven , and the rest is history Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EliasMooseblaster Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 2 minutes ago, fleabag said: Didn't it start with gitwrists always whacking out Stairway to Heaven , and the rest is history My old local music shop (sadly missed now) used to have a little sign up in their guitar room, which read: "GUITARISTS: PLEASE DO NOT PLAY ANY NIRVANA ANY OASIS STAIRWAY TO HEAVEN" One day, while trying out a bass, I did furtively play the riff from Come As You Are to see if any of the staff would turn on me, but I think I got away with it... 2 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TrevorR Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 When trying out a bass in a shop I always find “The Theme From Star Trek Deep Space Nine” falling under my fingertips. Only ever been called out on it once... lovely tune, though. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bonzodog Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 Although learning bass on one borrowed from a friend, the first time I went into a music shop to try one out plugged in, I just played The Chain over and over! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josie Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 My first thought when I went in to Promenade Music in Morecambe a few years ago to buy my first bass was, don't play anything until I'm sure no-one can hear me! I couldn't even play a major triad, let alone a riff anyone might vaguely recognise. Just picked out notes along the fretboard to check the tone and the action. I can still feel intimidated by young guitar shredders showing off... Gruhn's in Nashville, where I last bought a bass (sorry for bragging :-) have a couple of sound-proofed cubicles where you can try out an instrument if they believe you're serious about possibly buying it. Excellent idea, but the shop needs enough space (and money) to do it - Gruhn's has both, but few places in the UK I suspect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Deep Thought Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 When I was trying out an Ibanez Artcore years ago, the chap in my local shop said ‘don’t hear many Stranglers basslines these days’, as I was playing ‘Nice’n’sleazy’ as I often do, probably the intro to ‘5 minutes’ as well, amongst others. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 I'm happy just looking so I very rarely play any basses in music shops. It's even rarer that I plug them in, so I haven't upset anyone. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
josie Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 Reminds me of a comment I can't remember where I heard about, from someone in a shop saying "We almost never hear anyone trying out a guitar actually playing a song". It wasn't about me but it could have been - I run through my favourite 12-bar blues walking lines, (1) because that's what I'm going to mostly play on it, and (2) because (as said above) I'm nervous in that environment and feel the need to do something I'm completely solid with. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mykesbass Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 2 minutes ago, chris_b said: I'm happy just looking so I very rarely play any basses in music shops. It's even rarer that I plug them in, so I haven't upset anyone. Might not have upset anyone, but saying you don't want to plug in must certainly have perplexed a few. I've certainly been greeted with a certain level of disbelief when declining the offer to be plugged in straight away. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 I've told this before. . . . A friend was looking for a guitar as a 50th birthday present to himself. The guy in the shop got down a US Strat and Rob, who was mightily impressed, said, "But this is only for playing in my bedroom." The shop guy said, "Mate, 90% of the guitars we sell are to people who play in their bedrooms, and the other 10% should do." 1 7 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellzero Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 F*cking slap. It's so boring to hear the same thing in any shop... 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris_b Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 4 minutes ago, Mykesbass said: Might not have upset anyone, but saying you don't want to plug in must certainly have perplexed a few. I've certainly been greeted with a certain level of disbelief when declining the offer to be plugged in straight away. Well for the first 25 years I had my P bass, so very little interest in other basses until I got my first 5er, from Exchange and Mart. No shop had a 5 string bass when I was looking in 94-95. Then the Lakland and Wal came from Ebay. . . then I discovered Bass Chat!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hellzero Posted February 16, 2018 Share Posted February 16, 2018 I saw once Alain Caron "playing" a fretless bass he was invited to try : he simply played a minor scale in A on two octaves, that was enough for him to say that the bass was really good sounding. Some people should learn from this. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Valdemar Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 (edited) 5 hours ago, EliasMooseblaster said: One day, while trying out a bass, I did furtively play the riff from Come As You Are to see if any of the staff would turn on me, but I think I got away with it... They probably assumed it was Eighties and gave you the benefit of the doubt. Edited February 17, 2018 by Cosmo Valdemar Spelling 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NJE Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 I never slap when testing a bass, I’m not good at it and there is bound to be someone better than me at it close by. Unless there is a testing room (PMT in Cardiff have one, as did Andertons when I went there) I never plug a bass into an amp to test it. I’m looking at build, resonance and general set up and I know what most basses sound like. I tried out a 63 reissue precision in a shop a couple of years ago and he first thing that came to mind was heatwave by Martha and The Vandellas. I got a smile from the guy in the shop and he said “Heatwave, nice”. I guess it wasn’t a common occurrence 😄 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_5 Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 My first thought after reading the thread title was ‘defecate in the corner’. I think I need to speak my therapist 🤭 1 6 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Trueno Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 I tried out a bass (and bought it) yesterday. I just feel around the neck for evil fret ends, then I play every note both plugged and unplugged for any buzzes and things, then I noodle around a bit and play some scales just for general feel and playability and try every variation of pickup and tone settings. Didn't take long to establish it was a goer. Job done. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldslapper Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 Whenever I buy a car, I test drive it by first revving it as hard & long as I can, hoping that people notice me. Once I have their attention I attempt a doughnut manoeuvre I saw on YouTube (I stall quite a lot, but I think I look cool). It never occurs to me to check if the breaks, clutch, gears, lights work, or if the cars structure is sound...or, heaven forbid, it fits any practical needs. OK, so my cars never leave my garage (but no one in the showroom knows that, they all think I'm the Stig maaaaan) 1 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heathy Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 What not to do in a music shop? Go in, unless you really need to buy something. Most of them are just ghastly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 12 hours ago, Mykesbass said: Might not have upset anyone, but saying you don't want to plug in must certainly have perplexed a few. I've certainly been greeted with a certain level of disbelief when declining the offer to be plugged in straight away. I always play a bass unplugged first, unless it passes that test I am not going to want to hear it plugged in. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
leftybassman392 Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 (edited) Nice to see so many pontiffs gathered together. Minor retraction: not too many actual pontiffs, but with due respect to the OP it's a shop. Short of willfully damaging the merchandise, assaulting the staff or defecating in the corner I would have thought there's very little one shouldn't do. (Morris dancing is probably not a good idea...) The vast majority of the people crossing the threshold will be there to buy, play or admire the merchandise, all of which is good for the people running the place I would have thought. As to the offence caused to staff, well they're there mainly to help separate customers from their money. Their opinion on what goes down in the shop (short of the aforementioned damage, assault and defecation of course) is of little consequence. You're paid to be there dude: deal with it. Unless there's some sort of super secret bass player's taste etiquette at work of course... Edited February 17, 2018 by leftybassman392 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 2 hours ago, paul_5 said: My first thought after reading the thread title was ‘defecate in the corner’. I think I need to speak my therapist 🤭 Typical bass player doing it up the corner, come on why not right by the front door near the till! 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
paul_c2 Posted February 17, 2018 Share Posted February 17, 2018 1 hour ago, stingrayPete1977 said: Typical bass player doing it up the corner, come on why not right by the front door near the till! "I don't have much money until payday at the end of the month, can I leave a deposit on this bass?" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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