Going into a guitar shop and not buying anything..

[Phil Starr]

1 minute ago, wateroftyne said:

There was a time when guitar shops were also a place just to hang around. I can't imagine how much popular music has been influenced by people hanging out on Denmark Street, for example.

There has always been an element of that and there were usually a notice board of band members wanted

 

[skidder652003]

20 minutes ago, Phil Starr said:

There has always been an element of that and there were usually a notice board of band members wanted

 

Thats how I recruited my band memebers from a note in a music shop, 15 years ago and still going!

[prowla]

I often go to guitar shops and have a look; if I see something I like I'll buy it, but if I don't then I won't.

[three]

42 minutes ago, GrahamLeeds said:

Northern Guitars in Leeds?

Great place with loads of good live music.

Apologies, it is Leeds not York, and yes, Northern - thanks for the correction. I was really impressed - great place and friendly staff

[Ed_S]

If I'm out and about and see a music shop then I'll usually nip in for a brief look, but I won't waste their time or get their hopes up by trying things I've got no intention of buying from them, and I don't tend to buy token bits either.

 

I don't even buy all that much from my local music shop, mainly because they've either binned or been binned by most of the brands I'd be interested in. What they've done instead is shift to buying and selling a lot of second hand gear; importantly without making the store look too much like a junk shop, and with good photographs and stock control online. It's working really well for them as a business, and it's allowed me to support them quite substantially by taking along my unnecessary impulse purchases and failed experiments to move on without having to deal with private selling.

[casapete]

13 minutes ago, Ed_S said:

don't even buy all that much from my local music shop, mainly because they've either binned or been binned by most of the brands I'd be interested in. What they've done instead is shift to buying and selling a lot of second hand gear; importantly without making the store look too much like a junk shop, and with good photographs and stock control online. It's working really well for them as a business, and it's allowed me to support them quite substantially by taking along my unnecessary impulse purchases and failed experiments to move on without having to deal with private selling.

I’m guessing you’re referring to Rich Tone Music in Sheffield? If so, I’d agree with you - they appear to

be doing well with the s/h market, and seem like good people to deal with too. I went in earlier this year

and was impressed with both the stock and also the friendliness/knowledge of the staff. 

[casapete]

1 hour ago, three said:

Apologies, it is Leeds not York, and yes, Northern - thanks for the correction. I was really impressed - great place and friendly staff

A friend of mine plays there occasionally and has nothing but good things to say about it.

Northern Guitars has been there for 25, maybe 30 years and used to be run by a guy called

Dusty who was a top bloke and quite a character. I’ve bought and traded a few instruments

from there over the years. One time I was looking at a Yamaha bass which was in a case

on the floor, apparently they had just bought it in. Felt a firm hand on my shoulder and a big 

feller telling me not to move as it was his guitar that had been stolen a couple of nights

ago, and he thought I was the culprit! He apologised when the staff told him I was just

browsing, and I left them to sort it out. 😆

[JoeEvans]

I used to own a (non-music) shop and I was always very welcoming when people came in just to browse, because although they think they're not going to buy anything, you know that deep down they do want to buy something or they wouldn't feel drawn to come in. Sometimes they'd come back a few times and just look around, and then you know that in due course they're very likely to buy. 

Browsers aren't time wasters, they're just the unripe fruit of the customer world, who need gentle ripening with the warm sunshine of the salesperson's welcome. If someone works in a shop and doesn't understand that, either they or the shop won't last long.

Edited Monday at 10:17 by JoeEvans

[asingardenof]

23 hours ago, SimonK said:

I went to Leiden on a work trip earlier this year and found "Guitars and Beans" which I thought was an awesome idea - coffee shop plus guitar shop. I ended up staying for a couple hours, bought lots of coffee (and some picks!) and every now and then tried out a different instrument. I'm suprised more guitar shops are not explictly trying this business model.

In that case let me point you at Music & Bean in Okehampton, Devon. Great little shop!

[knirirr]

8 minutes ago, JoeEvans said:

... I was always very welcoming when people came in just to browse, because although they think they're not going to buy anything, you know that deep down they do want to buy something or they wouldn't feel drawn to come in. ..

 

Quite. I'm reminded of a local shopkeeper (now passed away) who didn't quite get this. I once had this conversation with him:

"Do you see anything you fancy today?"
"Unfortunately not, sorry."
"Well, you must be blind then!"

[asingardenof]

19 minutes ago, casapete said:

A friend of mine plays there occasionally and has nothing but good things to say about it.

Northern Guitars has been there for 25, maybe 30 years and used to be run by a guy called

Dusty who was a top bloke and quite a character. I’ve bought and traded a few instruments

from there over the years. One time I was looking at a Yamaha bass which was in a case

on the floor, apparently they had just bought it in. Felt a firm hand on my shoulder and a big 

feller telling me not to move as it was his guitar that had been stolen a couple of nights

ago, and he thought I was the culprit! He apologised when the staff told him I was just

browsing, and I left them to sort it out. 😆

I think I bought my old Marshal 4x12 cab in there back when I were nought but a student with student loan money burning a hole in my bank account. It looks a lot more salubrious in there now than it did in the late 90s!

[Ed_S]

4 hours ago, casapete said:

I’m guessing you’re referring to Rich Tone Music in Sheffield? If so, I’d agree with you - they appear to

be doing well with the s/h market, and seem like good people to deal with too. I went in earlier this year

and was impressed with both the stock and also the friendliness/knowledge of the staff. 

 

Yup, they're my local, and they are indeed a friendly and knowledgeable bunch that I'd have no reservations in recommending. I noticed an email from them recently said they were having a clearance sale on some new gear to make room for even more second hand stock, so they really seem to be continuing to embrace that side of the market. Unsurprising when the margins on it are so much better for them and it looks to be flying out of the door as fast as it's heading in - certainly a few of the bits I've taken in were sold before I'd even left the shop, and the rest didn't take more than a few days to disappear. 

[cybertect]

10 hours ago, asingardenof said:

In that case let me point you at Music & Bean in Okehampton, Devon. Great little shop!

 

Seconded!

 

I spent a good twenty minutes chatting with the proprietor about vintage Höfners last time I was in there (he had a 1959 Congress guitar on the wall and I have 1967 Verithin bass at home) and no, I didn’t end up buying anything 🙂

[asingardenof]

1 hour ago, cybertect said:

 

Seconded!

 

I spent a good twenty minutes chatting with the proprietor about vintage Höfners last time I was in there (he had a 1959 Congress guitar on the wall and I have 1967 Verithin bass at home) and no, I didn’t end up buying anything 🙂

I bought a string winder in there to show willing 😎

[peteb]

12 hours ago, casapete said:

A friend of mine plays there occasionally and has nothing but good things to say about it.

Northern Guitars has been there for 25, maybe 30 years and used to be run by a guy called

Dusty who was a top bloke and quite a character. I’ve bought and traded a few instruments

from there over the years. One time I was looking at a Yamaha bass which was in a case

on the floor, apparently they had just bought it in. Felt a firm hand on my shoulder and a big 

feller telling me not to move as it was his guitar that had been stolen a couple of nights

ago, and he thought I was the culprit! He apologised when the staff told him I was just

browsing, and I left them to sort it out. 😆

 

I think that Northern Guitars has been going in one form of another for longer than 30 years. I haven't seen Dusty for many years, but he is indeed, a bit of a character!