Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I simply can't figure out the logic. If you are in the business of selling musical instruments, they why crank the stereo in the store so loud that the potential customer can't hear what they actually sound like? Even if you set the amp loud enough that you fear being mistaken for one of their typical, unemployed shredder customers (dude, so harsh) the resulting mix is still mud, it's just louder mud.

Or....you can go into the acoustic room and find out how an expensive Martin or Taylor can compete, tone-wise, against nine bargain-basement humidifiers all running at once. I firmly believe that most late-night break-ins at GCs aren't people trying to steal anything....they just want a chance to hear what the guitars actually sound like. I also always have this mad desire to walk up to the nearest shredder-in-training, wailing away at top speed, unplug his guitar, toss the stomp box, plug him into the clean channel, set it on "squeeky" at a pleasant volume level and say "There you go kid, now let's find out if you're really any good...."

Amen to that Todd. The clean channel is more than likely a channel that is to be feared by most shredders. Anyone with a bit of ability can be made to sound good with 50lbs worth of effects hanging off their guitar cord.

Dropped in today to see if that amp came in. Nada. But there was a guy playing major funk rhythm for a solid 6 minutes while I was in there, never varying the pattern or switching tone or doing anything unusual. It was, "chunka-wow-chunka-wow-chunka-wow-chunka-chunka-wow-wow" until I ran out the door...

teb wrote:I simply can't figure out the logic. If you are in the business of selling musical instruments, they why crank the stereo in the store so loud that the potential customer can't hear what they actually sound like? Even if you set the amp loud enough that you fear being mistaken for one of their typical, unemployed shredder customers (dude, so harsh) the resulting mix is still mud, it's just louder mud.

Or....you can go into the acoustic room and find out how an expensive Martin or Taylor can compete, tone-wise, against nine bargain-basement humidifiers all running at once. I firmly believe that most late-night break-ins at GCs aren't people trying to steal anything....they just want a chance to hear what the guitars actually sound like. I also always have this mad desire to walk up to the nearest shredder-in-training, wailing away at top speed, unplug his guitar, toss the stomp box, plug him into the clean channel, set it on "squeeky" at a pleasant volume level and say "There you go kid, now let's find out if you're really any good...."

Todd --- I really enjoy the several humourus postings you've been making on several different threads....
Keep it up !!!

winston wrote:Amen to that Todd. The clean channel is more than likely a channel that is to be feared by most shredders. Anyone with a bit of ability can be made to sound good with 50lbs worth of effects hanging off their guitar cord.

This is very true. Even I can sound decent on a guitar with enough distortion, and I can't play guitar to save my life, well, the lower 4 strings aren't too bad, just too small...

jingle_jangle wrote:Dropped in today to see if that amp came in. Nada. But there was a guy playing major funk rhythm for a solid 6 minutes while I was in there, never varying the pattern or switching tone or doing anything unusual. It was, "chunka-wow-chunka-wow-chunka-wow-chunka-chunka-wow-wow" until I ran out the door...

Oh- that was you...WHAT- you didn't like my playing?!?

jingle_jangle wrote:Dropped in today to see if that amp came in. Nada. But there was a guy playing major funk rhythm for a solid 6 minutes while I was in there, never varying the pattern or switching tone or doing anything unusual. It was, "chunka-wow-chunka-wow-chunka-wow-chunka-chunka-wow-wow" until I ran out the door...

I think it's one guy and he just happens to be at all the GC's. He's kind of like Santa Claus. He's everywhere.

teb wrote:I simply can't figure out the logic. If you are in the business of selling musical instruments, they why crank the stereo in the store so loud that the potential customer can't hear what they actually sound like? Even if you set the amp loud enough that you fear being mistaken for one of their typical, unemployed shredder customers (dude, so harsh) the resulting mix is still mud, it's just louder mud.

Speaking of that, a few months ago i was also asked to turn down in a GC when trying out one of those Epiphone amps (that everyone modifies) that's something like 5 watts. Or 15, i don't know.

I was also in a different GC earlier this week to try out one of the new Vox AC4TV amps, with shredders shredding near me, and was asked to turn down by a salesman.

It's a four-watt amp.

You obviously weren't playing the right kind of music. Shame on you for interfering with the shredders...

Well said, Todd and Brian. The clean channel is what shredders fear to tread. The clean channel is where I will always find my tone. I usually want a tube amp with no onboard effects (Fender Blackface, Fender Tweed, Vox AC-30 HW, Marshall JTM 45) except it's good clean reverb and tremelo. Any distortion or effects I need can be added with a wonderful array of stomp boxes. The (wannabe) shredders at GC will never learn.

Here's something I posted in January, and I'll post it again.

I'm not a fan of corporations (especially GC), and the best store I think I've ever been to was International Vintage Guitars in New Orleans. It is a Mom and Pop store, which generally are the best.

And now, time for a small rant (please remove this or edit it if it's a problem):
The problem with corporations (and yes, my local music store is a small chain store) is that they don't care about you and/or the instruments/amps/whatever, they care about your money. When I walked into GC in mid-July [2008], I found several guitars with missing screws knobs, and whatnot. And the problem is, is that 80% of the kids are into putting in their SG Faded into an overdriven Marshall or Line6 solid-state stack. They also think Rics suck and they sound terrible driven (a Ric sounds better with FUZZ, really)

The best thing about Mom and Pop stores is that they don't care (just) about the money, they care about you and the instruments. And if you want to turn the amp up to 10, you turn it up at least to halfway (4 or 5). They are the best, and always will be.

(End of said small rant)

To add to that, you could leave a Guitar Center in a bad mood, but 90% of the time, you'd never leave a GOOD Mom and Pop store in a bad mood.

Scastles wrote:

jingle_jangle wrote:Dropped in today to see if that amp came in. Nada. But there was a guy playing major funk rhythm for a solid 6 minutes while I was in there, never varying the pattern or switching tone or doing anything unusual. It was, "chunka-wow-chunka-wow-chunka-wow-chunka-chunka-wow-wow" until I ran out the door...

I think it's one guy and he just happens to be at all the GC's. He's kind of like Santa Claus. He's everywhere.

Geeeenius!

JakeK wrote:Well said, Todd and Brian. The clean channel is what shredders fear to tread. The clean channel is where I will always find my tone. I usually want a tube amp with no onboard effects (Fender Blackface, Fender Tweed, Vox AC-30 HW, Marshall JTM 45) except it's good clean reverb and tremelo. Any distortion or effects I need can be added with a wonderful array of stomp boxes. The (wannabe) shredders at GC will never learn.

Here's something I posted in January, and I'll post it again.

I'm not a fan of corporations (especially GC), and the best store I think I've ever been to was International Vintage Guitars in New Orleans. It is a Mom and Pop store, which generally are the best.

And now, time for a small rant (please remove this or edit it if it's a problem):
The problem with corporations (and yes, my local music store is a small chain store) is that they don't care about you and/or the instruments/amps/whatever, they care about your money. When I walked into GC in mid-July [2008], I found several guitars with missing screws knobs, and whatnot. And the problem is, is that 80% of the kids are into putting in their SG Faded into an overdriven Marshall or Line6 solid-state stack. They also think Rics suck and they sound terrible driven (a Ric sounds better with FUZZ, really)

The best thing about Mom and Pop stores is that they don't care (just) about the money, they care about you and the instruments. And if you want to turn the amp up to 10, you turn it up at least to halfway (4 or 5). They are the best, and always will be.

(End of said small rant)

To add to that, you could leave a Guitar Center in a bad mood, but 90% of the time, you'd never leave a GOOD Mom and Pop store in a bad mood.

Do you have the address for International Vintage Guitars handy? I think I'm gonna go buy the lot next door and build a Guitar Center.

It is rather amazing that based on inventory alone, a trip to a GC should be a really fun experience for any guitar freak - especially if you don't live in a really large city with a lot of other shops. Yet they have managed to make it into an experience that many of us avoid. Maybe we need to put a sign out front that says "You must be this tall and have a job to enter this store"

I usually avoid Guitar Center on Saturdays so that I don't have to hear the loud shredders. I understand the reason they let the people turn up loud, though. They get more low end sales off people who do that, simply because of the volume of people passing through. An experienced musician will probably walk in and basically know what he/she wants and not spend as much time fooling around as the guys playing the repeating riff really loud.

I have had really good experiences at Guitar Center and Sam Ash. I have also had bad experiences at the "Mom and Pop" stores. The one closest to me refuses to be competitive in the guitar market (they make all their money selling/renting band and orchestra instruments) by using a middle man dealer and prey on the unsuspecting parent. [I heard a sales clerk try to convince a kid's parents that they shouldn't buy him a left handed guitar because a lot of left handed people play right handed guitars...] I don't think it is fair to bash the chain stores when there are plenty of small stores doing similar things. If you find a good store with good people, stick with them, whether it is a chain or a small store.

teb wrote:It is rather amazing that based on inventory alone, a trip to a GC should be a really fun experience for any guitar freak - especially if you don't live in a really large city with a lot of other shops. Yet they have managed to make it into an experience that many of us avoid. Maybe we need to put a sign out front that says "You must be this tall and have a job to enter this store"

Maybe also something having to do with being off pimple cream for at least 18 months, with a note from parents?