Just a few weeks ago........I went to guitar center to buy a couple of packs of guitar strings. I walked up to the accessories counter (guitar strings stores on the wall). The clerk was behind the counter moving some items on the shelves, about 5 feet from me. I stood there for some time, and he looked at me several times, but basically ignored me. So.....I just looked at the strings stored on the wall rack, looking for my brand and gauge. After looking for some time, I saw that the rack, containing my brand and gauge was empty. After about five minutes or so.......the clerk finally asked if I needed something. I told him that he was out of what I needed (two packs of my brand and gauge). I showed him the empty rack. Instead of looking for the strings (stored somewhere), and refilling the rack, he handed me a 10 pack box of the strings I wanted, from another shelf, and began to ring up the purchase. I then reminded him that I only wanted two packs. He continued ringing up the purchase, as if he expected me to buy the 10 pack box, even though I didn't want it. He ignored the fact that I wanted only two packs, and continued with the entering of the 10 pack. Finally I told him that he apparently didn't have what I wanted or didn't have the energy to get it. I left the counter, while he just shrugged his shoulders. I walked out the store and will probably never return there.

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"I won't be wronged, I won't be insulted, I won't be laid a hand on. I don't do these things to other people, and I require the same from them."-John Wayne

Martian shops in NY so maybe he can relate to this. Whenever I go into one of the big chain stores which might be twice a year I never ask for help. I just walk around and pick out the strings or cloths or whatever I need. In ten minutes someone usually comes up and says can I help you and I just say no I got it and bring it to the counter. And if I ever see an ax I want to play I walk up to the clerk and just say hey my man can you pull that so and so down for me so I can check it out. Thats the way to do it dont stand there and expect someone to come up to you because they are all in a fog and the next time I go in I always see new clerks so there shelf life must be 6 months. I can hang out at my friend Mikes store Maggio music on 86st and 18th ave and see him work on guitar after guitar as guys bring them in .In fact I hardly ever see anyone have to leave there ax overnight. The guy is like a machine. When he changes strings he just hits it and turns the peg BAM perfect pitch-. that bugs me out. lol Its not a big store but I can go and hang the whole day as most of you guys know who have there lil musician hang out joint where you go shoot the breeze and know your ax is in the best hands possible. I guess thats why its been there 80 years.

There's one place a friend and I visited at least weekly, even if we weren't buying anything.

We hung out and talked with the employees if it wasn't busy, and talked with other customers, and when we did need to buy anything we got a better price than the people who just walked in off the street.

It's also where I got the pick case I keep mine in. It's Dunlop Tortex plastic case you usually see in stores, and that was before I started using Tortex. they were going to throw it away and offered it to my friend and me--he didn't want it--I took it--works great.

just a little thing, but I liked it.

I miss that store.

They merged with another store that focused more on school band stuff, and their guitar stuff went downhill.
They got rid of their good salespeople, and eventually went under.

It wasn't lack of business that killed them, but mismanagement.

There's another store we hung out as well, but less often. My friend later worked there for a while. We once stayed after hours and jammed on the most expensive guitars in the store--ones I could never afford, and would have been hesitant to try out otherwise.

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It wasn't Willy-Nilly, it was at crows.