Things You Always Wanted to Ask a Guitar Store Employee

#guitar #guitarstore #ama
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Find me on Instagram @samuraiguitarist

[PraetorianCuber]

the jellyfish pick is such a hilarious recurring villain on this channel, makes me laugh every time when he brings it up again

[ScottClark]

As someone who also owned a Jellyfish, I appreciate your consistent hatred of the thing.

[vmurad]

Hey, samurai dude. Here's an idea for a video: "Top 5 guitars under U$950 you can shoplift in California without going to jail".
I'd watch that.

[grarglejobber]

Man, I'm really glad I worked for a mom and pops type music store. I rented way more oboes than I sold guitars, and I sold guitars better than the entire staff's numbers. I learned to take dents out of brass instruments and all sorts of things like that from this band director who was dying of cancer. Nobody ever said someone was playing guitar too much on the clock, even if they were playing guitar too much on the clock. When stuff was done and things were slow, me and one other guy's favorite thing to do was go derp around on this roland pedal that played simple progressions in different styles. It was like $550 in 2010 money which was way out of my price range. Totally cool experience, no corporate overlords, just musicians somehow running an actual business.

[MittensOnly]

I don't know if i'll ever get over the name "Big Bong No Pants"

[DoctorTrainGaming]

I currently work at a Long And Mcquade. So this was cool to hear. Though you might agree that the worst type of customer can be the person who says "I spend lots here, I should get a deal" and they've spent maybe 2k in 10 years

[michaelsacksteder]

"Baby-boomer, weekend warrior, rock and roll-type dads, who weren't especially good, but could kind of get through some tunes and some licks..." I feel seen.

[weevilsnitz]

About playing guitar and jamming when a customer comes in: I think that's just a huge corporate stigma thing. I've worked big retail in a small shop, and in small stores, and I think the one thing customers want is someone who is friendly regardless of how the customer finds the associate. Jamming and having your head down you're going to get caught in the same position as someone carrying boxes and stocking shelves when a customer comes in. If I was playing I would just make sure to always face the door and when someone comes in you can give a wave and a smile or say hey or anything. I would much rather walk into a music store to see an associate enjoying music as opposed to bored on their phone.
It's like when I worked at GameStop and the company policy FINALLY changed from literal business casual to jeans and a collared shirt to jeans and pretty much anything non-offensive. Do you want to buy video games from a salesman? No, you want to make friends and talk about the thing you like with someone who also looks like they're comfortable and looks like you.

[oldsledpurgatory]

Whenever someone dropped a guitar at the music store I worked at, our reaction was always "Hey, we just made a sale!"

[wildwayz]

The story about dropping and instrument happened to me. I was doing 2 week's work experience when about 15 or 16 in a small independent music store. Part of my role was to clean guitars and sell people things. I was cleaning a Telecaster and when finished, I put it back on it's high hanger and a minute or so, it fell through the hanger and hit the floor chipping it. That sinking feeling is real. The store owner told me not to worry, put the price up £50 so he could knock it off if a customer buys it lol

[ryano.]

I was finally able to quit a store that rhymes with "sitar renter" in the beginning of October. I left on good terms, but I came so, so, SO DAMN CLOSE to taking off my nametag, stomping on it, and walking out...but thankfully, I was able to put in my notice before I went off the deep end like that. Also, want to know why women aren't more common in music stores? CONSTANT harassment from customers. We lost many a cool and talented coworker because of that shit. Never going back.

[naamakala]

I'm beginning to wonder how many times that Jellyfish pick has been thrown on the floor in Sammy's videos. :D

[gatormouth]

You are a great communicator. you told everything in a concise way and I appreciate it. Great work!

[michaelhalliwell]

“Smoking up and going to the Guitar store is just something you do.”

Ladies and gentlemen… we got a real one over here 👏🏻

[JoshuaSigmund]

Did my tour toward the end of and after college. Ended up as the drum department manager. Two stories stick out: 1) "Best used purchase": Guy comes in wanting to sell 2 Zildjian K Custom splashes (8" & 10") in mint condition. I told him flat out, "We're going to have to under pay you for what these are worth. You should really just sell them on Craigslist." But he insisted on selling them. Long story short, they lived hidden under the counter for exactly the amount of time required before I was able to buy them for something like $40 total! 2) "Best customer": There were a few regulars who were always great to see (knowledgeable, nice, never haggled, listened to my advice). But the one that stands out was a kid, probably 10-12 years old, who would come in every week to play and ask questions and add to his "wish list". He liked vintage gear, and had his heart set on this old Ludwig snare drum we had on the floor. He told me he was saving up for it but was going to be a while before he could afford it. It was around the holidays, so I ended up reducing it to cost so he could have it that day. The look on his face made all the shitty parts of the job worth it. For that moment at least.

[aliensliveinme]

Oh dude, I once visited a store that specialised in vintage instruments and watched a guy completely fail to re-hang a vintage early 70s fender strat that was basically mint back onto the wall whislt being 1. seated and so far too low and consequently doing it at full extension holding the bottom of the body and 2. holding another guitar that he was trying out in the playing position on his knee.

It stayed up there for all of about 4 seconds before sliding off of the hanger onto some similarly vintaged amp and scraping a significant amount of its previously flawless finish off of the back.

That dude left the store in tears. Truly heart braking stuff!

[jonraquet]

I will carry the term "big-bong-no-pants" with me for the rest of life lmao

[timsopinion]

I've heard you tell the Post Office story a number of times now and I gotta say, it still cracks me up.

[andylovesbats]

One of my wishes as a kid was to get to listen to the stories of someone working in a guitar store/music store, because i always thought that they must've been through so much interesting stuff, thank you for sharing your experience!
I started really getting into playing guitar a few months ago and i can say for a fact that this is something i've been looking for my whole life. Your channel has really helped me through my music journey so far!

[brandonraemusic]

Thanks man! This really helped. I'm 14 am started to think about getting a part time job at guitar store when I'm 16 and this really answered a lot of my questions. Thanks for the help!