So ya wanna buy at Banjo Mart? Ha!

[vvv]

In my experience, unless you get there real early, they are all like this.

[Gregg Juke]

The writer sounds just a little too hipper-than-thou (they usually do, on those hipper-than-thou sites). Maybe he had a full bowl of Wheat-me's this morning?

That cacophony is well-known to anyone that has worked at any music store that reasonably allows people to play and check-out gear. I worked in retail in the 80's; that "No 'Stairway to Heaven' Allowed" sign in that movie had a basis in reality... You could hear that lick 800 times a day (before lunch) if you didn't put your foot down.

GJ

[Jim Williams]

Just get there at 10 am. Most of the bad musicians haven't woken up yet.

[kslight]

Does anyone really shop there? I fail to see the appeal when I can get the same item for less, with zero sales tax, and free shipping...often within 1-3 days (1 day I order from guitar center's parent company who's warehouse is literally across town). It would be one thing if I could actually try gear I want there, but frankly their selection is pretty terrible unless I want a cheap combo amp or a "new" used crap guitar that's been manhandled by who knows how many people....almost never any recording or keyboard gear worth owning, and if I wanted a nice guitar I certainly know better than to try to find one on the shelf there.


And yeah, I hate the senseless noise and crappy Metallica or nirvana riffs as much as anyone, but you can't blame the kids for wanting to try out the equipment first.

[vvv]

I long ago concluded that if I hadda listen to that all day long, I'd be a unlikable sales doosh, also.

It's just that listing to that for a hour, and having to deal with the unlikable sales dooshs, that I get such a Schadenfreude-larf.

[Neal]

Most guitar stores are like that. My band stopped at a Guitar Center when we were on the road this summer cuz we needed strings. Holy shit. I about had a panic attack. It was hilarious in a way. Should go to one on acid or something.
The WalMart vibe is super uninspiring. The only thing more lame was when Best Buy was trying to sell instruments. Stereogum isn't any better, in its own way.