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pjn -> RE: Went to the Guitar Salon (May 19 2013 4:38:37)
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Another experience: a year and a half ago, knowing I would be in LA for a couple of days, I wrote GSI and made an "appointment" with one of their high mucky-mucks to visit the shop. (Background: professional player from New York, customer of theirs in the past, blah blah). I wasn't expecting the Grisha treatment but I wasn't expecting this:
Arrived on the scheduled weekday afternoon, not a super busy time; was given to an early 20's "sales associate" whose playing experience was electric guitar. Was shown all the mediocre to appalling instruments which had been sitting around the place for a while, at prices which would be high even were they good instruments.
Asked to see a couple of "high end" instruments -- "oh no, that's a $10,000 guitar, we can't just bring that out for you." -- "Well may I speak with Dave" -- sorry, he's not here" -- but I'm here from New York for one afternoon and I wrote ahead about this" -- well sorry but that's our policy."
In addition, these people set the the standard for over-the-top hype and purple prose in their descriptions; every guitar has "singing/brilliant/crystal clear trebles and "powerful, punchy, furniture rattling basses. Every guitar is incredibly easy to play, has a perfect set-up, boasts gorgeous woods and impeccable workmanship. Yes of course, because they personally have chosen everything about the guitar and have given explicit instructions to the builder on how to make it.
I'm glad you and countless others have had such good experiences but I personally, as someone who has been around the block a couple of times, find the GSI-zation of the guitar "business" not only distasteful but also a disservice to the many journeyman players, amateur and pro alike, who see prices rise while they money we can make at our jobs gets sliced because of the "bad economy."
Solution: Andy Culpepper, Stephen Faulk, Ethan Deutsch, Anders -- deal directly with them. Support the builders, not the p*mps who make money from other people's skill and dedication. I understand that builders want to to get their instruments into shops, it's great exposure and puts the stamp of respectability on their work -- but as someone who needs a good instrument at a fair price and doesn't appreciate a frat house full of smart-alecks, I don't have to like it and I don't. I think this aspect of things is way off the rails.
Outside of that, peace, man.
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