Tips For Shopping at a Musical Instrument Store

When shopping in a department store for clothes, most buyers know what do do and what not to do. A buyer knows that if they want to try on a pair of pants, for example, they go into a changing station. A buyer knows that if you want to try on a pair of shoes, it's best if you have on clean socks. The "Politically Correct" way to shop in a super market is a little different, but not much. Everything from the average consumer knowing you don't taste the fruit before you buy it to see if it's good, to feeling a loaf of bread. Yes, most consumers know the "in's and out's" of consumer shopping just about anywhere you buy items, except a music store.

Consider the fact that nearly 18% of people shop in music stores. This accounts for everybody from the 5-year old that is taking violin lessons, to the professional guitarist that needs a new Instrument cord for his awesome guitar. Just about everyone loves some type of music and in this world, a lot of consumers are picking up musical Instruments to play, fix, or learn. So why Is this a mystery of what you can do in a music store? Can you pick that guitar off the wall and start playing it? Can you blow into that Saxophone and see if you remember how to play "Ole Suzanna"?

Here are some things you should read about before you go into another music store and end up making the store manager, or worse yet, the owner furious. Here is a list from a music store owner that i thought might be helpful. Generally, the best thing to do when you walk into a music store is start asking questions first hand. All music store owners and their policies are different in each store.

GUITARS

When you first walk into a music or guitar store, you"ll notice that they have a big selection of fretted Instruments, (acoustic guitars, electric guitars, mandolins, etc). Most Instruments of this nature are usually hanging off a hook onto a wall and you"ll more than likely have an Impulse to pick it up. But wait! Are you allowed to play these Instruments?

Some music stores allow you to pick up the Instrument and play it as long as you want. Guitar Center, one of the biggest franchises of Instruments in the United states, has a policy of letting a customer try out an instrument for the maximum of five minutes. Some music stores do not want you touching anything without a assistance, and last, but not least, some music stores will not let you touch anything at all. The main reason why a lot of stores nowadays frown from customers playing with the guitars, is that once someone plays with the guitar, it has been used. Imagine a store letting 500 people play the same instrument. The Instrument usually gets beaten up by then and the store can't possibly get the same price out of it as before. Alot of customers in the past have actually "De-tuned" guitars, and worse yet, broken them. The store has to either fix the item or sell the item cheaper, sometimes taking a loss.

Another rule of thumb. there are some Instruments that are just to expensive to let a 14 year-old play with. There will be a select number of guitars that are better left untouched before a customer buys it. Chances are, most young shoppers don't have that kind of money to buy an Instrument that prices for $700.00. Most kids just want to play without paying for it. If you, or if your child(ren) get reprimanded from the staff, they are just protecting their assets. Some guitars cost about the same amount as a new car. Don't be offended. Also, most customers are not told whether they can actually plug the instrument into an amp. most stores have a certain set of amps they plug into, unless you are trying to buy that amp also. Do yourself and everyone else a favor when you shop for a fretted instrument, ask If:

1. You are allowed to touch the guitar. not just play with it, touch it. Some guitars you probably can, some guitars you definitely can't.

2. You are allowed to plug it into an amp. Big rule of thumb here. If you don't know how to use an amp, chances are, you just might blow it up. Some amps are very expensive.

BRASS AND WIND INSTRUMENTS

Brass and wind instruments these days come at a very high price. The cheapest new flute anymore will start out at about $150.00, while a decent saxophone will easily cost at the minimum $700.00. like fretted instruments, there are rules about touching these also, but they are alot stricter.

From the start, one of the worse things you could do to get in trouble is to start blowing on a brass or woodwind Instrument. There are several reasons why. Brass Instruments get their luster because of their appearance. When someone picks up a brass Instrument, they leave fingerprints on the body. It's a lot of work for the staff to clean this back off.

Notice that most of the instruments don't have the mouthpiece already installed? That's because the person actually buying this Item should be the only one blowing on it. Sometimes you will have a customer blowing into a saxophone, not thinking that there is no mouth piece installed. Being a music store owner, i have seen this many times. Did you know that there is actually a health code for blowing into mouth pieces? Once you blow into a mouth piece, the store cannot sell it to no one else, due to the emissions you just put into it with your mouth. Also, mouth pieces need a reed. you cannot sell a used reed. Another health code violation. This also applies to woodwind Instruments, but you usually don't get it as blemished touching it as you would a brass instrument.

HARMONICAS

The same rule of thumb applies to the harmonica, but with an exception. Once you blow into a be=rand new harmonica, it's no longer for sale to anyone else. Unlike brass and woodwind instruments, a harmonica can't necessarily be cleaned. If you blow into a harmonica, not intending on buying it, the store has to make you buy it or throw it away. There is no exception to this rule, so If you see a harmonica you lie, ask questions about what key it is in, and what that particular one does, don't blow into it, Ever.

DRUMS

Drums come in three different sections. you have individual drums like bongos, congas, djembes, snares, etc. you have the well known acoustic drum set, then you have an electric drum set. drum sets come with what they call heads, or skins that you play on. drum skins are very touchy and once you hit the head of a drum with a stick, it leaves a mark. drum heads generally run anywhere between $5.00 well into $100.00 a piece, so you know that the store generally would not appreciate you hitting on an acoustic drumset. If you don't know this by now, a lot of drums are not hit with a drumstiuck, but I've seen customers hit these particular drums with one, damaging the heads and knocking the drum out of tune. There are some music stores that will let you try out an electric drumset, but like with the rest of this guide, ask first.

AMPS AND OTHER ELECTRONICS

Last, but not least, one of the things you could do to catch the attention of the store with bad results, is to plug in anything electronic. A retail store, like Walmart or Target generally will not let you plug in a television or hair dryer, so why would you think a retail music store will let you plug in an electronic devise or amp? Most electronic devises need studied on before they are played with. A P.A system, for example, needs more than one component before it can work, and a drum machine needs programmed before it can play. I've had customers plug in a stomp box, step on it, break it, then put it back into the box. Warranties and guaranties are made for customers, not the store owners.

Amplifiers are not simple to use, unless you know where to turn the dials. If you grab a $1500.00 amplifier made for an electric guitar and plug in a Bass guitar,chances are you might tear it up. Chances are, you just bought a broke amplifier, according to the staff's discretion. Again, ask if you can plug in anything! The last thing any consumer wants to do is get forced into buying something that doesn't work.

The staff and owners of music stores are not monsters, it's just that no one explains to anyone what you are and are not allowed to do in a music store. They want happy and satisfied customers like everone else, so remember:

Always ask first.