Music store etiquette

dirtiestkidever

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There are two local music shops that are great for ukuleles. I also like the people at both and would love to support them. That being said, I still see myself making all of my ukulele purchases online (probably used) to get the best deals.

Typically when I go into one of these stores I play the instruments for 20-30 minutes and then buy something small like a set of strings or a tuner. But I have all the strings I need. So now when i go into these stores (probably about once a month) I just look at the ukes rather than playing them.

Is it rude to go to music stores and play the instruments with no intention of buying? How long is a reasonable time to spend playing the instruments? How do music store owners feel about this? I realize there are no right answers I am just trying to get a feel for what the etiquette is as I really have no idea.
 
We've got a small retail shop and this is my take on it. If a person wants to try them out, that's fine, but just playing for fun isn't doing the shop any favors and quite possibly putting some minor scratches or "shop wear" on the instruments making them harder to sell. You should be able to get the feel for the instrument after maybe 5 minutes of playing. The thing I really dislike is someone who comes in with no intention to buy and just wants to play to show off for their girlfriend, that's annoying as hell.

and always take off your coat/jacket before picking anything up to avoid scratching the instruments with zippers etc.
 
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I agree, if I go in to a store and play something that I really enjoy, I buy it from them. Some of my advertisers (small mom and pop businesses) have a hard time (one in particular owns a baby/maternity store) with mom's coming in to tryout car seats, strollers and cribs only to leave and either purchase online or go down the street and buy at a big chain store. It's killing their business and it's just plain RUDE! They give great customer service and that has to be worth something!

That said, I tend to buy online and used because around here there aren't any ukulele's for sale. Guitar center stocks the basic low end. Although I went in back in August and one of the regular guys there who knows me helped me out a lot, played with me and we had a nice chat, (i even taught him a uke song to play to customers to help sell them), I walked out with the little Fender Nohea. I never would have bought that model if I hadn't played it and loved it.

Just be upfront about it and be careful with their stock (like Mike said).
 
I think Mike said it well. Going into a shop to try something out is reasonable. Sitting and playing for an extended period of time really isn't. Think about it from the perspective of a clothing store; they expect you to try on the clothes, maybe even walk around a little to see how they feel; they don't expect you to go out to dinner wearing them.

If you are considering a purchase, I think it's right to tell the shopkeeper that and to spend an extended time with the instrument. Some shops are happy to provide you with a practice room to really get a sense of the instrument.

As always, you owe the shopkeeper the utmost care in handling his instruments. Those are his bread and butter, the stuff that puts food on his family's table. It breaks my heart when I see people wailing away on a new instrument with a pick or banging instruments around pulling stuff down off the wall.
 
I find that most local shops are mostly stocked with low to mid-end ukes, and I generally don't pick any up unless it's a brand I've never tried before, and even then it's just so I can get a quick feel for its quality for future reference. The higher end ukes, if they have any, I try out, but since those usually stay hanging for quite some time, I usually only need to try it once unless I'm actually looking at buying it.

I still buy a lot of accessories in local shops just because I always see something that I can use extras of. The thing I probably buy the most in stores are cases- there's no substitute for taking your uke to a shop and finding the perfect fit.

But until HMS franchises out they're still my number one place to buy ukes, on-line or off.
 
I frequent a few ukulele stores in my area, particularly Gryphon Stringed Instruments in Palo Alto and Aloha Warehouse in San Francisco's Japantown. At Gryphon, I'll play an instrument I'm curious about for a few minutes, just to get a feel for it. In the past, I've bought a used Kamaka tenor, a new Kamaka 8-string tenor, and a used baby Taylor guitar from them, so I feel comfortable stopping in, playing stuff (especially when they have something unusual, like a Compass Rose) and leaving with only a small purchase, like an ukulele strap. I've also referred people there for ukulele purchases and repairs. I'm friendly with the owner of Aloha Warehouse (we attend the same monthly kanikapila, and I often go in just to say hello. He likes to show me the new things he's gotten in. Unfortunately, I loaded up on Kamakas before he became a Kamaka dealer (Aloha Warehouse now sells Kamakas, Kanile'as and KoAlohas!). I'll make it a point to buy stuff from him that mightn also be available online. I recently bought a laminate Makai concert as a gift for a friend), I've bought some accessories and ukulele CDs there, and I've referred friends to him who have bought ukes from him. I usually only play the higher end ukes there that he wants to show me, even though he probably knows I'm probably not going to buy them.

Yesterday I stopped into Sylvan on my way back from picking up new Compass Rose baritones from Rick Turner's work space. I played a few of their instruments, including the two lovely new CRs that are there now and a new Santa Cruz baritone guitar, for a few minutes each, and then bought a copy of The Daily Ukulele (which I could have gotten for about half the price on Amazon) as a gift for a friend.

I beleive that if I'm going to play the ukes at local music shops, I should occasionally buy something more expensive than strings or tuners, like an inexpensive ukulele to give as a gift. I think that good will should feel to the shop owner and employees like a two-way street.
 
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My local shop has no problem with me coming in, tuning up and playing them. I do know the owner and know he doesn't have a problem with it and appreciates the instrument getting some "play time" exposure for the customers in the store.

That being said I have bought 2 ukes from him in the past, though.
 
It is like any other kind of etiquette: put yourself in the place of the other person and ask how you would like to be treated in a similar situation.
 
I think they should mention somewhere, the fact that a uke has been on display and played (shop worn) before you buy online. I purchased a uke online last year, it was fairly expensive, from a music store but not a chain. When I received it and gave it the once over, I was surprised by the amount of strum marks that it had on it. I returned it for a refund, now had the salesman mentioned the strum marks prior to, or gave me a slight discount because of it, I probably would have kept it. He was actually pretty snarky on top of it, when I called to let him know how I received.

One other time I had a chance to see a Kamaka, I drove a long ways for the chance to see one one person. We don't have higher end ukes here where I live, that I know of anyway. He brought it out and was fine with me playing it, I finger picked only, since I did not want to put a single mark on it. I asked him if he would play it, so I could hear it better. He starts to strum, I can hear right away his finger nails on the soundboard. When he gave it back to me and left me to play some more, I looked at it and saw his strum marks. I know they are going to get dinged, but I want them to be my dings.
 
It is like any other kind of etiquette: put yourself in the place of the other person and ask how you would like to be treated in a similar situation.

not many people are shop owners so its difficult for us to put ourselves in their shoes. There's one used place I visit sometimes, bought some tenor sax reeds and some strings there once. They did hold a used instrument for me that was on repair, which I didn't take. I'm absolutely certain I will be buying a violin or band instruments from this shop in the future (yes I have 3 kids) so I'm personally not feeling like I'm cheating them, just want to mostly look over their stock every 6 mos or so. I probably will grab some hohner kazoos from them later this week even...I'll ask about nose flutes as well.
 
My take on shope ukes being used....go to a store that has high turnover and you wont see high end ukes last a few days....especially ones that are sought for.
besides I would like to buy the uke I try and liked playing a floor model rather getting a new uke from the back...all ukes have their own voices like you and me
I usually look over the uke well in the shop too, as you know many buyers are so excited in the buying process they may overlook if it has flaws and even some
the tone....take your time and feel out the ukulele if you are an intrested buyer....
 
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My take on shope ukes being used....go to a store that has high turnover and you wont see high end ukes last a few days....especially ones that are sought for.
besides I would like to buy the uke I try and like instead play a floor model and get a new uke from the back...all ukes have their own voices like you and me
I usually look over the uke well in the shop too, as you know many buyers are so excited in the buying process they may overlook if it has flaws and even some
the tone....take your time and feel out the ukulele if you are an intrested buyer....

When I bought my mahogany Mainland concert at Ukulele Source in San Jose, I played one on display that had a bit of shopwear and liked it very much. They told me they had several in the stockroom, and wouldn't I rather have a pristine one from the back. They brought out three or four fresh in their boxes, and none of them sounded as good as the one I had tried out--so I bought the shopworn one gladly.
 
I definitely think that people shouldn't just play instruments that they have no intention of buying unless the model is clearly a floor model that is not for sale and is already dinged up. When it comes to nice instruments that are for sale, particularly premium ones, I do not think they should be played if you have no intent to buy. I have declined to play instruments that music store owners have said they want me to try bc I don't think it's fair to the store.

I feel for the store owners--you don't want to have people playing all your nice instruments and messing them up--that's your inventory and that's the only way you make money. On the other hand, as a consumer, the whole point of a music store is that I have a chance to try before I buy. I've been to a store before where there was a really expensive uke. The person there told me I couldn't try it--can't say I blame him--he had no idea that I was a serious buyer of ukes, and it was a very expensive premium instrument. I had him strum it for me, but it's just not the same, so I passed. So there's is always that possibility that opportunities are lost.
 
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not many people are shop owners so its difficult for us to put ourselves in their shoes. There's one used place I visit sometimes, bought some tenor sax reeds and some strings there once. They did hold a used instrument for me that was on repair, which I didn't take. I'm absolutely certain I will be buying a violin or band instruments from this shop in the future (yes I have 3 kids) so I'm personally not feeling like I'm cheating them, just want to mostly look over their stock every 6 mos or so. I probably will grab some hohner kazoos from them later this week even...I'll ask about nose flutes as well.

So you have to be a shop owner to appreciate the basic notion that a shop owner does not want you to screw up his goods when you have no intention of buying. Give me a break.
 
I remember I was in HMS one time and a young kid, around 15(probally could never afford a high end uke) asked mike if he could play a high end Kanilea..
Mike passed the uke to him with no hesitation....after the kid played, he was handing over the uke back to Mike and he accidentally bumped the
bottom bout of the uke on the counter....Mike did not say a word but looked and examined it for a long time...the kid never said even sorry or may
not have understood he damaged a high end uke....I am sure after that, he could not play any high end ukes behind the counter...mike did not scold the
kid though....I am sure that uke was discounted after that....
 
I bought my first and only (so far) ukulele at a local music store here in Pensacola. Blues Angel Music is very Uke friendly. Every Sat morning they have a free intro to ukulele class. Then our local Uke group meets in the store for an hour. One member of the staff works with us as we learn new songs. If we want we can pick a ukulele off the wall and give it a try. Customers often come and watch us. We do buy stuff there including the occasional instrument. The owners have told me how positive the experience is for the store and it is certainly positive for us.
This maybe an unique situation but they have convinced me to support my locally owned music store
Cliff
 
I go into the local shop frequently and play the ukes all I want. However, I know the owner; he doesn't mind. In fact, my playing helps sell ukes. He sells mostly mid and low end with a few high end. I've bought a few low end ukes from him, send everyone I know who is looking for an instrument to him, buy strings from him, and I have bought keyboards and other stuff from him. If someone comes in and wants to play uke or guitar I don't play so they can hear what they are playing. I know he doesn't mind, and even though I haven't bought any high end ukes from him I've been a good customer and bought quite a few things.

What bugs me are the kids who go into the acoustic room at guitar center, plug in the "acoustic amps" and start jamming all day long not allowing anyone else to play anything.
 
The bottom line - if you want your local music store to be around a while, patronize them, and that means buying more than strings. This is especially true of mom and pop type stores, as opposed to something like Guitar Center.

I used to help out an elderly friend in running his radio control airplane shop - he had hundreds of thousands invested and had a very good inventory. He was very well known in the hobby, having judged national events for years and so on. People would come into the shop all the time and literally take up hours of our time asking about this and that and handling engines, radios, checking out the kits, etc. Then they'd leave without buying anything and a week or two later we'd see them at the field with the exact same stuff that they'd checked out in his shop but they'd ordered it from Hobby Lobby or what have you to save often as little as ten or twenty dollars on a several-hundred-dollar purchase.

But, oh lordy how they'd complain if they busted a prop or ran out of fuel on the weekend and we didn't have exactly the replacement they wanted in stock... :rollseyes:

BTW, he, like far too many good local shop owners, eventually realized that he was losing money keeping the doors open and closed up shop.

Now granted, there is often not much choice locally and when that happens order away! I order stuff online all the time - but, I don't steal from local shops by wasting their time and handling their merchandise when I have no intention of buying from them.


John
 
John,
I agree buy from a locally owned shop whenever you can. You will get good service and support local jobs. If they don't have what you want see if they can order it

Cliff
 
Using your local store as a showroom for Amazon, or some other tax free online source, is quite rude in my opinion.

The store I frequent is Elderly Instruments, and they encourage you to sit, play, shoot the bull, whatever. I buy from them because they will deal, plus you get lifetime service if you buy the instrument from them. (the higher end stuff)
 
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