Bob, I just got back from Guitar Center and then read your Manny's post. If
Guitar Center will be all that we have left after the flood,then God help us.
This GC was located in a western suburb about 15 miles from Minneapolis. I was
in the neighborhood, and wanted to check out a simple effects pedal for my
guitar (a Boss RC 20 Loop station for those that need to know.) As primarily an
acoustic guitarist, I have a rudimentary knowledge of this stuff, so I always
depend on the dependable staff at what used to be several great independent
music stores in the Twin Cities (RIP Knut-Koupee, Torps Music, etc.)
This GC was located in one of those pre-fabricated town square wrap around
malls. I entered the store to the white noise of one metal video in the guitar
section, bleeding into the rap music in the turntable section. Nothing new here,
as usually you can throw in at least another shredder or two, vying for
attention and wave length most of the time, at any GC.
Oddly enough, I was the only customer in the store (and was for the next 30
minutes.) There were about 5 clerks manning their battle stations. I found the
effects section and asked a clerk for help. It took him about 15 minutes of him
trying to get the floor model functioning before he admitted he didn't know how
to work it. He grabbed one out of the box. No luck here either. He called on
another clerk, who came over, and no luck. There were also no instructions in
the box. The new clerk went back to his battle station and was going to download
the instructions.
In the meantime, I wanted to try out this simple guitar synth. The first clerk
came over, and spent another 5-10 minutes trying to untangle the cords on that
floor model. I asked him if he could get the 2nd clerk to come over with the
downloaded instructions for the loop station. He finally comes over and says,
"Dude, the computer froze." Thirty minutes of this and I realize why maybe I am
the only customer in the store. Or maybe not.
My ears are fried from the sonic overload, my brain is fried from the piss poor
service, and I am out in a suburb afraid of having my ass kicked by some wilding
group of junior high geography teachers.
I probably didn't need the damn pedal anyway.
Paul Metsa
Minneapolis, MN
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